Wanted

It'd been a pleasant night with Bucky. He and Anna had watched the most part of a movie, and as promised, he'd provided them with all sorts of goodies to snack on.
Anna had been groggy from her dose of painkillers which had been due around the time they put the movie on, so it was hardly a surprise to either of them when she found herself struggling to stay awake. Bucky had tidied their mess, leaving the apartment spotless for Tony's visit in the morning, and like the ever-dutiful boyfriend, he'd helped Anna up and into bed.
It had brought a smile to his face hearing her sigh as she relaxed in his arms, leaning back against his chest as he held her, her hands gripping his forearms. It was all the reassurance he needed that she'd be okay, after what had felt like an excruciating eternity apart.
Nobody would ever hurt her again if he had anything to do with it - the fact that she'd gone through it at all was something he'd never forgive himself for. It was bad enough having the mental image of Jake cowardly pistol whipping her while she was restrained, never mind the fact that Bucky felt responsible for it... He'd let her slip through his fingers, and she'd been taken from right from under his nose.
Taken, nearly suffocated, drugged, beaten - repeatedly... She'd divulged quite a lot of what went on, Bucky holding her hand and listening while she'd recounted her story through tears. She spoke about everything from being bound and stripped in the back of the SUV, right through to Bucky's 'Winter Soldier' assassinations projected on her wall on a constant loop.

"I hate that he showed you that..." he'd mumbled, as angry as he was ashamed, "It's a wonder you're not scared to death of me, too..."
"It wasn't 'you' in that footage, Buck" she'd reassured him, Bucky knowing she'd obviously found it confronting, but was trying to be kind about it.
"I'm so sorry..."
"Don't be, it's not your fault" she'd said, giving his hand a squeeze, "I was hardly conscious enough to see it anyway, let alone with this" she'd added, pointing at her still slightly black eye.

He'd clenched his jaw and let out a breath, nodding for her to continue and asking the odd question along the way. He'd politely tried his best not to stare at her wounds, swallowing back the urge to charge down to the holding cells to beat the living snot out of Jake and every last one of his cronies.
Her lip, the bruise that ran from her cheek to her temple, her eye, the angry looking split skin around her wrists from the zip ties... He couldn't even begin to comprehend how two big solid guys could bring themselves to lay a hand on a girl - especially a petite little thing like her. Just the thought of it made his blood boil.

Anna had noticed him struggling to deal with it, and censored her stories which Bucky had picked up on. Of course, he'd insisted he was fine and encouraged her to open up and let it all out, no matter how ugly it got...

It had been a relief for both of them to fall asleep together, and not surprisingly they'd held each other the entire night. Anna had unashamedly let Bucky do his 'protective boyfriend' thing, and for once she'd relished it, deciding it sure beat the hell out of feeling vulnerable and afraid.
She'd slept fairly peacefully, save for one wake up where she'd become restless and agitated in her sleep. Trembling, she'd mumbled Bucky's name several times as a nightmare took hold, Bucky deciding to wake her up as her breathing became erratic. He'd helped her roll over, being careful not to bump her leg, and she'd snuggled into his chest where he'd rubbed her back and soothed her till they'd both succumbed to exhaustion.

Bucky had been the first to wake that following morning, Anna still curled up beside him, her head on his chest where she'd passed out in the middle of the night. His arms were still wrapped around her, and although her body was tense against his, she'd slept quiet and still for the remainder of the night.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, Anna shifting as she woke, tightening her hold on him which he couldn't help smile at. The first thing she saw when her eyes opened was the shine coming off his metal arm which was holding her protectively. She smiled to herself at the thought of being so afraid of it once upon a time, and Bucky himself - the very person who was now her greatest protector.
She let out a yawn before glancing up at him, the two exchanging a lazy kiss before mumbling a tired 'hi'.

"Sorry I woke you up last night" she said, her words quiet and breathy, Bucky giving her shoulder a rub as he reassured her it was fine.
"I did say I'd look after you, didn't I?" He said with a chuckle, Anna tilting her head up to give him a guilty look
"Yeah, but now you're going to be tired all day because of me..." she said, Bucky letting out a snort as he rolled his eyes.

