Taking Chances

Part 3: Stay

That's when he leans in to kiss me.

    Except he's not leaning in. He's falling. His eyes roll back into his head and his body collides with mine. I'm too shocked to move and he takes me down with him.

    I let out a laugh. How have I found myself underneath this man twice in the last 24 hours? I wheeze as his body weight crushes my chest.

    "Bucky?" I manage to squeak out. I shake his body but he's deeply unconscious. I huff while I wiggle out from underneath him. I sit up and turn over to kneel next to him.

    "Bucky?" I say as I attempt to wake him up. "James?" I put my hands on his chest. It rises and falls at a steady pace. He's still alive thankfully. That's when I begin to laugh in earnest.

    I can't believe I thought he was going to kiss me. A complete stranger. I run a hand down my face. I've been alone in these mountains for too long.

    I sober up and sigh. I might as well let him sleep. I get up and grab the blanket I gave him earlier and a small pillow. I cover him with the blanket and slip the pillow beneath his head. Still doesn't wake him. I make a mental note to check on him later to make sure this isn't a serious thing. I chock it up to over stimulation. Can't say I have the same excuse for being so hot and bothered.

    I look over the rest of him and other than his clean torso he's pretty dirty. His pants have blood stains on them as well as his boots. He'll need to take a bath when he wakes up. I head to my kitchen and pull out a big pot. I put it under my faucet and while it fills I light my stove. I turn off the water and transfer the pot to the heat.

    I look back to the unconscious man that sleeps in my living room. Can't say this was how I had planned to spend my day but I'm not mad about it either.

.....

    I've prepared Bucky's bath water. As I walked to and from the kitchen, Bucky started shifting slightly in his sleep and muttering to himself. Thank god. I wasn't sure he'd wake up in time to have the water still be hot.

    I approach the fire and kneel next to him for the thousandth time today.

    "Bucky?" I say softly. He shifts and mutters my name. I'm taken aback by that.

    Interesting.
    "Buck you gotta wake up, you're filthy and you need to clean yourself" He slowly opens his eyes and they stay staring at the ceiling unfocused.

    "Bucky?" I'm growing concerned when his head rolls towards me. He looks confused. "Um hi again" I give a limp wave. His eyes focus on me.

    "Christine?" He says softly. My chest flutters at my name on his lips and the fact that he even remembers it. I smile.

    "Yeah that's me" I stand "I've prepared a bath for you" I gesture to his soiled clothes "You're clothes are really dirty and your wound needs to be cleaned" I'm walking towards my bathroom "I'll try to scrounge up some replacement clothes while you bathe"

    He slowly rises behind me careful not to throw himself off kilter. My gaze droops to the planes of his chest before darting away. I'm definitely not ending up in a good place when I die from all the impure thoughts that have gone through my head about this injured man. I clear my throat.

    "There are towels in the bathroom along with soap. Be careful near your wound with the soap. I'll rewrap it when your done" I open my bathroom door and lead him inside. He steps in crowding the space. "Just holler if you need help with anything" He's staring at me with those eyes. I take the silence to mean that he understands my instructions and I head out.