Love in the Dark (Steve Rogers fanfiction )

What if...Chapter 18/19

I want to start off by saying that I was not expecting such a strong reaction to the What if chapter 13. And that while I was planning on making more what ifs, they weren't ever going to be connected. That being said, so many of you asked for more. I had one person in particular reach out to me on instagram and gave me such a great idea I couldn't pass it up. So a big thanks to jabersplatt and tenpointsforbucky. So now, I present to you a continuation to the new Bucky and Mia story...

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"the 1" - Taylor Swift

The pan sizzles on the stovetop as I push the bacon around with a spatula. I have another pan getting ready for eggs and with my free hand I'm whisking pancake batter, trying to figure out how I'm going to make them without burning at least one of these things.

Needless to say I'm a little overwhelmed.

But I'm trying to get this done before a certain someone wakes up. And my mind drifts back to what these past two months have been like for us.

Bucky and I have been living on our own ever since he confessed his love to me about two months ago. We left the Avengers and decided the best thing for us was to get a good distance away. So Bucky recommended a city in Romania and we found a cute little apartment.

But we didn't jump into a relationship right away. I didn't want to start a new relationship when I was still mourning the last one, or at least the possibility of one since Steve and I never technically became a couple.

Bucky was completely understanding of everything and always did his best to make me feel as comfortable as he could, helping to distract me whenever things got too hard. We lived like roommates for about a month; separate rooms, hanging out only as friends, only the occasional flirting, but nothing Bucky didn't already do before.

Then, one day, things suddenly felt different.

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Bucky and I were hanging out, like we had every day for a month. We were having a small picnic in a nearby park when a golden Labrador passed by and dropped a stick right next to Bucky. His face lit up as he embraced the dog, petting his head and scratching his body, before taking the stick and throwing it. The dog ran full speed, grabbing the stick and returning it right back to him. Seeing the light in his eyes as he played with a dog was so amazing.

Now that I lived with him and we didn't have a soundproof room, I got to see a side of Bucky he always tried to hide from me before. I heard the noises that signaled he was having a nightmare, I saw the pain in his eyes when he had a hard night. There were even times when I went into his room as he was tossing and turning and I woke him up. I'd offer to play a board game with him, watch a movie, anything to give him a distraction. Sometimes we'd even fall asleep together on his bed. Just sleep, nothing more. But being together brought him enough comfort to get through the hard nights.

I've gotten to see Bucky in his dark times, so to see the smile on his face when he was playing with the dog; no worries, no torment, just unfiltered happiness, it completely warmed my heart.

It reminded me that I really do love him. Because I want to see that happiness in him as much as I can.

I know Bucky has been through a lot, and I know the memories of his past aren't going to go away easily, if at all. And I'll love every part of him, because it's made him who he is. But if I can help ease his pain in any way, I will. I want to be there for him, in any way he'll have me.

After a few throws of the stick the dog's owner came over and apologized for his dog approaching us. Or at least I'm assuming that's what he said. With only a month in Romania at the time I hadn't learned the language well enough to follow the conversation. Bucky on the other hand is fluent, and was assuring him that it was okay. One the guy left with the dog Bucky turned to look at me and had the cutest smile on his face.