Several weeks of travel had brought them through the changing seasons, winter giving way to spring as they crossed into Asian territory. Now in northern India, they were tantalizingly close to their destination.
Bucky had managed to secure passage on a bus that would take them into Nepal and, hopefully, to whatever waited for them in Kathmandu. Finding an exact location in such a sprawling city would be challenging, but Odin had promised they'd be found rather than having to do the searching themselves.
They'd taken up residence in a small cottage, earning their keep through odd jobs and favors for the local community. It was humble accommodations, but it gave them a base while they prepared for the final leg of their journey.
Currently, Celeste was resting inside while Bucky made his way through the local market, gathering supplies for their trip to Nepal.
"Thank you," Bucky said to the fruit vendor, paying for a selection of food that would keep them fed during the bus journey ahead.
He returned to find Celeste sitting cross-legged in the center of their small room, deep in meditation. Her lightsaber hilt floated before her, disassembled components hovering in precise formation as she cleaned and maintained the weapon through the Force.
Bucky set their supplies aside and settled into a nearby chair, watching quietly as she reassembled the lightsaber with careful precision.
"How's it feeling?" he asked once she'd finished.
"Better. Much smoother," Celeste noted, clipping the weapon back to her belt. "I think it has something to do with getting closer to wherever Odin was sending us."
"Could be," Bucky agreed. "Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to mystical stuff."
Celeste gave him an amused look. "After all the time I've spent explaining Force philosophy to you, I get the impression you've retained almost nothing."
"Who, me?" Bucky placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. "I'll have you know I've absorbed every word about your mystical energy fields and cosmic balance. I just choose to focus on the practical applications rather than the philosophy."
"I think you're looking at the universe through a keyhole," she replied thoughtfully. "Afraid to step back and see the bigger picture."
Bucky gave her a flat look. "You do realize I live on a planet with actual gods who control the weather, right? I'm a man from the 1940s with a mechanical arm, traveling with a space wizard. I think my worldview has expanded plenty."
Celeste laughed at that assessment.
"What do you think we'll find when we get there?" Bucky asked, watching her expression grow thoughtful.
"I honestly don't know," she admitted. "This isn't like my time with the Jedi Order, where I had centuries of accumulated knowledge to draw from. This entire world is uncharted territory for me."
Bucky stood up and offered her his hand. "Well, at least you're not facing it alone."
She smiled gratefully and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. He turned to organize their supplies, but felt her fingers still intertwined with his.
When he looked back, she had stepped closer, close enough that he could see the flecks of silver in her blue eyes.
"Celeste?"
"I never properly thanked you," she said quietly. "You found me, freed me from that sarcophagus, gave me hope when I was ready to give up."
"It was more accident than heroics," Bucky said, but she shook her head.
"No," she said with quiet conviction. "It may have seemed random, but I believe it was the will of the Force. Perhaps I was meant to be here, meant to find someone who understands what it's like to be used as a weapon. Someone who could show me that there's life after being a monster."
Bucky's expression softened. "Hey, we're both learning how to be human again. But I'm glad we found each other, Celeste."
She smiled, bright and genuine, then rose on her toes and kissed him.
It was gentle at first, tentative, but when Bucky responded, the kiss deepened. Her arms wound around his shoulders while his hands settled at her waist, pulling her closer.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily, foreheads pressed together.
"That was..." Celeste whispered.
"Yeah," Bucky agreed, equally breathless.
They stood there for a moment, the weight of this new development settling between them.
"Have you ever, ?" Bucky started to ask.
"The Jedi discourage attachments," she said softly. "I was always focused on my duties as a Shadow."
"And I've been a weapon for seventy years," he replied. "Not exactly conducive to relationships."
She looked up at him, seeing understanding in his eyes, two people who'd found something precious and unexpected in each other.
"Celeste," he said quietly, "are you sure about this?"
Instead of answering with words, she pulled him down for another kiss, and this time there was no hesitation from either of them.
Later, as evening light filtered through their small window, they lay together on the narrow bed, her head resting on his chest while his fingers traced gentle patterns along her shoulder.
"So," Bucky said quietly, "this complicates things."
"Does it?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him. "We were already committed to helping each other. This just... adds another dimension."
"The Jedi won't approve," he pointed out.
"The Jedi Order is gone," she replied sadly. "And even if it weren't, I've already broken so many of their rules by carrying Muur's amulet. What's one more?"
Bucky tightened his arms around her. "Whatever we find in Nepal, we face it together."
"Together," she agreed, settling back against him with a contented sigh.
Outside, the sounds of the village settling into evening continued around them, but for the first time in longer than either could remember, they felt truly at peace.
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