red [Bucky Barnes x OC]

Clean

"You're not a mess. Things just got fucked up for awhile. It's going to get better, I swear it," he looks at me straight in my eyes looking like he has more to say. For a second I think about kissing him. I shake my head and get up. "Go get dressed, Barnes. We got a mission."

"Operation: Feed Charlie." He walks out of my room to the laundry closet laughing at his made up operation name.

I pull out a sundress and a necklace. My hair is in waves and looks okay after I rake my fingers through it. My eyes are puffy from crying. I start to slip off my pjs and put on my underwear and bra when I feel his eyes on me. He looks at me until we lock eyes. And then he blushes furiously, immediately looking down at the floor.

"Charlie, I'm sorry I wasn't... I mean I was but..." he's rubbing the back of his neck and he looks so embarrassed it's cute.

I roll my eyes and let out a giggle. I pull on my dress and put a little concealer and mascara to hide the evidence of tears. I walk over to him and give him a hug and a kiss on his cheek.

"Okay, let's go. But this time I'm buying. It's my turn."

"Yeah, like any decent man would let you pay."

"Listen here, old man. It is the 21st century. I am a strong, independent woman and I am capable of paying the tab."

"I don't care what you are or how much money you make. I have a code and it doesn't change just because the century has." He takes my hand and rubs his thumb against mine. Those butterflies are growing by the hundreds.

We get to the restaurant and order. It's a cute little diner about 10 blocks from my apartment. "This place has the best pancakes. And yes I know it's 1 pm, I'm getting them."

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I would never judge your meal choice.  What am I? Some kind of asshole who tells you what you can and can't order."

I laugh, but it's refreshing, Steve always would make fun of my love for breakfast food.

I gawk at the sheer amount of food he orders. The poor waitress' eyebrows rise higher and higher as Bucky continues to order.

When our food comes out the entire table is covered in plates. And he eats everything. I swear his stomach has to be as large as a suitcase with the amount of food it's holding.

"This is highly unfair, how can you eat that much food and still look like that?"

"Well,  I do work out a lot and have a freakishly high metabolism. I need a lot of food to keep me going. Don't worry I'll be hungry by dinner, doll," he winks at me.

"I mean you are very nice to look at shirtless so I can't complain too much," I tease him back.

"You're much more fun to look at naked," he mumbles under his breath.

I feel my eyebrows shoot up and my cheeks turn bright red. I keep eating, but I can only think about the look he had in his eyes when he was looking at me getting dressed.

"Okay, so now that we've stuffed our faces what do we do?"

"We could go for a walk to help us digest. I feel insanely full," I wrap my arm around his.

We spend the day walking around the city. Bucky buys a man lunch, sitting down with him to talk about his years in the military and his life. I sit quietly alongside Bucky. Listening to them talk about their experiences, and it's sad but beautiful. Before we leave I give the man some money and an address for a veterans help network to help him find safe living conditions and job placement. It's not much, but I see Bucky looking at me as I talk to the man and I wish I could read his mind.