ᴛʜᴇ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ♡ ʙᴜᴄᴋʏ ʙᴀʀɴᴇꜱ.

✩ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ: ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀᴏ.

Bucky awoke the next morning in Mawu's bed. With his head propped against the soft pillow, the man flick open his gaze to see Munroe's side empty. His arms wrapped around a medium-sized stuffed penguin in her place. Giving the penguin an embarrassing gape, Bucky unraveled his grasp and rolled onto his back.

In silence, Bucky rubbed the sleepiness from out of his eyes with his thumb. Enjoying the feeling of Mawu's choice of silk sheets pressed against his bare skin.

Last night, he had come to Mawu for guidance, a way to calm down. Despite what his therapist thought, he had someone to turn to. Though, Bucky quietly pondered for how long this will keep going. Their relationship had been a coincidence. She lost Tony, he lost Steve. At that moment after offering her lunch, Bucky realized the two needed someone to lean on.

In secret, Mawu and Bucky met. At first, being nothing more but friends getting to know each other without the chaos. Until Mawu decided to move back to New York did the friendship become more intimate. From there, their bond became additional.

And just like that; Bucky found himself crawling back to the woman he adored discreetly.

The smell of bacon brought Bucky from out of his deep thoughts. Removing his metal forearm from his forehead, Bucky craned his neck to look out the open doorway. The empty hallway leading into the kitchen was too obscure for Barnes to see. So, he threw his legs over the bed's edge and made his way towards the smell.

The sounds of soft African music mixed with dishes clacking made Bucky's ears twitch. Once reaching the entrance to the kitchen, he winks his eyes to see Mawu facing away from him. With a small radio mounted on the window ceil of the window, Mawu cheerfully bobbed to the music. Flipping the crisp bacon one last time.

With her hair in a messy bun, strands fall out in the back and behind her ear. Mixed match socks wrap around her feet - stopping just at her ankles, and an overly large spider man shirt covers her body.

Bucky stood in place, surprised to see her awake so early. Not only that, but she appears to be in a good mood. With a smirk, Bucky examines the small table pressing against the wall to his right. Two plates and two glass cups ready for breakfast. This is the strangest thing Bucky had witnessed in a while. Or perhaps it appeared strange due to the normalcy of the image before him.

Humming along with the music, Mawu dances as she turns with the pan filled with bacon in hand. Once she raised her head, the sight of Bucky startles Mawu. She yelps in shock, nearly dropping the pan. Bucky chuckles at her shocked expression whilst sitting down at the wooden table.

"How long have you been standing there?!" Mawu huffed, blushing at the thought that he witnessed her little jig.

"Long enough to realize you can't dance and you have a crush on Spider-Boy."

Mawu, rolling her eyes, gathered her composure and took up the spatula from the kitchen counter. Pushing the freshly cooked bacon onto a plate. "For your information, his name is Spider-Man, I don't have a crush on him, and he did beat your ass that one time."

"Please don't bring that up," Bucky sighed, examining the dead plant in the middle of the table.

Mawu positioned three main plates filled with eggs, bacon, and pancakes in front of Bucky. She then poured them each a glass of orange juice before settling down before him.

"How are you feeling?" Mawu smiled as she picked up her fork.

"I'm better. Why did you make breakfast? You usually want me gone in the mornings," Bucky gave Mawu a challenging stare.

"Because it's a beautiful Saturday morning," Mawu smiled.

"Why are you so cheerful?" Bucky squints. Not moving in his chair.