Lark

I'm here

Bucky's POV

Pacing back and forth in the entrance of the hangar trying to expel his pent up worry and agitation that he wasn't with Steve or Aria on their mission, Bucky keeps a watchful eye on the horizon. Having been out on a bullshit assignment himself at the time he didn't find out what exactly their mission was until they'd nearly reached France and then it was too late. So he kept tabs on them with help from Maria as she monitored their progress here at the Compound. He had to listen to the terror in Steve's voice when he realized Aria was no longer with him and was nowhere to be found. His own heart had about stopped beating until he heard his best friend call out her name and heard her beautiful voice reply back. Only when Agent Turner had notified them that they were in the air on the way home was he able to finally breathe properly.

Other than the fact that they were bringing with them two of her 'sisters' who wanted to supposedly escape the clutches of the Sparrows, he didn't know much else. Once they took off for home their comms had shut off and they'd gone radio silent. And since he wasn’t cleared to know more than the fact that it was on a need to know basis, told him it was Crimson Sparrow related and not long after he was asked to leave the command room. The Sparrows were the only ones the team was going after that they had to be careful with which information was shared in case there were any spies in their midst. Immediately going to Tony he demanded to know what he was thinking letting her go. That was when they both found out they’d both been kept in the dark. Neither were happy with Fury for going behind their backs and allowing Aria to walk right into Henri Richelieu's hands.

With there being nearly ten hours before they were home Buck had gone to try and get some sleep. Trying and failing to get any at all, Bucky had gone to Aria's apartment to be surrounded by her things and her scent until F.R.I.D.A.Y. let him and Tony know Aria and Steve were thirty minutes out. Hastily getting redressed he stumbled out of her apartment and ran into Loki and Peter who were trailing behind Stark on their way to the hangar. All but him were dressed in pajamas which he would have normally found funny, but he didn't have any humor left in him. Not until his girl was safely ensconced in his arms. Checking his watch for the hundredth time he clenched his jaw when he saw that they should be here by now and not a peep was heard from them. It was only at Peter's excited exclamation that Bucky marginally relaxed.

“There, I see them!” Sure enough, the black spot riding the rose tinted horizon was a quinjet. Slowly the spot got bigger and bigger until it was fully formed and they hovered over the landing pad. The next few minutes that it took them to land seemed to be the longest he'd ever lived through.

Finally touching down he didn't wait for it to finish taxing up before he took off, only slowing down having to wait for the ramp to come down. Practically dancing with impatience his eyes swept over the exiting agents until he spotted the blonde head of his best friend and then looked lower to see the face of the most gorgeous woman he'd ever had the good fortune to lay eyes on. A small frown of bewilderment crossed her face as she strode quickly down the ramp and into his open arms. "Bucket, what are you doing here? It's late or rather it's early." She says looking up at the pink sky.

Before he answered or she could say anything else, he pressed his mouth to hers in a kiss of relief and need. Relief that she was whole and unharmed as far as he could see and a need to have her in this small way until he could get her alone. Instantly her lips parted to let his tongue twine with hers. Aria’s small arms snaked around his neck to press her body tightly to his needing this just as much as he did. Only at the sound of someone clearing their throat did he reluctantly set her down, but only to put her feet back on the ground because he couldn’t stop touching her.

Glancing up in annoyance at being interrupted, he looked back down at Aria before having to do a double take at the two women standing beside his best friend. They were staring at them with thinly veiled amusement. What the… They looked exactly like Aria. Their age was the only thing marking the only notable differences between the three of them. How was this possible? Aria had always said she didn't have any blooded siblings, but if he didn't know better he'd have said they were triplets. Hair, eyes, skin tone, everything was identical. Well in a manner of speaking. There was one that looked to be the eldest by several years. The other of the two also looked older than his girl but not by much. “What the hell?”