Wow! I am so blown away by all your kind reviews! Once again, you have inspired me to once again write a chapter which I am so, so excited to share with you. I don't know what you're all saying to get me to write this well, but it's certainly working!
Thank you! And please enjoy this chapter which I loved writing due to the fact I know all the tension will torture you all. ;) It's even driving me crazy, honestly.
Chapter XXI
Bucky was shaking by the time he had landed safely. There was a moment where he was positive his parachute was about to be shot down but he barely had time to think about that.
He had never imagined himself jumping out of an airplane. Especially given how terrified he was when they took off. But as soon as it came down to it, his instincts took over and he knew he had to get Lucy off that plane. Adrenaline had coursed through his body, and he had kissed her in a split second decision.
He didn't even plan or think about it. Like a memory or an instinct, he felt like he needed to do it. He figured if they were going to die, he had to at least do it once.
The reaction she had afterward was almost worth it. Her jaw was practically on the floor, and he could hear her screaming "Barnes!" angrily after he pushed her out of the plane. The relief Bucky felt when he saw her chute finally go up was unlike anything he had ever felt. And as she drifted along in the wind, he allowed himself to think of their kiss.
Her hair had been wild in her face, and her tears streamed down her cheeks. Fear was present in her eyes, and Bucky was scared that would be the last time he ever saw her. He moved forward and harshly captured her lips, feeling her shock as he did so. When he pulled away he saw her red face as he continued grasping her shoulders.
He didn't even know he pushed her until he heard her angrily screaming his last name. Dugan was the only one left on the plane besides the pilots and he only chuckled before yelling over the blistering, violent, wind, "You know she's gonna kill you, right?"
Bucky laughed and then yelled, "I know!" Before swallowing his fear and jumping out of the plane himself. His adrenaline was pumping so hard he didn't even notice that he jumped out of a goddamn plane. In any other circumstances, he would have been losing his mind in a panic, but he was so concerned for Lucy's safety that he didn't even have time for it.
Instead, Bucky drifted peacefully once he deployed his parachute and allowed the wind to carry him where he saw the rest of his crew was landing. When he finally got into the thick trees, his chute snagged on a branch and Bucky had to cut himself loose while somehow trying not to fall.
He climbed down the tree, only then realizing his fear of heights. Bucky breathed deeply in and out the entire time through his nose and realized his adrenaline must have been fading. He hung onto the tree like a cat, clawing at it for dear life. His heart pounded and somehow he managed to get himself down, his rifle still around his back and a small backpack also strapped to him.
He immediately found Dugan, who wasn't far behind him. They were quiet as they wandered through the woods, knowing that the enemy could likely be lurking had taken almost half an hour to find the remaining men from their plane. Gabe Jones had been hiding, on the lookout for them, and pulled his gun on Dugan when he didn't recognize him.
"Hold your fire! It's me, you idiot!" Dugan hissed with his hands up, "When was the last time you saw a Fritz this handsome?"
"Oh, thank Christ!" Gabe exclaimed, relief flooding him. He had a large scratch on his cheek, but nothing to worry about.
"You find everyone else?" Bucky asked, looking around and seeing how many of his men began to pop out from their hiding spots. He looked at each one and counted them in his head.
One. Two. Three. Four. Wait… Why was there only four? There should have been five not including him and Dugan.
Panic settled into Bucky's soul, "Where's Lucy?" He looked around doing a full 360 and madly searching for her.
"Thought she was with you." Was all Gabe said, looking concerned and also searching.
"Shit!" Bucky hissed as fear raced through him. He felt terror grip him, and the familiar feeling of what he experienced as she laid in her arms with a piece of shrapnel impaled into her ribs returned.
"Lucy!" He couldn't help but yell as he took off in a run through the bushes.
His men yelled at him to shut up, shushing him, and even cursing at him, but Bucky didn't care. Let the Germans find him. He had to find her, no matter what. He couldn't stand the idea of her being hurt, or scared, or alone.
