[Quiet in the Chaos]

~17~

Ok, not to excite anyone or anything... but i've just written the next few chapters and let me tell you: we are getting somewhere ladies and gents. Bucky and Danielle are getting somewhere ;D also sorry for the super long chapter.

 

                                      ~17~

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ADELINE WAS never one to keep her mouth shut, so it's no surprise she doesn't now. "Are you two," she hangs on the last word, glancing between them. When neither respond, she finishes, "Together?"

Danielle releases a sharp breath, her face contorting in frustration. "Jesus, Mom."

"What?"

Dani quickly moves away from the topic, turning to face her parents and very quickly, attempting to pull herself together. "If you guys were coming up here for a break, we can leave, find somewhere else to stay," she mentions, her tones softer than previous. She feels Bucky's curious gaze burn into the side of her face. It's not entirely a lie, they could move up the coast, they would just have to rent somewhere.

"No, no, we're fine, don't you worry about us, besides, it's been so long since we've seen you!" Her mother exclaims, her lips pursing as she does her motherly assessment of her appearance. "You're sleeping better now?"

Dani's jaw clenches and she feels tears of frustration burn behind her eyes. They haven't been here five minutes and already she's regretting the day she was born. She raises her chin slightly. "I can put your bags upstairs, there's some food in the frying pan."

Bucky steps across her, taking both bags in his one hand, his eyes flickering to her, an emotion she can't decipher in his gaze. "I can do it," he offers quietly.

She nods, a half smile flickering across her lips, not missing the schoolgirl grin on her mother's face. When Bucky disappears up to the rooms, she turns to her parents. "How long are you staying?"

"Dan," her father sighs in a patronising tone. Or at least it's patronising to her. "It's nice to see you too."

"I don't mean that," she corrects softly, "I'm just wondering. Bucky is shy, that's all."

"He's not bad to look at either," Adeline hums.

Danielle rolls her eyes. "I just don't want to put him under pressure."

"Two days, that's all."

She nods, offering them a tight-lipped smile, her mother already moving towards the frying pan, mumbling about being starving.

"Missed you, kiddo," Robert mutters, pulling his daughter into a hug. She does her best to return it, attempting to be as enthusiastic as she can manage. She nods against his shoulder before he pulls away, stepping over to place a hand on his wife's back.