Bucky and I spent the rest of the night watching his favorite movie, 'Casablanca' (he remembered it) and eating chocolate ice cream (his favorite). We ended up falling asleep on top of each other, and didn't wake up until mid-day.
In the two weeks that followed, I discovered that Bucky's strong suit was remembering little details. We found his favorite food, his favorite color, favorite song and others. We bonded, a lot. That boy is sassier than Natasha, and that's saying something. The first of many upsets came in nightly nightmares. He had them more frequently than I did, but we were there for each other. I liked it, it made me feel way less lonely.
I didn't know what to do though. He made it clear that I couldn't tell Steve until he was ready. That was okay, but Natasha was the big problem. I couldn't just tell her that I was harboring a former murderer who also kidnapped me in my safe house. She would flip and then kill me. I figured that I could hide him every time she came over, considering it wasn't often. I felt terrible about it. I had never lied to her like this.
"Alright, Buck, I'm out. I'll be back later." I said as I grabbed my hat, raincoat and shoes. Bucky sprang up off the couch as soon as I said that and walked over to me.
"Where are you going, why are you leaving?" He asked frantically.
I looked up and him and realized where the concern came from. He was scared of being alone.
"Just to the grocery store. It's down the road." I said to him.
He looked like he wanted to ask something, but was scared to do it, so I did it for him. "Do you want to come?"
Bucky seemed to like the idea, but he shook it off. "What if people recognize me?" He asked in shame.
I grabbed his hand as a sign of support. "I've been going to this place for a month, and I'm supposed to be dead. No one will recognize you. I swear." I said to him.
He finally nodded, and we were out the door once his hat was on.
❁
The walk to the grocery store was quick, but terrifying. It always scared me to leave the safety of my house, even if it was for food. I put on a brave face for Bucky, but it dropped as soon as we walked outside. Bucky's grip on my hand never loosened, and I didn't want it to. We found comfort in each other, and that was enough.
We walked through the doors, and I grabbed a basket. I sifted through the store, picking up what was on my list with Bucky glued to my side. We passed the produce section, and I took strawberries, grapes, oranges, raspberries and apples. I noticed Bucky eyeing a particular kind of fruit, making me smile at the fact that he was remembering things.
I nudged him gently, making him look at me. "You can get them, if you want."
He looked between me and the fruit. "Are you sure?" He asked me.
"Yes. Get them." I said once again, adjusting the hat on my head.
Bucky smiled at me slightly, before grabbing two bags of plums and putting them in my basket. We continued on, grabbing some meats, snacks and ice cream. We payed at the register, and within the hour Bucky was carrying our bags home. I offered, but he insisted, claiming it was the gentleman thing to do.
He helped me put the groceries away, as well. Bucky Barnes even agreed to watch a Disney movie with me. I have no idea what happened to him, but I wasn't complaining.
❁
Everything was going great with Bucky and I. We each had nightmares, but were too ashamed to talk to the other about it. We knew the other was having them, but we pretended that we didn't know. It was a good system, it worked.
The trouble came when Sarah called me and informed me of her surprise visit a half hour before she was arriving. I was in a frenzy, getting my house cleaned and ready, while trying to figure out how to hide an asassin from my best friend.
"You're freaking me out, are you okay?" He asked gently from the doorway while I was folding blankets and tidying the living room.
I sighed with frustration and ran a hand through my hair. "No! I'm not okay! My friend is on her way and this house is a mess and I don't know what to do with you, and I've read very book I own and I really, really need a drink!" I shouted in one breath before collapsing on the couch.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to yell, I'm just stressed." I said as Bucky walked over and kneeled in front of me.
"It's okay, take a breath. I can hide in your bedroom, you have a lot of books I'd like to read. I'll help you get ready, and then we can watch whatever movie you want tonight." He said with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes. "Are you sure? Because I can just-" I started protesting before a hand was over my mouth.
"Stop talking, and get ready, your friend will be here soon. I'm going to go read." Bucky said as he pulled me up and headed to my room to hide.
He stopped on the stairs. "Why don't you ever wear short sleeved shirts around me?" He asked as he looked at me.
I instinctively crossed my arms over my tiny frame and hid my smile. He had never asked about the smallness of my body before, probably out of respect for me. I appreciated it, and thought it was cute.
"I'm shy." I mumbled out as the smile broke through. He smiled back and then proceeded up the stairs.
I am loving writing Bucky and Alessia. They're so cute together and it makes me so happy. Love you!
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