"Would you look after me if I'd been hurt?" He asked
"You were hurt - you were shot and you won't let me lift a finger to help you out" she scolded, only half joking.
"Yeah and 24 hours later there wasn't so much as a mark on me. You on the other hand..." he trailed off with a shrug
"Still," she pouted, "you took a bullet for me... Well several bullets"
"Yeah and you took one for me" he countered, "and if you ever do that again, there'll be big trouble" he threatened
"Big trouble?"
"HUGE trouble" he said, unable to hold the 'mock-stern' expression any longer, cracking a smile which she returned.
"Well that goes for you, too... No more getting hurt for my sake!"
"Yeah, can't promise that" he said stubbornly, "-It's part of the job description"
"Which job description!?" She said, propping herself up on an elbow so she could glare at him
"All of them" he chuckled, amused at her expression, "Super-guy, boyfriend, bodyguard, - 'well meaning' kidnapper... From the second I stepped into that freezing cold bar and locked eyes with that very cute young lady serving the drinks, I was obligated" he said, looking completely put out.
"Obligated, huh?" she chuckled, Bucky nodding and giving a helpless shrug before bursting into laughter "You're such a shit-stirrer!" she laughed, giving him a playful nudge, Bucky composing himself long enough to pull her in for a kiss, shutting her up.
"So you thought I was cute, huh?" she teased him,
"Still do" he smiled, Anna melting a little. She leaned back over to kiss him again before snuggling back in beside him, Bucky's arms finding their way around her like they always did.

"God that was a weird night" she started, the memories coming back, "remember that drunk guy you knocked out?"
"Yeah, he grabbed you and I wanted to kill him for it..." he chuckled, "- I hope he learned a valuable lesson"
"I hope so too..."
"Did your boss ever try to get in touch with you again after that night?"
"Apparently he called the cops when he found my car still there and footprints in the snow. Poor guy would have freaked thinking I'd been taken..."
"That poor guy let a female member of staff go out alone, on a dark, cold night, into a poorly lit parking lot behind a bar, after being assaulted at work" he pointed out, "With no self defence or situational awareness training whatsoever..." he added, Anna frowning again.
"I was doing just fine until I dropped my keys-" she started, Bucky interrupting her with an exasperated sigh.

"As soon as Helen says it's okay, I'm going to teach you how to protect yourself" he said in his 'no nonsense' voice, "maybe even earlier"
"There's no point fighting you on this, is there?
"Nope" he said, "...not until we get that medical clearance, anyway" he added with a cheeky wink, Anna letting out a chuckle.

They laid together for a while, quietly, Buckys fingers lazily tracing up and down her arm, making her feel sleepy all over again. The orange light sneaking into the room through the bathroom door told them it was still early, and there was no rush to get out of bed.

When the time finally came, Bucky was the first one to get up and get himself dressed and ready for the day. He helped Anna do the same, despite her insistence she could do it herself. It had proven to be a strange balancing act for him to try and help her without her feeling babied, and satisfy his insatiable need to take care of her. It was obvious she was struggling with what had become her new normal, just as much as he was struggling with the reason she was like this in the first place.

"Okay Miss Independent," he'd started, looking around the apartment, satisfied with how it looked, "anything else you need?"
 "No, you've done more than enough" she said, sounding more grateful now than the frustrated version of herself from earlier, "I feel awful for letting you do everything..."
"You only let me do what I needed to" he said honestly, Anna knowing damn well his being 'overly helpful' had a lot to do with pacifying his guilt... Guilt that he didn't need to carry as far as she was concerned.

Anna sighed, deciding not to make a big deal of it. At the end of the day, she appreciated everything he'd done for her - and no doubt everything he'd do for her for however long she was out of action for. If Bucky being the doting, protective boyfriend was what got him through the day, then she'd allow it - within reason of course.

His expression softened, Bucky taking her face in his hands and pressing a light kiss to her lips.

"Don't be too nice to me, Barnes" she whispered, one side of his mouth curving up with amusement,
"And why is that?"
"I might get used to it"
"That's kinda the whole point..." he chuckled, pulling her in for a hug and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Anna closed her eyes, snuggling into his chest for the second time that morning.
"Mind if I stay here forever?" she asked
"That'd be fine by me..." he smiled, "I'll just have to let Steve know I'm bringing a date for breakfast this morning"

Anna giggled at the thought, looking up Bucky who was doing a terrible job at keeping a straight face.

