"You look as beautiful as ever, Darling," Helmut smiles down at me before kissing the tip of my nose.

The snow falls around us, landing in our hair, as we walk hand in hand in the back yard.

I stick out my tongue to catch a few of the glittering flakes as Helmut chuckles at my childish behavior.

"What?" I giggle.

"Nothing," he chuckles again, "you're just acting cute."

"Who said I'm acting?" I do an imaginary hair flip being as my hair is all tucked up in a winter cap.

He out right laughs before looking into the distance.

"Timothy, be careful, don't climb too high."

I turn to see who is talking to.

I wake up to my alarm and groan.

Time to get ready for work.

~<>~

I sit at my desk, typing away mindlessly at the keys of my keyboard.

Read through complaint.
Print out complaint.
Right apology.
Correct errors.
Print out apology.
Print out address paper.
Fold perfectly.
Put all papers in envelope.
Seal.
Put in "for delivery" bin.
Repeat.

I had forgotten how boring this job was from the time I had been away, but it didn't even take a week for it all to come back.

"Hey, girly," Lexi comes up to my desk, "you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, just tired," I nod, pausing my work.

"Okay," she grins, "so how's your manz?"

Lexi was the first to notice my ring and the first to ask about it.
Repeatedly.

I asked Milo if I should tell her, and she just said it was up to me who I told.

She didn't believe me at first, but when she came over for one of my face times she was quite literally struck dumb. She was stuttering, not knowing what to say as Helmut helped me explain the situation. Then she was ecstatic, wanting to know every detail and asking if she could have a turn next because she wanted to marry Bucky. We just laughed and told her he was already taken. She wasn't upset, but she jokingly asked Milo to write her a Bucky story.

I told her that it probably wasn't a good idea, given that I almost lost everything in the end of it.

"Girl girl girl Oh my fucking god you have to see this," Milo says as she comes up to my desk hurriedly.

"Well hello to you, too," I chuckle.

She puts her phone down on my desk and gestures for me to look at it so I do.

She's on Wattpad.

The story she's showing me is called "Way Back Home" it has a cute picture of Helmut with snow fluttering around him.

"Okay?" I look back at her confused.

"Look who it's by," she gestures to her phone again.

0ptical_Illusion

Hold the fuck up.

"You're writing another Zemo Book?"

"I'm not writing it," her eyes are wide, "it's writing itself. Look at the description."

"Book two in His Inconvenience Series

I was put in a fanfiction then I was brought back to the real world.

I brought something back with me.

Now I'm just finding my Way Back Home"

My mouth gapes as I read it over and over.

I click on the chapters and see the first one already finished.

Face Time

I open it and start reading it.

"All of this is from last night," I look back up at her.

"Yeah," she nods, "I started getting notifications about people voting on it and I was so confused."

"But how?"

"I don't know," she shrugs, brows pinched together.

"Wait so that means the stories not over?" Lexi's eyes are wide, then she looks at Milo, "maybe that's why you can't zip into the other one. You're already part of one, but in the real world at the same time so you're just kind of stuck."

We both look at her for a long moment.

Okay, I've gotta admit, when she gets smart, she gets real smart.

"She could be right," I say looking back to Milo.

"But what did you bring back?" She says exasperated, "that's probably what caused all of this. Not that I'm absolutely complaining, I get to talk to Bucky all the time."

"Maybe it is the ring," I offer, "maybe it is because we never actually got married."

"Maybe," she sighs, "but how are you supposed to get married if you guys are stuck in different worlds?"

I just shrug and look back at the cover of the story.

Snow.

My dream had snow.

But it's June.

Why snow?

"Back to work ladies," we turn to see our boss at his door way.

"Sorry," Lexi says as she scurries away.

"I'll try to figure it out," Milo whispers as she takes back her phone before leaving.

I go back to reading, printing, typing, sealing, but I feel like I'm on auto pilot.

What did I bring back with me?

A broken heart?

A wedding ring?

A shirt?

A large package labeled "emotional wreck"?

His phone number?

What the fuck could it be?

~<>~

The day comes to an end and I make my way back home. I turn on the radio and " Feliz Navidad" starts playing.

Um okay.

I change the station.

"A Beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland."

I change it again.

"Frosty the snowman—"

I turn off the radio.

"What the fuck is up with all the Christmas songs?" I mutter to myself.

I finish the way home in silence and head up stairs to my floor.

My neighbor across the was is blaring music as alway.

"Baby all I want for Christmas is you!"

"Seriously?" I say to their door, "it's not even close to Christmas people."

I roll my eyes and go into my apartment, tossing my bag on my couch and head for the freezer. I grab the ice cream and a spoon from the drawer before heading to my room. I pull out my phone and look at the notifications.

"Perfect Christmas ideas for him and her."

"Oh my god," I roll my eyes and clear the notifications before calling Helmut.

"Giddy up jingle horse pick up your feet—"

"Oh my god you guys, too?" I throw my head back.

"The kids picked it, I don't know," Helmut chuckles, "and what do you mean 'too'?"

"Seems like everyone is ready for Christmas in July," I chuckle, "everyone here is playing Christmas music."

"It's a sign," I hear Lila shout, "you need to come home for Christmas."

We haven't explained why I can't exactly do that, but I like the thought of it. Being there with Helmut, decorating a tree, hanging up lights, singing carols.

It would be perfect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*bonk*
😃