Arabella
"Arabella it's me!" I calm down slightly as I recognize the voice, my chest heaving. I pull Natasha's hand from over my mouth.
"Natasha? Did you come alone?"
"No everyone else is here too, they're all finishing up." I got what she meant, this Hydra base was not going to have any people to occupy it once we left. I look behind me to see Erica leaning against the wall, relief of her face.
"Let's get you both to the helicopter, you can wait for us to be done." I shook my head lightly.
"No, you can take Erica. I'll stay and help."
"Listen to me Arabella, I don't want you out there fighting Hydra when you just escaped, and you need to recuperate. Plus Bucky would kill me if I let you go into this building, by yourself, with a chance of being taken by someone trying to run. He was so torn up about it, don't make him even more worried."
I could tell that she was telling me this to play on my emotions, but it was working a lot more than I thought it would.
"Fine, just hurry up I have to get Erica back to her son."
"Right." she turns to Erica. "By the way your son is just fine, we took care of all of it." Erica smiled huge and thanked her with great gratitude.
She led us to the helicopter that was nearby in a clearing in the woods. We hopped in and took a seat on the chairs, it was then I realized how I tired I was, I hadn't slept the whole time we'd been here. My nerves were on high alert.
I put my head back for support and closed my eyes, but I still couldn't sleep. I felt that I missing something to be completely relaxed to fall asleep. Looking over at Erica, I see that she had already fell asleep. That was good, she needs it. Natasha sat in silence, only with us to make sure nothing happened.
"Where were you these past few weeks?" I ask her quietly
"Had a thing to do for S.H.I.E.L.D. but I'll be back for a while now." She replies, eyes on where we had come from through the woods. I nod despite the fact I knew she wasn't looking, my eyes graze over a sleeping Erica once more.
I stare out the window, I try not to think of the fact how I ruined Erica's life. If it weren't for me she would've been at home with her son, and he would have never been in danger. This was more than my fault, I was the cause and reason. I killed another person today, and it was my fault that Erica was there to do it too.
I lost count of how many people I've killed over the years with Hydra, but I remember all of them distinctively. I couldn't tell you a number, but I could describe how each and every kill went.
The door to the helicopter slid open, and Bucky was the first in, I could see the rest of the team behind him. He quickly sat beside me and pull me onto his lap, burying his face into my hair and holding me securely in his arms. I curled into a ball and let myself feel protected by him. After a minute, he took my head from his chest and put my face between his thumb and first finger, moving my head side to side to examine any damage.
He moved his hands and eyes all over me, trying to find a wound. Once he was content with my wellbeing, he pulled me in for a hard kiss.
"I love you." Bucky says against my lips, the desperation and love were heard loudly. It was the first time he said it since he remembered.
"I love you too." Responding with equal vigor. He put a hand on my head, making me lay back into the crevice were his shoulder and head meet.
I felt the helicopter turn on, and us being lifted into the air. It wasn't long after that till I fell into a dreamless sleep, feeling protected and loved by the one person who loved me in a way no other could.
I woke up the feeling of being picked up under my knees and head and then carried. I peek through squinted eyes, to see that we were on Tony's balcony and that Bucky was carrying me. I didn't try to get down or speak, I just moved my hand to his chest gripping the fabric of his shirt in my hand tightly. He carried me all the way to our room, only setting me down once he got to my side of the bed.
I didn't bother to get up and change; still too tired from the day's events. Bucky went to the closet and brought back another blanket, laying it over me. He got to his side of the bed by the door, and slipped under the blanket with me after taking off his shirt and pants.
Bucky pulled me to him, my back on his chest. He slipped his right arm under my head, and threw his left one over my waist. I felt his hair tickle my face a little, but I didn't mind, I had missed that when I was away. Just as I was about to fall back asleep a thought came to my head.
"Bucky did Erica get back to her son?" I ask out of nowhere.
"Yeah don't worry about that Steve took her, sleep." He assured me.
I nodded my head lazily snuggling into Bucky's arm, before my eyes closed shut again, bring me back to sleep.
Shooting up from bed, my nerves on high alert, and my breath fast. I looked around the room fast, thinking I was still with Hydra.
'This isn't a cell.'
