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EDEN POV

"Hey Bucky" I answered the phone quickly, eager to hear his voice after my long night out.

"...Hey..." he said softly.

My smile faded as soon as I heard his voice. I don't know what I was thinking. The last thing he had told me on the phone earlier was that he would get over it...maybe it was foolish to hope that he would get over it quickly. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like that was going to be the case.

He sounded tired, which was to be expected so late at night...well technically, so early in the morning. I couldn't be sure how much was pure exhaustion versus sheer worrying. I also detected a hint of annoyance in his voice which just added to the guilt I was already feeling.

Damn Eden! You just couldn't control yourself, could you?

"...umm, we just got back...so I thought I would let you know...I mean, I promised I would call you...so you didn't worry...I just..." I finally stopped babbling and closed my mouth. I kept hoping he would say something but he remained silent on the phone and it made me more and more worried.

"You promised me a lot of things..." I heard him mumble back.

I inwardly cringed at his words, "...about earlier...I'm really sor..."

He finally interjected and there was a new emotion present in his voice that cut me like a knife, "Eden!"

He didn't shout it. He didn't even raise his voice...but that one word was full of anger.

"Yes?" I said quietly.

"I'm really tired and honestly, I'm still really pissed off at you. I don't think it's a good idea for us to talk right now" he said.

I gasped quietly, flinching at harshness of his tone. Bucky must have realized he had hurt my feelings but any guilt he felt about it was outweighed by his anger about what had happened earlier.

I heard him give a deep sigh before he went on, "Goodnight Eden"

Before I could get a single word out, I heard a click and looked down at the phone to see he had hung up. I swallowed the huge lump in my throat and closed my eyes, willing the nauseous feeling in my stomach to go away.

I glanced at the phone, debating on whether or not to text and tell him to at least say "I love you" Eventually I just decided against it. Bucky had a right to be angry with me and I figured I deserved to deal with the guilt for another day until I saw him.

I'll make it better as soon as I get home.

I clutched my phone tightly in my hand and flipped the light off in the bathroom before making my way into bed. Brooke was still snoring lightly when I crawled in and turned onto my side facing away from her. I lay in bed for a long time thinking about what I was going to say to Bucky when I saw him tomorrow. I wasn't past getting on my knees and begging for forgiveness but I knew it wouldn't come to that...he had said it himself, he would get over it. I just needed to give him some time.

After a few restless hours of sleep, mostly spent tossing and turning, I got out of bed. After taking a long, hot shower, I put on my bra and panties before turning to check my reflection in the mirror. I couldn't help but smile as I admired my new tattoo...it was exactly what I had wanted. I was twisting around to get a better look when I noticed the large bruise on my lower back.

Shit! Where the hell did that come from? It'll take days for that to fade. There's no way Bucky won't notice it.

I thought back to the bar fight and remembered how Brent had slammed into me. I had hit my back on the bar pretty hard. I took a deep breath and reached back to touch the ugly bruise. I flinched at the sharp pain I felt as my fingertips dug in.

Damn!

I tentatively reached up to my head and touched the spot where I had hit my head on the barstool. There was some tenderness and a little swelling. I leaned into the mirror for a closer look and saw another bruise...fortunately, it was half hidden by my hair. If I was lucky, Bucky might not even notice.

Yeah right!

I glanced down at the counter top where my phone was laying. I had promised to call Bucky every night AND each morning but after last night I wasn't sure what to do. I honestly didn't know if he wanted to hear from me and I didn't think I could bare a repeat of our conversation from last night. In the end, I decided against it...Bucky needed time to cool down and I didn't want to push him. Clint was still here watching over us and Bucky knew I was due to come home this afternoon.

I tiptoed out of the bathroom and through the bedroom to make my way into the living room. Clint's head popped up when he heard the click of the door as I shut it behind me. His hair was still disheveled from last night and I had to stifle a laugh.

"Good morning. Did I wake you?" I asked as I made my way over to him. He sat up on the couch and moved his feet so I could sit down on the other end. He reached down to pick up his shirt off the floor and slip it over his head before running his fingers through his hair.

He yawned, "Nope, I've been awake for a little while. Just been lying here waiting on you three to get your lazy asses up. Which one of you women is in charge of breakfast around here?"

I grabbed the throw pillow from the floor and chunked it at him, hitting him square in the face. I let out a small chuckle at the surprised look on his face.

"Damn woman, it was a joke!" he said, throwing the pillow back and smiling when I ducked. He looked at his watch, "I actually didn't expect any of you to be awake this early. How much sleep did you even get Eden? 4 hours?"

