A Single Saturday Night {Bucky Barnes } 18+

Monster

{Song inspiration Monster by Skillet}

Just a quick little PSA, this is some physical violence in this chapter.

Take care of yourselves!

Happy Reading!

-Sif

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One evening in early December, Harper invited Bucky to a Christmas Party at her friend's house. Bucky initially hesitated, but didn't want to disappoint Harper, so he agreed to go.

Bucky had been vigilant all day; he woke up from a nightmare at 3 am and could go back to bed. He had already consumed three cups of coffee, leaving him jittery and running on fumes, which wasn't a good combination. But when Harper came over to his house looking so damn beautiful in her forest green belted blouse, with long flowing sleeves resting at her elbows, black tights hugging all her curves and edges just right, brown knee-high boots, a chunky black ring on her pointer finger, blood red lips, and matching vintage Gatsby chandelier style ears dangling from her lobes, luscious blonde curls rest on her shoulders. She looked too damn pretty to be staying in tonight, and he wanted to show her off.

The party wasn't a large party by any means, but it was a smaller-sized apartment crowded with adults. It didn't help that he had to park two blocks away and walk past a bar with various states of buzzed and drunk people milling out.

To say Bucky was on high alert was putting it lightly; the moment they walked in, he scanned the room, looking for potential threats and exists.

Harper noticed after an hour, and Bucky was still uneasy; he stood with his back against the wall, beer in his hand untouched, eyes sliding back and forth watching. She walked up to him with a smile and a gentle touch.

Harper reassured him with a smile, "It's just a party, Buck. Nothing to worry about, these are my friends we're safe."

He nodded, forcing a smile on his face; Harper gave his hand a recurring squeeze. But he couldn't shake off the feeling; his instincts had never steered him wrong before. As the night progressed, he became more and more paranoid. He felt anxious and on edge; he tried to tell himself Harper was safe, he was safe, this was a safe space.

Harper noticed that Bucky was still acting strange; he was getting increasingly agitated, and she knew she had to do something to help him. She grabbed his hand and discretely slipped into another room; once alone, she asked him what was wrong. He hesitated, but eventually, he told her about his trust issues and how he struggled to let his guard down.

She listened to Bucky's words, her heart aching for the pain he had endured. She knew he had been through a lot, and it was understandable why he had difficulty trusting people.

"Hey," she said, cupping his cheek in her hand. "I'm not going anywhere, Bucky. You can trust me." She said, opening herself up to him, praying that he would see the honesty she was trying to project.

Bucky's eyes met hers, and for a moment, he felt a sense of calm wash over him. He felt hope, light, and salvation in those beautiful hazel eyes. He knew Harper was different, and he wanted to let her in.

"I know," he said, taking a deep breath. "I want to trust you, Harper. It's just hard; I'm getting there," he smiled wryly.

"I understand; take your time." she took a deep breath, "Your worth the wait, Bucky Barnes," Harper said, reassuringly smiling as she leaned in, pressing a quick kiss on his lips. "But I'm here for you, always."