Cosmic Love

The Archer

The three were now walking down the street, Maia was gripping onto Bucky's jacket sleeve trying to not let her stomach growl.

"So, what you thinking?" Sam asked.

"Well, I know what we have to do." Bucky responded as he glanced down to Maia, despite the street not being very bright he could see the dark circles under her barely open eyes. "When Isaiah said 'my people'..."

"Oh, don't take that to heart. That's not what he meant." Sam assured the brunette man.

"No, he meant HYDRA." Bucky stated. "HYDRA used to be my people."

Sam scoffed. "Not a chance. I know where you're going with this, no."

"He knows all of HYDRA's secrets." Bucky replied, he could see why Sam wasn't onboard with his plan but didn't actually want to argue. "Don't you remember Siberia?"

"So you're just gonna go sit in a room with this guy?" Sam questioned, if Maia was being honest, she had absolutely no clue who they were talking about but she didn't care enough to ask.

"Y-" Bucky hesitated. "Yes." He said more firmly.

"Okay, then." Sam gave up as he glanced over to Maia, she could barely keep her eyes open and her eyes had been glossed over ever since he snapped at her in the police station.

Sam wanted nothing more for Maia to crawl into his grasp and tell him everything he missed when he was gone, the good and the bad. He didn't even care if he could stomach it, he just wanted to know. He wanted to know the pain he caused instead of this borderline silent treatment that was completely fucking with his head.

"We're gonna go see Zemo."

❀•°❀°•❀

The trio walked down the halls of a German prison, accompanied by a guard. Maia had eaten a cereal bar, it didn't satisfy her hunger but she knew she wasn't going to faint and that was good enough.

"He's just through that corridor." The guard said.

"Alright, give us a sec." Bucky replied as Sam shifted uncomfortably. "I'm gonna go in alone."

"Why?" Maia and Sam asked at the same time, both not wanting to be left alone together.

"You're an Avenger, you know how he feels about that." Bucky told Sam before turning his attention to Maia. "And I just don't want you in there."

"It's not like you two were known for frolokin' in the sun together." Sam joked, if Maia was in the mood to talk she would've said 'A familiar face is probably the best bet though.'.

"He was obsessed with HYDRA." Bucky stated. "We have a history together. Trust me. I got it."

Bucky walked away and towards Zemo's cell, leaving Maia and Sam in an uncomfortable silence, Sam wanted to apologise but he thought Maia looked ill and he didn't exactly want to get into another argument.

The brunette woman pressed her back against the wall before sinking the the floor and resting her forehead on her knees. "Sam..." She trailed off, not being able to look him in the eye as she spoke. "Sky's dead and it's all my fault."

Sam's mouth fell open slightly. No wonder she's different, he thought. He never got the chance to formally meet Sky, apart from when she threatened to kill him, but he could tell by photos of the couple that Maia loved her, loved her more than he thought Maia was capable of loving someone.

Before Sam even got the chance to reply Maia started speaking again. It was like she couldn't even stop the words coming out her mouth.

"You know in 2018 when you showed up at the compound? Well, after I hit you, I went to the training room and Sky found me throwing knives. I snapped at her after she asked if I was okay and said 'What do you want to hear Sky? That at the moment I want to slit my wrists and bleed out in a bathtub?' and then a month or so ago, we got into an argument and I told her to stop micromanaging my life and focus on the fact her mom just died and stormed out our apartment. When I came back she had slit her wrists and bled out in the bathtub. And please don't say it's not my fault because...I know I didn't put the blade in her hand and force her to do it but...I should've known."

"I'm so sorry, Maiabelle." Is all Sam could bring himself to say.

"I can't get her out of my head, Sam." Maia whispered, her voice breaking. "And every good memory I have of her is gone, the only one I have left is finding her in the bathroom and I keep seeing her everywhere. When I saw Karli, all I saw was Skylar."

Maia sheepishly lifted her head to look at Sam, her vision was blurred by tears but she could still see the pitying face staring back at her. Maia hated being pitied but in this moment, being pitied by Sam Wilson, she didn't mind it.

It meant he cared enough to feel bad. He didn't just love her, he cared about her. And in Maia's books, caring about someone was more important than loving them.

"C'mere." Sam muttered, pulling Maia off the floor and trapping her in a warm embrace.

Maia used his jacket to muffle her sobs as Sam held her shaking body. He knew he couldn't say anything to make her feel better but he had to try.

"You aren't going crazy, Maiabelle. And I know it fucking sucks, and I know you feel like you shouldn't move on but you can. Natasha and Skylar and Steve and Tony would want you to move on."

Maia's tears were beginning to dry up slightly but that didn't mean the deep, dark, empty void that hollowed out her heart was gone. Sam hoped he could wiggle his way back into Maia's heart but after what she just told him, he wasn't so sure that was possible.

"You can call me Maia."