Series Summary: She was done and retired. After Thanos and after the battle of a lifetime, she had called it quits and had distanced herself from the Avenger lifestyle. But word finds her that someone from her past is in danger. What the journey entails was never one she wanted to face nor one she saw becoming her reality again. The rollercoaster that comes with fighting evil odds arrives on her doorstep not leaving much room for a no…
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Word Count: 5800+
A/N: If you haven’t read the inspiration to this story/ the post before this, I highly recommend doing so before reading! This story means a lot to me and I’d love for you to understand the importance of it to me. In saying that, I will be posting soon about the post schedule for this story. I’m thinking every two days, but we shall see... ENJOY and let me know what you think:) xoxoxox
Prologue:
"It's been five years of her going off the grid, and you're just going to show up on her doorstep after she has made it very clear she wants nothing to do with us anymore?" Steve argued.
"She doesn't want anything to do with this lifestyle," Nat corrected.
"It doesn't matter. We need her help, and she'll understand," Tony waved off.
"Will she?" Nat countered with a raised eyebrow.
Tony took a second to think about it, even though he knew the true answer to her sarcastic question.
"It won't matter. After we tell her what's going on, she'll join us. I know," Tony shook his head, putting the screwdriver in hand on a workbench.
"You say that, but I'm pretty sure if you show up on her doorstep in your metal tin can, she'll squeeze you out of it like toothpaste," Clint laughed from behind the three, lounging on the couch in Tony's man cave of mechanics.
Steve and Nat shared a look that they agreed.
"Which is why I'm not going to be the one paying her a welcome visit," Tony shook his head with a tired smile.
"No, nuh-uh," Nat shook her head. "I'm on good terms with her and respect her privacy. I'm not planning on messing that up anytime soon."
Tony turned to Clint.
"Me either. I love her too much to spoil that part of my friendship. I know what it's like to want a quiet life outside of this world," Clint put his hands up.
"Fine, I didn't need you two anyway. Rogers is just as close-"
"I don't know, Tony. She left and hasn't reached out for a reason. I may not know why, but I don't want to disrupt the peace," Steve sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"She respects you, Rogers," Tony pointed out, stepping closer. "That and I have an idea." Steve raised an eyebrow at him. Uncertainty painted his face. "Bring your robocop friend. She's never been one to be nasty around a new face, no matter how upset she might get."
"You think just cause you'll have an unfamiliar face with him, she'll be happy-go-lucky about everything?" Nat scoffed.
"No, I just think she won't blast someone out of existence in front of a stranger," Tony shrugged.
"That's an awful big assumption to make, Stark," Clint shook his head, looking down at the ground. "Really want to take that chance and risk losing Cap?"
"She would never lay a finger on him," Tony laughed off.
"Even if she wouldn't, what makes you think she'll join us back in the fight? She swore off this life for a reason," Nat rolled her eyes, moving around the workbench covered in scrap metal and tools, and leaned over the opposite side of the counter. "It's going to take a pretty 'big bad' to get her even to give this a second thought."
"Would you all have a little faith in me?" Stark smirked, grabbing a file that was hidden from sight until then. "This may persuade her."
The three shared a look, showing they had no idea what could be in that folder to get their old teammate on board.
"What? You have magic in the folder?" Nat said in a sassy tone. "Only way this daydream of yours has a chance."
"Might as well be," Tony shrugged, throwing it in front of them.
Nat was the first to grab and open it. It looked like a normal mission. Hard, yes, but nothing unworldly or extravagant enough to pull her from retirement. However, a lot of it was redacted.
She shrugged and shook her head, handing it off to Steve, where Clint scanned it over his shoulder.
"I think you're going to have to try harder than a missing girl," Clint raised an eyebrow.
"Not so sure about that, considering who she is," Tony sighed, tinkering with a little gadget on the table as they reviewed the paper.
"Who is she?" Nat asked, not liking being out of the know.
"Not my place to say," Tony answered. A second later, the little trinket in hand shocked him, and he jumped before bringing his thumb to his lips to aid it. "Listen, all that matters is that you get that to her, show it to her as a possible case she can work if she wants, and maybe we can bribe her to join the team again."
"Big jump from having her working a case to joining the superhero life again," Nat mocked.
"I'm not going to try and explain myself any further. You all don't have hope, but I do," Tony threw the piece of wire that shocked him again to the side. "Rogers, get Barnes and anyone else who's willing to go that Y/N wouldn't kill on sight."
"And if I say no?" Steve asked.
