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In a reef of bright coral lived a merpeople pod. Natasha was among the bravest mermaids in this pod. She was a vibrant creature, with scales and hair of fiery red against an alabaster skin. There was no need for jewels or shells, as she was already iridescent and reflected the sun's rays in stunning patterns. Her beauty was exceeded by her tenacity. Tired of living small, she ventured out beyond the reef finding vast varieties of sea life and many wreckages of the humans’ boats.
She made one such boat her home away from home. On one particular day she had decided to gather plant life that would attract specific fish and brighten her makeshift home. Getting ready for a day trip to the kelp beds, Natasha gathered some snacks and a pair of sharpened bone blades and put them into her bag. She’d bartered with other mer folk whom she’d met on one of her travels for the bag. She befriended this outsider over discussions of how far they had each traveled and that the new acquaintance had been to the surface and had learned to communicate and trade with humans. She liked their goods and suggested that this new friend might teach her to communicate and one day bring her along on one of their adventures. She was still waiting for that to come to pass.
As she swam swiftly toward her destination, she caught the sound and vibration of something being crunched by a powered sea vessel’s propeller. The sound of agony that followed steered her toward the sound. She increased her speed by half and half again. The scent of blood trailed through the water putting all of her senses on heightened alert. As she neared the boat and it’s catch she could make out a creature about the size of her father or a good sized dolphin dangling from the seized propeller. The humans on the boat were readying to go into the water so she sped toward the poor creature and started to dislodge it from the boat. Dead or alive, the poor thing didn’t need to become dinner for those brutes or fodder for their cruel humor either. She would care for the poor creature as required, whether living or dead.
Her bone blades helped clear some of the brutalized tissue from the blade of the boat. Soon she had the whole weight of her rescuee dragging her down. She adjusted their positions and continued to a depth where the humans would find it more difficult to follow. Once she was able to set her catch down, she saw that he was another mer person. His arm had been severed and his pelvic fin was damaged. He was unconscious. She was shocked that he was still alive, if only barely. Hurriedly she pulled at the longer plant material that waved around them, tying the bleeding limb stump and immobilizing the pelvic fin. She found a rock and crushed up several plant pods to dress the wounds and fed some of the paste into his mouth. She surveyed the large merman. His scales were black and gray and had the shine of a sea of pearls. His hair was richly brown and longer than hers. His face was as handsome as one had ever laid eyes on. Strong and well sculpted cheekbones and jaw, a soft dimple on his chin and a fringe of eyelashes that fanned across his pale cheeks.
Some of the nutritious plant paste got into his mouth and went down, she presumed. She cleaned away the bits that escaped through the corner of his bow-like lips.
“Who are you?” she wondered aloud. Once she had him anointed and bandaged, she started trying to figure out how to return him to her home. She entertained images of dragging him through the current with an arm across his chest or tying her bag around him somehow and towing him, she looked around for something to help her but fell short of ideas. If he were awake he wouldn’t even have the strength to swim, she was certain of that. Once she was convinced his wounds were bound sufficiently she packed together the remainder of her snacks and her blades, tucked her bag over her shoulder and carefully maneuvered the injured merman so that she could raise him from the seabed.
Once they were in motion it was cumbersome but not impossible to swim with him suspended beneath her, holding his waist and using her tail to propel forward. There were times she had to dive to rest. The distance was exaggerated by the weight of her load. She checked the wounds each time they touched bottom. He woke briefly once, whimpering from the pain. She soothed him and offered him more mashed plant paste. He grimaced but conceded. She was vindicated when he weakly admitted it wasn’t as bad as he’d assumed. Their exchange was brief and he was unconscious again.
“Better,” she said. “At least you won’t be mortified by the undignified way you’re being transported.”
Eventually her home was visible in the distance. She pushed on, refusing to stop again until they got there. Once inside the shelter of the boat, she put him on the soft sandy seabed. She didn’t get to her kelp forest for fresh seaweed and her plants, but she’d have to seek some out nearby, to keep him comfortable and bandaged. She brushed his hair away from his face, securing it so it wouldn’t float in the way as she checked his wounds again. The bandaging on his fin was still fine but his arm would need more attention. She had access to more supplies now that she was home. She set about cleaning and dressing the wound as well as she knew how. She knew she’d have to tackle the ragged flesh soon, but she’d need supplies for that too.
