Two Sides of The Same Coin: Grumpy x Sunshine

Daylight (Epilogue)

"Damn," Bucky exhales deeply. "I feel like this place should look different."

"Yeah, it does feel like that," you agree, your voice just above a whisper as you stare at the first place you ever called home.

Bucky was right, it looked just like it had 5 years ago. It was mystifying how five seemingly short years ago, you were inside there, unknowingly embarking a breathtaking adventure. Playing cat and mouse with Bucky. Endlessly bickering with Sam. Dancing barefoot in the kitchen.

It took your breath away when you thought about it. Five years. It seemed like so long ago, and yet it felt like yesterday. A golden string pulling you through the darkest pitfalls, to hell and back, all for you to end up here.

It hadn't been easy, and it still wasn't always easy. But as you stand there, Bucky's jacket around your shoulders, walking together side by side, knowing you'd never in your life been this happy, you wouldn't have changed a single moment of the last five years.

-

-

It was six months into living in the Compound that an idea started floating in your head. The first time, you shook it off, dismissing the idea as entirely ridiculous and not in any way attainable. But the idea took root, and before you even knew how to broach the subject, Bucky did it for you:

"Alright, I love you," Bucky hums, softly pecking your lips as you turn to walk out the door.

"Love you too," you respond absently.

"Ah," Bucky interrupts, extending his arm as far as it can go without falling off the bed to stop you. "Come back."

You turn around and you're not sure what emotion is on Bucky's face. He looks a little confused, a little baffled, maybe even a little hurt. "What's wrong?"

He grabs your hand and pulls you back to his side of the bed. "I don't know. You tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong. Why would you think anything's wrong?"

"Why- Why would I think something's wrong? Here's why: every morning, you spend at least 15 minutes laying like a koala on top of me telling me that you don't want to leave. Then when do you finally get up, you put on my shirt from the night before and you turn on some music that for some reason you think I can't hear from the bathroom. Guess what? You're wearing your own clothes. Guess what else? No music. Then right as you're about to leave, you give me a kiss and I tell you that I love you. And you say, I love you more. Every morning, but not this morning. Wanna tell me what's going on?"

You huff, a small smile tugging at your lips as Bucky pulls you back into your bed. "Is this a super soldier thing? Or do you just pay a lot of attention?"

"It's the 'I know something is wrong with my wife' power. It comes some time after the ceremony."

"I love when you call me your wife," you hum, laying on top of him like you would any other morning.

"It's what you are," he hums, lightly stroking your back. "Now what's wrong?"

"Have you ever thought about taking a step back from the team? Not forever, but just for a little while, I mean."

"How big of a step back are we talking?"

"I don't know," you admit. "They're our team, but sometimes I think that maybe a step back would be good."