James Buchanan Barnes reached into the dark confines of the built in wardrobe, a sly grin on his face. It had been a year to the day since they had first met - back when his life had been a jumble of half formed memories. She had been there for him, a comforting presence who would hold him gently when the night terrors had been unrelenting; the flashes of his former self almost crippling, the awful deeds he had performed all for the advancement of HYDRA.

Scrunching his face up, he gave himself a little mental shake, pushing those dark thoughts from his mind. It was their one year anniversary, and he intended to give her a night she wouldn't forget. She was stuck at work, so he had about an hour to put his little plan into place. Once upon a time, the old Bucky may have been a traditional romantic, bringing roses to his lady, followed by a candlelit dinner and dancing the evening away. Saddening as it was, post-awakening had left no room for the whimsical, happy-go-lucky man he had once been. There would be no flowers for her to come home to, no romantic dinner out. Instead he would give her a part of himself she had saved him from.

He grasped the heavy leather he hadn't set his hand on in well over eighteen months. It was hidden at the back of the wardrobe, a portion of what he had been that he had wanted to destroy. She had advised him against it, telling him that it would give him a starting point to see just how far he had come. When he pulled the heavy gauge armour from the shadows he turned and threw it on the bed quickly like it would bite him, a black stain against the whiteness of the quilt cover. A small part of him still wanted to rent the damn thing to pieces.

James stood and looked at the uniform which had been such a huge part of his life and represented something he wanted nothing more than to forget, unexpectedly feeling a sense of relief too. The memories he had mentally prepared for hadn't come rushing back. He stroked a finger tip over the supple straps and he smiled grimly to himself. She had been right, he had come such a long way since HYDRA. Since he had been the Winter Soldier.

He threw his thick woollen jumper to the ground, and lifted the armour up and over his head. The leather slid over him like a second skin, his metal hand tightened and clicked the straps across his chest quickly and efficiently, like he had done so very many times before. He turned slowly and lifted his eyes to gaze at himself in the mirror, his metal arm shining in the last rays of sunset that streamed through their bedroom window. He lifted his normal arm to pull the hair tie from his head, and his messy brown hair fell about his face, curling about his cheekbones. Bucky watched himself warily, expecting to see some sort of wildness come out in him, a monster lurking behind the warmth of his blue eyes, but there was nothing. A small smile pulled at his lips.

He strode from the room, his bare feet padding over the plush carpet of the hallway. The house was darkening quickly, dusk was nearly upon him. She would be home soon, and he wanted to surprise her the way he had once surprised the man who had controlled him. He wanted to show her a reflection of his past and thank her for helping him past it. While she knew everything about the soldier that he had once been, she had never seen him dressed like this. He wasn't sure of her reception - in fact a small part of him wondered if he would frighten her. But she was so strong, so wise - she showed a level of understanding so far beyond her years, she would know why he wanted her to see him like this.

Stepping into the open plan kitchen, he flicked on the light over the stovetop but left the rest of the house in darkness. The cooking light shed a golden glow across the kitchen to the gloss white dining table opposite the kitchen island. Bucky pulled a bottle of crisp sweet white wine from the refrigerator and two fluted wine glasses and took it to the dining table, setting them down. He then sunk down into the chair opposite the front door, laying his hands upon the sheer surface of the table and waited patiently.

It wasn't long. The sound of her car door broke him from his reverie and he lifted his eyes, a nervous apprehension tightening his chest muscles. He had a fleeting moment where he wondered if he was being foolish, sitting here like the grand assassin of old, when the lock turned with a whisper, the front door opening. His lady slipping into the house.

"Bucky?" Her voice was soft as she called for him. She kicked her flats off by the front door, and hung her keys up. She turned and stilled, spotting his shadowed form at the dining table, only his eyes visible in the darkness of the house "Is everything alright?" She reached her hand to the wall and flicked a switch, illuminating the warm pendant light that hung low over the dining table. It was light, but barely, not destroying the somber mood.

The Soldier stood, revealing to her his leather armour, his black combat pants that he had worn for - decades? Her eyes widened slightly, her face softening. "Bucky." They way she spoke his name was a lament for the time he had lost.

"No." He said softly. "No, this isn't sadness. This is a celebration." He came around the table and she stepped towards him. They met half way, his arms wrapping around her waist, burying his face in the soft hair at the crown of her head. Her face rested on his shoulder, her hands against his chest. He sighed.

She lifted her face, her fingertips lifting to sweep his hair from his face, tucking some of the stray strands behind his ear. He turned his head to one side, pressing his lips to her palm. "It's been one year." Bucky's voice nearly broke under the weight of what that meant to him - to both of them.

"I know." She smiled, letting her hand drop down to slide over the warm leather. "I've always wanted to see you in this but never wanted to ask."

