Saved - A Bucky Barnes love story

Good morning Wanda

When I wake up the next morning I see through the window that the sun is just beginning to rise. It is currently only a thin strip on the horizon. Bucky is sleeping peacefully next to me. I am always amazed how relaxed and peaceful he looks when he sleeps. No trace of grief or worry. Quietly, so as not to wake him up, I get up and go to the window. To my delight I see that it must have snowed during the night. It is mid-November and the first snow of this year is very early. I love snow. Every year I can hardly wait for the first snow to fall. Since Bucky is still sleeping, I decide to get dressed and go down to the garden. As quietly as possible I put on jeans, a black sweater, my black winter jacket and brown boots. Then I sneak out of the room and quietly close the door behind me. The entire tower is still completely silent. Everyone else is probably still asleep. In the living room, I glance at the clock and I see that it is ten minutes past eight. I take the elevator down and step through the door into the garden. It's freezing outside, but that's how I like it. I slowly walk through the snow and enjoy how it crunches under my shoes. At the end of the garden there is a small wooden shed, with an open front and back, which offers a wonderful view of a, now, snow-covered field. There is a bench in this wooden shed. I sit down and enjoy the peace, the cold and the beautiful view. After a while I hear someone walking towards me through the snow. "Good morning Michelle" I look to the side and see Wanda standing in front of me with two cups of coffee in her hand. She hands me one of them. "Good morning Wanda. Thank you," I say while I take the cup and she sits down on the bench next to me. "I was amazed because no one but me seems to be awake." Wanda laughs. "Yes, you won't see any of the others before ten. But I like to get up so early. Then everything is still so relaxed and calm. Why are you already awake? Couldn't you sleep?" "Not really, I guess the involuntary meeting with Brock yesterday just upsets me. But thanks to Bucky it was okay. At least I don't have any nightmares when he's with me," I say and have to smile. "You two are perfect for each other. As I noticed, Bucky doesn't have nightmares anymore when you're with him. It's a miracle. Not even with pills did his dreams stop." "Do you really think that's my credit?" "Definitely. I've never seen him even look at a woman before. Then you came and he is so changed. But positively changed. He looks happier, he's gregarious - he looks in love." In love? Could it actually be that Bucky fell in love with me? Just the thought of it gives me butterflies in my stomach. But at the same time I don't want to let these thoughts get too close to me. Because if it doesn't end up like that, and he only sees me as a friend, the disappointment would be huge. "Well ... I can only speak for myself, but I've been happier since I met him. Bucky saved me. Without him, I would never have thought about leaving Brock." I look down ashamed. How could I allow myself to be so destroyed, both physically and emotionally, over the years? "It's just awful what this guy did to you. You deserve better than him" I can hear anger in her voice. We just sit there for a while and drink our coffee in silence. "You know, when I was in the hospital - more dead than alive - I realized something." Wanda looks at me questioningly. "If I stay with him, death is not the worst thing to expect. Brock would have robbed me of any chance of happiness. I would never have even had the chance of a family." Wanda puts down her coffee cup and puts her hand on my forearm. "Now you have a family. You have us," she says and I bite the inside of my cheek hard to keep myself from crying. "I can't ever thank any of you enough for what you all do for me. I mean ... after all, I'm still a stranger to you. But you have accepted me so unconditionally. And I will be forever grateful for that." Now she gives me a radiant smile as she says "You don't have to thank us. You make it easy to like you. And we're all happy to have you with us. Especially Nat and I. There are just too many men here ." We laugh together when I hear someone approaching us again. "Good morning ladies" I hear Bucky's voice. He still sounds a bit sleepy. He is wearing a brown lumberjack jacket, jeans and brown lace-up boots. "Good morning Bucky" I say and smile at him. "Good morning Bucky" Wanda greets him as she gets up from the bench. "I'll leave you two alone then," she says, takes the two empty coffee cups and goes back inside. Bucky sits down next to me on the bench and puts his right arm on the backrest. I slide closer to him and snuggle up to his shoulder while he puts his outstretched arm around me and hugs me. He leans his head on mine. Neither of us say anything. We just sit there, look at the snowy scenario and listen to each other's breath.