CW: Very brief adult situation.
Bucky spoke in brief with T'Challa, agreeing to be up at the War Room within the hour. He allowed the guards who accompanied the King to quickly and efficiently place the new arm on the seam of his old. Before he had gone in cryofreeze they had fixed the port and he had been sure Shuri would be excited to craft a replacement for him. He just didn't think he'd ever actually accept one.
As the three Wakandans took their leave, Bucky turned to Harper. She was staring unseeingly into the middle distance. He approached her carefully, recognizing that she was in some state of shock.
"Darlin'?" he asked.
Bright brown eyes slowly found his. Quietly, she asked, "What's happening?"
"I don't have details yet," the former soldier answered softly. "I need to shower and head to the palace for a briefing. Steve and his allies are coming."
"So it's bad," Harper muttered, giving away that she hadn't absorbed much of the conversation he'd just had. He found he was marginally grateful for that.
With a single nod, he confirmed, "Yes."
"How bad?"
Probably worse than any other threat the world has ever faced. "Very."
"And you're fighting?"
"I have to."
Her head bobbed once in a nod. She glanced to the sky before saying, "I think I'm about due for a cluster."
"Listen, doll," he implored gently. "I've got to get moving. But you settle in here, okay? I'll be back later on and I can fill you in on as much or as little as you want. I promise, no matter what is about to happen, I'll do everything I can to make sure you're safe. Alright?"
"Alright," she whispered meekly, tears now glistening in her eyes.
She wrapped him in a tight embrace, pressing her face hard against his shoulder. He couldn't even begin to imagine how she must have been feeling, and he hated that he couldn't afford to stay with her. He couldn't even afford to take a moment and enjoy the feeling of having two arms around her.
"C'mon, Harper," he prompted gently. "Let's get you inside and comfortable."
Hot, searing pain tore at Harper's face. Her right eye was swollen nearly shut, the uncomfortable puffy feeling eclipsed by the indescribable agony. Silent sobs shook her body as she rocked back and forth in her perch on James's bed. This was the second cluster since he had left earlier that day, and even though it had just started, she could tell it was going to be the worst of the day. It had been preceded by shadows which pulsed, bruise-like, for over an hour before the real pain set in.
Her fingers gripped her hair at her temples, pulling in a desperate attempt at creating a pain that could distract her from that of the cluster. She hardly felt it. Harper pulled her knees to her chest, still rocking uncontrollably. She pressed her face into her knees, desperately applying pressure for some semblance of relief. Almost nothing existed outside of the pain. Her thoughts were an unintelligible blur of suffering, hopelessness, and longing for an end.
"Shit," a low voice hissed.
Harper just barely put it together that James had returned. She didn't look up, in no small part because the cluster had just dug deeper into the space behind her eye. A strangled groan parted her lips and her fingers clutched at her hair again.
"Darlin', do you want your medication? Can you take it?"
Hearing the familiar voice and the light Brooklyn drawl allowed some relief to enter her thoughts. "I haven't taken it today."
"D'you want it?"
Another sharp uptick in pain drew a sob from her throat and forced a vigorous nod of her head. A moment later, James prompted, "Here, doll. Arm?"
"No, a-arm was yesterday. Have to do thigh to-today," she choked out, already reaching to pull her shorts out of the way. His hand covered hers, halting her efforts.
"Steve is here," he revealed.
Harper processed the information at face value, not caring for the reason why. The pain flared to a level that was truly unbearable and she snapped, "I don't fucking care, James. I need it to stop!"
His hand left hers in a hurry, allowing her to tug the leg of her shorts up enough to expose the fleshy area where she could safely use the injection. Her other hand shook as she thumbed the cap off and then lowered the unit to her skin to administer the medication. It clicked and she forced herself to count the requisite number of seconds to be sure that the entire dose had been administered before pulling the unit away.
She finally opened her eyes, though the tears streaming from them made trying to look for the cap nearly as impossible. Gentle fingers pushed the item into her free hand and she recapped the unit. James took the emptied cartridge from her, presumably moving to dispose of it in the sharps bin the Wakandan medical team had been kind enough to provide her. Harper lowered her face back to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably as the pain pulsed and flared unrelentingly.
Some time passed and finally the tears began to slow and the pain began to dull to a tolerable level. Harper became aware of a hand rubbing circles into her back and that James was sitting beside her, hips connected. She turned automatically, seeking his warmth. He accepted her, wrapping her in his arms. A kiss was pressed atop her head.
He allowed her a few more minutes before pulling back slightly, handing her several tissues. She took them, mopping up her wet face. It was in that moment that she remembered that they were not alone.
"Shh, shh, shh," he hushed gently, holding her tighter again as soon as he felt her body tense.
