you never knew how far being married off to the mafia boss of brooklyn was going to take you. that you would experience an insane amount of danger and risk of safety for just being associated with.

your father had forced you to marry him, brainwashed and corrupted by a father figure who didn't really love you, but in fact was a terrible father.

you'd grown to care about bucky, and despite not wanting to care about you either, he did too. and he taught you what real care was, that your father was a coward and nothing but that, erasing the manipulation and unfolding the trauma hidden beneath.

it was a lot of work, but you finally began to trust and care for one another.

only... then, you're kidnapped by the rival mafia gang, ordered so by john walker, bucky's arch enemy and rival, held hostage and nearly beaten to death, even witnessed by bucky himself when he finally found you unconscious with the whole rival gang, including john, surrounding you in that big, abandoned warehouse.

but, for a split second towards the end, you came in and out of consciousness enough to witness bucky doing nothing when john and the others made condescending, mocking, disgusting comments at your expense and about your body and your innocence.

and oh, did that make you angry and hurt. you weren't even relieved when he'd finally gotten the upper hand, refusing to show any weakness, which is why he hadn't shown any emotions on his face when they had beaten you and spoke of violating you.

"what the fuck is your problem?" bucky questions you when you get home, after you'd brushed him off for about the millionth time when he'd tried to help you walk and let you lean on him, due to how severe your wounds and injuries were. "you won't let me help you, for christ's sake, and you've been quiet the whole ride back."

you were angry. rightfully so.

so, you snapped, like i said, rightfully so.

"you didn't do anything, bucky! you let them beat me, talk about me in the way they did, and you didn't do anything!"

then, again, it's not like you'd want him to go all 'ruthless mafia boss' on them and kill them one by one, but it angered you that he didn't even try to defend you or do anything.

"i didn't have a choice, doll," bucky snaps back, before continuing, voice taking a darker edge with nothing but the absolute truth. "if i had a choice, i would've torn apart every single one of those bastards for what they did to you."