I slumped back on the couch and rubbed my temples, "Not even that much" I said quietly. I knew I was going to pay for that lack of sleep later. I would sleep better once I had smoothed things over with Bucky.

I saw Clint out of the corner of my eye watching me warily, waiting for me to continue. He knew something was wrong...the Hawkeye saw everything, especially right through me. When I didn't say anything, he finally spoke up, "You want to talk about it?"

In my opinion, one of the best things about Clint is that he is a great listener. He sat there while I told him about my conversation with Bucky last night. He didn't take sides but even he looked surprised at hearing what Bucky had said and how he had ended the conversation. He offered his advice and left it at that. I told him how guilty I felt about what had happened at the bar and apologized to him. I knew I had put Clint in a tough situation last night. When I explained the crazy urge I'd had to prove myself and feel that rush of power again, Clint had simply nodded his head and said he understood. We spent the rest of the morning talking about everything and afterwards I felt much better.

Brooke and Jill finally woke up and showered and dressed so we could go out and have brunch. While we ate, we talked about the fun we'd had last night. When the bar fight came up, I could see Brooke tense up a bit. She tried to apologize for her part in Bucky finding out but I quickly shushed her. I wasn't mad at her...she couldn't have known what was going to happen. I tried to apologize to Jill for almost ruining her bachelorette party but she just laughed it off, telling me she had enjoyed watching me and Clint kick some ass.

Once we paid the bill, we drove Clint back to the karaoke bar where he had left his truck last night. After a quick hug from Brooke and a promise to Jill that he would try to attend her wedding next weekend, he got in his truck to head back to D.C. While Jill and Brooke piled back into Brooke's Mustang, I stepped over to Clint's door to have a few last words with him. His window was down and I saw him watching the two girls getting into the car with a small smile on his face.

He turned to me, "Well, I have to admit, this is probably the most interesting job I've been sent on"

I faked a pout, "Is that all we were to you Barton? A job?"

He let out a laugh and shook his head "Hardly...the three of you are something else entirely. I had a lot of fun. Thanks for letting me tag along"

I laughed, "Well we didn't really have a choice, did we? Is was either that or have you stalking us all night"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Joining in was definitely better than having to stalk you three all night. Truthfully, I don't know how Steve and Bucky deal with you two. You and Brooke are almost too much trouble"

I punched him hard in the shoulder and laughingly said, "Asshole"

He feigned a hurt look, "Hey! That's no way to treat your bodyguard. I'll remember that hit tomorrow at training" he said, glaring at me.

Brooke honking her horn drew my attention away from Clint and I saw her waving her hand out the window to me. I knew she was ready to pack up and get back home to see Steve. Normally, I would be in just as much of a rush but today I was torn. Part of me was ready to hurry home and fix things with Bucky but the other part was worried about the "talk" we would have to have when I got there.

"I guess I better get going. Thanks again Clint. Not just for tagging along...but for everything else too" I said quietly.

He nodded his head, "Not a problem. Do me a favor and try not to get in any trouble before you make it home. I'm already on Bucky's shit list as it is"

I crossed my hands over my chest and smiled, "I already told you Clint, I'll take care of big bad Bucky...besides, he can't say you didn't do your job. Nothing bad happened" Once I saw the look on his face I added, "Fine, fine...nothing too bad happened. You know, the two of us actually make a pretty damn good team"

He let out a loud laugh, "You know, I was thinking the exact same thing last night. You did good last night...I'm proud of you"

He had looked down to turn the key in the ignition to start his truck so he didn't see the smile appear on my face. It faded slowly when he added, "If Bucky was there, he would have been proud too. Well, that is if he would have managed to stand still for more than 5 seconds to watch you in action."

I swallowed hard and nodded my head, knowing he was right. Bucky would never have sat back and watched me take on Brent. He would only ever hear of how well I did from Clint and that would just have to be enough.

"Thanks Clint, I'll see you in the morning for training" I said, taking a step back from the window.

He gave me a quick nod and motioned me towards Brooke's Mustang, "Text me when you guys leave and when you get home"

He rolled his eyes when I saluted him and said, "Yes sir"

I made my way over to the car and gave him a short wave as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. It was already 2:00pm by the time we got back to Jill's so Brooke and I decided to pack up and head home too. We both gave Jill a quick hug before loading up the car to leave. We would be headed right back on Friday with Bucky and Steve to attend the rehearsal dinner before the wedding late Saturday afternoon.

