Nightingale (Sequel to Solider Boy)

Eighty

Outside, the sky was turning light grey as night started to shift into morning. Bucky laughed as he saw it though the sound was weak. Recent activity has left him a little breathless. That, combined with the fact that they'd been awake all night left him feeling a little weak. Not that he minded, there were worse reasons to feel that way. He rolled onto his side and slid his arm over Melody's waist so that her back was against his chest. 

"What?" she asked, her words soft. 

"It's almost morning," Bucky informed her, absent-mindedly tracing her arm with the tips of his metal fingers. He couldn't feel the texture of her skin, but he could feel the bone underneath the fleshy tissue. He'd gotten more familiar with the capability of the sensors over the last few hours. "We've been awake all night." He propped himself up on his other arm, just enough so he could see her face. She looked tired, with her mussed hair, flushed cheeks and the pattern of bruises that were starting to become visible across her neck and shoulders. Even so, the sight made him happy. "Must have been a first for you."

"Well," Melody opened her eyes and brushed some of her messy hair from her face. "No, this was not my first time staying up all night. I did that all the time during med school."

"Oh and what did you do then?" He asked, grinning as he tightened his grip on her and laughing. "Dancing at clubs? Blowing money at carnivals? Riding in the back of freezer trucks with your best friend because they spent your train fare?" None of those things she'd done and he knew that, but the smile on her face made it worth asking those teasing questions. Bucky would never, ever get tired of seeing her smile. 

"Nah," she laughed, bare shoulders shaking in the grey light. "It was me, my human anatomy textbooks and obscene amounts of coffee. Or my pathology textbook or first aid. Always had coffee though. Real exciting huh?"

"Yeah" Bucky said dryly, giving her a brief kiss. It wouldn't turn into anything now, the hours before of talking, laughing and making love had worn them both out. "Very exciting, if you're a doctor."

"I wasn't a doctor then," she pointed out. "I was a med student." She sat up then, breaking his grip and before he could protest, she turned over and faced him. "Now I'm a doctor-Doctor Barnes."

Bucky couldn't stop the way his heart skipped a little when he heard that. Despite his fear that Melody taking his name could be dangerous for her, he couldn't deny how much he liked the sound of it. "Wonder what they'll call you now? I don't think 'Doctor Freezer' is going to work anymore." 

Melody shrugged. "Don't know, but it'll have to be something intimidating." Bucky scoffed and she gave him a stern look. "Hey, don't give me that. I'm very intimidating."

"I know that," he defended himself. "It's just a little hard to picture when you were underneath me and begging five minutes ago."

"I was not begging," Melody shot back, though her blush gave away the lie.

"Did the meaning of 'please' change in the last few decades?" 

"Shut up."

"Yes honey."

Melody made a face. "Don't ever call me that again." She sighed and moved closer to him, resting her head on his chest. 

Bucky laughed and slid his arm around her waist again. "Noted," he bent his head, brushing a kiss along her shoulder. 

"Okay," she said, sounding both stern and disbelieving. "I get that you're a super solider, but seriously, three times is more than-."

"I'm human," Bucky reminded her, laughing. They'd had this conversation before. It was no less amusing to him now than it was then. "I just want to kiss you. I like doing that." He repeated the gesture, just to prove his point. "I also enjoy cuddling. Just for future reference."