𝗔 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 ﹕ 𝗕𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗬 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗦 & 𝗔𝗡𝗜 𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗥. ⸝⸝ @searaph.
𝗜𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗔𝗬 , 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗜𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗟 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗬 , but at long last , Bucky Barnes was 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 relieved for the day. Going home to his simple apartment hadn't had that 𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗜𝗧 like he had hoped it would when he was younger. The along came Ani right into his life at a point when he least expected it. In over his head , 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗬 having earned the trust of the people after everything that he had done , then there was 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘 , one of the last connections he still had to his past … Being asked to take up the shield had felt like the 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘.
But when he stormed that facility and found her there , he couldn't 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗩𝗘 that she was even still alive at first. It didn't help she reminded him of parts of his past that instantly pulled at that need to protect. That feeling that had 𝗔𝗟𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 , merely repurposed for whatever agenda HYDRA wanted to serve. They'd made him believe that part of him was 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗢𝗡𝗘. She was able to help prove that to be untrue.
It hadn't been an 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗬 𝗔𝗗𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 for her either. Glad that the rest of who was left thought it best she stay with him , he started the understandably long process of trying to help her trust again. If there was anyone left who understood her … It was him. Heavy boots 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗠𝗟𝗬 , but quietly. The usual way Bucky carried himself now a days. Sure and quiet. That part of him never leaving no matter 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 he spent being Bucky Barnes again. Always prepared for anything to happen upon opening the door.
Prepared to be greeted with an 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠 , tired gaze cast down to booted feet while shrugging his coat off. Then eyes raise to see her , in the living room , sleeping on the couch. A sight he had never seen before , and could surmise even in his absence , likely 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗. Glacier blue eyes inspect the room , even breathing kept at a silent volume. Alpine 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗟𝗬 on the brunette as she slept soundly while curled up in the soft blanket. Warm smile curls the former assassin's lips , while hand 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟𝗬 closes the front door. Using ever ounce of training he had to keep from making a sound. That same care being used as boots are kicked off at the front door , so he can retreat to his room. Desperate to not 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗕 that peace.
He left his door open. Wanting to make sure if she 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗨𝗣 , he'd be right there to know. It would also allow him the perfect vantage point to see where she slept on the couch. For a while , he set to 𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞. Folding some laundry he had left from the night before , all the while making sure to 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞 𝗜𝗡 , before then resuming the chores. When those chores were done , he found himself sitting in bed to go over mission reports. A pretty 𝗗𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗬 , likely leading to the brunette dozing off in his own bed shortly after his twentieth check in on her.
