latibule ➳ bucky barnes

27. freedom

When Bucky returned to the Avengers Tower a month after his departure, he knew what to expect, or at least he thought he did. He expected to return to the same tower, with Anastasia in bed, Nick getting on his case and everyone else expressing their concerns and sympathy for him.

However, when he entered 'Anastasia's' room and found it empty, that image went down the drain and he panicked.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?!" he called, trying to swallow his rapidly rising fear, "where's Ana?"

A tense moment later, the A.I. responded, "Doctor Volkov had awoken four weeks ago, sir. She has since returned to her apartment."

At first he didn't register what had been said. It went into his ear, but he wasn't processing it at all. Once he did, it took him another long minute to come to terms with it.

He bolted outside and into the elevator, punching the buttons and impatiently waited for the damn elevator to go up. He was pacing and rubbing his hands together, attempting to calm himself down.

His Anastasia was awake.

It seemed too good to be true. He tried not to get too excited, fearing this may be a crude, despicable prank played by Tony, but he knew he had failed when he felt his heart swell in his chest. Excitement and anxiety rushed through him and he could barely keep still for one moment.

The anticipated 'ding' rang through the elevator, and as soon as the doors opened, Bucky rushed inside. The apartment was empty, but it had clearly been tampered with. Everything was cleaned and organised to perfection. Bucky sucked in a breath and quietly searched the apartment, looking for the familiar face he hadn't seen in a month.

Her room was the last place he checked because it reminded him too much of her and her intoxicating scent was fading from it, as if she was fading from this world. However, when he entered, the scent overwhelmed him.

And there she was, sitting on her bed, reading.

Bucky just stood there, letting himself truly acknowledge the fact that she's back. She certainly looked healthier than ever; the colour had slightly returned to her skin though she had always been quite pale, her cheeks were full now, her lips were a luscious cherry red and although he couldn't see it, he could imagine what her eyes looked like. How could he ever forget that?

A smile made its way onto his face. She was alright. She was safe. Words couldn't describe the joy he felt.

"Ana?" he whispered, but it was loud enough for Anastasia to hear. Her attention drifted from the book to him, and as soon as their eyes locked, her face lit up immediately.

"Bucky?" she exclaimed. She climbed off her bed and ran up to embrace him tightly.

Bucky didn't react at first, but after a few seconds of shock, he returned her embrace tightly, resting his head on hers and just cherishing the feeling of having her in his arms again. Tears prickled his eyes; he missed her warmth and her touch dearly.

"You're back." he whispered, never wanting to let her go. She felt so real, he was afraid that she would disappear if he pulled away.

"So are you." she pointed out in a hushed voice, causing Bucky to chuckle.

When he finally did get the courage to release her from what seemed to be a death grip, he kept his arms on her shoulders and he stared at her once more, making sure to study her eyes.

It was still as spectacular as ever.

Though it was small, Bucky could see a hint of darkness in them. They lost their vibrancy and it was clear to him that something was off. However, he thought it was merely just the recent awakening.