Summary: Bucky meets someone he had grown close to while he was in Romania. Meeting her isn't the only surprise he encounters. There is another small surprise.

A/N: Just something I wrote one day when I felt like I had no inspiration for anything else. I decided to save this until I had posted all the requests I had left. Now, no more requests (except for a little series on Seb Imagines book), which means REQUESTS ARE NOW OPEN! So, if you have any, send them my way. If I get too many requests, I might have to close them again soon. Now I need to make sure I'll close it soon enough and not just keep receiving lots of requests. It didn't work out too well before. Anyways, hope you like this imagine. If you guys want it, I could continue this one. That's a possibility.

Warning: this one is a little angsty. Just a little. Mentions of sex but not smut.

2018

Bucky had gotten out of cryo, sent back to United States as a threat from a new, very powerful enemy had been informed about. A few people still had a bone to pick with the Winter Soldier but that was set aside for the time being. They needed as many people fighting along their side since they were about to face Thanos, a conquer with something called the Infinity Gauntlet.

Being free from cryostasis, his body had gotten used to low temperature, his body temperature had lowered at the same time so he had to wear lots of layers to stay warm. It was nearly summer time and unlike everyone else around him who were wearing short sleeved shirts, he had a sweatshirt along with a jacket on.

He was walking along Central Park, looking around at the people visiting the park. He saw people having picnics, people having a jog. A few of those joggers were Steve and Sam.

Bucky saw Steve running past him fast, whispering a "On your left" as he fled by. A while after Sam jogged past him, breathing heavily as he followed after Steve. Bucky shook his head and continued looking around.

A couple of years had gone by since he had last been walking around the streets, smelling and breathing in the fresh air outside. He thought back on the time he had spent in Romania a few years before, how life was so peaceful, so comfortable. Sure, he had a small apartment which wasn't in the best condition but it wasn't really his apartment, the place he lived in that made his stay there as enjoyable.

As if the universe knew Bucky would think about his time in Romania, his gaze found someone who he had met there.

***

Walking along the streets of Bucharest, Romania, Bucky had his hands in the pockets of his jacket, counting the coins, feeling them in his hand. He was looking for some cheap food to buy and the little fruit and vegetable stalls on the sidewalk drew him in.

He walked by one stall and saw a woman selling fruits. She was having a conversation with someone who was clearly making her uncomfortable. Bucky took notice of her wandering gaze, she was looking around to see if anyone who was around could help her.

Bucky took the matters in his own hands and walked up to the stall, leaning his right arm on the counter. "Is there a problem here?" He asked.

The man who was talking to the saleswoman sent Bucky an annoyed look, telling him, "Mind your own business."

Bucky sighed and lowered his gaze to his left hand, lifting his gloved covered bionic hand enough for his right hand to grab onto. He pulled the leather glove away slowly and lowered his hand again, hiding it from the woman who he had no intentions to intimidate.

His metal hand became visible to the man and Bucky turned his gaze up, seeing the man's eyes widen. The man visibly gulped and took a step back with fear flashing through his features. "Okay, I'll go," he said, lifting his hands up in defeat. "I'm sorry." He apologized to the woman before running off.

Bucky was quick to put the glove back on and turn to the woman. "Are you okay?" He asked, wanting to make sure the man hadn't hurt her.

She nodded, smiling slightly. "Thank you, I'm fine."

Bucky nodded and was about to turn away when he heard her small voice call out for him.

"Would you like some fruits? It's on me."

Bucky shook his head, letting out a very small chuckle. "No, thank you."

"I insist."

Bucky sighed and looked over at the fruits. He shrugged. "Alright. I'll take a few plums."

The woman smiled and picked some plums with a little clear plastic bag, making sure to pick the biggest and most firm ones. She handed him the bag and smiled, saying, "Here you go."

"Thank you."

"You know, plums actually help with memory."

Bucky looked up, brows raised. It's like she knew that's exactly what he needed. He couldn't help but smile. "That's... perfect."

The woman smiled a little wider as she saw a small flicker of his lips. "I'm Y/N, by the way."

"I'm... James."

***

Bucky sucked in a breath at the sight of you sitting on the bench, having a conversation with someone. He gulped as he looked around, searching for a place to hide. He then looked back at you, still having a conversation with the person sitting beside you. Bucky furrowed his brows, thinking whether he wanted to hide or not.

He shook his head. Of course he didn't want to hide from you. He had been thinking about you quite a lot and he would be more than happy to reconnect with you again, even if it meant having you yell at him for completely running out on you. He knew you'd understand, though. He was sure you had heard about the news a few years before, saying how the Winter Soldier was on the loose, being accused of a bombing. He had also told you about his past, he knew you'd understand.

