Bucky's POV:
After Charlie drops me off, the task at hand weighs on me like tons of brick pressing into my chest. Sam is right though. In order for me to have a semi normal life with Charlie, I have to finish my list. Impending anxiety and guilt be damned. I have to do this. Not just for me, but for everyone on my list. Mr. Nakajima. The man whose son's death has plagued me for years. He wasn't my mission. I've grown fond of the old man and that almost makes things worse, because I'm sure he will hate me.
Walking down the hallway to his apartment, the walls seem to get narrower, crushing me, but I can't stop. Standing in front of the familiar door, this almost doesn't seem real. The number of times I've wanted to confess that I know exactly what happened to his son, and why, not that it matters, he should have never died. Raising my arm to knock on the door was one of the heavier tasks I've had to do, right along with waiting for him to open the door.
His kind face when he opens the door, seeing me, almost cripples me in my spot, "Hey, what are you doing here? It's late, come in before someone calls the cops." I nod, walking in. He glances in the hallway, making sure to himself I'm alone. After his son's death he's became more paranoid.
I'm met with the alter for his son, again I'm frozen. "What are you doing? It's not Wednesday." He stares at my face, much like the picture of his smiling son staring at me. The last time I saw his son it was pure fear that stared at me.
"I, uh, I have to tell you something. About your son." I remove my glove, exposing the metal appendage underneath. He never questions the hand. Just guides us to sit. He devotes all his attention to me. "He was murdered."
"What?" His suspicions for his son's death are coming to fruition.
"By the Winter Soldier." I whisper to him. I had hoped by exposing the metal he would realize exactly who I am. My voice begins to crack as I force more of the answers he's wanted, "And that was me."
The realization of these past months pains his kind face. I'm someone who befriended him, took care of him, and I never once told him the truth. "Why?"
I take a deep breath, my eyes leaving him for just a second as I collect my thoughts, "I didn't have a choice."
The years of not knowing what happened to his son, and now face to face with his murderer, a man he's befriended, almost become unbearable to him. His glassy eyes turn to my face and his son's alter. The thick smoke from the incense burns my nose and makes it difficult to breathe, mostly it's the debilitating shame I feel. We sit in silence, and I assume he has no other words for me, so I leave quietly. It doesn't make me feel any better, but he now knows. He knows the answers to the questions he had for too many years.
Days go by as I continue to cross off the names on my list. And when it's complete, minus one, I prepare a gift for Dr. Raynor. She saw through every bit of my bull shit, and still never gave up on me. I need her to know that I did in fact make my amends. I ready a bag for her, placing in Steve's notebook. It's time for me to say bye to that as well. I'll always love Steve, and I'm grateful that he's been a part of my life, but this is another thing I have to let go. I leave a note for her, "I finished the book...thanks for your help, Doc. She's the only one left, and I'm completing that."
I walk past mine and Mr. Nakajima's normal restaurant. Looking in there to see him with Leah. It doesn't hurt as bad to see him or her anymore. I smile and nod. Walking away I pick up my phone dialing a number that Sam has given to me. Confused she answers, "Hello?"
"Hey, is this Pepper?" I ask.
"Yeah. Who is this?"
"It's, uh, Bucky...Barnes." I'm hesitant, not because I don't want to tell her, but because I'm nervous for an odd reason.
"Oh...Bucky. What is it that you need?" She laughs, almost knowing why I'm calling.
"I need your help. I know Charlie trusts you. I want to, um, to take her on a... a date. And she'll need someone, to uh, to watch Maggie. Possibly overnight. I don't want to put you out though."
"No. I've waited on this call for a while. I'm glad you didn't disappear on her again. She, well, she loves you. The past five years, she...she talked about you constantly. She's special to us you know? I hated seeing her those five years you were gone. And the five months after. I'm sure you've heard this all from Sam. But Tony and I... we were there those five years." No one has ever spoken so candidly about those five years with me. They've alluded to a lot of things, but Pepper, with Tony gone, she's got nothing to lose, and she, like everyone else, is protective over Charlie.
"I know. I screwed up. But I'm here. And I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life making things up to her." I grab my measly back pack and turn off the light to my apartment. There's nothing here I want to take. I'm closing the door to this life. "So, you're okay, with keeping her? And keeping this a secret from Charlie?"
