Come Back With Me

If I'm Yours, You Are Mine

Lizzie gives herself one week to fall apart. Ideally, she'd like more time to be a mess but she knows she can't afford to, literally.

Her and Steve sit down and go through all the finances. Luckily, Sarah had some life insurance as well as some savings put away for the kids but even so, they can only survive on the money they have for a few months.

She knows that they have just enough money to make it through the school year and then they will need to get jobs.

Steve manages to become a part-time illustrator for the newspaper. He doesn't make much at all but it's a job he can do from home. He gets sick to often for a job that doesn't allow him flexibility.

Lizzie tells Steve that she found a job as an assistant nurse at the hospital at nights.

It's a hard couple months, but the Rogers manage to scrape by. They have to be more thrifty and eat a little less but they can make do.

Bucky keeps trying to help out in his own small ways. He always brings over food from his mother because apparently she "made too much".

Bucky also manages to convince Steve to take a little money from him each week.

"I don't want charity Bucky," Steve says.

"You're not charity, you're family," Bucky insists.

"We're managing just fine, Bucky," Steve says.

"Are you? Do you think I don't see how much thinner you two are? And Lizzie is falling apart with how much she is working. I'm surprised the hospital is even letting her work as much as she is. Is your pride worth her killing herself?" Bucky asks.

It's a low blow for sure but it has the desired effect. Steve will do anything for Lizzie even if it means relying on Bucky even more than he already does.

Eventually, the twins' birthday approaches. Bucky thinks for weeks about what to do for them. It's their first birthday without Sarah and he really wants to distract them.

He has the whole day planned in his head when the twins approach him about their upcoming birthday.

"We know you've been planning something crazy for our birthday but we don't want crazy this birthday," Lizzie says.

"Our lives are so crazy right now that all we want is a quiet day. Lizzie is going to take a day off from the hospital and we are going to have a nice day at home," Steve finishes.

"You guys don't want to do anything?" Bucky asks.

"I want a day with my two favorite men in the world. That's all I'll ever want," Lizzie says.

Bucky looks at Lizzie and can't help but agree. Any day with the two of them is perfect.

When their birthday arrives, Bucky is at their house bright and early.

They play some card games. It turns out that Lizzie and Steve are terrible at poker. They're really lucky that they weren't betting with real money or Bucky may just own their house.

Lizzie reads to them for a bit. She is really good at creating a distinct voice for each character that always makes it enthralling to listen to.

Bucky convinces Lizzie to dance with him and Steve watches as he spins her around the living room.

Finally, Bucky surprises them both with a cupcake. They weren't very big but they meant the world to the twins. They actually had something to blow out candles on this year.

Bucky lights the candles and presents them the cupcakes.

"Make a wish," Bucky tells them.

Steve wishes for more days like this. More days where he can actually see Lizzie smile. He just wants this year to be more happy than the last one they had.

Lizzie wishes for her brother and Bucky to have happy lives. She doesn't want to waste a wish on herself. If her boys live happy and safe lives, she will be fulfilled.

They all stay up for a few more hours, enjoying each other's company.

"Well, it's getting pretty late. You're welcome to spend the night Bucky. Goodnight," Steve says.

Bucky and Lizzie both say goodnight and happy birthday to Steve before he disappears upstairs.

"Are you going to go to bed soon?" Bucky asks.

"Not yet, I'm not tired. I do have something to give you though," Lizzie says.

"I don't think you really understand how birthdays work El. The birthday girl usually gets the gifts, not gives them," Bucky says.

He notices she is playing with her necklace, the one he gave her so many years ago. She usually plays with it when she is nervous.

"Why are you nervous?" Bucky asks.

She stops fidgeting and looks at him confused.

"You play with your necklace when you're nervous," Bucky explains.

He always loves seeing her with the necklace, his necklace. He's never seen her take it off, even when they were fighting. It's like a piece of him is always with her.

"Oh, well perhaps I am a bit nervous," Lizzie says.

"Why? You don't have to be nervous with me," Bucky says.

She pulls out something for underneath the couch and hands it to him.

"Nerves aren't always rational," she says.

He looks at it and sees it's another homemade comic but the styling is a little different. He can tell that this one is made completely in Ellie's hand without Steve's input like normal.

"The Story of Jamie Barnes and Ellie Rogers," Bucky reads the title out loud.

He flips it open and starts to read it. Lizzie has created the story of them. She illustrates every up and down they've had through their complicated relationship.

The second to last page is an illustration of Lizzie giving Bucky the book. He flips to the last page of the book and it's blank.

"I figured that since I kept you waiting long enough that I'd leave the ending up to you," she says.

He is confused until Lizzie hands him two sheets of paper.

On the first sheet of paper is a picture of the two of them sitting on the couch and the caption reads: 'You're one of my favorite people in the world. I'm incredibly thankful that I have you as a best friend'.

The second illustration is an identical picture of them sitting on the couch but that caption reads: 'You're one of my favorite people in the world. I'm incredibly thankful that I get to call you mine'.

He hands her the second drawing.

"I really like this one," Bucky says with a smile.

She smiles back and places the second drawing in the back of the book.

"You're one of my favorite people in the world. I'm incredibly thankful that I get to call you mine," Lizzie says.

Bucky leans in and kisses her. He's dreamt about this kiss for years. The first kiss where she is actually his. It is better than he ever imagined.

Bucky breaks the kiss but stays close. Lizzie can still feel his breathe on her lips.

"If I'm yours then you are mine," Bucky says.

She smiles and kisses him again.

"Always," Lizzie says.

Steve wakes up the next morning and heads downstairs to check and see if Bucky spent the night.

He walks into the living room and sees Bucky laying on his back on the couch with Lizzie laying on top of him both sound asleep.

He hopes that this is it, that this is the time that sticks. Because he knows that if both are all in, they will never be able to part again.