"Raincheck for this afternoon?"
"Done, I'll keep your spot right here reserved" he said, nodding down at his chest
"Make sure you do"



Tony arrived a little after 9am as planned, knocking and letting himself in when he heard Anna's 'come in!' from the other side of the apartment.
"Hey kiddo" he said with a smile as he walked in, bag in hand, "what are you doing on your feet?"
"Hey" she smiled back, hobbling to meet him on her crutches, "phone charger's in the kitchen, and it's almost flat"

"Friday - remind me later to bring Anna a wireless fast-charger..." he said as he reached out to pull her into what turned out to be a slightly wobbly hug, both of them finding the humor in it.
"Noted, sir"

"Sorry, still not used to this 'one leg' thing" she said a little sheepishly
"Don't worry about it, I've gotcha" he smiled, giving her a kiss on the cheek, "come on, you need to sit down - breakfast's on the way" he added, gesturing at the dining table by the window.

He helped her across the room, pulling a seat out for her to sit on and leaning her crutches against the table where they'd be out of the way.
"Thank you"
"Welcome!" he smiled genuinely, "how you feeling this morning?" he asked, carrying the bag over to the kitchen bench and setting it down, pausing as he caught sight of the crystal vase containing a huge bouquet of red roses.

Oh shit...

"Yeah, uh... Pretty good" she said, suddenly nervous as hell which Tony picked up on straight away, "slept well, not much pain, and the physio lady's due around 10.30"
"That's great!"

There was an awkward silence which stretched out like a mini eternity, Tony letting out a breath as he relented, addressing the elephant in the room...

"So... Those are new" He observed aloud, keeping his expression friendly and open, Anna swallowing hard as she nodded.
"Yeah, Bucky came by last night to check on me... They're from him"
"Red roses, huh?" he asked, making his way over to sit next to her.

Anna stayed silent for a few moments, looking into Tony's eyes for any trace of anger or upset and finding nothing but calm...

Now or never, girl...

"We're uh, seeing each other" she said hesitantly, her heart racing at a million miles per hour, "I should have told you, but to be honest I was absolutely terrified you'd-"
"-Kill him?" he only half joked, the color draining from Anna's face,
"Or me?"

Tony let out a breath, softening a little upon seeing her so stressed. He reached out to grab her hand that was resting on the table on front of her with both of his. He gave it a squeeze and continued to hold it as he spoke, offering a little support despite how he felt about the whole situation.

"Nobody's getting killed..." he started, "truth is, like it or not, I saw it coming a mile away..." he added with a shrug,
"You did?" she asked meekly
"Many, many miles away - genius, remember?" He chuckled, Anna managing one back as the mood lightened, "Barnes went from a 'sullen teenager' to someone who was almost tolerable... And you seem to go back and forth between looking kinda worried all the time, to actually relaxing when he's around" he added
"I don't look worried all the time do I?"
"Yeah, you kinda do" he teased, not able to hold a straight face for long, "-Okay fine, you used to... Not so much anymore"

The two exchanged a smile, Anna letting out a breath, relieved to have gotten the announcement out of the way without any drama.

"I'm really am sorry I didn't have the guts to tell you sooner" she offered genuinely, "I know you guys have history, and truth be told we didn't even know if it was going to work between us... I was just... Absolutely scared to death of everything"
"First of all, don't ever be scared to death of telling me anything. Okay?"
"Okay"
"I'm serious, no matter what's going on, no matter how bad it is, you can come to me with anything. If you do something stupid, or get yourself into trouble, I'll be mad later - but my job is to keep you safe, and make sure you're okay. Got it?"
"Got it"
"Good" he said, offering a smile which she shyly returned,

"You being okay also includes you being happy..." he said, before continuing somewhat hesitantly, "and if Barnes makes you happy, then so be it"
"Thank you" she smiled, her eyes glassy as tears threatened to fall, Tony giving her hand another squeeze
"Don't thank me just yet" he smirked, "I haven't told you what I'll do to him if he screws up"
"Oh god, I don't think I wanna know" she chuckled, relaxing a little
"I don't think you do either..."

Tony let out a sigh, shaking his head at himself as if he couldn't believe he was condoning their relationship.
"At least he'll keep you safe, I guess... But then again so would Rogers - what about Rogers?" he asked, Anna laughing at the thought
"I don't know what Sharon would think of that!"
"They back on again are they?"
"What?"
"Eh, it's hard to keep track with those two" He said with a bored shrug, "...As long as you're happy, honey. Happy, being looked after and treated right"
"Thank you" she smiled warmly, "I really am, he's honestly the most thoughtful, sweet guy..."
"I'll uh, take your word for it... This doesn't mean I have to be nice to him, does it?" 
"It'd make things easier?" she said with a hopeful smile, "but 'not killing him' would be a great start, and I'll settle for that at the very least?"

