The war had finally ended. After six years of hell and torture. It was finally over, and he could go home and see his wife again. He marched through the streets of Brooklyn proudly beside his best friend, Steve Rodgers. Him and his group of best friends were widely known as the howling commandos, the 107th, they knew Europe better than the Europeans. They hadn't heard from their wife's since they left, at the start of the war. They could send letters to their loves but could not receive them for the safety of their lovers. The only way they could know if their wives still loved them was purely gut feeling, but James Barnes trusted his wife with his life. They reached the end of the parade where everyone was cheering for them and raced to where they were told their girls were.
It was the diner where the two men met the girls first. The silver flare. It would always be his favourite. Steve and James sprinted down the sidewalk and across the road, stopping cars as they did and Manoeuvring quickly around people to the diner and stopped when they saw their girls through the window. The young boys of twenty-six and thirty stared at the young girls of twenty-seven and twenty-five for what seemed like forever. James could only see Natalia's red hair because her back was facing the window but he didn't care. He was there, she was meters away from him and he just wanted to kiss her. He slowly walked to the diner and opened the door, the bell he missed so much rang above his head causing the girls to look. Blue met green as they made eye contact. A tear rolled down his cheek as they just stared at each other. Natalia got up and ran to her husband jumping into his arms. They cried as they embraced each other. He took in her smell, which was apart of his dreams every night. They held each other like there would be no tomorrow, like their lives depended on it. He pulled back and cupped her face. His bright blue eyes darted around her face as he took in every feature, her green eyes, her long eyelashes, her perfect eyebrows, strong cheekbones, her strong jaw and her plump lips. He bent down and kissed her passionately and she returned the gesture just as loud as him. Her hands snaked around his neck and his strong arms wrapped around her waist. They pulled away to catch her their breath, their noses rubbing. She smiled and his stomach did backflips.
"I missed you so... so much James." She whispered. He smiled back and kissed her gently again.
"You don't know how good it is to hear your voice Natalia." He said almost as if the stress and depression of war had been lifted off his shoulders. He had missed her so dearly and he would never take time away from her for granted.
"Mammy?" The voice of a little girl said from behind Natalia. James's head whipped up and made eye contact with the little girl sitting in the booth, her hair fiery red and her eyes bright blue, like his own. Natalia turned to the little girl of five and picked her up bringing her over to the soldier. He stared at the girl in shock and then he looked at Natalia and smiled. She smiled back and took in a deep breath.
"Sofia, this is your daddy." Natalia said and James's smile lit up even more as tears rolled down his cheek. Sofia. That was the name he said to Natalia he wanted their daughter to be called.
"Hi, Sofia." He said to the girl and she cowered away from him slightly. "Hey it's okay," he said gently to her.
Natalia pulled out a picture of him and gave it to the little girl. The girl looked at the picture and then looked at her father, the man that stood in front of her was a bit scruffier and had longer hair, on his face and on his head, but looked the same. A smile appeared on her face and she launched herself at the man. He caught her and hugged her tightly spinning around in a circle. Tears soaked Natalia's cheeks as she watched her daughter and the father of her daughter meet for the first time.
"Daddy!" The little girl squealed as she ran her small fingers along his nose and eyes. "I missed you daddy." She said sweetly, clinging onto his neck. The fact that he had never met her before and she was saying she missed him made his heart break in two. He missed her first steps, her first words, her first birthday, her birth. He missed so much already and he would make up for it. He promised himself that.
"I missed you too dolly." He said. He didn't know she even existed until two minutes ago but maybe the gut feeling he had that was telling him that Natalia loved him was also telling him that he had a daughter. Maybe that's why he missed her, even though he didn't know his little fallen star had fallen to him. She placed her head against his and he closed his eyes taking in the moment. She was so pure, and he would make sure she would stay that way until he reached his grave. Then her husband would take care of her and love her as much as he did. "I love you so much Sofia." He said and she giggled.
"You're supposed to say that to mammy first daddy." She said, smiling like a lunatic. James laughed and looked over to his wife. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "I love you so much Mrs Barnes." He said to her, looking into her eyes so she knew how much he did love her.
"I love you too Mr Barnes." She leaned it and kissed him softly. While they kissed Sofia planted a big slobbery kiss to her father's cheek and they broke away. He pulled a disgusted face and then smiled.
————
Natalia lay asleep in bed next to her husband as he watched her body rise and fall gently. He took in all her features and thanked god for the woman he called his wife. He thanked god for keeping him alive and he hoped that his and Steve's best friend Sam was being watched over, or hoping that maybe it was Sam watching over him right now. He thanked god for his beautiful red headed daughter and he finally thanked god for his sanity.
It was tough being in a constant battle with people you are told to hate. It would drive any man insane to know that his wife could be cheating on him, maybe even stop loving him all together for no reason. It would also drive anyone to insanity knowing how many lives they have taken. How they were no longer innocent gas lanterns that would eventually grow weak and die out, but burnt out candle sticks that were shortened by being thrown into a flame of evil and torture.
James Barnes was no longer an innocent man, nor is he the man he once was. But he would be the best man he could for his wife and child.
A creak was heard from outside his door and his head turned to the door where a small blue eyed china doll with puffy red eyes and tear stained cheeks stood. A raggedy old blanket was held up to her mouth to muffle her small cries even further than what her mouth had managed. She stared at her father and he couldn't stop his eyes from tearing up. She looked so haunted, so tortured.
He reached out and motioned for her to come to him with his fingers. She basically ran cross the room climbed onto the bed onto her fathers chest. He moved his other arm away from his wife and he hugged the little girl close to himself, gently running his hands through her hair.
"Shhhh, it's okay." He whispered calmly to her forehead and he placed a kiss to it. "It's okay."
"The bad men daddy." She sobbed into his neck. "They're going to get me."
"I won't let them sweetheart." He cooed. "They're not going to get anyone."
"I'm scared." She squeaked quietly as a large lump grew in her throat, threatening to burst out and cause her to scream.
"I was too." Her father said simply. This seemed to ease her a little.
"You were?" She questioned.
"You have no idea." He shook his head and thought about the times when even the thought of coming home was forbidden. "But it's over now, and you're safe." He smiled reassuringly. "I love you Sofia."
"I know, I love you too dad." The little girl said snuggling in and curling into sleep. He soon followed after and had the first nightmare free sleep he slept in almost six years.
This one is kind of a filler because the other ones are taking a while. Hope it was okay. I promise I will have more up soon though. Xx
•
•
•