Bucky ran as fast as he could to where he assumed he had seen her drop. He had lost sight of her near the end, but he knew she couldn't have been far.
Deep down he knew she could take care of herself. She wasn't a damsel in distress, but after seeing her in the plane with so much fear, and after seeing her bleeding out after the bombing; Bucky knew he had to find her.
"Lucy!" He yelled again, crashing through the thick brush. Branches hit him in the face and he nearly tripped on a couple of roots but he didn't care. All he cared about was finding her. "Lucy!" Bucky yelled again, not caring if anyone heard him.
Not only did he worry about her because he cared for her. But their main objective was to keep her safe so she could find the object that she was after. She still hadn't informed them just what they were looking for, but Bucky assured she was likely the only person who would know where it was and how to get it.
"Lucy!" He yelled once more, now desperate. His eyes flashed everywhere at once, searching for any sign of her.
"I'm here!" He heard a distinctly female voice yell and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It felt like he had been underwater the entire time, and just then could finally breathe.
Bucky ran to where he heard her yell, and he was the first one to burst out of the thicket.
He reached a clearing in which he found a lake. Lucy was coming forward, soaked as could be and still dragging her heavy, wet, parachute behind her. Her uniform was soaked, and her hair plastered all over her face, she looked on the verge of collapse and was panting heavily as she came forward in the water.
"Oh, thank God!" He breathed out relief as he rushed to her, not even caring that he was getting his boots and the bottom of his pants wet. He saw how badly she was shaking from the cold water, which he had to admit was a shock to his system as well.
Lucy's teeth chattered and he saw how her lips were blue. He ran forward to her, breaking past the heavy water as fast as he could, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He needed to know she was alright.
"Am I alright?!" Rage reflected in her eyes and Bucky knew he was in for it. "Am I alright?!" She yelled again and Bucky had to shush her, cringing and holding a finger up to his mouth.
Rage unlike he had ever seen built inside her and Lucy was about to scream at him when he put his hand over her mouth and she struggled to get him off her.
"You have to be quiet!" Bucky exclaimed with a hushed tone, feeling the coolness of her skin under his hand and growing more concerned.
Lucy shoved him off of her and stumbled a little in the water. She huffed, her eyes ablaze with Bucky could only assume was loathing, "You asshole!" Lucy yelled and pushed him, looking at him in bewilderment as her mouth dropped open. "You absolute, fucking asshole!" She pounded against his chest. And Bucky took a step back and tried to block the bruising fists she was swinging at him.
"Jesus Christ, doll! What the hell? Take it easy! It was just a stupid kiss!"
"You said nothing!" She snarled, "You said absolutely nothing this entire time! And then you pulled this shit! UGH!" She yelled frustratedly, wanting to tear her hair out. "And you pushed me out of an airplane!"
"I said — what?" Bucky shook his head. He wondered why him throwing her out of an airplane was the last thing she was worried about. Confusion struck him and Lucy smacked his chest again.
"You knew! You knew that we had met! And you lied to me and said your name was Steve!" She hissed, pushing him once more and making him almost fall into the water.
Bucky's face paled and he realized that she remembered that night three years ago. He scoffed and then pointed accusingly to her, "You lied and said your name was Emma!" He couldn't believe she remembered. He thought she would never clue into it.
That confirmed it for Lucy. Her face fell and she shook her head, her skin turning ghostly white. She swallowed a lump forming in her throat, "You said your name was Steve!" She could only reply with, again.
Bucky looked at her in confusion and realized how cold his feet were. Lucy continued shaking and then he realized she had to have been in shock from the water, as well as the realization. "Shit, okay doll. Let's get you loose from this chute." He rushed forward to her, pulling a knife from his belt.
He approached her carefully, seeing how she shook and how she watched him with wide eyes like a frightened animal. "Y-you should have told me." She stuttered as her teeth chattered.
