Bring Me Home // Bucky Barnes

Chapter XLVII - A Plan

"This is strange," Bucky grinned as he held her against her bedroom door.

"Wow," Elizabeth laughed, looking up at him as he pulled back. "That's exactly what I want to hear when you're kissing me Bucky."

Biting his lip he threw his head back and looked at the ceiling. His hands still gripped her waist firmly, her arms wrapped casually around his neck, as he chuckled.

"That," he groaned as he looked back down at her, "was not what I meant Elizabeth."

"I know James," she whispered, pulling his lips back down to hers.

Heat spread through his body as she gently wove her fingers through his hair and smiled against his lips. With every slow, gentle brush of her lips against his he found his strength wavering and slipping. He wanted to open the door and push her into the darkness of her room, to pull her against him and never let her go. Instead he groaned and pulled away from her, laughing gently as she pouted and whimpered.

"I wasn't done kissing you yet," she complained as he twisted the handle of her bedroom door and stepped back despite every single part of him screaming at him not to.

"I know Doll, but we've got all the time in the world." He placed a tender kiss against her knuckles, smiling at the memories she brought out of him. "You should get some rest. I'll see you in the morning?"

Staring up at him, his lips red and slightly swollen from stolen kisses in the darkness of the hallway, his hair mussed and messy from where she couldn't resist running her fingers through it, she felt peace. In the space of one night all of her doubts and worries had melted away. She didn't need to panic that she was not what he wanted. She didn't need to fear that too many things had changed in their time apart. They were together again and being together was all she could ever want.

"Okay," she sighed, stepping forwards to gingerly place a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you in my dreams before then though."

Bucky barked out a loud laugh and Lizzie's hand flew over his mouth as her eyes darted around the darkness of the compound.

"Bucky!" She shook her head as she chastised him. "You're so loud."

"Sorry Doll," he whispered against her hand, his stubble tickling her slightly. She pulled her hand back, smiling up at the huge grin that spread across his face. "That was just really cheesy."

Lizzie shrugged lazily as she stepped back into her room, leaving him in the hallway. He watched how she walked away from him, the swing of her hips deliberately emphasised and he groaned, eliciting a small smirk from the woman deliberately driving him crazy.

"I've dreamt about you every night since I came out of the ice Bucky. And I dreamt of you in the ice." She leant against the open door as she spoke. "I've been dreaming of you since I met you Barnes. Cheesy or otherwise, it's the truth."

*

Bucky lay awake for hours, his mind swimming with memories of Elizabeth. There was one thing in this world that he was certain of: not one single feeling about her had dimmed, not one emotion, hope or desire had been dulled by time or distance.

As he lay alone, desperately wishing he could sneak back down the pitch black corridor and into her room, aching to hold her as she slept, to feel the steady rise and fall of her breathing as she lay dreaming beside him, he couldn't help but smile.

Bucky Barnes had a plan.

*

The steam from his coffee cup kept him awake and he smiled to himself as Steve put away plates and cutlery.

"I am all for it Buck, I really am." Steve smirked as he threw the dish cloth down on the counter, grabbing the pile of plates to put away. "I just think you're going to struggle with that first step."

Bucky nodded as he pushed his food around his plate. He knew Steve was right. There was no denying that it was going to be difficult. There was no denying that this was going to mean asking for help. And Bucky hated asking for help.

"I know," he agreed, "but it's important. Without that it just wouldn't be right, you know?"

He sighed as he took a swig of his coffee and tried to figure out the best place to start his search. As if their minds were connected Steve turned to him with a smile. If Bucky was doing this, he was getting involved.

"Do you even know where to start?" He folded his arms and huffed. "It's not going to be easy to find."

A light skip of footsteps interrupted them and Bucky swivelled on the chair he sat in at the kitchen island, a wide grin across his face as she bounded into the room. She took his breath away.

Dressed in all black her skin looked somehow paler than usual. The leggings she wore hugged against her curves and he bit his lip as his eyes trailed up and over the dips and valleys of her body. She wore a loose t-shirt over the black sports bra and it fell off of her shoulder slightly, exposing a hint of perfect alabaster skin. Her hair was tied into a loose ponytail, whipping back and forth as she bounced towards him and her face was fresh and make up free.

"What will be hard to find?" She took the chair next to him, leaning over to steal some bacon from his plate, blushing as he continued to stare at her, desire burning bright behind his eyes.

"Oh, I wanted to get Nat something really great for her birthday, you know?" Steve answered quickly, casually, covering the truth of their topic with an ease that surprised himself. "Bucky was just telling me about the Russian story that she mentioned once or twice. I was thinking of getting her a first edition?"

Lizzie smiled as she took the steaming mug of coffee from Bucky's hands and brought it to her lips, grinning further when he raised an eyebrow at her in mock annoyance. The bitterness of the coffee caused her to wrinkle her nose and Bucky laughed.

"That needs milk. And maybe sugar." She passed the coffee back to Bucky and got to her feet, turning to face Steve. "She'd love that Steve, but you have what? Two weeks?" She shrugged as she spoke. "Better get searching Cap."

"Yeah," Steve nodded slowly while Elizabeth bubbled at him and Bucky rolled his eyes behind her. "I should go and do that."

As she felt his hands on her hips, gently gripping her and pulling her towards him Elizabeth turned to face her soldier, smiling as she placed her arms around his neck and stood nestled between his legs.

"Hey." She tilted her head slightly to the left, drinking in the sight of a still sleepy Bucky Barnes as he grinned up at her. She leant in slowly, placing the ghost of a kiss against the corner of his lips.

"Morning Beautiful." He pulled her back to him, dissatisfied with the kiss and longing for more, grinning as Steve groaned over by the sink. "Training today?" He trailed kisses along her jaw before nuzzling his face into her neck.

"Well I was supposed to be," she pouted, "but Joe's called in sick. Why don't you join me? You could teach me some hand to hand combat?" She pulled back as he looked up and kissed him again, quickly and sweetly, before untangling herself from him and grabbing his hand, pulling him up from his seat.

"Why do I think you could kick my ass?" He grinned at her as his eyes roamed over her body again.

Steve stood with his coffee in his hands watching the way Lizzie and Bucky bounced off of one another. There was familiarity and comfort in their exchanges, but hidden beneath the surface was something new and exciting about their love, something unexplored. He smiled to himself as he watched Lizzie try to pull Bucky from his seat and Bucky act as if she was successful even though he was a six foot chunk of pure muscle. Despite her strength she was tiny against Buck.

Lizzie backed away from Bucky slowly, oblivious to Steve's watchful eye, and grinned.

"There's only one way to find out Mr Barnes." She stepped into the elevator and raised an eyebrow in challenge. "You coming?"

Without a moments thought Bucky charged at her, a grin spreading across his face as his arms snaked around her, lifting her into the air and spinning her. She screamed as peels of laughter echoed around them. He held her tightly, flush against his body, before gently placing her down on the ground, his hand cupping her cheek as he stared adoringly down at her and the elevator doors closed.