Hallowed (B. Barnes)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Bucky shoulders open the roof door, it's stiff and unused, he wonders if Sydney's even been up here since she moved in. If this is to be his home, their home, he wants to know every inch. His eyes scan over the roof. Dead plants. Rotting furniture. It clearly was once used by whoever was living there before Sydney, possibly even before that. It would make a nice place to spend the summer, he can fix up some chairs, a little table, some flower pots, fairy lights. He could make it nice for them.

"James?" Sydney shouts from within the apartment below. He glances over his shoulder.

"I'm on the roof," he tells Sydney.

"The what?" she asks coming up behind him. "I didn't even know this door opened" she admits peering around him. He hums a little and wraps his arm around her when she ducks under his arm.

"It needs some work" He points out, she raises an eyebrow.

"You gonna fix it up?" she asks him softly, he nods and lowers his eyes to her.

"I've had less to do across the road" he answers. "I need a new project" she leans into his side, her own arm wrapping around his back. "I thought it would be nice to get ready for summer" he gives a half shrug. "Somewhere for us to sit in the sun" he nuzzles into her head.

"That does sound nice" She agrees with him as she clutches to the back of his shirt.

"This is our home" he adds before he pulls back from her head. "Our future is here, we should be comfortable, we should make the most of it" she smiles up at him.

"You're so adorable" she mumbles teasingly. "But you're not wrong" she tugs him closer. "Anything else you want?" she asks.

"Can I read your books?" He asks her, she lifts an eyebrow.

"You don't have to ask" she assures him. "That's all you want?" He appears thoughtful before smirking. "Oh no" She teases, he shrugs a little.

"I saw this rug at the market" she softens slightly. "It's bright, I didn't think you'd want it because your apartment is all whites and creams"

"Our apartment" she scolds him. "You can make changes," she tells him. "As you said, this is our home, you have to feel like it is" he smiles and nods. "So tomorrow, we'll go the market, and get us that rug, and anything else you see that you would like in our home" she leans up and kisses him before pulling back. "Want some help clearing the rubbish?" she asks as she nods to the roof, he nods a little and smiles.

...........

Bucky sits on one of the dining chairs that he'd brought up to the roof to rest on, the sun just setting beyond the apartment tower across the street. The city is starting to wind down so it's pretty quiet. He takes a breath and closes his eyes to take it in. Up here he can ignore everything. He opens his eyes and looks up when he senses Sydney at his side, she holds out the open soda in her hand to him and he smiles as he takes it from her before patting his legs, Sydney sits in his lap with her beer. He lets out a soft breath and looks around, the roof looks cleaner, better, and there is rather a lot of space for them to work with. Sydney takes a drink of her beer and leans into his hold.

"Not bad" she comments fondly. "You're pretty useful to have around" he chuckles and looks up at her as she smirks down at him.

"That and the mind-blowing sex, right?" he teases, she hums and nudges his nose.

"That's right, rent boy" she counters with a small chuckle. He smiles and kisses her.

.............

Mihaela and Sydney walk through the market as they talk, Bucky follows behind them with a smile. Despite Alina and Mihaela being his friends first, they've taken to Sydney as if old friends, and she is just as taken with them. Sydney looks back at Bucky who gives her a small smile, she holds her hand back towards him and he moves closer to her.

"Where is this rug?" Sydney asks Bucky who threads his fingers with hers and nods across the market.

"This way" He answers and kisses the back of her hand.

"So, now you are both decorating does that mean it's all happy endings for you?" Mihaela asks. "White dress, church bells, children?" She teases.

"Yeah, maybe" Bucky answers, a tease to his tone, Sydney's smile falters slightly but she quickly fixes it. She can't give him those things. If they were to get married, it wouldn't be with her real name, the marriage wouldn't be legal. And she can't give him children. That's not in her future.

"Mihaela!" Alina yells from her bakery stall and waves happily at her girlfriend, Mihaela waves back and turns to her friends.

"Don't forget" She warns them. "Dinner tonight...okay?"

"We'll be there" Bucky assures her before Mihaela hurries to greet Alina. Sydney looks up at Bucky and smirks.

"When you said that, you almost sounded excited" She points out.

"I am" he agrees. "I like spending time with them they're so..."

"Normal" Sydney agrees with him, they share a look.

"Yeah" he nods softly and squeezes her hand. "Come on" he pulls her along gently towards the stall. "That one," he tells her. Sydney laughs a little when Bucky points out the rug he likes. He smiles down at her as she moves to the rug.

"Wow" Sydney teases touching the rug. "When you said bright...."

"You haven't changed your mind?" he asks her, she smiles stroking the fabric before shaking her head.

"No" she assures him. "No, the apartment is very....bland and could use some color" she looks up at him. "If this is the one you want, you can put it wherever you want" he kisses her head and nods.

"This is the one I want" he states pulling back and then turns to the vendor. "How much?"

"1023 leu," The vendor tells them.

"For a rug?!" Bucky asks and looks at Sydney, she strokes his arm and then smiles.

"Why don't you go back and get those plant pots?" she asks him, Bucky nods dejectedly and then walks away. Sydney watches him go before turning to the stall vendor. She smiles sweetly at him. "My boyfriend really wants this rug..." Her pupil dilates slightly. "And I think you want to give it to him...for free" She smirks when he nods at her.

.......................

"You got it" Bucky states when he sees Sydney stood with the rug against her side. "Please don't tell me you paid all that money for a rug?" he begs of her. She shakes her head.

"No, I haggled" She assures him. "I can be very persuasive when I want to be" he smiles and holds out the plant pot in his hand.

"I got this" he admits with a huge smile, he's so proud of himself. "Even got the address of a good garden center" he looks at the plant pot. "I figured we could color match" he rubs his thumb into the pot. It's a beautiful orangey-red. It would make a good base color for the roof. And terracotta is a basic material for gardening stuff, and matches the pot in his hand. He's really excited about doing this. About having something physical to show for his hard work. A home. He'll have a home. With Sydney. A real home. The rug. The plant pot. It's just the start.