Certainty (A Bucky Barnes Fanfic)

━◦○◦6.5: Home, Family◦○◦━

episode 6 - One World, One People

Everything felt hazy and heavy; her head, her nerves, her breathing. Shamara felt herself frown, her whole body throbbing like she had gotten the serum again. Her scars ached with fading ferocity, but not burning like before. She tried to shift her shoulders, feel her strength. What happened? Was she a supersoldier?

Vague memories tried to pierce through her fog. Bucky's freezing grasp through the night. Arriving in Wakanda and listening to Shuri's voice, though she couldn't remember what she said. His hand in hers while she strove to breathe through mind-numbing pain. The visions of the past, growing worse with each shift of the serum. And Bucky's whispers, soft and gentle beside her ear as she writhed in battling pain.

Yet she was alive.

Shamara exhaled heavily, trying to make her eyes open. A crack of light made her squeezed them shut again, her head pounding. She rolled her shoulders and flexed her hands.

It was then that she realized the hand in hers.

Shamara opened her eyes, shading them with her free hand. Bucky sat beside her. His face weary even in sleep. Her heart warmed as she looked from him around the room. She was in a beautiful, small room, but not the medical one she remembered in some distorted corner of her mind. This room or hut was all wood, with intricate carvings. She lay on a canopy bed, looking out over a lake, where the dusk light glowed on the still water. Green and blue filled the air with the rich smell of rain and dirt.

As she smiled at Bucky, his eyes opened. Then widened.

"Hey," Shamara cracked a smile. "I guess I -."

Bucky wrapped his arms around her so quickly, she caught her breath. Then she had no breath to catch as his mouth met hers. Hard. Desperate. Melding his cool against her warmth. Shamara found her breath and gasped, gripping the back of his shirt.

It was nothing like any of their recent kisses. Those had been gentle and slow and careful. Even somewhat restrained. This was powerful, passionate, everything Shamara would have feared with anyone else. But with Bucky . . . with Bucky, she felt safe despite how her heart burned.

They kissed so long and desperately, Shamara nearly forgot about the ache in her bones. There was only Bucky. His chilled kiss sending heat through her veins and making her feel . . . powerful.

Someone, maybe it was her grandmother, said that love made one feel weak. But love, Bucky's love, made Shamara feel strong, even at her most fragile. When her emotions were out of control and burning through her, she had Bucky, who had her. He had her at the core of who she was and who she was becoming. He knew her darkness, her fear, what made her fragile, and in a crushing kiss, he acknowledged it all.

"I thought I was going to lose you," Bucky broke the kiss again, his breathing ragged. "I thought . . ."

"You have me," Shamara pulled him close.

"You stopped breathing. Your heart was still beating, but you weren't breathing for what felt like . . . ," Bucky looked down.

"I vaguely remember," Shamara grimaced. "But I woke up for a moment."

"Long enough for us to see you were better, then Shuri put you to sleep. You were still in a lot of pain."

"It worked, though?"

"Yes," Bucky kissed the top of her head. "And you are not a supersoldier."

Shamara felt relief overwhelm the remaining tension in her body. She smiled and exhaled heavily. Bucky ran his fingers through her hair, then kissed her again.