Willow And The Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes X OC)

The day they met

March 19th, 2021

James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, also known as The Winter Soldier was a 100 year old man, but when he "died" he was 28. That was the age he gave to people who didn't know who he was, which - to his surprise - happened more often than he expected.

All his life, he only knew the fight or torture. Barely peace, and that's what he wanted now. So he decided to travel and discover the new world he had to live in. Lately, he settled in a quiet town in a country in Europe.

Thanks to his link with the Avengers, he could stay in the hotel of his choice, as long as he wanted. And behind the hotel was a lake. It was beautiful and very calm so he often walked around it. As it was cold outside, there was no one. Times like this allowed him to think about his past and make peace with it, but mostly about his future and what he wanted to do now that he was free.

At the same time, Willow Drakard was getting ready to take her dog for a walk. She was a student of almost 22 year old. She was studying Literature, Languages and Civilisations in English, but she recently realised that it wasn't for her. The pandemic made it difficult for her to follow the classes. Add to this the final exams next month, and her stress was only increasing.

Fortunately for her, she had great friends who supported her when she had anxiety attacks. She also managed this anxiety by playing video games, writing or reading. But on this Friday of March 19th, 2021, she felt the need to go outside, taking her dog with her. It'll help her clear her mind.

Her dog Scamp, an Australian Shepherd of 5, was very excited to know that he was taken for a walk. He was always pulling the leash until they were at the lake. There, Willow untied the leash so he could run. But he never went too far from her.

As he was heading for their usual spot where they could play, Willow saw a man and tried to call Scamp back to go somewhere else and not disturb the stranger. But Scamp never listened and when he spotted the man, it was impossible to stop him from running towards the guy. Willow ran after her dog who was now trying to draw the man's attention in order to get petting.

"I'm really sorry", Willow said as she arrived. "He's a big puppy who just wants to play", she tried to reassure the guy, hoping he wasn't angry.

"That's fine, he's really cute", he answered while he kneeled in front of Scamp to cuddle him. What's his name?"

While asking the question, he looked at Willow. She answered but also noticed his eyes. They were blue, so blue that she felt like she was staring into the ocean. And she really wanted to dive into them. He was tall, really handsome and had brown hair. She imagined passing her hands through it. Unfortunately, she was way too shy to introduce herself first. But James wasn't.

"I'm James, by the way. Everyone calls me Bucky, but I'm fine with James too."

"I'm Willow. It's nice to meet you, James." He seemed to blush a little when he heard her say his name, but that could be the cold. He gave her a big smile, saying it was a pleasure too.

They continued to talk and walked together, Scamp leading the way. James confided that he used to work with the American government but that he now wanted to create his own enterprise, something about communication. He didn't share anything about the Avengers as he wanted to stay as discreet as possible. As for Willow, she explained her situation towards the university and James was happy to help her.

"Do what you want, don't think about other people and their opinions. The most important thing is that you're happy. You said you loved reading and writing. Think of yourself as the main character. This is your own story and you deserve a happy ending. You matter, your happiness matters." She thanked him and felt great to hear a stranger supporting her. James loved to see that he had put a smile on her face.

At some point, Scamp took the leash meaning he wanted to go home. That's when James and Willow realised that they had been talking and walking for more than an hour. They felt comfortable together and neither of them wanted to separate.

"Can I walk you home?" James asked, taking any opportunity to stay with Willow a bit longer.

"Of course, that'd be great." Her answer made him smile. Willow didn't live far so they arrived at her place in just five minutes.

Arriving in front of her door, Willow was thanking him and saying goodbye and he did the same. When she entered, Scamp rushed to his bowl to drink. Only seconds after closing the door, someone knocked. It was James.

"Sorry", he started, "it's just that it was really great to talk to someone... to you, and... huh... I wanted to know if it was possible to maybe see you again ?" He was so nervous and scared that she would say no. But he knew she was about to say yes when he saw her smile.

"Of course. Do you have Instagram?"

"Yes, my best friend Steve created one for me", he said as he followed her and she was doing the same. "Thank you Willow, now I'm really leaving and we'll talk later."

They couldn't wait to start knowing each other better. And as she was closing her door for good this time, they both had a smile on their face that would not fade away.