Meet and Kiss
Clicking the opal button in the elevator your two year old daughter grabs your hand, smiling up at you.
“Still there?” Your friend on the other line asks.
“Yeah, god, My baby sitter cancelled on me, so now I have to find a replacement before I go into work.” Blowing some hair out of your face, your daughter, Tatum, chews her black curly hair..
“Honey, don’t do that.” Tatum follows you command and stops. It had been hard being a single mom in Brooklyn. Your long term boyfriend, Loki, Had gotten you pregnant and left shortly after Tatum was born. Being scared of getting you two involved, and the potential of getting his daughter killed. He had been gone for almost three years now and it sucked. True you did have a good paying job and great friends who were always willing to help, but that still didn’t make up for the hole Loki left in your heart.
“Well, you can bring her over here? I’m not doing anything today.”
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that.”
“Oh, come on it’s been so long since I’ve seen the little squirt.” Your friend begging you. She is on the way toward your work so it wouldn’t take long just to drop her off. You consider the help as the elevator door opens, heading to the front desk, Tatum spots a man sitting at a table in the lobby. Running over to him, you put your phone back into you purse as you hand a letter to the man behind the desk for rent.
“Hi, my name’s Tatum.” Tatum smiled up at the man, and he pushed his hair to the side.
“Hey there, Doll. I’m Bucky. Pleased to meet you.” Bucky held out his metal hand and Tatum’s eyes went wide.
“Your hands shiny.” You looked around and saw Tatum over by Bucky and rushed over, grabbing her hand. Bucky’s eyes lit up and his smile brightened at you.
“Sweetie, That’s not very nice. I’m sorry...um. What’s your name.”
“James Buchanan Barnes, Ma’am, But you can call me Bucky. Everyone does.” Bucky stood up and you shook his hand.
“{Y/F/N}, Come on, Tatum, Let’s let him eat his breakfast.”
“Oh no, She’s fine. Go ahead, you can touch it.” Bucky held out his metal hand for Tatum again and she grabbed it gently, Shivering at the chill.
“Cold huh?” Tatum laughed and you got out your car keys from your purse.
“Okay, You are gonna go stay with {F/N}, while mommy goes to work. Babysitter cancelled on me.” Bucky nodded his head back in understanding.
“I don’t mean to be creepy, or in your business and everything but if you don’t have anyone, I could watch her.” Your face went into a protective look and Tatum’s face lit up her bright blue eyes, that she got from you shining through her eyelashes. .
“Urm, I already have my friend watching her...And we’re late so, thanks you anyway.” You gripped Tatum’s hand and walked out of the front doors, glancing back at Bucky and Tatum waved back at him.
“Mommy, why can’t I stay with the nice man?”
“Because sweetie, {F/N} really wants to see you, and I already promised her she could. Plus you don’t go back on promises.” You buckled Tatum into the car seat and sped off down the road toward your friends house. Taking a turn or two, and going down a road, you stopped and helped Tatum out of the car, grabbing the emergency bag you always kept you headed up the small concrete steps, ringing the doorbell. Your friend came to the door and grabbed Tatum into her arms, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you so much for this.” You gave her the bag and checked the time on your watch.
“Hey, hey, no problem. Besides, I love this little squirt anyway.”
“I made a friend!” Tatum chimed up.
“You did! What’s his name?”
“Bucky, He has a shiny arm.” You friend looked at you in confusion and you hung your head down.
“His name is James Barnes, he offered to watch her but ya know, just met him, probably a pedofile.”
“Is he cute?” You nodded your head and your friend winked at you. She pushed Tatum inside and pulled out her phone pulling up some news articles.
“I know who you are talking about, Btw. He is Captain America’s best friend, They have a small bio about him at the Smithsonian.” Rolling your eyes you knew exactly what you friend was doing, playing matchmaker again.
“Stop right there, I just met him, he seemed nice but I have Tatum and work. Too busy to date.”
“No, too picky.”
“Am not!”
“Are too! Now go to work I’ll see you at four.” You waved off your friend and got into your blue camry, heading to work.
______________________________________________________________________________
After work was over you drove back to your friend’s house and picked up Tatum. Your friend still encouraging you to go after Bucky.
“Did you have a good day with {F/N}?”
