ALWAYS || Sequel to BUCKY ✔️

twenty three

chapter twenty three
rest

Bucky was very quiet as he laid next to Ray; and she worried deeply. She felt very guilty about the words she had said to him when she was asleep. She never would have said them conscious - she didn't even believe them.

She didn't think Bucky was a monster. She never had. Even when she learned of The Winter Solider when she was helping Bucky pick out clothes, she wasn't afraid of him. And yes, he has physically hurt her but she understood that it wasn't him. It wasn't Bucky. She did not fear him.

So Ray stared up at him. She watched the way his eyes flickered across the ceiling. She knew what he was doing; he did it very often. With his hand firmly around her stomach, he was counting her breathes. She knew he did it to keep him calm and so he knew she was okay. He's been doing it for years.

She set her fingers on his chin and turned his face so he looked at her. "Hi handsome."

"Hi, baby." He said very softly.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Ray smiled and run her thumb along his bottom lip. She turned around to rest of her stomach and leaned to give him a light kiss. Ray then thought of how much she loved kissing him and how much she loved him in general.

"I'm so thankful you ended up here." She told him, running her fingers along his face.

"Me too, baby."

The corner of Ray's mouth lifted in a smile. "How come you started calling me baby all of a sudden?"

"I don't know. I just remembered it."

"I like it."

Bucky smiled as he looked at her, moving his metal hand to rest on her shoulders. He felt how frail they were but he didn't say anything about it. Instead he kept up the pillow talk they were having, enjoying it too much to let go of it. "I like when you call me handsome as a nickname."

"Well you are handsome." Ray moved her hand to his hair and looked at how short it was. It had barely grown since she cut it almost two weeks ago. She couldn't believe it had only been two weeks; it felt like a lifetime ago.

"Do you miss it? The long hair?" Bucky noticed the way she was looking at it.

"I miss playing with it." She admitted. "And I will admit that you look so hot with a man bun. But the short hair is you. My one hundred year old boyfriend."

Bucky smiled and laughed quietly at her words. "I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

"You just have a way of making me feel normal about my not normal past. I don't know."

Ray smiled and averted her eyes to the little bump on his ear. "I just like to make fun of you."

"I know. You're very mean to me."

"Don't forget bossy."

"And a hypocrite."

Ray smiled and laughed at her words, even though it ached the headache she was still nursing. "I wish we could go back there. The burgers are so good."

"Maybe one day we can."

"When we aren't on the run." Bucky's smile faltered for only a moment but it was enough for Ray to notice. "What is it?" She asked.

"I feel guilty."

"Why, Buck?"

"If I never met you, you'd still have a normal life."

Ray scoffed. "Normal? I never had a normal life, not since the accident. You're the first normal thing in my life."

Bucky rolled his eyes at her words. "Sure I am."

"You are. Besides, I'm so thankful for your smelly ass. Mr. I Didn't Take A Shower For Two Weeks Straight."

"I was scared."

Ray teased him then. "Such a baby. I bet you just had the hots for me and was waiting to shower with me."

"You caught me." Bucky teased back.

"It's okay. I secretly had the hots for you too, handsome."

Ray tickled the side of his neck and Bucky laughed loudly and jerked away. It was the first real smile she saw from him the entire day and her heart leaped at the sight.

Bucky did not smile nearly enough, especially not now. When they had been on the farm, he was always so happy. Though now things had taken a tole on the both of them.

"There you go." Ray stroked the side of his face, ignoring the way his beard tickled her palm. "Handsome."

Bucky rolled his eyes but felt his stomach stir at her words. "Shut up."

"Make me."

"You know I wish I could." Bucky told her honestly. There was nothing more than he wanted to do then to take her in his arms and show her how much he cared for her. But she was sick and in pain; and he worried too much about hurting her.

"Oh I know. I pretended to be asleep the morning after we got here and could definitely feel how much you wanted to."

Bucky's cheeks immediately lit up and he looked away in embarrassment. "Why are you like this?"

Ray laughed. "I'm sorry but it's so cute when you blush."

"I hate you."

"You love me."

The former Solider then looked at her, feeling how full his heart felt. "I do love you."

"So much you wanted to marry me a year ago." Ray thought back on one of the last moments they shared together before Zemo attacked.

"I still do. One day."

"Mhm." Ray rolled her eyes. "Marriage isn't really my style. I don't think I'd be very good at the whole one person forever thing."

"Oh, really?" Bucky asked her. "Really?" His hands reached to tickle her slightly. He was timid, he didn't want to hurt her.

Ray laughed and moved away from him, ignoring the pain. "Stop. I was kidding! I'll be with you forever just stop attacking me."

Bucky grew soft at her words and then quickly pulled her into his arms. He knew that forever was a long time, he didn't even know if he could naturally die, or Ray for that matter. Though he would want to spend it with Ray if he could.

"You're such a dork." He told her as he hugged her tightly.

"You're dork."

"Always."

***shortie but hoped you liked soft Bucky and Ray cause they won't be back for a while lol oops

Also that gif 😭😭😭 ugh

That is how I picture him at this time fyi like the hair and the beard