Red Winter [Bucky Barnes]

Chapter 18: Good Morning Solider

I hadn't slept this well in ages, despite the nightmare that had woken me up in the middle of the night. Perhaps it was because for the first time in years I felt safe, secure in James' arms. His metal arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, his hand resting gently atop of my heart. It felt so natural, like our bodies were puzzle pieces fit perfectly for one another. 

He sighs softly as he pulls me closer, though I was a close to him as possible. "Good morning," he whispers, his breath groggy and laced with drowsiness. My heart flutters as his lips brush gently against my ear, his warm breath dancing across my skin. I couldn't express how euphoric it was to allow these feeling to express themselves, I'd forced myself to ignore them for so long. 

I smile brightly as I turn around, excited that he was finally awake. "Good morning, solider," I greet him back, smiling as butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach. Truthfully the old me would have cringed if she felt what I was feeling, but this version of me, the one with James, savored it. It reminded me that underneath it all I was still human, that I could still feel things. 

"Well good morning," he smirks as he runs his fingers slowly up my spine, causing me to gasp, which only made his smirk grow wider. "I could certainly get used to this," he continues, his voice low and husky, which made my heart skip a beat and I wondered if he could feel it, he was certainly close enough.

My smile only grows wider as I cup his cheek in my hand, "You took the words right out of my mouth." 

His smirk quickly turns into a genuine smile, and my breath catches when I look into his eyes. There they were, completely bright and unburdened, just like they had been in my dream. Tears begin to gather in my eyes as I savor the youth in his, I never thought that I would see him like this. But as the morning light poured across his face, there he was, a portrait of life and vitality, so very different from the man I met a few months ago. 

"Hey, doll, are you alright," he asks, his voice snapping me out of my trance, and I realized that I had been staring at him in silence for a while. I wondered what he was thinking, did he think that I was insane? I wouldn't have judged him if he did, my sanity had always been questionable at best. 

My smile softens as I gently run my thumb across his cheek, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just...," I pause as I glance back into his eyes for a split second, still surprised to see a little flicker of light in them. "I just still can't believe that this is real," my smile turns bittersweet as I brush a stray piece of hair away from his face. 

"Oh believe me, it certainly is," he assures me before pressing his lips against mine. My heart pounds wildly against my chest, reminding me that I was undoubtedly alive. I wrap my arms around his neck as my fingers run through his hair, pulling myself as close to him as humanly possible. 

I giggle softly as he rolls me onto my back before lowering himself gently on top of me. "Someone is very energetic this morning," I tease as he wraps my legs around his waist, his fingers slowly grazing up and down my thigh. "Where was this James all those months ago," I inquire, my back arching as his lips slowly trail down my neck and across my collarbone. 

"He was dreaming of doing this," his voice is low as his breath dances across my skin. His hand glides up over my hip, deliberately tracing every inch of my skin. I can see from the glint in his eyes that he was soaking in every moment of this, truly enjoying himself. "He was imagining how soft your skin was," he whispers into my ear as his hand continues to glide up my body, every graze intentional. 

Shivers run up my spine as he eyes steadily take in every little bit of me. This was far more intimate than anything that we had ever done, because for the first time in my entire life, I was completely exposed. Everything was laid out, literally and figuratively, for both of us. We had spent most of our lives being taught to guard ourselves and become impenetrable. And here we were, ours walls completely torn down.