Bucky grinned, and he dropped his lips to meet hers, stealing a soft kiss, their breath mingling. Her fingers slid back up over his shoulders and buried into his long hair, pulling him closer, her lips parting beneath his. Her tongue flicked over his bottom lip, and a spark of passion kindled between them. He slid his hands down over her hips and with a quick movement, swept her up off her feet. All thoughts of wine and discussion were forgotten in the heat that flared between the two of them. She made a small gasp of surprise as he lifted her, which turned to a soft sigh, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck. She kissed him fiercely, lips and teeth and tongue. He carried her down the hall and into the bedroom they shared, his skin warming with desire.

He lay her gently down on the covers, her long hair spreading out like a halo about her head. Sliding his metal palm up her stockinged leg, he moved to lay at her side, tracing the curves of her body to eventually cup her cheek. They both ignored the quiet whirring of the mechanics that made up the internals of his metallic limb.

"One year ago today, you saved me." He whispered, then dropped his lips to hers once more. No more words were spoken as sensation took over.

His hands made quick work of her shirt, while she fumbled awkwardly with his armour. He sat up long enough to rip the straps open and wrench it over his head, throwing it to the floor with a dull thump. She stood only long enough to unzip the high waisted skirt she had been wearing and he watched hungrily as it fell in a puddle at her feet. Stepping out of it, she wore only thigh high stockings and her underwear. He sucked a quick breath in, his heart thudding in his chest. He silently thanked whatever gods there were that this beautiful creature was his.

He pulled her back onto the bed, falling back as she straddled his waist, her hands spreading over his muscular chest. She smiled secretly and lowered her mouth to suck his left nipple, quickly followed by his right, then marking a blazing trail down his torso. She stopped again to undo the buckle on his pants, sliding the zip down. His breath burst out of his lungs as her hand wrapped around his shaft, gripping tightly. She dipped her face down to his hips, slipping his member into the slick heat of her mouth. Her tongue flattened and ran down the full length of him. He hissed and closed his eyes, enhancing the sensation as she drew her tongue and lips up and down in every increasing motions. He felt a fire grow in the base of his stomach, and Bucky sat up, not wanting that yet.

He lifted her face to his and kissed her soundly, his taste upon her lips. He flipped her to the bed and buried his mouth against her neck, biting the soft skin below her ear. She loved that, he knew, and without fail she moaned and goosebumps flooded her skin. His real hand followed the waves of goose flesh down to her underpants, which he slid down over her hips. She helped, pulling and kicking them off.

He stopped and watched her, their eyes meeting in the darkness. He could see her clearly, a slight sheen of sweat across her brow - he wondered absently how well she could see him. Never dragging his eyes from hers, he slid his hand down between her thighs, two of his fingers tracing a circle around her nub. She twitched and groaned at his gentle ministrations, but never broke her gaze from his. He watched every slight nuance, every flicker as she fell apart beneath him.

As he felt her reaching her climax, he removed his hand, instead replacing it with his hips as he lay atop her. She pushed his combat pants lower over his thighs using her feet and her hand took hold of his shaft again, guiding him within her. They both gasped simultaneously as he sunk into her, bottoming out with a groan. He stilled momentarily, feeling her body tremble about him, accommodating his size and he dropped a kiss on her lips as he started to push his hips against her.

Bucky dropped his mouth to her chest, nipping at the firm buds of her nipples hidden beneath the sheer material of her bra. As he moved within her, he shifted the cups down, exposing her breasts, pushing them up towards his waiting lips. He sucked them, running circles around her nipples with his tongue. He curled his hips to push into her, trying to bury himself deeper and deeper within her warm folds. Her voice hissed and sighed, her fingers tangling in his long silky hair, holding him against her.

Their tempo increased, their breath coming in desperate gasps, her hand grabbing hold of his metallic arm for stability as he swung harder against her. His eyes squeezed shut as he pounded home, the fire in his groin building, his whole body tensing. It was her that did it, her moans changed to high fluted cries, uncontrolled, her head back and her body pulsing around him, her end drawing his climax from him. With her name upon his lips he exploded, shuddering into her, their cries mingling. It seemed to go on and on, her wet heat trembling around him.

Eventually as the quivering subsided, he found himself laying atop her heavily, verily crushing her form beneath him. He mumbled an apology, lifting his weight on his arms. She reached up and placed a hand around his waist, stopping his retreat. "Stay. Please." She whispered, her heavy lidded gaze warm as she coaxed him to lay against her once more.

Obligingly, he did twist to one side, but his body remained sheathed within her. Bucky watched her, wonderingly. She smiled softly, her hand reaching to caress his face, thumb grazing over his bottom lip "this is where you belong."

He smiled. She was right. Within her, he had come home.