ONE MONTH LATER

★ ★ ★

To say Marlena missed training everyday was an absolute understatement, so she was now more than thrilled that she was finally cleared to. It was December 2nd now and originally, according to Bruce and Tony, she wasn't supposed to have been cleared until early February, but Marlena had healed much faster than the two anticipated. After performing several tests, Bruce and Tony discovered that her abilities also provided her with a very intricately profound healing factor—it corresponded to the acceleration in which her brain ran, thus healing her at a pace far much quicker than the average human being. It worked nowhere near as quick in comparison to Bucky's and Steve's, but it worked, nonetheless, and Marlena was more than happy because of it.

Marlena stood in the tower's enormous training center with Natasha and Clint. The two had offered to train with her for a few hours after being told that she had been cleared to begin physical activity.

Training had been a rough few hours between the three of them, though. Marlena was only slightly rusty after being away from combat for a month, and Natasha was doing whatever it took to get her back on the ropes, even if it meant laying a few hard kicks and punches to get her a bit wound up. It didn't take very long for Marlena to get back on her a-game after beginning her session with Natasha and Clint (they didn't call her Prodigy for nothing). Natasha was ecstatic about it, while Clint had been a bit frightened because of it. Clint had exceptionally fantastic combatant abilities, but in his opinion Marlena's abilities were just a bit better, though it was only because Marlena spent most of her time training with Natasha, who was the highest ranked assassin on the planet.

"Sloppy," Natasha scolded Marlena. "You can do better than that, Mar. Just focus."

Marlena took a deep breath and pushed herself up off of the floor. She looked at Clint, who stood several feet in front of her with a rather smug expression on his face. It annoyed Marlena slightly, and before she knew it she was running at him. He threw a punch at her and she ducked, quickly reaching up to grab his extended arm. She twisted it up in the air, eliciting a string of curse words to fall from the archer's mouth. He responded immediately and maneuvered his arm so it was now linked with her own. He used his strength to pull her close to him, despite the pain in his arm. Marlena let out a grunt and raised her other hand to grab his arm, and, as she pulled, Clint grabbed her by the hair.

"What the hell, Clint?" Marlena breathed, causing Clint to laugh.

"It's okay to use your teeth, Mar," Natasha said from the corner.

Before Clint could even think, Marlena bit down on his forearm. Clint cried out in pain and released her immediately but had yet to quit the fight. He swung his fist at her, which she blocked with her wrists. She grabbed his arm in a flash and spun, connecting her elbow with his stomach. He doubled over in pain, and Marlena didn't hesitate before using her upper body strength to flip him over her shoulder and onto the mat below. She stood back up, her fists bared in front of her as she looked at the downed man.

"You women sure do pack a good punch," Clint groaned as he rolled over on the mat.

Marlena chuckled and looked over at Natasha, running a hand through her sweaty hair. "How was that?"

Natasha smirked and pushed herself off of the wall to head over to help Clint. "Fantastic. It's always an eventful day when I can watch this idiot get his ass kicked."

"Ha-ha, very funny," Clint said as he grabbed Natasha's hand.

"Barton, Romanoff!" Tony's voice sounded.

The three turned their heads to look at him.

"What, Stark?" Natasha sighed.

"I made reservations for nine o'clock," he said. "It's eight-fifteen now and you two are still in here playing with Clair de Lune."

"Oh shit," Clint muttered before running to the locker room.

Natasha rolled her eyes and looked to Marlena. "Are you sure you don't want to come to dinner with us, Marlena? The offer still stands, y'know."

Marlena chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sure. I think I'm just gonna stay here and hit a punching bag or something," she shrugged.

"Okay," Natasha smiled.

"Bring me back some chicken alfredo, though," Marlena told her.

Natasha laughed. "Got it."

The two exchanged goodbyes with one another, and before long Marlena was alone in the training center. She hurried over to where a punching bag hung from the ceiling and taped her hands before she went to work.

Marlena spent about forty-five minutes punching and kicking before she grew tired. She ripped the tape from her hands and threw it to the floor before heading back over to the sparring station. She plopped down onto the mat and stared out the enormous glass window.

