peace [bucky barnes]

14

"Are you sure you've had enough to eat, Bucky?" Eden called, rinsing off the last of the pans in the sink on her island, facing the back of Bucky's head.

Bucky was lounging into the cushions on the sofa, playing with his hands in his lap, already feeling his eyes beginning to droop after consuming so much food; he'd wolfed down three bacon and egg sandwiches, seven hash browns, six sausages and a hefty bowlful of baked beans, ravenous after barely eating the last few days. Eden would have made him even more, but he had insisted on her stopping, feeling his stomach almost bulging out of his jeans from the fullness. He turned with effort, finding her ducking behind the counter to put the final frying pan in the dishwasher, blonde head bobbing above the marble.

"Honey, if you make me any more food, I'm going to burst into a pile of bacon, egg and beans," he groaned, placing a gloved hand over his belly, feeling restricted and hot in his leather jacket. Without thinking, he pulled the sleeves over his hands, shrugging it off his shoulders, grateful he'd decided on a long-sleeved blue Henley instead of a T-shirt in his panicked haste earlier on. It felt wonderful to not have to hide inside his jacket, the chill to the air cooling him as he bundled the leather into a ball and shoved it on the floor, contented sigh falling from his lips.

"Oh wow, Sergeant Barnes, are you stripping in my living room?" Eden faked a gasp, standing over him with her hand clutched to her chest, eyes scanning over his torso. "I've never seen you in such little clothing before."

He looked up at her with a lazy grin on his face, head reclined against the cushions as he replied, "You seduced me with your cooking. This is all I can offer you after such a delicious meal, take it or leave it."

"I'm definitely going to take it." She giggled at him, unable to stop herself from admiring the curve of his muscles underneath his shirt, his wide chest and bulging arms visible through the thinner material. "First though, would you like a drink? A hot chocolate, maybe?"

"Oh my god, are you kidding me?" Bucky exclaimed, staring at her with widened eyes, his head shaking in disbelief. "You are treating me far too well."

Shrugging, Eden turned on her heel, moving back to the kitchen to start preparing their drinks. "I thought you might need it after the week you've had."

His head followed her as she walked, eyes dragging over her silhouette, lingering on her hips swaying gently. She was dressed in loose, flowing pants with a checked pattern on, tight white turtleneck hugging her top half. The fabric clung to every curve of her body, not being able to tear his eyes away from her now she'd taken off her bulky coat; the more time he spent with her, the more his thoughts travelled to those precarious waters, having to push the sinful images out of his mind, distract himself with something new to stop it.

As she stretched upward to grab a couple of mugs from one of the top cabinets, she let out a gentle grunt, the sound stirring warmth in the bottom of his stomach. His head snapped forward, directing his attention away from her and out of the glass balcony doors to try and stop his imagination running wild, swallowing down the dryness in his throat.

Since they'd gotten back to her apartment, he felt completely at ease, as if the shell of a man who'd taken his place for the last week never existed at all. She had a way of making him comfortable, like an old friend he'd known for years, their dynamic flowing so smoothly he couldn't quite believe the short amount of time they'd spent together. Their conversations were light, filled with ribbing, flirtatious remarks that came out of him without much thought, both of them spending more time laughing than talking. He could forget when he was around her, stare into her brown eyes and just be Bucky, without any of the heavy baggage dragging his body down.