Her Pet Project

Part 7

As they talked and laughed, Bucky entered the kitchen, pausing momentarily at the sight of Beth. Their eyes met, and Beth offered a tentative smile. Bucky returned the smile and joined the group at the table.

"Bucky can be your running partner," Nat said, getting up from her chair. "I think I'll speak with Peggy. Ask her to join Beth and me."

Beth chuckled. "I like how I'm part of this without volunteering. But yes, I think a routine would be good for me."

Nat pulled out her phone. "Great, I'll call Peg now. I'll see you guys later." She exited the room.

Steve also stood up to put his cup in the dishwasher. "Buck, do you fancy a bit of training?"

"Maybe, but I'm going to enjoy my coffee first", Bucky replied mid-pour of his coffee.

Steve smiled "I'll see you a bit, then", and left.

Bucky sat at the table where Beth was still seated, sipping her coffee.

He asked, "How are you?"

Beth looked up, meeting Bucky's gaze. She sensed a genuine concern in his eyes, starkly contrasting their previous interactions. "I'm... managing," she replied, a hint of vulnerability in her voice.

Bucky nodded, understanding. "I wanted to apologise for being."

Beth didn't let him finish. "Apology accepted, Sergeant Barnes. We all have our struggles, don't we?"

Bucky took a sip of his coffee, contemplating her words. "Yeah, we do. I'm here if you need someone to talk to or train with."

Beth smiled, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. "Have you ever thought about taking that advice?" She bit her lip nervously, a little frustrated with herself, blurting that out.

Bucky stared at her, narrowing his eyes slightly before calmly replying, "I give you that."

Beth let go of the breath she was holding. "I'm sorry, and thank you, Sergeant Barnes. As for your training offer, I did Krav Maga for some years but have not been to a session for a while."

Bucky smiled slightly and nodded. "So, how long did the doctor say until you could go out?"

"Out?" Beth thought he meant the medical care unit.

"Well, yes, you're out of medical and your room. What about the compound?" He took another sip of coffee.

"I don't need to leave the compound just yet. My next meet-up isn't until the fifth of March," Beth added, looking at her coffee and not him.

"Don't you have a place off-site?"

"Oh no. I don't need one. Work is here, so it's easy to commute, and I'm what they call an introvert. I meet with friends once a month, but I'm happy here with my lab and books. The only other times I might go off-site are for coffee, drive-through, of course, or to see Morgan."

Bucky watched her for a moment. "What books?"

"I like a real mixture, but depending on my mood, I tend to go for fantasy, sci-fi, horror, thriller, crime, or chick-lit."

Bucky tilted his head. "Chick-lit?"

Biting her lip again, she felt her cheeks warm, thinking she should have left that out.

Smiling, Bucky pushed a little. He liked to see her flustered. "As in Romance novels?"

"Yeah," she replied quietly. "But my go-to book if I can't figure out what to read is The Hobbit. My Mum read it to me when I was little, even if she was away over the phone." She added quickly, wanting to change the subject away from embarrassment.