Belonging - A Bucky Love Story (Marvel/Avengers)

28

Brenna was about to follow Thor outside, but the sound of something crashing came from her room, far down a different hallway. And it didn't take her superior hearing to pick up on it.

Giving her a confused look, Thor asked, "what was that?"

"Oh, probably just my...cat," Brenna answered as casually as possible. "I should go check on him," she added, "you go ahead out!" Thankfully, the demigod nodded and left.

Brenna rushed to her room. Inside, the lights were out and Bucky was sitting on her floor, holding his head with his flesh hand. "Ow..." He grumbled.

Brenna couldn't help but find this amusing. She walked over to him with a small grin and held her hand out to help him up. "What happened?" She wondered.

Taking her hand and letting her hoist him to his feet, Bucky explained reluctantly, "I..tripped."

It took a lot of strength not to laugh. The Winter Soldier, a feared and deadly assassin who once worked under the control of HYDRA, tripped? But she didn't want to embarrass him, so Brenna kept these thoughts to herself. Outside of the open window, fireworks were beginning to explode in the sky.

Bucky watched them over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to Brenna with a small smile. "Haven't seen that in a while," he muttered, setting his bookbag down below the windowsill.

"Let's watch them together, then," Brenna suggested sweetly, pecking him softly on the lips. Bucky had visited three times since she first accidentally healed his mind. They had spent their time together mostly being serious, with the occasional joke or sarcasm. But it was always a good time, and Bucky was visibly becoming more comfortable in this world.

Bucky nodded happily at Brenna's offer. He moved behind her and grabbed her two-seater couch. With his metal hand, he dragged it over to the window with ease, swinging it around so that it faced outside. Bucky sat down on it sideways, leaning his back against the arm of the couch while he swung his legs up onto the other cushion. Opening his arms, he gestured sweetly for Brenna to sit with him.

With a shy smile, Brenna sat carefully between his thighs and laid back over his body. Bucky's arms immediately wrapped around her middle, hands resting on her stomach. Brenna smiled, moving to lace her fingers with his flesh hand. She gently pulsed her magic, watching it surround their connected hands with warmth.

"I found out what the sun opal is today," she remarked.

"Oh, yeah?" Bucky prompted. His voice was low and clear with his mouth so close to Brenna's ear. It gave her chills in the most welcoming way.

"Yeah," she confirmed, then looked over her shoulder and up. Her face was inches away from his as he peered down at her. "It's a piece of the sun."

Bucky raised his eyebrows in surprise, a crooked grin on his lips. "Huh..how fitting," he mused, then went on to explain lovingly, "you already light up my life so much."

"Bucky.." Brenna whined as blush rose to her smiling cheeks.

"It's true," Bucky insisted with a smirk, "you're my sunshine..I guess in more ways than one now."

Brenna grinned wildly, leaning up to kiss him. The super soldier gladly returned this action, closing his eyes instinctively. They only parted at the sudden sound of a firework crackling outside. When the Winter Soldier opened his eyes, he could see the reflection of the beautiful explosion in her golden eyes. But then, a memory slipped past the crumbling walls HYDRA had put up in his mind.

"Gimme a second," he cooed, reaching down to his bookbag. He took out a notebook and pencil. With Brenna still cozied up in his chest, he flipped to a blank page. "Could you hold it open for me, B?" He asked.

Brenna happily held the notebook open on her stomach, using her hands to hold it up for Bucky to see. He began to scribble down the memory; Steve's eighteenth birthday, they'd gone out to see a fireworks display. Brenna smiled as she read what he wrote. When he finished, she closed to book for him and slipped it back into his bookbag, along with the pencil.

"..Could I read your memories sometime?" She asked hesitantly, fully prepared for an understandable 'no'.

Bucky's chest vibrated under her with a chuckle. "Of course," he told her, kissing the top of her head. He then turned his head to watch the fireworks. Brenna did as well, leaning her ear onto his chest. And they stayed like this until the explosions stopped late into the night.

Bucky left well after midnight, but continued to return on future nights. They passed time together by talking and remembering, almost always touching in some way. Whether it was laying ontop of each other or a simple touch of their finger tips. But the connection they build was unbreakable, no matter how long they were apart. And it always was. For the first time they met, a seed was planted; and the tree that grew from it was eternal.