That's right I- we- were rescued last night from that place. Relief flooded through me, and I realized that Bucky was sitting up with me, talking to me.
"Arabella, are you ok?" worried tones laced his question.
"Um yeah, just thought that I was somewhere else." I reply, trying to regulate my breathing. Looking down at my clothing I see how dirty I was, I could feel it in my hair too. "I need a shower, now."
I push the blanket off me and get up, I grab a change of clothes on the way to the bathroom. Once inside I turn the water on to warm, as I was about to take off my clothes I notice Bucky standing in the door way.
"What are you doing?" I ask unsure.
"I'm just going to sit here with you that's all." He explains to me like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well could you at least turn around while I take my clothes off?"
"It's nothing I haven't seen before." He smirked when he said this.
"Yeah like 70 years ago! Just turn around." I exclaim bashfully, I don't know why I was so nervous for him to see me naked. He was right he had seen it before, but there were a few scars now. I know it was silly to think he would reject me because of them; he had plenty of scars himself. It was the part of me of the 1930's talking, thinking a man couldn't possibly love a body with scars.
It was just going to take some time before I could work up the courage to let him see all of me. For now I'll just tell him to turn around. Bucky kept a smirk on his face as he turned around, facing the bedroom. I quickly took my clothes off and hoped under the steamy water.
"Alright you can turn around now." I hear footsteps coming into the bathroom and the toilet cover put down.
'He must've sat down.'
"So what do you want for breakfast?" I question, feeling kind of awkward with the silence.
"How about eggs and pancakes?" he shoots back fast, indicating he had already thought about it.
"Okay, I'll have to check if we have enough pancake mix. If not I can run to the store real quick." I was ready to get back to normal life.
"No that's okay, if we don't have enough mix we can just have something else."
"You sure the store's not far."
"Yes! Uh yes I'm sure." He answers roughly.
"Fine, fine."
'Okay now he's being weird.'
Being done with showering I ask Bucky to hand me my towel from the rack, poking my hand out to grab it. I dried off and stepped out of the shower. I see Bucky looking at me.
"Could you?" I point to the door, asking for some privacy to get dressed. He nods and steps out, I shut the door behind him.
"Don't lock it." He calls out. I roll my eyes. why would that possibly matter? I don't lock it anyways, despite my feelings toward his request. I slipped on my clothes and brush my hair out, then tie it up into a low bun.
I walk out and see him waiting for my by the door, I go past him and head to the kitchen. Bucky is right there with me. I pull out all the things to make our breakfast, and he sits on the kitchen stool in front of the sink. As I put the eggs into the pan, I look around the kitchen a notice a small package on the counter by the fridge.
I grab and open it, a new phone with a note was in it.
I know you needed a new one, so I took the liberty to get this for you. It has all your old contacts on it. No need to thank me. – Tony
"Wasn't going to thank you anyways." I say out loud under my breath.
"What's that?" Bucky asks, already next to me. I picked up the phone to show him.
"Gift from Tony."
"Oh."
I set the phone down and go back to the eggs. Seeing that they're almost done I go to the cabinet and pull two plates out. Shoveling done eggs onto each plate, I set them down on the high top counter and sit down, Bucky following my lead.
"So I was thinking we could stay in and watch T.V today." He asked between bites.
"Sure, I just have to go and check on Erica first, then I'm up for it." Setting is fork down loudly he turns to me.
"Steve already took care of that. Can't you just call her, or wait for another day to see her?" He presses. I gave him an unsettled look. "I just got you back to me, I don't want you to go anywhere."
So that's what this was about. Although I was a little bothered he wouldn't let me go anywhere I understood. He watched me get kidnapped and couldn't do anything to save me then. I would feel the same way if the roles were reversed.
I slip out of my seat and stand between his legs, putting his face between my hands.
"Okay I won't go anywhere today, it'll be just you and me." He smiles lightly and places his hands on my hips. I tuck his hair behind his ear, enjoying its softness. Bucky pulls me closer for a kiss, pushing his lips against mine deeply. His hand slips under my shirt, and fingers run over the skin of my stomach. Shivering lightly, I pull away from the kiss.
"How about that T.V?" I suggest. He doesn't say anything as he stands up, taking me by the hand back to the couch. We settle in for a day of random shows and cuddling.