Red - Bucky Barnes x OC

022

"Fuck." Celeste whispered as James locked eyes with her. He put down his glass and started to walk over to the table.

Celeste quickly jumped up pushing her way through people to stop him getting any closer.
"I'm fine. It's fine. They're leaving." She said placing her hands on his chest. "Jas is just about to tell them to fuck off" she smiled awkwardly at him trying to catch his gaze.

His jaw was clenched "I know they're leaving, I'm about to escort them out." He looked down at Celeste, his eyes black with rage. She knew he could be protective from that night in the bar, but this was different. He'd voiced his opinion to her about Chad.

"This dude? Really? I should have known the way he stormed out that shitty little cafe that day" Chad's voice came from behind Celeste breaking James' gaze from her.

"What did you just fucking say?"
He pushed Celeste behind him and Jas pushed her way through

"Excuse me that cafe is not shitty!"  Jas spat at him.

"I suggest you fuck off Chad, before I do something I regret." James gritted his teeth as he clenched his first. Celeste spotted it and grabbed his hand "please James just leave it."

Chad laughed "the reason I didn't text you back was because you bore me" he focused on Celeste, her jaw dropped. "you think you're this cool British girl who's moved here to chase a dream, but you're just working in a dive bar and having this..."

Chad took a fist to the face, he stumbled backwards, as his eyes focused Celeste was stood Infront of him as James grabbed her waist pulling her back.

"Get fucked Chad!" She yelled as James carried her to the bar and pushed past Steve and out the back door. Jas ran after them signalling for Steve. He threw his bar towel down and yelled to Sam he'd be back soon and followed them out into the back alley.

"What the fuck is going on?" He looked at Celeste who was laughing hysterically with Jas holding her fist in pain. He looked at James for an answer.

"Chad was here" he sighed, covering up the rage still inside of him. He wanted to crush that boys spine.

Steve's eyes looked between everyone "...and?! I'm gunna need more than that!"

"He was giving Ce a hard time, saying she was boring and that's why he didn't text her back" Jas answered for him, covering James back, "so she punched him" they both burst out laughing again.

Steve looked at Celeste surprised, he started to slowly clap his hands "well done Red, let me see your fist you might need some ice" he picked it up examining it.

"Good job Buck was there to step in, I wouldn't want my new bar manager getting into a full blown fight."

James gave him a half smile, he was worried about Celeste's hand and he still wanted to kill Chad, but he had to admit, it was funny to watch.

"Look I get off in 15 minutes, can I trust you to behave yourself?" Steve asked Celeste pulling her in for a hug. "Steve, I'm fine." She mumbled into his chest. But the adrenaline quickly wore off "Actually, I don't feel too good" she said clutching her head.

"I'll get you a cab home" James said looking to Jas for support. He needed to make sure she was ok, he wouldn't settle leaving her for the night, even if she was safe with Jas.

"I was going to stay at Steve's tonight, can you get her home ok?" She glared at James to play along.

Steve looked to Bucky "you know her address right?"

"Guys I just have a headache I'm not dying I can walk home!" She clung onto James arm.

"No we're getting you a cab Doll, I think the alcohol and adrenaline is mixing. And what comes next is usually not fun so come on." They started walking away toward the road to get a cab.

Steve looked down at Jas "Doll?" He questioned Bucky's nickname for Celeste.
"Oh you know how he is, has nicknames for everyone. Yours is Princess I heard" she slapped him on his ass and walked him back inside the bar.

Crisis averted, again.

~

Celeste woke up the next morning with a banging headache. She reached for her phone nearly knocking over the glass of water on her nightstand.

She heard her front door close
"Jas?" She murmured out, her own voice hurting her head.
"No, it's me" James walked into her room with a large McDonald's bag and some coffee. 

She smiled at him "you're the Friggan best" she croaked. He pulled off his clothes and got back into bed with her. She sat up, flopping against his arm grabbing at the bag, his cold skin felt amazing against her face.

"Let me guess" James started to open the bag "you're starving"

"Mhm now gimme the food!" She raised her voice "ow my head, can you please keep it down James, god" 

He laughed at her passing her a glass of water and some tablets. She grabbed them and chucked them in her mouth "you really, really, are the best" she gulped down the water.

"How's your hand let me see it." He put his hand out, she placed it in his as he pulled it closer to his face. He kissed her knuckles "a little swollen but you'll survive" he placed it back down gently as she propped herself up to start eating.

She released she'd punched Chad in front of a lot of people last night. She started to worry Darcy would find out and change her mind about making her management.

James could almost hear her thoughts "it'll be okay Doll, you did the right thing. If you didn't punch him, I would have snapped him in half" she turned to look at him "I know, but you really didn't need to come over. We could have settled it and got Jas to make them leave." She looked down to her food "I just feel like you don't trust me sometimes when boys are around"

"What? No!" He said with a mouthful of food. "it's not you! I trust you. It's the guys I don't trust."

"I know but you've gotta understand in my job it happens"

"This wasn't your job though, this was a stupid guy who thought he could upset you" he said stroking the back of her hair and pulling it to the side so he could see her face.

"I'm sorry doll, I'll try to keep it toned down. I just can't bear to think about another guy trying to chat you up"

She turned to him smirking "are you jealous James Barnes?"

He was thrown by the question, he blinked at her "Yeah I am." He answered bluntly, knowing he couldn't hide it from her. She leaned in and gave him a kiss.

"Well you don't need to be, I only have eyes for you. I don't go round punching boys for fun you know" she bit into her food before looking at James. He had a dopey smile on his face looking at her

"I know, but please don't do it again. Or at least come take some lessons from me"

They sat in bed for the rest of the morning talking about plans for the new bar, before Celeste fell back to sleep on his chest. He stroked her hair until he dozed off himself.