"She's not expecting you?"
"Yes, but not this soon. I want to do things right with her."
"Yeah, I'll help you out. But be forewarned Morgan and I both will not take kindly to you hurting Charlie or Maggie." Pepper giggles and I tell her my plans for when I'll be coming in.
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Charlie's POV:
Bucky has been oddly silent. I don't want to worry, but he has a bad track record to go missing. If it wasn't for the random messages just letting me know he's okay, I would worry more. I know he's trying to work through his list, and I want to give him all the time in the world. He deserves that.
I just spend my time at the cottage with Maggie, catching up on our missing time while I was away. Still every Thursday we have our peanut butter mixing nights. It's an odd tradition, but we enjoy it. Last night was a particularly good PBMN and I spend the morning after cleaning up our mini party. Maggie and I spin around the living room, music blaring, dancing around, until we're interrupted with my phone ringing.
"Hey? Maggie don't jump off the table."
"Hey, Charlie, it's Pepper. Morgan and I were wondering if we could get Maggie for the weekend." That's odd. She knows I've only had her for a couple of weeks.
"Well, I haven't even had her but for a couple of weeks. You know normally I wouldn't care. I could come with her."
"Uh, your...your birthday is coming up and we were going to help her figure out what to do for you, so I don't know if you would be very welcome." Pepper let's out an awkward laugh. This is odd.
"Um, I don't know Pep. I was away for a month. It just seems weird that I pawn her off on someone."
"I want to stay at aunt Pepper's!" Maggie comes running back into the living room when she realizes who I'm talking to.
"You're not asking me to keep her. I'm offering. We want her to come over. Just for the weekend."
I contemplate this. If Bucky was here, I wouldn't even hesitate. "What exactly am I supposed to do with myself."
"Put something sexy on and send a video to your soldier." She giggles and I cough out a laugh. Surprised by her suggestion. Not that I'm a prude, but I've never done any sexy phone activities. It could entice Bucky to come home sooner. "Don't act like he won't love it. And before you say no, we're pulling in. No need to pack for her, she's got plenty of stuff at the cabin. Bye."
Pepper hangs up and I open the door. Sure, enough Pepper and Morgan come barreling out of the car. Morgan runs up to me for a big hug. I pick her up, spinning her around and listen to her little giggle. After the year she's had, losing her dad, I want to hear her giggle whenever I can. "No warning for this, huh?"
"Well, I figured if I gave you too much of a warning you wouldn't agree, and like I said, we have plans." I roll my eyes before engulfing the thin blonde in a big hug.
"How have you been, Pep?" I always want to make sure she's okay, her and Tony have been such a constant in my life.
"I'm getting there. Morgan makes things easier. And you? You going to take my suggestion serious?" She playfully elbows me in the side.
"I may actually. The man has been holding out on me, so I need him to realize exactly what he's been missing, right?" I feel my cheeks heat up; I know the perfect lingerie.
"Well, I'll leave you to it. Morgan, Maggie! Let's go. I love you, Charlie. You want to pick her up Sunday evening?" I almost groan at the thought of waiting until Sunday to get her, "Enjoy your time, alone."
Both girls come running into the room and I pick up each girl up, kissing each one on the cheek and picking up Maggie, "Love you my precious pearl. Be good for Aunt Pep okay."
"Okay, mommy, I love you."
Once the trio is out of sight, I go ahead and take a long bath. I take the time to add a bath bomb and enjoy it. Looking at my black lacquered toes balanced out of the bubbles I already feel a bit confident. Making sure to place the bubble strategically I go ahead and start snapping photos. It's still a bit early so I wonder if I should actually send it to Bucky. And before I lose my cool, I send the picture. No context, just the photo. Laying the phone down I sit back and relax. AirPods in my ears as I listen to soft 40s music, thinking about my soldier over top of me.
It isn't long until I get a call from Bucky. "What are you doing?" His voice is deep and gravelly.
My voice comes out light and airy, "Taking a bath." I move around, and the water splashes about.
"I see that, doll. I'm talking about why are you sending me teasing photos of yourself in the tub?"
