Longing

Steve was standing in the living room of the small apartment, though calling it a living room would be giving it too much credit. There was a full size mattress and bedspring laying on the floor in the middle of the room, a couch breaking up the living area and kitchen space which was all contained in the same four walls. It was small. All of the furniture was mismatched, almost nothing laying around to suggest a person actually lived here other than the blankets on the bed, a few dirty dishes in the sink, and a notebook on top of the small fridge. He opened the book, a picture of himself falling from the pages as he flipped them, not spending enough time focusing on it to actually read it. The floorboards behind him squeaked and he turned, coming face to face with something he never expected. A small brunette woman was standing near the couch, a mug of steaming tea cradled in her hands. She sighed and dropped her head to look at the floor before turning slightly and folding herself onto the couch, pulling her legs up under her.
"I was hoping to have more time" she whispered sullenly into her cup before taking a sip. Steve was so surprised that he missed the entrance of the second person, who's footsteps were nearly silent on the wooden floorboards.
He startled when the person came into view, staring at him like he was a side show act.
"Do you know me?" He momentarily forgot about the woman on the couch as he stared down his best friend, who shook his head a little.
"You're Steve. I saw the exhibit" his shoulders lifted slightly, in a sort of apologetic gesture. Steve could feel his face turn into a frown despite his best efforts to remain neutral. He could tell Bucky was trying to make it seem like he didn't remember him, but it would seem that even after 70 years and everything Hydra had put Bucky through, Steve still knew him much too well for the lie to be believed. Before he could say a word he was cut off by a voice in his ear "They're on the roof, Cap. I'm comprised". Bucky stiffened at the words that his super solider hearing picked up and once again before Steve could say a word the man was moving. He was at the couch, on his knees in front of the small woman that Steve had completely forgotten about so fast that if Steve had blinked he was sure he would have missed it.
"I promise I'll come back to you. I will. I'll come back. We can keep looking and then we'll leave and no one will ever find us again" he was promising, pleading, his large hands cupping her face between them. She sighed again and shook her head gently, her hands coming up to cover his where they were resting on her face, cup of tea nowhere to be seen.
"You've never lied to me before, James Barnes. Don't you dare start now." Bucky said nothing, just leaned in and kissed her. It was slow and sweet and Steve had to look away, feeling almost guilty for witnessing their obvious display of love. When he looked back Bucky was standing back in his original spot, the woman on the couch sipping her tea quietly as if she was alone in the room and nothing was happening.
"Not to be rude, ma'am, but who are you?" He heard the first footsteps as he finished the question. They were coming up the stairs.
"Bucky is not the only person Hydra captured and kept prisoner, Captain." She never took her eyes off Bucky as he moved through the room toward Steve. His attention was diverted as the men came through the window, and when they were dealt with he turned back to find the woman gone her tea cup set on the kitchen counter in front of him, half empty and still steaming. Bucky never said another word about her, but Steve noticed his heavy sigh and wistful glance toward the couch before they left.