As the sun peaked through the curtains of the bedroom the next morning, Bucky rubbed his eyes sleepily. It took him a moment to recollect the events of the night before, but everything came together when he glanced beside him.

Marlena laid on her side with her back facing him, her porcelain skin contrasting beautifully with the white sheets she slept on; however, she must have kicked off the covers in her sleep, leaving her exposed to the chilly air of the room. Bucky's blue eyes admired her long, brunette locks that were splayed across her pillow before his gaze followed the curve of her waist, hips, and thighs. The lacy, burgundy material of her underwear made her look slightly tanner than Bucky knew her to be and he smiled to himself, wishing he could just lay there and admire her perfection all day.

A few minutes later, Marlena rolled over, letting out a deep sigh in her sleep. Her eyes remained shut, her thick lashes nearly long enough to brush the apples of her cheeks it seemed like. Her lips were pink and full, maybe even fuller than usual due to how much he had kissed them the night before. He reached out with his flesh hand, playing with a few strands of her wavy, disheveled hair.

He was unable to stop himself from smiling as he stared at her—his everything. She really was his world. Everything he had become since breaking free from Hydra, he owed to Marlena. She had been the one who had saved him. She was his hero, whether she knew it or not. He couldn't begin to fathom how much she meant to him—how incredibly lucky he was to call her his.

He couldn't keep himself from planting a kiss on her lips as she slept; she was too beautiful, like an angel in his eyes. He pulled back slowly, as to not disturb her. His gaze shifted to her chest, covered by her sports bra, as he watched to see if her breathing changed. It didn't; however, his did as the handle on the bedroom door twisted.

Bucky clenched his jaw as he pulled the covers off of himself and practically threw them over Marlena to preserve her modesty, even if she was fast asleep.

The door pushed open slowly and revealed Steve, his face turning a deep shade of scarlet upon seeing his friend leaping from the bed in nothing but boxer briefs. He immediately knew what had happened and there was no avoiding it; Bucky was already stumbling over his—and Marlena's—clothes that were strewn across the floor.

Bucky snatched up his sweatpants and covered himself with them since the briefs were so tight-fitting, "Ever heard of knocking, pal?" He whispered forcefully.

Steve cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing over at the lump in the bed that he knew was Marlena—his practically-innocent-little-sister-Marlena. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to even look at Bucky.

"It's taking a lot out of me to not punch you in the throat right now, Buck," Steve admitted, feeling protective over Marlena.

She was so much like a sister to him, but he wasn't sure if it was normal to feel this angry over Marlena engaging in such an act—even if it was with his best friend whom he knew loved her to the ends of the earth. It was a normal, big brother response.

"Steve," Bucky shook his head, stopping at the doorway where his friend's head poked through, "I swear, I would never do anything to hurt her. You know that."

Steve's nostrils flared and he glanced down at Bucky's attire, "Tony called a meeting. You and Marlena need to be ready in twenty minutes."

And with that, he stepped back out into the hall and shut the door, choosing to never speak about his discovery with Bucky ever again.

After waking Marlena up, who was—as usual—quite sleepy and a little pouty about waking up so early, Bucky and she headed downstairs to where the rest of the Avengers sat chatting away. However, the chatter stopped once Marlena's and Bucky's presence was noticed. The two plopped down on the couch, Bucky wrapping his arm around Marlena as she leaned into him, half-ready to go back to sleep.

Bucky raised an eyebrow as everyone stared at him, especially Clint.

"So," Tony broke the silence, "Barnes threw you the bone last night?"

Marlena's eyes widened as she nearly choked on air, her cheeks flaming pink. She buried her face into Bucky's side in an attempt to hide her expression, however the glare that Bucky shot at Steve was enough to give away the truth.

"Well, how was it?" Tony asked, sipping on some wine. "Do you feel like a new person? Do you feel the purity slowly draining from your once little innocent body?"

It was as if no one knew what to say—whether to laugh or shut Tony the hell up before Bucky strangled him to death.

