The long lost Barnes

Coming Home

The sun was setting behind the tall, glass windows of the Avengers Compound, casting a warm, golden hue over everything. It felt like the world was settling back into itself, as if the storm had finally passed. The battle with Hydra was over, the compound they had just left in ruins, its secrets exposed, and its high-ranking officers arrested or destroyed. But in the aftermath of victory, there was a new kind of tension.

The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional murmur of conversation from the rest of the Avengers. They had gathered to debrief, but the real work was happening in the corners of their minds. Everyone was exhausted, but there was something more to it—something unspoken. They had taken down Hydra, but now there was something they needed to rebuild: trust, connection, and perhaps even hope.

Leia Barnes sat at the table with the others, the weight of her past finally starting to lift, a sense of peace settling in her chest. The transformation was undeniable. The haunting memories that had once been a dark cloud hanging over her every move seemed to fade with every passing minute. There was no more Hydra programming. No more manipulation. She was Leia again.

The woman who had stood by Bucky's side all those years ago. The sister to Steve. The wife of Bucky Barnes.

She was whole.

Bucky sat beside her, his hand resting on the table but inches from hers. They hadn't touched much since the chaos of the fight. He had wanted to give her space, to let her breathe without the pressure of what was between them. But it wasn't easy. His heart ached with the desire to pull her close, to tell her everything he had wanted to say in the years they had lost. But he was patient. He would wait for her to come to him when she was ready.

Her eyes met his, and a small, tentative smile tugged at the corners of her lips. For the first time, it was a smile that didn't hold the weight of years of fear and pain. It was real. It was for him. It was for them.

"I think we're finally done here," she said quietly, though her voice held a note of wonder, as though the relief had just begun to sink in.

Bucky smiled back, his heart swelling with an emotion he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years. "I think so too."

They were both exhausted—physically, emotionally, mentally. But it wasn't just the battle that had worn them down. It was the weight of everything that had come before it: the years of separation, the darkness of their pasts, the time they'd lost. But there, in that moment, they were together again. Whole. And they would face whatever came next—together.

The Avengers were scattered around the compound, most of them retreating to their rooms for a well-deserved rest. The adrenaline had worn off, and the exhaustion of the mission was starting to settle in. But for Bucky and Leia, the real work had just begun. Theirs was not just a victory over Hydra; it was a personal victory. A battle against the ghosts of their pasts.

And it wasn't over.

After dinner, the two of them had slipped away from the common room, seeking solace in the quiet hallways of the compound. Leia was still adjusting to the silence—the kind that came with being free from the constant noise of Hydra's control. For so long, her thoughts had been shaped by their orders, their manipulation, their twisted version of her reality. Now, she was rediscovering herself. It was like learning how to breathe again.

They ended up in the small garden behind the compound, a quiet oasis away from the hum of the facility, surrounded by the soft sounds of nature. The night air was cool, the faint scent of flowers filling the space. It was peaceful here—just the two of them, no noise, no expectations.