HIDDEN ─ marvel

LI. The Morning After

Chapter Fifty-One
Soroya

I trail my fingers down his face, brushing my knuckles against his cheek. He turns his head and kisses the back of my hand, then grabs onto it with his metal hand and holds it tightly to his chest. I feel goosebumps go up my arm at the cold touch of the metal.

He and I have been laying here like this for hours; under the blankets facing each other, with our heads pressed together and his one good arm around me.

"So, when you went to the past," Bucky begins. "How did you pull it all off? I mean you had to know exactly where to find me and when."

I let out a short laugh, thinking back to that adventure. It doesn't feel like it happened yesterday. It feels like it was eons ago.

"Steve took me to the Smithsonian. I saw a newspaper article of the date of the Stark Expo on a board there. I had seen pictures of you with your two dates, so when I decided to go and see you, I subtly asked Steve where you found the dates for the Expo. I then went to the diner and waited for you to come in. But I made sure I got rid of the original dates first."

Bucky gives me a look of confusion. "Why?"

I shake my head, looking down at the blankets. "I was worried that if you saw them there you would pick them instead of me...and well, I just wanted to make sure I had the best possible chance of being your date."

He smiles, leaning forward and kissing me. He lets out a small laugh as he pulls away. "There is no way I would have overlooked you."

I look back up at him, feeling myself blushing. "I was worried that...that without all of the history between us that you wouldn't notice me. It's something I had thought about; if we had just met on the streets as two normal people, would we have still ended up here."

He nods firmly, bringing my hand up and kissing my knuckles again. "I think that if we had met in another life, as normal people, that we would have still ended up right here," he says, gesturing between us. "And as far as me in 1942, I definitely would still have picked you. You know by now I was...um well...I was a ladies man back then. You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, so me in the past would have overlooked everyone else."

I smile widely, blushing like a school girl. "It was definitely interesting seeing you act so differently. I didn't really like it. One of the pluses was the military uniform though. Also the haircut."

He raises his eyebrows. "You like the short hair?"

I bring my hand up and twirl a strand of his hair between my fingers, nodding my head. "I really like the short hair."

He laughs, wrapping both arms around my bare waist, pulling my closer. "I still don't understand how I don't remember you in the past. You're gonna have to explain time travel to me."

I nod, grazing my nose with his. "Later." I tell him, before cupping his face and kissing him once again.

-

When I wake up the next morning, I feel extremely exhausted; like I could sleep for another full day. My body aches as well; truly feeling how many times I was punched, kicked, and blown up yesterday. I reflect on the battle that we fought yesterday, and the heartbreak we all endured due to Tony's sacrifice.