Till I Die (Bucky Barnes)

1

It was our 4 year anniversary, I got him a bouquet of flowers and some new cufflinks he has been needing for a while now. Zachary and I met when we were freshmen in college. We were lab partners in Chemistry and he asked me out a few weeks later. He was sweet and funny so I thought why not? He was so affectionate and thoughtful during college. He's been going through a difficult time at work lately.

And our anniversary was actually tomorrow but I wanted to surprise him tonight. I walked upstairs and to our apartment door and heard rustling inside. Maybe he was fixing the apartment super romantic or cleaning. I unlocked the door and slowly opened it with a wide smile until it quickly faded. The flowers and gift bag dropped from my hand and I slammed my keys down on the table to my left.

Zachary and my now ex-best friend, Emma, pulled away from their heated makeout session. Wide eyes looked at my teary ones. "Y-you mother fuckers!", I sneered at them. Emma ran a hand through her messy hair, "Lia... It was an accident". "Bullshit! You tripped and landed on my boyfriend's lips and didn't bother to pull away?!?", I asked sarcastically and rushed to the bedroom. 

I grabbed my suitcase and a backpack. I quickly packed what clothes I needed and my essentials. "Baby, please let me explain", Zachary went to touch me and I smacked his hand away. "How could you? After I was nothing but loyal to YOU!", I asked zippering up the suitcase and backpack. I put the backpack on my shoulders and rolled the suitcase out of the room to see Emma pacing.

"Your new room is now clear, he snores loud just warning you. Have a fucking awesome life you pathetic wastes of spaces!!", I say and flip them off before leaving the apartment building. Tears escape my eyes as I walk through the Manhatten streets. I wipe my eyes and open my phone scrolling through my contacts. I click on the only person who cares about me. "Hello kotenok", Natasha's voice pierced my ears.

I sniffle quietly, "H-hi Nat...". "Honey, what happened? Did he forget your anniversary?", Natasha asked. I chuckled humorlessly, "Something like that, I dumped his sorry ass. He was having an affair with Emma so I left". "Where are you?", Natasha asked in a serious tone. "Just entering Central Park now", I wiped my eyes. "I'll be there in 10 minutes", Natasha said and we hung up. I sat down at a bench overlooking the beautiful flowers.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, I looked to my right to see Natasha walking to me. Her red hair flowed in the summer breeze. She smiled as she was walking over to me. I stood up and she hugged me tightly, "I explained the situation with Tony, you can stay at the compound with us until you get back on your feet again". I sobbed quietly as Natasha drove us back to the compound upstate. 

Natasha parked the car in the massive garage. I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath. I gathered my suitcase and backpack from the backseat and she led me to the lounge area with an open kitchen. Tony was talking to Thor who saw us walking towards them. Thor smiled widely, his hair was shorter than I recalled. I only saw him six years ago when his brother invaded in 2012. 

"Lady Ophelia! As I live and breathe!", Thor bellowed possibly alerting the whole building of my arrival. He's as loud as I remember that's for sure. I smiled sadly, "Hi Thor, good to see you". Tony turned his head and rushed over to me, he pulled me into a big hug. I hugged him back, "Hi Tony...". "Hey kiddo, if only this visit was under better circumstances huh?", he asked. "Y-yeah, I'm sorry if I'm inconveniencing you at all. You guys have missions and all", I said pulling away.

"You aren't a bother at all, when was the last time you saw the team again?", Tony asked with a raised eyebrow. "About two and a half years ago, I met Wanda and Vision", I replied. "That's right, well we have a few new recruits, one of which you've seen before, the other's not so much", Tony said with a shrug. "Okay, where is my room? I want to settle in before I met the rest of the team", I asked.

"I'll show her", I heard a familiar voice behind me. I turned my head and saw Wanda looking at me with a small smile. I smiled widely and we met each other halfway before we hugged each other tightly. "Hello sweetheart", she said. Her Sokovian accent peeking through. I smiled hugging her back, "Hi Wanda, so good to see you". Wanda and I walked through the long hallways until we came upon two doors at a dead end.

She gestured to the one on the right. I looked down at the doorknob and held it in my hand. It was slightly cold to the touch. I turned the knob and opened the door. The walls were a light sky blue with grey trim. A closet, a door leading to a bathroom, a bookshelf, a vanity, and a king-size bed with white sheets. "Wow...", I muttered under my breath placing the suitcase and my backpack next to my closet.

"I take it you love it?", Wanda asked. "It's so beautiful", I replied. "Tony wanted for you to have it for a while now, as like a second home", Wanda said. I smiled at the thought Tony put into my room. He was such a softie inside. He has been a father figure to me when my own father doesn't look twice at me for the most part. After unpacking my clothes into my closet, Wanda and I headed back to the living room area where I noticed a few more people were gathered.

I noticed a familiar man with a blue suit carrying a shield, Steve Rogers. "Dark blue suits you way better than that bright blue from before Captain Rogers", I said with a smile on my face. His head turned so quickly I thought he would snap his own neck. "No way... Ophelia!", his shocked expression turned into a huge smile as he jogged over to me. He put down his shield and wrapped me in a hug. 

I hugged him back, Steve was like a big brother to me and so was Thor. Both looked out for me from when I first met them. "Missed you tiny", he said pulling away. "Hey! I'm only five feet and 4 inches, I'm not small. Besides I was taller than you before the serum you took in the 40s so ha!", I rebutted. "Still short though", he said with a grin picking up his shield. "Hey Miles!", Clint's voice echoed in the room.

I turned my head and saw him walking up to me with a smile. "Hiya Barton!", I said and we hugged before he pulled away ruffling my head. "I heard what happened from Nat, do you need me to send him a message?", Clint asked loading an arrow rigged for detonation. I shook my head, "Nonono! It's not worth fretting about don't worry". Clint and Steve looked at each other with a frown but shrugged accepting my answer, for now.

"Ophelia, my goodness!", Bruce said from behind Clint and Steve. I ran over to him and gave him a big hug. "Hey big guy, hey Bruce", I said and pulled away. "How is he?", I asked worriedly. "He's doing just fine Ophelia, how are you doing?", Bruce asked with a worried look on his face. "I-I could be better, you don't have anything to get rid of emotions do you?", I asked lightly joking. He shook his head solemnly, "Unfortunately".

"Oh my gosh, are you Ophelia?", a young boy's voice asked from beside me. I turned my head with a raised eyebrow, "Who wants to know?". "Oh sorry, I'm Peter Parker. I'm Spider-Man", he said holding out his hand for me to shake. I shook it with a firm grip, "Good to meet you spidey". "Finally someone who's funny!", I smiled at the familiar voice. I turned my head behind me and saw Sam Wilson looking at me with a wide smile. 

"Fucking Hell... Sam Wilson, is that you under that bird costume?", I asked teasingly with a smirk on my face. His expression went from happy to appalled at my choice of words. "Falcon, falcon costume, come on girl", he said and ruffled my hair. I chuckled at his reaction, "Falcon's are technically Birds of Prey, hence bird costume". He nudged my side, "Don't turn around now but there is a God of Mischief watching us with an annoyed look".