All I Need Is You

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Bucky sat in his seat on the quinjet, nervously playing with his hands as he waited for Tony, Steve, and Sam to make an appearance; he had asked to speak to them earlier regarding his cryogenic situation and having to leave Marlena again. After reading through her journal the night before, he had made up his mind. Bucky could not leave her-not again. He'd never be able to forgive himself for it, especially now that he knew the pain she had gone through while he was away. He refused to subject her to that again, and he refused to allow it to be because of him. He just hoped the three of them would understand.

The sound of footsteps caught Bucky's attention, and he looked over, his eyes falling upon two tired males and one very exuberant male. Tony rubbed his eyes and moved to the seat across from Bucky, as did Steve. Sam simply yawned and plopped down on the floor, too tired to hoist himself back up.

"Wanna tell us why the hell we're awake at eight-thirty in the morning?" Sam grumbled. "I set my alarm for noon; it's not noon."

Bucky rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. "Shut up, Sam."

"I, too, have a question," Tony started. "Why are we talking in the jet instead of the comfort and safety of the Barton residence? I almost died tripping over a log on the way out here."

"I needed to talk to you somewhere nobody could hear us, especially Marlena," Bucky sighed.

"She's asleep," Sam grumbled. "Or at least she was when I went in her room to use her deodorant. Her Secret Vanilla smells wondrous."

Steve let out a sigh and shook his head at his friend, turning his attention to Bucky. "What do you need to talk about, Buck?"

"Marlena," Bucky answered as he looked down at his hands. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes as he thought about having to leave her in a couple days. He didn't want to, and he was willing to do whatever it took so he didn't have to. "I can't leave her. I can't leave her again."

"We know you don't want to, but T'Challa said for us to have you back-"

"I don't care what T'Challa said," Bucky cut Steve off, glancing around at the three men. "Do you guys remember the journal she was writing in yesterday after we got here?"

Tony nodded and crossed his arms over her chest. "Yeah, the one she almost broke her hand writing in."

"Well, it's a journal full of entries that were written for me to read. Every single page of it is filled with everything that's happened while I've been gone. Not only that, but she took the time to write down some very heartbreaking things," Bucky told them, his voice cracking as he spoke the word heartbreaking.

"What are you talkin' about, man?" Sam questioned him.

Bucky ran his clammy hands over his thighs. "Let's just say that she wasn't doing too well without me here. I could literally feel the pain she felt as I read over those particular entries; she was a mess. There were things written in that journal I know she'd never be able to tell me in person. That's how broken she was, and I can't allow her to feel that way again."

"T'Challa's scientists told me they're close to figuring everything out for you, Barnes," Tony told him. "You won't have to be away from her that much longer; just a few more months or so."

"And what does a few more months entail, Stark?" Bucky exclaimed. "Does a few more months mean three more or twelve more? This isn't even about me anymore; this is about Marlena, who, by the way, cried herself to sleep last night after learning that I had to leave again. Do you not understand how painful it is for me to see her like that? Do you not understand how painful it is to see her in such a state because of me? That girl is my entire life, and I know I'm hers; that's what you don't understand. For her, there is no life without me, and I know this because of those horribly emotional entries I stayed up all night reading."

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