Bucky cut the first strap of the chute attached to her between her legs. He sighed and looked down at her as he helped with the shoulder straps, "Why? So we could both reminisce about a night that meant something different to both of us? You forgot about me. Clearly, it didn't mean as much to you as it did to me."
"T-that's not true." Lucy shook her head again. She seemed only capable of doing that one action, just like on the plane. "For a year I-I had to wrestle with the guilt of feeling more for a stranger than I did for my own g-goddamn fiancé."
Bucky stilled as he heard her say that, his hands stopping from cutting the last of the holds that confined her. Lucy looked up with him with wide eyes and then shifted her gaze down as she let out a small shaky breath, "Forgetting you was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." Lucy trembled as she spoke, partially from cold and partially from the fear of being honest.
Bucky licked his lips, trying to come up with anything to say as Gabe Jones came around the clearing "Found them!" He said at a tone quiet enough that the rest of them could hear but not too loud that it would alert any nearby patrols.
"Come on," Bucky patted her shoulder as he finally got her loose from her parachute. Lucy struggled to make it to shore, tripping several times from how cold she was and the exhaustion from having to swim with her chute on. Bucky held her upright the best he could, not leaving her side.
Dum Dum stood there looking at the scene as they stumbled to shore and he let out a frustrated breath, "Christ, what a mess this is."
Lucy immediately collapsed as soon as they got to dry land. She sat with her legs curled up to her chest as she shivered, her wet hair a mop on her head and her entire body shaking.
Bucky was about to give her his blanket from his pack when Gabe rushes to her and wrapped his around her shoulders. He got Lucy's blanket around her and doubled up, hoping to preserve her warmth.
Dum Dum looked and huffed, "Any idea where we are?"
"Pilot said we were about half an hour out flying. I don't know what that is on foot." Another man by the name of Jim Miller answered. Dugan only nodded and did a look around their surroundings.
"Well, we need to figure out how far we are from Tønsberg. Might as well camp here until the morning and let Dr. Heinrich warm up."
It was like Lucy didn't even process what he was saying. She didn't look up or give any sign that she could hear what Dugan said. She only wiped her nose and continued shaking. Bucky didn't like seeing her like that, and he knew they were going to have to light a small fire to keep her from getting hypothermia. He wouldn't protest about it since his feet and legs were also freezing from rushing in after her. "We need to get into more cover," Gilbert Whitney agreed and nodded, doing a quick sweep of their surroundings.
Bucky nodded in agreement as well and crouched down to speak to Lucy. She didn't even look at him as she shook and Bucky didn't like how her skin was beginning to turn blue. "Hey doll, we have to move. Can you stand?"
Lucy's teeth continued chattering as she only stared blankly at the ground. Bucky sighed and gently touched her knee. Lucy didn't even react to the physical contact, and Bucky suddenly was scared. "Lucy? Lucy, we need to go."
"Today would be nice," Whitney snarkily replied.
Bucky shot him a resentful look and turned back to Lucy. She still took no notice that he was in front of her. Bucky only brushed some hair out of her face and then sighed with the realization of what he needed to do. "We have to move. So I'm gonna pick you up. Is that alright?"
No answer again. She was in shock and coming down with a case of hypothermia. Bucky's one arm went under her wet knees and he felt for freezing she was. His other arm went behind her back and he lifted her bridal style. She was heavier than she looked, but Bucky would never admit that out loud in case she suddenly escaped from her frozen trace and shot him for a comment like that.
He struggled to get his footing for a second, but once he was up on his feet he found it easier to carry her as her arms wrapped around his shoulders.
"Would the bride and groom like to lead the way?" Whitney gestured, sneering at the two of them.
Bucky only narrowed his eyes at him, "What are you? A comedian or somethin' now?" He wasn't in the mood for his jabs. Right now, Bucky's only focus was making sure Lucy was alright.
"Ladies!" Dugan stressed with an irritated tone, "Can we set aside our bickering for a moment and focus?" He led the way, covering for Bucky and Lucy since clearly, he was in no position to protect both of them.