Once she was satisfied that he’d be safe for a short while, she headed toward her trader friend. She picked up mending supplies along with some mussels. On her way back she gathered as much seaweed as she could carry, which, after her load today, she realized she was still quite capable of transporting quite a bit. She bundled as much of it as she could and lashed it together with a long pliant length of the vegetation. She towed it behind her as quickly as she dared. It wouldn’t do to go so fast that her bundle fell apart behind her.
————
As Bucky awoke, he was in excruciating pain. He looked around him, expecting to be strung up in some human’s torture room. He became aware, simultaneously, that he was still underwater and that he was inside some wreckage that had once been human transportation but appeared to have the added touch of one of his own kind. As the thought formed he remembered fleeing humans and their boat, and the searing pain when he’d been unfortunate enough to collide with the wrong end of their boat. The pain was still there but felt dull in comparison. He looked down at his arm and thrashed about in a panic when there was no arm to inspect. He bumped hard against something and nearly blacked out again.
That was when he heard the soft siren’s voice soothing him, her hands steadying him as he flailed toward the sea floor. He’d surely dreamed the red beauty, but here she was, soothing him yet again and juggling his panic with her load of seaweed and whatever else she had in the satchel slung across her torso.
“Hey, it’s okay,” she said, in an attempt to calm him. “I’m sorry I was in the way, did I hurt you?” She firmly yet tenderly pushed him back to the spot he’d awoken in. Her attention was on his fin and his stump and the state of their bandages. He watched as her scarlet hair flowed in front of her cheek, obscuring her face. He reached out for the tress and she smiled down at him, moving it out of the way herself so that she could tend his wounds. She swept it up onto her head and tied it with a strip of something from her satchel. He smiled back, at least he hoped he was smiling, He felt weak and the little freak out that he’d had hadn’t done him any favors.
“I hate to tell you this, um —” she paused.
“Bucky,” he said, realizing she was about to ask him what to call him.
“Bucky. I’m Natasha. I hate to tell you this but I need to tend your wounds. They require cleaning and then I have to see if I can do something about the damage at the end of — on your — the severed wound. It’s going to hurt. A lot.”
“Do what you need to,” he replied. “The pain from our collision nearly knocked me out, maybe I’ll be lucky again. If there’s any luck left for me to have after today.”
While he tried not to watch what she was about to do, there was something captivating about her movements. She unwrapped his arm stump — he did very nearly pass out upon seeing the carnage — and started pressing an urchin’s spikes around the area. Before long, he couldn’t discern the pain of the stings from the wound ache, and the numbness that followed was a welcome sensation. She proceeded to revise the tissue so that she could close it up. The humans’ fishing string was what she used to suture his skin together. It was no more than three stitches before he felt his eyes roll back and he found darkness.
His next awakening was a gentle one, Natasha encouraged him to have some more plant paste and some mussels. She assured him it would help him heal. He looked at her closer as she fed him. Her green eyes flitted from the food to his mouth and occasionally to his eyes. He thought she was stunning.
“What happened back there? You thanked me for saving you from the humans. Did they see you?”
“They hauled me into their boat. I broke free and bit one of them and he kicked me. I went over the edge,” he paused to have another bite. “I went under the boat and was pulled toward the blades.”
She nodded, listening intently and encouraged another bite.
“H — How —” he choked on the food in his panic. He coughed and cleared his throat, the urgency he felt to ask more questions exacerbated his coughing fit. The jostling did nothing helpful to his wound either. Finally able to speak again he continued, “far did you take me from the spot? They might still be looking for me and now you could be in danger.”
“Relax,” She soothed, pushing him back gently. “We are a good distance from the spot where I found you. They headed off in the other direction, shouting at each other to hurry. Something about not wanting to be suspected of illegal fishing.”
The pounding in his chest abated as he realized that the prospect of danger was slim. There would be no way he would survive a fight and he couldn’t protect his protector.
She urged him to take another bite and as good as the mush was, he was feeling too tired to continue.
“Later,” he said. “Sleep. I need sleep.”
“Okay, you’re right about that. Sleep will help you heal. Are you comfortable?”
He patted the nest of seaweed she’d assembled with a wan smile. “As much as I can be, thank you.”
