Therapist, Audrey Edwards, has a new client. She's worked with ex-soldiers before, but none quite as intriguing as the enigmatic James Buchanan Barnes.
"i found love
where it wasn't supposed to be,
right in front of me."
- I Found, Amber Run.
Sl...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"all i can do to keep you safe is hold you close, hold you close, 'til you can breathe on your own." - Keeping Your Head Up, Birdy.
☾
In the light of the new morning, I slip out of my bed and gingerly make my way to the lounge room, trying to ignore my quickening heartbeat.
I'm pleased to discover James is still here, and looking peaceful in sleep.
I tip toe into the bathroom and get ready for the day with joyful anticipation. I don't remember the last time I looked forward to a weekend this much.
When I come back out, James is up and about.
"Good morning." I greet him as I move to the kitchen.
"Good morning."
"Did you sleep okay?" I ask, grabbing a banana from the nearly empty fruit bowl on my kitchen counter.
James nods.
"I'm glad. Do you like bananas?"
He nods again.
"Great." I throw him the last banana and he catches it effortlessly. "This is all I have left, right now. Gotta duck out to the store and stock up on food. Do you wanna come with or wait here?"
"I'll come with."
"Okay." I say with a smile. "When we get back, I'll grab Bear."
Half an hour later, we're walking the aisles of the grocery store.
James follows me silently at first, while I gather my fruit and veg for the week. His face fixed with that scowl of his, as he dodges other shoppers.
Then at the first sign of my slightest struggle with the basket, he's taking it from my grasp. I smile at him gratefully, and thank him. His demeanour turns almost shy as he smiles back.
Cute.
I grab a few more items for the week ahead, like bread and pasta, before grabbing another basket.
"Okay, now it's time for snacks." I say over my shoulder, looking at James with a grin.
I fill the basket with microwave popcorn, potato chips, m&m's, mixed nuts, cheese, dip and crackers.
We get through the checkout and James carries all the bags to my car.
Then, when we return home, he carries all the bags up to my apartment. Only, now that we were out of the public eye, he carries them all with ease in his vibranium hand.
I let him inside to dump the bags, then slip across the hall to unlock my neighbours apartment, where I'm greeted by one excited dog.
"Hey buddy, come on." I say and Bear trots out ahead of me, heading straight for my apartment. I grab his leash, lock the door and follow him back to mine.
