Warning: There's a short segment involving gore/body injury, as well as some saucy smut at the end. If you don't care for either, I understand, and hope to see you next chapter!

Chapter 57: Good

He woke to quiet and warmth.

It took a few moments to connect words to these feelings. He knew he was someone, he knew he had lived a life. A long life. But the far recesses of his mind were foggy. The haze was slowly lifting as he became fully conscious. He wasn't worried about the unknown, because it was accompanied by the feeling that things would be clear soon. He opened his eyes to see faces in front of him - small, dark faces that smiled at him with surprise and glee. Children, that was the word that came to mind as they scampered away. Somehow, he knew his face was not the same color as theirs. He sat up, taking in his surroundings. Dirt. Blanket. Bed. Words came back to him one by one, painting the picture of the world. His senses were sharp; they were not this sharp when he was born, they were sharpened by scientists. Yes, the memories were coming back now - but they didn't have the same pain as before.

Pain. He pinched the skin of his...his...leg, that was the word, the resulting feeling reminding him of what pain was. But pain didn't bother him, not really. He'd known real pain, felt real pain, lived real pain. He looked to the door, seeing the light outside. He pulled himself to his feet, dusting off his clothes. He walked out into the light, the sun warming him further. It felt good, this heat. It made it feel more real, and less like a dream. Though maybe this was a dream, he thought, spotting someone who must be an angel standing in front of him. Her face was familiar as she turned to him, a bright smile on her face.

"Hello, Sergeant Barnes." she said. He knew he knew her name, but it wasn't forming as easily as the other words. Sergeant Barnes had been his name in a past life, but it wasn't his name now. His name now was…

"Bucky." he said. Shuri, he thought, her name finally coming to him. He felt air move past them - wind - and the sounds of the water hitting the shore - waves.

"How are you feeling?" Shuri asked. He took a moment to contemplate his answer; his body felt lighter than it had in ages, his mind clear and rested. He didn't think he'd ever felt like this.

"Good." he said, and he meant it. She smiled again, gesturing for him to turn. There was a large machine behind him. An automobile.

"Come. You have much to learn." she said. He paused, looking out over the water as the sun started sinking towards the horizon. It took him a couple minutes before he could tear his eyes away from the beauty - was it always this incredible? - and follow her to the automobile. The children from earlier watched from afar, hiding behind their homes as he made eye contact with them. Animals scampered through the trees, their wings flapping as they fidgeted and flitted from branch to branch. Birds.

Don't cry, Little Bird.

The words came to him, though the context didn't. He knew he'd said them, but why?

He sat in the vehicle, copying Shuri's actions to fasten a safety belt over his torso. She tapped on a screen, pulling up someone else's face. Video.

"Yes, Princess?" the person asked. He thought he recognized him, but he couldn't be sure. There were a lot of faces in his mind, but not a lot of names.

"Where is my new best friend currently?" Shuri asked, getting the vehicle to move. It was a smooth ride, despite the uneven terrain.

"In the lab, looking over your project from yesterday. Would you like for me to get her?" he questioned. Shuri waved him off.

"No, I want to surprise her." she said, a mischievous grin on her face. She looked to Bucky again, making him smile. A joke, he was in on the joke.

His mind continued to organize itself as Shuri drove them...he didn't know where. Home was the word that usually would go there, but he was not home. Home was somewhere else. The back of his mind tingled. He could envision a little apartment, a grey couch, a soft bed with pastel sheets. But that wasn't home either. Home was...someone else? The automobile stopped before he could decide. They exited, Shuri confidently taking hold of his hand as she led him down the hallways.

"How much do you remember?" she asked. What a loaded question. He'd lived so many lives, but only some of them were on purpose. He remembered so many things, many of which he wished he could forget. But not everything.

"A good amount, I think. It's coming back." he said. He could remember the war. He could remember the Soldier. But he couldn't feel the Soldier anymore. The ominous presence in the back of his mind was gone. He wasn't weighed down with the chains Hydra had put around him anymore. He wasn't perfect, he wouldn't ever be, but at least now he could see that the deaths he'd caused were not his doing. He no longer felt like he needed to be punished, or casted out.

"Do you have a headache? Any pain?" she barely gave him time to answer before asking more questions. He didn't have a headache now, but with the never ending questions, he might.