"That's enough," Steve said firmly, looking at Tony.

"Really, Steve?" Bucky snapped, shocked that he had the nerve to tell Tony to be quiet when he was the one who had to have told everyone in the first place.

"Oh, don't blame Spangles over here. Did you forget that the workout area, hallways, and elevators are all equipped with surveillance cameras?" Tony asked, setting his wine glass on the table in front of him. "Steve only confirmed it by coming down here looking as if he'd just seen a ghost."

"Shut up, Stark," Natasha butted in, feeling bad that Marlena was too embarrassed to even show her face.

Bucky only tightened his grip on Marlena, guilt washing over him. It was him who had insinuated anything in the first place and now everyone had found out; he himself was a little uncomfortable, but he couldn't imagine how embarrassed Marlena must have felt.

"You ever lay one finger on her without permission, Barnes, and I'll rip that metal arm right off," Clint growled from his corner of the couch beside Natasha.

"Nothing happened!" Marlena piped up, removing her flushed face from Bucky's side.

Everyone exchanged glances before Tony let out a chuckle, "You do realize that your bedroom is right above mine, right?"

"You weren't even home! You were all out at dinner!" Marlena objected, blushing furiously.

"So you guys did do the hanky panky!" Tony pointed a finger at them, catching Marlena in her own lie.

"If you don't shut your mouth right now, Tony, I swear I'm going to—"

"Oh, please, Marlena," Tony rolled his eyes at her attempt to make a threat, "you can't use your abilities until I take you completely off of the suppressors."

"No, but I can kick your ass perfectly fine without my abilities," she huffed, cuddling into Bucky's side again.

"Okay, let's all just stop talking about it," Steve practically begged.

"Stark's only pissed because Pepper's too busy to give him any," Natasha stated, leaning back against the couch.

"Watch it, Romanoff," Stark warned, only to be interrupted by Bruce, who until now had been silently observing.

"What's this meeting about, Tony? I have a lot of research to tend to, so I'd appreciate if we could speed this up." Bruce sighed, pulling his glasses down on the bridge of his nose.

Bruce shot Bucky and Marlena an apologetic glance and Marlena knew why he'd said something; he was trying to spare her from any further embarrassment.

"As you all know, 'tis the season!" Tony clapped his hands together, "And what better way to kick off the holidays than with some good news?"

Marlena shifted into a more comfortable position, Bucky's arm tightening around her as his hand rested on her stomach. She couldn't help but think about how she wanted to be back home for Christmas.

"Can I go home for Christmas?" Marlena blurted out, Bucky's eyes softening as he looked down at her—chewing on her lip nervously.

"No, are you kidding me? You're still crazy, short-stack," Tony replied nonchalantly, receiving a glare from Bucky.

Marlena's brows furrowed, though her eyes saddened at his words. Tony noticed this and immediately felt guilty; he had a tendency to speak without thinking sometimes.

"So, I'm flying your little family up here for the holidays." Tony smirked, watching Marlena's eyes light up as she peeled herself away from Bucky to stand up.

"Even Mason?" she asked hopefully, a smile breaking out across her face.

"Even Mason." Tony grinned as Marlena rushed over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Tony," she said softly, loud enough for only him to hear.

"You're welcome, ladybug." Tony hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek, his facial hair tickling her face.

She pulled away and returned to the couch, sitting down beside Bucky again. She looked over at him as he smiled at her, rubbing her arm. He was happy for her, and he was happy to hear that he'd get to see the Claires again and Greyson, too.

"While we're on the subject of good news," Bruce spoke up, leaning forward in his seat, "I think Tony and I have come to a decision; we're going to take you off of the suppressors for good, Marlena. That way, we can start working on controlling your abilities."

"Really?" Bucky asked, glancing over to see Marlena's reaction to it.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Marlena asked, pulling her knees up to her chest, hugging them. "I don't want to hurt anyone. . ."

