Hidden Love ~ Stucky

11

It had been days.. or maybe it was weeks? Bucky didn't know anymore. All he knew was that he was not ready to go back to school. Was not ready for the stares, the points, the whispers and the questions.

He was not ready for the looks of sympathy or disgust, the smothering and easy work given to him by his teachers.

And so, instead of being seated at a desk in a classroom, Bucky stood in front of his full body mirror, struggling to tie his hair back for painting Peters room once again.

Just yesterday they had done the two coats of red paint across the walls, all that was required now to tie the whole thing together were the black and white coloured webs and large spider.

A chuckle rolled off of the teens tongue at the thought of the conversation he and Peter had when they were discussing the design of his room, later finding out peter loved what Bucky despised.

Spiders.

Shaking his head at the thought, Bucky looked down at the hair tie around his wrist and sighed. "Peter?" He called.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come and tie my hair up please?!"

"Yep! Be there in a sec.."

In the blink of an eye peter ran into the room, brush in hand and motioned for Bucky to take a seat on his desks chair. Bucky did as he was told, sinking into the seat and closing his eyes as the hairbrush glided easily through his hair.

"What am I doing today, Buck?" Peter asked, looking at him through the mirror.

"Just a ponytail." he responded with a slight frown. He missed being able to tie up his hair.

Peter got to work, gently brushing his brothers hair back into one of his hands before looping it three times around Bucky's thick locks.

"There ya go." He said, throwing the brush on to the nearby desk. "A ponytail."

Bucky smiled softly, "Thanks Pete. I'll get your walls painted and done in a few minutes, I just gotta do something first."

"Okay, no rush."

Peter left the room without another word, skipping into the lounge to continue watching whatever cartoons he had paused for his brother. Bucky sighed and pushed himself up off the chair, his lips falling into a frown at the sight before him.

He looked even skinnier than before, barely any muscle definition left in his arm or his legs. Bucky just looked so fragile, as if a simple wind could blow through him and his bones would shatter at the small impact.

It made him feel so worthless. Was he meant to get these thoughts? Was this.. was this normal? Was this him now?

As he continued to get lost in his thoughts, staring almost lifelessly at his reflection in the mirror, Bucky did not become known to the rustling and the squeak of his window opening behind him.

The person eased it shut, turning on their heel and looking over at Bucky. A sense of guilt started in the pit of his stomach, almost like a bolder had been dropped onto him at the look of sadness on the boys face.

Bucky soon cut out of his thoughts at the sound of a squeak behind him, eyes cutting to the figure standing behind him in the mirror. Bucky screamed, causing the person to curse and run at him, slamming his back into the wall and cupping a hand over his mouth.

They placed their forearm across his chest, pressing harshly to keep him still and slow his struggle. "kid! It's me! Calm down."

Bucky's eyes widened and he took in the man before him. His breathing muffled, chest heaving with the fright and tears welled up in his eyes.