He took a deep breath and took a step forward. He rolled his shoulders a couple of times, bracing himself for what was going to happen, whatever it was.

He took a few more steps towards you before he came to a halt, having a little girl waddling up to the bench. His brows furrowed slightly as she held her arms up in front of her while walking over to the bench.

Bucky's eyes widened as you picked up the little girl and kissed the side of her face, making her giggle. The little girl turned her head towards Bucky which gave him the view of her eyes that were the exact color as his. As he looked at the little girl, he expected her to be about one year old, maybe a year and a few months. The last time he had seen you was about two years ago...

Bucky gasped silently as he realized he was most likely looking into his daughters eyes. His daughter, first born, who he did not know even existed.

"What are you smiling at?" He heard you ask as you looked at your daughter who was now waving at Bucky. You turned your head, following your daughters gaze and your eyes landed on a man who you thought you'd never see again. Your eyes widened, it looked like you had seen a ghost and that is how you felt at the moment.

You stammered, staring at Bucky as you held your daughter tightly in your arms. You blinked furiously, thinking you were just seeing things, going crazy. When you saw Bucky looking at you with a shocked gaze which happened to be very similar to yours, you realized you were not hallucinating. It was real. He was standing right there, a few feet away from you.

"James?"

Bucky thought about taking a step back and fleeing but he knew he couldn't do that. He couldn't rid his gaze from you and the little girl who was on your lap, looking at Bucky with a confused expression.

Bucky's mind was whirring, thinking about how he had a child, how he had missed on seeing her grow up, how you had been raising her all on your own... unless you had found someone and were in a relationship.

Bucky's heart beat hard and fast in his chest. It felt like it would burst as his confused and slightly terrified looking gaze went back and forth between you and your daughter. You pursed your lips, sensing Bucky was going through a lot. You handed your daughter to the person sitting beside you and stood up.

Bucky watched you carefully as you made your way to him. You had your arms crossed as you kept your gaze on the ground before you. When you finally came up to him, you lifted your head and looked him in the eye. You saw his still confused gaze as he looked back at the little girl you had been holding and you followed his gaze, sighing. "I guess we have some talking to do," you said while turning back towards him.

***

"You came all the way from the States to Romania to help out a friend who has been hospitalized?" Bucky asked in surprise. His brows were raised as he looked at you while leaning over the counter of the fruit stand.

You nodded, taking a bite of a plum. "Sadly, she doesn't have any family or friends around here."

"None?"

"None she can trust with taking care of this fruit stand for her."

Bucky pursed his lips and nodded, looking around. "That's really nice of you."

You shrugged. "I couldn't not help. This fruit stand is all she has along with her apartment. It's not the best job in the world but it's a nice way to meet people and get to know them," you said with a sigh. "Especially good looking people who come by the stand everyday."

Bucky looked down at the ground and let out a sheepish chuckle as a blush crept on his cheeks. He had a shy smile on his lips as he looked at you, seeing you smugly taking another bite of a plum.

"It really has been nice getting to know you, James." You smiled, leaning on the counter as well, getting closer to him. "I feel like there's still a lot I don't know about you."

Bucky gulped at your comment but tried to hide how tense he got. He licked his lips, feeling slightly nervous while shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know how much I want to share with you."

Your brows furrowed and you pushed yourself off of the counter. "Do you not trust me?" You asked, face harboring a sad, hurt look.

Bucky frowned, shaking his head. "It's not that..." He was partly lying. He didn't know who to trust. "It's just... my past. I don't know how much I can share."

You rested your hands on the counter and looked at Bucky who pulled away slightly. "Your past is in the past, James. It's not going to come haunt you if you don't let it."

"I don't think it's up to me," he said, sighing as he looked around once again. He was always looking around, afraid someone was after him. "I'm not sure if my past really is in the past or not. You never know for sure."

"You're so mysterious," you chuckled, making Bucky give you a puzzled look. "It's kind of intriguing."

Bucky smiled, shaking his head as he looked at the plums in fruits of him. "I'll take some plums again, thanks."

You nodded and put some plums in the plastic bag, handing it to Bucky and telling him the prize. He handed you the money and you put them in the cash register. Bucky was just about to turn around and head home but he heard you tell him to wait. Bucky watched you writing something on a receipt. He raised a brow as you handed him the receipt. He took it and read what you wrote down to it, seeing there was a phone number scribbled down in the bottom. He shot you a confused look.

"Call me. Let's get a cup of coffee or something."

"Really? You want to?" He asked, shocked. "Even after all that I just said?"

You shrugged, smirking. "You're very mysterious, I'm quite curious... You've got me interested, James."