My tongue lazily licks my lips before I bite my bottom one, clearly feeling myself. "I wish you were in the tub with me." I hear him take a hissing breath in.
"If I was there, what would we be doing?"
"Depends." He hums. The low noise makes butterflies roam around in my stomach. "Have we gone on a date or not?"
"For research purposes, let's pretend we've gone on a date." His tone is so flirty and dark, I feel my body heat up with his voice.
"Well, I would be leaning back against your muscular chest, using my fingers to gently caress the side of your face. Just enjoying the way, you feel up against me. I don't think it would take you long to get hard underneath me. My breath coming out ragged, anticipating what you're going to do to me."
Through the phone I hear Bucky's breathing actually changes. "I would lean your head over, kissing and biting on your neck. Your skin always has a sweet taste to it." As I envision Bucky actually behind me, his lips teasing me on my neck I let out a quiet whimper, but Bucky and his sensitive super soldier ear hears it. "You're actually getting off on this aren't you, doll?"
"I have to do something, James. You've left me wanting you even more. Always holding out on me." I whine on the phone.
"You're my needy girl, aren't you?"
"Mhm." I moan into the phone. Just to let him know how much I want him; I begin adding pressure to my clit, gently circling around. I know my breathing changes, and I try and make myself believe it is actually Bucky's fingers on me, but oddly, he's more intuitive of my needs when it comes to pleasuring me, than even myself.
"What are you doing right now?" It shouldn't be possible how turned on his voice makes me feel. Especially when he's clearly turned on by my soft moans. "Charlie? What are you doing? I hear...I hear, you, you're..."
"I'm touching myself, wishing it was your fingers on me. You're such a tease. At Sam's house the only thing I got to feel was your fingers in me." My fingers pick up their pace and my breathing becomes shallower, "I can almost feel your thick cock inside of me right...now. Stretching me out."
Bucky's voice comes almost out in a growl. "After I take you out, I will fuck you like you've never been fucked before. I'm going to make you so sore and raw. I can't wait to see you under me, begging for my cock."
I feel a mewl come out of my mouth as I feel a deep tightness growing in my core. Heat surrounds my body, and it has nothing to do with the heat that's steaming up from the water. It has everything to do with how badly I want Bucky and a release. "Go ahead, be a good girl, and cum for me, honey." Moments later I feel the pop of the rubber band as my orgasm spreads through my body. Tingling I pull my fingers off of me, deeply breathing.
"I don't think you realize just how much I want you right now, James. I want you to take care of me in the way that only you have ever been able to do." breathily my voice comes out. The deep breathing has made me need water.
"Don't worry. I'll make all these months up to you, I promise."
"How much longer?" I whine. I know how needy I sound, and the only cure is Bucky.
"Not much longer, I promise. I'll see you soon, doll. Love you."
"Love you, too." I hear his end click off. It's almost infuriating how frustrated I am. Let the games begin. I let myself out of the tub, starting to get ready for even more sexy photos for him. If I can't have him, at least this is close.
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Steve's POV:
Today is my scheduled day to see Maggie, and annoyingly she isn't here. I hear Charlie upstairs, but don't see Maggie anywhere. Irritated that this mission took far too long, I even had to expose myself to even more people. I quietly walk the stairs, so not to scare her. Her bedroom door is open a crack and my curiosity gets the best of me. I watch as the woman I formerly called my fiancé, dressed in the skimpiest lingerie set I've ever seen on her body. The navy sheer panels on her bra, leave nothing to the imagination, honestly other than making her have the most perfect cleavage it's pointless. She still favors lingerie that has a garter belt, it sits high on her waist, while the bottoms are just a triangle and string. She lays flat on her back, legs spread as her fingers toy with herself and moaning to whoever she's FaceTiming. Her phone is lifted above her, and filthy words slip out of her pretty lips. Words that used to be muttered for me, and now I need to know who she's bringing her inner slut out for.
