When The Light Comes | Bucky x Reader

~16~

When the sun came up the next day you were well rested, but the situation still weighed on you like a ton of bricks. Steve had grabbed an ointment from Helen to help your bruises heal, and you were up for some light training. You went through the motions slowly, stepping your way through combinations. You only did light touches due to your injuries. Even if Steve had really wanted to get a touch in, your guard was pretty much impenetrable. 

"Your form is incredible." Steve handed you a water bottle and you took a long drink. 

"Thank you. I'll be able to really make you sweat one of these days." You grinned cheekily as he unwrapped his hands. Bucky wandered into the training room just then, his hands in the pockets of relaxed jeans, a ball cap on his head and a jacket draped over his shoulder.

"Where in the world are you off to?" Steve raised his eyebrows at Bucky. He smiled sheepishly. 

"I'm taking ___y/n___ to the range. I think some training with firearms is a good idea." A look you had never seen before filled his face. You started to unwrap your hands as you pondered it. It could have been closely related to both pride and protectiveness. Your stomach fluttered at the thought and you walked over to him. He looked surprised when you wrapped your arms around his waist for a quick hug. 

"How are you doing?" He shrugged.

"Quite well. Excited to shoot some guns?" He smiled sweetly at you. 

"Yeah I really am. Just let me change real quick." You popped into your room quickly, leaving him standing in the hall. You quickly took a cold wash cloth, wiping the sweat off your body before coating your lashes with some mascara and pulling on a pair of jeans and a warm knit sweater. 

"That was very fast." He raised his eyebrows and shrugged his coat on over his white v-neck tee. 

"I am very excited, I had to be quick." You smiled at him, looping your arm through his metal arm as you walked down to the garage. He handed you a helmet and your heart sighed as he swung his leg over the seat of his motorcycle, patting the seat behind him. You put the helmet on and hopped up behind him, wrapping your arms tightly around his waist. Looking down he traced the bruises lightly. No, he traced them apologetically, and your breath caught in your throat. Not out of fear - it was a feeling deep in your stomach. 

"Ready?" He looked back over his shoulder, a crooked smile danced across his perfect lips. He accelerated before you'd even had a chance to say yes. 

The ride to the gun range was more fun than you'd had in years. It was better than any roller coaster, though you weren't sure whether the flips your stomach did was due to the ride itself or the person you spent the ride pressed against. 

The range was outdoor, outside the city limits in a dreamy wheat field. It was a cool autumn day, but the sun was shining, warming you down to your bones. Bucky handed you a pistol to start off with. He stood beside you, modelling the proper way to hold the weapon, followed by the proper stance to take. He took a few perfect shots to his wooden target. You followed his lead, taking a deep breath, releasing a few quick shots on your exhale. He looked at you in amazement.

"You landed two out of three do you have any idea how crazy that is?" You were beaming at his praise. He handed you some different models to try out. "You have to get a feel for it. It's like an extension of your arm, and you have to be connected. Specs don't matter if you're connected with the piece you have in your hand."

You had a magnificent day. You discovered that pistols were your favourite weapon, but that you could handle a sniper just as well. You were wildly proud of yourself, especially since you were impressing the handsome soldier. The last weapon of the day was a light machine gun. More specifically, it was an M249 Paratrooper SAW - Bucky's own weapon of choice. It was heavy, but you were determined to manage it. 

He looked completely smitten as you lifted the machine gun, simply standing and taking in the scene. A light blush tinged your cheeks as he snapped out of his daydream and walked over to you. He gently positioned your hands properly on the gun, then stepped behind you. You were painfully aware of how close he was as he explained how to hold your shoulders, making adjustments himself as he saw fit.

"...and you want to open up your hips or you won't hit a thing," he explained, taking your hips in his large hands, twisting them to the left. Your entire body flushed with heat when his fingers lingered, his breath tickling the back of your ear. "Now make me proud," he whispered into your ear before stepping backwards as you fired. There must have been at least twenty odd shaped bottles scattered on different levelled benches. It wasn't long until there was only one standing. You stopped your continuous fire and aimed before sending it in shards to the ground below. 

Discarding the weapon on the ground you triumphantly launched yourself into Bucky's arms, catching him by surprise. He let out a slow, sweet laugh and pulled you close to him. You inhaled deeply, soaking in every beautiful detail of the moment. The sun on your heads, his strong arms around you, the way his scruffy cheek felt against yours. The way he smelled of everything you've ever loved, the precious rumble of the laughter in his chest before it was even in the air to delight your ears and the way your toes didn't even touch the ground. He set you down gently on the ground. Before you even noticed he'd leaned in, his soft lips were against yours, a metal hand on your lower back and a finger lifting your chin. 

*time lapse brought to you by a phone call from tony making sure nobody died because you'd been gone so long*

You pulled your helmet off the minute Bucky slowed down enough in the garage for you to let go of his waist. He got off, taking the helmet from you and offering you his hand to help you off. 

"Thank you, I had a really amazing time," you grinned over at him. 

"So did I," he smiled back, his straight white teeth practically shining. You parted ways so that you could go 'shower.' You did take a quick shower, but almost instantly parked yourself in Wanda's room, recounting the entire day to her eager ear. She was the perfect friend. She laughed when appropriate and gasped and cooed at all the right moments. There was no advice given, of course. Your mind had been made up for you the moment you witnessed his episode. 

You had completely fallen head over heels for the Winter Soldier. The gorgeous man with a rusty memory and a haunting past. The most kind, gentle person you'd ever met. The man of your dreams.