Bring Me Home // Bucky Barnes

Chapter XLII - Ache

"Come on. Pick up the phone Bucky." Lizzie sighed, the phone ringing out to voicemail as she pushed open the door to Steve's room.

"Steve, have you -" Elizabeth's phone slipped from her hand as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Oh my God." She slapped her hands over her eyes as she laughed, turning away slightly, knowing she was blushing furiously. "I'm so sorry. I was looking for... well, not you."

Pulling Steve's hoody over herself, covering up what had already been seen, Natasha gave a pained chuckle as mortification coursed through her.

"So..." Nat dragged the vowel out, elongating the word as Lizzie turned slowly, peeking through her fingers to check it was okay to lower her hands, a giant smile plastered across her face. "This is a little uncomfortable."

The two women stood staring at each other before matching smirks settled over their faces. Elizabeth stepped back towards the door, holding her hands up and shaking her head as she grinned at her friend.

"So many questions Romanoff."

"So many answers Halsted," Natasha countered winking at her as she lay across Steve's bed with such casual nonchalance that Lizzie had to laugh.

"I'll leave you two to it then," she whispered conspiratorially as Nat rolled her eyes and Steve emerged from the closet in grey sweats, an apple in his hands and a smug look of satisfaction across his face as he eyed the Russian Assassin cozy on his bed.

"I was thinking -" he dropped the apple as his eyes snapped between Nat and Lizzie, "Lizzie!?"

"Steven," she raised her eyebrows.

"I - erm - I can - we can -"

As Steve stumbled over his words Lizzie grinned and Nat got up and sauntered over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and planting a chaste kiss against his lips.

"Breathe Steve," she laughed, "I think, and by all means correct me if I'm wrong Lizzie, but she's okay with it Cap."

"I'm okay with it." Lizzie laughed. "But I have so many questions: how? When? Where?"

Steve rolled his eyes as he regained composure, wrapping his arms around Natasha as he smiled up at Lizzie.

She paused for a moment, distracted from her own worries, and committed this moment to memory. He was relaxed and casual. His hold on Natasha was soft and gentle, not possessive or protective, just loving. When he smiled over at her she saw a light glint in the backs of the crystal blue, a glint that had been missing for years now. Deep down inside her there was a tug, a pull of sadness that wrapped itself in her throat. She reminisced about the last time she had seen him so at ease, so happy, and her chest ached for the friend she had left behind. Her heart ached for Peggy.

Shaking her head slightly, clearing the cobwebs of misty memories that threatened to overflow, she turned to Nat, crinkling her nose as she smiled. "You and I are talking. Soon. Right after I find Bucky. Put some clothes on woman!"

"Wait," Steve pulled away from Nat and stepped towards her. "What's wrong with Bucky?"

"I -"

"Doctor Halsted?" The fabric of the room around them shifted as Vision phased through the wall and into the room, causing Nat to groan about people knocking. "Mr Barnes is on the roof."

Steve reached out to her, grabbing her hand in his and squeezing it reassuringly. "Lizzie?"

"I'll fix it Steve. Don't worry." She turned to exit and paused. The ghost of a smile dancing on her lips. "Oh and, by the way, I totally called it."