I should walk away, but I'm pissed that this is why my daughter isn't here. Not to mention she looks damn sexy on the bed. Her moaning becomes deeper, "Move the phone down." I would recognize that voice anywhere. So, they're talking again. Why isn't he here? I would never leave my princess writhing and wriggling without me over top of her. She's too perfect and precious for that. She needs to be taken care of, and all Bucky is doing is toying with her, and after he left her alone. I shouldn't watch this, and I shouldn't be as turned on by it as I am. She looks damn good, she always has. I watch as her fingers move her thong over as she inserts her fingers in knuckle deep and a deep moan releases from her and Bucky.
Hearing her sweet mewls as she pleasures herself for Bucky is aggravating and rousing, and I can't help but to palm myself over my pants, searching for my own release. Even though I am in love with Peggy, I can't deny that Charlie was always a submissive little slut for me. Always willing to try anything I wanted, never afraid of punishment, not to mention she's kinky and horny as fuck. My eyes fall back on her as I watch her straddle a pillow and start hunching it, begging for a release. Knowing she needs a big thick cock to cum on, not some fucking pillow. I listen as I hear her scream out his name. Rolling my eyes, and disgustingly missing the way she screamed out my name or my favorite, Captain. I need to leave. This is wrong. And I shouldn't watch her like this. But it is my scheduled time to see my daughter.
She tells Bucky her goodbyes and that she loves him. Fucking hell, he's back. It is what I wanted. But watching this display has me just sexually frustrated. I need to buy modern lingerie to take back to Peggy. I should leave, I really should. But it is my day to see my daughter. And to catch her all hot and bothered is much more enticing than it should be. Quietly I pad back to Maggie's room. Closing the door, "Charlie! Charlie!" I scream down the hallway to her bedroom.
Opening the door, I watch her scramble around looking for anything to cover herself up. "You could knock, ass."
Trying not to smile at her futile attempts to cover up, "Nothing I haven't seen." I turn myself around and hear her groan at me. She walks into the closet and closes the door. I turn around, knowing she won't come out until she's dressed. My body walks over to the bed and sits on it. The pillow she was just straddling still lays on the bed, her slick wet spot still clearly visible. She opens the door with a huff.
"Can I help you?" Her eyes narrow at me. I must have interrupted her. Sounded to me like she got off, but again, she needs a thick cock to cum on.
"It's Friday at 2:00...about 2:30 now. Is this not the time we agreed upon?" Still sitting on the bed and smirking at her. Her cheeks are still flushed pink from her exertion.
"How long have you been here, Steve?" She crosses her arms over her tight dress, the uselessly thin material of her bra causes her nipples to protrude through the thin material of the dress, and I struggle to look at her eyes.
"Only a few minutes. I got a late start." She looks me up and down.
"No. That's not how that works. You forget I used those watches too. You arrive at an exact moment. How fucking long have you been here?" She knows the answer, and I'm ashamed.
"What's the deal with the lingerie set?" My tone comes out a bit more flirtatious than I had meant it too, and she picks up on it.
"We're not doing that. I asked you a question." Her eyes bore into me, and when she doesn't get an answer she adds, "You like the show?" She's overly confident, but not wrong.
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean." I bite at the side of my lip, wanting not to get even harder at this situation.
"What's the matter Stevie, Peggy just doesn't do it for you the way I did. Your dirty little slut? Isn't that what you would refer to me as? My pussy was always ready for you, wasn't it?" She's antagonizing me. Me watching her phone sex with Bucky I have no room to complain, but she is talking about my wife.
I take the bite. "At least I was there. Where was Bucky? And he's still not here. You reconnect and I bet it took less than an hour before he had you begging on your knees for him to fuck you. Just like the dirty little slut you are, huh, princess?" A flash of hurt and anger paints her hazel eyes. "He left you and he still has you begging for him, putting on little shows for him. Just remember, I never fucking left you. You were the only one who left. You left me for three weeks, so you could fuck him. For eight years I was there every day. You remember those five months he was gone? What was it you asked me to do? What was that again? Please, Steve, I need you, make me forget. I fucked you good. Had you begging for me to choke you, to punish you, you needed to feel something real and hard. Needed to feel that pain. And I gave you that release. You even let me fill you up with my cum. Good thing you're still on fucking birth control. Might have had another baby. How would you explain that to Bucky?"
She storms over to me hand raised ready to smack and I catch her hand. "Don't act like you didn't enjoy it. I had you screaming out my name. How would he feel knowing his precious doll couldn't wait two months before she was begging for me to be balls deep in her throbbing cunt? Begging your Captain to fuck you harder."