Tony turned, seeing the challenge in Steve's eyes. Something that had been a common staple in those baby blues ever since The Accords a while back.
"Then I'll go and risk getting 'squeezed out of my suit like toothpaste', as Barton so kindly put it," Tony countered, sending a blank face to Clint. "But I know you will because I'll tell you this..." He stepped up and said softly to him. "She deserves to know what's in that file. Ask Fury if you need further confirmation. It may seem like a simple case, but there's more than what's on the surface."
Steve knew he wasn't getting more than that out of him as he had been discrete the entire time. Clearly, this was a big deal. Tony knew he would end up seriously injured, hexed or something worse if he showed up uninvited on her doorstep. And if he was willing to risk it just to hand her this case file, then yeah... It was important. And she was important to him, so therefore, this was important to him now.
Tony could see the look in his eyes now. He had him on board.
________________
"Ok, who is this person again?" Bucky asked as they packed up the jet.
"One of our old teammates," Steve answered.
"I've got that much, punk," Bucky retorted.
"She was both the brains and brawn of the team," Bruce chuckled after settling his equipment in. "We were lucky to have her on our side and not the other."
"That's a lot coming from the one I would consider both of those things," Bucky chuckled lightheartedly toward the scientist.
"She's extremely powerful, and if anyone else that wasn't her were to have the type of powers she does, there's a chance we'd all be done for," Steve spoke up, punching in the quadrants and setting the last steps for their trip in the tech.
"Ok, so basically, Stark has a death wish."
"If he was the one to end up coming, yeah. He hasn't been on her good side since the Accords signing," Steve nodded, closing the hangar. "She would have been on our side, but we couldn't contact her at the time as she was on a top-secret mission, and we didn't necessarily have a way of getting in touch with her. But once we got you to Wakanda, she came back and gave Tony a piece of her mind upon learning what went down."
"Her and Wanda are really close," Bruce added. "She was a part of turning Wanda to our side and helping her transition after Sokovia and our battle with Ultron. They became rather close, as she had lost someone like Wanda lost Pietro, and they bonded instantly."
"So I'm assuming when Stark had Wanda locked up in the jail undersea, she wanted to kill him," Bucky added up.
The jet started, and Steve buckled in to begin their long flight.
"She didn't realize that he was part of getting them out at that point, but either way, she let him know how she felt about his decision to sign the contracts. Once we were on the run, she helped me break into the raft and became a fugitive herself," Steve explained, watching everyone buckle up before he took off. "She continued to be Wanda's mentor after that. Showing her how to use and manipulate her powers further."
"And I've never met her?" Bucky asked.
"You were still in Wakanda a majority of the time once we had got you back," Steve answered. "By the time we fought Thanos, she was with Stark and Strange on Titan. Tony said she was close to taking him down herself, but she isn't as strong when she's not on Earth."
When Bucky gave a confused look, Banner noticed and elaborated.
"Y/N's power is drawn from the Earth's energy. She still has powers and knowledge outside of it, but as long as she's on earth, she is truly as powerful as an infinity stone."
"An infinity stone? Why wasn't she on earth when we were fighting then?" Bucky asked.
"Because Thanos stole her alongside Strange, knowing that. He figured if she was away from her energy source, it would be one less problem to deal with. But Tony snuck on, and so did the kid, Parker," Steve elaborated. "In the end, freeing Strange and her."
"I saw she wasn't part of the blip. What did she do during that time?"
"Worked effortlessly to get Wanda back. It was like losing a little sister. I'd never seen her so desperate before. She worked day and night to try and find something. Created a little home in the middle of nowhere, similar to the one Strange found for her current residence. Went through all kinds of research to try and bring everyone back."
"And like everyone else, she was unsuccessful," Bruce ended. "Pretty sure she slipped into a state of depression. Which for her is... Well, when she feels something, she feels it hard, to say the least. Didn't stay in contact with us for almost four years after Danvers brought back Tony and her from space, and some of us moved on." He turned and looked shyly at Steve. "I guess all of us kinda moved on and went our own direction. The only person that we know of who we were close to that worked nonstop at the compound was Nat."
"What about the final battle? I'm sure I had to have seen her there," Bucky tried thinking back to the long and exhausting endgame where the snap done by Carol brought everyone back.
"She and Wanda teamed up on him. He rained all his fire on his own army because of them almost taking him out. There were a lot of people on that field, so I'm not sure who you could have seen, but she didn't stick around long after. She told us she was done and over with the superhero life. Too much stress and ups and downs over the years. She just wanted peace and quiet, which I don't blame her for. With her life and backstory, she deserves a second to rest," Steve shrugged softly, looking at Bucky one more time before back at the sky.