They walked for only a couple minutes, but to Bucky, it felt like forever. Lucy seemed to shake even more, and he felt her become more and more fatigued.
"Just hang on, doll," Bucky said gently to her as her teeth continued to chatter. He could hear them grinding from how much she was shivering, and all he wanted to do was somehow get her warm.
"I'm j-just so c-cold." She squeaked out. Her voice was hoarse, and Bucky was at least a little relieved to hear her finally speak.
"I know, we're gonna get you all fixed up." He told her as Dugan finally stopped after walking about ten more minutes.
Dugan stated they would stop in the thicket of the bushes that night. They would build a small fire to keep Lucy warm, but that was all.
Bucky put her down as gently as he could manage. As soon as he did so, he shrugged his jacket off of himself and wrapped it around her shoulders. Lucy looked at him with a look of thanks.
Gabe worked on lighting the fire as the rest of the guys began to set up where they would be sleeping. Small sparks erupted into a bed of branches where he was lighting it, and suddenly a warm yellow glow washed over them.
Bucky could then see Lucy clearer, and see her pale skin and how her lips were still blue as she continued to tremble.
"Hypothermia," Dugan walked up to Bucky, who had a permanent loon of worth on his face.
Bucky didn't think that it was cold enough yet in the late October air to be getting hypothermia, but clearly, Lucy was dangerously close to doing so.
Bucky pursed his lips as he asked in a hushed tone, "What do we do?" He didn't want to worry Lucy as she laid down on the blankets facing the fire.
Some of the guys began to eat some rations, while most of them also took out their blankets to sleep. Gabe volunteered to take the first watch with Dugan, and Whitney said he would go next with another man by the name of Frank Wells.
Dugan only pursed his lips and said lowly to Bucky, "When I was a kid back in Boston, my brother fell through a sheet of ice. There was only one way to get his body warmth back. I know what to do but...," Dugan clicked his teeth and looked skeptically at Lucy as she laid there, looking weak and shaking, "She ain't gonna like it."
"What do we do?" Bucky could hear Lucy whimpering ever so slightly as the fire warmed up her cold fingers. Her eyes fluttered open and close, and Bucky figured that wasn't a good sign.
"Best way to heat someone up is skin on skin," Dugan gave a suggestive look to him.
Bucky closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling sharply and trying to control his temper. "Are you kidding me?"
"Nope. It's survival 101. So get over there and let her know what's happening, Romeo." As Dugan spoke, Bucky could feel heat gather in his cheeks.
Bucky shakily approached Lucy, his face red. He sunk to his knees and gently shook her, trying to wake her up. "Doll, umm... I umm, I'm gonna get you warm, okay? But we need to get you out of those wet clothes first."
"What?" Lucy asked, her voice weak and shaky.
"I'm not gonna hurt you. But the clothes are making it worse. You just need to trust me. Can you do that?" He asked her softly, hoping she wouldn't think he was just trying to get her naked.
Lucy sat up with the help of Gabe Jones. The man quickly grabbed one of their blankets to hold up as a curtain to block Lucy out of everyone's view. No one besides Whitney, of course, was looking. But after Dum Dum shot him an accusing and dangerous look, the man averted his eyes.
Lucy was slumped into Bucky's shoulder as he stayed on the ground kneeling in front of her. She continued to shake, and couldn't even undo the buttons of her jacket. Bucky's fingers undid them instead. He tried not to peer down as he slid her jacket from her shoulders.
He leaned her up enough to help her out of her shirt. Underneath was a soft pink, pointed brassiere. The light from the fire flickered orange on her skin, giving her a warm, unearthly glow. The swells of her breasts spilled out of the satin fabric and Bucky felt himself thinking of how it would feel to attach his mouth to them.
Bucky swallowed as he tried not to stare, but he couldn't help himself. Lucy didn't seem to care, as she was too weak to notice. "I got you," He whispered as he undid the buttons of her pants and helped her shimmy out of them.