The city lights were bright, and the falling snow only helped to illuminate that light. Marlena wondered if it was snowing back in Washington DC; she wondered what was even going on in DC during her absence. She hadn't been home since October, and although she loved being at the tower with everyone—with Bucky—she couldn't help but wish she was back home with her family. She had only ever seen her mom and Greyson (and Hallie) since she had been at the tower; Mason could never make the trip up to New York with either of them because of school. His school was very strict about their students missing days, and she knew that he'd receive nothing but hell if he missed, despite his excuse being that he needed to see his sister.

Marlena let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. She hugged her knees to her chest and pressed her cheek to her knee, not bothering to avert her gaze away from the window. . .that is, until a pair of footsteps sounded behind her.

She turned to see Bucky strolling into the training center; he wore a pair of grey sweatpants, a black t-shirt, a pair of Nike tennis shoes, and his hair was pulled back into a bun. It was much different than the attire she had seen him leave in this morning, but, nevertheless, she was still very much happy to see him.

"I thought you were out with Steve," she said as he approached her on the mats.

"I was, but he went to eat with Tony and them," he replied, sitting down beside her. "They told me you were here, so here I am."

Marlena smiled and placed her head onto his shoulder. "I've missed you, Buck."

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him. "I'm sure you have."

"Asshole," Marlena scoffed as she pulled away from him.

"You know I'm kidding," he chuckled and hugged her again. "I've missed you, too, brat."

Marlena smirked and looked up at him. "I'm sure you have," she said before removing herself from his side and standing up.

"So, that's how it's gonna be?" Bucky responded as he stood up.

Marlena shrugged. "If that's the way you wanna play it, then yeah. Spar with me; I'm bored."

"What if I don't want to?"

"But you do, though," Marlena remarked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Bucky chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Alright then, loser. Let's do this."

"You won't be calling me a loser when this is over, Barnes."

Bucky stood opposite of Marlena, readying himself to spar with her. This was their first time working out together since they'd been released from the tower's infirmary, and by the look in Marlena's eyes, Bucky knew she wasn't going to go easy on him. Not that he couldn't take her down, but he knew she was going to give it her all, so he was, too.

Marlena made the first move, her fist swinging at him. He dodged it only to grab her wrist and twist her arm so that she had to turn her body away from him, her back against his torso.

"Thought it would be that easy?" Bucky asked with a smirk, just before Marlena let out a laugh.

"No, but I knew this would hurt worse." She grinned as she used all of her strength to lean forward and flip Bucky over on his back.

He chuckled painfully and stood up, catching his breath.

"Marlena, baby, I did take a bullet for you, remember?" he breathed out, taking a step towards her.

He had his hand pressed over where his stitches used to be, causing Marlena to lower her fists in guilt.

"Are you okay?" she asked, nearing him with worry lacing her tone.

He reached out as if to pull her into a hug, only he locked her within his grip and slammed her, not too hard, onto the workout mat.

"I can't believe I fell for that." She rolled her eyes, looking up at him.

Bucky smirked down at her, "I knew you would."

He pinned her wrists down over her head, straddling her waist as she tried to break free. However, as she already knew, Bucky was stronger than her.

He stared down at her, his smirk leaving his face as he paid close attention to every detail of her. The goldish-green flecks in her hazel irises, the faint freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose, only noticeable in such a close proximity, and the fullness of her rosy lips—Bucky could never get enough of her.

Marlena could feel butterflies in her stomach as he looked at her; he hadn't looked at her so closely since before the infirmary—possibly even since before they'd come to New York. There had always been people watching, and it seemed like they were never left alone.

Bucky leaned down, closing what little space there was between them. He was careful not to put too much pressure on her, but she could feel her back pressing into the mat. His lips met her's, working them into a deeper, rougher kiss that blurred everything that had been stirring around in her mind.

His hands still held her wrists against the mat, and she wasn't sure if it was the chill of his metal hand against her skin or the kiss that was giving her goosebumps. It was as if they had forgotten where they were and who could walk in at any moment, or they just didn't care. They needed this—each other.

He released her wrists only for his hands to find the hem of her shirt, his fingertips grazing the sensitive skin above her waistline. His touch tickled a little, but she craved it—craved him.

"Marlena," Bucky breathed as he pulled away from her.

