Relapse ★ Bucky Barnes

A Happy Birthday

Marlena sat outside on the porch with her journal on her lap and her feet pulled up onto the seat of the swing in which she sat upon. She had just finished the breakfast Laura and Wanda had prepared for her birthday, as well as the gift exchanges she had never been anticipating. She had known she would become close with the Barton family over the course of the few months she had been staying with them, but she had never expected to become so close that they felt they needed to give her gifts for her birthday. She was touched that they thought so much of her, though, and she was more than touched with her gifts as well.

Aside from the gifts from Greyson, Tony, Steve, and Mason that had come in the mail, the Bartons and Wanda had done a fairly excellent job in contributing. Clint had gotten her a box full of flannels from multiple places, considering she loved the shirts more than she loved her own life sometimes; Laura had bought her multiple vinyl albums and a few books Marlena had talked about wanting; Wanda had bought her a necklace that matched the one she wore, though Marlena's consisted of a sapphire blue gem instead of a red gem. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough for Marlena.

Marlena scribbled away in her journal. She was writing down the events that had taken place in the last couple of days since she hadn't had the time to do so given the persistence of her temporary family and Wanda Maximoff. They had been very insistent on making sure she celebrated her birthday with them. With Bucky's absence, she hadn't really been wanting to do very much of anything, but they refused to allow that to effect the way she spent her birthday. They were tired of seeing her mope around all day, and if taking her out for a secluded dinner by the lake and then taking her to a bonfire meant freeing them of the moping, then they were game.

Marlena was working on her second page of the entry when the sound of footsteps crunching in the grass caught her attention. She looked up from the stationary to see Levi walking towards the house, a smirk on his face and a a small box in his hand. She let out a breath and closed the journal, sitting in down beside her after doing so.

"Happy birthday, Marzipan," Levi greeted as he stepped onto the porch, holding the box out to her.

She eyed it for several seconds before looking up at him. "I told you not to get me anything, Levi," she frowned and took the box from his hand.

"And I told you I do what I want," he chuckled before sitting down beside her, careful not to sit on her journal. "Don't just sit there and stare at it either. I paid too much damn money for you not to want it."

"How much did you freakin' pay?" she asked with a raised brow.

"About five hundred."

Her eyes widened in response to his words. "Levi," she chastised him.

He simply laughed. "You'd think as a telepath you would know I was lying, but I guess not. Just stop whining and open it, dumbass."

Marlena rolled her eyes at him and opened up the box, her glistening hazel eyes falling upon a beautiful—yet simple—piece of jewelry. It was a black hemp bracelet, its knotted strings conformed and centered around a blue gem, one that was very similar to the one hanging from her necklace. It was made beautifully and effortlessly, and Marlena knew instantly that the piece of jewelry was crafted too perfectly to have come out of a jewelry shop.

"Oh my gosh, Levi," Marlena said as she looked up at him. "Did you make this?"

He shrugged. "I don't mean to brag, but yeah I did make it. You don't have to tell me it's gorgeous, because I already know."

"You're a special one, Parrish," Marlena chuckled as she removed the bracelet from its case.

"I can't take all the credit, though," Levi said as he pulled the bracelet out of her grasp. "Chance helped me pick out the stone, which seems to almost match the one on your necklace; I say 'almost' because mine is better."