Does it hurt?

No, not really.

"No. Everything feels fine." he said, which was mostly the truth. He had a memory of someone asking about his pain before; he hadn't wanted to trouble them. He couldn't remember the situation, and trying to think slowed his walking. Shuri tugged him as if he were a dog on a walk, getting him to stride alongside her. She walked remarkably fast for such a small person.

"Any numbness? Tingling? Does anything feel weak?" she questioned. They went down an elevator, going to a different floor. Where were they going? To the lab she mentioned before? She wanted to surprise someone; was that where they were going now?

"Everything seems to be in order." he said, once again taking mental account of his body. His shoulder ached, but his shoulder always ached. Everything else felt remarkably good. He hadn't felt this good in years. Decades. They stopped at a turn in the corridor.

"Wait here." Shuri instructed. He did as she asked, but couldn't resist peeking around the corner to see where she was going. Across the room, he could see a woman. She was beautiful, her dark hair pulled back and her brown eyes focused on the screen in front of her. She wore a short dress with a brilliant pattern, showing off the length and strength of her legs. The pull of familiarity was so strong it made his chest feel as if it were going to burst. He knew her face; it was the face he'd seen in his dreams as he slept in the warm little hut. He actually placed his hand over his sternum, his heart beating faster as he ducked back around. There was an overwhelming warmth, a pull and a joy that surprised him. He knew this feeling. He knew it.

Love.

Memories came to him then, of sharing pizzas and cups of coffee, of holding someone close while a movie played, of kisses so sweet and tender that he thought it couldn't be real. Though he wasn't next to her, he knew she smelled of flowers, knew that her hands were surprisingly strong thanks to her love of baking, knew that her mind was sharp and her heart soft. She knew about the darkness in his mind. She loved him anyway. He'd doubted that, before, because the presence in his mind told him that it was a lie, that he'd done too much wrong, that no one could feel that way about him. But now he knew she was telling the truth.

Mika. That was her name. The word felt like the first breath after nearly drowning. More and more memories came to him, and he found himself not wanting to wait for Shuri to come fetch him. He wanted to touch her, hold her, to feel the warmth of her skin against his and the beat of her heart. He wanted to hear her voice and kiss her lips and-

"Do you remember her?." Shuri appeared, giving him a conspiratory smirk. He nodded, his voice caught in his throat at the thought of being next to her again. "Let's give her a surprise then."

He let her lead him around the corner. Mika was still distracted with the screen in front of her, her brows pinched together as she tried to solve whatever puzzle was in front of her. She turned at their entrance, and the look on her face seemed to capture all the emotions that were swirling around inside of him. She stood up and moved towards them, her steps slow and unsure, as if she also thought she were dreaming. She stopped with a respectable distance between them; he wished that she weren't so far away.

"Do you…" she paused, clearing her throat of the emotion building. "Do you remember me?"

"I do." he said, his voice soft and sure. "I remember everything."

That wasn't entirely true, but it was true enough. He reached out to her then, and she nearly lept on him, her arms going around his shoulders as he crushed her to his chest with his one. She still smelled like flowers, though it was slightly different now. But her skin was still soft, her embrace still tight. She was trying very hard not to cry and failing miserably, her tears wetting the cloth of his shirt.

"I missed you." she said, mumbling in Romanian. He'd forgotten he knew that language, but it felt right to hear her speak it. "I missed you so much."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here." he said back. She finally pulled away, just far enough to rest her forehead against his. "How long was I gone?"

"Almost two weeks." she replied. "A lot has happened."

"Are you alright?" he asked immediately. So much could have happened in that amount of time; he subtly ran his hand over her back and her hip, checking for injuries.

"I'm fine." she said, her hands going to his cheeks and gently stroking them with her thumbs. "And you? Are you alright?"

"I'm great." he said. Now that the pleasantries were out of the way, he found he couldn't wait any longer. His hand went to the back of her head, finally pulling her in for a kiss. He remembered how it was to kiss her before, but God, this was incredible. His enhanced senses used to overwhelm him, but now he could kiss her without hesitance or fear. It was enthralling, addictive, everything it was supposed to be. He wanted to kiss her and kiss her until the end of his days. And while she was surprised at first, she easily sank into the kiss, her hands tugging him as close as he could get as her lips moved against his.