————
The days and nights passed in a blur for Bucky as he was in and out from an infection. They were long and terrifying for Natasha who watched him suffer. His fin healed with a white scar within the first several days. The arm wound was tricky for some time and the fever that accompanied the infected wound kept her busy diligently cleaning the wound and trying to hold him down to keep him from thrashing.
She kept feeding him any chance she could, sometimes forcing it into him as she’d done when they traveled to her home that first day.
During one fevered frenzy he appeared to have forgotten that she’d assured him that they were safe from the hunter/fishermen. He panicked, urging her to go out and make sure nobody would find them. He only calmed when she promised to carefully check things out and he saw her getting ready to fulfill the promise.
She did a perimeter search on the surface with caution because his insistence had given her nerves a charge. Once she’d reached the surface the sense of urgency she’d experienced had faded and she was able to calmly survey the area and even enjoy the sun on her skin. While she basked in the sun, she decided that once the fever left him, she’d see if he was able to swim a bit. There was a sunny cove that was difficult for humans to reach and she had spent many relaxing days there. The sun would also be beneficial to him.
Armed with a plan, she retreated into the water, swimming toward the shipwreck. She gathered small fish she enjoyed snacking on and some vegetation to feed to him when he awoke again before entering the shelter of the boat. He slept quietly and stirred when she touched his good arm before disturbing his wounded one.
“Shh, it’s okay it’s just me,” she soothed. “I checked the surface, it’s clear and there are no traps in the vicinity.”
“I’m sorry about earlier,” he said sleepily as he propped himself up on his arm. “I’m sorry for making demands and for the combativeness.”
“I’m surprised you remember, your fever spiked. No harm done, not even to your wound. I’ll need to check it and redress it later. Do you think you can eat something? I brought some of my favorite fish for snacking, if you’d like a change from mussels and mashed plants.” She held out a couple of fish by their tails and they wriggled around.
He took one and sucked it into his mouth, biting down and chewing the morsel. “Mmm,” he hummed around the crunchy snack, “this is good.”
She handed him several more, relieved that he was roused and eating voluntarily.
“So, Bucky.”
He looked at her, a small fish in his mouth, tail sticking out, and nodded for her to continue.
“I know of this really great spot where I know we’ll be safe, you can get some sun. When you’re up to a brief swim, what do you think about relocating? There’s a lot more of these little fish there too.”
“Will you be going?” he asked, mouth still full of fish. He swallowed before continuing cautiously. “Or is this my notice to evacuate?”
He didn’t want to be alone and might find himself not up to swimming for as long as he could manage.
“If you’ll let me, I’d like to stay with you until I know you’re healed. I love the spot and we could both be very comfortable, both on shore and in the water.”
Sitting back against the wreckage, he let relief wash over him, he was pretty sure she wouldn’t turn him out in his fevered state, she’d surely want to see her wound care through to the end with the amount of time and effort she’d put into it, but the thought of flailing about alone, maimed and sick terrified him. He’d surely be swept up by the humans the next time they were out hunting for trophies.
She swam toward him, concern etched in her features. “You’re okay? Is it the infection?”
“I was worried about being alone adrift with this —” he shrugged his wounded shoulder with great pain as his reward.
“No worries, as long as you’re not exhausted by my hovering, you’re welcome to stay. I figure you have some rehabilitation to do. I’m happy to help.”
She was delighted to be able to be of service to someone. It was exhausting to be different from her entire pod, and it made her lonely. During his lucid moments she really enjoyed being with him and talking, and was eager to have more time with him once the infection abated.
“Where did you swim off to just now?”
“Hmm?” Pulled from her reverie, Natasha looked at Bucky. “I was just thinking about recent events.”
“Fair,” he said. “I haven’t been taking you from anything you should be doing, have I?”
She could see he was getting sleepy, but she recognized his reluctance to give in to sleep as a good sign regarding his infection. She hoped. “No,” she said with a smile, “I was on my way to gather some plants to make this place even more cozy when I heard your accident happen. I’ve never seen one of us in the grip of one of those boat propellers, but I’ve seen and heard other creatures, enough that I recognized the vibration. I can get plants any time. Maybe when you’re stronger you would like come along? I could use the help, and the company.”
“That sounds good,”
He was failing at fighting sleep. She took the hint and moved to rearrange the fresh bed of seaweed, talking as she did so. “I don’t mean — you aren’t indebted to me I just — you know. I enjoy your company.”