“Yeah, we played with dolls, and blocks, and I ate a sammich for lunch.” Tatum said, playing with her pink shoes.
“Sounds like fun.”
“She showed me picture of Bucky too!” You pushed on the brakes a little and cursed at her in your mind.
“I bet that was fun…” You face tensed as you turned into the parking lot of your building. Tatum tugged at the seat belt a little as you carefully unhooked it.
“Now you stay right here, while I get my things okay.” You opened up the trunk and grabbed some files and your briefcase. Things to do this weekend. Tatum walked in front of you and you pulled the front door of the hotel open and stopped at the desk.
“Mail for room 334, please.” The man turned around and gathered it while you ran your finger through a spot on Tatum’s head. Grabbing the mail and picking up the files you sat down Tatum reached up and clicked the small button. Waiting for the elevator, Bucky appeared behind you, taking out his headphones.
“Need some help?” Jumping a little at his voice you smiled, shaking your head.
“I got it. I’m use to carrying around all of these files.”
“Here, let me.” Without any hesitation Bucky stacked the flies in his arms neatly and the doors opened. You had to admit he was very polite and good with Tatum it seemed.
“Sorry about the sweat, Just came back from a run.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m around sweaty guys all day. I’m a lawyer.”
“My Mommy catches bad guys.” Tatum held onto your pants leg and Bucky kneeled down to her level.
“Really?! Well So do I. Sort of.”
“So you work with Mommy too!?”
“No, I work with the group and we keep the whole world safe.” Tatum’s face looked confused yet interested.
“Sweetheart, You know the man in the flying suit on TV? He works with him, and the guy with the shield and the hammer too.” Tatum nodded her head and began to chew on her hair again when the doors opened on your floor.
“Stop chewing.” Bucky patted her on the head as you took her hand and lead her down the hallway Bucky following close behind you. Getting you keys from your pocket you opened the door, and held it open fro Bucky behind you.
“Just set them over on the table.” Tatum rushed over and picked up a small stuffed puppy, handing it to, Bucky.
“That’s my puppy.” Bucky bent down again and took it from Tatum looking at it.
“Does he have a name?”
“It’s a girl.”
“Oh I’m sorry. Forgive me?” Tatum shook her head and pulled it away from him.
“Don’t worry she gets like that. Do you want anything? Water? Soda?”
“No thank you, {Y/N}. I’m fine. I need to get back to my apartment.”
“Oh what apartment is it?” You poured out some juice into a small bottle and closed the lid on it.
“Oddly enough, the one right across the hall. 335.”
“Well thank you for carrying my files. Tatum, here is your juice sweetie.” Tatum took the bottle from you and rushed over to her play area while you let Bucky out. WAving him into his apartment you shut the door behind you and leaned against it. Letting out the breath you were holding you went back into your kitchen and fixed a quick meal for you and Tatum. Giving her veggies with some cut up chicken breast you ate a salad while you started reading the cases. Stopping every few minutes when Tatum needed or wanted something. You had read and made notes in three of your cases so far and you closed the files to get Tatum ready for bed. Heading to her bathroom you started the water as you lined up the towel and got her PJs out of the drawer. Running your hand under the water you put in the stopper and let the tub fill up with bubbles.
“Tatum! Bath time!”
“No!” You heard her run into your room and smiled. SHe always hated getting a bath, even though she secretly enjoyed it.
“Then I am just gonna get your mermaid cookie, You have.” Listening for any noise you got up and saw her standing outside of her door.
“There you are sneaky.” Tatum giggled while you picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. Helping her out of her pink and yellow outfit she climbed into the tub and splashed around some before you grabbed her little fish and boat to distract her. Taking a cloth your pressed it against her face and wiped away some dirt she had. Running it over her arms, back and chest you grabbed some shampoo and put a small dot in your hands. Running that through her hair you steered clear of her eyes and face, even though it was safe. After scrubbing a bit and few splashes later Tatum was all clean and you were soaked wet with water she had splashed.
“Okay, all done.” You held up the small green towel and wrapped it around her, after all the water had drained. You dried her skin, with the towel, and she grabbed your shoulders stepping into the blue and green pyjama bottoms you had for her. She raise her hands and you slipped her Ariel shirt on over her. Grabbing the comb on the small counter behind her she sat in your lap and You combed through her curly hair, putting it in a loose braid so it was easier to handle in the morning.
