ANOTHER LOVE [bucky barnes]

TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN;
╰  bucky

   «WHERE'S LEAH?» Sam asked the super-soldier as he stepped inside the warm wooden-house. He instantly regretted his question, watching the other male nearly crumble to pieces. His blue eyes were clouded and his mind was somewhere else; trapped in deep thoughts that only caused him pain. He would never forget the look on her face; the look of betrayal and sadness as unshed tears had threatened to spill from her rich brown eyes. He knew he made her cry. He knew he hurt her.

«She left.» Bucky said quietly in a mumble. His tone was low as his eyes avoided Sam's. Shame washed over the former assassin and he felt like he was drowning. The secure feeling he had grown attached to was no longer there. Leah had taken it with her when she left.

Sam nodded. He could tell his friend wasn't ready to talk about it. There was a lot of things the two males had to talk about, but not tonight. He knew they would eventually get their chance. Despite their past arguments, Sam was confident they had plenty of time. He had grown used to Bucky's obnoxious presence and he cared for the other male in the most friendly way possible. He hoped that was enough to keep them from losing all contact once the situation with the Flag Smasher's was sorted out. He hoped their friendship was what he made it out to be; that it wasn't just his imagination. Sam and Bucky were partners after all.

«You can have the couch.» He told him. Sam would've offered him a bed, but he knew Bucky wouldn't accept it. He was convinced that the former Winter Soldier was unable to truly fall asleep on top of a soft mattress. It wasn't entirely incorrect, although it would've been even harder without Leah sleeping next to him. Her mattress had been too soft and Bucky was still surprised he had gotten a glimpse of sleep when he stayed over.

The short-haired male shook his head as his thoughts were drifting to Leah again. He nearly scoffed at himself, wondering how he ended up being such a sap. He was making himself nauseous with pressing thoughts. The way Leah would slip into his mind at the smallest of thoughts made his heart sink. He couldn't help it— he was worried about her. From his own observations, he knew that she was impulsive, especially when hurt. He realized he shouldn't have let her take the rented car and suddenly everything he could think of was Leah and the image of her hurt.

His vibranium fingers anxiously slid over the black material of his shirt, gripping the soft fabric that Leah had buried her face in hours ago. Sam shot him a look, as if he could hear the older male's thoughts, but Bucky ignored it. His hand reached for his phone. He slid it open and his eyes tried to ignore her face, blocking it out as he searched for the app that held his limited list of contacts. Her name was at the top, claiming its rightful title as Lee Lee, followed by the exaggerated amount of emojis that the female had insisted on adding. Bucky recalled how ridiculous the combination had looked when she picked it. He remembered how any trace of that thought had been erased when he had spotted her soft lips light up the room in a smile with her soft dimples making a rare appearance. He had stared at her with a smile of his own, observing her as sweet giggles had fallen from her lips and his phone clutched between her small fingers. The sensation of calm he had felt in that moment was unlike anything else. He had never felt so at home.