He laughed softly, “I’m sorry you’re in a position to find my presence company. Surely you have family? friends?”
“Some of both. I just don’t get along well with some of them. My friend the trader is the only one I can talk to and they’re busy. I’m busy too, usually. Making my home, hunting.”
She ushered him to the freshly arranged bedding, “Speaking of hunting, I found something today that might help you sleep. Hang on, I’ll be right back.”
She was careful as she entered the cavern of her boat that had only one entrance. She moved the stone away cautiously with her net at the ready. It wouldn’t be too good if she were to be poisoned when her guest was relying on her for his health and safety.
The frustrated puffer fish swam right into her net and she towed him to the main area. “So, I know it’s weird, but I also know this works. Don’t ask how I know.” She put the net on the seabed near his tail and secured it with the boulder she’d been using as a seat earlier. “Touch this fish with your tail — not the fin, the thicker muscly part. It will take a minute or two but you’ll feel pretty comfy when it hits you.”
“You’re drugging me?”
“I'm offering you an alternate treatment. You’re the one who gets to decide.”
“Unlike the sea urchins?”
“Yeah.” Her smile met his. “But those were crucial, your arm was a mess and you were in pain. They helped didn’t they?”
“I’ll hit the puffer fish if you do too,” Bucky challenged.
“No thanks, one of us needs to be clear-headed. Since you’re going to sleep anyway, this could help your pain. I have no pain to medicate. I won’t force you, give me the word and I’ll let this little guy go.”
Flicking the broadside of his tail at the trapped fish, he watched as it strained against the netting. “Okay, I’m sure one hit’s plenty. Thanks. You can let him go.”
“You sure you don’t want to keep him for later?”
“If I need more puffer fish dope I’m sure you know where to find them,” he answered with a lazy smile. “Don’t torture the poor guy.”
“I’ll even compensate him for his time,” She said as she pulled out some shellfish. After she moved the boulder to free the net, she towed the fish away from the boat, setting the net, some shellfish, and some algae on the sea floor. She flicked the net from her end, releasing the puffer. The fish found her offering immediately and she left to let him eat in peace.
When she reached the entrance, she saw that he was already asleep with a soft smile on his face. She curled up nearby, thinking about their exchange. Somebody was surely worried about him, she hadn’t thought to ask if there was somebody he might want to inform of his whereabouts.
She’d nursed plenty of animals back to health, dolphins and sharks, the occasional turtle, but never one of her own kind. There were certain nuances that she was learning she had to consider.
—————
With his wound infection cleared, the skin was starting to knit itself together. She was satisfied with the progress and he was starting to seem restless. He went out often to practice swimming without the arm. He brought back dinner a couple of times. This was one of those times.
“I see you found a feast,” she said.
“It was much easier today, and thanks for the satchel. It really did help.” He took a bite of his fish, talking as he chewed.
“I was thinking, since you're swimming better and longer, maybe tomorrow we should head for the cove?”
He had the tail of the fish dangling from his mouth. She reached over and pulled on it, laughing. “You’re so horrible. Who taught you to eat?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” With a dainty air, he sarcastically fluttered his full lashes.
“Big bites, chewing and talking, and my favorite — my actual favorite — dangling a fish tail from your mouth.”
“I guess being alone allows for some relaxed manners. I don’t mean to offend.”
“I know. It’s kinda endearing. I mean, some folks might not think so, but I do.”
“Yes,” he said. “Yes we should go to the cove. I think we could both use it. Especially if you find my terrible manners endearing.”
“Okay, first we sleep, then we can head out. There’s no rush to get there, so we can just enjoy the swim. Can I check your wound before you sleep?”
“Mm-hmm,” He murmured. While keeping his recent bite hidden, he nodded exaggeratedly while swishing his tail in agreement with wide eyes and one brow raised.
She laughed again, enjoying his sense of humor.
————
“See, I told you it would be worth the trip,” Natasha gloated as they lounged on the sand where the sun warmed them and the water that washed over them intermittently.
The light from the sun reflecting off the surface of their ocean home was a stunning sight, Bucky imagined it was even more so because he was alive, despite the attempts of a couple of poachers, a boat blade and an infection. He was strong enough that he made the trip alongside Natasha, only stopping a couple of times to rest. The entire swim was made fun and exciting by her charm and personality.
“This spot is so beautiful!”
