“I figured you could handle it,” Sharon quipped, shrugging her shoulders. “Why? Are you out of your depth?” When it came to training with other agents, Sharon often had to hold back – move slower so they could get used to the motions. But training with Bucky was different. She didn’t know all his moves (which was part of the challenge that Sharon enjoyed) but he could also take a hit. This was a chance for him to see what she was capable of just as much as it was a chance for her to see him in action. “Did it help? Following muscle memory – this, does it help?” Sharon asked. She hadn’t thought they’d be having this conversation here, but their conversations always seemed to fall towards this eventually. Something more emotional. But Sharon never shied away from that either. It was important for him to uncover what he had lost – and even if they weren’t together it would be important to her, because they were friends first.
But a fraction of a second later, and Sharon was reminded in all the ways how they weren’t just friends anymore. His hands on her hips and it was so easy for Sharon to lose herself in the moment. A lot of things came easier when she was with him. Talking about her work, talking about the gaps in his memories, saying three words that had terrified Sharon for years but came out so naturally for him. Every time she blinked it was like they were skipping to a new chapter, quicking finding a pace that worked for them both. And it was frustrating because it all felt too fast and too slow at the same time. They had time – Sharon had to keep reminding herself of that. “Something more can certainly be arranged,” Sharon murmured before their lips met.
It might have been obvious what they both wanted, but they had never said it out loud. And considering how much Bucky had experienced without having a say – the words were important. Even if they had been implied a thousand times over between them. The answer that Bucky provided though… was wildly different from what she had expected. But at least this confession wasn’t met with the same reaction as him telling her that he loved her. This time, she didn’t hesitate before replying. “I want the same thing, James.” Using his real name felt strange but also… right. She thought that was it – and her hands were already at the bottom hem of his shirt, a demand for him to sit up so she could get it off him was on the tip of her tongue when he pulled away from the kiss again, and all Sharon could do was let out a small groan in protest. “Well, you have me,” Sharon said in a whisper, looking him in the eyes before she spoke again. “I love you, James.” She hardly waited before pressing her lips to his again, this time there was a heat behind the kiss – those few words shared between them was all she needed. Because now? Now she was done talking.
“Never,” Bucky replied, and he couldn’t quite work out how to get another word out, not when Sharon was looking at him like that. There was something intoxicating about the little quirk of her lips. She wasn’t laughing at him, she was laughing with him, and he just hadn’t caught onto the joke yet. She was funny without being mean, smart without being condescending. From the first conversation they had when Bucky arrived in this universe, he’d enjoyed spending time with her. The more he did, the more he liked her, and he didn’t see any proof that would stop anytime soon. “It helped me remember, yeah,” he said. “Took a few times, and it isn’t foolproof but … it’s the only thing that’s ever worked.” With Steve, with Natalia, even with Sam to an extent. From what Bucky heard about the Incident, some tough cognitive recalibration was required for Clint as well, an after effect of Natalia’s experiences in the Red Room. She remembered without remembering. That’s what Bucky felt like now, too – things were familiar, but no more clear because of it.
But Sharon was clear. Sharon was clear and she was on top of him, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips, and Bucky moved up to meet her eagerly. Pulling back to check in on her only emphasised the warmth that was moving through him now, and he kept his hands on her hips, squeezing gently as she spoke – until she said his name, and he found himself stilling. “I–” Words weren’t coming through at any stage in the near future, so instead he cut them off, kissing her as her fingers curled into the bottom of his shirt. He rose his arms, allowing her to remove it easily, not even hesitating because of the arm or the scars.
It was a freeing feeling, bringing him right back to the war when he used to do this just to remind himself he could, that there were some things that remained constant. It was different now, though. It was different because it was Sharon, because it meant something, and he never really had that before. “I love you, Sharon,” he said, and then he went for her shirt, pulling it gently from the back so he could press a kiss to her collarbone once it was clear. “About damn time,” he muttered against her skin, a grin coming onto his face because he knew it was what she was thinking, but they had all the time in the world. “FRIDAY?” Bucky murmured, just loud enough for the AI to hear. “Uh … black out protocol?”
For once, Bucky didn’t overthink the passive aggressiveness of a disembodied voice, because he had something far more important to think about.
