One Week Later...

Bucky chewed on the end of his pen. He reread his journal entry, but something seemed missing. After the past few week's worth of activity, he'd forgotten his beloved notebook. He spent the last hour or so catching up on where he was mentally these days. Still, his entry seemed unfinished:

Abdominal wound is healing well. Stitches are out and no longer painful.
Banner gave me something to speed up the healing, but it will still leave a scar.
Mind has been clear lately. No panic attacks.
Alex has done some emotion-sessions with me while healing. Because of it, more and more memories are coming back to me.
I remembered the old school yard Steve and I used to play at when we were younger.
I also remembered I played baseball, but I don't remember much else.
When I told Steve, he mentioned I wasn't very good.
I don't believe him.
Stark is holding some kind of get together tonight.
I think Alex and I are going together, as a couple.
I feel a little nervous, mostly because I don't like parties.
With her, it won't be so bad.

"You almost ready, babe?" Alex called from the kitchen.

"Almost - just one more minute." Bucky poked at his chin with his pen, trying to figure out what was missing from the entry. He tucked a piece of hair behind his ear, wondering if maybe he was just over thinking a simple thing.

But then he remembered.

Christmas is a few weeks away.
I haven't celebrated Christmas since before the war, but I am going to celebrate it this year.
We have a week of Temporary Leave, and I want to take Alex on a trip as a gift.
I don't know where yet. I wish I could remember places I wanted to visit when I was younger.
I hope I can take her somewhere really nice.
For the first time in my life, when I think about the future, I feel excited.

Bucky smiled and closed the notebook. He shoved it back in its hiding spot beneath the panel in his drawer, recognizing maybe he didn't need to keep it there anymore. Alex had seen him at both his best and his worst, and she loved him anyways. Nothing that he wrote needed to be hidden anymore.

Realizing he needed to hustle, Bucky donned the dress shirt he planned to wear to Stark's party. He rolled the sleeves up to the elbows, doing his best to make it work over the metal of his arm. He took one quick peek at his reflection and smoothed back his hair, then headed out to the kitchen.

When Alex saw him, her eyes grew. She lowered her gaze and took in his bulky body, now highlighted by dark navy pants and one of her favorite button-downs. Even through the fabric, she could see the lines of his abs. The belt he wore sat tight around his boxy waist, which is where Alex's hands went first. "Daaayyuumm." Her voice was a silky purr. "Looking handsome as ever, I see."

After several months together, Bucky was finally getting used to the way Alex responded. Even so, he felt a little bit of heat rise in his face as she openly admired him. The attention always made him feel good, though he would probably never understand what she truly saw. That was the thing about Alex: she always saw something good in him, no matter if it was on the outside or the inside.

Alex eyed the thick muscles of his neck flanked by his shirt collar. She ran her fingers over the fabric, giving the collar a little straightening. Because she was wearing heels, it gave her those few additional key inches to meet Bucky's mouth without needing to rise up onto her toes. She pressed a kiss to his neck and then one to his cheek; the smoothness accented by the scent his aftershave. Her hands ran the length of his shoulders, admiring how well the shirt hugged each rise and fall of muscle beneath. "Every time you wear this baby blue shirt, I get all handsy and flustered."

"I know. That's why I ordered another dozen of them."

Alex saw his smirk and kissed the corner of his mouth. Her lip gloss left a little smudge, which she wiped off with her thumb. "I'll be promptly removing it as soon as we're done at Tony's."

"Careful" he teased, giving her a warning glance. "Banner said anything too strenuous might aggravate the wound."

"Banner-schmanner" she said before their lips met tenderly.

After they parted, Bucky took a moment to admire the slouchy top Alex was wearing. It was a shimmery silver color, with a open neck that hung loosely over one shoulder. Her exposed skin taunted him. His lips craved the taste of her, wanting to mark her from her neck down to her collarbone. He knew if he gave in to that craving there was no way they'd ever make it to Stark's. Instead, he gave a little tug at the fabric with his finger. "This is nice. Is it new?"

"New-ish" she told him. "Do you like like it? It's not too much, I hope?"

"Too much?" A small laugh escaped him. "Not at all. You're absolutely stunning."

And she was. The dark hair, the tan skin, those lips he lusted for...it didn't matter to Bucky what she wore, she'd still be the most beautiful woman he ever laid eyes on. She could wear a hoodie and sweatpants and it would still send his heart rate into overdrive.

