Kiss Me Better

7

You finally finished with the shirts and had moved on to shoes when again, you were interrupted.

"Ms. L/N?" a man called from beside you.

You read the tag on the man's shirt, indicating him to be the manager. You sighed in frustration, "Look, I asked her, more than once, to quit touching my kid and sh-"

The man held his hands up to stop you. "Everything is fine, Miss. She asked me to come speak to you, and now I have. I only wished to apologize for her behavior, and ensure you a better experience for the remainder of your time here."

"Sh- crap. I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright. You're not the first, you won't be the last, but she's one of our best customers, you understand..." he smiled nervously.

"Right. Thank you." You threw another box of shoes onto the bench. "Oh, um, do you think I can get all this taken to the register? We still have a few things to get and it's too much to carry around."

"Of course!" he quickly took the large pile of clothes from the bench. "I will send someone down to take the remainder of your things for you."

"That'd be perfect."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Bucky? Do you, um..." There wasn't an easy way to ask, and you began to feel heat creep up your neck. "Do you need underwear... or like, training pants or... something else?"

Bucky yanked his hand out of yours and sent you a death glare. Now that was a look you knew well. He walked up to the packages and studied them carefully. You didn't know if he was reading them, or just looking at the pictures. You'd have to ask him some other time, when he wasn't already annoyed with you. He pointed at one, and turned his back to you with his arms crossed.

You rubbed your forehead in frustration and looked at the package he chose. Finding the style in his size was a little difficult, since most garments for toddlers came in crazy patterns or plastered with cartoon characters he was unfamiliar with. But you found a few, far back behind the others, and grabbed them all. You opened one package and pulled one out, "Put these on."

He snatched them from you, and your shoulders slumped as he stomped away to hide behind another mannequin. It seemed no matter what, all you ever did was make him angry.

You had expected things to get worse when you pulled multiple car seats from the shelf and asked him to sit in them.

"You can't ride in the car without one," you began, preparing for an argument. But he sat in them without complaint, one by one, until you found the one you needed. Bucky was quiet as you led him around, picking the last few things he'd require. You wondered if he was just tired, and needed a nap. At the register, you took an outfit and held it to be rung up last. When you paid, you asked to have everything delivered to the tower, and led Bucky to the bathroom so he could change out of your hoodie as promised.

"Y/N?" he called shyly as he emerged from the men's room. "I can't tie," he pointed at his poorly knotted laces.

"I've got it." You tied them, garnering a soft 'thank you' from him. You stood and offered your hand, unsure if he'd take it. He did, and you walked out of the store.

You'd only gone two blocks before Bucky stopped you. "I hungry."