peace [bucky barnes]

21

Frowning, he draw soothing circles over her knuckles with his thumb, focus darting behind her to the crumpled bag angrily shoved against the door.

"You sure your key isn't in your bag?"

"I tipped it out all over the floor, there's no way it's in there." She shook her head, biting down on her bottom lip. "I had my car keys and the fob for the lobby door, but not my door key."

A soft mew came from behind the door, followed by the muffled sound of scratching against a hard surface. Face crumpling into a pained expression, Eden sank down to the floor again, hand splayed over the wood as she pressed her ear to the door.

"I'm sorry Saff!" She called, squeezing her eyes shut when Saffy let out a forlorn howl in response. "I'll be in there soon."

With a desperate groan she slumped forward, back against the door, bringing her knees to her chest as she shook her head. Bucky said nothing as he followed her movement, tall frame bending to sit beside her, legs straightened in front of him. He swung his arm over Eden's shoulder, bringing her to lean against him as he kissed the top of her head.

"You don't have a spare key?" He asked softly, brain scrambling for solutions to fix the frustration he could feel rolling off her.

"Penny has it, but she's out on a date so I can't get hold of her." Her voice was quiet, restrained emotion held in the words as she pressed her cheek further against his shoulder.

Nodding, he rolled his lips together, eyes aimed at his lap as he searched his internal archives for more appropriate fixes. If this was anyone else, if this was someone he didn't care for, he would grab the door and break the lock off himself, but he knew that would leave her with questions, questions he didn't quite have the strength or the courage to answer yet.

Yet. You'll tell her eventually.

Eden exhaled a deep sigh into the silence, stretching her knees back out as she reached up to Bucky's arm around her shoulders, squeezing his fingers with her own. She felt somewhat embarrassed, calling him in a crying mess and having him rush to her side, him witnessing her have a tantrum over something so trivial. To anyone else, losing your keys was at worst a minor inconvenience, but to Eden it felt like the end of the world, the relaxing plans she'd clung to all day shattered into nonexistent dust. The reactive emotion was difficult to explain, something she didn't like showcasing to others unless she had to, but in the height of her upset the only person she wanted to comfort her was him, and her rationality was too far gone to think it through before she dialled his number.

Breathing shakily, she brought her hands back down to her lap, picking at her thumbs before she began in a whisper, "I know it seems like I'm overreacting, but–"

"You aren't," he cut her off,  taking one of her hands in his to blockade her nervous habit. "You're not overreacting, Eden. I'd be frustrated too."

She lifted her head to look at him, gentle smile on her features as she uttered, "Big tough Sergeant Barnes would cry if he got locked out of his apartment?"

"Oh, absolutely." He bobbed his head to affirm, mouth curving into a grin as she giggled. "I would blubber like a baby."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe."

Her eyes held his as they smiled at each other, a softness gradually replacing the humour in her brown. She craned her neck, meeting his lips with hers in a prolonged peck, her hand coming up to cup his cheek as she pulled away.

"Thank you for coming," Eden whispered, thumb stroking over the stubble littered across his jaw. A sincere crease formed between her brows, chestnut ablaze with gratitude, with affection so strong it seemed to pour out of her.