Hallowed (B. Barnes)

Chapter Thirty

Bucky leads Sydney out of their bedroom and into the living room, his hands over her eyes, she hods to his wrists as he gently nudges her. She chuckles and leans back into his chest. Every day that they have together, every holiday that they spend together, they both fall deeper into their little hole of love, they both heal a little bit more from the scars of their pasts, both come to feel like Romania is their home. This is their life now. It is their home. Their escape from the bad. Their happiness.

"Merry Christmas" Bucky whispers in her ear and then pulls his hands back from her eyes. She lets out a small laugh as she takes in the living room. He'd gotten up early to decorate for her. He curls his arm around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I even baked" he admits, she gasps a little and turns in his arm.

"You baked?" She teases as she wraps her arms around his neck, he nods and smiles at her.

"Yeah, some cookies" He shrugs. "They're not great" He admits softly, she chuckles and kisses him.

"I am sure they're perfect" She counters when she pulls back, her fingers soft as she brushes his hair back from his face.

"What?" He asks her, noting her expression, she smiles and shakes her head. "No, come on"

"Twenty months," She tells him, he frowns a little. "Twenty months ago you sat with me at my table..." he smiles, realising. "Two years ago, I would never have thought this" She touches his chest, resting her palm over his heart. "Would be possible, I...couldn't see myself getting close to anyone" He nudges her nose with his. "Always afraid I'd end up hurting them...." She lets out a breath. "I'm really glad you came into my life, James" he smiles at her. "And everything bad that happened before us...." She shrugs slightly. "Well, we wouldn't be here if none of that had happened"

"No" He agrees softly. Whilst he hates what Hydra did to him, he cannot deny that because they did it, he is here, now, with Sydney, that if he had not gone through it all, he would have lived and died without knowing what it felt like to love someone the way he loves her, and she would likely have remained alone.

"Now" She starts. "Can I have a cookie?" He chuckles and nods.

..............

Sydney pulls up her hair as she leaves the bedroom, Bucky setting a bottle of wine out onto the kitchen counter next to four glasses. It smells great in there as well, both of them have spent much of the morning cooking and preparing for dinner. They're going big this year. Or as big as they can given the size of the apartment.

"Are you sure you are okay with this?" Sydney asks Bucky who nods, but he fidgets with his jacket. It was their idea to invite Alina and Mihaela over to spend Christmas day with them. A friends Christmas.

"Yes," He assures her, his hand coming up to cup her cheek.

"And we have everything?" She peers around him to the kitchen.

"Yes," He answers with a smile. "I double-checked your list....stop worrying, it's going to be perfect" he kisses her and then pulls back. "And even if something goes wrong.....they're our friends, it won't matter to them" She nods a little. She's not played host for a long time so she is nervous about this. Inviting people into her home. She's fine going to their apartment. Because it is just safer that way, in her head. But she's been more worried about Bucky. He likes his space being his space. Their apartment is their sanctuary, and having more people in it might make him uncomfortable. He kisses her cheek and then heads off to answer the door when someone knocks on it. Sydney takes a deep breath and swings her arms at her side.

............

Bucky glances around the table. Alina and Mihaela smiling softly with Sydney. They've exchanged gifts. Had their fill of food. They've had fun. Relaxed. Talked. Drank. Bucky sets his arm over the back of Sydney's chair, she looks at him, presses her palm to his cheek and smiles. He smiles back at her. Alina and Mihaela share a look, Alina leaning into her side.

"Actually, whilst we are here" Alina starts, Bucky raises an eyebrow. "We have some news" Alina touches Mihaela's hand.

"Is it good news?" Bucky asks them.

"We think so" Mihaela answers. "We're engaged"

"You guys" Sydney coos. "That's so great"

"And look, we know we can't get married here" Mihaela assures them. "So we've also decided to move...."

"Moving?" Sydney asks, Mihaela nods.

"To the United Kingdom," Alina tells them. Bucky lets out a breath. "It's been legal for same-sex marriage there for two years now...and I know it's far..."

"But we can drive and then get a boat" Bucky assures them, Mihaela relaxes slightly. "If this is what you need to do...then..." He looks at Sydney who nods. "Congratulations"

"I'm so happy for you both" Sydney adds, Bucky nods.

.............

Bucky wraps the blanket around the two of them, letting Sydney curls into his side. He kisses her head and smiles to himself. He's really happy for Alina and Mikaela, even if it does mean that they have to move across the world to get the life that they want, if that's what they need then, of course, they are going to support them. The two of them have been through so much to get here. Sydney nuzzles into his side.

"I'm going to miss them" She admits, he nods in agreement. "I know this is the best thing for them" She looks up at him. "But I don't think I can ever go back to England" He frowns a little.

"Back?" She touches her leg, fingers rubbing over her scar. Bucky's eyes shift to it. "Did that happen....?" He asks.

"Yeah" She answers. "London was my first stop after I left the states....the second I stepped out of the airport, I knew something was wrong...I just had this feeling..." She looks down. "I hadn't even been there a week when...I was jumped by a group of hunting fanatics" She tells him. "Called the Men of Letters. They don't like the way the American hunters work and they thought they could....'retrain' me" She offers with air quotes. "Into one of them" She looks down at her leg. "I got this scar when I was running from them..." She admits. "Along with the gunshot scar in my shoulder" He touches her back. "They shot me, I went down, straight onto a metal spike" He cringes a little. "I couldn't go to a hospital, so I found a cheap hotel, crashed, spent a few weeks holed up, healing, but it scarred horribly..." She rubs her leg. "I left England, went to Amsterdam, got the tattoo to hide the scar....and then made my way to Romania...." He smiles at her. Proud of her. She went through all of that she is still well adjusted. Still kind and caring.