Winter's Bride

7. Thank You

It wasn't long before you were back in your apartment, James having supported your weary body up the 5 flights of stairs with ease. Once inside he gently took your coat and hung it on the back of your chair along with your bag which he had also been carrying. You were sitting, numbly on the sofa, clinging on to the blanket he had draped around your shoulders before his voice pulled you away from the scene you were replaying in your mind.

"Can you unlock your phone for me?" he asked holding out the now cracked iPhone as he stood at the side of you. You took it from him without saying a word, unlocked it using face recognition and handed it back to him. He scrolled through your contacts, finding YCN's number and pressed dial as he made his way over to the kitchen and put the kettle on to make tea. She answered within a few rings but it sounded like she was out, he could hear a busy sounding environment in the background.

"Hey can I call you back? I'm just out with Chris at the moment." She answered.

"Hey" Bucky spoke, "It's James, the asshole that lives opposite Y/N." He introduced himself knowing that him phoning would immediately alert her that something wasn't right. He heard her breath hitch as the noise from the background suddenly went quiet.

"What's happened?" he could hear the level in pitch rise as she spoke.

"Y/N is safe, she's in her apartment, but she has been assaulted."

"Oh my God" she gasped in complete and utter horror of what she was being told.

"Fortunately I was passing and stopped it before he managed to, you know, go any further, but she's pretty shaken up and I didn't know who else to call." He had balanced the phone between his ear and shoulder now as he poured the brewed tea from the teapot into two mugs.

"We're on our way." She said, ending the call. He kept the phone where he had it balanced as he took the mugs over to the living area and set them down on the coffee table, along with the phone.

"Can I sit?" he asked for permission. You nodded slowly and he sat down next to you, you could feel yourself lift in your seat as soon as his weight hit the sofa. "I made you tea." He spoke softly, gesturing to the steaming mug.

"I...I need to shower" You said, standing abruptly from the sofa, "And get out of these clothes I just need to get them off me." You said, tugging at them, he could see the rip in your shirt and the red blotches which were beginning to blossom down the delicate skin of your neck. He felt his body tense with rage at the site of the marks.

"Okay that's fine" he said calmly, "You go shower and change, I'll be here."

"Okay" you said almost robotically before disappearing off into your bedroom and closing the door behind you. He lent forward in the chair, holding his head in his hands as he forced himself to stay put and not track down the man who had done this to you and rip him from the face of the earth.

"Buck?" Steve's voice sounded in his ear.

"Yeah?" he answered, his fists still clenched as he sat back in the chair.

"Update? Tony's asking"

"Still no sign of any activity." Bucky answered, before letting out a loud sigh.

"Okay, nothing from our end either but Nat and Clint are currently on an intel op over in Jersey, maybe we'll have more answers when they return."

"Hopefully" he replied when the door to the apartment flew open, he stood quickly from where he was sitting, spinning around and about to reach for his gun when he saw YCN appear along with a man he hadn't seen before.

"Where is she?" she asked, he could see the remnants of tears streaking down her face.

"In the shower." He replied, regaining his composure.

"Then who were you talking to?" she asked as she made her way towards the door of your bedroom.

"Myself" Bucky shrugged before making eye contact with the man who had been busy locking the door behind them. "Hi, I'm James..."

"Y/N's neighbour" the man cut him off, "I've heard"

"Great" Bucky muttered.

"Chris" he nodded in response, "How is she?"

"Not great" Bucky admitted before dropping back down onto the sofa with a heavy sigh.

"But better than I would be had you not got there when you did" your voice came from the bedroom door as you reappeared freshly showered and in clean pyjamas with YCN at your side. He stood back up from the chair at the sound of your voice. You made your way over to where he stood, your eyes looking up to meet his, there wasn't even a mark on him as any evidence of is earlier heroism. "Thank you James" you said, the enormity of how grateful you were evident in your tone, "I don't know what the hell you were doing there but I'm bloody glad you were." You hugged him and he hugged you back, tightly but not so tightly that it would hurt your bruising body. You didn't want to let him go, something about him, his presence, his voice, his body, breathing in the musky smell of his oud cologne, those intense eyes. It all just made you feel safe. You pulled back, still holding each other in your arms, your faces mere centimetres apart as you lingered there for a brief moment before letting each other go.

"Anytime doll" he replied, forcing an uncomfortable smile, very much aware of the eyes other than yours that were watching him intently, when all he wanted to do was hold you safe in his arms forever. He stepped a couple of steps back away from you to further remove the temptation. "I'll go now you guys are here, I just didn't want her to be alone." He nodded curtly before making his way over to the door, YCN following after him to see him out.

"Thank you James" she said as he stepped out into the corridor. "Really, thank you" she said before throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug, taking him completely off guard.

"You're welcome" he smiled, patting her on her back awkwardly before she let go. She smiled gratefully before closing the door, he stood and listened for the sound of the locks being secured before he opened the door to his apartment and went inside.