“What do you dream of?” Bucky asked in a lazy drawl, reclining in the bright light as the mid-afternoon sun kissed the skin of those who wandered outside. Thanks to some work Shuri had put in, his metal arm now looked like a normal arm, he seemed.. normal. So long as you didn’t look into his haunted blue eyes.
That morning he had gone out of his way to cut his hair, the long black locks had become a bit too much to keep up with. He leaned back as he rested his elbow on the side of the bench, a small smile curling his lips as he looked at Tatiana as she paced about. Did she ever slow down..?
“I mean… You’re a Stark, there’s so much you can do the moment you think of doing it. But what’s something you dream of, something that seems like it would be too good to be true. Something money can’t buy and you can’t build.”
These conversations were always nice, when they weren’t in their therapy sessions, they weren’t a patient who was severely destroyed and a doctor who tried to keep him in check. They were friends, they were equals. He didn’t have to worry about…. who he was when H.Y.D.R.A stole part of his life away.
The cottage they were at had been Tat’s for years. Despite the fact that it had been completely empty, she still shelled out the money for constant upkeep. What she didn’t tell Bucky was how she’d gotten it. Her converse-clad feet never stopped moving.
This cottage had been an early wedding present for Tatiana from her brother. The last time she’d been here was the day that would’ve been the last one of her honeymoon. She’d been blitzed out of her mind and in her drunken grief had tried to burn the place down. Now, she was grateful that she hadn’t. Despite the bittersweet burn being here left, she could think of nowhere she’d rather get away to, and for that matter, no one she’d rather get away with. It had happened slowly, behind her back, her frienship with Bucky. She’d never expected it to, but it had fallen into her lap, and now, she had one of the closest friends she’d ever known.
“That’s easy,” she laughed, her feet still following their trodden path. “Time travel. No money can buy something that doesn’t exists and in all attemps had proven impossible.” Her hair was tied in a messy bun, the loose strands framing her face falling to about chin length. This game was a favorite, something concocted in their therapy sessions in order to make Bucky feel more secure and less like he was being interrogated. The Question Game, they called it. You kept going, asking and answering questions untill someone ran out, then, they lost and owed you a boon.
“If you could have any dish from the 40’s that doesn’t exist today, what’d it be?” She fired back, pausing to cast a glance over her shoulder, the sun giving her skin a soft glow and lighting up her amber eyes as she looked at him, a small smile culing on her lips. Nothing could take away the pain of losing Danny, and she would never forget loving him, but… Did that mean she could never love again, or…was their still hope for her?
Nodding, Bucky listened as she explained, chucking at the thought. It was simple, yes, but it was still odd in his mind that it was what came to mind when dreams were in question. There were still so many mysteries that came with Tatiana Stark, but over time James had slowly inched his way inside the walls she had built.
His relaxed hand moved, sliding through his freshly groomed hair as he thought. there were many foods that had been continued, altered but things didn’t change that much. Brows furrowing, the military man let his lips purse as he thought.
“Well, I guess that’s a bit harder to say… It’s not something you couldn’t make, most don’t though… but, I’d have to say icebox honey and lemon cookies. “ He said with a small chuckle, his hand sliding from his hair to his neck. “My nan used to have a batch in the cookie jar and another roll in the refrigerator to make real quick if the grandkids were coming by.”
Letting his eyes trail over the short beauty, he smiled, blue eyes meeting amber ones for a split second before his gaze flicked to the cloud spotted sky, picking out a few random shapes. Things had been relaxed these days, it felt safe, and normal. Like they were just two crazy kids taking it one day at a time… No war to fight, no battles to win…
“You’ve got to have a favorite Disney princess, right?” He inquired as his brows raised. The Stark sibling was very much like her older brother, but there were always surprisingly simple things that set her apart, and showed just how gentle, genuine, and feminine the woman could be. Even when kicking her brothers ass.
The gentle curl of her hair often reminded him of that, or the carefully painted eyeliner she wore. The intensity of the red lipstick she had worn every day since he had met her….
She was so beautiful.
And so out of his league.
“Jasmine.” She answered with a grin, standing still in her spot for a long moment. She couldn’t help but look him over and just… appreciate how he looked in that white t-shirt and jeans. It was probably one of the simplest outfits but damn if it didn’t get the softhearted young doctor warm under the collar. He looked so good it ought to be a sin. Maybe it was. Hell, what did she care? She was an atheist.
The question that came off the doctors lips after a good bit of stumbling and rambling made the sergeant’s eyebrows quirk, a smirk slowly building onto his face as he though back to the old days. He had dated quite a lot of pretty girls and handsome boys in his youth… There had been many times he would throw away his responsibilities just to run the town with someone. It was fun.
Those had been the good days, when he didn’t have to worry about someone saying a magic set of words, taking his life into their hands. Turning him into a monster that had murdered—
‘Too deep. Stop. Back to the question.’
“Well,” James laughed, a small blush burning his cheeks as he tore his mind away from the cliff that overlooked seas of guilt and pain, years he had lost to H.Y.D.R.A. People he had lost because of them. Blue eyes flicked back to Tatiana, his body shifting so he was better facing her,
“Oh yeah, of course. Loads of dates all the time, in fact I’m on one right now. “ The sarcasm dripped off his lips, a bit of resentment for Tony and Steve both as his smile dropped from his face, his hands fidgiting before he pulled the cardboard pack of smokes from his jeans, tearing it open and pulling one free. Next came a lighter as he glanced her over.
“I don’t exactly leave the compound without a shadow or someone with me. Dates would be kind of awkward, but,” the dark haired male’s voice trailed again as he lit the cigarette, taking a deep drag before releasing the grey smoke into the air, letting his finger hold the filter with an uncharacteristic gentility.
“What do you dream of?” Bucky asked in a lazy drawl, reclining in the bright light as the mid-afternoon sun kissed the skin of those who wandered outside. Thanks to some work Shuri had put in, his metal arm now looked like a normal arm, he seemed.. normal. So long as you didn’t look into his haunted blue eyes.
That morning he had gone out of his way to cut his hair, the long black locks had become a bit too much to keep up with. He leaned back as he rested his elbow on the side of the bench, a small smile curling his lips as he looked at Tatiana as she paced about. Did she ever slow down..?
“I mean… You’re a Stark, there’s so much you can do the moment you think of doing it. But what’s something you dream of, something that seems like it would be too good to be true. Something money can’t buy and you can’t build.”
These conversations were always nice, when they weren’t in their therapy sessions, they weren’t a patient who was severely destroyed and a doctor who tried to keep him in check. They were friends, they were equals. He didn’t have to worry about…. who he was when H.Y.D.R.A stole part of his life away.
