Take Me back to the Start | B. Barnes

Bonus Chapter: Happy Birthday

March 10, 2018

"Okay, what the hell do you mean, the cake won't arrive on time? The cake has to arrive on time, Clint! We all wanted to celebrate Bucky's birthday together! Now where are you and Natasha again?" I'm about to freak out and try not to raise my voice, otherwise Bucky will hear the phone call.

"Listen, something with SHIELD happened here in Paris and the cake... let's say, uh, it got damaged. Like a lot." The archer's voice is rather nervous, way too nervous to my liking.

I narrow my eyes, my tone sharp. "Define damaged."

"Ha ha. Uhm, five bullets went right through it. And our quinjet is destroyed, the next one will arrive in ten hours. But hey, I mean, Tony is on his way trying to get a new cake— "

"Tony left?!" I shriek and now the man right next to me in the queue winces frightened by my suddenly loud voice but I'm too frustrated to care. "Are you freaking kidding me?! If Tony's gone as well, then only Sam, Steve, Wanda and Vision are left! Tell Tony to turn around and just let the others bake the cake together, I'll give them three hours. And can't you catch a simple flight?"

"Not safe enough yet. Some weird ass assassins were following us, so let's not drag civilians into this shit." A sigh leaves Clint's lips. "Sorry, Eve, I don't think we'll make it."

"Alright." My voice lowers and turns into disappointment, my eyes widen though when Bucky suddenly returns from the restrooms. Quickly hanging up, I put the phone back into my pocket. "Hey."

"Hey, you." Bucky plants a kiss on my cheek and whispers quietly with a smirk. "Not that I'm judging but I think you just pretty much frightened the man right next to you. What did he do?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." I grimace and place my hand on his shoulder. The plan of a perfect 101st birthday vanishes into thin air. I have the feeling that every time we try to plan celebrating something, it goes downhill and ends in chaos. "So which movie do you want to watch? You have a free choice, not everyone turns 101."

"Ha ha." He deadpans with a playful eye roll, placing his arm around me. "Well, it also doesn't happen every day that your own wife is 99."

"Shush, never remind a woman of her age." I slap his chest playfully and nod towards the program. "Now choose a movie. I'm open for everything."

"I think Jumanji would be really interesting. It seems hilarious." He smiles widely and I grin.

"Jumanji it is." After getting the tickets, popcorn and soda, we head towards the movie theater room and sit down where we have a good view. The seats are quite old, like the cinema itself, it hasn't changed since the 80s but I think Bucky actually likes it.

I sit on his left side, so the hidden metal arm will be covered better, and my face is leaning against his firm chest. His heartbeat feels so real next to my ear and a little smile crosses my lips. I've always loved this calming sound.

"I know what you planned today." He says as we wait for the commercial to start and I look up with a frown. "Steve called me when I was out of the restrooms."

"Dammit, punk." I groan and the whole surprise is now ruined. "I'll electrify him when we're back. I just gave him one job, to decorate the room. Amazing."

"Hey, it's okay, canary." Bucky smiles at me and cups my face with his human hand since his other arm is around me. "I love you for even planning something big like that. As long as I have you by my side, I don't need a big party. You're already enough excitement."

"I'm sorry." I sigh, grabbing his hand to intertwine our fingers. "I just know that you missed a lot of birthdays because of Hydra and I wanted to catch up."

"Don't be sorry. I only need you." He slowly leans in until his lips meet mine and the kiss is gentle and sweet. Every time he kisses me, it feels like an ignited firework of feelings inside me but this time it's like a healing balm for my lonely soul. I have missed this, I still do. I don't want this to end but I know it will.

"Eve..." Wanda's voice pulls me back to reality and I snap my eyes open, tears dwelling my sight. The Sokovian girl looks at me with sorrow as her scarlet aura vanishes into thin air, along with the image of Bucky. I'm back in the old safe house again, no longer with Bucky in the movie theater. The dream is gone, it wasn't real.

"I'm sorry. I just... I know it's not real but I had to hear his voice again, I had to see him somehow again." I almost choke on my tears and Wanda pulls me into a hug, her arms lying securely around me. "These damn Sokovia Accords... I hate this. I hate that we are all separated and that I can't see him after everything we've been through."

"I know. It's not fair." She says sympathetically and pulls back, still stroking my back. "I want to help you but not in this way. It's hard not to but it's really dangerous to play around with reality and dream."

"I know but it's really seducing." I admit, wiping my tears away and the door gets opened in the next moment. Clint and Sam walk into the room, the archer glancing at us with worry.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah." I nod, not wanting to go into details with my problems. Him and Natasha don't have it any easier since the Black Widow is for the Sokovia Accords. "Any news?"

"Barnes and Cap could safely leave Romania and are on their way to Wakanda." Sam informs us and I sigh in relief, glad that the government didn't catch them.

"And what now?" Wanda asks, she is probably concerned about Vision's involvement in this. A dead silence arises as I ball my hands into fists, knowing what'll follow now. Everything has gone downhill ever since. Clint is the first one to speak out the inadvertent truth, his tone lacing of a heavy burden.

"We gotta split up as well."

A/N- I wanted to post this on his birthday but due to school, I didn't have time 😩 Well, here's a little insight of their future before Infinity War. The trailer was damn mind-blowing.