"Ahem." someone cleared their throat, and while Mika's initial reaction was to jump back like a teenager caught doing something she wasn't supposed to, Bucky's grip was strong, his one arm holding her tight to him still. She snuck a look over her shoulder; thank goodness it was only Shuri, and not the King. "Sorry to interrupt, but Bucky, we need to address your shoulder so I can finish your new prosthesis. I promise after that I will leave you alone." her voice carried a meaning that her words did not, and neither Mika nor Bucky could find it in themselves to try and scramble for an excuse.

"Yes, Princess." Bucky said softly, and Mika bit back the groan of frustration that she wanted to let out. She finally, finally, had Bucky back, and now there was another hoop for them to jump through. She immediately felt guilty at the thought; Shuri had already done so much for them, and only wanted to make sure that he was healthy and happy. She shouldn't be frustrated, she should be grateful. She did, however, refuse to let go of Bucky's hand, following them into the medical bay. Shuri sat him down in a chair, pulling off the cloth that was covering his left arm. He turned to Mika.

"I don't know what's underneath it." he said quietly. He was nervous to have the silver removed, knowing that with the pain that had been nearly constant all this time, there was no way it was going to look good. It had been almost eighty years since he'd seen his own arm, and even then it was a brief, feverish moment when he woke while they were shaping the stump.

"Then Shuri really needs to get it off then, hm?" she said, pulling up a stool next to him and taking his hand in hers. He looked relieved that she was staying with him, though he hoped whatever was there wouldn't send her running. Mika looked to Shuri, who was readying a tray of various medical equipment that looked far more sleek and efficient than anything she'd seen before. The Princess had a serious look on her face, taking her tools and putting her sharp eyes on Bucky.

"Are you ready?" she asked. He nodded, his face as calm as ever. His fingers grasped Mika's ever so slightly, the only sign that he was anxious. She held his hand steadily, putting her other hand between her knees so that no one could see how it was shaking. Shuri went to work then, using some sort of laser to slowly, inch by inch, break apart the thick scar tissue holding on to the last bit of Hydra. He expected pain, or to smell burning, but surprisingly neither arose. The laser felt sharp, yes, but it moved so quickly and the tissue holding onto the silver arm was so thick that there was very little sensation in it. The last bit broke apart with a soft pop, and she put her tools down on the table before gingerly taking hold of the arm. They all held their breath as she pulled it away, the silver separating from his body with a sickening squelch.

Shuri had mentioned before that her scans picked up on an infection underneath the prosthetic, but whatever her readings had said before, they had vastly underestimated. Bucky grimaced and let out the lowest growl of pain as thin silver threads slid out from the interior of his arm, the ends of them stained with his blood and the tops of them beginning to rust. Shreds of tissue hung from his shoulder, and while at one point they could probably tell what was muscle or nerve or bone, it was so covered in deep yellow infection and thick black necrotic tissue that most of it was unrecognizable. On the short flap of skin hanging over his shoulder, Mika could barely see the black point of the tattooed star. Bucky had told her once that his shoulder didn't really hurt, and at that time, she had the feeling he was lying. Now she knew that for sure.

She'd seen plenty of infections on her medical dramas, so at first she was able to tolerate it. But no one ever talks about the smell. She tried to keep a straight face and hold her breath as it hit her, a stench unlike anything she'd ever encountered before in her life. It made her stomach roll and her eyes prickle, but she stayed right next to him, holding his hand. Shuri kept an impressively straight face, analyzing the arm in front of her before reaching for different tools.

"I think...it'll be tough, but I think I can save some of this." she said, taking a probe and gently touching the tissue in front of her. Bucky shook his head.

"It's not worth it. Just take it off." he said shortly. He was tired of trying to fight everything they'd done to him, tired of trying to salvage himself from the pieces they left behind. Shuri had cut everything out of his head, it was time to cut the rest of it out as well. She looked surprised at his statement, but Mika really wasn't. Now that she knew how much it probably hurt him, she agreed; it was better to just be done with it.

"Are you sure?" Shuri asked, her hands pausing. She didn't like not fixing something, but Bucky thought that this was beyond fixing.

