Chapter Text
He stayed hidden in the dark of a back corner booth, watching over her carefully but never making his presence known. He didn’t like her parading around so exposed, in a barely there mesh bra and a skirt covered in sequins, but it wasn’t his place to stop her.
When she didn’t answer his calls a few nights in a row he decided to check and make sure she was ok; he knew what time she would get off work, when she would pick up her daughter from daycare, and he knew the best times to call her. Imagine his surprise and confusion when he followed her straight from one job to another… a much less safe one. Well, he thought it was less safe, but he worried over her and her daughter more than she knew.
Watching as another woman dressed in a similarly exposed outfit approached the woman he was protecting, he read their lips to piece together the conversation. He moved quickly and unseen back to the dressing room, beating her there and taking a seat silently in a back corner. As she walked in for her break, she pulled off the blonde wig and the hairnet that kept her unruly auburn curls contained. She flopped back into a chair with a sigh and let her head lull back for a moment. With her eyes closed, she took a deep breath before looking at herself in the mirror. Catching sight of him in the reflection, she gasped and turned quickly, putting her hand over her chest as she glared at him.
“For fuck sake, Barnes!” she scolded, “You scared the life outta me,”
“Sorry,” he muttered, standing and moving to lean against the counter near her, “What the hell are you doin’ here, doll?”
“Working,” she stated simply.
“But here?”
“Well, I’m sorry I don’t live with a billionaire genius who pays for everything! Turns out museum tour guides don’t make a lot of money. I got bills to pay, Buck. Rent and food and gas and Sophie’s medical bill has been climbing… honestly it could rival the national debt at this point,”
Mention of the little girl distracted him, “How’s she doin’?”
She shook her head and looked down at her hands, long fingers pulling at the sequins of her skirt.
“Talk to me, Rose,” he crouched down in front of her, stilling her hands with his own.
“She’s not gettin’ better,” She whispered, “Not gettin’ worse… but definitely not gettin’ better,”
“Well, holding steady is good, right?”
“Doc says if she doesn’t get more treatment soon then she’ll start goin’ downhill again… but the bill is already so high and he wants to try some new method but it’s still in trials and hasn’t been tested on kids under five and I’m two months behind on rent and…”
“Shhh, Rosie, it’s alright,” he brushed her hair away from where it was sticking to her cheeks with tears. The tip of her nose was turning pink, like it always did when she cried. And her usually soft grey eyes looked bright blue with the reflection of the teardrops.
“We’ve been livin’ on spaghetti-o’s,” Rose scoffed.
A smile grew on Bucky’s face, “I’m sure Soph doesn’t mind that one bit, she loves the meatballs,”
She gave him a bitter-sweet smile, tears still clung to her eyelashes around her red-rimmed eyes, “You remember that?”
He nodded, “I try and remember everything I can ‘bout my two favorite girls,”
It was her turn to brush her fingers through his hair, “She asks about you a lot… misses you,”
He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes, “Miss her too… and you,”
They’d been broken up almost six months but still spoke almost every day. Sophie wasn’t his kid, but he’d been there since before she was born. Her biological father left when he found out Rose was pregnant, saying he couldn’t afford that kind of distraction with his career just starting to take off. She was strangely relived because it made her realize that he wasn’t the kind of man she wanted around her child. How ironic that Bucky, an assassin, would become that man. They met when he stood in the background while she hosted tours at the Smithsonian. She was terrified when she first made the connection of who he was, but after he found her on her lunch break and explained himself she became more and more comfortable around him. Rose was only four months pregnant at the time, and against her expectations, they were together before Sophie was born. He was there for her first breath, first steps, and first words, all of it.
“Can’t be undone,” she whispered.
“You’re right… but maybe it can be fixed,” he said just as quietly, “If you want,”
“You’d want to? Is it worth it?”
“Of course! You girls are my world. You’re worth everything to me,”
“But how, Buck? You’ll still be gone all the time… I’ve only just gotten used to missing you,”
“Come with me,” he blurted out.
“What?”
“It would mean no more rent. We have some of the best doctors and most advanced medicine at the tower… think about it, Rosie, I’ve got a three-bedroom apartment… so you wouldn’t even have to stay in my room and Soph would have a room,”
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch!”
“Oh, come on, sounds too good to be true so there’s got to be a catch,”
He smiled, “You’d have to deal with me again,”
She laughed, “Well then, I might have to think about it,”
“I’m gunna kiss you while you think about it, OK?” before she answered he held her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly.
With her fingers tangled in his hair, she held her forehead to his, “What makes you think I wouldn’t want to stay in your room?” she grinned.