Tony let out an over-dramatized version of an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
"I'll do my best" He relented, "no promises though"
"Thank you" she smiled genuinely, "that means a lot"
 

Their breakfast arrived quickly, the usual selection of blueberry waffles, fresh fruit, and of course - plenty of coffee. They dug in, chatting amongst themselves, keeping the conversation as light hearted and upbeat as possible.

"Oh - I had something important to talk to you about" Tony mentioned as it came to mind,
"Yeah?"
"You've got a few TV commitments coming up - which I totally understand if you're not up to - but either way, we need to get our story straight as to how you broke your leg..."
"Oh god, I forgot all about those"
"Well, you've had a bit going on this week" he said, tilting his head as he gently sidestepped around the obvious, Anna nodding in agreement,

"Long story short, we don't need the public to know the real story of what happened, but you're still gonna be seen on crutches, or missing for a period of time... This means we need to give some sort of an explanation to save anybody going digging" he explained, "the best way to do this is to pick something believable, unattainable to the average Joe, and easy to create on social media..."
"Like an accident on a super exclusive luxury holiday somewhere?"
"Bingo... It's still only been a few days, so if we were to put a few photos up of say, the ski slopes, then in a week's time you could 'break your leg in a ski accident' or something" he suggested, Anna finding it both morbid and amusing to think of all the different ways she could maim her poor leg.

"I've never been skiing, so that's probably believable" she said thoughtfully
"Well, if you're happy to break your leg in Aspen - my god that sounds bad when you say it out loud!" he laughed, Anna joining in, "worst holiday ever!" he added between laughs, shaking his head before he went on,

"If you're happy for that to be your 'accident' of choice, I'll get in touch with Pepper and Lyle and get their fake photo person onto it... Another thing about it being a ski crash, is that everyone out there looks the same - they're all covered up in goggles, scarves, jackets and hats... Nobody could say they did or didn't see you for sure, plus there are private slopes and it's a luxury resort."
"It sounds kinda perfect, huh"
"Exactly... See, I'm not just a pretty face" he grinned.



Anna's physio session had gone well, the physiotherapist having arrived not long after Tony left. Anna had appreciated the one on one time, and it'd been productive as far as stretches and exercises improving already from the previous session, and she'd also achieved another successful short walk without the crutches.
Dr Cho had come by, checking her wounds and replacing the surgical tape after administering a few carefully placed injections around the site of the injury.

"This stuff is like magic - it'll speed up the recovery and help minimize scar tissue" she'd said as she worked, going on to explain the science of it in far more detail than Anna was prepared to listen to.

"Did you catch all of that?" she'd added, looking down at Anna who was still covering her face after the last needle.
"No, sorry..."
"But it distracted you enough to get you through all seven?"
"Seven? I counted five?"
"Good, then it worked" she grinned, Anna letting out an amused, but slightly pained chuckle, "stay still and let it all work, you'll be sore, but it's totally worth it for the long term benefits. We can fix any lasting blemishes later - I've had a looooot of practice with combat injuries"

Anna thanked her, thinking back over all the patch up jobs she must have had to do for Steve, her Dad, and everyone else on the team over the years...



Steve and Bucky made their way down the long corridor, stepping into the elevator that'd take them to the room overlooking the holding cells. Steve pressed the button on the wall, the two of them exchanging a look, not sure what they'd see when Tony confronted Jake.
The observation room was cold and sterile, a small room that was empty, save for a couple of chairs that Steve and Bucky chose not to sit in. There was a large one way window that overlooked a row of cells, and thinline speakers mounted on the wall either side of it.
The two stood silently, looking down as Tony appeared in view, walking confidently across the room and stopping in front of a glass cell.

Jake didn't bother to look up at Tony right away, preferring to ignore him, staring at the wall from where he sat on his bunk.

"That's a nice shiner you've got there, Nester" Tony prompted, making a mental note to give Steve a high five later.
"Thanks" Jake glared, "You might want to have a little chat to your star-spangled buddy about his people skills..."
"Oh I will..." Tony promised with a cocky nod, quite looking forward to hearing that story.

"What's going to happen to me?" Jake asked, trying to appear braver than he felt.

"Well, the investigation's been finalized, and in a few hours you'll be someone else's problem" Tony answered, diplomatically.

