Save Us First (Bucky)

16

"Ivy can we talk for a second?", Tony asked and waved her into his office.
She nodded and followed him.
"What's up?"

He sat down and sighed.
"I just...I don't like this between you. He killed my parents, Ivy."
She sighed.
"That wasn't him, Tony. And you know that, too."
"The problem is that it was him, Ivy", Tony said stubborn and she sighed.
"I know. And trust me - he knows too. Do you have any idea how many times he wakes up crying, panting, sweating, because of all the people they made him kill? Sometimes twice, three times, four times a night."

"Is that why you got those shadows under your eyes?", he asked softly and pointed to her face.
She sighed.
"Yeah. I guess. I gotta be there for him, Tony. I can't not be there. I love him.
And he needs me.
He got chased around for 90 years - and now that he's found some peace you don't have to give him a hard time, too, okay? He's trying. And he takes care of me, too. He always checks that I take my meds, and don't forget to eat...Please, Tony, just try and tolerate him. For me", she said.

Tony took a deep breath.
Then he nodded.
"Alright. I'll try. For you, though. Not for him."
She smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Thank you. That's very kind."
"Yeah, that's me."
She chuckled and left the room, feeling like there was a huge weight lifted off her chest.

Ivy made her way to Bucky's room, knocked on Bucky's door and found him sitting on the floor, staring out of the huge window, over New York during sunset.
She slowly approached him.
"Buck? Am I disturbing you?"
He turned his head.
"No. No, come here, doll."
Ivy sat down next to him and he took her hand, before he let both their hands drop into his lap.
She lay her head on his shoulder.
"You alright?"

Bucky swallowed.
"I think so."
"I talked to Tony. He'll...try to tolerate you. He promised."
Bucky scoffed.
"Great."
"Hey, you can't really blame him, Buck."
"What's that supposed to mean?", he asked a little hurt.
"Oh don't look at me like that. Of course it wasn't your fault. You had no choice. But that doesn't change the fact you killed his parents. You gotta understand he can't just forget that. You certainly can't."

He sighed.
"No. I dreamed of them last night."
"And you didn't wake me?", she asked surprised.
"I didn't wanna bother you again. You needed some sleep. I know you're tired. I'm a burden, I know that."
"You could never be a burden if all I want is to take care of you", she whispered and kissed him on the cheek, before she leaned against him again.

He scoffed a second time and looked down on her.
"Why are you doing this to yourself? Seriously, doll."
"Because I have daddy issues? Because I'm scared of being alone? Because I hyperfocus on people and relationships? Or maybe..."
She took his face into her hands,
"Maybe because I love you? And it pains me to see you hurt?"

He sighed and gave her a kiss.
"You're so perfect."
"Yeah, in your eyes, maybe. Certainly not in everyone else's."
"They just don't see the real you", he said smiling and she lifted one corner of her mouth.
"Then you get what I'm saying about you all the time? That the others just don't see what I see?"
He sighed and lifted one corner of his mouth, too.
"I...I guess I do", he admitted and she smiled.
"Good."

Ivy gave him another kiss and wrapped her arms around him.
He pulled her onto his lap and stroked over her back for a few seconds, then she let go off him.
"We should do something fun. Watch a good movie, maybe. Order some take out. I don't know. What do you wanna do?", she asked and bit her lip.
He smiled at her, but it was more of a sad smile.
"Can we just stay here for another minute?"
"Okay. Yeah", she said eventually, a little disappointed, but she also understood his mood, so she sat back down and curled up in his arms.

Actually, that was quite nice, too. Just cuddling a little, both of them getting lost in their thoughts, she could hear his heartbeat under her ear.
As always, it was a little fastened, but still rythmical.
She somehow liked that sound.
It was comforting.
And she absolutely loved falling asleep to it.

Bucky kissed her on the forehead, pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and mumbled: "I'll take you out tomorrow, okay? I love you, doll" against her skin.
"I love you too, honey", she said softly and they went silent again, while New York's skyline swallowed the sun.

-

"You're so beautiful, I can't believe it", Bucky said smiling, crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom.
They had just come home from dinner and she was taking off her jewelry.

Ivy turned around.
"Stop messing with me. That dress is not my colour at all."
"I'm not messing with you, you're beautiful", he said, as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissed her neck and then her cheek.
She blushed and leaned against him.

"Thank you. You look pretty good yourself."
He chuckled and pressed her a little closer against his chest.
"We're a really hot couple, I have to admit that."
"Yeah. Flaming hot", she said smiling, and made a tiny flame with her hand.
He laughed and Ivy tried to get out of his hug.
No chance.
He didn't even really try, he was just too strong.

"Fucking hell, that's so hot", she admitted and he had to laugh.
"Oh, really? Good to know...", he mumbled into her ear, while his hand ran over her body up to her neck.
Ivy swallowed and bit her lip.
"If you keep biting your lips so hard, they'll start to bleed", he said.
"Then you'll have to stop whatever it is you're doing there", she said.
"Mmh..."
He slightly turned her head, lay his lips on hers and then quickly let go off her, leaving the bathroom.
"Oh come one Buck, you can't do that!", she said frustrated and ran after him.
"You said I should stop", he answered innocently.

"Shut up."
She took his face into her hands and pressed her lips onto his. Bucky grabbed her by the hips and pulled her closer.
"Oh so you don't want me to stop? I'm getting confused here, doll."
"And I'm thinking that I told you to shut up", she said.
"Well, you can try and make me but I probably won't."
"We'll see."

She opened his shirt, and a second later, he opened the zipper at the back of her dress.
It fell to the ground, she took off his shirt and he lifted her up, kissing her again.
She wrapped her legs around his hips and smiled into the kiss.
"See, you're quiet."
"Yeeah, you win", he mumbled, carried her over to the bed and bowed over her.
"I..."
"What?"
"I don't know. I just...love you so fucking much."
She had to smile and kissed him again.
"I love you too."