A few days later…

You were filling up balloons while Wanda and Nat were hanging the streamers and setting the party food out. Bucky and Sam were keeping Steve busy while you worked. They took him to his favorite pizza place for lunch, then out to a movie. You had invited everyone. There was those of you that lived in the compound of course, then there was Tony and Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Fury, Coulson and Hill, although you weren't sure if they were going to come or not. You wished Thor could be here but you knew he was dealing with his own stuff on Asgard.

Rhodey was outside manning the grill on the patio near the pool, cooking all of Steve's favorites. There were burgers and dogs of course, but he had also thrown on some ribs and wings. Cooking for this many people, including two super soldiers, was a big job, but Rhodey was more than happy to take it on. There was probably enough booze to kill everyone, but then again, you needed a lot on hand with Steve and Bucky. You did have a bottle of Asgardian mead stashed in your room for them. You backed up, surveying the kitchen and living room. It looked pretty damn good. The only tacky thing you had done was order a cake in the shape of is Shield, but even it looked amazing.

You placed your gifts for Steve on the coffee table, which had been pushed back against the fireplace, and went to change. You pulled out your bathing suit a dark red halter bikini, throwing it on before grabbing some jean shorts and a Metallica t-shirt, something Tony had gotten for you not long after you'd met. Pulling your hair up in a bun on top of your head, you put some gloss on before heading back out to the living room, and checking your phone to see a text from Bucky that they'd be home in about ten minutes.

Steve was definitely surprised when he came home. You were proud. Everyone yelled 'Surprise' and Steve actually jumped, earning a giant grin from you. Steve was mingling with party guests as you passed cheese to Rhodey for the burgers. It wasn't unbearably hot, but hot enough that you had taken off the t-shirt you'd been wearing, revealing your swimsuit top. You kept catching Bucky looking at you from where he was sitting on a pool chair, drinking a beer. You grabbed some sunscreen and walked over to him, standing over him just enough to give him shade. "See something you like Barnes?" You teased.

Bucky grinned up at you. "Maybe. Can't help it doll. You're beautiful." You chuckled and sat down with your back facing him. "Put lotion on me so I don't burn?" He nodded and you felt his hand on your shoulder, causing you to moan slightly, leaning your head down, loving the feel of his strong hand on your body. When he was finished, you turned to tell him thanks, but were met with his lips instead, pulling you into a soft kiss. You smiled against his mouth, happy that he felt confident enough to kiss you in front of everyone.

"Do you wanna get in the pool with me?" You asked him in a playful tone. He looked down for a second, pulling at the towel you were sitting on. "I can't really get my arm wet doll." You frowned for a second, knowing that he probably wouldn't want to be seen without his shirt on anyway. "Hey, that doesn't mean that you can't go have fun Ally. I'm sure I'll enjoy watching." He said with a wink. Your mouth opened and then closed, not expecting the innuendo to come from Bucky's mouth. You got up and winked at him, before heading to the cooler to grab a beer.

You were leaving with your elbows on the bar, smiling at Steve talking with Sam. He looked so light and carefree at the moment, and that's all you wanted for your best friend. You wanted this for him, right now, because soon it would all go to shit and he would carry the weight of the world of his shoulders. Tony sidled up next to you, nursing his own drink, whiskey no doubt. "You look deep in thought there buttercup." He said. You sighed and nodded. "Just thinking about what's coming." You told him.

"Is it bad?" He asked. You nodded. "It could be. If I can't fix it." Tony sighed and put his arm around your shoulder, making you relax a little. You loved Tony like a dad, and maybe he reminded you a little of Alpha, but for whatever reason, this crazy, genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist kept you grounded. "It's gonna be okay buttercup. Just you wait and see." You threw him a smile, but you didn't see him take your phone out of your pocket, or protest when he took your beer from you, only realizing what was happening when he had you in his arms bridal style and was walking toward the pool.

"Tony, don't you dare." You warned.

"Too late buttercup." He said, before throwing you into the pool. You surfaced to see him grinning wildly at you. "I'll get you back for this Tony." You told him. He winked. That motherfucker winked. Oh, I'll get him back.

You ended up in a game of chicken with Sam and Nat, you on Steve's shoulders. Thank God for Steve's strong grip, or Nat would have knocked you over first. You also beat Wanda and Pietro, announcing yourself the reigning champs. "I think they let us win." Steve said as he let you off his shoulders. You shrugged. "Well, it would be mean to beat an old man." You said, laughing at Steve's open mouth. You pulled a towel around yourself and walked back over to Bucky, sitting down and kissing him. "Did you like the show?" You asked. He nodded and looked down. "Hey, what's wrong?" You asked, taking his metal hand in yours.

"I should have been in the pool with you." He said softly. Your heart broke. "Oh Bucky, I'm sorry." He shook his head, looking up at you. "You don't have anything to be sorry for doll."

Steve loved the paints and sketchpads you bought him. You hadn't seen him be artistic in a while, so you hoped this would bring him back into it. Bucky had gotten him a new leather jacket, and he got several other amazing gifts, including a weekend getaway to Tony's family cabin on the lake.

Everyone had broken out the booze and you were all playing drinking games, even getting Bucky to sit down and play with you. After losing to poker twice, Rhodey left, and Happy followed suit. Tony and Pepper left not long after, Tony whining the whole time. Everyone started trickling, or in some cases like Sam and Wanda, stumbling, leaving you, Steve and Bucky in the living room. Steve was quite tipsy, as were you, and you could even see a blush in Bucky's cheeks.

