‹ Prequel: 'Tis the Season
Status: finished
Worth the Wait
001
Grace didn’t think it would ever be easier, hearing an alert sound through the Avenger’s Tower, signaling an attack. Her heart started to pound, and she dropped the book she’d been reading to see if she could find Steve before he was whisked off onto the quinjet. Like a month to a flame, she found him. He was already suited up, shield covering the broad expanse of his shoulders, debriefing his team with the info that he had available to him. It’s like he could feel her presence, as he looked up the moment that her bare feet met the helipad.
“Wheels up in ten minutes.” He finished, nodding to his team and clapping his hand against Bucky’s back as they moved on towards the quinjet to give them a moment alone. “Hey Doll.” He murmured, pressing a lingering kiss against her temple.
“How bad is it?” She asked him, and he pursed his lips. That was answer enough for her. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest for a moment. “Please be safe.”
“I’ll do my best.” He responded softly, “I love you. I have to go.”
“I know.”
He stepped away, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to let go if he didn’t. When his eyes met hers, he couldn’t stop himself from stepping back to her, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and bringing her body to his for a searing kiss that left her breathless.
“I’ll be home before you know it.”
“Just come back to me in one piece, Rogers.”
She stood on the helipad until the quinjet took off, turning when a soft hand wrapped around her shoulder,
“Come on,” Pepper smiled softly, “Let’s go have a drink.”
Grace nodded, turning to follow Pepper into the common room. Grace was forever thankful for Pepper, and their friendship that had developed from their situations.
“Bucky!” Grace shouted, confusion in her voice as she rushed towards the infirmary, “Bucky, what happened? What the hell happened to him?!”
Bucky halted when he seen her, his face scrunching up in sadness. He grabbed her gently, stopping her from following the medics who were currently rushing Steve into the tower’s OR. His heart shattered when he heard her sob Steve’s name.
“You have to let them work, Grace.” He murmured, fighting to keep his own emotions in check for her.
“He’s going to be okay, right?” She asked him, shoulders deflating, “He has to be…he…with the serum. It’ll save him right?”
Bucky could only purse his lips, “I pray it does…”
Hours later, she was finally allowed to see him. She could talk to him, they told her. Even though he was in a medically induced coma to allow his body to heal, there was a chance that he could hear her. They had done everything that they could for him, and there was about a 50/50 chance he would come out of it.
“What the fuck, Steve.” She muttered, voice watery as tears tracked down her face. She trailed her fingers softly through his hair, ignoring the fact that they came back stained with soot. Her eyes routing over his bruised and swollen features, her brow crinkling as she fought back another round of fresh tears. “You come back to me, you hear me? Don’t you leave me here without you…We have so many things left to do, left to see, so much more life ahead of us.” She took his hand, running her thumb over the top of his, wiping away the splatter of tears that fell against his skin. “If you come out of this, we’ll take that trip. We’ll go to that cabin you talked about. I’ll do anything and everything that you want to do…I’ll wait as long as I need to, I don’t care. I just want you here with me.”
Two and a half weeks, long drawn out weeks of sitting by his bedside, talking to him about what was happening in the tower, silly things other members of the team had done. Sitting with him for hours on end, only leaving to shower when Bucky basically forced her to. He’d sit with Steve then, not leaving his side until she returned. She didn’t want him to wake up alone; she’d told Bucky.
She’d just returned from a shower, her hair still damp as she curled up next him once more, taking his hand in hers and humming softly. She let her own eyes drift closed, relaxing as much as she could. Her mind drifting, until her thoughts came to a stand still.
The slightest squeeze to her hand. She was sure of it, her eyes shot open and she whispered his name. She was afraid to even breathe, waiting to see if it happened again. She couldn’t help the tears that sprung to her eyes as she quickly sat forward,
“Steve? Can you hear me? I’m right here.”