Harper had to force herself to calm down. The world was going to shit; it was not a priority to feel embarrassed about someone seeing her go through a cluster. With one final swipe of the tissues across her eyes and cheeks, she finally pulled back.
Steve was sitting stiffly at the dining room table. His cheeks were bright pink and he was staring at the tabletop. While embarrassment throbbed in her chest, she felt a bit better that he looked adequately uncomfortable as well.
Harper cleared her throat and greeted hoarsely, "Hi, Steve."
"Hi, Harper," he replied quickly, eyes only flicking in her direction for a moment before averting his gaze again.
"I'm sorry, doll," James muttered. "We've been in talks all day and I lost track of time. I didn't think we'd be walking into one of your clusters."
"It's less important than whatever brought both of you here," she replied, gazing between the two men. They were both still outfitted in tactical gear.
"How much information can you handle, darlin'?"
Harper's response was easy; she was a normal human woman in the midst of a debilitating medical condition and wouldn't be further disadvantaged by lack of information. "Everything you can give me."
The blond finally looked up and he began to speak. He explained the existence of the Infinity Stones, spoke about the powerful being named Thanos who was on a mission to collect all six and terminate half of the universe's population in a bid for species survival.
"So… he sees a partial extinction event as the only way to avoid a complete one?" she asked, wanting to verify her understanding.
"Exactly," Steve nodded. "He already has several of the Stones and is on his way here for Vision's. Shuri is modifying some of her tech to remove it from him so we can destroy it, but we expect Thanos and his reinforcements will arrive early tomorrow."
James lifted his new metal hand to cradle the right side of her face in his cool palm. Harper's eyes fluttered closed in deep relief. Steve continued to speak on the plan for the battle, including using the advanced Wakandan technology to aid in their defense. Harper leaned into James's touch as she listened, adoration for the man flushing her cheeks. Even in this dire situation, he was doing anything he could to care for her.
"So while Shuri works, there will be guards posted with her. Buck brought up the need for you to be in a safe place as well, especially because of your condition." Steve paused and breathed a mirthless laugh. "Gotta say, I see what he meant now."
"They're rather debilitating," Harper conceded. "I apologize; I can imagine having to worry about someone who is already rather defenseless must only have been all the more complicated given my condition."
"'S not your fault, darlin'," James assured softly. He flipped his hand so that the back was pressed to her skin.
"I doubt anyone would wish for something like that," Steve added. "I've never seen anything like it."
Harper made another realization then. She turned to James with a frown. "I just remembered. I'm so sorry I snapped at you about the medication."
He cupped her face with both hands this time, bright blue eyes gazing into hers. Both firmly and lovingly, he replied, "Harper, it's alright. I just want you to be okay and to make sure you're safe as can be tomorrow."
"Okay," she muttered.
The brunet removed his hands and continued, "There are several heavily fortified rooms in the palace. One will be yours. The clusters will take away much of your capacity for defense and quick thinking should danger arise. You will be given the passcode to let yourself out if need be, so you won't be stuck. But you will be very well removed from where we hope to keep the fight contained and will be as well protected from hostile forces as can be."
"Thank you," Harper said earnestly, feeling a bit better about her own prospects of survival. She glanced at Steve before looking back at the former fighter beside her.
Steve seemed to sense the flood of worries she was holding back. He stood from his seat and announced, "I'm heading back to the palace to go over a few last things with T'Challa and then I'm going to try to get some sleep. I'd suggest you do the same so we can all be in top form, but…"
He trailed off suggestively and offered the couple a playful smirk. Harper's cheeks tinted with heat but she kept a neutral expression on her face. Deciding to meet his jest, she declared, "Don't worry, Captain. I'll ensure that James gets some sleep. Even if it means I have to offer myself up so he can tire himself out."
"Touché," Steve laughed. Sobering, he said, "See you both at dawn."
"Night, Stevie," James replied.
The super soldier took his leave and the room was silent in his absence. The remaining super soldier wrapped his arms around Harper, pulling her into his lap. He held her tightly, burying his nose in her hair.
"Thank you for taking care of me, James," Harper said softly. After a beat, she continued, "I'm worried about you, though."
The brunet responded by holding her tighter and nuzzling her hair harder. Harper coiled her arms around his middle. Her fingers scratched lightly at the space between his shoulder blades. Quietly she asked, "Are you alright, hun?"
"I'm tired, Harper. So fucking tired of fighting."
She could hear the tears in his voice. Her chest hurt for him. "I know, hun. I'm so sorry."
"I have no choice," he muttered.
"Don't you?" she challenged gently.
"Of course not," he answered, the defeat and distress tightening his voice. "If you have power and you don't use it, what does that make you?"
The brunette tightened her hold on his middle. "You may not have chosen the strength and abilities you now possess, but it sounds like you're choosing to use them for the first time in your life. And you're choosing to use those things for good. We both know you could escape this, but you're not going to. That is a choice. A hard one that you're making as a good man."
