𝔹𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕋𝕠 𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕝𝕪𝕟 | Bucky Barnes⁽¹⁾

09 | Go Win the War

March 1942 - Brooklyn

It was barely 5am on the first day of March when Ella woke up to the feeling of being in Bucky's arms. The sun was barely up outside, so there was minimal light coming through the thin gaps in the curtains. She was turned to face Bucky, his arm draped over her middle. She just looked at his face, seeing and admiring how peaceful he was while he slept.

She had found the six weeks away from Bucky nearly impossible. When he left today, it would be for much, much longer. And she wasn't ready for that. And she certainly wasn't ready for the dark thought that kept playing on her mind.

What if he never comes home?

She didn't want to think that way. She wanted to be hopeful, and tried to tell herself over and over again that Bucky would come home to her. He would be fine. But she didn't know that he would be. She couldn't give herself false hope, as much as she wanted to cling to it for dear life - she just couldn't.

His skin looked so soft, so light, and Ella reached out to touch him, lightly brushing the backs of her knuckles along his cheekbone. His eyebrows furrowed a little at the contact, but he remained asleep. His breathing was evened out, and his chest rose and fell with every exhale.

He'd be gone soon - in a few hours, he'd be shipped off and Ella would be left without him. She wouldn't get to wake up in his arms; she wouldn't get to see his face. She wouldn't get to feel the warmth of his body as she snuggled up to him in bed, and she would be alone.

Tears brimmed Ella's eyes as the thoughts of what was to come became too much. Her bottom lip quivered as she sniffled, closing her eyes, and moving closer to Bucky, hiding her face against his bare chest. The warmth radiating from his skin was like lying beside a fireplace, comforting her as she silently cried, but all it did was remind her that soon, she wouldn't have him near.

She felt Bucky's arm tighten around her, his hand rubbing up and down her back. She hadn't meant to wake him up, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him whilst she cried.

"Hey," Bucky whispered, his lips pressed to the top of Ella's head as he kissed her. "Hey, what's all this, huh?"

"I love you," was all she could respond with. She wrapped her arms around Bucky's body, never wanting to let go. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Bucky spoke softly, his voice a little raspy with sleep. "El, baby, look at me."

When she lifted her head off Bucky's chest, he could have teared up himself at the broken-hearted look of his Ella. The ocean blue eyes he fell in love with were swollen red, tears stuck to her eyelashes as they streamed down her cheeks.

"It's gonna be okay," Bucky promised her, cupping her jaw in his hand, and kissing her forehead.

"I don't want you to go, James," Ella whispered as she cried softly. "I want you to stay... Please, just stay with me."

She wrapped her arms around him again, and he sat up. His back was against the headboard as he held Ella, whilst she straddled his lap and had her arms wrapped around his neck. He could feel her tears falling from her face and onto his shoulder, and it took everything in him to not break down himself.

"I'm gonna be right back, baby," Bucky mumbled quietly as he played with the ends of her hair. A tear fell down his cheek, and he was unable to stop more forming in his eyes. "I'll come home, and we'll officially start our lives. Together, me and you."

"But what if you don't come home?" she whispered brokenly.

"I will." Bucky tried to sound reassuring, but Ella didn't miss the way his voice broke. "I'll come home to you, of course, I will."