Cupping her face with both hands, Bucky allowed himself one more taste as his mouth connected with hers. When he pulled away, Alex was smiling. She slipped her hand into his and pulled him towards the door. "Let's go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."

Bucky shook his head with a laugh. "Is that any way for a guest to act?"

Alex shot him a look, raising one of her shapely eyebrows. She knew how to work her face to make him weak, and this time was no exception. Her choice in eye makeup made her gaze even more alluring than it already was, and the soft pink of whatever gloss she added to her lips made him want to devour them and so much more. The thought alone made his groin tighten.

Willingly, and with a growing smile, Bucky followed after Alex as they headed off to their first party as an official couple.

Light cocktail music streamed somewhere in the background of Tony Stark's loft as the Avengers assembled under one roof for the evening. They were brought together at Tony's request, if for no other reason than to let off a little steam from the past several weeks worth of work. After putting a notch in their belt in their war against Hydra, Tony thought a small dinner party in celebration was more than worthy. Nothing over the top, of course, but it wouldn't be a Stark party without a little flare. He made sure plenty of bottles of the finest champagne he could buy were made available throughout the gathering, along with platters of hors d'oeuvres to keep everyone satiated (and also so they would drink more).

All of the usuals were there: Steve, Nat, Bucky and Alex, along with Bruce, Sam, and Clint - who made the trip up to Headquarters from a weekend with his family. Wanda and Pepper stood alongside Happy, who was currently entertaining a conversation with both Rhodey and Tony. The group was having a good time, and the laughter around the room and all the relaxed chatter was evidence of it.

To everyone's surprise, Thor even made an appearance. He arrived a little late, but his arrival was nothing short of typical. He greeted each of those assembled, but when he saw Alexis, he called joyfully over the others to grab her attention.

"New One!" He waved an excited hand at her as he made his way over. "We meet again, New One!" His robust voice lifted above the music and voices inside the loft, grabbing Alex's attention away from the group she'd been talking to.

"Thor!?" No sooner had she said his name, she received a hearty hug from the fair haired god. Her eyes bulged at the strength and suddenness of his embrace. "What a surprise! I definitely didn't expect to see you here!?"

"I heard about your victory against Hydra. I couldn't pass up a chance to give you my congratulations." Thor's blue eyes danced as he looked at Bucky, Steve, and Sam who stood around her. "Well done, New One. Well done, indeed."

Bucky gazed at Alex proudly. He slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her in close to give her a kiss on the temple. "She saved all our asses this time." He side-eyed Thor playfully. "You owe her, Odinson."

Thor took the joke in stride as the others laughed along with him. The group continued light conversation, catching up on all things Asgard, as well as all the things Thor missed since he was last at Headquarters.

At one point, Alex excused herself from the group and made a trip to the washroom. When she returned, she headed for the table of champagne to grab a refill. Rows of flutes were being filled with sparkling honey-colored liquid by Stark's latest iteration of talking assistants. This one's name was Friday, and was female. The electronic voice greeted Alex as she approached, asking her how many glasses she'd like. Alex almost said two, but figured she'd better slow down. She already had two glasses and the party barely started.

The metal arm of Friday handed her one of the glasses, and again, Alex had no idea if she should tell the machine thank you. One of these days she'd get the hang of how to interact with the whole Stark-all knowing electro-assistant things...but today was not that day.

"Alexis?"

Alex turned to see Pepper approaching, and she broke out in a smile. "Pepper! So nice to see you!"

Instead of hugging, which Pepper knew might have caused a problem with Alex's sense of touch, they clinked the rim of their glasses in greeting. Alex was blown away by how gorgeous she looked. The tall blonde had chosen a bright red dress with an open collar, showing her flawless skin and proud neck. Her long hair was pulled over one shoulder and done in a loose braid that was both elegant and youthful. Alex could only hope that when she matured, she'd be as cool and effortless as Pepper Pots.

"Are you enjoying yourself so far?" Pepper asked, taking a sip of her champagne.

Alex faced the crowd with a content sigh. "Very much so. It was nice of you and Tony to do this for us."

"Tony needed it just as much, believe me" she said with some knowledge. "The past few weeks were tough on all of you."

