Even if the stars don't shine

Relax

  The next week and a half was run like a family camp, arts and crafts, movies consistently every night to where she found herself having fallen asleep and quietly asking to be carried to bed. He'd always comply but made sure that the blanket she draped herself covered his metal arm so that it wouldn't touch her.

  One day she announced at breakfast that they were going to the beach. She saw his sceptical look. "It'll be fun, we'll collect washed up, smoothed glass pieces and make necklaces out of them." They'd already made three different wreaths, sunflower pomander balls to hang up by the window and several glow-in-the-dark mason jar things.

  "I don't think I should leave-"

  "We'll dress you up like the other kids and no one'll even notice, don't worry. I think we both need some fresh air anyway."

  He reluctantly agreed. It was cold outside, as winter had swept over the city, so he didn't have to crudely try and wear shorts. Bane of his existence at the moment.

  She didn't have a car so they walked the couple of blocks to the pier. "It's a nice day," she remarked as they got there. The walk had been fairly quiet, she'd tell him about the neighbourhood, who lived where and what their situation was. He'd nod along and listen but didn't speak. It seemed to be his thing.

  She showed him down the sand trail from the road to the beach. "More people use plastic now so there probably won't be a lot... there's a crafts shop just up the road in case," she told him and saw his eyes stuck on the ocean.

  "Something wrong?"

  He shook his head and stepped onto the sand. She followed him, then after some time, they'd gone in separate directions to look. Bucky found two thumb sized lumps of blue and green glass, partially smoothed but still retaining its edges. He went back to her and showed her.

  "Perfect!" she smiled. "I don't think we'll really get any more than that... want to check out the shop?"

  He nodded so she told him to pocket the ones he found and showed him to the crafts shop. The shop manager hardly gave them a second glance after greeting them and went back to a cross word puzzle he was doing under the counter. Bucky found it strange, fresh.

  She looked around as he followed. "Find something you like, Sam sent an EFT, got some cash left over."

  He wasn't exactly sure what that meant but he looked through himself until he found something cheap enough. He returned to her but a bag of face paint and instructions.

  She chuckled at the sight. "That's gonna be interesting..."

  He half-smiled at her confirmation and was shown the glass in a white plastic covering. He followed her to the counter and watched the clerk's movements carefully. He had a duty by Steve to protect her, whether Sam liked him or not.

  She noticed his eyes and once she paid, she took his right hand and pulled him out the shop, thanking the clerk again as they left. "Relax..." she told him although she was sure he wouldn't take the advice.

  She took him home again and weighed which to do first. "Face painting first so that it'll make the necklaces even more fun..." she grinned as she sat cross-legged on the couch beside him. "So, what'll you have?" she looked down at the page provided of looks already done on kids.

  He tied up his hair and thought for a moment then blankly said: "Tiger."

  She chuckled and picked out the orange, black and white paint and a brush. "Purrfect..." she laughed at her own joke seeing his smile. She looked up on her phone for instructions so she didn't mess it up and sat closer to do it properly.