She smiled at his exclamation. The joy exuding from her was a powerful drug, he was inclined to feel it himself and that wasn’t an emotion he was at all familiar with.
“I'm glad you’re not disappointed. Come over here, this is the best spot for sleeping, you can watch the sky change colors and the lights — they’re called stars — at night that twinkle in the dark sky, it’s like home but with wind in your hair and sounds that are so magical.”
He was captivated by her adoration and vaguely jealous of a place. Would she describe him with such beauty?
He followed her to the spot she coveted and watched her pull herself onto the beach with grace. She pressed her back to a flat rock and spread her hair out around her head. She turned her face toward the sky and smiled blissfully with her eyes shut to the light. He longed to join her, to feel what made that peaceful expression, he considered his options, and ambulating as she had was still one of them, it seemed a difficult one, surely he could figure a way to move from water onto the piece of land that worked for one arm rather than two.
Deciding that trying would be more productive than doing, he pushed up onto his tail with his arm supporting him and tested the movement of his tail in the shallow water. He curled his tail and pushed against the shifting sand inching forward. It was the tiniest movement but he wasn't using all of his faculties.The next try, he pulled forward with one arm while pushing off the sand again with a little more force.
Ahh, progress! He was closer to the dry sand and only his tail was in the ocean. He used this coiled tail method to make his way very slowly and clumsily to the flat rock.
“Don’t just say in the water,” Natasha called to him.
“Working my way over,” he said, with a bit of strain to his voice. He would have coved that up if he’d known it was coming out.
She moved her arm from over her eyes and looked toward him. ‘Oh, Bucky, I’m sorry!”
“Don’t be, I need to figure this out. I think I’m getting it.” And he was confident he was, since he’d moved several times and his voice didn’t waver any more than the last time he spoke. “I’ll get there in time for us to leave.”
“You're such a dope,” she teased.
He rolled onto the rock beside her, admiring her smile. “Made it, I say it counts, maybe I cheated on that last part, but I’m here.”
“You are,” she smiled. “Now, relax. You’ve been going all day.”
“It’s so warm,” he spread his fingers over the rock before rolling onto his front and resting his head on his bended arm.
“The sun, that bright light up there, it’s the same light we get down there, but just — more, it’s called the sun. It is so nice to just get warm under it and if you get too warm, you can go back into the ocean and cool off. What’s really great, is that the sun warms all of this up and at night it makes sleeping so, so nice.”
“I can tell, I’m likely to go to sleep right here.”
She turned onto her side and watched him.
“Hmm?” he hummed.
“Just thinking,” She answered, as though had been about to say something else.
He looked at her to encourage her to elaborate, and when she didn’t he asked her outright.
“I was wondering if I could — if you would — can I curl up with you?”
“Yes. Come on then,” he said, wrapping his tail around hers, She put her arm beneath his head and used his arm as a cushion, sighing as she got comfortable. Coiled together beneath the sun, they had a brief nap.
It was put to a stop by a shrieking noise nearby, Bucky lurched and Natasha sat up to see if she’d perhaps injured him. When the squawk happened again, they both turned to the source, a bird was watching them and providing commentary.
They both laughed, still sleep drunk and warm from the sun.
“I think we need to spend some time in the water, how about a game?”
He was extra warm, and a swim sounded great. What game she might have in mind should probably frighten him, but he’d probably do anything she asked of him for all eternity.
“Okay, who can get to the water the quickest. Any method goes and the stupider it seems the better.”
Of course, he knew what she was doing but he appreciated it all the same. How to lighten the mood and make things easy for him, she was becoming quite proficient at both of these things.
“Yeah, sounds stupid, let’s do it. On the next noise from that little nap wrecker we go.”
As if on cue, the bird let out a final scream before flying away.
Bucky rolled from his place on the rock to the water. If chitons could roll (though he didn’t curl up into a ball) then he could too. She didn’t see his approach coming and didn’t have a chance to try letting him win. Not that she would, but — he mused as she splashed him.
“You won, but I think you cheated.”
“Cheated? How did I cheat?” he flicked his tail and splashed her back.
“You told the bird to cry out, you had an unfair start.”
“You’re trying to rewrite history!” he laughed, “I don’t speak bird, I don’t know anybody who speaks bird. I just embraced the rules, ma’am.”
