I smiled as I watched him feed his herd of goats the following afternoon. His ritual of laying out fresh hay for them every morning and afternoon had become such a part of my life. It was when he seemed most at peace; when he took care of the ones who needed him. I cherished watching him because it reminded me of just how gentle he was. And why I loved him so much.

I made my way over to the cart and leaned against it. Lost in his work, he didn't notice me until I cleared my throat and said, "Hi."

He looked over at me and smiled. "Hi yourself, doll."

I swallowed the lump I'd had since our argument the day before and asked, "Can we talk?"

"Of course." He stuck the pitchfork in the ground, reminding me of the first time I'd approached him. It felt like lifetimes ago. "I wanted to come over this morning, but I figured…"

"Yeah. I know." I stared at the ground in front of me, kicking at it. "I'm sorry, Bucky. I didn't mean to pick a fight."

"Hey. It's okay."

I shook my head. "No. It was wrong of me to threaten to leave. I promise not to do it again. I just…" I sighed. "I just want to help you and… I do care about you. I really do, but it's hard for me. I got a lot of baggage."

"I get that." I felt his hand rest over mine. "You've been through a lot too."

"Yeah, but nothing compared to you." I chuckled. "Most of my mess is my own doing, you know."

"Doesn't make it any easier to get through." He squeezed my hand. "If you need to talk about it or just want a shoulder to lean on, I'm here for you."

"I really appreciate that." I slid over and laid my head on his shoulder. Staring at his profile, I added, "There's just one other thing I need to say."

"What's that, doll?"

"I think I'm in love with you, James Buchanan Barnes."

He looked over at me with a tender smile. "Told you so."

I giggled as I pushed off the cart and stood in front of him. Placing my hands on my hips, I rolled my eyes. "Geez. I was hoping for something a little more romantic than an 'I told you so.' And you never told me anything."

"I was waiting for you to figure it out." He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest. "I love you too, Destiny Hunt."

I inhaled his scent, a scent I'd come to cherish, before wrinkling my nose. "It'd be a hell of a lot sexier coming from a man that didn't smell like a goat."

He smirked as he raised an eyebrow. "We can fix that."

Aw hell, I thought, realizing exactly what he had in mind. "Don't you dare, Bucky."

His smile widened as he tightened his grip around my waist. "C'mon, doll. Just a quick dip."

"No," I protested as he began pulling me toward the lake. "I'm serious."

He stopped at the edge, his smile never fading. "All right. I got a better idea."

"Thank God," I gushed, leaning on him dramatically. "I'm glad you came to your senses finally."

"I was going to suggest we make use of that big bathtub you got." He drew me close, his lips within kissing distance. "But just for that."

We were already in the underwater before I register what was happening. Plunging into the chilly lake, I clung to him for dear life once again and hoped he didn't lose his grip. When he surfaced, he let out a thundering laugh I'd never heard before.

"You're crazy, Bucky Barnes," I shouted, trying my best to sound angry. However, his heartfelt laughter made me smile as well.

"Crazy about you, doll," he teased. Lounging on his back, he released my waist, causing me to cling even tighter for fear I'd drown. I started to curse, but he leaned in for a lingering kiss that made my toes curl. When he finally drew away, the impossibly wide grin only widened. "I love you, Des."

"Then prove it." I nuzzled his bearded cheek. "Stay with me tonight."

He leaned back so I could nibble his neck. I grazed his Adam's Apple with my teeth, causing him to moan. "Whatever you say, gorgeous."

"All night." I stopped myself to look into his eyes. "Please, Bucky. I want to know what it's like to wake up next to you."

He was silent for a long time, watching me watch him. Finally, he nodded. "All right. I'll stay."

I buried my face in his chest as he took us back to shore, but I kept replaying a song my dad used to listen to when I was younger in my head. My dad loved the Shirelles, but his favorite song was one of their biggest hits: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.

There was no session that afternoon. We made dinner together, playfully stealing bites from each other and laughing when we missed and spilled something. We cleaned up then pretended to watch movies while we made out on the sofa like two teenagers, but never went beyond heavy petting. The building anticipation of sleeping together for the first time was more erotic than the act of making love.

