The next week flew by.

Gianna developed a new routine, one much less structured. She'd wake up around 8, take her coffee to the lake, and write. Sometimes she'd journal, sometimes she'd write snippets of song lyrics. She'd stay out there until the sun rose into the sky and the morning was over. Then she'd pop in to watch Bucky in his element. Most of the time he worked with the agents on hand-to-hand combat or weapons training. He usually did so in conjunction with Steve, although it was clear to anyone watching that he had a gift for instruction.

When he'd finish for the day, usually around mid-afternoon, they'd get a late lunch and walk around the compound. There was still so much to see, even a whole week later. Sometimes they'd sit in the back of the intelligence room and watch as the team intercepted and interpreted information from all across the galaxy. Other times they'd crash a private sparring session between Avengers, with Gianna serving as the ring girl for the brawls between Black Widow and The Falcon - and Sam had yet to win one. Everyone admired his tenacity, though.

Once the afternoon turned to evening, Gianna had started helping Wanda in the kitchen. There was no shortage of technology to help prepare the food, but she knew Wanda liked the nostalgic feeling of cooking the old fashioned way. It was some small reminder of the life that was taken away from her. Gianna knew that feeling all too well. So they'd pitter around the kitchen like old friends, dancing and singing while they worked. When they'd finish, they'd call the team to dinner and they'd sit around the table like one big, dysfunctional, dangerous family.

They typically didn't eat together, which was a fact Gianna was shocked to learn. Before she'd arrived, everyone fell into their own routines that seldom aligned with each other. Half the team stayed at the compound, the other half preferred the tower and city life. They'd interact, all got along great, but somehow it never quite clicked that they could live in sync.

Now, as Gianna set the long dinner table for seven, she swore her heart could burst. For the first time in years, she'd eaten dinner in the same city for an entire week. She hadn't had a single paparazzi photo taken of her. She'd slept in the same bed, one that wasn't in a Hampton or Four Seasons bedroom. For the first time since she'd lost the last of her family, she felt the slightest bit of home.

That, and she was sleeping one door over from the man who made love songs write themselves in her head. Musings and lyrics flew out of her faster than she could write them down most mornings. And they hadn't even kissed for a second time yet.

"Oh MAMA, something smells divine in here," Sam called as he swaggered into the kitchen, reaching for the dish in Wanda's hands.

"Ah, ah!" She swatted his hand away, the pot levitating in midair in front of her so she could take a swipe at him. "You know the rules. Sit."

Shaking his head, Sam did as he was told. Behind him, Nat and Steve filed into the room, rolling their eyes as Peter rambled on about his latest invention. Peter spent quite a bit of time at the compound, something about shielding his eyes from his aunt and someone named Happy. Apparently they'd been getting pretty cozy at his home back in Queens. Gianna liked having him around, though he was younger than her, he and Wanda were the two closest to her age.

The sounds of chairs being pulled out filled the air as Wanda floated a fresh pitcher of lemonade around, filling each glass.

"Where's Bucky?" Gianna asked, trying to sound nonchalant, as though she hadn't been anxiously waiting for him to walk in the door since they started cooking.

"Right here." Bucky's gruff voice called from the doorway. He stepped through, his combat boots heavy on the floor. Eyes darting up, Gianna saw what had kept him.

Clutched in a metal fist was a bouquet of wildflowers.

"Growing out by the lake." He stepped forward and held them out to her. "I thought they'd, uh, look nice on the table. My mom used to like to keep fresh flowers in the house."

Blushing although they weren't technically for her, Gianna took the bouquet from his hands. "You're full of surprises, Sergeant." Her eyes looked up through her lashes at him.

"There's a vase under the sink." Wanda's voice called. The table had gone quiet, letting the sweet moment unfold with the rare absence of teasing.

Bucky took his seat at the table, telling Sam to shut up when the inevitable side comment was made. When the flowers were rinsed, Gianna placed the vase on the center of the table and took the last empty seat.

Just like every night, Steve insisted they bow their heads while he said grace. Just like every night, they laughed and ate and sat at the table long after the food was gone.

Just like every night, Gianna felt so incredibly lucky that this one was just like every night.