He brushed his fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. They sat in silence, something she’d gotten used to with him, gently holding each other’s hands. For quite a while the only sounds were their breathing and the bass rumbling from the club just a few walls away. A startled gasp was the first thing to draw their attention away from each other.
“Oh, I – Uh – I’m sorry, Rose,” a short dark skinned girl said from the doorway, “Johnny says you can go early if you’d like,” She glanced between Rose and Bucky, “I just thought since you been workin late all week… and you got a kid to get home to… I thought I’d offer it to you first,”
“Thank you so much,” Rose sighed.
“No problem,” The girl glanced at Bucky again. She jerked her thumb back in the direction of the music, “I should…I got to…” she turned and left.
Rose turned back to Bucky to scold him, “Were you glaring at her?!”
“No! I mean, I don’t think so… I wasn’t trying to!”
“You got to quit scaring people,” she laughed.
He stood up from where he was still kneeling in front of her, “Can I drive you home?” he offered his hand as she stood up.
“I have to pick up Sophie from my mom’s place,” she explained, wiggling out of her skirt and replacing it with a pair of old sweatpants. There was no need for modesty between them, they knew every inch of each other’s body’s. The baggy tee shirt she pulled on made Bucky grin.
“So that’s where my shirt went,”
She faked a look of indignation, “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I buy all my shirts three sizes too big,”
He strolled closer to her slowly, his hands coming to rest on her waist, “Looks better on you anyways,” after pressing a quick kiss to her forehead he took her hand, “Let’s go,”
They held hands as he drove her car through the night, streetlights sending moving shadows across his relaxed face while large raindrops splashed across the windshield. His thumb moved slowly back and forth over hers. With a history like theirs, it was easy to fall back in step right where they’d left off.
The car pulled into the dark driveway of her mother’s home, a motion light flashed on, illuminating the yard while they walked hand in hand up the path. Bucky stood a step behind Rose when she knocked softly on the door, her mom opening it with a warm smile that only grew when she saw Bucky there.
“She fell asleep in the back room,” she explained.
“I’ll get her,” Bucky whispered, kissing Rose’s cheek as he slipped past and hugging her mom, “Good to see you, Mrs. McNeil,”
“You too, hon,” when he walked down the dim hallway her mom turned to her with a sly grin, “I always liked that boy,”
“No you didn’t,” Rose laughed, “You used to hate him,”
“That was before I realized how much he cares for you girls,”
Bucky found the three-year-old girl asleep on the couch with ‘Finding Nemo’ playing quietly on the TV. He smiled and wrapped her up in her favorite blanket before scooping her into his arms. Her head laid on his shoulder and her little sleeping breaths fanned across his neck and her wild hair tickling his ear. Her auburn curls were a few shades lighter than Rose’s. She stirred a little when he started walking.
“Butty?” she muttered.
“Yeah, it’s me, sweetie,”
“Are you comin’ home with us?” the three-year-old curled her fingers in his shirt and snuggled closer when he kissed her forehead.
“Yeah, baby,” he whispered with a small smile, “I’m comin’ home,”
Rose’s heart swelled and she smiled brightly at him as he came back down the hall with Sophie sound asleep in his arms. Rose hugged her mom tightly, “Thanks for watching her,”
“No problem, Rosie,” Mrs. McNeil kissed Sophie on the head, “I love my little Sophie bug,” then she patted Bucky’s cheek, “Thank you,”
Bucky seemed to understand her meaning, nodding with a smile and giving her a one-armed hug while still holding Sophie, “It’s no problem at all, ma’am,” she was thanking him for taking care of the girls.
Stepping into the darkness of the small apartment, Bucky carried the little girl to her room, laying her carefully in her bed. She woke up long enough to sigh, “Lobe you, Butty,”
“Love you too, sweet Sophie,” he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and turned around to see Rose leaning on the door frame with a loving grin on her face.
“Stay?” she whispered when he put his hands on her hips and pulled her close.
“’course,” he kissed her passionately, “Still got to take my other baby girl to bed,” his hands slid down her back and over her butt, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around his hips while he reached behind himself to pull Sophie’s bedroom door shut.
Rose had both hands gripping his hair, holding his lips to hers while he kissed her with every ounce of fire his heart held for her. He blindly walked down the hall, muscle memory falling right back in place from before. Hands roaming familiar bodies and lips moving together with practiced synchronization. Bucky kicked the bedroom door shut behind them and laid her gently on the bed, his lips moving to her neck while he moved up her body.
“You’re so fuckin’ beautiful,” he groaned in her ear, one hand slipping under her shirt and his fingertips ghosting across her skin making her shiver. He rolled so they were on their sides facing each other. His hand changed direction and moved under her sweatpants, pushing them down below the curve of her ass and kneading the soft flesh there, pulling her hips against his own and grinding against her. She let out a breathy moan and he nipped at her throat.
