p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="149857a97bfeae9a9e0dced8cf8c23c5"It's been three hours since I was in Sokovia and I landed around one hour ago in Bucharest when the pain became to unbearable to concentrate on flying. I've been limping ever since./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ad222a1235c097aaf31591523ad60e17"I walk down the street, noticing a stand that sells fruit nearby. A man stands in front of the plums, handing some money to the owner of the stand. I look away when the man turns to look at me./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="229636240eb7528082b108f7eec70733"Multiple heads turn to look my way as I make my way down the street. I never changed out of my uniform, so I must look a little strange./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="277f3d304789e8265b55a646527bc957"Suddenly, a hand touches my arm. "Ma'am, are you-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5244d6748dc56eadcee0f711b98ed5f5"My instincts kick in as I grab the hand and twist it in an awkward position. I then kick his legs out from under him, causing him to fall onto the ground. Surprised gasps and shouts erupt throughout the area as the attention of everyone directs to me./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="60443c28fb4c9e7726c145872e1ba574"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Oh no.../em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5074d10bc304d82e4d9267571cd5883f""I'm so sorry!" the man that was buying plums at the fruit stand walks over to me, gesturing towards me. "My wife, she wanders off sometimes. She has amnesia."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="10fc853637604c3f8d3b781f5b92fab0"I look the man up and down. He wears a red shirt with a thick jacket over it and a dark blue hat. I notice the hint of metal underneath one of his sleeves. My eyes widen and I look back up at his face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3e1bbae4103a3e7529386b42e0e651e3"I don't hesitate to throw my arms around him, not caring about all the people staring. "Bucky."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="aa5a644e8513e91bec4620c4ad33be31""It's okay, I'm here," he mumbles against my hair./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="211f1d74330a06083d2c067ac1ba480b""But sir, she's got blood on her clothes," I hear a woman say./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="955cccaae532071c3020ede5365c8378"Bucky scoots back from the embrace, pulling me into his side instead. Luckily, it isn't the side that the bullet is in./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ecd61e2048d8ce970a58ffa759e39eef""She gets these chronic..." Bucky looks down at me in a panic before turning back to the lady. "Nosebleeds."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f7b3a4c974bab317ef58e40d36679462"The lady looks at us like we're crazy before shrugging. Bucky sweeps me off my feet and turns in the other direction, heading towards wherever he's staying./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="630be719a0c95b4851fa004dd4030bee"All the while, he just mumbles comforting things in my ear. "It's okay, Aves. Everything's fine."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ba00e038f460be285985d0da68d69966"We finally arrive at an apartment building and he walks inside. He runs as fast as he can up the steps until he turns abruptly into a hallway. He jogs until he reaches a specific door. He turns to knob, throws the door open, rushes inside, and closes it with his foot./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f08fbad7b1812da4054f1bc98abf8ae3"He sits me down on an old couch and rushes off to find something. When he comes back he holds a first-aid kit in his hands. He grabs a chair and sits down beside me. "Okay, how did this happen?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6e91d31cf10f62596a1bac901199d258""All I really know is that I somehow got taken by Hydra again and then that Ultron robot thing said those twelve words and I was gone again," I say. "He made my try to kill the Avengers. Steve helped me break out of the trance."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fb43c85d1fb956e5729692d3ac3852c4"Bucky's face turns to one of sadness as he looks at me. "I should've went after you. Why didn't I look for you first instead of Steve?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cfd96b699cd8187d3b444e5e6c3da82e""Look, I have no idea what you're talking about. I kinda have lots of missing memories, but I need these bullets out of my body," I demand./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="edd4677e7a5a56f0b7fc856c420b5b04"He chuckles slightly. "Still the same Avery as ever."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1b042fde11623c84ed6b1e04409e765a"He grabs the tweezers from the kit. "Which one should I do first?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c221af45336613512c81e306fc399de2""The leg," I say as I unwrap the cloth from the wound./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="489bd10e5b1cb3fbd0f4d4ae2eb5b2a3""Aves, this is going to be an awkward sentence, but I'm gonna have to take your pants off," Bucky says as he looks at my wound./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cc592e7e964bb583130c90b2caed304e"My eyes go wide as he starts to pull down the Hydra made athletic leggings from my body. "Woah, woah, woah."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="69286177d995cb8f404229140a112607"Bucky looks down at me, exasperation all over his face. "Come on, you act like I haven't ever seen you in your underwear before."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2b623dde1836a36953f11d766b9b3685""For all I know you haven't," I retort./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ea21c9f0187b789c1946696417c5e337"Bucky rolls his eyes. "I've known you since the forties. I'm sure we've, as Steve likes to call it, fondued sometime between then and now."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9bbb7a3d9c073167047cd0641785e3fa"I roll my eyes and gesture for him to proceed. He gets the leggings off and instead of seeing my tan legs, blood pours out of the bullet wound flowing down my leg./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bf60b9f44d8822e77c0ff8093e038fa2"Bucky grabs an alcohol prep pad and looks down at me. "This is gonna hurt."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555; text-align: center;" data-p-id="98110676fd04a9c9ccbf0abe47ecbb41"()()()/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="455f3ed0d364f8408779861d97339ddb"One painful hour later, I lay on the couch, head in Bucky's lap. I'm in one of Bucky's spare shirts and my freshly washed leggings./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3014a3c0713a86c1ec6d1a8d880af839""What am I gonna do, Bucky?" I ask as he runs his fingers through my washed hair, curtesy of the shower./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ecc075681a89174b6c29319eda4613ed""You're gonna stay with me. We'll do this together," he assures me. "For now, we're both home."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="900b64075104f211bfa489662f7cd743"I smile slightly as I look up at him. "Oh, and chronic nosebleeds, really?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="91615efb7a45f38f6e88518ae2c8c08d"He chuckles. "Don't make fun. It was the first thing that came to my mind."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e7a4434f1de37a5ad56f2c60aeb4d30c"I laugh, something I haven't done in forever. His face leans closer to mine slightly as his eyes wander from my eyes down to my lips./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f3df6cc9db01aa81285104be71f097ac"Before I know it, his lips land on mine. I wrap my arms around him, my hands running through his fabulous hair, wanting to stay like this forever. His arms wrap around my waist as he adjusts himself so he lays beside me instead of under me./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4dbf01593dcd20d73775087262b95fbc"Minutes later, we pull back, having to catch our breath. As our chests heave up an down, Bucky presses his forehead against mine. "I love you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1839c9011b664bc9f4f809129937d108""And I love you."/p