"Thank you both for today, this was amazing." Steve told you. You smiled and hugged him. "Anytime handsome. You should get to sleep." You told him. He nodded and ruffled your hair, swaying only a little when he stood. You looked back over to Bucky, who was smiling at you. An idea stuck your head and you stood up abruptly, holding out your hand for his to take. You led him back outside to the pool, turning off all the lights so that only the lights on the inside of the pool illuminated the yard. You turned to Bucky and ran your hands just underneath his shirt, feeling him shiver under your touch. "Can I?" You asked, tugging on his shirt. He closed his eyes and nodded, letting you pull the shirt over his head. His chest and torso were riddled with scars, the once beautiful perfect skin you last saw now gone. You placed your hands on his chest, running over every scar, replacing your hand with your mouth along the way. Tears came to your eyes as you realized how he must feel about himself, being vulnerable like this. His hands were shaky as he held them on your hips, his breath catching every time you kissed a scar.

"I'm so sorry Bucky." You whispered. He placed a finger under your chin, pulling your face up to look up at him. "This isn't your fault Ally. Please don't apologize. You found me. You brought me back. Just like you promised." You nodded and leaned your head against his chest, slowing your breaths down. You looked back up at him, kissing him softly, running your hand over his scarred shoulder and down his metal arm, lacing your fingers with his.

"How would you feel about taking this off and getting in the pool with me?" You whispered against his lips. His eyes widened as he looked down at his arm then at the pool. "I think I'd like that." You smiled and watched in curiosity as he reached up onto his shoulder and turned his arm until you heard a pop and pulled it out of the socket. You took it from him and laid it on the chair, taking his other hand and leading him down the steps of the pool after shucking off your shorts.

You gasped at how much cooler the water had gotten now that it was dark. You turned to Bucky and led him over to the ledge, leaning back against it. "How does it feel?" You asked him. He glanced at his shoulder and back at you. "It's heavy sometimes, and other times it hurts. This feels nice, to have it off, to rest." He told you.

"You know, you don't always have to wear it when we're together Bucky. If you need a break from it, I'm okay with that." You told him. He smiled and leaned down to kiss you, snaking his remaining hand around your waist, pulling you closer. Your hands found their way to the back of his neck, deepening the kiss. You weren't sure if it was the alcohol or Bucky's body heat but you felt like you were on fire. His hand was tugging on your skin and it had you moaning into his mouth.

You decided to be brave and slide your hand down to palm his already half hard length. He gasped at the touch and his head went to your neck, biting and kissing along your collarbone. "Doll…" He whispered against your skin. You shivered and smiled. "Do you want me to stop?" You asked, stilling your movements. He shook his head, but you wanted to be sure. "I need to hear you say it Bucky."

"No doll, please don't stop." You smiled and slid your hand inside his swim trunks, pulling him out completely. You were not disappointed. You went to work with your hand, watching him put his right against the pool, steading himself, his mouth latching on to your shoulder, moaning out your name. He pulled back and looked down at you, pupils blown with lust. "Let's go back to your room." He almost growled at you, and you gulped, feeling heat rush directly in between your legs.

Once back in your room, after making sure his shoulder socket was dry and getting his arm back on, he picked you up, putting your legs around his waist, shutting your door behind him. He laid you down on the bed and hovered over you for a second, hesitant in his movements. "Hey, we don't have to do anything you don't want to do." You told him, placing your hand on the side of his face. He turned into your palm, kissing it, before placing kisses down your chest and stomach. "Is it okay if I play a little?" He asked you and your mouth dropped open. He looked like freaking sex on a stick from where he was leaning in between your legs. You nodded and he smirked, pulling your swim bottoms off.

He started kissing your knee, then trailing down your thigh, skipping over your middle, to do the same to your other leg. He settled in between your legs, and pulled your hip over his shoulder, placing a kiss to your center. You gasped and threw your head back, closing your eyes. You had never done this with him before, you had only ever had sex, and the way his tongue was working you was making you wish that you had. "Oh God Bucky." You whispered.

"Look at me doll." He commanded, and you almost came right then. You leaned up on your elbows and watched his sinful tongue come out of his mouth and swirl around your clit. You tugged your bottom lip in between your teeth to stop you from screaming. He began drawing lazy circles all over you, never taking his eyes off yours. Your breath quickened and you knew you were almost there. "Come on doll, let go for me." And you did, arching your back, letting your head fall back on the mattress, writhing as his tongue worked you through your orgasm.

You tried to catch your breathing, opening your eyes when you felt Bucky leaning over you. He was smiling down at you. "Was that okay?" He asked. You nodded, leaning up to kiss him, reaching your hand down into his trunks to return the favor, but he stopped you.

You tilted your head in confusion. "This was about you doll. Besides, I can only handle one thing at a time. You nodded and ran your thumb over his lip. "I love you Ally." He whispered. You froze. What the hell did he just say?

"I know I don't remember everything about you or our relationship, but one thing has become very clear to me over the past week. I love you. I can feel how much I loved you then, and I love you so much now." Tears were falling down your face as you leaned in to kiss him. You weren't sure he would ever say those words to you again, and he just did.

"I love you too Bucky. I love you so much."