[Quiet in the Chaos]

~13~

~13~

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TWO DAYS passed where Bucky managed to almost completely avoid his housemate, both guilt and shame driving him away from her and honestly, it frustrated the hell out of Danielle.

So she doesn't bother knocking on his door after she wakes to her alarm.

4 30

She bursts into his room, her feet stomping angrily on the wood. The man flinches, jumping up from his spot on the edge of his bed and although she feels a pang of guilt, she doesn't waver.

"Up. Now."

Bucky's expression twists, his eyes wide as he stares at the stir crazy woman in front of him.

"You heard me," she finishes sternly, cocking both eyebrows threateningly. "Come on. We're going for a walk."

The man's expression falters, his eyes darkening. "I told you I'm not ready."

"I know," she replies with a nod. "You're not ready to be in a crowd. I get that. There won't be a crowd."

He blinks, the gears in his head turning slowly as he tries to figure out where she wants to go. "Danielle," he sighs gruffly.

"Ah, but, blah, blah, come on," she hisses, tossing her head back.

His eyes crinkle slightly as he watches her antics. Shaking his head, reluctantly, with heavy footsteps he follows her out of the cabin.

•••••••••

The sun hadn't fully risen yet as Danielle leads Bucky along the path. They had been waking for two hours and though the man was growing even more curious, he can't say he didn't appreciate the distraction. She raises a hand to wipe the sweat forming on her forehead. Enviously, she shoots him a dirty glance, never had she wished more to be injected with some of that serum than now.

"You know this would have been a lot easier if you had actually brought my car here and hadn't left it in some random town," she mutters bitterly.

Still, she continued up the pathway, that was becoming more and more overgrown. The soldier's eyes glance up from his own boots, noticing her determined expression, the corner of his lip tugging upwards slightly as she clamps her lips together, attempting to breathe at a regular pace through her nose.

The man reaches his flesh hand over, grasping the strap of her rug sack. She comes to a sudden stop, whirling to face him. He ignores the dark, brown eyes that bear into him as he pulls the bag off of her shoulders.

Danielle clicks her tongue as her struggle is in vein, the man barely batting an eyelid at her protest. She can't help but stare at him, his consideration not something she had witnessed until now. She almost smiles at the thought.

"If there's a picnic in the bag I'm leaving," he announces seriously as he pauses on the sand dune, looking across the beach, lit up by the early morning sun.

She blows an amused breath. She shakes her head, gesturing for him to follow. With a suspicious frown, he does. The pair make their way up to the cliff edge where Danielle takes the bag from Bucky, pulling the zip open. She tugs out a navy pair of swimming trunks and tosses them at his chest.

He blinks, his brows twisting. "No way."

"Get over yourself Barnes. I'll turn around, put those on. Just trust me for once," she answers irritably.

He raises an eyebrow and she shrugs innocently. "You don't think I found out your full name?"

After a few moments, he sighs, finding a spot a few feet away, as promised, she turns away from him, pulling off her own sweatpants and tank top, already wearing her one piece swimsuit, grateful for its long sleeves. She didn't feel like sharing their scar stories today.

"Ready?" She calls over her shoulder. She's answered with a low grumble. She claps her hands together, shifting to face him. "Fabulous."

The man heaves a sigh, his t shirt still on. She doesn't argue, she doesn't blame him in fact. She smirks stiffly, holding out her hand. He raises an eyebrow, glancing at it. She resists an eye roll. "Get your mind out of the gutter," she snipes, grasping his flesh hand, she pulls him to the edge.

"You don't think this is a little dangerous?" He asks as his gaze lingers on the waves below.

She almost laughs, but as his eyes find hers, she realises he isn't worried about himself. His cheeks tint red and he clears his throat. She gestures with her head before releasing his hand, taking two long strides and propelling herself into the air.

The welcomed rush of adrenaline floods through her and a smile almost graces her lips. She's glad of the familiarity.

After a few moments, she re-emerges from the water, throwing back her head as she gasps in a lungful of air. Her arms extend either side of her, treading the water easily. The water beside her ripples, washing over her chin as a soaked mop of brown hair appears.

Her eyes are fixed on the man as his flesh hand rakes his hair out of his face, out of his wide, blue eyes. He appears lighter, younger even. The corner of his lip is tugged upward slightly, his broad chest rising and falling heavily. Danielle clears her throat, peeling her eyes away from Bucky.

The pair bob up and down to the rhythm of the water, the man a few inches above her, his own eyes trained on hers as she glances back to the beach. She doesn't dare to turn her head, afraid if she does, she won't be able to look away. Bucky, however, greeted with a foreign feeling, finds his blue orbs travelling down her soaking body, lingering slightly on the way her swimsuit clings to her. But then he brings his eyes back up to her round face, her plump lips slightly parted as she regains her breathing.

"That was incredible," he manages, his gruff voice still dangerously quiet.

This causes the girl to look back to him. She fails miserably to stifle a small smile that he enjoyed it. That she had managed to give him a moment of freedom. "I know," is all she replies with, her eyes involuntarily flitting to his lips. She sinks slightly in the water, their faces desperately close. If she leaned forward an inch, his lips would touch her forward. She curses the butterflies that occupy her stomach at the thought.

Bucky glances back to the cliff, his lips still curled upwards ever-so slightly. "It's like," he tries, his brows pulling together as he searches for the word.

"It's peaceful," she adds softly, her soaking hair falling across her cheek.

Bucky watches it carefully, his fingers itching to tuck it behind her ear. He wants to touch her, to feel how soft her skin is. He almost flinches, realising his hand is raised, a millimetre from her cheek. His eyes flicker to meet hers for permission. She blinks, her eyes bearing into his without an ounce of caution. Before he can rationalize his actions, his finger brushes sickeningly lightly off of her skin, gently brushing the stray strand behind her ear. His hand lingers for a moment, their eyes still matched intensely.

Danielle has to restrain herself from leaning into the touch, her stomach doing somersaults. "Thank you," he whispers, so close that Danielle can feel his warm breath against her face. Not trusting herself to speak, she inclines her head, her eye contact unwavering.

Bucky studies her longingly, longing to take her into his arms, to be in hers. But the longer he studies her, the more fragile she appears, Her soft, round face, wide eyes. He would break her.

He doesn't deserve her.