After dinner, the team made quick work of the dishes. Seven sets of hands can be incredibly efficient, especially when one set can move things telekinetically. Gianna grinned to herself, wondering how the "normal" version of her life involved a trash bag tying itself and floating out the door.

"Anyone down for a movie?" Sam called as he walked towards the living space.

"As long as it's not Rush Hour again." Nat elbowed him in the ribs, Wanda and Steve following behind.

"I'm gonna head back to the city, I've got some stuff to take care of." Peter said. "I'll be back this weekend! Don't watch anything good without me! I mean it guys, no Star Wars."

A chorus of 'goodbye' and 'later kid' followed him out the door, leaving only Bucky and Gianna in the kitchen. She dried her hands and hung the dishtowel back over the sink, turning to face him.

"I think I'm feeling a walk tonight instead of a movie. Thoughts?"

"After you." He gestured towards the door.

The air was cool once again, a few beams of sunlight illuminating the grounds. In a few moments, the landscape lights would kick on. Walking slowly, the two approached the trail.

"So, how are you adjusting?" Bucky asked, eyes down.

"You asked me that this morning," Gianna rolled her eyes. "And last night, and the morning before that."

"I just want to make sure you aren't, I don't know, bored. Or unhappy."

She was quiet for a moment. "I definitely haven't been bored…but it's been nice to have the chance to be, you know? It's been nice to have so much freedom."

"I don't know if I'd call being relocated to a secure compound for your own safety, freedom." He chuckled.

"Well, when you phrase it like that," She laughed. "You know what I mean. How it was on the road. It's not that I didn't love it, I did, it's just that…now I'm wondering if I really loved it or if that was just the only life I knew."

They walked in silence for a moment.

"Now, I feel like I'm seeing a different version of my life…a slower version. I feel like I always felt like I had to choose between being free and not being alone. I could keep working forever, keep touring, keep people around me. Or I could stop, rest, but where would I go? Back to an empty penthouse somewhere, I guess." She turned when they reached the dock, steering them down the wooden walkway. "Now, it feels like I have it all. I'm free, but I'm not alone."

"You make it sound like a dream." He sat down on the edge of the dock, holding a hand out for her to join him.

"Isn't it?" Gianna's eyes glittered as she looked at the sky above them, decorated with millions of twinkling stars, a sight only visible this far away from the city lights.

"Yeah," Bucky said, almost to himself, as he watched her gaze upward. "Yeah, it is."

They sat for several moments, just taking in the night sky and the quiet around them.

"I'm glad you're happy." Bucky was the one who spoke first.

"I really, really am. Thanks to you, you know." She turned her gaze on him. "If you hadn't done everything you did…saving me, telling Tony and Pepper about my contract, making them care enough to do…all this."

"I didn't have to make them do anything." He shrugged. "You're easy to care about."

Gianna blushed. "James Buchanan Barnes, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were sweet talking me right now."

"Old habits die hard, I guess." He smiled his adorable half-smile.

Scooting closer to him, Gianna laid her head on Bucky's shoulder. He had his weight on his hands, leaning back. He held his breath for a moment, the weight of her against him reminding him of the night they'd spent together.

Why is it that all of our closest moments have been after disaster? His mind never failed to intrude on his fleeting happy moments. Shifting uncomfortably as he attempted to block out that train of thought, he accidentally nudged Gianna.

"What's wrong?" Her brow was furrowed, clearly reading the look on his face.

"What? Nothing."

"Bucky." She gave him her come-on look, making it clear she saw right through him.

He sighed. He'd gotten himself into this conversation, and now he'd actually have to have it.

"I just…I like this." He gestured to their general proximity.

"I like it too, Buck." She breathed.

He stood suddenly. "I just wonder…all of our closest moments. They've all been because something bad happened, or almost happened."

Gianna's face reflected her confusion as she turned, still sitting, to watch him pace.

"We got close because there was no one else, I know that. I slept over because you were scared. You kissed me when you were drunk." Gianna blushed as he finally put words to the topic they'd danced around for so long. "You're here, living here, because something awful happened."

He took a few steps down the dock before turning back to face her. "I don't know, I guess sometimes I just wonder if it's real. This…" He gestured between them, his metal hand glinting in the moonlight. "Or if it's just…bad things happening and me being the one who's here."

