peace [bucky barnes]

6

Eden could feel Penny's eyes lasering into her the second that the gloved man disappeared down the hallway, her gaze following his shadow as his footsteps became quieter and quieter. She was scared to turn her head, certain her cheeks were absolutely blazing scarlet, her heart still thumping in her chest as she recalled his burning stare.

"Oh my God." Penny's voice was quieter than usual, completely shocked as she stood frozen in place, her eyes switching between Eden and the empty hallway. "I thought he was going to throw you over his shoulder and start fucking you against the desk."

Eden's head snapped to the side, mouth flying open as she swatted Penny's arm, squealing, "Penny, no! Jesus!"

"What?!" She shrugged, breaking into a giggle as she noticed how red Eden's face was. "Come on, Eden. That was absolutely insane."

Eden was still stood facing the hallway, trying to regain her footing after he'd completely thrown her off balance. She hadn't expected him to be so bold in his stare, or even say anything to her at all, his gravelly voice sending shivers down her spine. It was two words, and yet it had completely rattled her; she felt like a giddy teenager with their first crush, butterflies in her stomach as he had admired her unabashedly.

Penny's hand on her shoulder brought her back down to Earth, finally turning to face her as she swallowed the cotton lump in her throat. Her eyes were twinkling, entertained grin on her lips as she watched Eden try to still her nerves. "He's really got under your skin, hasn't he?"

"No! I'm fine." The squeak in Eden's voice betrayed her, eyes rolling back into her head as Penny instantly erupted into childish giggles.

"You don't have to lie to me, babe."

Eden let out a sigh, rolling her shoulders back and stretching her arms behind her as she tilted her chin toward the ceiling, trying to relieve the tension in her body. She perched atop the reception desk, folding her arms across her chest as her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine. Yes, I am very fucking rattled."

"I could tell, sweetie," Penny winked, chuckling under her breath as Eden shot her a glare. "I've never felt so much tension between two people in my life!"

A groan escaped Eden's lips, hands flying up to cover her face as she shook her head from side to side. Part of her was excited that he'd shown a blatant interest, but the rest was absolutely terrified, the nerves he stirred inside her so overwhelming she couldn't even think straight. There was, however, the complication of his status as a client at the office; he wasn't hers, so it wasn't illegal, but it would definitely be frowned upon by the other members of staff. Eden's brain overran with the different implications, voices so loud it made her stomach lurch with anxiety.

"What am I gonna do, Pen?" She turned to face her friend, eyes wide in panic while Penny stared at her with furrowed brows. "I can't date a client, that-"

"He isn't your client, Ed. You're allowed to date him," Penny interrupted, noticing the fear in Eden's dark eyes, instant reaction to diffuse it before she spiralled into complete insanity. "And you don't have to do anything. Don't drive yourself crazy, you just have a little crush - that's as far as it has to go, if that's what you want."

There was a pause between them as Eden's mouth twitched downward, eyes averting from Penny's as she contemplated that possibility. She caught her lip between her teeth, a whine vibrating in her throat as she shook her head. "But he's so gorgeous."

Penny's head lolled to the side as she stared at her with a deadpan expression, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Eden's typical indecisive nature. She desperately wished that her friend's anxiety didn't get the better of her sometimes; it meant she always found it difficult to go with the flow, her tendency to overthink and overanalyse always leaving her rooted to the spot, too scared to move. If this was Penny, she wouldn't have thought much of it, simply being flattered by the attention from a handsome stranger, but Eden wasn't wired the same as her - she had to take it to the next level, and then five levels further, until Penny cut it short with reason or until she drove herself insane.