"Shit, Harper, how do you…?" His voice broke and his body began to shake.
Harper shifted her position to straddle his hips and coil her arms around his shoulders. Her right hand rose to his nape, gently pressing him beneath her chin. He held her tight in the new position, crying silently against her. She could feel the tears wetting her t-shirt.
"You're unbelievably brave, hun," she breathed, fingers combing through his hair now. "Amazing and brave."
They stayed like that for some time, the young woman holding the broken soldier in her arms. He held her like the only thing anchoring him to reality. Perhaps she was. This man who had his youth robbed by war, whose life was hijacked for decades to do unspeakable acts of evil, and who had been living in hiding while trying to put himself together now had to jump back into the world that had taken so much away from him. She knew there was little she could do, so contented herself with curling around him, protecting him from the outside world for the time that she could.
Slowly, he tightened his hold around her, and shifted them so that he lay atop her. He sought her lips and they met in a slow, tender kiss. Her heart skipped a beat, realizing this may be the last night they were together. Her own tears joined his as they languidly divested each other of their clothing. Despite their unrushed pace, their union was intense. Each touch was like fire, each breath hot, each utterance musical. She peaked with a sob, and he joined her soon after. Harper held him to her breast, where his tears rolled across her skin. Innumerable declarations of love filled the space between them until they drifted off to sleep.
Bucky woke after a handful of hours. Moonlight was streaming into his small home. It fell across the bed, illuminating the beautiful woman in his arms. His heart swelled with gratitude. It was unthinkable that anyone other than her could take news of the possible end of the world, his distress, and his traumas on top of terrible chronic pain. It was equally unique that she could remain calm and be a sturdy support for him to lean on. Harper was a woman beyond his most idealistic dreams. He had no idea he was capable of the amount of love he had for her, or that he could cherish someone so much.
Crystalline eyes roamed her form, trying to commit every hill, valley, and freckle to memory. He had detected the exact moment the weight of the impending battle had hit her. As was her way, she'd selflessly come to his aid before attending to herself, so the realization of possible impending death for one or both of them had been belated. He wished he could shelter her from the horrors of the world he had dragged her into.
He was certain he'd never feel he deserved her, but he had already decided that his need for her eclipsed that troubling notion. In a lot of ways, he thought she needed him, too. Tears pricked at his eyes, but he blinked them away. He'd cried enough. Now was the time to do as she said and stand firm in his choice to do good for the world. He had started down that path in Siberia, but now he could walk it more assuredly. The world needed every last person it could get, and he would put his life on the line to save it. For the memory of all the people he had taken from it, for the people he fought alongside, for all of the good people doing their best, he would fight. And he'd fight for Harper, to return to her and someday live the life they hoped to share.
"Looks like you discovered what a hairbrush is overnight."
"Haha," James replied dryly. He glanced at Harper, who stood nervously at his side. "Harper, this is Sam Wilson. He's a lame bird-man."
"Falcon," the other man corrected.
Harper looked between them for a moment, noting the obvious tension. Offering her hand, she greeted, "Nice to meet you, Sam."
"You too, Harper," the Falcon replied, shaking her offered palm. "Listen, when this is all over, if you need help ditchin' the greasy lumberjack here, just holler."
"Not necessary," she shook her head with a small smile.
"Shut up, Sam," James sighed with exasperation.
"No in-fighting," Steve's familiar voice interjected. The brunette greeted the tall blond with a strained smile. He returned it with a knowing one of his own and asked, "You both got sleep?"
She nodded in confirmation. "You?"
"Some," he shrugged.
Harper clucked her tongue with pretend disappointment. "Those were Captain's orders, Steve."
"Getting told off by the newbie?" a woman's voice joined in.
Brown eyes found a strikingly beautiful woman with bright blonde hair, an angular face, and a powerful body. The woman offered a small smile and introduced herself, "Natasha Romanoff. You're Harper?"
"Yes," she nodded. "How strange to think my name might have travelled around this circle."
Natasha shrugged. "Hey, anyone who's anyone to one of us is someone to all of us. We're a family here."
The sentiment warmed Harper's heart. Perhaps she had been far more worried about fitting in than she needed to be. "Then all of my new family members ought to be especially careful today so that I can get to know them."
James draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. He joked, "Just make sure you're rooting for me the most, doll."
"I'm always rooting for you," she answered earnestly, looking up to meet his bright blue gaze.
"We need to go touch base with Wanda, Vision, and Shuri. We can do that on our way to getting Harper settled," Steve spoke up, back to business.
