Unchained Melody

Chapter 9

The plane ride wasn't horrible. Bucky let me connect my phone to the speakers so that I could play music. Giggling and singing to him the entire ride home. He sang back occasionally but only to songs that he knew. It was nice. Finally, some time when things were going right for us. We were heading home, to the people we cared about. And it didn't mean that we were constantly running, trying to hide and not get caught. We could finally get to be normal. Well, as normal as two super-soldiers could be.
Once we landed Steve rushed over to the jet to meet us. Immediately hugging me tight enough to lift me off the ground and hear my back crack. "Welcome home, Kiddo."
I hugged him back just as tight, refusing to let go when he set me down. Suddenly I was being squished from both sides.
Bucky had walked up behind me and hugged Steve almost as tight as Steve hugged me.
I gasped for air as I tried to get out from between them. As soon as I was close to escaping they both pulled me back in laughing. "No no nooo."
The hug stopped as I heard more people walking up to greet us. As soon as they let go of me I fell to the ground. Crawling away before laying down, attempting to catch my breath.
"You good there?" Sam appeared in my line of sight. Leaning over my head to look down at me. "What did you do to her."
"She's just being overdramatic." Steve chuckled as he walked onto the jet to grab our stuff.
I sat up shaking my head. "Nuh-uh. Y'all coulda killed me. I was the insides of a super-soldier sandwich."
Sam couldn't help but laugh as he walked over to the boys. He grabbed a bag from Bucky as bucky walked over to me. Extending out a hand to help me up off the ground and then pulled me against him into a hug. "Look, Mel. We are finally home."
I giggled as I turned my head to look at the building, "Home."