"So I'm going to jail, yeah?"
"Yep."
"No trial?"
"Nope - as I said, it's an open and shut case; kidnapping, assault, battery, false imprisonment, holding hostage, first degree murder..."

Jake put his head in his hands, Tony watching on with a bored look on his face for a few moments.

"So will that be all?" he asked, "I have a daughter to attend to..."
"Is she okay?"
"-You don't get to ask that" Tony snapped aggressively, cutting him off.

"She told me things..." Jake started, changing gears, "Things you need to know about her relationship with Barnes"
"-I know everything I need to know in that department, thanks" Tony said sarcastically, turning to leave.

"He's hurting her!" Jake called out, stopping Tony in his tracks, "one dose of juice and she let it all out... She only agreed to be with him because she's scared to death of the guy"

Tony chewed the inside of his cheek, resisting the urge to look up at the blacked-out glass he knew Barnes was standing behind. He turned around, facing Jake now who looked like he was going to explode if he didn't get the rest of his story out as quickly as possible.

"I find that very hard to believe, but go on, I'll humor you this once..."
"You get me a lawyer, and I'll tell you everything - I'll even take a truth shot and a polygraph while doing it" he offered, Tony clenching his jaw...

"You tell me what you THINK you know, and if it turns out to have any merit whatsoever, you'll get your lawyer"
"No deal, Stark"
"Fine. Enjoy prison" he smiled sarcastically, turning to leave again,

"Wait!" Jake relented, "I'll talk..."
"You've got two minutes" Tony said flatly, already pretty sure that whatever was coming next was going to be complete nonsense...

"Anna's a smart girl, always was..." he started, Tony's expression not changing as Jake spoke, "I don't know how much you know about her background, but since she was a kid she's had to learn to read people to survive - and she's great at it. She knew Barnes liked what he saw in her, and knew that the only way to be safe around him, was to make him believe that she liked him back... The guy's a mass murderer - keep your enemies close, right?"

"While he thinks she's all loved up, not only is she safe from him - she's also got his protection. Not only that - she's got an instant 'in' with Rogers, and suddenly the girl who's been hiding and fighting for her life for the past 8 years is surrounded by the world's best bodyguards... It's actually pretty smart when you think about it!" Jake said with an impressed look on his face, "Anyway - like everything in life, it's a trade off. She's gotta sleep with a guy who she's absolutely terrified of, AND make him believe she's into it. What he doesn't know is that she's hating every second of it, and it's literally the stuff of her nightmares. That's the real reason she's not sleeping through the night - get your psyche to ask her, I dare you."

Tony swallowed hard, not sure if he felt sick listening to someone talk about Barnes sleeping with Anna, or the prospect of any of his story being true...

"He's rough with her too -" Jake continued, Tony putting a hand up to stop him, "sorry, but it's true. He hurts her and she has to pass pain, fear, and suffering off as something else - the girl deserves an Oscar if he doesn't see it-"
"-Oookay... Heard enough"
"And if he does, the guy's a sadist, and a ra-"

"-OKAY!!... Alright, thanks Nester" Tony cut him off, turning to leave, and doing his best to block out anything else that was being yelled out after him.



Bucky seethed where he stood, his hands curled into tight fists and his mouth set in a snarl. Steve had said his name three times before he registered, meekly daring to put his hand on Bucky's shoulder.
"I've never hurt her" he said, exercising what appeared to be extreme self control as he glared out the window toward the cell below,
"Of course you haven't" Steve agreed,
"She's not a manipulator, and I'm not a sadist OR anything else" He added quietly, absolutely disgusted to utter either of those words, Steve shaking his head at the mere notion of the idea, "And now Stark has to go down to her room and have that conversation with her - just in case... Just in case a 'mass murderer' twice her size is forcing himself onto her..."

"...I feel sick..." Bucky mumbled, his face pale
"Here, sit down" Steve offered, gesturing at the couch, Bucky pulling away from him
"No, I can't..."
"Buck..." Steve started, kindness in his expression, "sit down and breathe for a bit. Give 'em fifteen minutes, and then go down there."

Bucky stood for a few moments before relenting, letting a breath out, and sitting down beside Steve.