"Yes. Please, just take it off." he said. He tried to rotate the joint, but without the assistance of the metal arm, the muscles no longer knew how to work properly, the shoulder shifting and pinching painfully. He shook his head again; it was time to let it go.

"Very well." she said, putting down her tools and picking up a tablet. She punched in a few things before removing a bead from her bracelet. Lines of code glowed blue on it for a moment, and Bucky and Mika both wondered exactly what this would have to do with the amputation.

"You may not want to watch this." Bucky said. The minimal memories he had of the initial amputation were traumatic enough, and while he trusted Shuri infinitely more than those psychopathic doctors, he still didn't want her to go through it. She grabbed his hand with both of hers, scooting her stool closer to his seat.

"I'm not leaving you." she said, her eyes fierce. She'd seen him reset his own ankle and relocate his own shoulder, she'd seen him punched and kicked and hurt; she could handle the gore of it, or at least pretend enough. But she'd also lost him and gotten him multiple times over the past couple weeks, and she was not about to let go again. His jaw went slack at her statement. In his head, he knew how much they meant to each other, but it still surprised him exactly how much she cared for him. Before, he felt undeserving of this affection. Now he still didn't feel like he was good enough for her, but it wasn't the debilitating sense that it was before.

"It should be fine." Shuri piped up, reminding them that she was still there. The bead, now ready, was inserted into the flesh of Bucky's remaining limb. It felt cool, and while he could feel it moving through the minimal arm left, it didn't hurt. It just felt extremely weird. It reached a certain point and stopped, a low whirring sounding from his shoulder. They all silently watched and listened, Bucky and Mika unsure of what was going on and Shuri just idly waiting for her tech to do its work. He felt the coolness start to spread through his shoulder in a line, and he realized that the little bead was actually performing the amputation from the inside out. It reached the very bottom layer of his skin and spread down, salvaging the remaining tissue to cover the wound. It beeped twice, and Shuri easily removed the damaged tissue, depositing it in a biohazard bag while the bead pulled his skin together and stitched it up. Between the technology and his advanced healing capabilities, there was nothing but a small scar where it all came together after it was finished, the bead popping out into Shuri's waiting hand. His old scars over his chest were still there, but they no longer felt like they were inhibiting his breathing. The skin over his shoulder was smooth, and for the first time in nearly eighty years, he didn't have any pain.

"God. Thank you. Thank you so much." he breathed, letting go of Mika's hand to pull Shuri in for a hug. She made a noise of surprise before putting her arms around him, holding him tight.

"Of course. I'm glad you're feeling better." she said, laughing. It occurred to Mika that the girl had no idea exactly what she'd done, or how much she'd helped Bucky. She'd literally undone decades worth of pain and torture, all in a couple weeks. He ran his hand over what was left of his shoulder, the skin unbroken and nonpainful. Amazing. "Now, I'll have to see you tomorrow for your new prosthetic, but other than that, you're good to go. I'm sure Mika is dying to show you your new home."

"My new…" he looked to Mika, who was looking at him with such a loving smile that his heart skipped a beat. When he turned back to Shuri, she was grinning like she was very proud of a secret. "I don't know what to say, Princess. I don't know how to thank you."

"It was my pleasure." she said, pulling off her gloves and standing up. "Now, off you go. I daresay you've left Mika alone for long enough."

"Thank you again, Shuri." Mika said, and the princess waved her off.

"Of course. I will see you two tomorrow." she said, giving them a grin. Mika took Bucky by the hand, and with one last look at the princess, they left the lab.

They could have taken a vehicle out to the little cottage built into the side of the hill, but Mika wanted to give Bucky some time to adjust, and to see the city. She knew the streets they needed to go now, and led him easily through. His eyes roamed over everything, trying to take in all the details at once of the city around him. It was quiet as they reached the farm to market road, the wide gravel path easy to follow as the sun started dipping below the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant mix of orange and pink and purple. Bucky looked over at Mika, who shone a warm gold in the diminishing sunlight, and thought he'd never seen anyone more beautiful in his life.