Steve and Sam helped us get out bags in and showed us to our room. By the time we were done unpacking and getting settled, it was already getting late.
My tummy gurgled while I was packing my clothes into a dresser drawer.
Bucky chuckled, "Is someone hungry?"
I grabbed a pair of socks and threw them at him. "Shut up, Barnes."
He dodged the socks as he got up off the bed, walking up behind me to wrap his arms around me. Picking me up and carrying me out the door. "To the kitchen, we go."
I giggled and squirmed, trying to break free. "Bucky! Put me down!"
He carried me into the kitchen/living area where some of the Avengers were sitting before dropping me onto one of the chairs around a little coffee table. Then he walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge to look for food.
Everyone that was already in the room had gotten quiet, looking over at me. I raised my hand to wave at them. My face got red due to my being mildly embarrassed.
"This is my little sister Melody." Steve finally broke the silence as he walked in from another room. Making his way to sit down on the armrest of the chair that I was sitting in. "And that is my friend Bucky. I know most of you have already met him."
"Hello, Lady Melody." A man with long blonde hair waved to me. He was probably the only one in the room that I didn't recognize.
"Hello," I smiled as I began to wave again.
My eyes immediately darted to the woman sitting on the couch on the farthest side of me. She was looking at me as well.  It was the woman that I had fought before Steve noticed Bucky. She blew up the car, almost hurting him. Her red hair was tied back and she was wearing a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie.
"Nice to see you again, Melody." She took a sip of her drink before looking back toward the TV.
"H-Hi." I sat quietly before turning around to look at Bucky, who was walking over to me with a steaming bowl of ramen. I stuck my hands out and took it.
He tried to wedge himself onto the seat with me. I stood up and tried to walk away before he grabbed my belt loop and pulled me back down onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to scoot back against him.
I don't know if this was some sort of dominance power move or if he just wanted my ramen, but it was mildly entertaining. I turned to offer him a bite of my noodles, just to see the same face he would give other kids when we were younger.
We sat out with everyone for a couple of hours, getting to know everyone. Steve kept telling a lot of dumb stories about when we were younger.
"I think it was our senior year of high school? She wanted to go to our school's prom but she was never one to search out boys." Steve started another story.
"Um no sir," I reached over to backhand him. "I had my big brother and his best friend that would chase down any boy I decided was worth my time."
"Oh! Oh! That reminds me! Do you remember that one time when Bucky had gotten home from deployment to visit and he walked in on you with that one guy... what was his name?" Steve chuckled as I pushed him off the arm of the chair.
"I chased that poor kid halfway around the block. I can still hear the screech he made when the door flung open and all you could see was me in my uniform." Bucky shrugged, "Kid shoulda known better."
Steve smiled as he sat down on the couch next to us. "I'm not surprised. Melody was a weird kid, attracted the angsty ones."
Natasha giggled, pointing toward me and Bucky. "Clearly."
I snorted before beginning to laugh. "Yes. Clearly."
Bucky grumbled as he reached down to pinch my leg. "I had to help my buddy make sure that no bad guys went after his sister."
I flinched at the pinch before gently rubbing my leg. Reaching back to slap him for his response. "Nah Nah. Don't start acting noble. You're just a jerk."
"Where were you, Steve?" Natasha looked over at Steve.
"Well, that was after our mom passed so we lived in an apartment together. If it was the middle of the day I was at work. Melody was a little princess up until I enlisted. After I went through the super-soldier stuff she went to live with a friend so I could go overseas and not worry about her." Steve looked up at the ceiling while he tried to piece together the timeline correctly.
"And they all lived happily ever after." Tony came walking into the room. He walked straight to the counter to grab a bottle of Jack before sitting down at the counter, facing everyone.
"Hello, Tony." Steve looked over at him. "How was your day."
"I sat in my lab, drinking, resisting the urge to come in here and kill someone." He stared at his glass as he swirled it before downing it. "Anyways, how's everyone's day going?"
"It's going great actually." Steve perked up looking over at Tony. "Buck and Melody got here safely."
I turned a little to lay my head on Bucky's shoulder, my legs resting on the armrest of the chair. Lifting my head up enough to see Tony sitting on a barstool. "Hi, Tony. Thank you for having us."
He nodded before turning around to pour more Jack. 
Everyone continued to talk for a while as I began to doze off in the chair. Bucky stood up, holding me bridal style. His movements woke me up just enough to wave to everyone. "Goodnight everyone."
Steve left a gentle peck on my head before Bucky carried me off to our room.
He gently set me down once we got into the room. "Get ready for bed."
I nodded before walking over to the dresser and grabbing my pajamas then walking towards the bathroom. I changed into a little pair of sleep shorts and a tank top before I walked back out to find Bucky snuggled up on the bed. I turned out the lights before crawling into bed next to him.
Bucky rolled over and gently wrapped both of his arms around me. His vibranium arm was oddly comforting against my skin. "I came over to see you that day."
I turned around to face him, slightly confused. "What are you talking about?"
"The day that I walked in on you with that guy. I was coming over to talk to you. I know I said I was trying to find Steve... but I missed you." He was laying with his eyes closed. I couldn't tell if he was asleep, talking in his sleep, or if he was awake.
"The day you screamed at me like I murdered your puppy in front of you because there was a fully clothed boy in my bed? Who never talked to me again after that by the way."
"I had been gone for nearly a year. I dated, I really tried to find someone else, or at least to fill the void. Never found anything like you though. No one could fill the hole like you did when you were around."
I gently placed my hands on his cheeks to see if he would react. "You know, I had the biggest crush on you. But you drove me up a damn wall. You were playing games and it was not fair at all."
His eyes slowly opened before he leaned in to gently press his lips to mine. Holding for a few seconds, then pulling away. "I know, and I am sorry for that."
I giggle softly before going back into the kiss. This time kissing back slowly, closing my eyes. My hands slid up to gently tangle my fingers in his hair. I swung my leg over him to lift myself up, straddling his waist.
His arms tightened around me as he sat up. Pulling my body against his, and tilted his head to deepen our kiss. His hands slid under my shirt as he dug his fingers into my skin.
I pulled away with a little giggle. Opening my eyes to look down and see his puppy eyes staring back at me. "You could get anything you want with those eyes."
He smiled up at me before reaching up to gently peck my lips. "It's time for bed, Doll."
I smile and nod softly before falling back down next to him. Snuggling up against his chest as his arms remained wrapped tight around me. Dozing back to sleep.