“Got to be quiet, baby doll,” he whispered, his voice was rough and strained while he continued rocking his hips against hers.
“Please, Bucky,” she whimpered, tugging at the waistband of his jeans and undoing the button and zipper quickly, “I need to feel you,”
He moved so he was over her again, “I know, baby,” he pushed up her shirt and kissed along her stomach while pulling her pants and underwear off. He kissed across the faded stretch marks that he always told her he loved, “But I’m gunna take it slow. Got some time to make up for,” he pressed wet kisses to her hips and kept moving lower, laying between her legs. He stroked his fingers down her center while she whimpered.
“Oh, God, Bucky,”
His metal hand trailed up her side before lacing his fingers with hers, “Shh, I got you, baby,” he breathed before licking a slow stripe along her folds and paying extra attention to her clit.
Rose let her head fall back with a breathy, “Fuck,” and started to roll her hips against his lips. He loved when she did that, using him to pleasure herself, whether she was riding his face, his fingers, or his cock. She couldn’t help but sit up on one elbow and use her free hand to press his lips firmer against herself while she watched and started to shake and come undone. He stared straight into her eyes when he held his lips around her clit and started flicking his tongue quickly. She fell back with a gasp and threw a hand over her mouth to muffle the moans as she came against his lips and he drew it out as long as he could.
Bucky moved up her limp trembling body and pulled her shirt and bra off while she panted for breath. Her hair stuck to her neck with beads of sweat. He removed his own clothes and started kissing across her collar bones and down to her breasts.
“Oh, James,” she sighed. He smiled and lightly traced his tongue around her hard nipple; he loved when he got her so undone that she used his full name.
He moved the rest of the way up her body catching her lips with his.
“Please,” she whimpered against his lips.
He pulled back slightly, taking himself in his hand before meeting her eyes, “You sure, baby doll,”
With her hand on the back of his head, she pulled him down to rest his forehead on hers, staring directly into his eyes, “Absolutely,”
He groaned and kissed her hard, pushing in slowly. She gasped against his mouth and her fingers curled, scratching along his back. He started rocking his hips lazily, keeping his forehead against hers and looking into her eyes. Her mouth fell open while she let out little gasps and moans with every thrust.
“You’re so perfect, baby,” He whispered, “So fuckin’ perfect, Rose,” her head tilted back with a moan. She loved when he spoke, every praise making her feel like a goddess.
“Fuck,” he grunted, “I could cum just from your noises, baby girl,” he moved a hand between them to stroke her clit in time with his thrusts, “Cum just from the way you look under me,” he moaned and pinched his eyes shut, “You know the rule, baby doll, I’m not stopping till you cum for me. Cum for me, baby. I want to watch you cum,” his tone was almost begging and his thumb started rubbing her clit faster.
She was nodding while panting, “Yes,” over and over again. Suddenly she felt herself losing control over her body; eyes shut so tight she saw colors behind her eyelids, back arched off the bed, eyebrows furrowed and her mouth stretched in a silent scream while she held her breath. Her muscles tightening around him. She felt him wrap his arms tightly around her while he moaned against her shoulder and came hard. He collapsed onto her; both shaking while they gasped for breath. They stayed that way, Rose stroking her fingers through his hair and Bucky softly kissing her neck and shoulder, while beads of sweat dried and left cool skin behind. She loved when he was so sated that he would just lay on her chest. Something about the pressure of his body fully relaxed into hers and something about being held so tight made her feel secure and relaxed.
Bucky pulled his boxer-briefs back on and she put on his shirt. They laid in bed facing each other, legs tangled and noses touching as they fell asleep. He found he couldn’t fall asleep; he watched the heartbeat in her jugular, one of the most important heartbeats in his world. He reached out and delicately brushed her hair behind her ear. Her eyes fluttered open while she smiled at him with a happy sigh.
“Why are you still up, baby?” she muttered.
Bucky moved closer to her, holding her face in his hands while he looked deep in her eyes, “I just… I want you to know I’m not goin’ anywhere, Rosie,” he whispered in a rough voice, “I’m not leavin’. Never again, baby doll,”
Even in her half-sleeping haze she could tell the urgency of his words. Rose brushed her fingers through his hair and pulled his forehead down to touch hers, “Good,” she sighed, “That’s good, ‘cause I love you,” her words were slurred while her eyes started to droop shut again. Before she fell back asleep, she tugged his hair gently to bring his lips close enough to kiss. It was short and soft and somehow it was exactly what he needed to calm his mind enough to sleep.
Bucky woke a few hours later to little fingers poking at his cheek.
“Butty,” Sophie whispered, “Butty, wake up!”
