Eyes of Fire | Bucky Barnes

53

The pair slept and woke in cycles, recovering from the long day and equally long night. At one point they'd both be asleep, legs tangled together, Bucky's arms wrapped around her carefully; when he was awake, he'd take care to keep her comfortable, smoothing his fingertips through the tiny, ultra-curly hair at the bass of her neck that escaped her bun; when she was awake, she'd find herself on her back, Bucky collapsed on top of her, face tucked into her neck, with just enough of his weight balanced on his legs that she didn't feel much of his weight at all.

Eventually, there came a point where they were both awake, soft and sweet touches bringing them out of their slumber, to face the golden morning together. They chatted idly, about this or that, just enjoying each other's company.

Bucky had been thinking, all night, even when he was supposed to be in deep sleep. Eventually, when his brain began to run faster than was comfortable, the words tumbled from his mouth, "Did you know that we would fall in love, when we first met? When you were assigned to me?"

Uxolo's body shook with laughter from where she was tucked into his arms, his nose buried in the space just behind her ear. She teased, "Do you think I can see into the future?"

He wouldn't put it past her.

"But, no." She continued, "I knew I yearned for friendship with you, because I truly felt connected to your struggle. Then I found myself wishing you'd stay over, that we could go out to lunch together all of the time."

Bucky smiled against her skin, pressing sweet kisses along the back of her neck. He tugged on her forearm gently, enough for her to get the message that he wanted to see her face.

When she turned, she was met with a loopy smirk, "You had a crush on me."

"Naturally." Uxolo chuckled, flicking the end of his nose. "I still do, to be honest with you."

She pressed in to place a soft kiss on his forehead, threading her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, keeping them there even when she pulled away. He wasn't sure if the vibrations in his chest sounded like purring or not, but that was his best guess at the noise he was making.

"I wish for you to know that I never considered you an assignment." Uxolo said sternly, "as someone that I had to... fix— just to make money."

"I know." Bucky responded, sincere. He feathered his fingertips along the edge of her hairline, delighting in the soft kinks and coils that rebelled against her every attempt to gel them down, "That's just not who you are."

"Yeah?" Uxolo cooed, a smile taking over her face in the way that made him melt, "Who am I?"

The answer came faster than old Bucky probably would've liked, considering the playboy he used to be.

"The love of my long, long life."

Uxolo pushed out this laugh hidden behind a sighing exhale, shaking her head as that smile grew larger and larger. She said, fondly, "Charmer."

Bucky squeezed his eyes shut, if only to temporarily hide from the blinding brightness that was the sheer joy displayed on her face, nonetheless letting a wide, sleepy grin overtake his own.

"I love you more than you will ever know, Bucky." He felt her trail her fingers along the back of his neck and around to curl around his jaw, delicate fingertips massaging the scruff. She whispered into the heated air between them, "Igorha lam." (My hero.)

Bucky smiled into the kisses she littered along his face, pressing into them like a puppy pressing into their owners palms, reveling in the direct affection.

Uxolo pulled away after a moment, settling her head back into her pillow. She reached out to caress the skin up his arm and along his shoulder, a delicate fingertip tracing the seam of metal. She cupped his neck briefly, if only to make his heart race faster for a moment, before she grabbed hold of his dog tags.

It was only when she massaged the metal between her fingertips, the raised sections that signified his name, that he remembered. He made a soft sound of recognition, pulling away with a squeeze to her hip. He mumbled, "That reminds me."

"Of?"

He didn't go far, simply rolling away long enough to be able to reach for the chain around his neck and pull it off. He let the dog tags settle in his palm for a moment; the words printed on them were so stamped into his mind that he didn't even need to read them to know what they said.

Bucky turned back to Uxolo, lifting them up in near-triumph. He handed them to her unceremoniously, "I want you to have this."

She bowed her head gently as she accepted them, both hands extended so he could lay the necklace across them.

There was a long moment of silence, her gaze flicking to and from the object. "Am— I'm sorry — Am I supposed to understand what this is? What am I supposed to do with these?"

"Oh!" Sometimes Bucky completely forgot that their cultures were vastly different; they got along so well on the regular that it seemed as if they were one in the same. "They're uh— they're dog tags. They're used in the American Army to identify soldiers in case, y'know."

"Oh!" Uxolo piped, a mirror to his. She glanced down at them, twisting the tag around to get a good look at it. "Am I to keep this? Wear it?"

"Only if you want to," He murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to her shoulder. It was already a big enough move to give them to her in the first place, how would he ever be able to explain how satisfying he'd imagined it would be to see her dawned in something so uniquely him. "They mean a lot to me. It was the one thing they let me keep."

"Oh, Bucky," She exhaled, extending them back out once she fully processed what he'd said, "I couldn't possibly—"

"I want you to." Bucky interrupted sternly, and that was enough — for the first time in a long time, him saying so; saying yes or no; was enough. He leaned down to cover her mouth with his own, letting her well-meaning stubbornness evaporate in the air between them.

He pulled away long enough to retrieve the chain from her hands and lower it over her head. He brought the easily-tangled metal down and around the base of her neck. Bucky ran his fingers along the dog tag fondly, slowly raising his eyes to see the woman they now belonged to. Just like the rest of him.

He knew there was no where safer they could be. Just like he knew that his heart was as safe as could be in her hands.

"My love..." Uxolo was murmuring, peering down to look at the metal herself. She'd seen them on Bucky so much that it was almost awkward to see them anywhere else, to see his neck completely bare, but she couldn't help but preen under the trust he was continuing to install in her.

"Thank you. I will keep them safe."