"You'll be fine, cupcake." Tony stood up, picking his wine glass up. "Besides, you've got all of us keeping an eye on you."

"Yeah, you better believe that." Clint leaned forward, looking specifically at Bucky. "We're always watching."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Bucky asked, furrowing his brows at Clint.

"It means that Barton thinks he's everybody's dad," Natasha stated from her spot on the couch beside Clint.

"Just keep your hands to yourself, pal," Clint warned.

Marlena merely rolled her eyes and forced herself up off the couch, walking towards the elevator. She was done listening to them all; she was already mortified at the fact that everyone now knew what she and Bucky had done, but it was even worse knowing that there was actual video footage of them making out in the workout room and the elevator.

"Marlena, wait," Bucky called out, standing up from the couch to follow her.

"I got this," Natasha stood up, holding a hand out to stop Bucky.

Bucky only swallowed and nodded before sitting back down on the couch, receiving death glares from Clint and Steve.

"Hey, Mar," Natasha said as she jogged down the hallway towards the elevator to catch up to the brunette.

"Nothing you say will convince me to go back in there," Marlena huffed out, jabbing at the elevator button rather harshly.

"Good, because I wasn't going to. Listen," the redhead placed a hand on her shoulder, "you know I'm here for you. . .if you need someone to talk to."

"I don't want to talk about it," Marlena replied, stepping in the elevator as the doors slid open.

Natasha followed her in, shutting the doors before Marlena could object.

"This is a big deal, Marlena, and how they brought it up in there wasn't right. You shouldn't feel bad about it."

"Well, I do. I've never been so embarrassed in my life." Marlena ran a hand over her face, her skin tinting pink again.

"Come here," Natasha pulled her shorter friend into a hug, patting her on the back.

"I feel guilty. Like I did something wrong," Marlena mumbled into the crook of Natasha's neck.

"Because of what the guys said?"

"Because of how they looked at me."

"They were just surprised, that's all. Maybe even a little jealous." Natasha pulled away from the hug. "You and Bucky have something that most people with our jobs don't get to have: unconditional love."

"You sound like a romance novel writer." Marlena sighed, a small giggle escaping her lips though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"You're right, what's gotten into me?" She laughed hoarsely before her expression turned serious again, "But seriously, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Marlena nodded, fiddling with her hands awkwardly, "I just really wish no one else knew."

"They'll forget in a day or two. Besides, now that they know, you guys don't have to be secretive about it." Natasha smirked, half-joking.

"Nat!" Marlena smacked her arm, receiving a cackle from the red head.

"I'm just teasing. What you need to be focused on is learning how to control your powers; once you've mastered them, you're going to be a pretty lethal weapon," Natasha said as she stepped out of the elevator once it came to a stop.

Marlena exhaled deeply, following her down the hallway. It was true; she would be a lethal weapon. She just wasn't sure if she wanted to be—sometimes she missed the old Marlena.

"Why the long face, kiddo? You should be excited." Nat glanced over her shoulder, her red curls bouncing.

"I don't know if I want to be a weapon, Natasha." Marlena sighed.

"You want Tony and Bruce to keep you on the suppressors?" Natasha asked, turning down the hallway towards the armory.

Marlena shrugged, "I'm scared of what I can do, Nat. I'm just worried I'll hurt someone—or worse."

"The sooner you get taken off of the suppressors, the quicker you can learn to control yourself. Tony's not going to allow you to be around your family until you have your abilities under control," Natasha replied, stopping outside of the armory doors to look at the brunette.

"I know," Marlena nodded, looking down at her feet. "But if I stay on the suppressors, maybe—"

Natasha shook her head, smiling apologetically, "You can't avoid who you are, Marlena. Sooner or later, you're going to have to come to terms with your abilities, even if you are scared."

Marlena nodded again, biting on her lip before returning her gaze to Natasha. "Can you keep this between you and me?"

"Keep what?"

