Better Love || A Bucky Barnes Fanfiction

- Elena and Bucky -

It was their usual evening ritual. After putting their daughter to bed the pair would sit outside the hut and lean against its stable walls, looking out at their surroundings. Almost always the skies of Wakanda would be clear, thousands of stars twinkling high above and being reflected on the surface of the lake. Sometimes they might hear the goats call in the distance, or fireflies would dance beyond the treelines, but mostly they were alone to take in the night together and read. With a new tablet that Elena had brought while on her travels with Steve and the others, the pair sat together with Bucky leaning back against her while she read aloud, her voice soothing his mind and soul. Tonight they had reached the end of a book they had been reading for the past few weeks now, and it had been one that had taken Bucky on an emotional roller coaster. He gripped one of Elena's hands while she read, head leaning against the crook of her neck as he closed his eyes and listened.

"'But mostly, I was crying because I was suddenly very aware of the fact that it was me standing up in that tunnel with the wind over my face. Not caring if I saw downtown. Not even thinking about it. Because I was standing in the tunnel. And I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite..."

At the end of the novel, when Charlie had signed off from his final letter to the reader, Elena put the tablet down, wrapping her free arm around Bucky's shoulder with a soft sigh. He opened his eyes and stared out towards where the fireflies were moving in the distance.

"Is that the end?" He asked, voice low and soft from lack of use. Elena nodded, Bucky feeling the movement against his cheek.

"Yes."

"I don't feel infinite. But I feel," he murmured as he sat up, Elena crossing her legs and picking up the comb that sat beside her. Instantly she began to brush his hair, getting out the knots that had formed throughout the day.

"Everyone should read it once in their life," she said as she combed. "I read it in high school and loved it. I don't think I learned as much as I could from it at the time, though."

"It makes me nervous for Corrie," Bucky admitted, thinking about the characters that had been in the book. All of them seemed so sad or lost or angry or hurt. There was a lot of pain in it that he didn't think would be there when they first started reading it, and now all he could think about was his daughter. Was that what her life would be when she reached her teenage years? Would she be able to cope? Would he be able to protect her? These thoughts made him worry. "I don't want her to hurt like they did."

"Neither do I, but... we do," Elena replied, wrapping her arms around him in an effort to comfort him. She rest her chin on his shoulder, tilting her head against his. "At that age, and lots of other ages. Price of life."

"I don't want her to become rough. I don't want her to have our hands. I don't like the fact that you have yours," Bucky admitted, using his one hand to reach up and take one of hers, turning it over before kissing her palm. Elena frowned slightly, watching him.

"What do you mean?"

"They're rough from your training," he explained. "I remember how soft they used to be. I wish you didn't have to take up combat training."

"In an ideal world nobody would. And anyway," she pulled her hands away, shuffling around so that she was sitting beside him now, staring at his face that was a mask of sadness. She took his hand in hers. "I do it to protect you and Corrie. There's a reason behind it."

"You did that anyway before all this. You've taken enough hits, Elena," he told her, pointedly casting his gaze towards the scars on her face with a frown. Elena looked down, a strained and painted smile taking over her face before she let out a breath and dropped it, looking back at the man she loved.

"I know. But Thomas isn't the only thing in the world throwing punches, love. I'm not gonna stand by and let you take all of them, Bucky. I mean, would you expect Steve to stand aside while you fought off the world?"

"That's not the same thing-" Bucky tried to argue, but Elena shook her head.

"It is. You and I both know it is," she said softly, a pointed silence falling over them at the thought of Steve. They both knew she was right, there was no point in denying it. The three of them shared a relationship that might look complex to some, but so simple to them. "It all stems from love. We all have to fight to protect the love we have for each other, Bucky. I'd do it for you just like Steve would. Just like you would too."

Bucky smiled slightly, pulling Elena onto his lap before cradling her against his chest. For a moment they sat in silence, listening to the soft chirping of crickets in the reeds of the lake. Tonight the summer air was cool and still, bringing relief from the heat of the day. Nuzzling against Bucky's neck, Elena spoke softly onced more.

"I understand where you're coming from with this though. Your worry and sadness."

"It all stems from love," Bucky repeated softly, letting out a deep sigh. Elena smiled, turning to look at him and cupping the side of his face as she did so.

"When you get better, I'll take it easy," she promised him. "We can train together, you, me, and Okoye. Put your mind at ease. It'll stop you from getting heart attacks every time Okoye puts me on my back."

"Mmm," he purred, a sly smile beginning to form on his lips as he looked down at his beloved. "I thought that was my job..."

"You dirty man," Elena giggled, lightly tapping the side of his cheek with her hand before shifting in his lap and straddling him. Flicking her hair over her shoulder she threw her arms around his neck, looking down at him. "All joking aside, I mean it, though, baby. When you're feeling a hundred percent again, I'll cool off and we can take the world on side by side once more, okay?"

Bucky smiled, nodding as he let his hand wander down to the small of her back, pulling her a little bit closer to him.

"Okay," he murmured, staring up at her and burning into his memory the image of her lit up in moonlight, blonde hair looking almost white and skin looking smooth and silver. He licked his lips, tilting his head up in a small gesture of desire, wanting, need. "But, don't cool off just now. There are some things I wanna do that require heat."

A half smile on her lips, Elena leaned down and gave Bucky what he desired as his hand took hers and gripped it tightly. They never wanted to let go.

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