Invisible String (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Epilogue

3 YEARS LATER

Life with Bucky was everything you could imagine. It was filled with cheesecakes, doughnuts, pies, cookies, cannoli, and love - so much love that there was no room left for any other emotion.

It took Bucky a year to get out of the club and another 6 months to settle and start the bakery. You were right beside him on every stage. Just like he was there for you. Therapy helped you, although it took you 3 months to find a suitable therapist who understood you. Apparently, finding an appropriate therapist was harder than dating. But after a while, you were terrific at both tasks. Dating more than therapy, but it was because of your very understanding partner and your combined efforts.

Your therapist helped you learn a lot about yourself - ways to move on from your trauma - forgiving people for your own sanity. Again, it took some time, but now you were in a much healthier place.

You were advised to get closure with your parents and especially your sister. You didn't deem it necessary. Besides, who needed a family when you had a hot boyfriend? But of course, your therapist didn't think this was a good approach. And she told you to stop deflecting serious conversations with jokes. You didn't like that. Only Bucky was allowed to call you out on your bullshit. So, you just rolled your eyes and begrudgingly called your family the next day. You told them how their remarks hurt you, but when they told you to 'stop overreacting', you decided to cut them out of your life for the better.

It didn't hurt as much as you expected it to. You had Bucky, your friends, and Steve took up the role of a brother in your life. Ever since you came clean to him about everything 3 years ago, he had been very protective of you. Not that you minded - your sister never cared for your well-being, so it was pleasant to have a sibling figure in your life.

You realized that family was so much more than the people you grew up with, it was about choosing the people who wanted the best for you. And you had that.

You finally completed your book. The editing process took more time than the actual writing. But nevertheless, you finished it and published your book.

After this massive milestone in your career, Bucky and you bought a bakery together - the bakery - Invisible String. The name had more significance to your life with Bucky than you initially thought. Bucky surprised you with a gold necklace on your second anniversary. 'One single thread of gold tied me to you', meant so much more than just a necklace. It was what you both yearned the most - each other. You two had agreed very early in your relationship that marriage and kids were something you did not wish for in your future. At that time you were scared, nobody wanted a woman who did not desire a family - but you were more than relieved when Bucky voiced his preference of not wanting that either. It was just you and him for the rest of your life, and you were content with that.

The stairs in the bakery led up to your home. Home. You finally had a home that wasn't your parents' place or an apartment you settled down in. It was home and God, it had everything to do with your partner and nothing with the place.

"Honey," the very familiar voice of Bucky brought you back from your thoughts, "Can you please come down?"

You made your way to the stairs and found Bucky standing in front of the oven with a whisk in his hand. When he saw you, he stopped whisking the batter, grabbing a clean spoon and dipping it into the bowl until there was dough on the end.

Leaning back against the counter, he turned towards you, holding up the spoon for you to taste.

You took his wrist in your hand and raised the spoon towards his mouth before smothering some dough over his lips. He was about to raise feigned offense, but your head raised, slowly licking his lips before your tongue made its way inside his mouth, sharing the taste of the batter with him.