Barnes. Book II

Getting Your Life Together

***

Try and be grateful for being alive when all you did was lose more and more people along the way. It wasn't a challenge, it was a mission that was impossible.

You lost your home and everything that was in it. All you had left with was Cat.

Steve said that the old house the three of you used to live in got taken down. You had nowhere to go. Not you, not Bucky.

The solution was to go to Sam's sister.

So that's what you did.

20 hour drive from upstate New York to Louisiana in an old rented car that smelled like old men and cigarettes.

You, Sam and Bucky took turns driving taking naps in between. No one barely said anything, everyone was exhausted and shaken.

You could imagine the shock Sarah experienced after seeing her long gone brother and his two friends arriving at her doorstep and asking to stay over for a couple of days.

Of course she said yes, it was only for a few days anyway, until you figured out where you were going to stay permanently.

***

You woke up aching all over.
Tired and still recovering from what had happened three days ago.

You sat up and looked around. Sam had his back turned to you, snoring.

You headed to the bathroom, passing by the living room where Bucky was sleeping.
Cat was on an old pillow in the doorway peacefully swaying her tail.

You washed your face and stared at yourself in the mirror.
You looked like a zombie.

Plasters all over your face, bruise on the side of your forehead and jaw, topped off with eyebags that might've not been eyebags but just more bruises.

You were wearing a long sleeved shirt and sweatpants to cover all of your other injuries and severe scars.

Before leaving the bathroom you tied your hair into a braid, remembering Nat.
You successfully didn't burst into tears because you physically couldn't cry anymore and just took a second before exiting.

On your way back you decided to peep into the living room.
"Barnes." You leaned onto the door frame seeing him awake.

He turned his head.

"Y/L/N?" He grinned.
And for a split second, all of your sorrow was erased. For a second you felt something other than pain.

"How'd you sleep?" You asked.
"Uh, good." He nodded.
"Did you?" You walked over to him, sitting on the edge of the couch.
He sat up, leveling with you.
"Yes?"

You raised your eyebrows "Did you now?"
"Yeah I did," he glided his hands across the couch over to you and pulled you in towards him by your waist.
"Ow dumbass," you cursed against his chest.
"I'm all sore."
"Must suck not being a super soldier." He hummed resting his cheek on the top of your head and closed his eyes.

"Yeah tell me about it." You complained.
"Mhm." He lazily rubbed your back.

"We gotta take you to the barber." You commented noticing his small bun on the back of his head.
"What?"
"Your hair. That's so six years ago."
He chuckled lightly.