Bucky took a second to reel in all the new information. It had been late at night when Steve had knocked on his door and told him they would be leaving bright and early to head out. He was entirely in the dark about what his mission was, and that was told to him by Stark and Fury.
Fury had pulled him to the side, saying it was dire to get her on board to finish the mission. More details of it to come... All he knew was that he was supposed to aid Rogers and Banner in convincing her to help them. At least for this one mission, but if possible, eventually coming back to the team.
There was silence the rest of the ride there about their target. Steve and Bucky took turns flying, and Banner stayed in the back after a while, researching whatever he was working on.
The flight was about 5 hours long, but would have been 7-8 if they weren't in a Stark crafted plane.
Carefully, in a field of wildflowers, they settled the jet down in hopes of not destroying too much of the landscape. They would have to walk a certain distance as the coordinates Strange was able to find were spotty.
But upon seeing a small little cottage surrounded by a quaint yet vegetated garden, a chicken coop, and a greenhouse that looked like it was made of stained glass, Steve knew exactly where to go.
"She's gotta be there," Steve sighed, looking at the home with nerves.
"I still hate doing this to her," Banner spoke up, coming around Bucky as he and Steve stood side by side.
"I do, too, but whatever this file is, she has a choice," Steve said, stepping closer to the house with anxious steps.
Everyone was in casual wear, and the flowers past their knees left pollen marks, slightly dusting their jeans. There was no point in barging into her home with stealth suits on.
They had arrived before sundown, and the golden hour colors in the sky were some of the most beautiful and insanely vibrant colors Bucky had ever seen. A wood of trees surrounded the house, and the plot of land in its center held the home and other facilities. It was well-maintained and looked like something straight out of a fairytale book.
It was something he could see himself creating for future him if he ever got to retire, but in the back of his head, he had convinced himself that wasn't possible for him. Something as homey and peaceful would never be for him.
A sense of calm came with the surroundings, but deep down, Bucky felt slight unease, knowing how this mission could take a turn if it wanted to.
"What if she's not here?" Banner asked, looking around and only seeing movement in the distance from what was chicken and ducks.
"I don't know... It seems like the place Y/N would-"
"What the hell are you doing here?" a voice came from behind them.
All three turned quickly at the sound, completely caught off guard. Bucky went into a fighting stance out of instinct. Steve did the same but dropped it just as fast as it came, and Banner tensed but froze.
She wore pants that looked as though they were tailored from patches of recycled clothes and an orange top that matched some of the details of color. She had a homemade crocheted bag that looked worn out from many days used, slung across her shoulder, and crossed over her body to the other side. In it was a variety of vegetables and fruits with a smaller bag that looked to hold herbs that she had most likely just picked.
Her Y/H/C hair was pulled back into two intricate braids that were on top of each other and tied together, littered with bits of flowers and strands of greenery. She had small smears of dirt on her face, and her fingers showed where the dirt had come from.
She was beautiful in the orange and purple hues the sky had painted. It was as though the specific shades and tones of the sunset were created for her specifically. But the look on her face was one not of excitement or joy, causing the warm and welcoming colors to contradict her disposition.
"Y/N," Bruce said softly, with a small awkward and nervous smile.
"How did you find me?" she responded, ignoring his welcome.
In front of her was a dog. A rottweiler with a beautiful shining coat and a terrifying snarl on his lips. He wasn't making a move to attack at all, but he had a face showing he would as soon as he was given the signal.
"It's complicated, but I promise we aren't here to," Steve started, putting his hands up in defense.
"It was Strange, huh?" she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and popping a hip. She bit her cheek as she waited for the answer. When she didn't get one, she knew she was right. "God, you think you finally get a protection spell over your house perfected to make it untraceable, and the fucking Avengers still show up on your front porch."
Steve and Banner didn't say anything but instead stood there like children getting scolded by their mom. Bucky looked over at them, not really sure how to approach this friend of theirs, and when he looked back, he saw her scanning and registering him.
She didn't say anything, though. Didn't ask who he was or why he was there. Just looked at him with a pointed eyebrow before looking back at the other super soldier and the scientist.
No one said anything for a few seconds, but with the tension, Bucky felt like he had been surveying the situation for 10 minutes.
The dog let out a soft grunt, breaking the silence, and Y/N sighed before saying something in a foreign language that made him relax and run right between the men, returning to the house behind them.