She squeezed his hand, her breath catching in her throat when he returned it. Her name slipping passed his lips in a rough whisper. Her heart started to pound, and she let out a happy sob when she looked up and his blue eyes were open, and looking right at her.
“Wheels up in ten minutes.” He finished, nodding to his team and clapping his hand against Bucky’s back as they moved on towards the quinjet to give them a moment alone. “Hey Doll.” He murmured, pressing a lingering kiss against her temple.
“How bad is it?” She asked him, and he pursed his lips. That was answer enough for her. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest for a moment. “Please be safe.”
“I’ll do my best.” He responded softly, “I love you. I have to go.”
“I know.”
He stepped away, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to let go if he didn’t. When his eyes met hers, he couldn’t stop himself from stepping back to her, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and bringing her body to his for a searing kiss that left her breathless.
“I’ll be home before you know it.”
“Just come back to me in one piece, Rogers.”
She stood on the helipad until the quinjet took off, turning when a soft hand wrapped around her shoulder,
“Come on,” Pepper smiled softly, “Let’s go have a drink.”
Grace nodded, turning to follow Pepper into the common room. Grace was forever thankful for Pepper, and their friendship that had developed from their situations.
* * * *
“Bucky!” Grace shouted, confusion in her voice as she rushed towards the infirmary, “Bucky, what happened? What the hell happened to him?!”
Bucky halted when he seen her, his face scrunching up in sadness. He grabbed her gently, stopping her from following the medics who were currently rushing Steve into the tower’s OR. His heart shattered when he heard her sob Steve’s name.
“You have to let them work, Grace.” He murmured, fighting to keep his own emotions in check for her.
“He’s going to be okay, right?” She asked him, shoulders deflating, “He has to be…he…with the serum. It’ll save him right?”
Bucky could only purse his lips, “I pray it does…”
Hours later, she was finally allowed to see him. She could talk to him, they told her. Even though he was in a medically induced coma to allow his body to heal, there was a chance that he could hear her. They had done everything that they could for him, and there was about a 50/50 chance he would come out of it.
“What the fuck, Steve.” She muttered, voice watery as tears tracked down her face. She trailed her fingers softly through his hair, ignoring the fact that they came back stained with soot. Her eyes routing over his bruised and swollen features, her brow crinkling as she fought back another round of fresh tears. “You come back to me, you hear me? Don’t you leave me here without you…We have so many things left to do, left to see, so much more life ahead of us.” She took his hand, running her thumb over the top of his, wiping away the splatter of tears that fell against his skin. “If you come out of this, we’ll take that trip. We’ll go to that cabin you talked about. I’ll do anything and everything that you want to do…I’ll wait as long as I need to, I don’t care. I just want you here with me.”
Two and a half weeks, long drawn out weeks of sitting by his bedside, talking to him about what was happening in the tower, silly things other members of the team had done. Sitting with him for hours on end, only leaving to shower when Bucky basically forced her to. He’d sit with Steve then, not leaving his side until she returned. She didn’t want him to wake up alone; she’d told Bucky.
She’d just returned from a shower, her hair still damp as she curled up next him once more, taking his hand in hers and humming softly. She let her own eyes drift closed, relaxing as much as she could. Her mind drifting, until her thoughts came to a stand still.
The slightest squeeze to her hand. She was sure of it, her eyes shot open and she whispered his name. She was afraid to even breathe, waiting to see if it happened again. She couldn’t help the tears that sprung to her eyes as she quickly sat forward,
“Steve? Can you hear me? I’m right here.”
She squeezed his hand, her breath catching in her throat when he returned it. Her name slipping passed his lips in a rough whisper. Her heart started to pound, and she let out a happy sob when she looked up and his blue eyes were open, and looking right at her.
♠ ♠ ♠
Being laid off has brought me to try to write again, I know it isn't very good...but it's a start! I had no one to proofread, so please forgive the mistakes. There will be at least one more part, this first was just basically to set up for the second part. I hope you enjoyed, thank you for reading!