"I mean, can you not say anything to Tony or Bruce. . .or Bucky. . .about me being scared. I don't want them to think I'm weak; a lot has changed in my life the past several months and it hasn't exactly been easy." Marlena could feel her eyes glossing over with tears; this was a moment she really wished her mom was there for.

However, Natasha was a good friend and Marlena didn't feel as if she needed to hide anything from her. She trusted her with her life, as she did any of the Avengers, but it was easier to tell Natasha her feelings instead of the others. She felt guilty for not opening up to Bucky about it, but she didn't see how it was fair; he had his own issues to deal with.

"I promise, I won't say anything, Marlena," Natasha said, using her key card to unlock the armory, "However, I do suggest that you speak to Bruce about it. He might be a little nicer and understanding than Tony. And you really should talk to Bucky about it. I think he'd be able to help you cope with it better than I ever could."

"I don't know," Marlena sighed, "I guess you're right."

"Always am, Mar." Natasha winked before entering the armory. "Do you want to help me out for a while? I was going to target practice."

"No, I'm good. Thanks, though," Marlena decided, giving Natasha a small, gracious smile.

"Alright," Natasha returned the smile, glancing over her shoulder at Marlena to say one more thing, "and Mar. . .go talk to Bucky. He'll understand, I promise."

Marlena only nodded as she watched the redhead disappear deeper into the armory. She stood there watching through the glass door for a moment before taking notice of her reflection; she didn't look much different. Her hair was a little longer than before Hydra had taken her and she was more fit now, though she was still as petite as she was before. She looked down at her loose, navy blue tee and her light-wash jeans. She thought to herself, wondering if she was still the same girl she used to be.

"Marlena," Bucky's voice sounded from behind and she looked up at the glass door, his reflection appearing closer.

Marlena turned around to face him, her cheeks turning rosy as he looked at her, "Sorry I walked off like that." She folded her arms over her chest, somehow avoiding his eyes.

"What's wrong, Mar?" he asked, his brows pulling down in concern.

His hands reached out and squeezed the sides of her arms as he tried to capture her gaze. Seeing her like this upset him; all he wanted to do was to take her back to their room and hold her in his arms until they fell asleep. He was supposed to protect her, yet he couldn't stop everyone else from embarrassing her. He felt far too guilty about it.

Marlena shrugged as he pulled her into his chest, his hand stroking the back of her hair, "Please, talk to me, sweetheart," he sighed.

"I don't—I just don't know what to say or how to say it," she mumbled into his chest, his scent of pine and clean linen filling her nose.

"Is this about last night? I told you I didn't want you to feel like you had to; I shouldn't have made you—"

"No, Buck, it's not about that. You didn't make me do anything; I wanted to. This is about me," Marlena swallowed, choking on her words.

"Then what is it?" he asked, pulling away just enough so that he could look down at her, his blue eyes studying her worriedly.

"I—I don't want to be taken off of the suppressors, Bucky," she breathed out, looking up at him.

He nodded, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "I know."

"I'm scared. I'm scared I'll hurt someone—my friends, my family. . .you." Tears brimmed in her eyes, causing a dull, achy feeling in his chest.

He kissed her forehead, rubbed the sides of her arms protectively, "Marlena, it's okay to be scared, baby. But you can't live like this—the suppressors aren't meant to be permanent."

"I won't be able to live with myself if someone gets hurt because of me."

"That fear will always be there," Bucky sighed, looking down at her softly, "I live with it, too. I think, 'What happens if I lose control? What if Winter takes over again?' And it scares the hell out of me to think that I could hurt you; I did it once and do you remember how long it took for me to even go near you again? This world is a fragile place to live in, Mar, and it's dangerous. But you can't change who you are—"

"This isn't me, though, Buck. This was never my life; Hydra did this to me. I did not ask for this. I just—I want things to go back to the way they used to be," Marlena breathed out, biting on her lower lip to keep it from quivering.