Y/N again didn't say anything but instead looked one more time between the three and looked down at the ground in front of her, then back up. She looked like she was having an inner monologue about what to do and just decided to follow the dog and head to the house.
The boys didn't know whether to follow or stay put without instruction. But when she stopped in her step and turned her head back to see them from her peripherals, they noticed the slightest nod from her to follow before she continued walking.
Walking through the free-range chickens and other assorted birds, they noticed how the pets stayed close to her. Like she was the mother hen, they would follow her to the ends of the earth if she walked there.
Upon seeing the three men, they scattered and avoided anyone near the house as half ran into the garden and the rest to the coop. They most likely didn't have many visitors.
The house was small and quaint and was practically made by nature itself. Every turn your head made, flowers were hanging everywhere, vines intertwining into each other, greenery in pots and random mismatched vases and what looked like recycled glass bottles.
However, they were all placed in a way that worked with the decor and essence of the house. It worked in harmony with the home and didn't seem overwhelming or out of place, considering everything practically belonged outside in nature.
It was neatly furnished with different colored chairs and a couch. The chairs at her dining room table were like her pants. Mismatched and in different styles. Again, even though most everything didn't match, everything was homey and welcoming and seemed to work with a theme she had going.
"Seems that the botany never ended," Banner chuckled carefully in an attempt to lighten the mood.
It must have worked because the slightest turn of the corner of her lip went up, showing a fraction of a smile. But before she could actually show it to the room, she wiped it off and went to the stove where a tea kettle sat. She filled it with tap water before putting it on the heat.
She returned to the stove after messing with a few things in the kitchen, moving things around, and clearing the dining table from random junk.
She hadn't said anything up to this point besides what she said from outside. But when she noticed the three men still standing there awkwardly waiting for further instruction from who was clearly the boss, she let out a long sigh and motioned to the smaller dining room table.
"You can sit," she nodded before turning back to the counter behind her, where she reached into the cabinet above for what looked like tea bags.
The men all shared a look, and slowly but surely, Banner was the first to comply. He pulled a chair and angled it to where she was on the other side of the room. Steve debated on it, but in a way to show he was there on her side, he figured not standing in a stiff and anxious stature in the corner would help.
Bucky, on the other hand, was still taking in the vast arrays of herbs, flowers, and what looked like a station of experimenting with them all on a counter on the other side of the room no one had ventured to yet. There were jars labeled with the type of herb or wildflower she had dried up next to funnels where other jars had mixtures of the two.
While he was surveying the area, she snuck a glance at him and studied him the few seconds he let his guard down. She knew who he was but had never actually been in close proximity to him.
Before she could get caught, she turned back to the stove and spoke without looking at her guest.
"You know, I'm really hoping that if you came all the way out here and took the trouble of finding me, it would be to check in and say hi," she said. Rogers and Banner shared a glance before hastily looking back at her. "But your energy stinks of that not being the case." She turned halfway, leaning on the edge of the countertop with her arms crossed. "Correct me if I'm wrong."
Again, another glance between the two, and Banner lowered his head in embarrassment and shame while Rogers held a serious face, trying to mask the same emotions.
Bucky watched the two as a measure to see how he should be reading the room, but all he was getting from his partners was regret and guilt for coming out here.
"We wouldn't have come unless it was important," Steve spoke up, getting an eye roll from Y/N before she set her focus back on the heating water.
Though it should have been another few minutes before the flame heated the kettle's contents, Bucky watched as though her stare alone sped up the process. It started whistling almost instantly, showing it was ready to serve.
He curled an eyebrow at that. Now realizing it, he never got a full background of her power except that it could be as powerful as an infinity stone... She had said something about reading energy, too.
"Right... And checking on your friend, isn't that?" she rolled her eyes before adding, "Did Stark give you that script?" she chuckled bitterly, taking the kettle off the heat and pulling four mugs out of another cabinet.
"Lavelle," Steve started.
"Don't. Just don't," she raised a hand with her back still turned. "I don't want the spiel."
It had been a while since she heard her last name used in a way like a soldier.
She paused in her process, and the tension in her shoulders relaxed after a second. The tight and almost aggressive demeanor looked as though it had left her body. She turned back to the group of guests and relaxed along the terracotta tiles that covered her counter.
"Listen, I'm not mad you came here," she explained, looking at them. "Unexpectedly? A little upset about that, but more so because I would love for you to visit and just have a minute to catch up with you all." She quickly glanced at Bucky, and he could have sworn she had done it to show she meant him as well, even if they hadn't known the other. "But, as soon as you came in with all that anxious energy and tried to mask it, it's hard to be open to what I know is to come."