"Tony's caught in a tough spot. You heard him say that he doesn't believe you'd hurt her, but he also has a responsibility to double check with her that everything's alright - for both of you"
"I know... Duty of care..." Bucky muttered, shaking his head.
"Exactly" Steve nodded, "Anna's going to be just as upset as you - and embarrassed as hell being asked if any of it's true..."
"You're right" Bucky started, letting out a frustrated sigh, "it's not fair that that asshole gets to throw accusations like that around..."
"No it's not... Try not to let it bother you, he's just stirring the pot because there's nothing left for him"



Bucky stood, hidden around the corner waiting for Tony to leave Anna's room. Just as he thought, Tony looked despondent as he made his way down the corridor, walking slowly almost like he was waiting to be called back...
When Bucky let himself in, Anna was still standing in front of the couch in the living room, seemingly frozen there from where Tony had said goodbye before he left. Her jaw was clenched and she looked pale, sick almost as she looked up at him with tired, red eyes.
He made his way over to her, Anna reaching out to put her arms around him and bury her face in his chest wordlessly, Bucky kissing the top of her head and wrapping her tightly in his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked, knowing the question was redundant, but feeling compelled to ask anyway. She nodded, echoing the same question back, Bucky letting out a quiet "yeah" as he gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Anna let out a shaky breath, consciously gathering herself up before she had the courage to speak again without risking a flood of tears...

"I'm so sorry you had to hear all of that - none of it's true, I swear" she said angrily, her voice barely louder than a whisper,
"Don't apologize for him, I knew it was all bullshit"
"Dad didn't buy it either - thank god... As if you'd ever hurt me in a million years - it's ridiculous" she said, sniffing as the tears she was holding fell, Anna wiping her cheeks with her fingertips "and I hate that I'm so upset over something so goddamned stupid"
"As if you wouldn't be upset... I sat there looking into his cell thinking of all the different ways I could rip his spine out and beat him to death with it"
"How many did you come up with?"
"Nine off the top of my head" he said casually, Anna letting out an amused snort, Bucky giving her back a comforting  rub.

The two parted enough to kiss, Bucky's hands lingering either side of her face as he looked into her eyes. She braved a smile which he saw straight through, Bucky frowning as she looked away in a poor attempt to hide new tears.
"Hey... Come here..."

He put his arms around her again, wanting now more than ever to make good of his earlier threat on Jake. Anna hung onto him, her hands having snuck under his open jacket in an attempt to get as close to him as possible. The warmth of his body comforted her, and like always just being in his arms seemed to bring her back down to earth again.

"How dare he say those things about you..." she croaked out when she was able, "he's got no right to throw around accusations like that"
"Wasn't just me he said things about..." Bucky reminded her
"He can say what he likes about me, but not about you" she said, hit with a surge of protectiveness "he's lucky I'm such a terrible shot or I'd go down there right now and blow his head off"

Bucky's eyes widened.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my girlfriend?" he asked, Anna softening a little, even managing a few seconds of an amused smile before she spoke up again.

"I can't be this scared, broken little thing anymore..." she said, stepping back so she could look him in the eyes, "I need to start facing my fears, and taking some responsibility around here" she added, Bucky nodding as she spoke.

"Tomorrow morning I'm going down to the cells. I wanna be there when they take him away" she announced, taking Bucky by surprise for the second time in as many minutes.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"I just wanna watch from the window. I need to see them take him... Will you come with me?"
"Of course I will" he said supportively, giving her hands a squeeze.

"Thanks Buck"
"Don't mention it...
"Maybe afterwards we could go down to the range if you were up for it?" she asked, "I know you wanted to teach me how to shoot, so if that offer's still on the table?"

"Of course it's still on the table... Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, a little worried about her sudden change of persona,

"I'm not... But this is me working on it" she said honestly, Bucky's expression softening.

"Okay then, tomorrow - it's a date" he smiled, "just don't try to get too brave too fast..." he warned, Anna standing up on one tip-toe as she wrapped her arms around his neck, Bucky scooping her up so she wouldn't topple over.

"You need to rest for now though, okay?" he said, Anna pouting for a moment before relenting with a nod. Bucky smiled, planting a kiss on her lips that lingered long enough to make her heart-rate take off, Anna going in for a top up, feeling him smile against her lips...

He made his way across the room, setting her down gently on the couch and helping her prop her leg up.

"How's about I grab us some drinks, and you can tell me how you went with physio and your Dad today?"
"Sounds great"
"Then we can order in, put a movie on and have a quiet night, just the two of us"
"Oh my god YES!" she said, as though it was the best thing she'd heard in years, Bucky chuckling at her as he headed to the kitchen.

"Bourbon?"
"Definitely"