Modern Royalty

A list of Mistakes

Chapter 31
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Bucky looks at his hands, blood smeared all over his right and a few drops on his metallic palm. "I don't know", he breathes and chuckles desperately through his tears. "I don't fucking know." "Shh, calm down, darling", Winifred hushes him and starts cleaning the cut with the first aid kit Rebecca gave her. "You're gonna be fine." "I won't be", Bucky mumbles. "Nonsense", his mother answers calmly.

Bucky whinces, when she starts wrapping a bandage around the cut. Rebecca goes to get a hoodie for her brother. "Here, it's too cold to sit around topless", she says softly and hands it to Bucky. "Thanks", he mumbles and puts it on slowly. "I'll...clean this up now", he adds and points to the bathroom floor, shards and blood scattered over it. "Don't you want to come and eat something first?", his mother asks.

"No, thanks. I'm not hungry", James answers and gets up. Winifred nods slightly and hugs him again. "Don't hurt yourself again, James. Please, don't get yourself hurt", she says. "I won't, I promise", Bucky says. His mother leaves the room, but Rebecca stays behind. She fishes the phone out of the sink and sighs. "You drowned your phone, Bucky", she mumbles and sets it down on a small towel.

"I drowned a man once, Becca. Damaging my phone is nothing. Especially, because I saved all the data on my computer", he answers and hugs her gently. "Don't step in the shards." He picks her up and carries her to his bed. "Bucky, I want to help you", Rebecca says and ignores the mention of the crime he commited while being captured. "You can help me by going to eat dinner", Bucky says calmly.

"Fine", she sighs. "Be careful... You don't need any more injuries." "Go", Bucky chuckles and pushes her towards the door. Rebecca follows her mother to the dining room and Bucky starts cleaning up the mess in his bathroom. An hour later he sits on his balcony with only a blanket on the ground and his legs dangling over the edge. 'Maybe father was right. I don't know, if it's really loving Steve or just loving the affection', he thinks, but quickly swishes the thought away.

Steve is sitting crosslegged on his bed, staring at the drawings of Bucky and them together that he drew. "Buck, why won't you answer me", he mumbles and sighs deeply. 'Only two more days... On the third I'll be with him again, at Hydra', the blond thinks and collects the drawings carefully. He waits for Rebecca to call him, like she did the last two days. "Hey", she says, not knowing how to break the news.

"What happened?", Steve asks urgently. "He had a breakdown... Not the worst, but it's up there. At least in matters of damage", Rebecca says and sighs. "What do you mean?", Steve asks, getting worried. "He crushed his phone and the mirror. Got a cut on his hand and the phone is damaged beyond repair", she answers. "Oh hell... Is he alright now?", Steve mumbles and closes his eyes.

"Apart from the fact that he hasn't really eaten in the last few days, yes", Rebecca says. "At least it's something... Thanks for telling me, Becca", Steve answers. "Have a good night." "You too", the princess answers and smiles as they end the call. The next morning, Bucky is the first one awake. He goes downstairs, dressed in a blue button down and black pants. He doesn't feel good enought to dress casually.

He walks past some servants, nobody is really paying attention to him. Bucky walks to the very back of the library, he spent a few silent hours there in the past days because barely anyone goes there. He sits down and starts reading in silence. Steve wakes up later than usually and sighs slightly. "Fuck, Bucky why didn't you tell me about the problem", he mumbles and stands up reluctantly.

Both princes spend their day in silence, not talking to anybody longer than necessary. As the sun starts to set, Steve is still in the garden house trying to draw without getting distracted by his own thoughts. 'I can't just visit him... Alexander is too unpredictable, what if he hurts Bucky even more, in the case thaf I just came over?', he thinks, but his thoughts are interrupted.