I apologize for it taking so long to post this chapter. I have been really busy and needed a break. I promise this week I will do better.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I woke up to the feeling of soft lips brushing against the back of my neck and fingertips trailing up and down my arm slowly. I shivered at Bucky's touch but didn't dare move yet...I wanted to enjoy the moment for as long as possible...warm in my bed with him pressed tightly against me. This was definitely the way I wanted to be awakened if I had to be up this early on a Saturday morning.

He brushed the hair away from my face, "Eden" he whispered softly, his breath hot against my neck, "It's time to wake up"

I opened one eye and looked at the clock sitting on the nightstand by the bed.

9:15

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and rolled over to face him. It was unusual for Bucky to be the first one awake on a Saturday morning...I usually had to be the one to coax him out of bed.

He smiled at me, "Good Morning sleepy head"

I saw his hair was still wet and I could smell the sweet floral aroma of my shampoo coming from his long, brown locks. He had somehow managed to get out of bed, shower, and then crawl back into bed without me waking up.

"How long have you been awake?" I said with a yawn.

"About an hour...you looked exhausted so I thought I would let you sleep" he replied.

I grinned, "Hmmm, I wonder what made me so tired?" I smiled, running my fingers on his still bare chest to feel that his skin was still warm and moist from the shower.

He smiled sheepishly at me and chuckled softly. We had spent the remainder of last night on the couch, alternating between making love and eating fudge. It was well after 1:00 in the morning before we finally untangled ourselves from the sofa and made our way to bed. Even then, we had laid there in each other's arms, talking about nothing...both of us unwilling to let the night end.

It was while we were lying in bed that Bucky had asked me if I would let him train me too. I had hesitated at first. Clint was committed to helping me and so far I thought he was doing a great job. I didn't want him to feel like I didn't appreciate all that he had done for me the last two and half weeks. Clint was quickly becoming a trusted friend and I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that the friendship that we were developing.

The hurt was evident in Bucky's eyes when I didn't immediately agree and I had quickly changed my mind. His eyes had lit up and I was rewarded with a bright smile from him. We had agreed to get up early the next morning and head to SHIELD to do some training.

Bucky leaned over me to plant a soft kiss on my lips. My hands found his waist and I ran my fingers under the band of his boxers. He pulled back quickly, ending the kiss, and grinned down at me.

"Out of bed woman!" he said, lifting himself off the bed. He was wearing only his boxers and I watched as he walked to the closet to find something to wear. The sight of his muscled back disappearing into the closet was enough to drag me from bed. With a groan, I rolled out of the bed to stretch and yawned again.

Bucky came out of the closet as I was starting to make the bed; he put his clothes down on the dresser when he saw me pulling the sheets back and went to his side to help me. I saw Bucky sneaking looks at me while we smoothed down the sheets and pulled the blanket in place. I raised my eyebrow at him but said nothing.

After seeing the small smile on his face I finally asked, "What are you smiling about?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he laid a pillow down on his side of the bed, "This is all very domestic. Three months ago, I never would have imagined that I would be sharing an apartment with a beautiful woman...much less helping her make the bed" He walked to the dresser to pick up his clothes and slip them on.

I threw my pillow down on my side and sat down to watch him as he got dressed. His jeans were on but he was shirtless and was now looking for socks in the dresser. Bucky somehow managed to make everything he did look sexy. I couldn't help grinning as I watched the muscles in his back ripple as he slid his shirt on finally. When he turned around to face me, I stood up from the bed and pressed myself up against him...I sighed when I felt his arms tighten around me.

"You're happy here?" I asked, looking up at him, "With me?"

"There's no other place I would rather be. I'll stay here for as long as you will let me"

I kissed his cheek, "Forever sound good to you?"

He shrugged his shoulders noncommittally and laughed when I pushed against his chest hard. I playfully turned around and stalked off towards the bathroom. I had almost made it when I felt his arms catch me around the middle and pull me against his chest.

"Forever sounds just right. I love you" he whispered in my ear before letting his lips graze my neck. As he continued kissing down my neck, I moaned lightly and leaned back against him. One had slid down around my stomach until I felt fingertips graze the band of my panties. I stumbled when I felt him pull away quickly and turned to see him making his way out of the bedroom. He was looking back at me with a sly smile and I shook my head at him.

"You're a fucking tease Bucky Barnes...you know that, right?" I called after him.