He groaned, blinking a few times to find her big blue eyes right in front of him, he reached out of the blanket and picked her up to sit on his stomach while he laid on his back, “There’s my girl, mom’s still sleepin’,” he said quietly and she nodded.
Like she always used to, she took his left hand, bending the fingers one at a time and tracing the panels with her little fingers, “Mommy says you been wortin’,”
“Yeah, I’ve been workin’ a lot,”
“I saw you on TB with Cap’n Steebe,” she said before her eyes got wide, “But don’t tell mommy! I’m not ‘posed to watch dat stuff!”
“I won’t,” he smiled, glancing at Rose out the corner of his eye to see her grinning.
“Are you a super hero like Cap’n Steebe?”
“I work with Captain Steve, yeah,”
Her hands moved on from exploring his hand to petting his cheeks where his scruff had grown out some, “Your face is fuzzy,” she giggled.
He reached up and rubbed his hand over his chin, “Think I should shave it off?”
“No, I wike it. It’s tickly,” then she smiled and whispered, “I think mommy wikes it too,”
He looked out the corner of his eye again, knowing Rose wasn’t really asleep because of the grin on her lips and blush in her cheeks, “Oh, yeah? How do you know?”
Sophie shrugged, “She smiles extra when you kiss her cheek. Probably ‘cause it tickles,”
He sat up with the little girl in his lap, “You mean like this?” he rubbed his cheek against hers giving her exaggerated kisses while she squealed and giggled.
“’top it!” she giggled, scrunch in her shoulders up to protect her neck; Bucky was laughing as well.
He quit and moved to lean back against the headboard. His right hand tried to smooth some of her wild copper colored curls, even though he knew from experience that nothing could tame that hair; just like her mom. Her bright grey eyes matched her mother’s too.
“I missed you, Butty bear,” she said.
“And I missed you too, Ladybug,” he held her tiny hands in his, pressing their palms flat together, “How’ve you been feelin’?”
She shrugged and swayed their arms back and forth between them, “Sleepy a lot. I fell and had to go to the loud machine again. The Shots Doctor makes my tummy hurt,”
“Yeah, but they’re supposed to be good for you,”
“Don’ feel good for me,” she grumbled, going back to fiddling with his left hand. Her big pale gray eyes looked up at him under her lashes, “Are you home for good?” her eyes almost looked scared to know the answer.
He sighed, “I think so… actually, I think you guys are coming home with me,” he smiled when her eyes lit up.
“Will Cap’n Steebe be there?”
“Captain Steve is my neighbor,” he whispered and she gasped with excitement, “Why don’t you go pick breakfast and I’ll wake up mama?”
“Okay,” Sophie scrambled off the bed and scurried down the hall.
Bucky laid down again, facing Rose who was on her stomach with her head turned towards him. Her eyes were closed and her breathing slow, but he knew she’d been awake since Sophie came in. Some of her dark copper hair had escaped the bun she had put it in the night before; little wisps of hair coiled in tight curls on her temples and the nape of her neck. He reached forward, twirling a curl around his finger.
“Why would you let a three-year-old decide our meal? We’re going to end up with ice cream and burritos for breakfast,” she grumbled into the pillow.
A chuckle rumbled through his chest making her smile. His morning voice was her very favorite thing… other than his sex voice.
“I’ll go make sure her choices are reasonable,” he bumped his nose to hers so she’d open her eyes.
It was their silent ‘I love you’. The first time he told her that he loved her, he had been laughing at one of her silly antics and caught her up in his arms. Before he kissed her, he touched his nose to hers so she would open her eyes. She watched as his smile changed and he looked into her eyes intently, “I love you, Rose,” he had whispered before kissing her with every bit of that love.
Now they didn’t always have to say it, just staring into each other’s eyes with smiles on their lips.
“Don’t stay in bed too long,” he whispered before kissing her. Rose nodded and stretched under the blanket while he shuffled out of the room after pulling on some sweatpants. She watched him the entire time with a smile; she had missed watching him move, it was like art come to life. He moved so smoothly and precisely, a reflex built up over decades of stealth.
Rose yawned as she shuffled into the kitchen wearing Bucky’s shirt and briefs, knowing he loved that. She smiled, watching Sophie sit on his shoulders and play with his hair while he flipped pancakes. He turned his head toward her with a bright smile. The way the morning sunlight fell across his skin made him almost glow. She decided it was the most beautiful moment she’d ever seen.
She squeezed in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist while resting her chin on his bare chest. He bowed his head to kiss her sweetly before she laid her ear on his heart and he looked over her shoulder to keep cooking. Bucky was sure it looked silly, his little girl on his shoulders and his love in his arms, but he decided he’d never been happier.