Seeing the pained look on Bucky's face nearly broke her. Standing to her feet, Gianna walked slowly to him, putting a hand on his chest. She met his blue eyes and spoke slowly.

"We were together every day because there was no one else…we got close because I wanted to know you. I was the one who asked you to go to that boardwalk fair, remember?"

His soft smile encouraged her to keep going.

"You slept over because I was scared, but you were the one I wanted with me when I was. I almost asked you back the next night, but I chickened out. I stood and stared at your hotel door for way too long before I convinced myself you wouldn't have said yes anyways."

His smile faded but his eyes were locked on hers.

"I kissed you when I was drunk because that's the only time I wasn't petrified of you…not feeling the same. When I was looking at you that night, it just all hit me at once. Everything I'd wanted to do for months. I just said…fuck it. I, the next morning, I was so scared. Shitless. I thought for sure you'd tell me I misread things. I felt like such an idiot, here you were just doing your job and I'm -"

She froze, looking up at him.

"You're what?" He spoke softly.

"You were just doing your job…and here I was, falling in love with you."

The world seemed to stand still for a moment, the only thing proving they weren't frozen in time was the light evening breeze flowing through their hair.

"You're…"

"Yeah."

Gianna's eyes flicked from his eyes to his lips, desperate for any indication of what was going through his mind.

"There's…nothing bad happening here." He spoke slowly, eyes drifting down to her lips.

"No…there's no disaster," She took a step forward, closing the gap between them.

"I don't think this counts as doing my job," His hands gently grasped her hips.

"I'm most definitely not drunk right now,"

He tugged on her hips ever so slightly, closing the gap between them.

"Are you afraid?"

"Terrified." Her voice was a whisper, inches from his face.

She went up on tiptoes, her left hand sliding up the back of his neck. Unlike that night at Tony's, when every good memory between them flashed through her mind, this moment was different. There was nothing else outside the two of them. No interruption, no distraction. Just the cool night air and his hands on her waist.

This time, it was Bucky who moved first. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, familiar and foreign all at once. It wasn't hesitant like the last time. He felt desperate, hungry. One of his hands moved to her lower back, pulling her flush against him. She felt encompassed by his arms, strong and firm and all around her.

Fingers tangled in the hair at the knape of his neck, Gianna sighed into their kiss. She couldn't get enough of him. He consumed her senses. The taste of his lips on hers, the warmth under his fingertips, the smell of his skin, the sound he made when her free hand slid under his sweatshirt and grazed his taut abdomen…

Intoxicating.

When his mouth parted to let out a soft moan, Gianna took the opportunity to catch his lower lip between her teeth, biting ever so gently. Their kiss paused as his eyes flew open to meet hers, still wrapped in each others arms. For a moment, she wasn't sure what she was seeing in his eyes as they flicked back and forth between hers.

Intense. Predatory. Lustful.

Eyes dark, he moved faster than she could process. In one movement, his left hand was underneath her, lifting her into the air. His right hand cupped her cheek as his lips crashed into hers. Wrapping her legs around him, her arms draped over his shoulders and hands in his hair.

When she felt a metal hand squeeze her ass, still fully supported in the air by his left arm, Gianna moaned against his mouth. Bucky took the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth, barely breaching the kiss.

Gentle. Greedy. Desperate.

She couldn't tell who's need for the other one was stronger as their emotions intensified. Bucky took a step forward, never ceasing his sweet and hungry kiss. She wrapped her legs tighter around him, wanting to touch him at every opportunity.

"Have dinner with me." Bucky groaned into their kiss.

"We," more kissing. "Already ate,"

"No," He pulled back, blue eyes bright in the darkness of the evening. "Tomorrow night. Friday. Have dinner with me. A date."

She grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Thought it might be a conflict of interest." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the wind and his hands having taken their toll.

"And now?"

"Fuck the conflict."

Gianna leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, something she could only reach from her position in his arms. As she pulled back, he slowly lowered her back to her feet. Both of their breathing returned to normal as they stood there, as if wanting to live in this moment forever.

