afterglow - tony stark

32

Malibu.

She didn't have a moment to take in that she was back at home. She was getting Bucky situated in a room and he sat on the edge of the bed as she set blankets next to him.

He stared at her before he spoke quietly, "You shouldn't have brought me here."

It didn't matter if he was out of HYDRA, he was still dangerous. He still had their programming; he could wake up tomorrow and be back to the killer they made him.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "Of course I should've."

          She gave him a small smile before she left the room, "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

            Bucky only nodded and she left to go upstairs to her room with Tony. He was not happy that Bucky was staying here.

              "Does he have to stay?" Tony immediately said once she walked into the room.

              Tony wasn't exactly worried; he made sure Jarvis was watching him and would report if he so much as moved from his room. But still...the robot was dangerous and he didn't want Eira anywhere near him.

         Eira sighed, "If you don't want him here, I'll take him someplace else but I won't leave him, Tony."

          "But you'd leave me?" he said in a hurt tone.

           "I didn't mean it like that," Eira said. She wanted to make sure Bucky would get better; Tony didn't need that. "He needs me."

            "And you think I don't?" Tony questioned in disbelief.

          Eira bit her lip before she approached him slowly. She smoothed her hands over his shoulders which made him relax.

           Then she looked up at him carefully, "You don't understand what he went through, what I did, and from now on, he's in my life. Nothing you can say can change that."

            "I would understand if you told me," Tony said gently as he leaned his forehead against hers.

               She hadn't yet spoken about what happened. All he knew was that she had a soft spot for the one who kidnapped her; like some kind of Stockholm syndrome.

               Her eyes grew teary, "All I can say is I went through Hell to get back to you. I'm not ready to talk about the rest; maybe not ever."

             He frowned as he softly brought his hand up to caress her cheek like she was a pitiful creature. She leaned into his touch before she traced the arc reactor in his chest as she bit her lip to keep from crying, "Would it be bad if I was broken?"

               Perhaps she was broken and didn't quite realize it. It wouldn't surprise her if she was but she wouldn't know how to make herself unbroken.

            "You have a mechanic as a boyfriend, angel," he smiled. "I can fix it."

She smiled before she kissed him ever so softly. It was their first kiss since she got back and yet it was like she never went away. Her stomach did somersaults and her lips tingled. With the way his arms wrapped around her like a cocoon, she felt like maybe she could be a butterfly again.

______

She woke very early the next morning. She guessed not sleeping much for the past six months didn't really allow her to fall into a deep sleep. But she wasn't the only one who woke early.

So did Bucky.

She showed him how to use the toaster and make waffles. Then they ate breakfast together as they sat at the bar of the island. That was how Tony found them.

"Great," Tony rolled his eyes at seeing Eira next to Bucky. "You two eat breakfast together, too."

Eira gave him a sheepish smile, "I made you a plate."

Tony stared at the foot of space between their chairs in aggravation before grabbing his plate and leaving the kitchen, "I'll be downstairs."

She pouted at his retreating form as Bucky reached over and grabbed her cup. He moved it to the other side where her left hand was that didn't have a cast.

She gave him a small smile, "Thanks, Bucky."

He gave her a small smile in return and she looked at the stairs again sadly before looking back at Bucky. She looked at him carefully, "I don't want to overwhelm you but you should know that...Steve is alive."

Eira knew the man, Captain America, was alive for a while. It was a big news story last year that he had survived the ice.

He froze as she continued, "I don't have to tell him anything if you don't want to but I just thought you should know..."

Bucky nodded gratefully. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to see the man that he apparently had so many memories of. He wasn't sure if he was ready for all of those when he'd strayed so far from the man Eira told him he used to be.

_____

Eira introduced Bucky to the television screen. She had them watch a movie she thought Bucky might know. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

And Bucky did remember it. He could remember being fascinated by all the color that not a lot of movies had. He remembered his little sister wanted to see it. A sister. He wondered if any of his family members were alive after so long; probably not.

"That's why Tony calls me Snow or Snowflake," she explained happily. "Because Snow White is in tune with nature."

She muttered with a bashful smile, "I like when he calls me Snowflake."

Bucky analyzed her with a small smile of his own. It was cute how in love she was with the guy. He wondered if Tony even knew that all she talked about was him.

"Does this guy know that you're completely insane?" Bucky teased; this part of him only really came out with her.

Her eyes widened before she gave him a playful glare, "Take that back!"

"I don't know. I think it applies..."

She threw a pillow at him but it completely missed. It made him start to laugh, "You have the worst aim ever..."

"I'm going downstairs!"

It only made him laugh more.