Avengers One-Shots

Bucky (f)

Slight noise woke me up, not that I was fully asleep anyways. Knowing what I know, he's doing his best not to wake me up. My intention was to be awake when he got home but I didn't last at all. I have been in and out for a while now, so I'm glad I woke up. Softly enough, although I'm very much aware that he knows I'm awake, I padded out to the kitchen in one of his shirts and with bare feet, leaning against the wall as I watch him.

Whatever this was, it was bad. Normally when he gets home from a mission, he comes straight to bed to snuggle me. I make it a habit to be home when he gets home. He was standing over the counter, staring at the steam wafting out of a coffee mug, I can smell it from here. Both of his hands are laying flat against the counter, with his head directly over the large mug. He's trying to keep himself awake not to bother me and so that he can sleep after I leave for work.

"You just gonna stand there?" He asked without looking at me.

I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind him, pressing a kiss to his back. He straightened up and grabbed goth of my hands in his, pressing kisses there.

"Sorry I woke you up, doll." he sighed.

"You didn't ... not entirely." I said when he squeezed my hands. "I was trying to stay awake, I've been in and out for about 2 hours now." I stated.

"You're tired." he said, turning to look at me. "I can hear it in your voice and your eyes are still kinda hazy."

"Baby ... you'll be okay." I said softly, taking his face in my hands as he wrapped his arms around me and pressed his face into my neck.

*********************************

"Did they all come home?" she asked me as she rubbed my back.

It's the only question she asks, did they all come home? We've been together for almost a year now and she knows who I am, she knows what I am, and somehow she still wants me. I don't know what I did to deserve her ... her pure goodness, her love, her normalcy. Even if its as fleeting a moment as any, she makes me feel normal.

Her hands on my face, the sleepy look in her eyes knowing that she tried to stay awake for me, the way she sleeps in my shirts when I'm gone, all the little things are gifts. Blessings that I don't deserve but for some reason she insists on giving me. We do this every single time I get home. All of the missions are bad but the bad ones keep me up, keep me away from her. I'll try to stay away and she always comes for me, no matter what.

Her question though. She never asks more than that, never has. I met her at the bar she works at - at nights. As soon as Steve, Sam, and I walked in, the place went silent, everyone knew who we were. Sam just walked up to the bar and the bartender was stunning. A couple of tattoos peeked out from the long sleeved and v-neck shirt she had on, her long blue hair, was loose and wavy with some shiny things wrapped around a few braids. She had on minimal jewelry and a towel over her shoulder. For a second, she just looked at us, scrutinized is more like it.

"You're not here to start trouble, right?" was her first question.

As soon as we assured her that we were only there for a few drinks like everyone else, she relaxed a little and poured us beer. Stacey treated us like normal people, it's the reason we all went back to her bar ... her father's bar, on the nights we knew she was there. Then I started going alone and we talked, I talked. About stupid things, little things, things I've seen and heard, things I've did. She didn't judge me, she didn't change up on me. Here we are a year plus later and I don't know how I'm still here.

Stacey insisted on me coming to her place. When we started hanging out outside of the bar, she brought me here. I asked why and she said I need refuge, a safe space and she wanted to be that safe space for me. After every mission she insisted that I come here and it turned into a habit. I don't think either of us realized I had mostly moved in until one day we realized that most of my stuff was here. It surprised her too but slowly she had started putting my things away with hers ... in the closet, in her dresser, in the bathroom, and it felt good. It still does.

"A little scratched up but we all came home." I told her, nuzzling her neck.

"Okay, that's good. What do you need, baby?" she asked, combing her slender fingers through my hair.

"Heat ... food ... you." I muttered.

"Let's start with heat. Come on."

Grabbing my hand, she pulled me towards the bathroom, and I just followed her like a lost puppy looking for a home. Stacey is my home. She let go of me and turned away to turn on her shower, cranking it up as hot as she knows I like it ... need it sometimes. When she turned back to me, I didn't see disgust, pity, or plain hate. No, I saw love and it humbles me each time I see that look in her eyes.

Slowly Stacey undressed me and it wasn't sexual at all, it was practical and caring and careful. She pushed me into the shower and when I held my hand out to her, she stripped and got in with me. For a few seconds, she just wrapped her arms around me and let the steaming water just beat on me. She got used to occasional scalding showers just for me. I just stood there, trying to let the water warm me up from the inside out when she started washing my hair. I'm the one that runs hot temperature wise, but she's my personal flame, my own little sun ... Stacey warms me up from the inside out.

We showered and as soon as we got out, she pulled on another of my shirts and I just pulled on boxers and pajama pants. Before I could lay down, she pulled me to the kitchen and started cooking. I tried to stop her but she silenced me with one heated look. I really do love this woman.

*********************************************************

I worked my way around the kitchen feeling his eyes on me. If he wanted heat it's because they were somewhere cold, somewhere that reminded him of that box they had him in without his control. It happens sometimes and I started to enjoy the incredibly hot showers just to make sure that he was okay. He was quiet, which is normal after a mission. For that reason, I made his favorite ... French Toast, the cinnamon smell permeating the kitchen.

Both of us ate in silence, forcing conversation won't do anything. I got up to clean but Bucky grabbed me, my wrist. He pressed his lips to my temple and started cleaning himself. I watched him move around for a few seconds before going back to my bedroom. The tv remote was on his pillow, so I grabbed it and channel surfed until I found his favorite cartoons. Knowing of his needs for tonight, I increased the heat from my phone and grabbed the comforter.

"Baby ... come to bed." I called out after hearing silence for a few seconds.

My hearing isn't anywhere near as advanced as his, but I've learned to listen better. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the room. He sat down against the headboard and as I turned to walk over to my side he grabbed my hand again and tugged.

"Stay here." he said.

Smiling softly, I straddled his thighs and wrapped my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his face into my neck again.

"I love you, James Barnes. You are not the man they controlled anymore. You are not a weapon of mass destruction like they had you believe. You are a man worthy of love and happiness and everything good. You are a superhero, my superhero. You are loved and you are good. I love you." I whispered.

"I love you, too." he whispered back.

We sat like that for a while and slowly enough I felt the tension leave his body. After about an hour he laid down but kept me on top of him. This happens sometimes too. I don't mind it at all, he's here, he's home with me and he'll be okay. It's fine by me.

"Doll, why do you want me here?" he asked, playing with my hair.

"Because I love you. Because you're special. Because you're good and you smile when dogs bark at you. You let random kids hang off of your new arm because they think it's cool and shiny and you're a superhero so that makes you cool. Because you watch Spongebob with me and eat Spaghetti-O's. Because you love me and you protect me. Because you're you and I don't want anyone else. Sleep baby, I'll be here when you wake up. I promise." I replied, moving to lay next to him.

"You promise?"

"I promise, I will never leave you James Buchanon Barnes."