Plain, high waisted, panties was the sight that greeted him. Bucky averted his eyes, attempting to be a gentleman. But he noticed the way they contrasted with the light skin of her thighs and Bucky wanted nothing more than to touch her delicate flesh at that moment.
He helped her get her pants, sliding them to her ankles. He then removed her boots and then her socks. Bucky found a pair of dry ones in his pack and placed them on her feet carefully. When she was undressed, he practically saw her eyes roll to the back of her head and he had to keep her from collapsing backward.
Gabe wrapped his blanket around her to preserve her decency, and Bucky was thankful he did. A moment longer and he would have snuck another gaze at the beautiful sight that laid before him. But he didn't want to, not like that at least.
He felt his skin crawl at the thought she laid there only a few feet only in her undergarments. Bucky hated himself for feeling himself harden in his trousers, but he couldn't help it.
She looked like stardust, a light in the dark, a pale porcelain vessel in which he wanted to admire every curve and every dip in her frame. Bucky had never seen anything as beautiful as Lucy laying there, flames flickering across her ivory skin as though a dancer blazed across it. A pale shoulder popped out of the blanket, and all he wanted to do was tenderly press his lips down to the skin that rested there.
Bucky scuffled to his feet as he swallowed deeply. He had a vision of how she looked that night as they danced in the noisy bustling streets of Brooklyn. He had been positive there was nothing as beautiful as the radiance of her smile that night.
He was wrong. Truly, he had never beheld such a sight before until seeing her with tangled swath or wet hair resting on the blanket like a halo. The oranges, reds, and yellows of the flames shadowed her facial features, and her deep eyes fluttered open and close.
"You better be the one to undress, son," Dugan said quietly to Bucky, knowing that he was the one that Lucy trusted the most.
It suddenly dawned on Bucky that he would have to undress too. He looked up at Dum Dum with a shock and half-opened mouth. It was possibly the first time he didn't want to get naked with a dame and it was because he wanted it to happen a different way.
"Well," Dugan gave him a pressing look, "Get a move on! The poor girl's freezing'! You better strip down to your britches before I do!"
Bucky realized he had to put his selfish wants aside and do what needed to happen. Hastily, he tore his jumper over his head and then began undoing his belt. Bucky scrambled to get undressed and Dum Dum looked to the other men, "No wisecracks now. Come morning we don't talk about this." Thank God he said something. Bucky did not want to deal with the teasing or the smart-ass comments of him getting partially naked with Lucy under the covers.
Bucky stripped down to only his undershirt and white boxer shorts. He took his damp socks off and put them near the fire with his pants and his boots.
Quickly, he kneeled back on the ground with Lucy. He tried to control the fact his heart was pounding harder in his chest than it ever had. His face was red, and he felt he couldn't just get under the blankets with her. He didn't want her to be scared, or for her to feel as though he was going to try to take advantage of her.
"Luce?" He gently said her nickname, wondering if it was alright to use, "I'm coming under the blankets to keep you warm." She said nothing, and he took her silence as an allowance to have him slip under.
Bucky gently lifted the blankets and crawled beside her. His arms wrapped tightly around her center and he shivered from how frigid her body was. "Christ," He gasped as her skin was like ice.
Whitney gave out a snicker from across their camp and Bucky shot him a glaring look. Anger burned in his eyes as bright as the fire that was halfway between them and somehow Whitney knew that it was no joking matter. His smirk disappeared as he laid down in his blankets.
Bucky's hands trailed up her tender arms gently as he tried to generate heat on them. He rubbed them quickly, hoping she would regain some feeling in them.
She was freezing, and he was shivering as well while pressed against her. But that didn't matter, what mattered was that he was transferring his body heart to her. He hoped she wouldn't get pneumonia or anything type of slickness from being so cold.