The cottage, now filled with furniture and decorations that Shuri had enthusiastically picked out for them, instantly felt like home. But perhaps that was just because of who was there with him. Mika held his hand as she showed him the kitchen and living room, the training room and the guest room ("for when Captain Rogers comes to visit!" Shuri had exclaimed), finally ending with their new bedroom, the balcony overlooking the fields and the little dilapidated barn down below. He leaned against the railing, taking in the view of it all. Mika stood next to him, and he put his arm around her and tucked her into his side, pressing a kiss to her head. He hadn't felt this right in a long time.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, rubbing his back in a comforting manner. He'd been through such an ordeal over the past couple weeks, but now he looked like an enormous weight had been lifted from him.

"Good." he said, meaning it. He could feel her heart beating against his side, strong and sure. He knew they'd have to have a conversation about the future, about what the plan was, but that could wait for tomorrow. Tonight, he just wanted to be with her. "Do you have my bag?"

"The black one? Yes, it's in here." she said, peeling herself away and going inside. He followed her in, taking a seat on the edge of the bed as she went to the closet and retrieved his bag, bringing it back to him. She sat down next to him as he dug through it, bypassing the clothing and the weapons and instead pulling out that blasted red journal. He didn't want to do this, didn't want to think about what would happen if it went wrong, but he couldn't come here and sleep beside her if he wasn't sure it was safe. He thumbed through the journal to the page marked "activation," taking a deep breath before handing it over to her.

"I need you to read that list." he said, for once glad that she knew Russian. Her eyes flitted over the words, her brows pinched together as she tried to make sense of them. She looked over at the next page, and realized what she was holding.

"Bucky, what is this?" she asked, her voice uncertain.

"I trust the princess with my life, but I have to be sure. I have to know for a fact that you will never, ever, meet the Winter Soldier again." he said. He wanted to touch her, kiss her, hold her, sleep by her and live with her for the rest of his life. But he could not do that with that uncertainty lingering in the back of his mind. She nodded, understanding what he wanted, and why he wanted it.

"And what happens if…" she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, to dare doubt all the work Shuri had done to help them.

"I won't hurt you. I'll listen to you." he assured her. Ready to comply. She nodded ran her eyes over the words again, practicing them in her head before reading aloud.

"Longing. Rusted. Seventeen." she read slowly, her voice soft. He waited for the tingle in the back of his head, the shots of pain to go through his brain. "Daybreak. Furnace. Nine." Still nothing. No numbness, no heaviness, no feeling like he was descending into nothing. "Benign. Homecoming. One. Freight car."

Nothing. Still nothing. He felt a joy he didn't ever remember feeling before, and a relief that could move mountains. "Bucky?" Mika asked softly. He looked at her, his heart burning at the look of concern on her face. She wasn't afraid of him. She wasn't afraid at all.

He moved quickly them, pulling her to him and pressing his lips against hers. She hesitated for a half a beat before kissing him back, her hands running up his chest and into his hair. The loose bun the kids had tied it into fell away, letting her fingers tangle into it unhindered. Their kisses started as deep and hesitant, but they quickly became hot and feverish. He put his arm around her, tugging her until she moved so that she was straddling his lap. His hand traveled over her back, her leg, her hip, her ass, pulling her so she was flush against his chest as his lips moved from hers to her neck, eliciting a gasp and a tighter grip in his hair.

"Do you want-" he meant to ask, make sure, but she interrupted him.

"I want everything you want." she said, adjusting her position and slightly rolling her hips against his. He groaned at the contact, his face going skyward for a moment as he whispered,

"Oh thank God." Mika took that moment to lay her lips against the scruff of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine as she untied the shawl covering his arm. The first time they'd slept together, it had been amazing, but he'd had to take a breath at every step to make sure he wasn't hurting her or overwhelming himself. He'd had to hold himself back. But this time, he didn't have his fear weighing him down.

He slid his hand under her tunic as she unbuttoned his, both of them floundering as they tried to get the offending pieces of clothing off as quickly as possible. He had a mind to just rip hers, but figured that may be frowned upon later when she was one shirtdress short of her very limited wardrobe. He wasn't sure if the Wakandans intended for her to wear the tunic as a dress, but he didn't mind it. He didn't mind it one bit. He pulled one side of her bra down, exposing just enough for his lips to find the most sensitive area and pay attention to it. He could feel her fingertips digging into his shoulders at the ministrations, her heart hammering against her ribs. After a moment, she pulled away with a groan, making him look at her in confusion.