The moment we hit the highway, my lack of sleep last night started to kick in and I felt my eyes growing heavy. The second I attempted to lay my head back on the seat rest to close my eyes, Brooke reached forward and flipped on some music. I opened one eye and looked over at her with what I hope was a look serious enough to make her turn it off...it didn't work. Brooke didn't like silence during a car ride...hell, she didn't like silence period. I closed my eyes again and tried to ignore the music but my dear friend was relentless. She purposefully started singing along loudly and off key, smiling wide when she saw me open look over at her in exasperation. I was trying really hard not to laugh as she started to sing Born to be Wild.

Get your motor runnin'

Head out on the highway

Looking for adventure

In whatever comes our way

Yeah, darlin'

Gonna make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once

And explode into space

As she sang, she kept looking over at me, dancing in her seat and beating on her steering wheel to the beat. I finally rolled my eyes and started singing the next verse, sitting up in my seat and grabbing my cell phone from the console to use as a microphone. She was giggling as I joined in on her fun.

I like smoke and lightnin'

Heavy metal thunder

Racing in the wind

And the feeling that I'm under

Yeah, darlin'

Gonna make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once

And explode into space

Brooke was now shaking her head wildly, letting her hair fly around as she exaggerated the words of the song. We started singing the chorus together loudly.

Like a true nature's child

We were born

Born to be wild

We can climb so high

We never wanna die

Born to be wild

Born to be wild

Brooke dissolved into giggles as I started using my hands to mimic the motions of playing the drums. We finally quieted down and just enjoyed the rest of the song. I looked over at her and smiled, shaking my head at her.

She shrugged her shoulders at me, "The song seemed appropriate she said" motioning to the highway in front of us, "I thought you might need a laugh...you seemed kind of down at lunch"

I nodded my head but didn't offer any explanation as to why. Brooke isn't a fool though; she knew it had to do with Bucky being upset about what had happened at the bar. I finally broke down and told her what happened last night, which only resulted in her trying to apologize once again.

"I guess you guys are scheduled for a serious talk when we get back, huh?" she said.

I groaned and nodded my head, "I'm definitely not looking forward to it"

Brooke kept her eyes on the road but she reached over and patted my leg, "Bucky won't stay mad at you for long" She pulled her hand away and placed it back on the steering wheel, "Besides...I fully plan to tell him how fucking amazing you were when we get back"

I laughed loudly and reached for my cell phone, suddenly remembering I needed to text Clint and let him know we had left. After texting him, I scrolled down to Bucky's name and debated on whether to text him or not.

Brooke spoke up, "How about when we get back, Steve and I come over to your place to hang out? We can give you and Bucky a little time to talk before we head over. Maybe I can help smooth things over...I mean, I was there after all...I can back you up"

I thought about it. I knew Bucky and I needed to have the talk but I was also dreading how things were going to be afterwards. I knew with Brooke and Steve there, it would help with some of the tension between Bucky and me. Hanging out with them might actually help Bucky relax and get over it a little faster. I nodded my head in agreement and watched as she reached for her phone to text Steve and let him know.

I looked back down at my own phone to text Bucky.

Eden: Hey, just wanted to let you know we are on our way home.

It was only a few moments later that I got a response back from him.

Bucky: Ok

Shit! One word answers from Bucky are never good.

I was hoping for a little more from him.

Eden: Do you mind if Steve and Brooke come over tonight to hang out?

I bit my lip nervously as I waited for him to respond. I was hoping that he wouldn't catch on to the fact that I only wanted them to come over to keep things not so uncomfortable between us.

Bucky: That's fine.

I waited for a few moments, hoping that he would add something. When I got nothing, I finally put the phone down and looked over at Brooke, forcing a smile on my face.

"Bucky said that's fine. Just give us like an hour or so before you guys head over." I said quietly.

She nodded her head and reached for the radio again, knowing that I didn't want to talk about it anymore. I saw her smile as she turned on the CD she had previously been playing. The next few songs were all favorites of mine but a very eclectic mix. The Bad Boys Theme Song, Shake Ya Tailfeather, Whistle by Flo rida, on and on the songs went.

I sang along with her on all of them before finally asking, "Where did you get this Cd from?"

She grinned at me, "I burned it this morning from Jill's laptop while you were packing your bags. All your favorites for the ride home" When she saw my small smile she continued, "You looked like you needed some cheering up music"

Little things like that made me love Brooke all the more. We spent the rest of the car ride going through the entire CD, singing loudly and laughing. For a couple of hours, I was able to stop worrying about Bucky being mad at me and just enjoy myself.

