ˢˡⁱᵍʰᵗˡʸ ▸ 𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐒 ✓

ten.

SLIGHTLY.
010. | ❛ happy ending. ❜

SOMETIMES THE LITTLEST THINGS TAKE UP THE MOST ROOM IN YOUR HEART. Maybe those were the words that kept Katia sane throughout this mission. That she was going on a journey herself and that it was taking her somewhere better; a place where she could be happier. It's why books were her escape because she was transported to somewhere happier. A better place than the one she was living in.

"Hello, Bucky." He smiled to see her well, stepping cautiously forward to her. The way that his name rolled off her tongue made him feel safe. That his name still carries meaning other than harm.

"I need you to know that you weren't the reason why I fainted. It's just that seeing you caused a little bit of shock to me." Katia slowly and softly lifted herself up to a seated position in her bed, that she didn't want to be in. "Seeing you standing and alive provided a rush of emotions."

"I'm glad that you're okay." He spoke once again, examining every person that passed by but always keeping an eye on Katia.

She brushed the stray hairs aside as she heard the machines around her sound, and focused on Bucky. After watching him for so long, she had grown accustomed to stare at him but not having him look back at her. But, he was staring back at her with his fierce eyes. They didn't feel harsh or cold, but instead with eyes of protection.

"You read to me everyday, right?"
Bucky asked looking outside her window, concerned with how much of her life she dedicated to just him. To a task so simple, but not having an idea on how much it was used to keep him alive.

"Everyday." Katia confirmed, nodding her head. "For the past year."

"I'm sorry." He said, puzzling Katia as to why he was apologizing. She titled her head to one side letting it fall into the pillow. "I'm sorry that you had to waste a year on me. You probably have a life that you'd like to get back to."

"SHIELD is my life. I choose to live this life, and you were my mission." Katia assures him, extending her hand out for him to hold. His hand trembled in reaching for her, but once clasped the tremor stopped. "Don't think for a minute that I regretted any second I spent with you."

Bucky nodded with a small smile appearing on his face, "Was I a terrible student?"

Katia chuckled as she smiled back his way, with an expected response, "The worst student I've taught."

"Sorry that I was asleep for most of it. Or all of it." Bucky replied which managed to put a another smile on her face.

"If you ever want to study again, then I'd be happy to teach you all about Shakespeare's sonnets." Katia smiled while resting her hand on Bucky's hand. Her fingers grazed over his and he looked down to see their hands together, which caused him to sport a smile.

"I might have a tough schedule. If they wanted me out of the ice, it might be for something more important." Bucky told her not knowing that their fingers had intertwined together as they continued their conversation.

Katia bit the bottom of her lip, "We might even be lucky to fight together if that's the case."

"It would definitely be a scenario that I would love very much." Bucky said. "You have put up with me for the past year and that's more than Sam has."

"Well, Sam is a special case." She looked at him with dopey eyes and a bashful smile. At the start of this, she didn't expect to grow closer to Bucky or to aspect of Wakanda. She despised going back to her old life and everything about it, but he had seem to open that life of reading to her again. Thanks to Bucky, she had opened herself up to that world. And she couldn't tell what she could feel about him, but she knew that it was going to be an adventure wherever she would go with him. Whether it be with the Avengers or simple reading, she felt a spark that wouldn't go away.

Their ending wouldn't be tragic like Gatsby or end with Peter going to Neverland. It would end how no story likes to end, with a happy ending. Not matter how hard they'd try, they would be reminded of their start. How books brought them together and that if they tried hard enough they would get their happy ending.

But that's for a different time.

[author's note]

I know most of you are in shock with how I'm ending this book, but in all honestly I have lost inspiration to continue writing this. And I didn't want to drag it out for too long as well. But I'm also proud with how I ended, maybe in a future I could do a sequel. Thank you for supporting this book. I really appreciate it and hopefully you're not too mad and can find it in your hearts to see that Bucky and Katia so get their happy ending in the end.

Thank you olympians- for letting me write this book❤️❤️❤️
It's been an absolute pleasure to write my first Bucky fic.

Thank you once again for reading 💕