Curves and Burns (Bucky Barnes x Female Plus Size Reader)

One

You stumble up the steps to your apartment, hand gripping tight to the railing. Your eyes are puffy and bloodshot. Your shoulders droop with tiredness and your vision blurs if you don't blink every couple seconds.

It's almost eleven so you shouldn't feel too tired, but you stayed up all night last night. That, plus the exhaustion from using your powers. You can heal people, the price being that you  take their pain and their scars. You can also inflict wounds, but only wounds that you've healed in the past. You never liked to hurt other people so you very, very rarely use that power. The few times you had used it had left you feeling guilty and empty.

Stepping onto the landing, you take a shuddering breath, trying to get oxygen to your lungs. You hate how the climb to your apartment takes that much energy out of you.

You fumble in your pocket for your keys, pulling them out. You drop them immediately when voices echo up to you from the staircase. Cursing quietly, you bend over. Your blurry vision doesn't do much to help you find the small key. Blinking a couple times to clear your sight, you finally find it. Straightening, you brandish it proudly, as if it's the Holy Grail.

"Shut up, Steve." The growl of a male voice makes you cast a glance over your shoulder.

Two buff men climb up the stairs at a faster pace than you could manage empty-handed while they carry a whole bunch of groceries in their arms. You sigh with jealousy, rolling your eyes at your own pettiness as you flounder around with that damn key. Your hands are not working today because as soon the men bang their door open you drop it. Again.

You give up, sliding to the floor with your back against the door. You're probably sitting on your nemesis key but you're just too tired. Massaging the bridge of your nose with your thumb and pointer finger, you try to gather yourself.

"Hey, you okay?"

You look up, cheeks warming when you realize that both men have stopped just inside their door to observe you. Of course your super hot neighbors have to see you like this, after forty-eight hours without sleep and key drama defeating what little energy you have left.

"Fine!" Your voice cracks. You feel so self-conscious under their stares. You can feel your body curling in on itself but you can't find it in you to get to your feet. "All good here!"

The men exchange a glance. The man closest to you sets his groceries on the closest tabletop, a coffee table just inside the door. The other man holds tightly onto his plastic bags with his gloved hands, blue-green eyes burrowing into you.

The guy who set down his groceries steps up to you, holding out his calloused hand to help you up. Wary of your heaviness and your estimation of his strength, you scramble to your feet without his help. You brush off non-existent dirt from your jeans, staring at the ground.

"Steve -" The gloved man holding the groceries starts.

"Do you need any help?" Steve looks at you with kind, understanding eyes that you haven't seen in a very long time.

"Just...lost my key," you mumble. Your eyes search the floor for the small metal symbol of your desperation. You spot it halfway under your door and halfheartedly point at it. Steve bends down to get it. You squeak out a protest, waving your arms about in a fashion you know is overkill.

Steve smiles at you as he presses the key in your hand. The warmth of his hand is shocking against your cold skin. He retreats to his doorway to make sure you enter safely. You finally get it, almost falling inside in shock and exhaustion. You pause a step inside and look back over your shoulder.

"Thank you," you say quietly.

Steve smiles back while the brunette man behind him just stares at you. You make eye contact with him, seeing a mirror of your discomfort in his face. You give him a tiny, gentle smile and close the door quietly.