***

Walking around Central Park with your hands in your pockets, you sighed and looked at Bucky who looked to be deep in thought. "James."

Bucky turned his face towards you with a frown etched onto his face. "It's just... a lot to process."

You nodded. "I understand that. Take all the time you need."

So the two of you continued to walk in silence while taking a look of the surroundings. Bucky watched some kids playing, running around on the grass and a small smile formed on his face. He looked behind him and saw your friend holding your daughter.

Your and Bucky's daughter.

As his gaze found the playing kids again, who happened to be a few years older than your daughter, he couldn't help but think how he could possibly see his daughter grow up, watch her play like the kids on the grass.

"When was she born?"

You turned towards him and smiled sadly. You motioned over to a bench a few feet away from you and the two of you took a seat. "January 27, 2017."

Bucky nodded, "So about nine months after..." He found himself unable to finish the sentence. The thought of leaving you all alone when you were pregnant broke his heart, made him feel bad.

"Yes. Nine months after...  you had to leave."

Bucky noticed you balling the sleeves of your shirt in your fists as your gaze fell to your lap.

"I'm sorry. Y/N, I had no other choice but—"

"I'm not mad at you, James." You interrupted him before he could go on. "I understand you had to leave. I saw the news."

Bucky looked at you, seeing you didn't dare to look him in the eye. He pursed his lips and lifted his hand to place it on yours. You looked at his hand on yours and smiled, turning your palm to intertwine your fingers with his. You held his hand and looked into his eyes, seeing the sad look behind his gaze.

"As much as it hurt that you had to leave so suddenly, I understand why you did it. You had to. You didn't want to get me involved."

Bucky closed his eyes as he sighed, eyes finding your daughter again. "Yeah... I couldn't put you through that. I... cared about you too much."

You followed his gaze and looked at your daughter as well, seeing her smile while playing with your friend. The way she smiled and her eyes crinkled, it made you realize just how much you saw Bucky in her.

"I mean... We did spend an amazing night together."

A grin formed on Bucky's face at the memory. "We really did."

"In a way... It was the perfect way to say goodbye."

***

"You know, we could just go to your place. You don't have to stay here in this nasty apartment with me."

You chuckled, "It's not the apartment I care about. It's you," you whispered while laying your head on his shoulder.

Bucky shrugged his shoulders, causing you to lift your head. You furrowed your brows only to look down and realize it was because you were leaning on his metal arm. Sometimes he didn't have problems with it, usually when he seemed to be scared of it or just felt uncomfortable with it, it meant that he had had a nightmare relating to his past.

"James," you said quietly, setting your hand on his shoulder.

He turned to look at you with a guilty expression on his face.

"What was the dream about?"

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I killed someone."

"Was it a memory or your imagination?"

His jaw tensed and his fists clenched. You moved your hand to his back, running your fingers up and down his spine in the hopes of calming him down. He relaxed slightly and continued telling you about his nightmare.

"It was a memory at first but then..." He gulped and adverted his gaze to his lap. "Then your face was suddenly on them..."

"Is that why you haven't been able to look me in the eye today?"

Bucky nodded with a pained expression on his face. "I strangled you, Y/N," he said, shaking his head. "With this goddamn arm." He lifted his metal arm in front of him. "This arm has done so much damage. I can't get rid of the memories or the fears of what more I can do with it."

You frowned, looking at his hand. The metal fingers wiggled as Bucky stared at the prosthetic. You took your hand and reached out to his metal one. His movements stopped and he looked into your eyes, surprised. You smiled and pulled his hand closer to your chest and wrapped both of your hands around the bionic hand.

Bucky kept his eyes on yours as you gently ran your thumbs along the metal plates. He was visibly calmer than he had been a few seconds ago. The way you were holding his hand so gently made him forget everything for a second. Although he couldn't  feel your touch, he felt tingles all around his body as you touched the arm.

"James, it's not the arm that committed all those crimes. It was the people controlling you. If you were to pick up a gun and shoot someone, is it the gun's fault the person got hurt?"

Bucky shook his head, gaze falling to your hands. He turned his palm, taking only one of your hands in his and intertwining your fingers with his. "No, it's not the weapon's fault."

"Exactly. None of what you did was your arm's nor your fault. You were as much of a weapon they used as was your arm."

Bucky nodded, pulling your hand on his lap, playing with your fingers as he listened to you.

"I don't wan you to feel guilty whenever you look down at your arm," you muttered and ran your hand over his metal limb. "This arm can do so much good too."

Bucky furrowed his brows but didn't dare to ask. He kept his mouth closed tightly and locked his gaze on your eyes that were skimming down his metal prosthetic.

"Whenever your hand as much as grazes my skin, I don't feel fear, I don't think about the horrible things you've done. Whenever you touch me with this arm I just feel... butterflies."

