[Quiet in the Chaos]

~56~

                                       ~56~

HER HEART ached as she watched Bucky entertain her nieces and nephew, how his face lit up when they laughed. But that was selfish. So she did her best to push the feeling away. She smiles as he struggles to even walk within their grasp.

"You OK?"

She glances over to her brother who raises his eyebrows. She presses her lips in a line. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"So, um, the whole superhero stuff, do you get a few weeks off?" he smirks, nudging her shoulder playfully.

She shakes her head. "I'm not a superhero."

He shrugs. "You were to me," he responds simply. "I always looked up to you, Dani. I still do."

She blows a breath from her nose, brushing the statement off but he interrupts her. "I'm serious," he says quietly.

She looks up, studying him. "You're a suck up, Nate."

He laughs lowly, his head tossing back. "Maybe. But I'm not sucking up right now. I mean it. Give yourself a break. And I'm only going to say this once, but your boyfriend - he's not so bad."

Her eyes widen, playfulness seeping into her features. "Woah, did you actually just say that?"

"Dan-"

"No, oh my god, Nathan. Bucky!"

"I swear to god-"

"Bucky!" she shouts, jogging towards him, slipping out of Nate's grasp. Her boyfriend - no longer fiancé - looks up from his intense conversation with her youngest niece. "Nathan said you're not so bad!"

She bursts into a fit of laughter as her brother slaps a hand over her mouth too late. He groans, releasing her. "For fuck sake, Danielle."

She only laughs in response as he shakes his head. "Is that true?" Bucky asks softly, making his way towards them. Nate drops his head. "That means so much, bro."

This sets Dani off in another fit of laughter. Real laughter. One that makes her worry she might literally pee her pants. And this time even Bucky joins in.

After a little while longer, after the sky had grown dark, her sister and husband return, gathering their kids up and letting Nathan go home. "You're the best sister in law," Greg grins, squeezing her shoulder.

"We need to go, thank you both so much," Cat smiles a little, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

She gives her sister a hug, the older of the siblings pulling back a little to meet her eyes, her brows pulling together a little as she says softly, "You'll come visit, you're not going to go off fighting again and ignore your family?"

Dani presses her lips in a line. "I won't. I promise. And I'm sorry."

The other woman nods. "I know. Take care of my sister," she nods to Bucky.

He half smiles. "Always do."

They watch the small family leave, the sergeant draping a hand over the smaller woman's shoulder, letting her gratefully lean her head onto his chest. She savours the safety his touch envelopes her with, the warmth. She edges forward but he squeezes her shoulder. "Where are you off to?"

She lifts her face off of his chest. "Home."

The corner of his mouth pulls upwards. "I guess we could do that."