Marlena looked into his blue eyes, which had darkened ever so slightly since he had first made an appearance. He looked at her almost as if he were asking permission, and Marlena could tell just by looking at his eyes what it was that he wanted permission for; she could tell what it was that he wanted and she knew then that she wanted the same thing—she needed the same thing.

Marlena gave Bucky a slight nod of her head, and he smiled before standing up, pulling her off the mats with him. He took her hand in his and lead her towards the elevator, pressing the button with his metal finger. His flesh hand still had ahold of her, but it wasn't enough. Their skin burned from the lack of physical contact.

As soon as the elevator dinged, the doors slid open and the two stepped inside. Once the doors shut, Bucky grabbed the sides of Marlena's face and their lips collided as he pushed her back against the elevator wall. She leaned into him, his hands leaving her face and trailing down her sides to her hips. He helped her jump up, her legs wrapping around his waist as they kissed. Marlena's hands rested at the back of his neck where only a few strands of hair had escaped his man bun.

The kiss was deep and passionate, only broken when Bucky pressed a trail of kisses along her jaw and neck. Marlena's eyes fluttered shut as she kissed his soft lips again, their grips on each other tightening. The elevator dinged again, indicating that they'd come to their destination. Bucky stepped out, still holding Marlena as he blindly made way towards their bedroom. He nearly ran them into a wall, so he pulled away from the kiss to push the door open. Once inside, he kicked it shut with his foot and his lips reconnected with Marlena's again.

Bucky carried Marlena over to the king-sized bed, not once breaking away from the kiss. The moment Marlena felt her back hit the mattress, she removed her legs from around Bucky's waist and kicked off her tennis shoes, as well as her black Nike socks. She moved her hands down towards the hem of Bucky's shirt and began pulling it up, only for Bucky to finally pull away.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly, shifting himself into a comfortable position above her.

Marlena only nodded, tightening her grip on his shirt.

Bucky smiled and kissed her again before leaning up to remove his shirt from his body. Marlena's breath hitched in her throat at the sight of his torso. It was not because Bucky's upper torso was particularly fit, though she enjoyed the sight of that, but it was because of the scars where his metal arm met his tanned skin.

She studied the scars closely, her fingertips dragging across his torso to them. She traced them with her fingers, feeling each and every one. Of course, she'd seen Bucky shirtless before, though she had never paid such close attention to the marks that symbolized his past. She could only imagine how painful it would've been—she could, actually. If Tony and Bruce weren't still weaning her off of the suppressors that held her abilities at bay, she would be able to look into Bucky's thoughts.

"Bucky," Marlena began, her voice hushed.

He only shook his head, leaning in closer to her, "It's okay."

Marlena nodded hesitantly before pressing her lips to his again, their mouths molding perfectly together. She could still feel the scars beneath the fingertips of her right hand, her left hand pressed against his torso.

Bucky moved his right hand towards the hem of her shirt, but stopped, allowing his hand to rest on the small sliver of skin visible at her waist. He pulled away once more, looking down into the hazel eyes of the girl he loved so deeply.

"Marlena. . .are you sure you wanna do this, baby?" he asked her once more.

Truth be told, Bucky was slightly nervous. From what he could remember, he had done this type of thing several times before. This time was different, though; this time he would be giving himself up for passion and love rather than just the pleasure—this time he would be giving himself up to Marlena, the girl he loved more than anything in the world, the girl he believed to be his sole reason for existing.

Marlena smiled up at him and raised her hand, placing it on the side of his face. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life, Buck. I just-I just want you."

Bucky could only respond by pressing his lips to hers once again, only pulling away to remove her shirt from her body. She was wearing a sports bra underneath, as she had previously been working out. Bucky still believed her to be beautiful either way, even despite the fact it was not what she believed; he could tell just by looking at her eyes and the way her hands fidgeted as if she wanted to cover herself up, even though she was not completely bare.

"You are beautiful, Marlena Claire," Bucky told her, removing her hands from her abdomen. "Don't you ever think for a second that you're anything less than that."

"But I'm not—"

"Shut up and kiss me, Marlena."

Marlena wasn't given the chance to respond before Bucky pressed his lips to hers once again, locking the two of them in a deep and passionate kiss. Bucky trailed his fingers down the soft skin of Marlena's arm, only stopping when he reached her hand. He took her small hand in his own, intertwining their fingers together. Just being around Marlena, breathing in her scent of vanilla and cinnamon was intoxicating to him. No matter if they were as close as they could possibly be, Bucky and Marlena always desired more.

