Venus | James B. Barnes✔️

lx. 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎

AYO WATCHED apprehensively as Bucky began to stir. She trusted Evelyn enough to know the woman would never put herself in immediate danger, but she had seen videos and in person the wrath of the Winter Soldier. She had grown to care for Evelyn despite everything, just as she had grown to care for Bucky Barnes.

Evelyn's eyes were the first that Bucky's gaze met. He groaned quietly, reaching his head up to rub at his forehead and eyes. "Lyn?"

"I'm here, James," she whispered back in reply.

Bucky nodded, sitting up and seeing Ayo standing at their doorway with her spear in hand. She gave him a curt nod, and he knew what that meant.

For some reason, Bucky did not feel as scared of the words he knew she would say.

Evelyn watched Ayo go outside, and by the smell in the air, she had started a bonfire. Bucky finally sat up, his hand coming to rest on Evelyn's. "That's never happened before," he commented. "The passing out, I mean."

"Let's hope it's a good sign," she said to him quietly. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, leaning forward to kiss her once. Evelyn took this as a good sign. No aggression as he normally had after the use of the machine. "Ayo is waiting."

Evelyn nodded, standing and helping her husband stand. She helped him outside, making sure he was comfortable before going to the other side of the fire. Ayo had made it a rule that Evelyn did not stand too close while the words were being spoken—just in case.

"It is time," Ayo said softly.

Bucky flinched as if he was in pain. "You sure about this?"

Ayo smiled at him, seeing the genuine goodness of his heart soaring. She had a feeling it had worked. She had a feeling he was saved. "I won't let you hurt anyone."

"Lyn," Bucky warned, always hating when she was around to watch. Evelyn smiled tightly at him, nodding once.

He took a deep breath.

"Желание," Ayo began. "Ржавый. Семнадцать."

(Longing. Rusted. Seventeen.)

Evelyn felt a tear fall down her face as he growled out, "It's not gonna work." He was shaky. His whole body. His eyes were glistening with tears. He was in pain as every memory of Hydra seemed to resurface at once.

"Рассвет. Печь. Девять. Добросердечный."

(Daybreak. Furnace. Nine. Benign.)

Evelyn bit back a sob as she watched his eyes widen in fear. It looked as though he was deep in thought—possibly thinking of everything he had done wrong as the Winter Soldier. She wiped at her own eyes as she watched his eyes flicker to hers once before looking away as if ashamed.

"Возвращение на Родину. Один. Товарный вагон," Ayo finished softly.

(Homecoming. One. Freight Car.)

A tear finally dropped from his eye as he stared angrily into the fire, fighting off any movement. As he realized she was finished and no Winter Soldier made an appearance, his eyebrows lifted from their heavily furrowed state as his gaze flickered from Ayo to Evelyn then back to Ayo. Evelyn finally released her soft sob as the look of absolute awe appeared on Bucky's face as Ayo's words.

"You are free," she said softly with a nod of her head and a soft smile on her lips. "You are free."

Bucky had to glance up at Ayo and Evelyn to make sure the words were real—that the situation was real. He let more tears fall as he finally allowed himself to smile. Drawing his hand to a fist, he brought it to his mouth and let out a breathy laugh as the tears never stopped. Evelyn finally rounded the fire, crouching onto the log next to him. He turned his head to look at her.

"You're free, James," she repeated Ayo's words. Bucky sobbed harder at that, falling into Evelyn's embrace as she held him to her chest. Ayo gave the pair a single nod before beginning to walk away to leave them alone. "Thank you," she whispered, and she was sure Ayo heard it by her pause in her steps.

Evelyn and Bucky spent that night in utter silence as she simply ran her fingers through his hair in different patterns. He was thinking of how much lighter he felt while Evelyn was thinking of how much the light at the end of their tunnel was brightening.

Neither could sleep, mostly due to the fear of it not being real on Bucky's part and the excitement of Bucky's life finally becoming his on Evelyn's. At some point in the night, it had began to rain. The soft patter on the rooftops had Bucky rolled over to lay his head properly on her chest, his gaze flickering from her eyes to her nose to her lips. She stared back, not sure of what to make of his intense stare.

"What is it?" she whispered to try and not disturb the peace.

Bucky smiled. "I dunno," he whispered back. "It's like I'm seeing you for the first time again."

Evelyn let her hand fall from his hair to caress the side of his face. "I'm not going anywhere," she said to him, grinning slightly when he brought his face up to kiss her once then twice. "So, what do we do now?"

Bucky laughed quietly. "I guess sleep. Maybe feed the goats tomorrow if we get up in time before the children."

"Doubtful. Those little rascals are always around me," Evelyn said with a smirk.

"You're just so approachable," Bucky teased, lowering his head and shutting his eyes. "I feel relieved. A weight gone that was sitting on my chest. Do you get it?"

Evelyn ran her hand through his hair again. "I do," she whispered. "It's the feeling I felt when I saw you on the bridge. I knew it was you immediately. Your eyes... they're the bluest of blues. No matter what year it could be, I could never forget those eyes. And, God, that moment, I knew everything was all right in the world again."

Bucky held her tightly around the waist. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she agreed in a soft voice.

"You think it'll last?" he asked her after a moment of listening to the rain. "The peace?"

"I hope it does. I'm not sure what I'll do if it doesn't," Evelyn admitted to him. "Now, go to sleep, White Wolf. I'll be right here when you wake."

Bucky chuckled softly, the sound making his entire vibrate against hers. She closed her own eyes and took a deep breath, finding nothing better than the moment they were in. Nothing could top it. This was what they deserved.