I'll Keep This Secret For You

Chapter 111

REMINDER: Words with ** around them are in Russian.

After a few days things are a lot better, or more normal you guess that you could say. Bucky is able to touch you again without you jumping in fright, you aren't looking over your shoulder every two seconds, and Luke goes back to his normal self too... only a little bit grumpy and back chatty compared to what he has been lately.

You get the news that Jake has been put away for life with all kinds of convictions including conspiring with hydra, as do his comrades. So to celebrate you take the family out for dinner that night, finally feeling a massive weight lifted off your shoulders.

The next week or so is pretty damn good all things considered. Bucky is a little bit weird about some stuff but you think he's just in over protective mode at the moment. But besides that, you kind of are able to settle in to somewhat of a rhythm of normalcy, busy... but for you guys any sort of routine is more than welcome.

That is until one night a few days later. You hear Bucky's motorbike pull up outside, obviously arriving home from work. You look up and out the kitchen window from where you are peeling carrots and potatoes, smiling expecting to see him striding up the pathway towards the house. Instead, he is slumped over the handle bars of the bike, nearly falls off when he eventually does move and then staggers forward all over the place, hand on his forehead and cringing in apparent pain.

Worried, you run over to the door and throw it open.

"Buck?!" You gasp as he nearly trips up the steps. "What's wrong?"

He just groans before basically falling into your arms, his weight nearly making you fall over too.

"Bucky!" You gasp again in surprise.

You manage to get his metal arm around your shoulder and guide him over to the couch, helping him stagger along and then him just simply rolling onto it. Immediately his eyes are squeezed shut and he just groans again. Of course Luke, Isla and Theo all come running over to see what's going on.

"Bucky baby, what's wrong?" You ask again and kneel down beside him.

"Nnn, my head." He moans and turns onto his side to face you.

"What is it?" You press, stroking a hand over his that still cups his forehead as if that's going to help in any way whatsoever.

"I've got a splitting headache." He explains.

"Should you have been motorbiking home if you feel like that? Can you even see straight? Cos you certainly aren't walking straight?" You frown in concern.

"Well put it this way." He winces. "I can see two of you right now."

"Daddy!" Isla exclaims. "That's not normal."

"It's okay sweetie I think I just need a glass of water." He mumbles and shakes his head slightly, waving his hand in a way that you think is an attempt to get her out of his face. "I probably over exerted myself at the gym this morning."

"Shh, sweetie, talk quietly. Loud noises will hurt dad's head more." You tell her. "Luke, could you go fetch him a glass of water please? I'm going to go get a cold cloth and see if that helps."

By the time you get back he is trying to sit up to have a drink, his whole body shaking. The kids are all watching with big, worried eyes. You sit down beside him and help guide the glass to his mouth, taking it from him when he's done. Immediately he flops back down so that his head is resting on the arm of the couch.

"Oh man this is worse then at Steve and Peggy's wedding." He groans, his eyes squeezed shut while he cringes.

You immediately start to worry. There's no way you can attribute this to alcohol because he hasn't been drinking. And it's happened twice now whatever it is. Maybe it's a stress thing or he's still over worked and exhausted? He is home late tonight, it's been a long few days.