No Winter Lasts Forever

Chapter Twelve

Bucky woke the next morning from the best dreamless sleep he'd had in years. No nightmares plagued him, and he couldn't even recall the contents of his dreams. Everything seemed to fade away completely and there was nothing but peace in his mind for the rest of the night. When he finally rolled over and blinked his eyes open, it was to a pleasant view of Willow snuggled comfortably against him. She still slept soundly despite the early morning light shining through the gap under the curtains.

He turned onto his right side, careful to avoid crushing her. She stirred and stretched slightly before letting out a content sigh. He admired her features for a moment, taking in every inch of her beautiful face. She really is everything I dreamed she would be. Her brown eyes flickered open briefly and her gaze landed on him. Smiling, she raised an eyebrow as she cuddled even closer to him. He grinned back. "Morning."

"Morning." She yawned widely before giving him a sleepy kiss on his chin. He chuckled.

She leaned up and pressed her lips to his. "Sleep well?" she asked against his mouth.

"Like a baby." His arms encircled her waist and pulled her close, pressing his lips firmly against hers. She smiled when he deepened the kiss, running her tongue lightly against his. His hands slipped beneath her night shirt, caressing her bare flesh, causing a shiver to run through her body.

"God," he murmured, pulling away reluctantly from her lips. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you look?"

Willow smiled shyly and lowered her eyelashes coyly. "No idea whatsoever."

"Mm... then I should show you." He lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it carelessly onto the floor. He reached underneath her night shirt, then bent to kiss her again, causing goosebumps to rise along her arms. "Just relax. You're safe here with me. I won't hurt you."

As if she couldn't help herself, her eyes closed tightly, and her hands grasped his tanned arms. He smiled at the reaction and continued kissing her, running his tongue along the seam of her lips. One of her hands wandered down his stomach, rubbing circles between his muscles. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss a knock sounded on their bedroom door, making him sigh.

"Are you guys up? Shuri is wanting to see Buck after breakfast," Steve told them, not daring to open the door.

"We'll get up in a minute!" Will called back. She buried her face in the crook of Bucky's neck, breathing him in. He kissed her temple gently.

"Okay," Steve answered. A second later, footsteps retreated from their doorway.

Willow rested her cheek against his shoulder and listened to the steady beating of his heart. The sounds of the city surrounded them outside their little cocoon. "What do you think they plan to tell us?" she asked quietly.

"Probably when my first session will be," James murmured. "Maybe an evaluation... Shuri likes to do those."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Willow asked, her voice just as quiet. "I don't mind." She felt James nod against her head, which made her smile softly. "Then I'll be by your side the entire time. I promise."

~~~~~~~~~~

James tightened the grip he had on Willow's hand as they walked into Shuri's lab. He looked around the expansive room, memories coming back from having the surgery to be fitted with his new arm.

"Good morning," Shuri greeted cheerfully as they entered. "How are you feeling?"

James nodded, giving her a weak smile. "Doing alright," he answered. "Umm, I take it that you remember Willow?" he asked, introducing the two.

Shuri nodded, looking pleased. "Wonderful. Yes, I remember Willow. It is good to see you again," she said, smiling at Will. "James, we're going to take an updated scan today so that we can compare and get a better idea of where we're at with your recovery. Other than that, I only intend to ask a few questions about how things have been going for you. We won't have your first session for a few days," she explained.