Thought it'd be the end of this? Nope.
Requested by saibest2000

"Tony..."

You stared at the television set in the shop window, clutching the strings of your hoodie as though you could feel an impending doom creeping up on you. Your best friend's picture was all over the news, his disappearance stirring the public's panic as a blurry clip sent in by a random citizen that managed to capture a video of the alien attack played. There was Tony and three other men, their backs to you, two of them holding yellow holographic shields as he fought the biggest, ugliest looking thing you've ever seen. You turned away, hiking your hood up and keeping your eyes on the ground as you walked along the streets, the night air nipping at your nose.

It had been awhile since you'd seen Tony.

Since you'd seen Steve and Nat and Sam.

Bucky.

Ever since he went back in cryo, you'd given up the whole Avenger shebang, living the life of an outlaw hiding in plain sight. You had Steve drop you in Washington D.C. where you found yourself an apartment with an alias.

Right under the nose of the highest authority there was, a personal joke Tony would have appreciated. A dark cloud stormed through your thoughts at what could have happened to him and you shook them away.

"Nothing can kill that guy." You muttered, shoving your hands into your jacket pockets.

"Talking all to your lonesome, I see." You whirled around, holding the gun you had hidden under your shirt to the person's forehead.

"Nat?"
She grinned.
"You're blonde." You said, looking her over.
"You're going crazy."

The both of you stared at each other silently before you smiled, putting away your gun and moving to give her a hug.
"I missed you." You said, squeezing her tightly before stepping back.

"I missed you, too. Leaving me with the boys is a job I almost couldn't handle."

"Thought I was supposed to be leaving you in good hands." You teased. "Where's Wanda?"

"She went off the grid with Vision. We just found them in Scotland."

Her hesitation was enough to make you suspicious, but you kept the conversation casual, crossing your arms and nodding.
"So you're getting the team back together? To find Tony?" Nat shook her head.

"Those same aliens tried to kill Vision. At this point, it'd be a miracle if we find him, Y/N. This is something bigger than New York." She said, her hand reaching out to you.

You could see the desperation in her eyes. Natasha never asked for anything and this was as close as she was going to get.

"And yet the world keeps spinning. I said I was done, Nat. This is it for me."
"Y/N.."

You looked over her shoulder to see Steve emerge from the shadows. There were lines on his forehead that hadn't been there before along with a full beard and a weary look on his face that tugged at your heart.

"This'll be it for a lot of people. We need you." He urged.

You sighed in frustration. There never was a way you could refuse Steve. And you hated yourself for it.

—————

You were silent as Steve talked to Sam, giving him coordinates while Wanda spoke quietly to an injured Vision. He was flickering strangely, the colors that made up his body fading here and there and the cause, a large gash in his stomach. Bruce and Natasha were sitting near the back of the Quinjet. That was an awkward moment you weren't going to interrupt.

"Hey, Rhodes." You held onto the bar above your head as you went to stand beside him.

"The Girl Back From the Dead. Thought I'd never see you again." You gave him a soft smile and nudged his shoulder.
"I'll always be around now."

There was a moment of silence as you thought of how he might be feeling when he said,

"You miss him, don't you?"

You laughed, shaking your head as he grinned in an amused way.

"Like hell."
Rhodey paused.
"He misses you, too."

Before you could say anything, Steve cleared his throat, gaining the team's attention.

"We're here." He said, his gaze falling on you. You released the breath you hadn't known you'd been holding as the realization of what was about to happen made your chest tighten in anticipation.

"Finally."

—————

The river's surface was flat.

A great, long mirror that reflected the heavens and along the shores, stretches of trees that spread out sideways as far as the eye could see. The sky was streaked with brilliant oranges and yellows, a tinge of indigo right above the horizon and fiery red near the middle, where the sun blazed.

A river of fire.

Bucky was sitting in the grass beside you, your hands twined together tightly. But he wasn't looking at the river. He was looking at you and you were looking at him. When the Quinjet had landed, you almost fainted in relief to see Bucky with a smile so real and so genuine, it took your breath away. There was, of course, much to sort out and deal with before you could properly talk to him. They'd handed Vision over to a young girl, Shuri, who came up with a solution to getting whatever magic stone he had in his head out and as safely as possible and the moment you could escape, the both of you took it. Steve knew and when Sam was going to go after you two, he stopped him.

"There's enough time," he'd said as Sam stepped back, "before it starts. Let 'em have this one."

Bucky had led you to a river with a hut he'd pointed out was his before being "drafted back into duty." For him to casually remark about his past life, for him to smile and laugh and gaze at you as though you were the most beautiful woman in the world-it was enough. All of it was enough for you and you wished you could freeze the moment, to keep the queer feeling of intensity that flowed between the two of you.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." You broke the silence and Bucky smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he leaned forward.
"I wish it was under better circumstances." He said softly. "Guess we really will have to push back that date, huh?" You shrugged and shifted around in the grass so you were facing him. Your hand was still in his and as you turned, you pulled him closer, his eyes flitting down to your lips in anticipation.

"This one doesn't count?"
He chuckled.
"I'll take what I can get."

You grinned and moved to wrap your arms around his neck, dragging your lips along his jawline as lightly as you could. Bucky shuddered, chills running down his spine, and he pulled away to frame your face in his hands.

He didn't think he'd be so lucky to find love in a time where he didn't belong with someone who made him forget everything he used to be and everything he'd done with a simple smile or a little joke. Bucky believed that even if you weren't his soulmate, you would still be the one for him.

You made him remember what it was like to feel human.
To feel wanted.
To feel loved where he didn't think he deserved it.

And as the sun shone brighter, throwing gorgeous rays of light across the river and setting a fire in your eyes, Bucky moved. He captured your lips with his, his hands keeping their place as he explored with his mouth, trying to express how much he loved you in that kiss alone. He had to admit, he was a bit rusty, but you had no cause to complain as you ran your fingers through his hair.
So little time...

"Ahem."

Bucky reluctantly broke away and the both of you turned to see Sam standing a few yards back. He had such an uncomfortable look on his face that you had to press your lips together to keep from laughing.

"When you guys are done trying to eat each other, Steve wants us back at the lab. We're gonna regroup before-"
The ground suddenly shook underneath you and Bucky jumped to his feet, pulling you up as well.

"Aw shit." Sam muttered.
"What the hell was that?" You demanded as another tremor ran through the earth, shaking the treetops and sending scores of birds flying into the air.

"That was our aliens. Let's go."

You watched as Sam's wing expanded and you looked over at Bucky. The worry that your eyes held were reflected in his own and you could see that there was so much he wanted to say. Instead, you took his hand in your own and gave him the most reassuring smile you could, leaving the unspoken to stay that way. There was no need to think about things that might happen and as the both of you slowly made your way over to Sam, Bucky leaned over to whisper in your ear.

"I love you, Y/N."
You paused, turning to give him a little grin as a faint blush colored his cheeks.
"I love you, too, Bucky."

"I'm gonna be sick. Can we go now?!"
"Shut up!"

—————

Erk, sorry this one took so long. Author Me is currently suffering through writer's block and is being more than the usual amount of picky about how she writes.