✔𝚮𝐞𝐥𝐥𝛐 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 ➳ 𝚩𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝚩𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 12: 𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝚩𝛐𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭

𝐉𝛐 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝛐𝐮𝐭 a heavy breath, as if that would possibly be able to calm her down when both of Bucky's hands were on her thighs. He reached over to the first aid kit and went for the band-aids, putting them on the worst cuts.

Would it be like this all summer? They would keep stealing glances, hungrily looking at the other's lips and all those damned lingering touches. The summer sun would surely turn to hellfire if that was what it would be like.

"How are you feelin'?" His voice brought her back, and her eyes trailed over his features, damn him for looking so good.

"Hungry," she said without a second thought. "And like everything hurts."

He nodded.

"Can you sit or is that gonna hurt too much?" Bucky asked and raised himself onto the edge of the bathtub.

"It won't hurt if you'll give me some painkillers," she smiled and nodded towards the first aid kit.

"Sure. Sit tight and I'll get a glass of water," he grinned and hopped out of the bathtub. The eyeroll from Jo came involuntarily to her.

"As if I'm going to move."

She kept cleaning off her bruises and skin, realising that maybe she should have taken a shower before they bandaged her up. After being out of the sun for so long, she was starting to get cold in her wet clothes.

Bucky came back carrying a glass of water, and she opened one of the bottles from the first aid kit, taking out two pills. With the glass in her hand, she downed the two pills and thirstily drank the water. A few droplets travelled from the corners of her mouth, but she quickly swept them away with a thumb. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Bucky's eyes locked to the droplets and her movement but he quickly glanced away.

"Good. Now, let's get some food in you."

He smirked down at her and hooked his arm underneath her legs, the other one clutching her waist. In one smooth motion, he picked her up. The sting was back from her cuts, but they were slowly becoming more tolerable, a product of her getting used to them undoubtedly.

"Can you help me to my room instead?" Jo sheepishly asked, looking up at him with big pleading eyes.

"Anything for you, honey," he repeated the phrase he had said yesterday. The words came with as much ease, and they felt wonderful to speak when they were about her. She clutched his neck a little tighter and bit down on her lip.

"Thanks for not making a huge deal out of this."

Her voice was low, and he let out a rumbling chuckle, knowing how rare it was for her to thank someone. Especially him. That was only the third or second time he had ever heard them spoken in his presence.

"Now why would I do that?"

They started making their way up the stairs. Jo was surprised by how easily he was able to carry her. It didn't seem like an issue at all to him. Bucky wasn't as large as Steve, but he definitely had muscle.

From the few times she had seen him without clothes, that had been more than apparent. A thought in the back of her mind emerged. What would he look like without any clothes?

The image of him hovering above her sprung forward, how he wrapped his arms around her in the record store, the way his warm body had felt against hers only minutes ago. Those piercing eyes watching her with the glint reserved for her as he hungrily took in the sight of her.

A soft chuckle left him, and she frantically searched his face. The only tell was her reddening cheeks and surely, he couldn't know just from that.

"What do you want in your room?" Bucky asked as they stepped onto the second floor, and he sauntered towards her bedroom. Those three vowels emerged from the bottom of her throat, climbing on the tip of her tongue, but she quickly bit it to keep them at bay.