The Curious Tales of Evelyn Stark

A Much Needed Vacation

Evie curled around James. The glass doors and floor length windows were open in their private villa as the storm pounded around them. Thunder, and the rain made music around them. As the lightening flashed across the sky and the candles flooded their room. The power had gone out hours ago. It was now close to one am and the pair were on their giant bed for the next five days. Honestly in this position she hoped that it stormed like this every night of their trip. She trailed her fingers up James' spine hooking her right leg over his left hip, pulling him impossibly close to her.

His breath hitched as he bent to kiss her neck. He nibbled on the spot behind her ear, making her whine. They'd yet to snap the thin layer of control surrounding them, it'd been teasing touches and glanced the last few days as they enjoyed the beach, scuba diving, and collapsing in bed from exhaustion.  She'd forgotten what a vacation was, and in reality this was his first. Probably ever.

So she'd made the decision to show him one of her favorite places in the world for a week. Then she was dragging him to the Mediterranean. She'd originally asked him where he wanted to go and he simply couldn't answer. She knew he'd never had the freedom to just choose to up and leave. Even with his freedom he'd never made the choice only going where the mission led him. She made a note to do Paris in the fall. The Netherlands in the spring when the tulips where in full bloom. Damnit even if they didn't fully retire they were going to fucking travel.

Their first day on the beach he'd been nervous about taking off his shirt because of the scarring around his arm along with the stares of fear he knew he'd receive. That was until the sweetest little girl around age eight came up to him asking for a picture with her favorite Avenger and then begged him to make a sandcastle with her, for him to feel comfortable and that people weren't afraid. The little girl's mom asked for forgiveness repeatedly before settling down in a lounger beside Evie to watch her daughter. James and Evie had assured her it was okay that their niece had them both wrapped around her finger.

Currently James was wrapped around his wife, tracing patterns on her shoulder with his left hand. He'd occasionally tug on the strap of the dark green lace teddy she'd worn underneath her dress at dinner never quite pulling it off of her. Not that he needed to. His eyes had grown huge when he'd discovered at dinner she wasn't wearing any noticeable underwear, leaving her completely bare. Or so he'd thought. He'd nearly died when she'd unzipped the emerald green dress letting it fall to the floor, hours ago. The realization of what she was wearing and the pieces of fabric it was missing led them to the bed rather quickly. And yet they were still teasing each other. When he kissed her she still tasted like the champagne they'd brought back with them.

James trailed kisses along her jaw, chuckling as she whimpered, slowly he worked his way down her throat, shifting their position so that he was hovering over her, her leg was still hooked around him. He kissed his way down her body, leaving open mouth kisses on the lace. He paused at her pelvis, looking up at her. Evie tugged at his hair, gently pulling him back up to her.  She kissed him, a simple peck on the lips. "I love you."

"Always," he murmured.

Evie slipped into a dark red dress, she was going to a charity function to keep an eye on a mark. War didn't effect some. She pinned her hair back and painted her lips red. There was a knock on her door.  James. He was supposed to be her escort for this function. He wasn't leaving her safety to someone else. He'd fought with Phillips over it. The host originally wanted Howard but determined any Stark would do. She slipped a knife into her garter and a small derringer into her thigh holster.

James came in, dressed in a suit that fit him in all the right places making her mouth water. "You ready doll?"

"Question did you not think I could handle this alone?" she asked. It had been bugging her. James fought hard to be her backup for this mission. And she wanted to know why.

He pressed a kiss to her temple looking at the pair of them in her mirror. "I know you can handle yourself better than most Evie. But after you came back hurt this last time, I couldn't stand by," he stated.

Evie sighed, she'd came back from a mission with a broken wrist, a split lip, and fractured skull, about four months ago. That'd been her last mission until she healed. She'd ran intel for the commandos the last few months and she understood her partner's hesitation. "I understand completely, thank you for coming with me."

"You're in charge tonight. I listen to your signals. This will be quick and easy," James said.

She nodded. "I love you James. I don't feel as though I say that enough through all of this."

"I know doll. I love you too. Once this is over a nice quiet life is waiting for us in Brooklyn," James replied.

"I can't wait," she stated.

The next morning Evie was still wrapped up in James. The sun was out and they could hear the birds outside their villa. James was awake playing with her hair. "Remember that mission I was your detail on?" he asked.

"That was what 44?" she replied, "I remember. You were so angry when the mark was trying to seduce me."

"I took you back to your apartment after we got the intel and reminded you who's you were," James chuckled, "I was so jealous. But I let you do your job."

"You did.  You always knew I was coming home to you no matter what," she replied.

"It never terrified me until you came back hurt," he said, "I never understood what you went through until that moment."

"And now we're planning the quiet life we didn't get to have," Evie said, smoothing the furrow of his brow with her fingertips. "Don't feel guilty for wanting a life love."

"I don't. I was angry when I fell. That I'd never see you again that everything I had ever wanted would never happen," he said.

James held onto the hand rail for dear life. Steve was reaching for him. Telling him to take his hand, that they'd go home together like they were supposed to. So he could go home to Evie. The handrail breaks off the train car and James falls. The last expression he sees of Steve's breaks him.

Then he thinks of Evie. His strong, stubborn, brilliant, beautiful Evie. They'd talked before he'd left. He'd promised to come back to her like he always did. He'd been imaging kids with her just the night before as they talked about their future. He could see her as his eyes closed, and the ground rushed up towards him, in a white dress walking down the aisle to him. Saying I do. Her round and pregnant with their first baby. Maybe they would have had a couple of kids a boy that looked like them. And a girl just like Evie. Maybe a third that would have been a perfect blend of the pair of them.

He'd miss them growing old together in that brownstone in Brooklyn, dancing to Sinatra, and probably dying the same day surrounded by their kids and grandkids. He wanted all of that as he hit the snow and darkness enveloped him. James thought of his girl as his world was ending. He just prayed she'd live a full happy life without him.

Evie looked at him, after he told her about the fall. Her heart broke, once again. "I tried to play it off. I couldn't. Then I realized a life was growing inside me. A life we'd created. And I felt hope. Soon that was over. So then I drank myself stupid. Let Howard experiment on me with the serum hoping it'd kill me. It didn't. It gave me an opportunity to find you again. I have lived a great life. But James Buchanan Barnes I missed you," she stated.

He kissed her, "I love you. And I plan to show you just how much. Every day for the rest of our unnaturally long lives."

She chuckled, "Sounds absolutely perfect."

"Can we just stay here and do the Mediterranean on our honeymoon?" he asked, trailing kisses down her neck.

"Absolutely," she replied.

"The owners of this villa won't be upset?" he asked.

"Oh love we own this villa," she stated, "I told you this was one of my favorite places to vacation."

He rolled his eyes, "Be prepared we're not leaving this villa for the next three days."

"Oh darling I've been waiting for you to say that," she replied, as she climbed on top of her husband.

James flipped them them over with a growl. He tucked her hair behind her ear, before he kissed her. He made due on his promise. The pair of them didn't leave the villa or really even their bed for the next several days.