As we got closer and closer to home, the nervous feeling started to grow again and I felt my smile slowly fading. When Brooke finally pulled up at my apartment building I felt that familiar nauseous feeling in my stomach. It was nearly 6 and already dark outside. I looked out the window and up at one of the windows of my apartment to see a light on...I knew Bucky was home and waiting on me.

I sat staring at the building for a few moments before Brooke finally said, "Time to grow a pair Eden and go fix shit with your boyfriend"

I rolled my eyes at her crassness and reached behind me to grab my bag from the bag seat. I reached for the door handle and said my goodbye before stepping out. She promptly rolled the window down and called out, "One hour. You better be done with your makeup sex before me and Steve get here"

I blushed furiously at the amused looks I got from a couple walking by who had heard Brooke. I glared at her as she laughed at me from the driver's seat. I flipped her off and headed to the door as she drove off.

I took the stairs up to my apartment slowly, wondering what kind of reaction to expect from Bucky when I walked inside. When I reached my door, I stood outside pacing back and forth while I gathered my courage. I finally shook my head at how ridiculous I was being and stepped back up to my door. Before I could reach for the handle, the door was opened and there stood Bucky, staring down at me. I had the strongest urge to reach out and touch him...almost like it would reassure me that things between us would be okay. He made no move to hug me and I stayed frozen where I stood, too afraid of his rejection if I tried to initiate one.

He must have heard you out here wandering back and forth like an idiot!

"Hey" I said uncertainly, suddenly feeling embarrassed. I felt the heat rush to my face and knew I was blushing.

"Hey" he replied, reaching out to take the overnight bag from my shoulder and stepping aside so I could enter the apartment. I took it as a good sign that he had least wanted to help me get inside.

I gave him a small smile before walking through the door and setting my purse down by the side table. He closed the door and immediately walked towards our bedroom with my overnight bag without saying anything else. He returned a few moments later empty handed and went to sit on the couch. He finally looked up at me, frowning when he saw me still standing near the door like I was going to bolt at any moment. He sighed and closed his eyes before patting the spot on the couch next to him, motioning me closer.

I took a deep breath and walked over to where he was sitting to take the place next to him, quietly staring down at my hands in my lap. I didn't say anything and I didn't look up at him even though I felt his eyes burning into me. I wished he would just say something already so I could figure out if he was still mad. I finally couldn't stand it any longer and I was the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry" I said softly, not taking my eyes off my lap, "At the bar...things just got a little out of hand...and I..."

He cut me off, "I want to hear exactly what happened" I looked up at him and he gritted his teeth, "Every single detail Eden...now" I flinched at the sharp tone in his voice at that last word.

I fidgeted with my hands and let out a deep sigh before nodding my head at him. I knew I might as well tell him everything. He was bound to hunt down Clint first thing tomorrow morning and give him the third degree. I knew Clint wouldn't dare lie to Bucky about anything so there was no point in me trying. I turned to face him on the couch, finally looking up into his eyes.

I told him exactly how it started, including everything that was said on Brent's part and my own. I watched his eyes grow darker when I told him the lewd things that had been said to me. I didn't go into explicit detail about who had hit who but he got the general idea. He had only heard on the phone the end of the fight but actually knowing what had happened made him angry all over again. His fist clenched up tightly and I watched his knuckles turn white as I finished.

"You should have gotten off that damn bar stool when Clint told you to" he seethed angrily.

"I know...but Bucky..."

"No Eden! Dammit, you promised me you would be careful. I don't care what that asshole said to you...you should have fucking walked away" he said, standing up from the couch to walk furiously around the living room.

My mouth dropped open, "Are you honestly telling me that YOU would have walked away if you had heard him say those things to me?" I knew the answer was no...he would have snapped if he had heard Brent talk to me that way.

He froze and turned to face me, eyes blazing, "That's fucking different and you know it" he said pointing at me angrily.

Frustrated, I finally stood up from the couch and got directly in his face, "How is it different Bucky? It's okay for YOU to defend me but not for ME to defend myself?"

"You should have walked away" he repeated again, shaking his head angrily and ignoring my question.

"He basically told me to get on my knees and suck his damn dick and you think I should have walked the fuck away...that's bullshit Bucky Barnes and you know it. Is that the kind of girl you want me to be? I'm supposed to just sit back and take shit from assholes unless you're around to save me?" I hissed back.

Bucky stared down at me, pursing his lips together tightly but not saying anything. He had his arms crossed over his broad chest and damn if even in my anger I didn't find him extremely sexy.

I was trying to focus on the fight we were having but a stray lock of hair had fallen in Bucky's face as he paced around the room and I was fighting back the urge to reach out and push it from his face. I squeezed my hands into a fist until my nails bit sharply into the skin.