"Don't you fucking dare, Steve. Don't you dare threaten my relationship with Bucky we weren't even together." She grits her teeth with every word that comes out of her mouth. "I wasn't the one that was married. That was you. How would your perfect Peggy feel about you fucking your ex? She's still wanting to meet me, right? Does she know what you do when you travel seventy years in the future? Not only do you fuck your ex, you watch her masturbate while she's having phone sex with her boyfriend. You sick fuck."
Both of us angrily stare each other down. Neither wanting to admit defeat or submit to the other. This isn't going anywhere. She wasn't with Bucky at that time. And I was there. I have always been there, ready for her need of a sexual release, and she knows it. "Don't. You have needs, and I can't help it that I am the one who understands how you need to be taken care of."
"And don't you act like our relationship was normal. You had me so cock whipped that all you had to say was I need you. And I got on my knees and did whatever you needed. Fuck, Steve. We didn't have a good relationship. And you were the one with needs. I just submitted to you. And now you miss it, don't you?" I still hold onto her wrist, and I see her eyes flick down to my crotch, "You're swollen pants give me all the answer I need." She jerks her hand out of my grasp.
"No princess, that was a natural reaction to seeing you touching yourself. Imagining that pillow was Bucky under you. I would never leave you to take care of that yourself. Even that he can't do." I smirk at her, and immediately my smug smirk disappears as I watch her eyes begin to glow a blue white, sparks crackle on the tips of her fingers and the lights flicker in the bedroom. "What the fuck?"
"Take it back! You fucking take it back. Bucky is one hundred times the man you are. He loves me and only me. And guess what Steve? I only love him. You said it yourself I left you to be with him, I knew even then. He's your best friend. How can you say such vile things about him?" I watch as lightning shapes pattern on her skin, almost as if electricity runs through her veins.
I grit my teeth, she's not wrong. But being such a dominant person admitting defeat isn't easy. Charlie still stands there, electricity flowing over her, her fingers flick and send some my way. I don't flinch but the feeling isn't pleasant. "That's your warning shot ass hole. Don't you ever threaten my relationship again. You forget that I allow you to continue these visits, for her. But you need to respect me, and Bucky. Do you understand? Know that I'm not yours anymore." Her fingers contract again and I move, the lightning still grazes my skin, intuitive of my movements. I don't want to falter, but this isn't going anywhere. And she's been right all along. I invaded an intimate moment, in her home.
"You're right. And I'm sorry." I watch as she struggles to contain the glow that radiates off of her, but eventually it dies down. Her eyes struggle to lose the glow in them. Tightly they close and when she opens them, she's back to normal. "You want to explain what that was?"
"No." She turns and opens the bedroom door. "I think it's time for you to leave."
"Charlie..." My body still stays planted on the bed.
"Don't, Steve. You never should have watched that. This isn't your life anymore. You made your choice. You left; you went to another time. You left our daughter, and now because of Tony being a genius you're allowed to float through time. Eventually that's going to catch up with you. I listened to Bruce; you can create alternate realities by messing with time. Is that what you really want? I'm happy. Truly happy. Maggie, she's good, she loves Bucky and he adores her. Don't come around here fucking everything up because you're selfish. You don't get to have it all. And that's exactly what you're doing." She sits down beside me, looking at me with pity. "You know the job I have, that Bucky has. There's going to be times we won't be here, therefore Maggie won't be here. You can't pop up in other people's homes, exposing yourself to more people. You just can't. I don't want an alternate reality. I want this one."
"Are you asking me to quit visiting?" A lump forms in my throat, and I struggle to push it back down.
"No. I'm saying there will be times where we'll be gone. And you will just have to wait until we return. You wanted this to be a secret. Steve, you had a daughter, and still chose to leave. I didn't make you leave."
"You were going to be with Bucky?"
"What's your point?"
"I wanted to be with you." My voice is flat, as I finally let my true feelings go. I let Charlie go, because that's what she wanted, not me.
