The Red Soldier: Rise of the Red Soldier

ISSUE #10

PART TWO

TW: Mentions of domestic violence

'Bucky. Bucky? Bu-cky!' James Barnes woke up, soaked with sweat, his whole body shaking. His left hand was being outstretched forcibly by glowing red energy. It stopped when he sat up. He held his face in his hands, brushing away the beads of sweat and tears as they dripped down his face. That was the fourth time he'd almost killed (Y/N) (L/N) in the month since he'd finally been invited into his bed. Dr (L/N) sat up as well, taking a couple deep, sharp, breaths.

Bucky felt arms wrap around his waist, a head falling into the crook of his neck, 'it's alright,' comforted (Y/N) as Bucky's breathing began to steady itself. (Y/N) reached over to the bedside table, flicking the light switch on. Bucky could see it now, the red finger marks around (Y/N) (L/N)'s neck. His stomach churned at the sight. The bruises from the last time had just begun to fade and now there was going to be fresh ones to take their place.

         'I hurt you...' sobbed James Barnes, 'I could have killed you this time! I could have killed you and I'd have been none the wiser!' He was getting angry now, not at (Y/N) but at himself. How could I be so stupid to think this was a good idea? I should have learned by now.

            'I can handle myself,' (Y/N) argued, 'you don't need to move back to the settee.'

         'And you don't need to look inside my head,' Bucky complained, getting up and checking behind the curtains. The sun was beginning to rise now, casting an amber glow over the lake outside their little house.

         'I'm sorry,' (Y/N) apologised, getting to his feet as well. He moved towards him, resting an open hand on his cheek, 'I'm just worried about you.'

         'And I'm scared the next time I hurt you will be the last,' he replied, leaving the bedroom, and entering the kitchen where he filled the kettle and switched it on. (Y/N) (L/N) followed him, pulling two mugs out of the cupboard by the sink as well as a teabag and a jar of instant coffee. 'How am I supposed to go to sleep at night knowing I might just choke you a little too hard... That I might wake up in the morning without you?'

         (Y/N) frowned, his brows knitting together, there was a sheen to his eyes now as he moved forwards, pouring boiling water into the mugs. He took a deep breath as he added milk and stirred, resting the teaspoon on the counter when he was finished using it. 'The doctors are close to finding a cure,' he said, his voice faltering slightly, 'so you're going to continue going to bed beside me, and we're going to continue waking up in the morning and having a cuppa before work. Do you understand?'

         'I was just thinking...'

         'No,' (Y/N) shook his head profusely. That had been his response the first time he'd put forward the idea, 'definitely not.' Now he was holding Bucky's face in his hands, starring up into his eyes as he forced him into staring back into his. 'I've waited far too long to have you,' his breathing quickened as tears welled up in his eyes, 'I'm not losing you again. Do you understand, James?'

         Bucky nodded lightly when (Y/N) thrust a cup of coffee in his hands and picked up his cup of tea. If he was going to lie, he wasn't going to do it verbally.

'I'm going to go see Steve today, if you want to come,' offered Bucky Barnes, when (Y/N) came out of the bathroom, showered, and dressed in a pair of smart trousers, a shirt, and a spotty red and yellow tie. Steve had been staying at the palace, attending long, boring meetings with King T'Challa and his personal guard. Bucky had gone to a few but preferred to stay out of the way. (Y/N) (L/N) hadn't gone to any of them. Bucky wasn't surprised by this considering how he acted in the meetings they attended whilst serving.