With her free hand, Marlena pulled Bucky as close to her as she could possibly manage, desperate to feel his body pressed against her own. Her slightly-trembling fingers soon found themselves in Bucky's hair, and Marlena tinkered with the elastic holding his dark locks in place, snapping the band and tossing it to the bedroom floor. His fallen hair tickled the sides of Marlena's face, causing her to giggle against his lips. Bucky smiled at the sound of it and pulled away to look down at her.

"I love you, Marlena," Bucky said, pressing his forehead against hers. "I love you more than you'll ever know, sweetheart."

Marlena smiled up at him, squeezing his hand slightly. "And I love you, Bucky Barnes. . .so, so much."

His smile only widened as he nuzzled into her neck, then kissing the sensitive skin there. His free hand squeezed the curve of her waist, his thumb caressing her skin. She giggled to herself as he trailed kisses down her neck to her stomach and back up again to her lips, the butterflies in her stomach going wild. Her free hand found the scar where his gunshot wound had been stitched up and she was careful not to hurt him.

He tore his lips away from her's again, looking down at her. Marlena already knew by the look in his eyes that he was going to ask again; he just wanted to make sure she didn't feel pressured—that she wholeheartedly wanted the same as he did, because he only wanted to go through with it if she did. He wouldn't put her in any situation she would feel uncomfortable in; that was how deeply he cared for her and her feelings.

"Bucky, you don't have to ask me again. The answer is still 'yes,' okay?" Marlena said seriously, her eyes shifting from his to his torso and then up to his lips.

"Okay," Bucky nodded, his gaze flickering over her body to her yoga pants.

He bit his lip anxiously before leaning down to catch her in another kiss, his fingers hooking the waistline of her pants. Soon, she was left in her underwear, feeling exposed and slightly embarrassed. Bucky knew Marlena well enough to know that she was letting her self-consciousness get the best of her and he pulled his lips away from her's, his fingertips running up and down her thighs to a stop.

His face was barely centimeters away from her's as he whispered to her, "I already told you. . .you're breathtakingly beautiful, Mar. But if you're too nervous, we don't have to—"

"No," Marlena breathed out, her hands fiddling with the waistline of his sweatpants, "I want to."

Bucky was everything Marlena had needed, even when she didn't know what it was she needed. He'd come into her life at a time when she was still coping with her losses—a time when she desperately needed someone without even realizing. He'd filled the void within her that no one else could. Marlena loved Bucky so much, so deeply and desperately that she was unable to wipe the smile off of her face, even as he pressed his lips to her's once again, their lips and bodies moving in sync with one another.

★ ★ ★

Marlena was nearly asleep as Bucky held her with his flesh arm against his chest, her right leg stretched across his lower torso. His metal hand squeezed her thigh as she listened to the steady beat of his heart.

The sheets were cool against her bare skin, though she had put her bra and underwear back on due to being self-conscious about herself; Bucky had also put his boxer briefs back on before laying back down. Bucky's flesh hand rubbed her back soothingly as she traced circles on his bare chest with her finger. There was a comfortable silence looming over them as they laid together, the only sound being their breathing.

"James Buchanan Barnes," Marlena whispered, barely breaking the silence.

"Hm?" Bucky hummed lowly, his blue eyes moving from the ceiling to look at her.

Her gaze stayed fixated on the invisible circles she drew on his tanned skin, "I knew from the moment we met that you were special. . ."

She paused, her eyes fluttering shut as the circles she traces grew smaller and smaller.

"You mean the world to me, love," she breathed out slowly; Bucky could tell she was slipping into slumber.

"I'd be a lost cause without you, doll. You pieced my life back together for me when I thought there was nothing left but broken shards." Bucky sighed, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Before long, the two were fast asleep, Marlena still held flush against Bucky and her leg still wrapped protectively over him. It was different than any other night they'd fallen asleep next to each other—not physically, other than the fact that they weren't fully clothed—but emotionally. After this, Bucky and Marlena would have given each other everything—every part of themselves. They'd given themselves over to the other, and despite everything they'd been through together, were still able to do so with no fear of falling apart afterwards; this would only bring them closer—if that was even possible.