Their gazes settled on their respective men across the room. Alex watched Bucky as he spoke with Steve; their large frames turned inward to contain whatever subject they were currently discussing. Bucky's eyes were as alive as ever. She could see their vibrant ocean hues from across the room, and it brought a subtle smile to her face.

Pepper followed Alex's gaze and saw she was staring at Bucky. The look in the young woman's eyes reminded her of herself when she first began dating Tony. She thought it was sweet, and she was happy for her. "Bucky seems to be healing quickly" she mentioned. "You must be relieved?"

Alex glanced at Pepper shyly when she realized she'd been caught staring. "Yes, I am. It was a pretty ugly wound those first few days."

"I'm guessing his super serum helps with the healing process?"

"Definitely." Alex let her eyes wander back to Bucky, whose carefree laughter rose above the chatter in the room. Steve's face had scrunched in laughter as well, which made Alex curious as to what they could be talking about. Whatever it was, it was good to see them like this.

"He's been so happy with you. Whatever you're doing, keep it up." Pepper gave Alex a slight nudge; a small acknowledgement from woman to woman.

Alex was humbled, and took her words to heart. "Believe me, I intend to."

Pepper inhaled, then squared herself in front of Alex. "You know, what you did for Tony..." She kept her voice low, but the amount of gratefulness in her tone never waned. "I can't thank you enough for helping him like you did."

Alex was a little taken by surprise. "Oh, Pepper, it was nothing-"

"-but it was" Pepper said, politely interjecting. "I don't think you know how important it was to Tony. He fretted over asking you about it for weeks."

"Weeks?" Her surprise grew further. The thought of Tony fretting over anything, let alone over an experiment he so vehemently turned down, left her a little speechless.

Pepper nodded. "I just wanted to thank you myself. It meant a lot to us both." She smiled. "It's amazing what you can do."

Alex felt undeserving all over again. It would take time for her to get used to people finding some kind of goodness in her powers, especially after a lifetime of feeling cursed by them. As graciously as she could, Alex accepted Pepper's blessing. "Well then, you are both very welcome" she told her. "And if Tony ever decides he wants to try again..."

With a laugh, Pepper raised her flute. "I'll be sure to direct him your way."

The women shared a knowing glance and another clink of their glasses, then drank to the progress that had been made between their men.

Across the room, Bucky and Steve stood with their own champagne flutes while talking about this and that. Inevitably, Bucky's eyes wandered across the floor in search of Alex. When he saw her at the drink table speaking with Pepper, his face fell. "Uh oh."

Steve had been downing a little of his bubbly when Bucky uttered this, which lead his gaze over to the drink table. He saw the two women there, smiling over their drinks and talking. He met Bucky's expectant gaze.

"Think they're talking about us?" Bucky asked.

"Us?" Steve shook his head. "Maybe talking about you, but definitely not talking about me."

Bucky frowned. "Why just me and not you?"

Steve wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders and pointed with his glass. "See the way Alex is smiling down at her drink? See how Pepper is nudging her?" Steve facially shrugged. It was all he needed to know. "They're talking about you, pal."

Bucky blew a raspberry and took a swig of champagne. "You're crazy."

"It's what women do when they talk about their guys. They get all smiley and start telling stories about how happy they are."

"How the hell do you know?"

"I don't." Steve took a drink. "But Alex always smiles like that whenever someone mentions you, so I'm just putting one and one together here." He watched Bucky's eyebrows bend in confusion as he chanced another glance at the women. He watched them clink their glasses and laugh happily.

"Okay, maybe you're right..." Bucky conceded.

Steve pressed his lips together to try and suppress the laugh that wanted so badly to come out. "How is it that you nabbed such a cool girl with such an embarrassing lack of knowledge about women?"

"Speak for yourself, bud."

"I'm surprised you've lasted this long, to be honest."

Bucky shoved Steve in the shoulder, only to get a burst of laughter from his friend in return. Bucky continued to give him a side-eye, but even he couldn't hold his laugh back.

"I'm just dying to know what's so funny over here" Alex said, sidling up to the pair.

Both Steve and Bucky immediately composed themselves, looking uncannily like two soldiers caught doing something wrong in front of a drill sergeant.

"Stevie's just being a jerk, as usual" Bucky told her.