"We didn't mean to intrude," Steve said, but the comment was pointless given the scenario.
She sent him a bitch face in response to it and poured the water into the four mugs where the tea bag's string laid over the edge limply. As she let them steep for a second, she turned back to them.
"If you don't mean to intrude, then you wouldn't mind a little bit of small talk before we get into the business you clearly aren't going to leave without telling me about," she fake smiled, going to the fridge and grabbing a slender jar of milk out.
Steve laughed at her bluntness with a slight chuckle escaping his lips, and for the first time since landing, he didn't look nervous.
"Right. How are you, Lavelle?" he asked, looking up at her with that smile.
"I've been doing great, Rogers—Livin the off-grid life, supposedly, and loving it. How are you?" she responded with equal cheer.
"I'm doing well," he responded with a head nod.
"Mmm hmm," she responded as if not believing him. "We'll come back to that," she pointed, turning and pouring the milk into the cups now as she asked Banner the same question. "Bruce, how's life treating you? Any new experiments I should be informed on?"
"Uh, I," Bruce stammered while fiddling with his hands. "I'm working on a new medicine for concussions to try and speed up the healing time on it. It'll help get our team and agents back in the field faster."
"Interesting," she nodded, putting the milk back and grabbing another bottle of what looked like syrup with a pink hue from the fridge. "You'll have to give me more details on that later," she paused to wink at him before adding the concoction to the mix.
She said nothing else as she prepared the drink and started dispersing it to everyone.
Banner took it without question as if already knowing what he was getting, and Steve looked at it but seemed distracted by another thought in his mind to register it.
Upon placing it in front of Bucky, he looked at her, surprised at the offering, even if it was just tea. She gave him a kind smile, and warmth washed over him. It was strange, like an instant feeling of being at ease about the whole situation veiled over him.
"Y/N-" Steve started, trying to get back on topic, but she cut him off without looking away from Bucky. She lifted a finger and chided the blonde.
"Sergeant Barnes. How's life treating you?" she asked.
Her question again took him aback as she had not said anything to him or acknowledged him as much as the other two men in the room.
Bucky looked back at Steve as if for help, but Steve gave him a look to answer as he knew he wasn't getting a word in about their mission anytime soon.
"I'm doing ok," he said hesitantly, looking at her from across the counter and then looking back at the still steaming mug.
"Oh, it's just rose tea. I made the syrup myself, and the milk is oat. It's good for calming the nerves and relieving stress. Helps with sleep, too, if needed," she winked. Her friendly attitude was a massive change from her earlier one. "You don't have to drink it if you don't want to, but considering the stress radiating off you all, I figured it'd help."
She turned back to the room before going and grabbing her own cup. She jumped on the counter and sat swinging her legs.
"Hey, how's Wanda doing? She came to visit like three months ago, but I haven't heard back from her."
Wanda was the only one who knew Y/N's location without having to use magic spells to track her. She was the only one Y/N had let into her safe haven up to this point.
"Um, it's been about four months now for us. She kinda went off-grid like you," Steve answered. "After getting Vision back thanks to the snap, their relationship has grown." Y/N nodded, already knowing that. "But, um, she and Vis were looking at houses last I heard. Maybe even found one. They're trying to take a step back from the superhero life for a little."
"Smart girl. She deserves a chance to be happy and not think about a new mission Stark wants her trained for," she rolled her eyes, taking a sip of the tea.
Bucky was lost at this point; he looked between the men and her, trying to get a read on this situation. Clearly, she did not like Tony, and clearly, she was avoiding the real reason for their visit like the plague.
"Bruce, how's Cho doing? Still making insane medical advancements once a week like normal?" she asked again, derailing the conversation.
"Cho's doing well," Bruce nodded, looking at Steve and seeing him grow semi-frustrated.
"That's it?" she said with furrowed eyebrows. When she didn't get a response, and Bruce just sipped his tea as his answer, she turned back to Bucky.
"How's life at the compound? I heard you're a full-time avenger now."
He blinked repeatedly. "I, uh, I guess ok. Yeah."
She waited for a second as if giving him time to elaborate, but he stood there still in a state of shock, apparently.
"Not much of a talker this one, huh?" she teased, motioning to him as she looked at Steve.
"Y/N, listen," he started again, trying to bring up their purpose for being there.
"No," she shook her head.
"It's important," Steve continued.
"I don't care. I'm retired," she said simply, jumping down from the counter and forgetting her drink.