He was drenched with the next spray of water her tail flung at him, he dove under and swam at her, she evaded and egged him on to chase her. He did for a bit, impressed with the strength he was gaining in his mangled shoulder, it wasn’t another arm but it made swimming easier when the pain and weakness wasn’t foremost in his mind. That didn’t mean he didn’t have a little cheat in mind, since they weren’t in an actual game at this moment. His falling back made her turn around to check on him and he tangled their tails together keeping her close.
She put her arms on his shoulders and they floated together. He loved looking at her, Not due to her beauty alone, but because she had a very lively way of expressing herself without saying a word. She was in a playful mood and he thought maybe he might be too.
“So, what now?” he asked as they regarded one another.
“Now we play. Have you ever tried leaping out of the water like a dolphin?”
He had, he used to be very good at it. It was probably what got him noticed by the hunters. He cast the thought aside, he wasn’t going to let them take any more of his life or wellbeing than they already had.
“I used to,” he answered. “Do you think I still can?” he gestured to his missing limb.
“It’s all in the tail my dear.”
Of course he did know that, but he was getting used to making half-soaked jokes about his new appearance.
“No competition, just fun swim and leap exercises.”
“Yes, let’s.” He let his tail stroke hers, caressing the beautiful red scales. She tickled under his chin with her flowing tail fins. This was flirting, right? Flirting or foreplay?
— — — —
Their days were spent between water and land, and the nights were for watching the stars and the moon. He hadn’t known the names of these things, but her friend had told her and she loved to share knowledge, especially with Bucky, who seemed to enjoy learning.
They were sprawled out on the beach together at the base of a rock arch that tended to turn gold in the late day just before the sun disappeared. Bucky saw it first in the sky and pointed frantically until she followed the line of his arm to spot the star trailing across the sky. There were several of these moving stars and it was even more beautiful than before they discovered them.
They danced around a form of intimacy, exchanging touches and intertwining tails, and though it seemed like it should be enough, they — at least she — thought something might be missing. Not until he had to coax it out of her, did she know that both of them were curious about the same thing.
They’d been head to head looking at the cluster of stars that brightened the sky and he touched her cheek. “Where are you right now, Talia?”
“I’m enjoying our stargazing.”
“And? It seems like something has been concerning you. You’re not thinking of taking off, are you?”
“You look silly upside down. And no, I’m not going anywhere. I feel like maybe we’re missing something?”
“You’re upside down. Any ideas what might be missing, other than my arm and a hunk of my fin?”
She grinned at him before turning over onto her belly.
He rolled over to look at her right-side-up. “I saw humans do something once, and I was curious about it. Maybe that’s what we’re missing? Let me show you.”
She trusted him implicitly and nodded her assent. He cupped her cheek and softly moved his hand around to her neck, stroking her cheek with his thumb, he moved in and pressed his lips to hers. For a minute he just stayed like that, but as though he recalled another detail, started moving his lips on hers. They mashed around a little and she realized maybe she should be mashing his lips too. Their lips met and then slid off of each other repeatedly. They adopted a kind of rhythm and it was suddenly easy to stop concentrating and just feel. If mouths touched, what about tongues and teeth? They experimented with this kind of stimulus throughout the night, mingling their tails together and touching one another. Everything felt intense and wonderful.
They lounged together as the sun and moon traded places, tails still curled together in a silver and red plait. The sun just beyond the horizon painted the sky in shades of purple and orange, and Natasha stroked Bucky’s lame shoulder, tracing small circles and following the line of the raised scars she’d left him while trying to fix him up.
“That tickles and sometimes it doesn’t feel like anything,” Bucky murmured. He held her free hand, fingers linked as securely as their tails were. “I don’t know how to thank you for saving me.”
“We’ve been over that, you’re going to get plants with me.” She smiled and brushed her lips across his cheek.
“Is the invitation to stay still open? And can I stick around for — forever?”
“I hope you do stick around. I’ve hoped that since we first spoke about it. Now I think I need you to.”
“You need me?” Bucky smiled at her and she could see relief and something resembling joy flood his face.
“Of course I need you. You’ve changed my life for the better. I used to think I had to be alone, I never fit in with anybody, but you like me as I am. I didn’t hate being alone, but I know now that it wasn’t what I needed.”
“I thought it was just me who needed you. I like feeling needed. I like you. A lot.”
“I like you too, Bucky. A lot.”