"Seize the moment, try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and hold it, 'cause we consider these minutes golden."
- Eminem
Song: H.O.L.Y. by Florida Georgia Line
"I'm high on lovin' you."
******************
A couple of months had passed, and they were finally back in a routine. Harlow would go out two days a week to buy essentials, and Bucky would stay back with Jodie. Every couple of days, Bucky would go out for food, which wasn't a part of the essentials Harlow picked up, since Bucky thought the stuff weighed too much for her to have to carry around.
Bucky was always worried when Harlow would leave the apartment, even though she wore a hat to cover her face, as well as sunglasses sometimes. He was scared that someone would recognize her and grab her because of him, or follow her to their apartment and grab all three of them at once. He would fight until the bitter end for his girls, but he didn't want them to have to see such terrible things happen. He wanted to keep them blinded from what he could, even if it wasn't much.
Harlow had been given a old, small television from an elderly neighbor, which Harlow was thankful for. She had been able to get a couple of movies for Jodie to watch, which helped distract her from the world around them. When Jodie wasn't awake, Harlow would watch the news, which just so happened to play on the tv without having to pay for channels. Sadly, Bucky couldn't handle watching the news too much, since the news triggered some painful memories sometimes, so Harlow could only watch the news occasionally.
Normally, Harlow would watch the news when Bucky went out to purchase food, or at night when he would go shower. He didn't take long in the shower, maybe fifteen minutes, but that was still fifteen minutes of news that Harlow was able to watch and catch up on. Luckily, she hadn't seen anything about Bucky on the news, so she didn't have to worry about him being found by HYDRA. She was afraid the news would be somewhat run by HYDRA, but it seemed the news hadn't been yet.
Since Jodie couldn't go to school, Harlow had to teach her as best as she could from their apartment. She would go to the library two times a week to print off school pages for Jodie to learn. There would be math, english, science, history, reading, and basic other skills like arts and crafts and whatever interest Jodie seemed to have that Harlow could easily afford.
Their everyday routine was simple. They'd wake up, eat breakfast, brush their teeth and get dressed, begin Jodie's schooling, eat lunch, Bucky or Harlow would go out to the store, Jodie would watch a movie or color and draw, then they'd have dinner, then showers, sometimes dessert, a couple of stories, brush their teeth, Jodie would go to bed, and half an hour later Bucky and Harlow would go to bed as well.
Every night, like clock work, Bucky would double check to make sure all of the widows and the door was locked. Then he'd close the shades to all of the windows. He'd put a chair in front of the door, to make it harder for people to break in, and he'd place a bell on the doorknob for extra safety. Though he and Harlow went to bed half an hour after Jodie, Bucky would stay awake an extra hour to make sure everything was safe and his girls were asleep. He could never rest if they didn't.
Their food seemed to be a routine as well, which Jodie had originally complained about, but she soon got use to it. For breakfast, they'd either have toast and eggs, pancakes, or oatmeal. For lunch they'd have either sandwiches, fruit, or soup. For dinner they had more variety; they'd have a choice between grilled cheese and tomato soup, chicken tenders and fries, hotdogs and macaroni and cheese, baked chicken and mashed potatoes, pizza, or some type of pasta dish. Every dessert was simple as well, but they had many varieties to choose from. They could have any type of cookie, cake, or pie they wanted, but sometimes Harlow would surprise them with brownies, ice cream, or s'mores.
A couple of times when she was out, Harlow would find chocolate bars, and she would grab them and surprise Jodie and Bucky with them when she arrived back at the apartment. On those days, the two most important people in her life would feel extra special. She wasn't able to do too much for them often, but she really did try to do what she could. It wasn't easy living off the grid, but they had managed so far.
A routine seemed to keep them safe, but Bucky and Harlow knew the routine would have to be changed eventually, otherwise someone could eventually catch on to their routine and find them. They couldn't risk that, no matter how much they liked their routine. Jodie being on a routine made her sleep schedule, as well as her day, better and easier for her to handle, especially with her schooling.
Every night, just like a routine-but unbeknownst to his girls, Bucky would just sit and watch them. He'd gaze at them for hours if he could, but he knew Harlow could tell when he wasn't sleeping. They were so precious to him, and he loved them with all of his heart. He wasn't sure if he had ever loved anyone or anything as much as he loved his girls.
He still had his journal that he wrote his thoughts and memories in, but he didn't think the journal was too important anymore. He normally only wrote in it when a memory would come through his mind, especially a bad one, which usually came in the form of a nightmare. Some nights he'd stay up and write about his girls, but most nights he'd just watch them and smile. They were all his, and he'd love them forever...
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Apartment 102 (B. Barnes) (AU)
Fanfiction*The story has been edited and revised* Bucky Barnes had finally ran away from HYDRA, but he was in hiding. He was too worried, and a bit scared, to go to his childhood friend, Steve Rogers, so he tried to hide from the blonde as well. Bucky had jum...
