Dead Man's Wish

Chapter 9: 2015

The front door of my apartment clicked shut as Ian walked in.

I would have got up, but I was too comfortable to move from my spot. I had on fuzzy socks, a warm blanket wrapped around my shoulders, and a soft pillow beneath my head.

I heard Ian's footsteps near the couch, followed by a slight chuckle leaving his lips. He pressed a kiss to my temple and stood in front of me.

"What are you still doing up?" He asked, his smile making the corners of his eyes crinkle.

"I was waiting for you to get home." I mumbled, my eyelids heavy, but tolerable. I lifted my head up and moved so that it was laying in his lap. He ran his fingers through my hair, sending chills down my spine.

I wiggled around in my spot to look up at him. His blue eyes were practically glowing with the way the sun was shining through the blinds.

"Drop any bottles of whiskey today?" I teased.

"That was one time. Are you ever going to let that go?" He whined.

"Nope." I laughed, popping the 'p'.

He shook his head and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I pulled away and continued staring into his eyes. His hair had grown out over the past year, it was a little longer and stubble covered his jaw and chin.

It wasn't until now that I realized how much he looked like Bucky. Steve brought the topic up before but I brushed it off before I could put too much thought into it.

...

"How's Ian?" Steve asked, glancing at me and back at the open road in front of us. We were hanging out for the day since I wasn't working and we hadn't seen each other in a while, apart from video calls.

"He's good." I smiled.

Steve nodded and remained silent for a second. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Are you in love with him?"

I looked at him and cleared my throat before speaking, "I don't know. Maybe." He nodded. "Why?" I asked, looking at him and furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

"It's just that Ian looks a lot like Bucky did." He paused, trying to find the right words. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, are you only dating him because he reminds you of Bucky?"

"What?" I scoffed. "Ian looks nothing like Bucky."

"Are you sure? Because last time I checked, his eyes were almost the same blue as his, his hair is the same color, hell, he even styles it like Bucky used to."

I looked out my window in a daze after what Steve said.

...

I traced my hand over the stubble on his jaw as my mind raced with thoughts.

Holy shit, he does look like Bucky.

"You okay?" Ian asked, snapping me out of my trance.

"Hmm? Yeah." I mumbled.

"Are you sure? Because you've been staring at me with that deep concentration face you do."

"I have?" I hadn't realize my thoughts had been shown on my face this entire time. What if I didn't think any of that and I said it out loud and I just didn't realize it because my mind thought that I was thinking, but I really wasn't thinking, and Ian just heard everything? Shut up and stop rambling.

"Yeah. What's on your mind?" He asked, running a hand through my hair.

"Just things from before we met." Ian didn't know anything about my past life. I kept that part a secret. I don't think he would take it well if he found out that his girlfriend/co-worker was actually ninety-seven and not twenty-five like she said she was.