"Yep" he called back.

I made my way into the bathroom and took a quick shower. I knew we were going to get sweaty from training so I didn't even bother putting make up on. I quickly braided my hair and threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before making my way out of the bedroom.

My stomach rumbled at the smells coming from the kitchen. I was pleasantly surprised to see Bucky at the stove, flipping bacon with one hand and scrambling eggs with the other. He turned to grin at me when I walked in and headed to the refrigerator to pull out the juice. I grabbed two plates and two glasses and sat them down on the counter next to the stove.

He smiled over at me and began spooning eggs onto the plate while I grabbed the forks. While we ate, Bucky playfully nudged me with his shoulder and kept throwing me little looks.

This is exactly how every Saturday morning should start. Damn, you're a lucky woman Eden Page!

I was happily devouring the bacon when Bucky spoke up, "Eden... when is your lease up on this place?"

I chewed on bacon as I thought about it and finally answered, "I think my lease is up in February. Why?"

I looked over to see him moving his eggs around on his plate with his fork. He wasn't looking at me when he spoke, "Just wondering"

I kept waiting for him to say something else but when he didn't, I went back to finishing my breakfast. I knew there was no need to push Bucky...if he had something to say, he would eventually say it.

It was several minutes later that he cleared his throat, "Have you ever thought about moving somewhere else?"

I looked up at him curiously and laid my fork down, "Like where?" I asked. I liked the building where I lived. My apartment was a decent size, my neighbors were quiet, and I liked the area where it was located.

He was staring down at his own plate when he answered, "Maybe a house...instead of renting another apartment?"

I actually had thought about it last year when I got ready to renew my lease again. Business was going great and I had toyed with the idea of buying my first home. The thought of purchasing something and making it my own was very appealing. In the end, I had decided to wait one more year before making the decision. I had been so caught up with Bucky the last couple of months that I had completely forgotten about my lease ending.

How about it Eden? Ready to be a first time home buyer?

I peeked over at Bucky and wondered what made him bring it up. Was it possible that he wanted us to get a home together? The thought of picking out a house with Bucky brought a smile to my face...furniture shopping...paint samples.

Whoa Eden! He didn't ask you to buy a house with him. Slow down girl!

I was thinking to myself long and hard about it...when I didn't respond Bucky said, "Never mind. It's completely your decision on where you want to live"

"Don't you mean where WE want to live Bucky?" I asked him. I saw him smile to himself and take a bite of his bacon. I put my hand on his shoulder, "If we are going to be living together that is probably a decision that we should both be in on, right?"

I saw his smile widen even more and nod his head but he still didn't look at me as I went on, "So, tell me Bucky...what do you want to do?"

He finally turned to me and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. I was thinking that a house would be nice...we could look for one in this area to rent"

I was a little disappointed at hearing him say the word rent and lowered my head back to focus completely on my plate in front of me. A big part of me was hoping Bucky was having the same crazy thought about buying a house as me.

I heard him clear his throat a little and say, "..or maybe buy a house...both of us...together I mean"

I felt my heart soar at hearing those words come out of his mouth. I tried not to show how much hearing him say that meant to me. I knew Bucky and I had only known each other a couple of months and to any outsiders, the idea of buying a home together after such a short amount of time would seem insane. Normal people didn't fall in love that quickly...they don't move in together that soon, don't say I love you right away, and they certainly don't buy a house together after just 2 months. But Bucky isn't a normal guy and that's one of the reasons why I love him so damn much.

I gave him a sly smile, "Most people don't buy a house together unless they're married Bucky" I watched his reaction and was pleased to see that he didn't even flinch at my words. I had brought of the "M" word just to see how he would respond.

"I'm not like most people" he said with a smile.

It wasn't the answer I was hoping to hear but I chuckled nonetheless, "You got that right...you are definitely one of a kind"

I tried not to be disappointed that he didn't mention anything about marriage. I had no right to be...I knew he loved me and wanted to be with me...he had told me many times how much I meant to him. But I still felt that little bit of hurt, deep down in my chest.

There's no need to rush things Eden. You don't want to be too pushy.

I stood up and took mine and Bucky's plate to rinse off in the sink before loading it in the dishwasher. I didn't look at Bucky but I could feel his eyes boring into my head.

I finally looked up at him and forced a smile onto my face, "Well, let's go do a little training"