the dark sapphire -Bucky Barnes-

50

Wistfully, Ally looked after him as he left the room and she couldn't hide her disappointment from Sam either. "Still in such weird mood?" he asked as he dropped down on a chair and looked at Ally pitifully. She nodded. "I didn't think our mood could be so ruined by a kiss. It was just a kiss after all" she sighed and sat down in the chair next to Sam. "Do you regret it?" Sam asked sympathetically. Ally shook her head. "No, on the contrary. I would do it again" she admitted. "Then why don't you?" Ally shrugged. "I don't know" she sighed again. "Fear, maybe" "of what?" "That it will ruin the mood and my bond with him even more....I don't know" she ran her hand through her hair "can we change the subject? My mood is already down anyway"

The two were silent for a short while. "You know what I think about every time something like this, with Karpov, comes up?" Sam crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at Ally, who shook her head. "What if I don't survive this? What if this mission, this fight will be my last?" Ally looked at him in surprise. "I know it sounds ridiculous. I've fought terrorists, robots even aliens and every time I thought it might end there" "it...it doesn't sound ridiculous. It sounds....human" Ally was overwhelmed by the seriousness this conversation brought.

"And even though I have these thoughts, I'm still not afraid to go into battle. Because in every fight, I knew I had people on my side fighting with me. Steve, Bucky, the Avengers, you..." "Me?" Ally asked in wonder. "Yes, you will stand by my side in this fight, Ally, and even if you don't trust your powers, I do, and I know you will fight for me, as well as Bucky and I will fight for you" Ally stared at him speechless. She was at a loss for words because Sam's words had touched her. It felt good to hear that someone trusted her, believed in her and that she was not alone. "You're right...." she said. "...I will fight for you" she smiled encouragingly at Sam.

Again they were silent. "Anyway...." Sam interrupted the silence. "...Every time before I go into a fight, I then think about whether I would be satisfied with my life if I died right now. Whether there is anything I would regret to have done or not done. Whether I missed something in life" Ally nodded in agreement. "And every time, I think of something. Like how I should have visited my sister more often, spent more time with my nephews..." Sam sighed. As if struck by lightning, Ally suddenly jumped up from her chair. "You're right" she muttered and ran for the door. Sam looked after her, confused. "Did I say something wrong?" he called after her. "No..." she called back. "...Just the right thing" with those words she stormed out of the room leaving a confused Sam behind.

Without knocking, Ally burst into Bucky's room. Bucky, who was about to change, stared at her in shock as she looked at him out of breath. "Everything...ok?" he asked hesitantly, unable to interpret Ally's mood right now. "I was just...talking to Sam. He said something that got me thinking" Ally said, not taking her eyes off Bucky. "Okay...and about what?" Bucky asked confused. "That I don't want to regret anything" Ally took a few steps towards Bucky and stopped in front of him. "What...what don't you want to regret?" "Us" she lowered her head. "Us?" Bucky couldn't follow her. "I want you, Bucky. I don't want to regret that we didn't dare" she said and suddenly Bucky understood what she was getting at.

"Neither do I" Bucky put his fingers to her chin and gently pushed it up so that she was looking into his eyes before he slowly and tenderly put his lips on hers. Ally sighed into the kiss as she placed her hands on the back of Bucky's neck, intensifying the kiss. Bucky wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, leaving only a few inches between them. The world around them disappeared and for a short time there was only the two of them.

Suddenly Bucky felt Ally's hands on his belly and a moment later she moved under his tshirt. Bucky broke away from her and took her hands in his, pulling them out from under his tshirt. "Please...don't" he looked at her pleadingly. Ally nodded. "I'm sorry..." a guilty conscience immediately spread inside Ally. She didn't want to push Bucky into anything. "It...it's not because of you. It's just...." Bucky sighed. "Ever since I got this..." he pointed to his metal arm. " I haven't really touched a woman since I got it. I don't know if I can control it and...." he sighed sadly. "It's ok" Ally gave him a little kiss on the lips. "no, it isn't. I'm just....afraid...afraid you'll find it repulsive" Bucky lowered his head in shame.

"You don't have to be afraid" Ally put her hand to his cheek and stroked his skin lovingly. "It won't change the fact that I like you" "you're saying that now" Bucky looked her in the eye. "And I'll still say it afterwards" Ally replied lovingly. Bucky smiled weakly at her. "Can I see it?" Ally asked gently. Bucky hesitated for a moment before nodding and taking off his tshirt. He noticed his whole body tense as Ally eyed his shoulder. He saw her reach out her hand briefly, hesitate, and then withdraw her hand.

"do it. You can't hurt me" Bucky took her hand and placed it on the spot. Intrigued, Ally traced the spot where the metal blended into the skin. Bucky flinched briefly under her touch, which caused Ally to pull her hand back, startled. "It's all right. I...I'm just not used to being touched there" Bucky smiled at her. Carefully, Ally raised her hand again and stroked the scars that were on his shoulder. "What happened?" she asked startled as she traced each little scar. "I tried to get rid of the arm" "you did that yourself?" Ally asked and her heart tightened as Bucky nodded. He had tried to get away from the arm and had completely scratched himself in the process.

Ally put her hand back to Bucky's cheek. "It's beautiful" she said tenderly, which sent goosebumps down Bucky's body. It didn't intimidate her, she didn't mind, she liked it. "Thank you" he breathed before pulling her into a tight hug.

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