Alex saw his eyes shift sideways at Steve, who looked at her with feigned innocence. It would always amaze her how two century-old men would forever look and act like teenagers whenever they were together. In fact, Alex found the whole thing to be rather charming, and it showed in the smile she gave them. "You two are ridiculous."

"Affirmative" Steve answered.

A tink-tink-tinkof metal on glass could be heard. Steve, Bucky, and Alex turned their attention towards the sound as the chatter around the room slowly dwindled. They saw Tony stepping forward, rapping a fork on the glass to gather everyone's attention. The music and voices softened in curious anticipation as Tony cleared his throat. "First off, thank you all for bothering to make the trip down the hallway to be here tonight. I feel very loved."

The group chuckled, casually forming a semi-circle around Tony. He stood before his colleagues and friends, his dark eyes grazing over each one of them with admiration. "You know, I don't think we do this sort of thing often enough, which is definitely on me...But it's also not often that we have the time or the energy to do it. It's been pretty nonstop these days, fighting against the assholes of this world." He paused, tipping his chin towards Thor. "Or the assholes of other worlds, be that as it may."

Thor raised his glass with a knowing smile.

Tony's gaze lingered on the crowd before it settled on Alexis. She was standing alongside Bucky, leaning into him with his arm wrapped about her waist. A subtle smile graced her pretty face, and Tony returned it with one of his own. "But since we're lucky enough to have the time to gather here tonight, let me take a minute to raise my glass to someone I think we all appreciate a little more these days." His eyes sparkled as he lifted his flute of champagne. "That someone being Alexis Markos."

Alex straightened in surprise. She looked around the room to see the rest of the Avengers all raising their glasses in her honor, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the display. Her eyes met Bucky's, whose smile was the brightest of all. He looked at her with those stunning blue eyes, so full of love and affection and not a hint of surprise at the acknowledgement she was receiving.

When Alex turned back to Tony, he raised his glass a little higher. "You've earned your place here as an Avenger, Markos. You've also earned the right to give us shit whenever you want, because you risked a hell of a lot to save us. You've made us proud time and time over. I think I speak for all of us when I say: we're glad you're a part of this family."

The words went straight to Alex's heart, putting a mark there that would be with her forever. She found herself blinking away tears as Tony closed the toast.

"To Alexis!" he said proudly.

"To Alexis!"echoed the group.

Alex wiped away the single tear that had betrayed her and rolled down her cheek. She couldn't stop the laugh that came from her either; stunned to silence at all the eyes staring at her with a love she next expected any of them to have.

And next to her stood her soldier, his big grin lighting up his face as he turned and cupped the back of her head, drawing her in for a kiss that solidified it all. The group's voice rose in a chorus of hoots and hollers at the display of affection, their applause driving Bucky to dip Alex in his arms as he deepened the kiss. Even louder cheers rang out at the sight, causing Alex to break the kiss because she couldn't stop laughing.

Bucky held her in his arms, nuzzling his nose to hers. "I've never been prouder of you than I am right now. I hope you know that."

Alex caressed the line of his jaw, her fingertips grazing his full bottom lip. "And I've never been prouder to be your girl." She kissed him, and once again, the chorus of cheers from the Avengers standing around them was like a song of acceptance.

The music began again, and more drinks were passed around to fill those emptied by the toast. Alex stood, but remained in Bucky's arms, their eyes focused only on one another as they stood together.

"I love you, James" she told him, her voice hushed but full of affection.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you too, Alexis."

"Best team ever?" she asked with a grin.

Bucky laughed, and it filled Alex's heart with joy. "Best team ever."

...EPILOGUE...

A couple of weeks later, Bucky and Alex stood in front of an old apartment complex in the middle of Brooklyn, New York. A gentle snowfall dusted the sidewalks and the rooftops with a shimmer of white, giving the somewhat beat up looking complex a fresher appearance. It was a brick building, three stories high, and had seen better days. Although from the looks of the newly renovated stairway that lead upward to each separate story of the building, perhaps someone was finally putting some work into making the place look a little better.

The couple stood on the sidewalk facing the building, staring up at the historic brick architecture. They were eating ice cream - chocolate, to be exact - which seemed an obvious contrast to the heavy winter coats they wore and the snowflakes that fell on their shoulders.

Bucky licked at his cone, his eyes never leaving the apartment building. Next to him, Alex swallowed a bit of ice cream from her spoon. "Do you remember it?"

"I do."

