Blue || Bucky Barnes

69. Embrace

Hours prior Leia walks into the kitchen after yet another restless night. She again heads straight for the coffee pot, the only consistent thing in her life right now. Thankful for no new faces to introduce herself to. She takes the quiet moment to scour the kitchen for some breakfast foods, she's never been a big breakfast fan but today seems as good a day as any to start. Leia looks over the cereals, healthy apparently but looks like bark chips. Beginning to give up hope she looks back over to the coffee to find a bowl of pristine fruits that she has somehow never noticed. Her mouth begins to water finally acknowledging her empty stomach, having neglected the aspect of food for the last few days. She grabs a bright green apple, the biggest in the pile and takes a bite, it's the best thing she's tasted in too long.
Leia's ears pick up people's chatter down the hallway. Worried she may have thought too soon she attempts to run out before they catch her but it's too late. Loki and Wanda round the corner sharing a conversation until they notice Leia.
"Thank goodness it's just you two!" Leia breathes out, glad to see her friends rather than a newbie. The pair laugh in unison weakly at her comment. Leia is slightly chuffed, assuming her lecture to him yesterday resonated.
The pair walk further into the kitchen. Loki strides ahead of Wanda to pull out her chair.
"Thanks." She smiles at the god.
Loki shifts his hand quickly not acknowledging the praise.
"So what would you two lovely ladies like for breakfast?" He asks the girls standing behind the island.
"I'm sorted." Leia says holding up her prized apple, Loki looks at her with a quizzical stare.
"Whatever you're having is fine Loki." Wanda chirps.
"Pancakes it is, and you're not leaving until you have a few too Leia." Loki smiles.
Leia rolls her eyes and returns a thankful nod.
"So Loki, have you gotten yourself an outfit for the gala?" Wanda asks.
"Well, I did, but someone said I couldn't wear my Asgardian attire so I have to find something else." Loki huffs at the thought.
"You should wear it if you want to wear it Loki." Wanda can't seem to wipe the grin from her face.
"I feel like he might hit his horns on the doorway." Leia jokes earning a laugh from the two.
"Oh, no horns but keep the cape, that's a must." Wanda suggests jokingly.
"I gotta go get ready for our shopping trip." Leia says, taking the last bite of her apple.
She turns to walk away when Loki says, "Ah ah ah, you didn't take your pancake."
Begrudgingly Leia walks over to the god and takes the pancake off the outstretched spatula.
"Thanks!" She bites into the delicious fluffiness as she walks out of the room.

-

Saturday morning arrives and Steve has managed to get Bucky out and join Sam I'm the living room. Sam turns the tv on before walking over to the kitchen to start making his lunch. The channel broadcasts the news of their gala.
"Tonight is the night we celebrate at Ahlberg Gallery in honour of our hero's who put their lives on the line for our world." The news presenter continues to blab on.
"Hey Bucky." Sam calls from the kitchen before making his way over to the couch, chewing a piece of gum rather obnoxiously. "You gonna have one of those big post-breakup makeovers to impress the ladies at the gala." He shoves himself onto the free couch space.
"We aren't broken up." Growls Bucky.
"By the state of you it seems like you are." Sam prods to which Bucky sends back a glare.
"Maybe you should cut your hair either way." Sam suggests.
"No." Bucky replies sharply, despite their quarrel he knows in the back of his mind that Leia really likes his long hair and so he wouldn't dare part with it.
Sam reaches over to Bucky, swiftly placing the gum he had been chewing into the locks. Bucky flinches all too late.
"I really hope you didn't do what I think you just did." Steve groans while Sam's face holds a sheepish grin.
Bucky inspects his hair, attempting to remove the gum, in doing so spreading it further.
"WHAT THE FUCK SAM!!!" He yells standing to jump at the already retreating man.
"What! I thought it was time for a new look, you'll thank me later." Sam defends his actions.
Steve springs to action, holding back an angered Bucky.
"Hey, don't worry, sit down we will get it out." Steve assures him unconvincingly while Sam observes Bucky's demeanour shift to sadness.
"Sorry man, I didn't think that through." Sam says sympathetically.
"Whatever." Bucky huffs sitting down whilst waiting for Steve to return with means to remove the gum.