“Okay Tatum, bed time.”
“Wait! I need my puppy.”
“Okay, let’s go get her.” You followed Tatum out into the main room and saw her grab her stuffed puppy, before she rushed back to her room. Sliding down the side gate on her blue bed you helped her up into it and tucked her into the covers. Clicking the gate back in place you clicked the small monitor you kept by her bed in case she needed you sometimes during the night. Flicking on her night light you picked up a few dirty clothes and tossed them into her hamper. Kissing her head you switched off the light and closed the baby gate behind you. With Tatum resting in her bed you went and changed into some shorts and a tank top, to go do laundry. Taking the receiver with you down the hall in case Tatum needed you. You closed the door to your apartment softly and walked toward the laundry room. After seven usually nobody was down in the laundry room and you got any choice of machine and peace and quiet. Flicking your card to start the machine you passed the corner and saw a shirtless Bucky standing at a machine. Your eyes went wide, running your eyes over his body. Knocking yourself quick out of the mini trance you were in, you sat down your laundry basket and tossed the colors into one wash and the whites into another. Clicking your card into the machines they started and you brushed back your hair.
“Where’s Tatum?” Bucky stuttered while he loaded in his laundry as well.
“Bed. Little girls need their rest.” You shook the monitor a little and heard her gentle snoring.
“So, if you don’t mind me asking. What happened to the dad?” Your face went blank, a mix of mad, sad and disappointment went across your mind.
“Loki. He left shortly after she was born. Since all of the drama with the Avengers he didn’t want to put us in harm’s way. We weren’t married but it felt like we were. Long story short, Tatum doesn’t know him and he broke my heart in two.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Doll. Well she is a sweetheart.”
“Thanks, I try my best. I just wish she had a male figure to look up to.” You hopped up on the empty washers, keeping the monitor near you. Bucky moved over to lean against the small row across from you.
“So enough about that tragic stuff. Tell me about you?”
“Well. I was born in 1917 in Brooklyn, met by best friend Steve. Then we both went into world war two and I fell off a train. That’s partly how I got the metal arm. HYDRA used me and brainwashed me also adding super solider serum like they did Steve.They kept in an a glass chamber that froze me, until they needed me which explains why I look so good, till about two years ago when I escaped and I have been with the Avengers ever since.” You felt instantly bad for him, who would do something like that.
“That’s horrible...I’m so sorry.” You fiddled with your hair and he fixed his own.
“Povestea mea..”
“What?”
“It’s my life story. I speak Romanian.” Your eyes still glanced at Bucky’s shirtless figure. The tanned muscles not to mention the veins that were exposed from his arm. His skin curved around them. Even the metal arm was turning you on.
“Sexy.” You mumbled under your breath hoping he didn’t hear it. Bucky gave you a wink and came closer to you.
“I’m not the only sexy thing in here.” You felt a blush creeping on your face and you turn your head to avoid eye contact with him.
“I know can’t be talking about me.” Your face still turned Bucky moves your hace back to face him and softly presses his lips against your own. Your hands landed on chest while his arm snakes around you. Melting into the kiss you feel his tongue lick your bottom lip and you tease him back by nipping his bottom lip.
“Mommy!” You stop hearing Tatum on the monitor. Realizing what just happened you grabbed the monitor and your card rushing out of there. Your face a bright pink, you go into your room and take a few breaths before heading to check on Tatum. Meanwhile Bucky was standing still from the kiss and a few buzzers went off.
“Damn it, James. Control yourself next time.” Bucky being mad at himself he knew he had to fix this situation and fast if he wanted any chance with you. Not knowing if you were coming back, Bucky decided to move your clothes into the dryer and finish them. Folding them neatly into the basket. Bucky finished with his own and carried both baskets back. Bucky heard you lightly singing inside and he quietly set down the basket outside of your door and he quickly went into his own apartment. You still felt Bucky’s pressure on your lips and decided to take Tatum with you to the laundry room to finish. Opening the door you saw your basket sitting there with nice folded clothes inside. Looking at Bucky’s door you smiled before taking it inside.