"Alright?" he asked, afraid for the briefest moment that she had changed her mind. But the thought didn't seize him like it usually did, and it passed as soon as he saw the look on her face. She was alright, she wouldn't be here if she wasn't.

"Oh yes." she said, her hands going to his pants and unbuttoning them. Her bra still hung half off, and she didn't care to fix it. He lightly reached for the clasp and flicked it open, allowing it to fall away. "I've just missed you, and I intend to show you exactly how much."

He let out a breath at the thought, and the sight in front of him. "You know, I had the same plan." he replied, his voice low and raspy. He wanted to do all her favorite things until she was singing his name to the high heavens, but it seemed she wanted to go first. She moved off his lap, tugging at his waistband until he stood enough for her to drag the pants down. He didn't mind being the first one naked, especially when she sat him back down and sank to her knees in front of him.

"Hm, great minds think alike." she said, her hand going to him and making him take a sharp breath. He was not ashamed that his body was already responding to their activities; he didn't mind her knowing how badly he wanted this. He'd been asleep, dreaming of her for what felt like years, and now he was finally with her again. She looked up at him through her lashes. "Is this something you want?"

It was very kind of her, really, to remember his hesitation before and to check in with him. The gesture made his heart burn with affection for her, and he put a hand to her cheek and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss. "Please." he said, when he pulled back. What would this be like now, without his deep rooted concern about vulnerability?

She gave him a seductive smile. "As you wish." she said, and without any further pause, took him into her mouth. He closed his eyes at the sensation, letting out a long breath and a low groan. She worked with her hands and her tongue, making his pulse race and his toes curl. His hand went to her hair, gently pushing it back so he could see her face. The vision gave him a visceral reaction, and he could feel her smirking around him; she knew exactly what she was doing to him. She took in a little more of him, intensifying the feelings. He leaned back, reaching with an arm that wasn't there anymore and ending up falling against the mattress. She laughed then, the vibrations of it making his back arch and him say, "Fuck, Mika."

She took that as encouragement, and made her movements a little faster. Fuck this felt amazing. Incredibly amazing. Too amazing. He let her go as long as possible, loving the way it felt, but knowing that it was about to come to an abrupt end if he didn't stop. He sat up and pushed her away, trying to get control of his breathing as she grinned like a Cheshire cat. He took her hand and pulled her up to him, kissing her neck and her cheeks before finally landing on her lips for a long, deep kiss.

"I love you." he murmured against her skin, and she kissed him again before saying,

"I love you too." His arm went around her waist, and she giggled as he picked her up and tossed her unceremoniously onto the bed. She laid on her back, her arms stretched over her head as she watched him turn and walk on his knees towards her. She spread her legs, and he moved between them before putting his hand down next to her head and going to kiss at her neck again. She hummed, her thighs rubbing against his waist as she fidgeted. He listened to her silent requests, his kisses moving down to her chest, then her stomach, then her thighs. It was a little harder to pull off her underwear with one hand, but he made it work before returning to his original position. He looked up to ask her for consent, but she didn't give him the chance, her hand going to his hair and directing his head exactly where she wanted it. He obliged, putting his lips to her and immediately running his tongue over the spot she would appreciate most.

"Oh my God." she said, her voice muffled by a hand over her mouth. Her legs twitched with every motion his tongue made, the hand that wasn't covering her mouth clutching the sheets. He thought she tasted amazing before, but now...now she was a goddamn delicacy. And he wanted her to know that.

"Let me hear you." he said, and she could barely whine at his stopping before he started again. This time, she let out a louder moan, remembering how he said he wouldn't mind certain noises. The first time he'd done this, she thought this was it, the best time of her life. But clearly, his aim was to outdo himself, and he was definitely succeeding.

"God, Bucky, yes!" she exclaimed, though she didn't know if he could hear her since she was squeezing his head with her legs. She relaxed them down, her abs immediately tensing instead at the things he was doing. If he wanted to hear her, then by God he would hear her. "Yes, yes, yes, don't stop, don't stop-!"

He wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. He changed his angle ever so slightly, eliciting a loud gasp and an even louder, "Fuck!" He took this to be a good sign, and stayed in that spot, holding her hip and working his tongue until her breath was ragged and her hand was tight in his hair.

