Thank you for the reviews, always happy to read them. -Hannahg

Arabella

It has been a month since I got back and I felt so suffocated. I understood Bucky's intentions at first, his need to be around me constantly and his wish for me to not go out. I did all that he wanted me to, and I never went anywhere without telling him and having him go along with me. I could deal with it for the first two weeks.

Then it just became too much. I was getting frustrated that I had to ask him if I wanted to go somewhere, or I couldn't just go alone and get some time to myself. He would flip out of I just went upstairs to Tony's without letting him know. After putting up with it for so long I demanded that he let me go, by myself, to have coffee with Pepper, Natasha, and Erica at a Starbucks nearby.

Erica had become a good friend of mine, and an even better friend of Steve's since we got back. When I had the chance I'd visit her and make sure her and her son, Caleb, were doing fine and had everything they needed. They would also visit us in return, Caleb loved spending time with heroes, and the team loved having him. Erica would either stay with me or head over to Steve's floor and hang out with him for a while. Although they both denied it, I could sense something more than friends in the midst.

Trying to tell Bucky that I was having lunch with the girls was hard. At first he quickly rejected it telling me that if he couldn't come then it wasn't going to happen. I got so mad that I threw a pot that I was washing at the wall next to him. In a deadly calm voice I proceeded to tell him I wasn't asking for his permission, just telling him my plans for later.

Bucky got mad at that a stormed out telling me to do whatever I wanted. I didn't get mad or follow him to argue, he could be mad. I was going to do something without him for the first time in a long while.

So here I am sitting in Starbucks with Erica Natasha and Pepper, sipping a frappe and listening to Pepper talk about her vacation in Costa Rica.

"It was beautiful, the beach, the island, the culture. I would do it again, just not for that long alone." She told us.

"That sounds amazing, with getting back to work they've been observing me and interrogating me nonstop about Hydra. I could really use a vacation." Erica commented, exhaustion clear on her face. Natasha gave a simple smile, seemingly thinking about that vacation

"I'm with that." I say. "So Pepper how are you and Tony?" I continue.

"Were good, surprisingly since my acceptance of his hobbies, he's been really sweet." She has a small blush on her face, a loving look in her eyes. She closes her eyes and smile, then opens them and asks me

"Bucky? How has it been since you got rescued?" I give her an exasperated look.

"Don't even get me started. He has been smothering me, hell I had to argue with him about coming here. Needless to say he wasn't happy about it."

"I can understand where he's coming from, since I got back I have hardly let Caleb out of my sight. It's like I'm afraid that he'll just disappear, or Hydra will come back to do what they said." Erica confided.

"But that's different." I protest.

"Not so much, when you love someone more than yourself, it's natural to be so protective and overbearing when the risk of losing them was too close for comfort." Natasha reasoned with a matter-of-fact tone.

"I agree, Tony has had his times too. They stop eventually, you just need to actually talk about it."

They were right, I hadn't even sat down with Bucky and told him how I was feeling. He had to understand where I was coming from, just the same way I've been understanding with him.

When I got back to my floor, Bucky was in the living room watching a movie. I move to stand on the side of the couch, seeing if Bucky would turn his head to look at me. When he didn't I let out a loud sigh, and took a seat on the chair by the coffee table.

"Bucky?" I try, he doesn't respond. "Fine you don't have to look or talk, but you are going to listen. I'm not going to apologize for going out for coffee, but I will say I'm sorry for the way I reacted in our conversation. I have just been feeling suffocated lately, I just needed some space." He still doesn't say anything, his eyes still focused on the screen.

"I get it. You were scared of losing me, and you want to keep me close so we won't ever be in that situation again. But sometimes I just need some space, and to be able to do things on my own." After I spoke he sighs, turning his head to look over at me. He stares at me for a second then extends his hand out, beckoning me to go over to him.

I get up from the chair and take his hand. He pulls me around and sits me down on his lap, kissing the back of my hand.

"I know that I've been really overprotective lately. You are my everything, the reason my heart beats." He places my hand on his chest. "The reason I get up in the morning, and why I even have the will to live. Without you I am nothing. I don't ever want to lose you, physically or emotionally. So I won't be how I've been, just promise me that you'll at least tell me where you'll be going." Bucky reasons, and tucks my hair behind my ear.

'He's amazing.'

I nod eagerly, smiling up at him. I lean in for a loving kiss, biting his lip gently. He growls at me playfully, and pulls my hair gently. I move to sit facing him on his lap and I start pecking kisses all over his face.

"I love you." I declare when I finish kissing his face, gathering his hair and moving it behind his shoulders.

"I love you too." He says seriously, caressing my cheek. He pulls me in for another kiss, this one deeper. His tongue traces my bottom lip, and I grant him access. Tongue slipping into my mouth to explore; I move my hand under his shirt to feel the skin of his hard stomach.

Bucky backs out of the kiss and moves his hands to the hem of my blouse, just as he was about to lift it up a ding comes from the Elevator.

"Mrs. Barnes, Mr. Rogers has arrived." JARVIS speaks.

I move away from him and try to sit next to him on the couch, but he doesn't let me. He holds me closer to him, securing me against his chest.

"Hey, so Erica is here and I wanted to know if you guys wanted to have dinner with us." Steve asks as he rounds the back of the couch to stand in front of us. His face goes to surprise as he looks at our disheveled states. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No not at all Steve, and we would love to have dinner with you guys." I answer quickly, trying to make it as normal as possible.

"Right, um just uh be down around 6:00." He tells us flustered, making his way to the exit. His reaction makes me giggle, and I watch as the lift doors close, Steve refusing to make eye contact. My giggle turns into a full blown laugh.

"It's not that funny." Bucky states with a playful glare.

"Oh yes it is." I disagree with more laughing. I pat his arm. "Come on let's get ready, when I got back it was 4: 40. I really want a shower too." I get up from his lap and head to the room, I can hear him mumbling under his breath and footsteps behind me.