Bucky found himself worrying about her constantly. Ever since he saw her on the ground, blood around her from hitting her head, a jagged piece of shrapnel protruding out of her body, Bucky only wanted to protect her. He never wanted to see her hurt like that again.
And when she had tears in her eyes from explaining what happened to her fiancé, he hated that she was hurting because of something he brought up.
And after she cried from fear of jumping out of the plane, Bucky felt an overwhelming need to make sure she was safe. She was his. His responsibility; his to care for.
He wrapped his arms around her tighter and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Lucy moved further into him, and he felt how she seemed to melt into his body. Bucky placed his chin on top of her head, and his hand gently, as though it had a mind of its own, trailed down her spine.
There was silence beyond the hooting of an owl. Crickets sang their nighttime songs, and the wind would pick up and rustled the branches of the trees. The wood in the fire snapped and sometimes made a popping sound as spark emitted, drifting up into the dark sky. There were no stars that night since it was too cloudy. But Bucky wouldn't have been able to focus on them anyway since he was positive there was nothing more beautiful than the woman who rested in his embrace.
He could hear her steady breathing. Her eyes were closed, and her eyelids twitched now and then. Bucky wasn't sure how long he stayed up, watching her shoulders rise and fall and monitoring her breathing. Each time it seemed a little slower his stomach seemed to flip and anxiety rose in his chest. All he cared about was whether or not she was alright.
Lucy nuzzled her face into his neck, and Bucky felt her warm breath against his sensitive skin. He wrapped his arms around her even more and tucked his leg over hers to provide more warmth. He wondered if she could feel his abs tighten when her hand graced over them, or how he flinched every time she moved ever so slightly.
He had never felt so flustered resting next to a woman, and each time she shifted Bucky had to close his eyes and try to control his breathing as his body nearly betrayed him.
Long after everyone but those taking watch had fallen asleep, Bucky felt himself almost drift off. The fire popped again, and Lucy inhaled sharply. She was warmer, but still chilly and Bucky found himself running his hands up and down her arms again trying to create more warmth.
He didn't realize he must have woken her up, as her eyes sleepily opened, only to close again. "Thank you," Lucy whispered in the dark. He knew it was hard for her to admit when she needed help. He only heard her say thank you to him a few times, but each time it was always genuine.
Bucky brushed some hair out of her face so he could peer down at her. Her head rested on his chest and their eyes met. Shadows flickered across her skin and his heart was full of how much he cared for her. She was so beautiful in that moment, and Bucky was positive nothing ever felt so right than her being in his arms.
"Don't mention it, sweetheart." He whispered back, their tones hushed so they wouldn't wake anyone up.
She scoffed, but still shifted closer to him, "We need to do something about those pet names you insist on calling me,"
Bucky smiled into the night as he heard her hoarse voice cut through. He chuckled lightly, "Maybe I'll have to make one for you that's more original."
He could feel her grinning against him. "I'd rather you didn't,"
Bucky continued in his train of thought and breathed deeply as she shifted. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, and as it did so he saw the strap of her light pink brassiere, causing a shooting feeling to go straight to his groin. "Let's see…." He whispered against her hair, breathing her in. "You were like a bird flying out of that plane earlier. Maybe we can work with that."
"Please no," She was amused even though she was asking him to stop. "I hate birds."
"What about dove? Or pelican?" He teased her, still keeping his voice quiet. He was conscious of the other members of his team sleeping a couple of feet away and he didn't want to wake them.
"Don't be ridiculous," She scoffed, "Those are stupid." Her voice was scratchy and low.
"You don't like dove? What's wrong with it?" He continued, "Or parrot? You certain squawk at me like one."
"You can do better," She criticized.
"How about…." He thought for a minute until an idea popped in his head, "Pigeon?"
"Pigeon's are ugly. And if you're going to call me anything, it's 'Doctor Heinrich'." She was still stuck on that, so it seemed. Bucky rolled his eyes and gently pinched her, making her jump slightly.