Alex looked at him, hope in her brown eyes. "Really?"

Bucky smiled. "See that window, next to the stairway? That was mine and my sisters' bedroom." He gazed up at the old window and took another long lick of his ice cream. "I can't believe it's still here."

Returning her own gaze to the window, Alex tried to imagine a younger version of James. She didn't have any pictures to go off of, only her imagination, but she could almost see a little boy with large blue eyes and mussed up hair looking out that window at a world he didn't quite understand yet.

Bucky's free hand reached for Alex's, clasping it tight in his gloved hand. "Thank you for this" he told her. Tiny little flakes danced around his face, falling on his nose and his cheeks. The tenderness in his eyes spoke volumes, but he wanted her to know the true depth of his appreciation. "Thank you for everything."

Alex squeezed his hand. "You're welcome, James."

They stood there a moment longer, their fingers intwined and their gazes lingering on Bucky's old childhood home. They ate their ice cream in the middle of December and watched it snow around them, reveling in how far they both had come in just the past few months. Bucky could now remember his old house, his sisters, his parents, and what his bedroom looked like. Pieces of his past were coming back to him, and he had Alexis to thank. He had her to thank for so much of the goodness that was in his life, and he'd do everything in his power to prove his love to her and show her just how much she meant to him.

With one final look, Bucky said goodbye to his childhood home. The past would always be the past whether he remembered it or not. But now, with Alex in his life, the future meant so much more to him. He gazed down at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Together, they turned and walked away, leaving the past behind and looking ahead to a future together.

And while the future was never guaranteed, one thing remained certain: for as long as James and Alexis were together, they would be lonesome no more.

The End.

Author's (Final) Note:

And so we've come to the conclusion of the tale. I hate that it has to end because I've fallen in love with Alexis while writing this, and I've really grown fond of writing Bucky with her as well. I don't want their story to end, but it seemed like this was a good place to end this particular tale.

I honestly can't believe I've finished my very first Marvel fic. When I began this, I had very little hope. I've always written Star Wars fics and thought Marvel might be too much of a bear to handle. So many Avengers, so many voices, so many different personalities and abilities. I love Marvel, I love Bucky and the Avengers, so I figured what the hell - why not try it? And now I've finished it. I had no idea the story would receive as much love as it has, and I thank you all for that. You really were driving me to make it better than I imagined, and all your kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc. helped me to continue posting.

At the heart of this fic, my goal was to explore the psychological aspect to Bucky's past and present. I wanted to create an OC and have her eventually pair up with him, and through her point of view explore Bucky's mental state while also exploring her own. Alex was meant to be Bucky's anchor as much as he was meant to be hers. There was a reason they were able to touch one another and not have the potential repercussions that Alex had when touching anyone else. They were meant to be together from the start, and their lives would enhance equally because of it. At the beginning, both Alex and Bucky had issues with controlling themselves in their own ways. When they found one another, they realized they could help the other with those issues of control. I hope the way I wrote them reflected this well.

I've always stood by the fact that Bucky was never a monster. He was never a villain. He was a war veteran with a horrifying past that he, and only he, could overcome in time. With Alex's help, he was given the push he needed to find control, to find peace, and to find happiness. I never wanted to take that away from him. Alex was meant to compliment him, just as he was meant to compliment her. Her lack of control and her lack of confidence in her own ability to help rather than hurt was something only Bucky would understand and be able to help her achieve. Again, I hope the story conveyed this well.

Tony was right. Each Avenger has their own demons...but it's how they handle those demons and overcome their personal struggles together that defines them. And that includes Tony Stark.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my story. Thank you to all who left comments and kudos, and thank you to all those quiet observers and enjoyers out there. You have made writing this and finishing it incredibly enjoyable for me!

Also: I kind of left a few moments in there where I could totally do some follow-up oneshot stories (Bucky's Christmas gift to Alex, anyone?), if it would interest you to read? I may even do a follow-up story with Bucky and Alex in the future as well, assuming anyone would read it. I'm really not ready to let them go just yet...so even if no one read anything about them ever again from me, I might still write it. Totally self-indulgent, I know, but I'm sure you all understand. Who doesn't want to picture Bucky naked a few more times? (C'mon, I know you were all thinking it, don't pretend you weren't ;) haha)

Thanks again everyone. This has been amazingly fun!
-Winter