Bring Me Home // Bucky Barnes

Chapter XLVI - An Entire Lifetime

Bucky held her hand, squeezing gently every time he looked down at her beside him, his heart hammering in his chest and his mind reeling in a whirlpool of nervous energy, as he lead her through the vast grounds of the compound to the little spot Stark and Steve had showed him earlier that day.

"Where are we going Bucky?" Elizabeth laughed as she stumbled, her heels sinking in the soft ground beneath her, making it hard to walk.

"You'll see Doll," he grinned. Pausing for a moment, Bucky raked his eyes over her, tracing the freckles across her décolletage, up to her rosy cheeks and the full cupid's bow of her lips. "Struggling?" He gestured down to the tiny shoes strapped to her as she struggled to stay still.

Elizabeth blushed as she looked down, her lashes brushing softly against her cheeks. "A little. They're not very practical. Well, none of it is really."

His hands slipped over the silk of her shirt, tracing down her sides and coming to a stop at her waist, holding her gently as he pulled her in to him and her eyes met his.

"I don't know," his voice was almost a whisper, the gravelly pull of longing laced with gentle adoration, "I quite like it." He smiled mischievously before placing a soft kiss against her lips.

A short gasp pulled her from his kiss as he quickly scooped his arm behind her, lifting her up in his arms as she gripped his shoulders instinctively. He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest, as he started moving towards their destination faster now, holding her against him as she giggled and her body started to relax in his arms. She breathed in the heady smell of cedar and pine as she buried her head into the crook of his neck, a wide smile on her lips.

"I thought we could maybe get to know each other again Lizzie," he grinned, cradling her in his arms as he rounded the corner to the romantic little set up he, Steve and Tony had put together.

When he put her down again she was facing him, watching the flicker of lights sparking in the reflection of his sea blue eyes, watching shadows dance over his features, watching how the darkness and light twisted and turned in mesmerising patterns. His hands were on her hips, his thumbs rubbing small circles against where he held her and he smiled such a soft smile that she felt time stand still.

"I'd love that, Sergeant Barnes." She smirked as he rolled his eyes, stepping away from her and pushing her to turn around.

Hundreds of candles were nestled into the sandy bank of the small lake, hidden away between rolling hills and the trees all tucked away in the vast grounds of the Avengers Compound. The soft golden glow danced in the reflection of the rippling lake beside them and the breeze caught in the trees, breathing life into everything around them.

Beside the lake was a small table and two chairs, facing out over the water. A bouquet of long stemmed red roses were placed on one chair and the table was covered in small dishes, a selection of tiny tastes of the world, and a bottle of wine sat in a small silver cooler.

Elizabeth stood, transfixed, as Bucky tugged on her hand gently, pulling her towards their date. He let go of her for the shortest of moments to pick up the flowers, holding them out to her, smiling shyly as tears pooled in her eyes.

"James, what is all this?" Her voice was a thick whisper.

"When we were in Europe I would think of all the places I wanted to take you, all the corners of the world I knew you wanted to get lost in, and I'd think of all the ways I wanted to show you how important you were to me." He stepped towards her, handing her the flowers. "I remember specifically laying beside you in that tiny cot in your tent one night, you were exhausted from three days of non stop work. We lost a lot of men. You were breaking and you cried until you fell asleep. I remember holding you and thinking: there is nothing I wouldn't do to make this woman smile. And I know things have changed a lot since then, but that hasn't. Even when I didn't remember you, I wanted to make you smile."