"I'm close, I'm so close," she gasped out, hoping that he would keep going - which, of course, he did. He didn't stop until she was moaning his name and arching off the bed, every muscle of her body tensing as she reached her peak. And he didn't stop when she collapsed against the bed, keeping up until she was tensing again and falling silent, his name barely hanging on her lips. He then gave her a reprieve, crawling up her body to give her a sound kiss.

"I missed that." he murmured, pressing soft kisses to her cheeks. "Told you I missed you."

"Me too." she agreed, still sounding wrecked. She bent her legs up, rubbing against his. "But I wouldn't mind a little more."

"Something else we have in common." he said, laying flush against her. He didn't have the reservations he did before; he wanted this, he knew she wanted this, and he knew that he wouldn't hurt her. Bruises were just bruises. He slowly pushed into her, and she let out a low noise of pleasure as he did so. His arm was underneath her, propping him up just enough so he could start a steady rhythm. His face was buried in her neck, her name and a plethora of curses tumbling from his lips and into her hair. She was holding onto him tightly with legs and hands and every other part of her body, revelling in the feeling of holding him close again. She knew she'd missed him terribly, but wasn't aware until just now exactly how much.

"I'm not...I won't last much longer." he admitted, though unwilling to alter his pace. His mind was whirring, trying to figure out how he could maintain his leverage and slip his one hand between them to further her along. It was as if she read his mind; she didn't care right now about herself, she only wanted him to feel as good as she had moments before. She clutched him closer to her, murmuring encouragement into his ear that made him moan and his rhythm stutter as he fell off the edge, his hand dropping to her hip to hold onto her as he finished.

He laid there as the dust settled, allowing his full weight to rest on her as they both tried to catch their breath. It seemed so right, to be lying here with her like this. He knew he loved her before, knew he wanted to be with her forever, but now it actually seemed attainable. Now, he wasn't having to hold a piece of himself back, and didn't feel like he was constantly playing the defense with his own mind. He could just breathe again, and live. With Mika.

Bucky rolled off of her, and she let out a contented sigh, laying with her legs splayed for a few moments before getting up to go to the restroom. He remembered the first night they'd spent together like this; he'd felt the need to get dressed, and his training had told him to evacuate. But tonight, he just put his hand behind his head and waited for her to return. She did a few minutes later, still wearing nothing but a smile as she laid with her head on his shoulder and intertwined their legs.

"Alright?" she asked. He put his arm around her, squeezing her to him and kissing the top of her head.

"Fucking brilliant." he replied, making her laugh and hug him tighter. Used to, he was always unusually warm. And while he still ran a little warmer than her, now that his body wasn't perpetually fighting the infection in his arm, he was a little closer to normal.

"Me too." she said, pressing a kiss to his chest. She reached up, running her fingers over the scars of his shoulder. "You lied to me."

"Oh? When was that?" he asked, though he an inkling to what she was referring.

"I asked you once if your shoulder hurt." she reminded him, her fingers still massaging the scars. "And you told me no."

"If I remember correctly, I said 'not really.' It's all relative." he said, tracing little circles on her shoulder. He could feel the scathing look she was sending towards him, but when he looked down at her, her gaze softened.

"Does it hurt now?" she asked. He paused for a moment, taking inventory of his body.

"Not one bit." he replied. For once, nothing hurt, not his mind, nor his body, nor his soul. Everything felt good.

And here, with Mika under his arm and the warm breeze blowing through the open balcony door, everything felt right.

Finally! Reunion! I hope y'all don't mind things getting a little saucy - I try not to be overly descriptive, but I do like smut cause I like to show the relationship/communication. Also it's ridiculous, which is always fun.

Fair warning, I probably won't be able to update next weekend. I'm taking a massive professional exam a week from tomorrow, so unless I'm somehow able to actually manage my time wisely for once this week, I won't be able to study and write.

Thank y'all so much for the reviews! I can honestly say that they make all the work I put into this worth it, and I love love love hearing y'all's opinions on everything. We've finally made it through the drama, so I hope y'all are ready for some nice domestic fluff before we hit the clusterfuck of Infinity War!

I hope you liked this chapter, please let me know what you thought!

-XM