Marvel Imagines

I'll Wipe Your Tears Away (Bucky Barnes X Reader)

A/N: Sad. Big sad.

An AU where instead of Bucky being snapped away during Infinity War, it was Steve as well as Natasha. Reader is Steve's sister. Takes place a year after the Snap.

****

It's been too long.

Too long since you've seen his smiling face.

Too long since you've seen her small grin when he was just being too... patriotic.

It's been too long.

And today marks the first full year since they'd vanished before your very eyes, simply turning to dust and blowing away in the wind.

Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff, your blood-brother and practically your sister since you'd arrived in the 21st century.

They're gone.

They've been gone for a year.

But, you aren't entirely alone.

Your fiancé from the '40s is by your side.

His mind finally free of HYDRA's bloody grip.

Bucky Barnes has been with you every step of the way.

Even when you'd witnessed your very own brother dissipate into thin air, his ashes falling to the forest floor in Wakanda, followed quickly after by Natasha.

Bucky was there.

Watched as you absolutely broke in two when the realization of what had happened finally sunk in.

You cried for days, it felt like.

And through it all, even through his own tears, Bucky was there.

By your side.

Even now, as you both wordlessly walk arm in arm to the small grassy corner of the New Avengers Complex backyard that had been dedicated to your fallen comrades, his grip around you is firm, reminding you that he is indeed with you.

The two headstones come into view, rather mossy and dirty, a shame really, considering there hasn't been much to do with half of the world's population gone.

Guess you'd been too busy sobbing and wallowing in pity to even bother checking up and attending to the gravestones.

"Look at these," You murmur, voice thick with emotion as you sink to your knees, practically tugging your fiancé down with you. "They're filthy."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind," Bucky assures, passing you a watery smile as he settles himself back into the grass at your side, his own gaze flicking back to the overgrown headstones. "I can just hear them complaining - 'don't you bother keeping those stones clean. There's no need. It's not like you'll forget us when we're gone.'"

Now it's your turn to crack a watery, trembling grin.

"They're rocks," You mock, attempting to impersonate your brother. "Just leave them be. There are bigger things to worry about."

"I'm sure they'd want us to check up on them every now and again though," The man at your side nods slowly, leaning forward to break off a weed trying to take over the stone. "Just like we are now."

"Yeah," Is all you can really muster, an all too familiar lump in your throat rising to the surface, triggering your bottom lip to begin its trembling.

"Y/N?"

"Hm?"

You're caught off guard slightly as Bucky turns to face you, gently placing both of his hands on either of your shoulders, before sliding each hand down your arms, stopping at your waist and holding you there.

"Just let go," He murmurs comfortingly, his own steely blue eyes shining with unshed, ever gathering tears. "I'll wipe your tears away, Doll."

That's all it takes for you to break down into Bucky's strong arms, slumping forward in defeat, completely collapsing against his chest, sobs wracking through your body while hot tears stream down your cheeks.

"I still can't believe they're gone," You cry, weakly lifting your head to meet your fiancé's gaze, his own cheeks stained with silent tears he'd let fall.

"Me neither," He echoes, a sob escaping his lips and shaking his form. "Me neither..."

The pair of you simply sit there, on the grass beside the overgrown tombstones, both shaking and sobbing messes with no one else to hold each other but yourselves.

"Y/N, Y/N, listen to me," Bucky finally speaks after awhile, voice wavering, threatening to break into another sob.

A cool hand slides beneath your lowered chin, softly forcing your gaze to raise to meet his.

"You know I love you more than anything, right?"

You blink away the tears a few times, focusing on his words.

"Of course I do. And you know I love you too."

Bucky swallows hard, a flash of guilt dancing across his gaze, seeming to be pondering his next words carefully.

"We - you and I - we need to move on," He mumbles, frowning when your lips curl up into a displeased snarl.

"How could you-"

"This isn't right," Bucky explains, gesturing to the two stones and then to both of your broken forms. "Steve wouldn't want either of us to be just sitting around here crying over something neither of us can change, right?"

"Right..."

"So what do you say we move back to Brooklyn? Find an apartment or something? Start a fresh life?"

"James, I don't know if I could bring myself to do that," You sigh shakily, lifting your head towards the heavens as if to seek some sort of council from those you'd lost.

"I think it would be for the best; for us."

Raising a trembling hand to run through your hair, you skim over the stones at your side, tracing your fingers over the names engraved into both of them.

"But Brooklyn though," You murmur, re-focusing on your fiancé, his good hand placed heavily in yours. "You'd want to go back?"

"Reminds me of better times," Bucky grins slightly, a bittersweet look gracing his handsome features.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to handle it, honestly," You admit, raising a hand to wipe your damp cheeks, new tears threatening to overflow.

However, before your hand even makes contact with the damp skin, Bucky's cool touch grasps your wrist, halting you from moving any further.

He lowers your hand back to your side, wordlessly urging you with his eyes to leave it there, before once more raising his vibranium hand to your cheek, the pad of his thumb wiping away the fresh tears that had fallen simply at his compassionate gesture.

"Like I said Doll," Bucky murmurs, squeezing your one hand in his good one, his other cupping your cheek delicately. "I'll always wipe your tears away."