"You're lying. You still carried that stupid compass with her picture in it. The day we went back to 2012 you had that on you. You never carried a picture of me around with you. Hell, you didn't even have a picture of our daughter with you. Are you lying to yourself or lying to me?" Her soft hand rests on my thigh. Thinking about her words. I hurt Charlie over and over again. Because she was never Peggy. And hearing her words tells me how much I broke her.
"No matter what you think I was still in love with you."
Charlie's voice scoffs at me, "No you weren't. You were in love with the idea of me. You thought you would never get the chance to be with Peggy so you settled for me. And I had a crush. I wanted you so bad, that I went along with whatever you wanted. I made myself believe that having a piece of you was enough. And then..."
"Bucky." Finishing her sentence and looking up into her eyes, I know it's true. Her whole demeanor towards me changed the moment he came into her life. She didn't want me specifically. She craved my touch, because I trained her and expected her to give into my needs.
Charlie nods her head smiling, "Do you remember how Peggy made you feel like the most amazing person in the world? Remember, you telling me that Peggy was the first woman to not give Bucky attention? She only had eyes for you and how that made you feel?" I nod, smiling remembering all those times Peggy made me feel like I was it. "That's how he makes me feel." Her smile and eyes get brighter. "He makes me feel like I'm the most amazing person he's ever met. He's tender with me. He left for me. I know it took time for me to realize that, but he did. He had to work on himself by himself, and he gave me the opportunity to do the same with myself. We had to do that, Steve. If we didn't have that time...we never would have made it. You said yourself Bucky needed help and patience. Hydra used him as a weapon. He was expendable. And he's worked his ass off for the past five months to move past that. For him to realize the difference between Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier."
Her face lights up when she talks about Bucky. A smile she never made when we were together. It's a smile that Peggy gives me on a nearly daily basis. "I'm not telling you this because I regret our time together. Believe it or not you taught me a lot too." I smirk, yes, I did. "And not about sex either. I loved you Steve and I still love you. I want us, you, me, and Bucky, to have a functional relationship together. He loves and misses you. He respects you. You don't get to come here and put a wedge between us anymore Steve. Because you made your choice, and I'm making mine. Understand that this is mine and Bucky's home."
"He's moving back in?" I look up at her.
"That's the plan. He will be Maggie's step dad." I groan. "He will. That's the perks of staying in the present day."
"You're going to keep bringing that up, aren't you?" I ask.
"Are you going to deny it? What happens when you can't get Pym Particles anymore?" I look at her, the thought has never crossed my mind. "You were supposed to stay in a time loop Steve. Not pop up randomly throughout time. If you can't get Pym Particles anymore; you'll stay in that loop. You have to face the fact that there's a possibility of that happening. And be thankful that I have Bucky who is here, in present time, to help take care of Maggie and myself. You mess with time, it tends to mess back."
Even though Tony isn't her father, she can act just like him. He even said the same thing. "Your eyes glow like Thor's." I want to change the subject. Charlie's body stiffens and she's almost paralyzed. "What?"
"Why...why would you say that?" I watch as her eyes go glossy. I'm so confused. Thor and her have always been close.
"You do. When he harnesses lightning. You looked just like him. Lightning came out of...you, too...Charlie?" She gets off the bed walking away.
"I don't want to talk about it." Pain and hurt seeps through her voice.
"What did I miss?" I'm so confused.
"I said, I didn't want to talk about it, Steve. Drop it. Please, leave." I go to grab ahold of Charlie's hand. She needs someone to comfort her for some reason. Quickly her hand jerks away. "I asked you to leave. Please." Knocks on the door tear my attention from Charlie. She heads to walk downstairs. "Steve, people don't need to see you."
I hide in the shadows, wanting to know who's knocking on the door, this house is supposed to be a secret, and it's not easy to find or get to. Her body pauses at the entrance but her rigidness softens, "Bucky?" The airy and light tone of her voice and the excitement layered in genuinely make me happy. We needed our talk.
"Sorry for being so secretive." She steps back letting him enter. Her hands wrap around a beautiful bouquet of flowers. "I was wondering if we could have our date." I step back in the bedroom. I never did that for her. That's all she wanted in the beginning. All anyone would mention. He's finally giving it to her.
"Bye, Charlie." I whisper. I don't want to interrupt their date.