Inspired By Taylor Swift Series

How You Get The Girl (Marvel)

Summary: How Bucky Barnes got the girl, in five easy steps. 

Step One: Stand There Like A Ghost, Shaking From The Rain

He stands there like a ghost, shaking from the frosty nighttime rain. The rain beats against your porch, still the bright blue color Bucky painted it all those months ago.

He extends his hand to knock on your door, but falters just before contact.

Bucky's eyes flutter shut with a long, deep breath, his hand still hovering an inch away from the door. The thought flashes through his mind: does he have any right to do this? Does he have any right to be here?

What if you've moved on? What if you hated him? What if you couldn't forgive what he'd done?

There was only one way for him to find out.

He musters up every ounce of courage and nerve he has left in him. Fighting aliens, evil organizations, postponing the end of the world, it all feels so trite compared to this.

It takes far more bravery for him to show up here after so long. He knew this place like the back of his hand. It was a place he once called home. And admittedly, he didn't handle his departure that well. He wonders if you did. Once you realized the he wasn't the person you thought he was. He didn't have the courage to say that to your face either.

He often found himself picturing you waking up alone on that fateful morning.

How long did it take you to find that note on the dining table? The table that you'd shared so many candlelit dinners, the table with those flowers he used to buy you each and every week. Was that vase still there? How long did it take for those flowers to die? Did you let them wither, remaining right where he'd left them until each and every petal fell, or did you throw them out the second you realized he wasn't coming back?

How long did that take? He wants to know that, too. Did you hold onto hope? Did you know right away?

He often pictures you sitting at that table, those withered flowers before. He pictures quiet tears. You weren't the type to sit and wallow. No, that wasn't you.

He doesn't know. He doesn't know anything. All he knows is that out of all the bad things he'd done, the worst is what he did to you. He'd spend forever trying to show you how you sorry he was.

And then he knocks.

His heavy hand reverberates through the house. His lips squeeze shit. His hair is drenched from the rain. Droplets of rain streak across his jacket.

He can hear your feet shuffling over the hardwood floors. It's late. Were you sitting in your chair by the window?

There's no time to wonder anymore. The knob rattles for a moment as the deadbolt clicks open.

He braces himself for all the answers to the questions that plagued his mind for the last six months.

You softly gasp when you see the ghost occupying your doorway, shivering from the rain.

As quickly as it emerged, the shock dissipates into something much more intense.

Rage lights up your face, anger flickers in your eyes. You fold your arms over your chest, closing your sweater to protect yourself from the frost. Or maybe it was a foolish attempt of protecting your heart from the man who tore it out six months ago.

"Are you insane?" you furiously demand.

Step Two: Say It's Been A Long Six Months

"I- I," Bucky falters, fumbling for the right words to say to you after a long six months, "I- It's been a long six months."