xxxiv. SHOPPING

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"Are we there yet?"

Bucky smiled fondly at you as you asked the same question for the fourth time. He was driving you to the mall – the journey wasn't long, but you were incredibly impatient. You loved shopping but, as an Avenger, you didn't really get to do it often. And although Bucky didn't really enjoy shopping for himself, he was more than happy to go along with you.

"Five more minutes, doll."

You began to fidget excitedly in your seat. To pass the short amount of time, you turned up the music and began to sing, waving your arms around enthusiastically in time to the song. Bucky chuckled, shaking his head at your childish behaviour.

Before long, you arrived at the mall. Bucky immediately got out of the car and rushed to open the door for you, causing you to giggle. As the two of you walked inside, you took his hand and laced your fingers with his, smiling as he blushed a little – even after being together for almost two years, Bucky still got butterflies around you.

First, you entered a clothes shop. Bucky helped you pick armfuls of different outfits and waited outside the changing room, telling you that you looked beautiful every single time you whisked open the curtain and twirled around to show him what you were wearing.

Naturally, you wanted to buy every single item of clothing, but you managed to restrain yourself, finally leaving the shop with a new pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a silky, flowery dress which Bucky said reminded him of the 40s.

Next, you walked into a stationary store. You squealed happily when you saw a large shelf of highlighters and notebooks, rushing over to choose which colours you wanted to purchase. Bucky followed you, laughing quietly as he watched you, his eyes filled with love.

Over the next few hours, he became progressively more tired and confused as to how you still seemed to have so much energy. Meanwhile, although you were having fun, you could sense that Bucky was slowly becoming overwhelmed by the whole experience – he gripped your hand more tightly, stuck close to you in busy areas and stopped talking to you as much.

"Just one more store, okay? Then we can go home," you promised. Bucky attempted to protest, wanting you to enjoy yourself as much as possible before you had to leave, but you shushed him, pulling him into a tight hug. He sighed gently, relaxing in your arms.

"Thank you for bringing me here," you mumbled, leaning up to kiss his cheek before walking into your final shop of the day, a department store which sold everything you could possibly need. Predictably, you headed straight to the food section, throwing numerous bags of yours and Bucky's favourite candy into the cart. As you began to head towards the checkout, you were stopped by a soft tap on your shoulder.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Bucky announced.

"Okay, I'll be–"

"Wait here for me?" He gave you his best puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

You immediately nodded, knowing that you couldn't resist that look. Bucky reluctantly let go of your hand and disappeared into the bathroom. You stood in the same spot for a few seconds before realising that, if you were quick, you could pick up some ice cream tubs before he came back. You made your way into the freezer aisle, stopping in front of the Ben & Jerry's. Upon seeing that your favourite flavour was out of stock, you frowned, trying to decide which one to get instead.

After a few minutes, you realised that you were probably taking a little too long. After quickly throwing two different tubs of ice cream into the cart, you made your way back to the spot where you were supposed to wait for Bucky, relieved to find that he hadn't come out of the bathroom yet.

However, after another five minutes or so, you were getting a little worried. You checked your phone several times to see if Bucky had texted of called you, but the only message there was one from Steve, wishing you a safe journey. As you pocketed your phone again, you noticed a man leaving the bathroom and cautiously approached him.

"Excuse me," you began nervously, "is a guy in there, uh... tall, sorta long hair, black bomber jacket and jeans...?"

"Nope," the stranger responded, "it's completely empty."

You thanked him hastily before abandoning your cart and walking briskly through each section of the store to find your missing boyfriend, cursing yourself for leaving in the first place. Just as you were beginning to lose hope, you winced as a loud voice echoed over the loudspeaker.

"Y/N L/N, your child is at register ten."

"Child?" you mumbled, already on your way to the checkouts. "What..."

Your words faded as you approached register ten. You could see Bucky sitting cross-legged on a bench, staring directly at you, frowning and pouting like an adorable little kid.

"Why'd you leave me?" he mumbled when you reached him. "I thought someone might've taken you... I tried to call you but I couldn't figure out how to switch my phone on."

As Bucky stood up, you wrapped your arms around him. "I'm so sorry... it's okay, we're both safe. I went to go get ice cream..."

Bucky cut you off with a quiet chuckle. "Of course you got distracted by the food. That's my girl," he said fondly.

You laughed, thankful that he wasn't angry at you and didn't seem to be too distressed anymore. You grabbed his hand and the two of you walked back to the car; knowing that Bucky was tired, you insisted on driving home, and he didn't protest.

After driving for about fifteen minutes, you noticed that Bucky had completely stopped speaking. When you glanced to the side, you saw him slumped to one side, his face smushed adorably against the window, breathing deeply as he somehow slept peacefully beside you.

When you reached home, you gently shook him awake, murmuring his name.

"Love you," he slurred, opening his eyes for a second before promptly shutting them and going straight back to sleep. You sighed, digging out your phone to text Steve.

You were going to need some help carrying Bucky inside.

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