"If you had been there, what would you have done?" I asked heatedly.

"I wasn't there...you didn't want me there" he shot back.

I groaned in frustration, "Answer the damn question Bucky" I demanded.

He turned away from me and stood in silence, his body shaking from his anger.

"Answer me" I said louder, reaching for his shoulder and turning him around to face me.

He glared at me before finally whispering hoarsely, "I would have beat the shit out of him and hoped to God that someone would stop me before I killed him"

That's about what I expected from him...I just wanted him to admit it to himself out loud so he could at least halfway understand my actions. I may have had a hand in the fight starting but my actions could at least be justified. I placed my hand on his chest gently, a little hurt when I felt him tense under my touch. He must have realized what he'd done because he finally let out a small sigh and placed his hands over mine, leaning forward to touch his forehead to mine.

That one action made me feel so much better. His hands were warm and being so close allowed me to smell his cologne. His hands left mine and a moment later I felt them on either side of my face, pulling me away so he could look at me. I saw his brow furrow and when he leaned in close again, I realized what he was looking at so hard.

That damn bruise!

I saw his nostrils flare as he pushed back my hair and pressed lightly on the bruise. I flinched back from his touch and hissed in pain, "Oww, watch it"

I saw his jaw tighten up and he looked from the knot on my head back to my eyes. He rolled his eyes at me as I stood there looking up at him boldly, waiting for him to reprimand me again. Realizing it was pointless, he finally sighed and leaned forward to lay a chaste kiss on the spot on my forehead.

"I guess I can deal with one little bruise" he said as he pulled away. It was fleeting but he must have saw the look in my eyes...I knew I didn't just have one little bruise, "What else?" he said, suddenly sounding angry again.

I chewed on my bottom lip before replying, "...I'm fine Bucky...really!"

He took a menacing step forward reaching out to grab my shoulders, "Show me now or so help me God, I'll strip you down and find out for myself"

I knew hearing that shouldn't have turned me on as much as it did and I quickly closed my eyes, willing that tingling feeling in the pit of my stomach to go away.

Bucky was still staring down at me and I finally turned my back towards him and lifted up my shirt so he could see the other bruise.

"Mother fucker" he grumbled.

He reached his hand out towards it but I slapped it away causing a flash of anger to appear on his face. It disappeared quickly when he saw the look I gave him...I didn't need him poking at it.

"That asshole did this to you?" he asked. I could already see the wheels spinning in his head. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to hunt down Brent himself for a little revenge.

"Technically..."

He glared at me until I continued, "Well...he sort of charged me...slammed my back into the bar top" I pointed at the bruise on my head, "That's how I got this...I fell into a barstool and hit my head"

He gave me his back but I saw his hands tightly clenched once again at his sides. We had seemed to be doing okay there for a second but he was quickly becoming unraveled again. I needed to reel him back in again.

"He didn't hurt me Bucky. Truthfully, the guy hits like a little bitch" I said jokingly, hoping to relieve some of the tension and get a smile out of him. It didn't work.

He spun around angrily, "So he did hit you? He laid his hands on you?" he growled.

Fuck! You just couldn't keep your mouth shut!

I didn't answer him immediately and he stepped up and grabbed me by the arm to pull me close to him, "Answer me Eden"

I pushed him away, finally getting annoyed, "It was a bar fight Bucky, what did you expect? Of course he got a couple of hits in" He stared at me until I finally told him, "He backhanded me...twice" I said, holding up two fingers.

That did it, Bucky completely lost it. He stormed out of the living room and down the hallway to our bedroom, slamming the door behind him. I stood there for a second in shock, unsure of what exactly had just happened. I expected him to shout or maybe fight with me some more...I definitely didn't expect him to just walk off.

I didn't quite know how to handle it...the few times Bucky and I had argued, we usually fought it out and quickly made up. He liked to finish things, not tuck tail and storm off. I took a deep breath and made my way down the hall. I was reaching for the door knob but stopped when I heard the loud knock at our front door. I glanced down at my watch and noticed the time...it had been an hour so I knew it must be Steve and Brooke.

With a sigh, I turned back down the hallway and to the front door to let them in. Brooke must have noticed the strained look on my face because her bright smile faded quickly when I opened the door. She glared at the space behind me, looking around for Bucky I'm sure. I glanced over at Steve and saw the look of concern expressed on his face.

I forced a smile on my face and invited them inside. They both followed me warily, looking around the apartment and noticing Bucky wasn't around. I was just about to make up an excuse for his absence when I heard the door of our bedroom open and Bucky suddenly appeared.