Around midnight, he lovingly took my hand and led me to the bedroom. We showered together, mostly playfully touching and more making out, then turned in. As he slipped under the covers completely naked, he beamed with so much love I wanted to turn away.

"You gonna get dressed?" He asked as I turned down my side of the bed.

I gawked at him. "No."

He smirked. "Put your shorts on, please."

"Why?"

"So I can take them off."

I giggled as I slipped on my shorts, adding my camisole as well. Giving him a smirk of my own, I asked, "Happy now?"
"Very." He turned down the blanket and patted the bed. "C'mon, doll. Let's get some rest."

I snuggled close as he draped his arm around my shoulders and held me. I laid my head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heart beating. "I love you, Bucky."

He kissed me, but his body tensed as he pulled away. "If I start having a nightmare-"

"Shut up, Bucky," I teased. "I know what to do."

"I just don't want to hurt you." He lowered his eyes. "I couldn't live with myself if I did."

I sat up so I could stare down at him. "It's okay, baby. Nothing going to happen. I promise."

He nodded. "I'd do anything for you, Des."

"I know." I laid back down. "That's why I love you."

I closed my eyes and listened to his breathing until I drifted off to sleep. It seemed like only a few minutes before I felt the sunshine warming my face and I opened my eyes to see him still laying next to me, sound asleep. The nightmares he'd feared so much never even happened.

I slowly slid out of bed, careful not to wake him, and watched him for several minutes. I'd been right about what I'd told Shuri. Sleeping next to Bucky only confirmed that I wasn't just attracted to him; I was really in love with him.

Which was why it hurt me so badly when I crept back to my side of the bed and slowly began tugging the two-inch thick vibranium bands that had been installed while we were in the capital. I pulled them across his body, the arch shape allowing me to secure them to the massive anchors already driven twelve feet into the ground without accidentally touching him.

I stared at my handiwork, a mixture of pride and repulsion at what I had done and was about to do. Finally, I leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "Morning, baby."

"Mmm," he groaned with a lazy smile as he rolled over onto his back. "Morning, gorgeous. What time is it?"

"Time to exorcize your last demons," I replied as I stepped away. "Ruth, the straps."

The AI almost sounded remorseful as she complied. "Yes, Ms. Hunt."

"What the hell!" He said as the bands tightened across his forehead, chest and arm, and ankles. "Des!"

"I'm so sorry, Bucky," I said as I walked to the foot of the bed and stared down at him. "Ruth, play audio only from the last memory."

"Yes, Ms. Hunt."

Bucky instantly began fighting against the restraints as the trigger words began to play. The look of fear as he beseeched me to stop felt like knives cutting out my heart. Still, I repeated each word as it played.

"Longing. Rusted. Seventeen."

He stopped fighting and stared at me as he begged, "Don't do this, Des. Please."

I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "Daybreak. Furnace. Nine."

"You can't control him, Des." The thrashing began again in earnest, causing the bed support to groan and crack. "Please, baby. Stop."

"Benign. Homecoming. One."

His eyes burned into me, pleading as he screamed to block out the words. Seconds ticked away like hours as the bed finally shattered when he drove his fist through the mattress. Tears rolled down both our faces, but the straps held firm just long enough for me to finish.

"Freight car."

There was a deafening silence in the room as Bucky lay motionless on the bed; the rise and fall of his chest the only indication he was alive. Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared blankly at me.

Please, God, No. I silently prayed before asking, "Soldier?"

It seemed like a lifetime before he answered. "No, Des. It's just me."

I let out a massive sigh of relief, but the fury on his face made my joy short-lived. I'd single-handedly destroyed our relationship in the process of saving him.

"Ruth, release Mr. Barnes," I said, putting as much distance between us as the tiny room would allow.

The straps quickly retracted, and he got to his feet. I stared at the floor while listening to him get dressed. When the room fell silent again, I glanced up to see him staring at me with an unreadable expression.

"I'm sorry I scared you," I said when the silence was too much for me to bear. "But I'm not sorry I did it. Now you know for sure. Nobody can ever control you again."

He continued to stare, not speaking a single word as he watched me watch him. Finally, he turned around and walked out the door.