His word carried obvious weight with the others, who nodded and then set back out to their own duties. Harper, still beneath James's arm, walked between the two super soldiers through the labyrinth that was the Wakandan royal palace. When they finally entered one of the many rooms that comprised the laboratory, Harper halted. Several guards were posted around the room and Shuri was typing away at a computer attached to a strange looking machine. Lying beneath the machine was the individual that could only be The Vision. His skin was crimson, his body all sinewy muscle, and a yellow gem shone on his forehead. If those weren't indication enough, Wanda was standing beside him, worry brimming her grey-blue eyes. The younger woman glanced at the newcomers, shoulders falling slightly with relief at seeing familiar faces.
"Steve, Bucky," she nodded in greeting. Then her eyes met Harper's. "Hi, Harper."
The brunette ducked out from beneath James's arm and approached the younger woman. She took a deep, steadying breath and said, "Wanda, I apologize for sharing information that you confided in me. I was concerned and unsure of what to do. I hope that you can forgive that breach of trust."
Before she could grasp what was happening, Harper was caught up in a tight embrace. "There is nothing to forgive. You saved both of our lives."
Harper returned the hug, rubbing circles on the redhead's back. She could feel the fear radiating off her form. The love of her life was the main target of the incoming destruction and held the key to preventing genocide on a scale hitherto unimaginable. No words of comfort came to her, so she settled for tightening her arms around the other woman.
As Shuri began to explain her plan, they separated, save their hands. Harper gave Wanda's palm a squeeze as Steve ordered her to stay with Vision and to immediately destroy the Mind Stone upon its extraction. Wanda squeezed back before their hands separated, turning back to her lover. Harper returned to hers, reaching for his flesh hand. He laced their fingers together and held tightly as they exited the lab and made their way to the place where they would be parting ways.
All too soon, they arrived. Steve explained, "This room is reinforced with vibranium – the strongest metal on earth. We're deep in the belly of the palace, and there are numerous layers of defense moving outward from this point. We'll come for you once the battle is over, but if for some reason you need to escape, the passcode is 0-3-1-0-1-7."
"I understand," Harper nodded. "Thank you, Steve. Please be safe."
He mirrored her nod and offered a smile. "Of course. See you on the other side of this."
The soldier exited the room, giving the couple space. James drew Harper up against his chest, holding her hard and desperate.
"I know we said this last night, but I love you Harper. So much."
"I love you, too, James," she returned, tears stinging her eyes.
He pulled back, gazing down into her eyes with seriousness in his. "I've told you this before, too, but you saved me. My life with you has been worth living. I was safe, I was myself. Knowing you has been one of the greatest gifts of my very long life."
Tears rolled down her cheeks at his words. They were sincere and moving, and were also a goodbye. "You'll try to come back?"
"I will always try my hardest to be by your side," he assured.
"Good," she gave him a watery smile. "I need you there."
And she did. Her life with James in it was far superior to life without. She was happier, safer, cared for, fuller. Perhaps she could survive without him, but need for this wonderful man throbbed in her chest.
Their lips met in a deep, ardent kiss. They moved against each other slowly, memorizing each taste and touch. His patchouli scent filled her nose when she paused to catch her breath. Heady with sensation, she lost herself in him.
With obvious regret, James eventually pulled away. "I have to go."
"Be safe," Harper pleaded.
He nodded his agreement. "I love you, Harper."
"I love you, James."
His eyes spoke of his desire to stay with her, but the set of his jaw was tense with his conviction to fight as a member of the right team. With his slightly uneven smile, he turned and exited the room. Harper watched him go, heart pounding painfully in her chest.
Late that night, midway through her final cluster for the day, Harper became dimly aware of the door to her secured room unlocking and sliding open. She forced her teary eyes to clear enough to see that the figure approaching her was Steve. It was immediately troubling that James was absent from his side, but Harper couldn't form words around the sobs forcing their way out of her throat.
Steve hesitated a moment before wrapping his arms around her. Harper couldn't protest the strange action – she hadn't the energy or the care to expend on it. She merely continued to grasp desperately onto her remaining sanity as the pain clawed and ripped at her face.
Finally, the horrible sensation began to abate and her breathing slowly evened. Through the last of her sobs, she asked, "James?"
In a voice choked by his own tears, Steve answered, "We lost, Harper."
Half of the world – half of the universe – had been wiped out. Trillions of people, gone. What of her friends, her family? And with terrible clarity, Steve's presence told her of what had happened to the man who had her heart.
Sobs burst from her lips anew, and she grasped onto Steve for support. The small room rang with the sounds of their grief. The man out of time who had now lost absolutely everything and everyone he held dear, and the woman who had lost the brightest light life had given her.
A/N: Thank you all so much for all of the support. There is an epilogue coming, then a brief hiatus while I finish up and then edit the third and final part of this series. I hope to hear your feedback, including whether anyone noticed the easter egg of sorts included in this chapter. Thank you again!