"You think I asked Hydra to turn me into a brainwashed assassin? No. Do you think Bruce enjoys having to keep himself from turning into a green, uncontrollable monster every waking minute? Some of us don't get a choice, but we have to live with what we are. And you, Marlena Claire, are incredible. You are strong, independent, and determined. You met me and didn't hesitate to take me in and help me remember who I was—who the real me was. You can't let your abilities define you because those don't make you who you are. Marlena, I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. God, I wish you knew how amazing you were." He clenched his jaw, staring down at her.

"But—"

"No, Mar, let me finish. You're compassionate, you're selfless, you're loyal, you—all the reasons why I fell in love with you, all the reasons why Steve, Natasha, Clint, and everyone else found a friend in you, all the reasons why Fury asked you to join the Avengers. . .don't you realize that all of those reasons have nothing to do with your abilities and everything to do with who you are as a person?"

The muscle in his jaw twitched as he took a step back from her, his hands still holding her arms. Marlena couldn't muster up a response; she was speechless. Even after everything he had just said, she still couldn't see how he thought so highly of her.

Marlena's eyes brimmed with tears from his words; several stray tears ran down her face as Bucky wiped them away with the pad of his thumb. No one had ever said anything like that to her before and she was overwhelmed with emotion—with love.

"I wouldn't change you for the world, Marlena. I am so in love with you for everything you are; I couldn't imagine you any different." Bucky sighed, pulling her close again.

He cupped her cheek with his hand, dipping his head low to kiss her. He couldn't stop himself; he was head over heels for her and it tore him apart inside to see her struggling.

"I love you, Bucky," Marlena said after she pulled away, her hazel eyes looking up at him. "I'm so thankful to have you in my life."

She didn't deserve someone like Bucky; he was too good for her. He felt the same about her; however, there they were—two people who loved each other far more than they loved themselves. Marlena loved him so much that it physically hurt her; he was everything to her, and Bucky was so in love with Marlena that he felt as if there was a hole in his chest when she wasn't by his side.

"Come on," Bucky released her from his arms, his hand trailing down her arm to her hand, "Let's go work out." He smiled, leading her down the hallway to the elevator as she wiped away her tears with her free hand.

Marlena nodded, lacing their fingers together as they walked down the hall and stepped in the elevator.

Upon reaching the floor their bedroom was on, Marlena held onto Bucky's hand as she walked to their bedroom. She pushed the door open and released Bucky's hand as she padded across the room. After rummaging through the dresser, she pulled out some black leggings and a black sports bra.

Bucky sat down on the bed to wait; he was already wearing the appropriate clothes to work out in. He looked over at Marlena as she unbuttoned her jeans, causing her to blush.

"Bucky. . ." Marlena said, her long locks falling in her face.

"Yes?" he asked, the corner of his mouth turning up into a smirk.

"Can you turn around?" she asked shyly, still unable to break free of her self-consciousness.

"You're pretty cute when you're embarrassed, you know that right?" Bucky teased, looking at her with admiration.

He was so in love with everything about her, even the fact that after the night before, she was still being sheepish about changing in front of him.

A small smile broke out on her face and she shook her head, "I'm not embarrassed. I just—just turn around, okay?"

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." Bucky smirked and turned around so that his back was facing her.

She quickly pulled her jeans down and stepped into the leggings, yanking them on. She then changed into her sports bra and pulled her t-shirt back over her head before tying her long hair up in a ponytail.

"I'm ready," Marlena exhaled as she gave herself a glance-over in the mirror before padding back over to the foot of the bed where Bucky was perched.

He rested his hands on the sides of her waist while she pulled his locks up into a bun, tying it with an elastic.

"Y'know, someone told me that I needed a haircut," Bucky chuckled, squeezing her sides.

"Absolutely not; this hair isn't going anywhere." Marlena laughed, giving the man bun a flick as she leaned into his arms.

Bucky smirked, pulling her on top of him as he laid back on the bed. He pulled his flesh hand away from her side and tucked some of her fly-aways behind her ear. He looked up at her, her arms propping her up on his chest, a smile on each of their faces.