Without breaking eye contact, Bucky ran his fingertips down the back of her arms, sending a shiver down her spine. When goosebumps erupted on her arms, he couldn't help but smirk at her involuntary reaction. As his fingertips traced the inside of her palms, he lazily spread his fingers through hers.

"God, you're pretty." She breathed out.

"I'm supposed to say that to you." He chuckled.

"So say it."

"God…" He brought her hands to his mouth one by one, planting a kiss on the back of them. "You're so fucking pretty."

Something had awoken inside Gianna that she wasn't sure she could put back to sleep. Need for him burned so deeply it was almost painful. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him if she wanted to.

"Bucky, I…" Her eyes traveled over his jaw, stubble making him look so ruggedly handsome. "I don't want to go to bed."

He chewed on his lower lip. He wanted to say something…inappropriate. He resisted.

"You have to go to sleep so we can make it to tomorrow. The day I finally get to take you on a date."

She smiled, eyes still pleading with him. "You know what I mean."

"I do. Believe me." He slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, walking them back down the dock to the trail. "I want to do this right. You deserve that."

She blushed. "Goodness, Sergeant Barnes…so old-fashioned of you."

"Hey, it may have been 80 years ago, but I still remember what my mom told me about dating."

"Oh yeah, what was that? Make sure you find a girl who can iron your pants and have meatloaf ready by 5?" Gianna teased.

He looked down at her. "You only get one chance to create a story worth telling to your grandkids."

Blue eyes. Sweet words. Everything.

Her heart swelled as she sucked in a breath. A dangerously goofy smile threatened to overtake her face, but Gianna chewed the inside of her cheek to keep it contained. She didn't know if there wasn't an adequate response to his perfect words or if her muddled brain just couldn't think of one, so she stayed quiet and leaned her head into him as they walked.

Bucky saw her face contort as she suppressed a smile, making him unable to resist a small grin of his own.

When they stepped out of the elevator back onto the floor, the team was finishing up their movie on the massive sectional that spanned the living room. Sam, whose idea it had been in the first place, had passed out open-mouthed with his hand still in the popcorn bowl. Steve sat with Nat's feet in his lap, focused on the movie. Wanda, ever the touchy-feely type, had her head leaned on Nat's shoulder as they watched, cuddled under the same blanket.

The soft light from the elevator lit up a strip of the kitchen. Steve, always the one positioned towards the door, looked towards them. It only took one look at Bucky for Steve to know something had gone down. He could read his best friend like a children's book, but in all fairness, it wouldn't take much for someone else to infer the same. Cheeks flushed, lips swollen, both of their hair tousled…and the two of them walking as close to each other as possible, as though there was a gravitational force pulling them together.

"How was the walk?" Steve called as the duo crossed the living room.

"Hot," Gianna said.

"Great," Bucky grunted simultaneously. They shot a quick sidelong glance to each other, grinning.

Steve chuckled, the girls smiling but choosing to keep their comments to themselves. Wanda dug an elbow into Natasha's ribs, making sure she was seeing the same thing.

When they got to the far end of the living room, in front of both of their doors, Gianna paused awkwardly. The room was dark, but nearly everyone in the room had enhanced vision and hearing and she knew they were only pretending to watch the movie.

"Goodnight, Buck."

"Goodnight, Gianna."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear. "I'm glad your mom gave you that advice…because what I had in mind wouldn't have been appropriate for telling grandkids."

With that, she slipped into her room, winking at him just before she disappeared behind the door.

Bucky groaned, leaning back against his bedroom door.

"You know Barnes," Natasha's voice called across the room. "If you wanted to try out lipgloss, I have a shade that's much more you."

Wiping the back of his sleeve across his mouth, he glared across the dark room as the two redheads giggled.

"No, but seriously, I love your hair like that. It's very rockstar." Wanda joined in.

"I hate you guys."

"Night, Bucky!"

"Love you, too!"

He let the door slam closed behind him, but couldn't do anything but smile like an idiot once he was alone.

Tomorrow night better get here quick.

Author's Note: I got my first two reviews after the last chapter, heart is so warm! I'll keep writing regardless because this is my favorite little love story, but your review/feedback really would mean the world. thanks for reading, xoxo