You safe me

Chapter 5 - Safe

Y/N actually shows them a few of her animals, starting at the smallest which happens to be a dwarf otter, up to the biggest which is a black puma. After that she continues to sit shyly next to the brunette and listens to the others talk as if she had sat there the whole day. Nobody pushed her away until now, and she didn't get beaten for her ability. The only thing that lets her feel slightly uncomfortable is the feeling of Bucky's eyes on her. It's not the uncomfortable feeling of wanting to run away and hide, it's the feeling of knowing someone is watching you because you woke his interest.

The day passes by and Y/N stays mostly silent. She answers some questions but never starts a conversation on her own. She steels some looks at everyone present in the room to get a better reading on them, to get a feeling of what they might think of her, now that they know. But neither of them shows any kind of discomfort. The result is the same every time. As soon as they meet Y/N's gaze they smile kindly at her. At some point Steve leaves and comes back with food and water and passes it to Bucky and Y/N. She only nibbles a bit on her food before she puts it back on the coffee table with a disapproving look from Natasha.

At some point Y/N slumps down on the couch and her eyes drift shut quicker than she manages to open them again. A hand on her shoulder rouses her form a light slumber she can't remember to have fallen in, and she snaps her eyes open with a twitch. Grey eyes look guiltily and knowing at her. He's not saying anything but motions for her to stand up and follow him. She looks around the room to see if the others are watching her, but she is surprised to find most of them gone. Only Tony, Natasha and Steve are still there. Had she fallen that deep into a slumber that she hadn't noticed them leaving?

Slowly she drags her gaze back to Bucky who waits for her by the door. She looks quickly to Nat to get a confirmation to follow the man and only after she nods at her she starts moving to him. They walk silently through the hall to the elevator and then stay silent as it rides up a few levels. Y/N finds herself looking at Bucky from the corner of her eyes. He looks relaxed if tired. Somehow a bit of color is back in his face and his eyes actually seem brighter that she ever saw them. All in all, he seems to radiate a calmness and happiness he seemed to have missed over the time she was gone. As if it was bottled up. He catches her staring as the doors of the elevator open and smiles at her before he places his hand gently on the small of her back to push her out. He guides her along some doors until he stops right in front of one. "It's your room." He motions at the door and takes a step back for Y/N to open it. Confused to why she gets her own room she looks at him until he takes her hand to place it on the door handle. A wave of warmth flood through her as he touches her and as soon as it comes it vanished again as his hand leaves hers. The handle moves almost on its own and the door swings open only to reveal a room with grey and turquoise, decor pictures on the wall and here and there some fake plats to make the room comfortable. A cream-colored couch sits in the middle of the room, facing a big TV. Filled bookshelves are on the wall behind it, to each side a window showing the skyline of New York. Y/N stares for a moment. She never had a room like this. Not even this big. She turns to Bucky only to find him smiling knowingly at her. She feels her own mouth twitch into a matching smile. She makes a move to step fully into the room but Bucky quickly grabs her hand and pulls her into his arms. She tenses with surprise at the gesture. Bucky is tense as well, probably thinking about the fact that he just hugs her out of nowhere. "Y/N." His voice is a whisper. Y/N doesn't miss the pleading note in it. "Don't leave again. Please." She swallows past the lump in her throat and shakily wraps her own arms around Bucky's middle. "Okay. I'll stay." She whispers back just a silently and closes her eyes, only focusing on the feeling of Bucky's arms round her, the weight of his head on her shoulder and his puffy breath on her neck. They stay a moment longer until Bucky pulls away. He gifts her a smile before he quickly presses a kiss to her cheek and all but runs to the room opposite hers, which she knows pretty well. Y/N stays dumbstruck on her spot, one hand on the cheek Bucky has kissed and gaze pinned to the now closed door. She knows she smiles dumbly but does nothing to control it. Bucky had kissed her! It was a kiss to the cheek, yeah, but he HAD kissed her!