Bucky's brows shot up as his eyes widened slightly. His heart started beating in his chest as his breathing grew heavier. He wasn't sure if he had heard you correctly, not sure if he had understood you. Were you saying that after all this time you felt the same way about him as he did about you? Were you confessing your feelings to him?

"I always feel happy when you touch me, I find myself longing for your touch when you pull it away and apologize. Your touch is always so gentle, so... careful." You let out a quiet, sheepish chuckle. "I can't even imagine how much damage someone could do when their touch is so tender and sweet."

Bucky pulled his hand away and saw your face fall. You looked into his eyes, head snapping in his direction. He saw you look down in embarrassment, ready to apologize but you stayed quiet as his cool knuckles made contact with your cheek.

Your eyes watched him carefully as his knuckles caressed your cheek. He moved his hand slowly to your jaw and he glanced into your eyes briefly. Your faces were close to each other, you could feel your breath picking up its pace and you were sure Bucky could feel the air on his face. You saw his gaze trail down to your lips and you wasted no time in pressing your lips on his.

Both of your arms were quickly wrapped around each other, clinging onto each other while your mouths moved against each other. Your lips molded with each other perfectly, the kiss making you let out a quiet sigh while you two were still in contact with one another.

Bucky's hands were wrapped around your waist as he pulled you to sit on his lap. Your hands were in his hair as you ground your hips into his, earning a throaty groan from him.

"We don't have to do this," Bucky whispered after pulling away. He rested his forehead on yours and looked into your eyes. You saw the lust behind his eyes, along with the fond gaze he had as his hands moved gently on your sides. Before he could speak up again, you pressed a finger against his lips.

"I know we don't have to," you said as your other hand brushed some fallen strands of hair away from his face, "but I want to," you said while looking straight into his eyes. "Do you want to?"

Bucky gulped and nodded. You pulled your hand away from his mouth and placed it on his shoulder, running your hand up and down his metal arm. "More than anything."

So your lips connected once again. Clothes were shed slowly, you felt like you had all the time in the world. The night continued, it felt like it lasted for an eternity. A lot of kissing occurred, a lot of touches were shared, whispered sweet nothings lingered in the air, there were laughter and smiles. The night was magical, better than you ever thought was possible.

The night was full of passion as the two of you enjoyed the intimacy you two got to share with one another. It continued until the two of you fell asleep in each other's arms, bare bodies linked to one another with heat radiating off of both of your skins. A few more kisses were shared before the both of you drifted off to dream land, happy and satisfied.

***

"It was a night to remember."

Bucky nodded, agreeing.

"And at least we got to wake up together, spend some time before I had to go home and work," you said, trying to lift up Bucky's mood.

"But later that night you went over to my apartment to find it trashed and empty."

You let out an exasperate sigh, running a hand over your face. "James, it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have stopped it from happening so don't beat yourself up over it."

Bucky pursed his lips again and nodded. His gaze wandered back to the little girl with the eyes and smile remarkably like his. His heart ached as he thought of you raising her on your own after Bucky had gone missing. His whole body felt heavy as he thought of all the milestones in his first born's life that he had missed, not knowing she existed. First word, first steps... He had missed so many firsts.

You noticed him staring at your daughter and had a hunch of what he was thinking. You could practically see his mind spinning, the wheels turning in his head as he thought of all the things that had happened over the last few years. You placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the hard metal under the jacket and he flinched slightly, yet he didn't pull away. He turned to look at you, sadness still written all over his features.

"Do you want to meet her?" You asked quietly, slowly.

Bucky nodded, tears brimming his eyes. "Yes," he answered just as quietly. "Yes, I do."

You smiled, took a hold of his hand and lead him to your daughter and your friend. You told your friend you'd call her later and she left shortly. You took a hold of your daughter's hand and saw Bucky kneeling down in front of you. Your daughter's curious gaze switched between you and Bucky and you introduced them.

"James, meet Ava."

Bucky smiled and took Ava's small hand in his and shook it gently. "Nice to meet you Ava."

Ava giggled and hid behind your legs. You chuckled and picked her up. Bucky stood up from the ground and looked at the two of you with a small smile on his lips.

"Can you say hi to James, Ava?"

Ava smiled, grasping onto your jacket with her little fist and looked at Bucky, saying a very quiet "hi" before burying her face in your chest.

"She's always shy at first," you told Bucky, patting Ava's back. "In a while she'll be clinging onto you like there's no tomorrow," you chuckled only to have the grin wiped off your face right away. "Only if you want to... get to know her."

Bucky nodded. "Of course I want to," he said, looking at the little girl in your arms. "I'd love to."