Relapse ★ Bucky Barnes

All I Need Is You

"You let your fellow black brother worry about that," Sam said. "Barnes just doesn't belong in a box; he belongs with Marlena."

Bucky shook his head in amusement. "Who knew Sam Wilson could be so helpful?"

"It's hard to make sexual jokes when you're in a freezer and she's a thousand miles away," Sam shrugged. "I'm not just helpin' you two out; I'm helpin' myself out."

"So, you're staying?" Tony questioned. "I hope our little flower is able to remove that shit from your head, Barnes."

Bucky ran a hand through his hair and stood up. "I hope so, too."

Tony then glanced at his watch, his eyes brightening when he realized what time it was. "I say we go ahead and head back now. I hear Lady Barton is a fantastic chef, and I'm dying to find out just how fantastic she is."

Tony got up from his seat without another word and rushed out of the quinjet. Bucky sighed and stood up, as did Steve. The two moved to head out of the quinjet, only to stop when they realized Sam wasn't following after them.

"Sam?" Steve spoke, his brow raised in question.

Sam just waved his hand at the two of them. "You two just go ahead. I'm gonna give our Wakandan King a phone call."

Bucky let out a sigh. "Please don't say anything that will prevent me from staying here."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, princess," Sam said to him.

Bucky simply shook his head and headed out of the quinjet with Steve on his tail. The two trailed through the trees for several minutes before finally getting back to the house. The moment they stepped through the door they were met with a strong scent of cinnamon and bacon. The two barely even had the time to register that breakfast was even being cooked before Clint strolled up to them, a glass of orange juice in hand and a stern expression on his face.

"Always leave a damn note behind if you're gonna head off on some secret gathering to nowhere the morning after you tell your very devastated girlfriend you'll be leaving again," Clint said to Bucky, his finger pointed at him in a chastising manner. "She's upstairs crying her eyes out because she thinks you left her. . .again."

Bucky cursed under his breath and hurried towards the staircase, not bothering to give Clint a response. He ran up the stairs and down the hall to Marlena's room, wasting no time at all in shoving her door open.

Marlena lay in her bed, the comforter pulled tightly over her body. She cried into her pillow, unaware that anyone, let alone Bucky, had made their way into her room; she was too consumed in her tears to pay attention.

Bucky ran over to where she lay in bed and plopped down beside her, pulling her up and to his body. He squeezed her tightly, rocking her back and forth in an attempt to calm her, but she only seemed to cry harder, even after she realized who it was that was holding her.

"Calm down, Mar," he told her. "I'm here; I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart."

"I thought you left me without saying goodbye."

Marlena let out a sob and hugged him as hard as she could, deathly afraid that if she were to let him go he would drift away. But regardless of how tightly she held onto him, in a matter of days he would drift away, or at least that's what she thought. She couldn't bear the thought of him leaving her again. It made him being with her all the more painful.

"Never in a million years would I ever leave you without telling you goodbye," Bucky said, planting a kiss to the top of her head.

"But you're still gonna leave me anyway," she forced out through her sobs.