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Heavy rain poured down as Beatrice stared out her window at the grey New York sky, still bright despite the deluge. Her window was open to the elements and a cool breeze ruffled the chocolate curls that framed her face. She took a sip from her mug, the tea warming her from the inside as she flipped through a book. Sighing in contentment, she was enjoying the ambiance of the day. It was a welcome relief from the usual chaos that could be heard throughout her apartment building.
However, the relaxing atmosphere was short-lived.
A loud banging at her door made Beatrice jump, hot liquid spilling out of the cup and over her hand. She grumbled to herself before standing, smoothing out the wrinkles of her skirt and wiping the tea away with a towel from the nearby sink. Another knock rattled the apartment and she hurried to look through the peephole into the hall, groaning as she saw what stood on the other side. She wrenched open the door and fixed the visitor on the other side with a stern glare.
He was dripping with rainwater, droplets running down his cheekbones and nose and over a set of perfectly pink lips. A puddle was starting to collect around his feet and she could see every damp footprint he'd left from the beginning of the hall to her door, which was directly across from his own.
"Bucky Barnes, the next time you knock on my door like you've got a death wish," Beatrice said dryly, a stark contrast to the soaking wet man in front of her. "I'll make it come true."
Her neighbor rolled his eyes, the baby blue of them electric despite the dim hallway light. Beatrice refused to admit that she could feel the sparks from where she stood.
"Come on, doll, I'm freezing my ass off out here," Bucky whined. "I lost our key."
"Well, that sounds like a big problem for you. I'm sure you can muster the brain power to solve the case."
Beatrice attempted to close the door, huffing when one soaked brown loafer poked out and stopped her progress.
"I know you've got a spare," he continued, raising a dark eyebrow before he smirked. "And you don't want Steve catching a cold, do ya?"
Bucky gestured over his shoulder at his roommate and best friend. Steve stood equally soaked to the bone, his slender frame shivering. He gave her a small wave and the corner of her mouth turned up before she looked back at Bucky. For a brief moment, she imagined what it would be like to punch the stupid, sexy grin off his face.
"Whaddya say, Busy Bea?" he smiled down at her, knowing he'd found her weak spot and won. "Gonna help a fella out?"
Bea sighed loudly as she let both soaked men in. As Steve passed her, shivering like a leaf tree.
"Barnes, you know better than to drag Steve through this weather." Bea scolded the man with the brightest, bluest eyes she's ever seen that she could get so easily lost in, at the same time they belonged to the most infuriating person she's ever met.
