Song | From Now On from The Greatest Showman

--

"I saw the sun begin to dim
And felt that winter wind blow cold.
A man learns who was there for him
When the glitter fades and the walls won't hold.

'Cause from that rubble, what remains
Can only be what's true.
If all was lost, there's more I gained
'Cause it led me back to you.

...And we will come back home,
Home again."

--

"I won't leave you! I love you!"

The words came out in a fountain of truth, the things you'd always wanted to tell him but never did because they scared you. It scared you that a known criminal meant so much to you. It scared you that you'd risk everything to help him. It scared you what you'd do for him.

It scared you that you loved him.

But Bucky was easy to love. Too easy. It was harder to help him rebuild his life from the rubble of HYDRA, but you did it anyway. Bucharest was your new home. You're happy together, spending every day and night together. The little family of two you'd created after the collapse of SHIELD was enough for both of you. If all was lost--his memory and your job with SHIELD--you both gained even more because it led you to each other.

Nothing perfect ever lasts, for now the remnants of HYDRA have found you once again. They've sent an assassin after you, someone from Bucky's past. The winter wind is blowing cold again, nipping at your heels.

Bucky told you to grab a bag and pack. You're going to split up, going to opposite parts of the globe. That's when you let the big "I love you" slip. It's the first time you'd said it, in almost a year of being together, yet you've never meant it more.

You swallow visibly, seeing Bucky's eyes widen. He drops his bag by the door, stumbling over to you. The apartment is small, so he doesn't have to walk far. He takes you into his arms, holding you to him. His arms wrap around your back, his face nearing yours. Your breath hitches and your heartbeat quickens. You've been in his arms before, but this feels much more intimate than any previous time.

"I love you, too," he mumbles back, bringing his lips close to yours. You reach up, moving your fingers through his long hair. "I think I have for a while. I just...didn't know how to say it."

You shake your head, smiling. "That's okay. You were scared. So was I, to be honest."

Bucky smiles softly, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "You never have to be scared of me. A man learns who is there for him when the walls won't hold, and when mine fell apart, you were there. You're the anthem of my heart. From now on, we stick together. No matter what."

You nod, brushing your lips teasingly against his. "From now on."

Bucky kisses your passionately, pulling you as close as he can to himself. You both smile into the movement, breaking apart after a few moments. "But we still have to leave," he tells you, nodding to the bag by his feet. "Get what you need."

You nod, reaching down for his hand with a heavy sigh. "I thought this would be our home for longer than this," you admit with a sad expression. "I thought..."

Bucky squeezes your hand. "I know, Doll. We'll come home one day, when no one is chasing us. We'll come home again."

You look up at him and smile again. He pulls you back in for another kiss, then lets you go get the few things you cherish.

Then, with you hand in his, you're on the run again. But it doesn't matter anymore, because if you're with him, home can be anywhere. Home isn't always a place; sometimes it's a person. Bucky is your home.

From now on, your home is each other, and no one can take that away from you.

--

SERIES END