The Fall - Book 1

92. I...I missed you.

FEBRUARY 11, 2019 — AVENGERS COMPOUND — RÉA

I've been twenty-six for four days.

On my birthday, Pepper texted me to say that she, Tony, Happy, Rhodey, and the others pooled together and made a donation in my honour to the local animal shelter. I texted back a 'thank you'.

Bucky texted me, wishing me a happy birthday...I didn't respond.

I'm sitting on my pallet, reading, when I hear familiar footsteps, followed by the opening and closing of the door across the corridor.

A short while later, I hear the door open and close again, and the footsteps approach my door.

I move toward the door just as there's a knock. The footsteps start to move away, and I unlock the deadbolt then open the door.

"Bucky?"

He's standing very still; when I speak, he starts to turn toward me but stops.

'Of course he stopped. Why would he want to see me?' I think.

"That's for you," he says. "The package."

I look down to the floor in front of my door, and see a wrapped package.

"Tha-thank you," I say.

"You're welcome, do—Réa."

I try not to be disappointed at the fact that he stopped before he called me 'doll', but I can't stop the feeling from passing over me.

'You weren't speaking to him when he left...you were ignoring him. And you didn't even thank him when he texted. You're lucky he's even being kind to you now, after how you've behaved,' something within me snidely remarks.

I step back into my room and close the door...then speak again.

"Will...will you sit with me?" I murmur.

I hear him settle in front of my door.

"I'm here," he says.

After a moment, I unwrap the package; when I see what's inside, a soft gasp escapes me.

It's a photo of my parents...a replacement of the one I lost in the destruction of the original compound.

"I...you...how...?" I ask.

Bucky tells me how he asked Tony for help, and how he came to be in possession of this photo.

"You...you've had this...for six weeks?!" I ask, stunned.

"Yeah. It was hard not to give it to you as soon as I printed it...but I knew I wanted to give it to you for your birthday." He pauses. "I'm just sorry I'm a few days late."

"Bucky, it's okay. You were on a mission." I pause, and when I speak again, my voice is teary. "This is...I...thank you, Bucky. Thank you so much...so, so much."

'To think of something like this...that's more than friendship, right? It has to be,' the small part inside me thinks.

'Don't get your hopes up. Why would he want you?' the rest of me argues. 'You heard him...he was about to call you 'doll' and he stopped himself.'

'Shut up,' I tell it.

"You're welcome, Réa," Bucky replies, interrupting my inner argument.

We lapse into silence, but it's not uncomfortable.

"Bucky?" I ask after several minutes.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're back. I...I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

'I love you,' I think.