Once they talked me into going, Brooke asked me to stay at her apartment with her so we could get ready together. I knew exactly what that meant…she planned on doing my makeup and dressing me up in her clothes, like her own personal Barbie doll. She had a closet full of clothes to choose from and I could use the guest bathroom to shower. Steve was going to take Bucky with him so they could go shower and change clothes too.

I walked Bucky to the door and he leaned down to whisper in my ear, "So are you going to be dressed up like you were the last time you went out to karaoke?"

I rolled my eyes and whispered back, "That's all up to Brooke, there's no telling what she makes me wear…why?"

He smirked at me and shrugged his shoulder, "Just wondering how many men I'll have to fight off my girl tonight"

I let my hand fall to his chest, enjoying the curve of each muscle and leaned in closer, "Do you think I'm worth the trouble?"

He nodded, "Most definitely"

I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my tip toes to kiss him softly on the lips. When I tried to pull away, I felt his hands find my waist and pull me in closer to deepen the kiss. When he finally pulled me away, my heart was racing and I had goose bumps on my arms. He turned to walk to the car where Steve was already waiting for him. I watched him get in the car and then look back at me, raising one hand at me before Steve pulled away.

After I shut the door and turned around, I saw Brooke standing there with a hand on her hip; her eyebrow raised and a knowing smile on her face.

"What" I asked, feeling my cheeks flush pink, my heart still racing.

"The two of you seem pretty serious…care to fill me in?" she asked.

In great detail, I told her everything that had occurred since our visit. As she listened, her eyes got bigger and her smile widened. Her mouth dropped open when I told her I had asked him to move in to my apartment with me.

"I'm happy for you Eden, Bucky seems great…very protective of you, I like it!"

I hesitated to tell her about Michael and the trouble that he had caused but she knew I was leaving something out and she kept pushing until I told her. I saw the anger in her eyes, like a blazing fire when I told her everything he had done the last couple of weeks, including the incident with Lizzie. As I figured, she was livid, pacing around her living room in anger.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me Eden…I would have hunted him down and…."

I interrupted her, "and beat the shit out of him?" I finished for her, a small smile on my face.

She wagged her finger at me and smiled, "Damn right"

"Well you'd have to get in line, Bucky's already got first dibs on that one"

She laughed, "I can already tell me and Bucky are going to get along just fine"

I snorted at her, "Why? Because you both want to beat the shit out of Michael?"

She shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

"So tell me something, why did it take you and Steve an hour to drop that truck off and get back here?" I said with a sly smile.

For the first time ever, I saw Brooke blush. She sat down on the couch by me with a silly grin on her face.

"We sat in the parking lot at the UHAUL place talking. Oh hell Eden, he's so damn sweet. He asked me if he could take me out for coffee sometime…can you believe that? Coffee! "

I could believe it, Steve was on old fashioned guy…always polite and respectful to women. "Well are you going to go?"

She ran her fingers through her hair, "I don't know…he's not the kind of guy I'm used to…he's so nice!"

"So you've been dating assholes for the last few years? What's wrong with nice guys!" I chuckled.

"Nothing! There's nothing wrong with nice guys! I just don't know…I'm not exactly the nice girl next door type!" she exclaimed.

"Nooooo, you're the feisty red head that ever guy fantasizes about. Steve has talked about you nonstop the last week; you should give him a chance"

She turned her head sharply to look at, "I never said I wasn't going to give him a chance. What did he say about me?"

I put my hands up, "Not my place to say…just go out and have coffee with him"

She snorted again, scoffing, "Coffee! I'm more of a beer kind of girl"

"Well fine, make him take you for a beer then…I'll warn you though, he can't get drunk…the whole super soldier thing" I added.

She glanced at me and rolled her eyes, "So wait a minute, we're going out tonight to drink and neither of them can get drunk?"

I nodded, "Yep"

Her smiled brightened, "Well then my friend….we'll just have to entertain them then" She jumped off the couch and stuck her hand out to me, "We have to look completely fuckable tonight, come on!"

I took her outstretched hand and she yanked me up. Once I had taken a shower I joined Brooke in her bathroom so she could help me with my hair. She insisted I wear it curly…I went with it because I knew Bucky liked to see it that way. Once it was dry, she braided some of it and pulled it back in a clip, letting the rest fall down my back….she stepped in front of me and pulled a few tendrils out to frame my face. When I looked in the mirror I smiled at my reflection.

"You look like a princess" she said, beaming.

"I thought I was supposed to look fuckable" I commented, watching her reaction in the mirror.