"I wish we were back in D.C.," Bucky admitted, gazing up at her.

"Home. . ." Marlena sighed, looking down at his blue eyes softly.

"Mhm," he nodded, running his thumb over her cheek.

She pecked him on the nose before getting up, holding her hand out to pull him up off of the bed. "Come on, lazy bones, we've gotta keep in shape."

"Right," Bucky chuckled, taking ahold of her hand and standing up.

As the two left the room and headed back down to the workout floor, Marlena thought about her family—Mason in particular. She hadn't seen him in several months, and she'd only talked to him over the phone a handful of times due to her busy schedule; she couldn't wait to see him, but she couldn't shake the feeling of fear that she'd told Bucky about. If she stopped taking the suppressors, her abilities would begin manifesting again, and if she wasn't able to learn how to control it within the next few weeks—surely, Mason and even Miranda and Greyson wouldn't be safe around her.

"Marlena?" Bucky asked, tearing her out of her thoughts.

She snapped out of it, realizing that she still stood in the elevator while Bucky was already out, his hand still holding her's.

"What is it?" His eyebrows were furrowed as if he was trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Huh, oh, nothing. I was just in a daze." She forced a chuckle as she stepped out into the hallway, walking with him towards the center mat.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, nodded hesitantly, "Okay," he sighed, not completely buying it.

He shrugged it off, though he kept an eye on her as he laid back on the bench press. Marlena had positioned herself in front of one of the punching bags that hung from the ceiling. She began pounding her fists into the rubbery material, channeling all of her fear and anger into her punches as if it would somehow make her feel better; however, it didn't.

Bucky raised an eyebrow as he watched her, and he sat up on the bench press. Tony and Bruce had told him that the suppressors would affect her moods, but he hadn't expected her to be this bad. One minute she seemed fine, and the next she seemed the opposite; however, being the stubborn girl she was, she hid it. He knew she was still worrying about whether or not she wanted to stop taking the suppressors, but in his mind there was only one option—quit taking them and learn how to control her abilities.

However, for Marlena, she felt conflicted. The suppressors came with some negative side effects; for example, they made her sleep more than usual, and they also caused her reaction time to be slower. The good thing was that she didn't have to worry about losing control and imposing a threat on those she cared about; if she were to stop taking them, she knew it would be like walking on eggshells for herself and for everyone around her. That was the thing; Marlena's abilities caused her to be much like a bomb—sensitive and dangerous, prone to being set off at the slightest of actions.

With every blow to the punching bag, Marlena's fist were turning bluer and her knuckles were beginning to split, blood dripping from them. She hadn't even realized how forcefully she'd been hitting the punching bag until she saw her blood smeared across the bag. Bucky had been watching her the entire ten minutes, though she'd been too deep inside of her own mind to notice.

She felt his hand clasp around her right wrist as she swung at the bag again. Her head snapped up at Bucky, his blue eyes staring down at her. Her heart was pounding as was her head; she didn't feel right.

Bucky only wrapped his arms around her, pulling the two of them down to sit on the mat. He pulled her into his lap as she hugged her knees to her chest, his face nuzzling into her brunette locks.

"It's gonna be okay, doll," he whispered into her hair, holding her closely to his chest.

"What's wrong with me, Buck?" she choked out through heavy breaths as her face pressed into his chest.

"You're gonna be just fine," Bucky promised her, knowing that she was simply having a panic attack from stressing out about the suppressors and seeing her family.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, her arms tightening around her knees.

"You don't have to apologize, Mar. Just relax." He sighed softly, rubbing her back.

If there was anything worse than watching the one person he truly cared about most suffer like this, it was not being able to do anything to stop her from hurting. He desperately wished he could take the emotional pain away from her, because she was literally tearing herself apart from the inside. It physically pained him to hold her trembling, petite body in his arms knowing that he couldn't stop her from suffering—he couldn't save her this time; no one could.