"I wouldn't have come unless it was something you needed to know," Steve stood up, making himself big again.
"Stop, Steve. Just stop while you're ahead," she shook her head, avoiding eye contact and busying herself with cleaning the little mess on the counter.
"It wasn't just Tony who sent it. It was Fury too, and-"
"Stop!" she shouted, turning, and her eyes brightened to a pure white for a second.
Bucky's stance went rigid once again on defense at the unknown action. It was reflexive, but it seemed to be something Steve had handled with her on multiple occasions as he didn't flinch. Bucky looked at Bruce, who had dropped his head in defeat and rubbed his temples after seeing her snap.
"I don't care who sent it, I'm not coming back!" she shouted again, hands tight by her sides, and Bucky could have sworn he saw a slight glow coming from them too, but it disappeared when she took a deep breath.
Closing her eyes and centering herself some, she ran her hand over her face and moved some stray hairs away.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again... If you came here on friendly terms, great. I'm here for it. Let's take some time to catch up and see how the other is doing after five years of not seeing each other." She looked at him with tired eyes. "If you came here to talk business, you might as well leave. I'm not doing it. I won't allow it."
Steve and she had a firm stare-off for a few seconds—one of silent discussion of the other's next move. Eventually, Steve's tough demeanor and captain-like stance eased. He let out a long sigh and broke eye contact before running a hand through his hair and down the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "We shouldn't have come and disrupted your peace." She didn't respond but instead kept her straight face. "I'm glad to see you're doing well for yourself. It looks like you have a lot to handle around here," he motioned outside as if meaning her livestock and lifestyle. "So we'll get out of your hair."
There was a fight in her eyes. Something that showed she didn't want them to leave, really, but deep down, she knew Steve was going to get to business eventually, and catching up was just going to be a filler before he got to what he came for.
She eased up her fighting stance, and Bruce stood up.
"Well, I wish we were reuniting on better terms, but maybe that's for another time," she replied, looking at the door.
Steve pursed his lips and nodded once before turning back to Bruce and Bucky and moving to the exit without a second thought.
Bruce was about to follow, but he stopped and turned back to her. He walked over and opened his arms for a hug, which she smiled softly at and fell into. They stayed like that for a second and eventually pulled away. He said something softly to her, and she nodded back, but Bucky couldn't make it out.
Bruce was the next to leave, and Bucky was right behind him before she stopped him by saying, "You may want to practice your lying."
He froze and turned back, giving her a confused look.
"You're a great Avenger, but you may need to work on believing that yourself," she said with a soft grin.
She didn't say anything else, and Bucky just nodded in acknowledgment. Just a second from pushing the door open, he stopped and looked back at her.
"I'm sorry we came for these reasons. I really wish we had met under better circumstances," he said.
She smiled a little wider at that and nodded softly before she gave him a small shrug.
"Maybe another time we can redo it."
He smiled back and nodded once before turning back and leaving for real this time.
The rottweiler from earlier was outside next to the chicken coop. It looked as though that was the command she had given him earlier as the chickens and ducks were all rallied into their home for the night and out of harm's way from whatever may come out in the evening.
He was an intelligent dog who seemed trained to help Y/N work their little farm.
Upon coming out, he ran over to Bucky, the last to head to their jet.
He let out a bark, and Bucky expected the protective dog he saw earlier but instead was greeted by a sweet and lovable puppy.
He nudged Bucky's hand, and Bucky couldn't help the grin that took over his face. He knelt down and rubbed the dog's head, and scratched his ear.
"Keep doing what you're doing. You're a great protector," he whispered. Looking at the collar on him, he saw his name was Ryker. "Hey, think you can do me a favor, boy?"
Ryker barked in response.
Giving him one last pet, Y/N came back out and called for him. The dog looked at Bucky and then ran back to his owner.
Bucky looked back at the house one last time. Now, with the sun going down, it looked even more perfect. Maybe Y/N had the right idea of retiring and finding a place like this.
Either way, Bucky wasn't sure that would ever be a lifestyle he would be gifted with in his future.
Here's a mood board practically of how I envisioned her cottage.
(The layout of the kitchen)
(The plants and herbs set up)
(Green House)
(Chicken coop and garden)
(Living room that the doorway in the kitchen shows) (Not as christmasy though)
How do I explain how amazing this man is 😭 he brings me canned peaches every time he goes on a run because they're my favorite. He literally threatened to end a man's life for me 😭threw himself between a walker and I even though I'm immune to the infection.