"C'mon pige, don't be like that." He heard how it sounded and nodded to himself, "I kinda like that. Plus, are you really gonna make me call you Dr. Heinrich after all we've been through? I think we're a little past that, don't you think? After all, we're in bed naked together."
"Half-naked." She corrected and shivered ever so slightly and huddled into him a little bit more. "And bed is a strong word. And you're going to have all these nicknames for me and I only have one for you. Don't you think that's a little unfair?"
Bucky's eyebrows perked up, "You have a nickname for me?"
"Yes. It's 'moron'." She giggled ever so slightly.
Bucky let out a fake laugh and then rolled his eyes. He tucked his chin back on the top of her head again, and there was silence.
Bucky wondered if she fell back asleep but her breathing didn't seem as deep as it had been. He figured she was still awake, and as she began to trail her finger up and down his chest his suspicions were confirmed.
Bucky felt a shiver run down his spine at the feeling of her gently tracing over his clothed skin. He wondered if she knew how much it affected him. He figured she didn't since Lucy continued doing it, and Bucky had to angle his hips away from her as he felt his lower body begin to stiffen at the sensations.
In taking a sharp breath and trying to think of anything but the gorgeous woman on top of him in her undergarments, Bucky struggled to control his thoughts.
It especially didn't help when Lucy broke the silence. She whispered into the dark, "That was some first kiss,"
He wondered when she was going to bring it up. He figured she had been too scared and shocked to even notice it, but he shouldn't have known better.
"Not my best work, I'll admit." He said, chuckling lowly. He thought back to how her lips had felt for that brief second. All he wanted was to prolong it and make it last, to take her in and have their lips mold into one another. He wanted to kiss her slowly and gently, and then carefully trail it down to the soft flesh of her neck.
What had happened was not how he wanted their first kiss to have gone. But Bucky reacted on instinct, and every single one nerve in his body told him to grab her at that moment and slam his mouth into hers. So that's what he did.
"Why did you do it?" Lucy's voice was so low that he could barely even hear her.
Bucky swallowed a lump in his throat as he thought about his answer. He peered up to the clouds that covered the black sheet of the sky, making it appear a dark grey. The moon lit just enough through to provide a little bit of light.
"Because," He licked his lips and replied so only she could hear. "I've wanted to do that for three years. And I wasn't sure if I'd ever get the chance. I thought we were gonna die, so…"
Lucy nodded, saying nothing. He felt he needed to add something, something that had been on his chest for a long time, "I just had to know how it felt to kiss you. It's all I wanted to do that night in Brooklyn so long ago. It took everything I had not to pull you back as you walked away and just kiss the hell out of you. But I had to let you go."
Lucy only took a deep inhale and then spoke softly, "You should have told me that you remembered us." She didn't address the fact that he had just admitting to wanting to kiss her the entire time.
"I didn't even fully remember until the bombing. I worked so hard to get you out of my brain and so much has changed since then." He had been enchanted by her and awestruck by their meeting that she plagued his every thought. When he realized that was unhealthy, it took everything to cast her out of his brain.
"Would you have ever told me if I never found out?" She was scared to know his answer.
"No," Bucky admitted, "There's no point in living in the past. Plus, we can't change it. And even if you did know, would things be different between us?"
"Well," Lucy chuckled, "I probably would have been a little nicer to you, that's for sure."
"I'd sure hope so. Can't break a guy's heart and then stomp all over him afterward," Bucky chuckled and breathed in the scent of her hair which had mostly dried.
Lucy didn't say anything again. She was mostly quiet, and then Bucky licked his lips and then closed his eyes. He knew what he was going to say was risky, and he wasn't sure how she would react. Especially since she was bare against him, "If umm…" He cleared his throat, "If we ever kiss again it'll be much better than the last one."
Lucy looked up at him, her big, brown eyes gleaming. Bucky's heart pounded just a little bit more and he moved his arm wasn't pressing her down. The blanket slipped ever so slightly off of her. Bucky saw how her breasts were pressed against him, her cleavage apparent and extremely noticeable. "If we ever kiss again?" Lucy asked skeptically, "You planning on kissing me anytime soon, Barnes?"