"Oh sweetie, we haven't even gotten you dressed yet"

I did my make up while she fixed her hair…choosing to stick with just eye makeup and some simple lip gloss. Once we were done, we made our way into the bedroom to dig in her closet. Brooke had a lot of clothes…a serious obsession she'd had her entire life.

"I have the perfect outfit for you Eden….it's going to make Bucky drool" she said, disappearing inside her closet. She returned moments later and threw an outfit at me.

I looked down and saw a pair of shiny leather pants and a black spaghetti strap top with silver sequins running down it.

"You're kidding right" I said, eyeing her.

Her lips tightened, "Put it on!"

With a deep sigh, I slid into the tight pants. I looked at myself in the mirror…they showed every single curve I had.

I felt something hit me in the arm and turned to see what Brooke had thrown at me…it was a black strapless push up bra.

I raised my eyebrow at her but she just put her hand on her hip, "Trust me, you'll look great!"

I slipped on the bra and then the top…Brooke whistled at me and came to stand in the mirror beside me. "You look amazing! Bucky is going to freak when he sees you…go look in my closet, there are some black ankle boots in that back that look good with those pants"

I dug out the boots and slid them on, walking over to the mirror again to check my reflection.

Wow Eden, you look…different!

I sat on the bed and watched as Brooke dug around for an outfit of her own. She slid on a tight pair of black leggings and then turned to look for a top.

She held out tight kimono top for me to look at, "What do you think?"

"How come you get to wear long sleeves and I have let my boobs hang all out?" I pouted.

"This top actually does make my boobs hang out...and besides, I have a shit load of tattoos...I don't want to Steve to see them yet. The boy next door might not approve." she chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, "Well he knows you have at least one, he saw that picture of us from graduation night...at the tattoo salon"

She threw the kimono top down on the bed and reached to pull the shirt she was wearing off. She turned to grab the other shirt and I caught a glimpse of something on her back that made my mouth drop open.

"BROOKE!" I yelped in surprise.

She jumped and turned to me, her eyes wide, "What?"

I got up from the bed and turned her around to get a closer look at the tattoo on the shoulder blade opposite her red and yellow butterfly…Captain America's shield.

She turned and I saw the blush in her cheeks, "I got it after I got the job at the Smithsonian. I never imagined I would actually ever meet him"

I couldn't stop laughing, "I can't believe you…is that why you're wearing a long sleeved top? Oh my God, that is so funny."

She had her hand on her hip, "It's not funny Eden! I'm never going to be able to wear a tank top again in front of him…ever!"

"You know you could show it to him…he might like it!" I tried to catch my breath "It's like you've been branded as his!" Another fit of giggles hit me.

She finally starting laughing too, "Maybe one day I'll let him see it, for now, I'm sticking to sweaters!" she huffed.

Once she was dressed completely, I texted Bucky to let him know we were ready. It didn't take them long to drive back over. When I heard the knock at the door, I checked myself in the mirror before making my way over to it to let them in. Steve walked in first…wearing a nice pair of dark jeans and a button up shirt. He reached out to hug me and I smiled when he asked, "Do I look okay?" I nodded at him, "Very nice!" He walked past me and into the living room to find Brooke. I smiled when I heard him tell Brooke how beautiful she looked.

I turned to see Bucky come through the door, stopping to look me up and down, giving a low whistle as he took me in, "You look amazing!"

Hell no! You look amazing…I didn't think he could be any more handsome.

Bucky was wearing dark jeans too and a pair of black boots. The black shirt he had donned accentuated every one of his chest muscles. The leather jacket he wore over it made him look even sexier. He had pulled his hair back and I admired his face: the sexiness of his lips, that jawline that begged to be licked, his piercing blue eyes. I felt a desire for him inside of me that I had never felt before, a warm tingle spreading throughout me. When he reached down to hug me, I inhaled deeply; loving the cologne he was wearing. His fingers slid over my skin and I shivered under his touch…he eyed me inquisitively, "What?"

"I want to do some pretty bad things to you right now, it's a shame that we'll have to wait until later" I whispered in his ear before biting on the lobe softly.

He jumped, his hands going to my waist….he pulled back to look in my face…I know he saw the need in my eyes and it excited him.

He leaned forward, letting his hands slide down to rub my ass and growled, "Damn shame!" he kissed me on the neck and whispered to me, "Later" That one word held so much promise.

We pulled away from each other and made our way into Brooke's living room. Brooke was there holding a leather jacket for me to wear and I slipped it on.

Brooke looked around at us and announced, "Okay, who's ready to party?"