❝Just know that from this point on, whatever happens, I'll be with you. I'm not gonna leave your side until you tell me to.❞
. . .in which she helps him find his way back to himself.
[BOOK ONE]
[Highest ranking: #1 in MCU/fanfiction as of 5/26/18]
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★ ★ ★
The large house was quiet, giving Marlena a strong sense of comfort, as well as relief. Miranda was at work as usual, she hadn't heard from Hallie since yesterday's incident, and Mason had dragged Bucky away from the house. He claimed that the two of them deserved some more "guy time" together, despite the large age gap between the two of them. Bucky was babysitting Mason more than anything else, but he had left the house earlier that morning feeling rather ecstatic that Mason had actually wanted to hang out with him again. There was no telling when the two would be back, but Marlena hoped it wouldn't be for a while.
Although she enjoyed Bucky's company and wanted nothing more than to be with him, she couldn't help but take advantage of the alone time. She had been dealing with so much during the past several days and was more than relieved to be able to have some time to herself. It had been so long since she was able to just sit in her room and eat a copious amount of junk food while watching movies without needing to do something around the house or needing to do something for her brother. It was relaxing, and she was going to enjoy the time while it lasted, no matter how long or short it was.
Marlena's television screen lit up with images from Tarzan, and she smiled in content before snuggling into her blanket. Tarzan was one of Marlena's favorite movies, aside from Star Wars and Transformers, and it was also her favorite Disney movie next to Brother Bear.
As Marlena watched the movie, she began to recognize similarities between the character Tarzan and Bucky. Obviously, Bucky hadn't been raised in the jungle by gorillas, but there was something deeper behind the meaning of it all; Tarzan had met the leading lady, Jane, knowing that he was somehow different from his family. They were from two different worlds—just like Marlena and Bucky were from two different eras. And in the movie, Jane helped Tarzan come to an understanding of who and what he truly was—human. After meeting Bucky, Marlena had shown him everything the modern world had to offer him, as well as a glimpse into the past of the person he used to be, and in doing so, he found something within her that could come from her and only her—stability and a sense of comfort and belonging.
It was a beautiful symmetry to Marlena, and thinking about it only made Marlena's love for the movie grow.
As Marlena munched on the bag of Doritos in her hand, her phone began to ring. She let out a groan and sat the bag aside before picking it up and answering it. She assumed it to be her mom or even Hallie, so she didn't even bother checking the caller ID.
"Hello?" she chimed as she shoved another Dorito into her mouth.
"Hi, is this Marlena Claire?" the voice on the opposite line spoke. Marlena recognized it almost immediately and nearly choked on the chip in her mouth. Steve Rogers had finally called her after she spent two days convinced that he wouldn't.
