Making Up For Lost Time - [James Barnes x Male OC]

2

-----------------------Still Flash back-----------------------

He led me down the street, making sure to avoid the street lights and crowded areas, before he led me into a small apartment.

The living room was the first room you walked into. it had a two-seater couch facing the back wall, which had a TV sitting on a long bookshelf, and the window on the wall to the right was large, bumping out of the wall to make a nook, which had a couple throw pillows on it, along with a book, which sat open on the top of a blanket that was thrown on the nook, too.

I was so busy looking around, that I didn't even notice that Stefan had left the room. He came back, which broke my train of thought.

"Ok, there's clothes in the bathroom for you. I'm not sure if they'll fit . . . They might be a little big, but you can wear them. The bathroom is . . ." I followed him down the hallway.

"Right here."

I stood in the bathroom, not knowing how to operate anything.

I was never allowed to bathe.

They just sprayed me with a hose, or threw a bucket of water over me.

He noticed my lack of knowledge, and slowly entered the bathroom with me, leaving the door open, as there was no need to close it.

"Would you like some help?"

I nodded a little, feeling embarrassment for the first time in forever at the fact that I couldn't clean myself.

"Ok, I'll turn on the bath. How about you get undressed?" He asked, taking a towel out of the cabinet, before he vanished down the hall, returning with a cup.

I slowly took off my clothes, all of them falling to the floor with a thump from how heavy they were, being soaked in blood.

he motioned for me to get in the bathtub, and I obliged, the warm, comforting water turning red as it mixed with the blood my body was stained with.

He kneeled next to the tub, pouring the water from the cup onto my shoulders, taking the blood off, before he drained the tub and filled it again, the water this time clear, and warmer.

it felt nice.

The water back at the base is always cold.

He filled the cup with water, before he gently poured it over my head, his hand on my forehead to keep the water from my face.

"What's that?" I asked, looking at him with fear as he grabbed a bottle.

He smiled at me gently. "It's shampoo. It cleans your hair and makes it smell nice. Here, smell it." He opened the cap, and held it to me.

I slowly leaned in, and sniffed. He was right; it did smell nice. Like Him.

"Ok." I mumbled, looking forward at the wall as he put the 'shampoo' in my hair.

He started to rub it into my hair, his nails dragging across my scalp as he got all the dirt and grime out of my hair.

I leaned into his hands, and closed my eyes as I let out a breath of content.

He chuckled. "Feels nice, doesn't it?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Ok, I have to put in the body soap in the tub, ok?"

I nodded, not scared of the soap anymore.

He rinsed out my hair, and got a rag, gently scrubbing my back, shoulders, and chest, getting the stuck on dirt and blood off.

"Can I clean your neck and face?" He asked, and I hesitated, before nodding.

He gently wiped my neck, rinsing the rag, before he wiped my forehead, eyes, chin, cheeks, and nose.

"There, all done."

He stood up, and I followed suit, stepping out of the bathtub.

He wrapped me in a large, fluffy towel. "Can you dry yourself off and get dressed?" He asked.

I nodded, and he smiled at me one last time, before he left, closing the door behind him, leaving it open just a crack so I knew he didn't lock me inside.

I dried off, and put on the clothes he gave me, which were underwear, sweatpants, and a t-shirt, all of which were too big.

I slowly walked back into the living room, and there he was, putting a pillow and blanket on the couch.

"I knew they'd be a little too big. Sorry."

I shrugged, before he motioned for me to lay on the couch. "You can sleep here. If you need anything, I'll be in my room, which is across the hallway from the bathroom, ok? The kitchen is right there-" he pointed to the left, which was a small kitchen.

I hadn't saw that when I entered his apartment.

"-so you can help yourself to anything. Again, if you need anything, just come get me; I won't mind. Have a good night."

He smiled at me, before he went down the hallway, and into a room across from the bathroom, leaving me in the living room alone.

I curled up into a ball under the blanket, which was fuzzy and warm- and most definitely the softest thing on the planet- and snuggled my face into the pillow, which smelled really nice.

It smelled comforting. Like safety, if that is a smell. It smelled like him.

I closed my eyes, and slowly fell asleep, only to wake up 2 hours later from a nightmare.

I slowly sat up, and took deep breaths as I thought about what to do.

'If you need anything, just come get me; I won't mind.'

I remembered what he told me, and hesitated, the thought of bothering him weighing on my mind, before I got up, and silently walked down the hallway.

I stood in front of the door, thinking about if I should knock or not.

I mean, he did say anything, right?

I gently knocked twice, before I stuck my head into the room, only to see him fast asleep.

I was going to leave, the door already almost closed.

But then . . .

"Is everything ok?"