Recollection ★ Bucky Barnes

Locked In A Daze

As the sun peaked through the curtains of the bedroom the next morning, Bucky rubbed his eyes sleepily. It took him a moment to recollect the events of the night before, but everything came together when he glanced beside him.

Marlena laid on her side with her back facing him, her porcelain skin contrasting beautifully with the white sheets she slept on; however, she must have kicked off the covers in her sleep, leaving her exposed to the chilly air of the room. Bucky's blue eyes admired her long, brunette locks that were splayed across her pillow before his gaze followed the curve of her waist, hips, and thighs. The lacy, burgundy material of her underwear made her look slightly tanner than Bucky knew her to be and he smiled to himself, wishing he could just lay there and admire her perfection all day.

A few minutes later, Marlena rolled over, letting out a deep sigh in her sleep. Her eyes remained shut, her thick lashes nearly long enough to brush the apples of her cheeks it seemed like. Her lips were pink and full, maybe even fuller than usual due to how much he had kissed them the night before. He reached out with his flesh hand, playing with a few strands of her wavy, disheveled hair.

He was unable to stop himself from smiling as he stared at her—his everything. She really was his world. Everything he had become since breaking free from Hydra, he owed to Marlena. She had been the one who had saved him. She was his hero, whether she knew it or not. He couldn't begin to fathom how much she meant to him—how incredibly lucky he was to call her his.

He couldn't keep himself from planting a kiss on her lips as she slept; she was too beautiful, like an angel in his eyes. He pulled back slowly, as to not disturb her. His gaze shifted to her chest, covered by her sports bra, as he watched to see if her breathing changed. It didn't; however, his did as the handle on the bedroom door twisted.

Bucky clenched his jaw as he pulled the covers off of himself and practically threw them over Marlena to preserve her modesty, even if she was fast asleep.

The door pushed open slowly and revealed Steve, his face turning a deep shade of scarlet upon seeing his friend leaping from the bed in nothing but boxer briefs. He immediately knew what had happened and there was no avoiding it; Bucky was already stumbling over his—and Marlena's—clothes that were strewn across the floor.

Bucky snatched up his sweatpants and covered himself with them since the briefs were so tight-fitting, "Ever heard of knocking, pal?" He whispered forcefully.

Steve cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing over at the lump in the bed that he knew was Marlena—his practically-innocent-little-sister-Marlena. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to even look at Bucky.

"It's taking a lot out of me to not punch you in the throat right now, Buck," Steve admitted, feeling protective over Marlena.

She was so much like a sister to him, but he wasn't sure if it was normal to feel this angry over Marlena engaging in such an act—even if it was with his best friend whom he knew loved her to the ends of the earth. It was a normal, big brother response.

"Steve," Bucky shook his head, stopping at the doorway where his friend's head poked through, "I swear, I would never do anything to hurt her. You know that."

Steve's nostrils flared and he glanced down at Bucky's attire, "Tony called a meeting. You and Marlena need to be ready in twenty minutes."

And with that, he stepped back out into the hall and shut the door, choosing to never speak about his discovery with Bucky ever again.

After waking Marlena up, who was—as usual—quite sleepy and a little pouty about waking up so early, Bucky and she headed downstairs to where the rest of the Avengers sat chatting away. However, the chatter stopped once Marlena's and Bucky's presence was noticed. The two plopped down on the couch, Bucky wrapping his arm around Marlena as she leaned into him, half-ready to go back to sleep.