"I don't know but I was kinda hoping for it." He whispered barely audible enough for her to hear. Lucy looked down at his lips for a second and his breath hitched, almost thinking that she would lean in.
But it wasn't the place. Or the proper time and Bucky didn't want their first real kiss to be mere feet away from five other men.
"Do you think about it often?" Her voice was timid and shaky. She was going into territory where she wasn't sure she'd want to know the answer.
Bucky chuckled and leaned his head back so he wouldn't be tempted to kiss her with her mouth so close to his, "More often than I'd care to admit."
"You're showing me all your cards right now, Barnes. You realize that, right?"
"Pige, I waited three years for you to know how badly I want you. I don't care about cards or who's winning or who's losing."
Lucy leaned back beside him, so they were both looking up at the sky. Her hands clasped his and Bucky drew in a sharp breath, "I'm worried that in this scenario you're going to lose though…" She didn't want him to. She felt deeply for him, but Lucy was scared of forming attachments again.
"I'm okay with that." Bucky said back, swallowing his nerves, "I can live with it," he turned his face to the side to see her as she looked up at the sky.
"But I don't know if I can," She turned to face him, and their noses practically touching. He could feel her breath on his skin and see every little detail in her delicate face. "I don't know if I could hurt you again."
Once again tempted to capture her lips, Bucky turned his face so he was looking up. "Why is it that we never get the right timing?" He couldn't even look at her. He knew if he did that he would once again slam his mouth to hers in a passionate joining.
She smirked, "We're cursed I guess."
"Looks like." He had to keep himself from saying anything more that he would regret or wouldn't be able to take back.
Lucy scoffed, "I almost liked it more when we were fighting."
"Yeah," Bucky smirked, "I think I did too. It was easier to pretend I didn't like you back then,"
Their hands were still clasped together, and Lucy shivered once more and turned on her side, pulling his hand with her so her back was resting against his chest. He kissed her head lightly as he heard her sigh.
"Could you say something to make me stop liking you?" She whispered, smiling, "Something like from before we were friends?"
"Ummm…" Bucky squinted as he thought, wondering what he could say. A pink blush rose in his cheeks as he licked his lips before saying, "You have the most incredible set of breasts that I've ever seen."
Lucy only laughed into his shoulder, trying to stifle the sound in his neck. Bucky let out a small, embarrassed laugh, "I'm not kidding! They're…They're somethin' else."
Lucy laughed more before finally quieting down and only softly smiling at him.
"Did it work?" Bucky asked, trying to see if he had succeeded in making her like him a little less by saying something crass.
Lucy only shook her head. "We'll have to see, I guess." She chuckled, then gently kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Bucky," Lucy whispered, and Bucky's eyes trailed on her lips as she pulled away. His skin burned where she had gently pressed her mouth to it. "Try not to dream about my breasts," Lucy teased.
He chuckled from her comment, "Goodnight, Lucy." Bucky allowed fatigue to overcome him. With a pause, he took in that moment. He never wanted to forget how it felt to have her rest in his arms, their bodies pressed against one another. And with that thought, Bucky settled into the most peaceful sleep that he had in a long time.
KILL ME. Was that just not just the cutest? Ugh, I love them. Also, before anyone asks… YES, the nickname 'Pigeon' does come from Lady and the Tramp. I was watching the movie last week and saw some parallels between Lady/ Tramp and Lucy/Bucky. Especially since Lucy's the educated, good girl from an upper-class family and he's more the bad boy/ working class. The nickname was just too sweet to not include.
The next chapter is FULL of action, sexy times, and hilariously cute Bucky and Lucy moments. I'm so excited to share it with you all.
If you love me please, please review. Also, follow and favourite to get alerts when the next update comes out. Trust me when I saw you won't wanna miss it. ;)
-A
