Mended Heart - Bucky Barnes - Chapter One
Jasmine sighed, cleaning up in the kitchen of her apartment, her locket dangling in the light. She softly held it with her hand, opening it up. Inside was a picture of her, with two men, all smiling widely. One of them was her brother, Steve, and the other was Bucky. Her hair was blonde back then, her eyes happier.
She slowly, closed the locket, both hands clenched on the counter, as her mind drifted to a distant memory...
"Bucky, no!" She screamed gleefully, her blonde hair almost flying in the wind. "I can't get in the water."
"Sure you can Doll, it's your birthday! Just get in." Bucky argued, clearly not taking no for an answer.Â
"Buck." She argued. "I'll get a cold. Steven, tell him I'll get a cold." Steve poked his head out of the book he was reading, shaking his head. He clearly did not want to be a part of that moment. But, what the hell, it was her birthday. She jumped in the water, wrapping her arms around Bucky, laughing. He laughed with you, and that moment, Steve jumped in as well, laughing. Your mom quickly flashed a picture.
Jasmine's thoughts slowly drifted back to the present, reflecting on how much she'd changed. Her hair was now brown instead of blonde, and there was so much more baggage and trauma, and she no longer had her brother. She could always find Bucky, but...it was hard for her. To reconnect with her past like nothing ever happened, like he didn't dissapear.
______________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, Bucky was hanging out with Sam, on his boat.
"Look, man." Sam said softly. "When's the last time you went on a date? One that you actually wanted to go on." He had been pushing the subject on him lately, that he couldn't spend his whole life in Lousiana.
"Thought you liked having me here." Bucky mumbled, not pleased with the conversation. He had been thinking about Jasmine. Her laugh, her smile, all of it.
If even possible, Sam's voice got even softer. "You know that's not why, Buck. But you need someone to make you happy. Like back in the 90s, besides Steve, who made you happy?"
"Jasmine." He responded. He had told Sam about her, but never in detail. And there was no time like the present. "Ok, man, tell me about her."
Bucky thought about it for a minute. "She was- amazing. She had blonde hair, and it always looked so good. And she was beautiful, her laugh, her smile, and uh, she could eat. She loved food, and books." Bucky let out a shaky breath, a memory resurfacing in his mind.
It was an amazing spring day. Steve was out running some errands, and Jasmine and Bucky lay under a tree. He was reading The Hobbit, completely invested. You were reading Little Women, lost in your own world. Your head rested on his chest, as he hummed peacefully, almost matching the rhythm of the turning pages.
"Ooh, first name, I'm in trouble." He teased. He wasn't afraid, he never was. Not of her.
"I love Aladdin. You know I do. But I'm at the sad part and 'A Whole New World' isn't helping right now." she spoke in the same tone, but deep down, she loved it, and she loved him.
"Sorry Doll." Bucky kissed her forehead gently, smiling as her soft cheeks dusted with a pink like the sunset.
But, after all that, he had to return to reality. As much as it hurt. They had a mission to do.
He continued to think of Jasmine as he walked. He was so zoned out he didn't realize Sam had stopped briefing him.
"Hey, man, you good?" Sam asked, brows furrowing in concern.
He didn't know how to respond. He couldn't. "Yeah, man, I'm- I'm good."
The plan was to sneak into an assassins house. She was known as the Aura Witch. They needed her help on a mission. Bucky and Sam quietly sneaked into the house, and stopped. The girl had long, wavy, brown hair, and she had earplugs in, humming to 'A Whole New World'. Another thing that reminded him of Jasmine. Great.
______________________________________________________________
Jasmin was humming to 'A Whole New World', memories of her and Bucky surfacing in her mind. There were even some flickers of Steve. But as the song paused for adds, she heard the wood creak behind her. She stopped the music, breath hitching. She had to move fast. She used her powers, silver twisting around a kitchen knife as she whirled around, lifting it to her assailants face. But it quickly dropped, and she let out a breath she didn't know shed been holding.
"Jamie." She breathed out. "You- you're here."
______________________________________________________________
He couldn't believe it. It was her. He knew she was alive, but not that she was still here. His eyes scanned her. Her wavy brown hair, her outfit, and her sparking green eyes that solved all his problems.
Sam stood there, confused, but Bucky was engrossed in the situation. In her.
"Yeah, doll." He whispered. "It's me. I'm here, Jaz."
And so, their story continued, after 70 years of being on hold.