Shattered Thoughts : Book One(Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier)

Chapter 5

   When Bucky woke up the first thing he noticed was that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and the second was that Steve was gone. Bucky rolled off the couch, wincing as the movement pulled at the cuts that had been stitched up the night before. He stumbled into the kitchen, looking for Steve. He remembered eating breakfast here, but he couldn't remember how he got in this weird looking house.

 "Where exactly are you trying to go big guy?," a voice asked from behind him. 

  Bucky spun around, and caught sight of the woman who'd spoken. She had silver hair and green eyes, but the most startling thing was that she was sitting in a wheelchair with a green quilt over her legs. She offered him her right hand, "I'm Willow. Steve's not here. He asked me to take care of you."

  Bucky stared at her. Willow looked at her hand, "It's a hand, you shake it."

 But Bucky couldn't shake her hand, his eyes were drawn to the finger shaped bruises on her left wrist. He looked down at his metal arm, and then gestured to her wrist, "Did I do that?"

"Bucky, look at me, " Willow moved her chair closer to him, "It was an accident. You didn't mean to, everyone makes mistakes. I'm fine."

 Bucky nodded. He still felt horrible. He was still hurting people, even when he wasn't awake. God, he hated that cursed arm. It was a horrible thing, capable of such violence. And he hated the way it had been fused to his arm, he could still remember when they'd put it on. It had been the most painful moment of Bucky's life, needles going down into his skin, the smell of burning flesh. He'd screamed and begged them to stop, he'd screamed for Steve. A shudder of horror went through Bucky's body as he remembered that horrible pain.

  "Hey, buddy? You still with me?" Willow's sharp voice jolted him out of his memories. She was holding a black t-shirt out to him.

 "Thanks. I'm sorry about your wrist." Bucky pulled the shirt on over his head, the movement pulled on his stitches, sending twinges of pain through his chest.

  "No worries, I've had worse."

 "I can see that," Bucky said without thinking. Then he immediately began kicking himself mentally, Bucky had almost no people skills. Hydra hadn't been concerned with diplomacy, only his ability to finish a job. But instead of being angry, Willow threw her head back and started laughing.

  "Wow, haha! Thank you so much Buck, I needed to laugh today," Willow had tears of laughter in her eyes. "I think you and I are going to be just fine."