Trying Your Luck - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 14: Twenty Questions

Bucky spends the next week bouncing between Shannon's apartment and his own place when she's not working. He's dreading his next session with Dr. Raynor. So much has happened since his last appointment that it's hard to keep everything straight. It's one of the biggest problems with his memory, especially when emotions are involved.

Everything is perfect at Shannon's apartment. It feels like they've created this impenetrable fortress. If he takes one step outside of this door, he knows he'll morph right back into the cantankerous old man he is. In here, he's not 106. Shannon makes him feel so much younger. He's strong and soft simultaneously. He's a good lover. He forgets about the nightmares, the anxiety, everything. He's everything he was denied for so many years. His feelings for Shannon become more and more intense. They spend hours exploring each other - kissing, touching, and laughing when she accidentally elbows him in the chin while she's reaching for a condom. He insists he's fine, but she runs to the freezer to grab a bag of frozen peas for the growing bruise on his chin. Sam finds out about the incident thanks to his and Shannon's budding friendship and makes fun of Bucky for a whole day. He congratulates Shannon on kicking his ass. It's only a little humiliating. She makes it up to him.

The morning of his therapy session, he doesn't want to move or do anything. He sits on the bathroom counter in his boxer shorts while Shannon does her makeup. She keeps asking him if he's bored, but he's just content to watch her. He used to do this as a child when his mother would get ready in the morning, but Shannon's routine is much different than the one he remembers. She's got so many weird gadgets and tools just to paint her face. Bucky pinches his fingers on an eyelash curler that looks like a medieval torture device and tosses it back onto the counter, glaring at it. Shannon giggles.

His mother just had a tube of lipstick, a powder puff, and her fingertips. She always looked perfect. Bucky watches Shannon as she dabs at her face with what looks like a small grenade. She insists it's a sponge. She chuckles and looks over at him.

"I can't believe you think this is interesting. Most guys would never sit and watch this entire process."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know a lot of men who think makeup is stupid or women only wear it to deceive guys. Like, it's not our fault some of you are so stupid you think we're born with glitter on our eyelids."

Bucky chuckles.

"Well, I don't know very much, but I know you're not born with sparkly eyelids." He sighs and stretches his neck from side to side before resting his chin on his knuckles. "I like watching you do this. There's something... I don't know, hypnotic about it. Am I stressing you out?"

"Not at all," Shannon replies, leaning over to kiss him. She picks up a thin black pen and draws lines on her eyelids. Bucky is impressed at her precision, although she does swear a few times and cleans up the lines with a Q-Tip before turning to him and closing her eyes. Bucky frowns.

"What are you doing?"

"Do these look even to you?"

He leans forward and before he can say anything, Shannon snatches another kiss. He laughs.

"Cheeky."

"I know."

"They look good."

"What about when I open my eyes?"

He laughs.

"You're beautiful, Shannon."

"Thank you. So are you."

She goes back to putting makeup on.

"Do you want to play a game?" She asks.

"Sure. What game?"