Hey Jude

Kitty was dozing. Not really sleeping, but in a nice state of daydreaming, thanks to the medications. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. She was still on guard, however, since Steve had just left for the day and it was over an hour before Natasha would be here. She tried to keep her mind off of the explosion and off her Tragic Backstory™️ by critiquing the movies on daytime television. After a few minutes of her thinking about what a shame it was for the third Karate Kid to not live up to its predecessors, Kitty felt like someone was watching her. Her eyes flicked open to see a shaggy-haired man by her door. She blinked through the slight grogginess, trying to recognize the person. "Bucky?"

He raised his hand in a small wave, but stayed in the doorway.

"What's up, hotshot?" Kitty asked, obviously bewildered at his sudden hospital visit.

"I, uh, came for a checkup," He nodded to his metal arm. "I didn't know you were here."

"Yeah, I was blown up." Kitty said lamely.

His face stayed remarkably straight for someone who didn't know why she was there. "Are you okay now?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be okay." Kitty watched him stand in the doorway, just staring at her. "So when's your appointment?"

"What?"

"For your arm?" Kitty reminded him.

"Oh." Bucky up at the clock and said, "Uh, not until six."

"Wanna keep me company?" Kitty asked. "I mean, I'll probably fall asleep, but Tasha won't be here for a while." He was silent. "You don't have to stay the full hour until your appointment," She rushed to say. "But it'd be nice to have someone here."

"Okay." He hesitantly agreed. Bucky sat down in the chair closest to Kitty and she saw him look at the bruises and cast.

"Piece of metal broke through the bone." Kitty felt the need to explain, since Bucky was still staring at her leg with an odd expression. "They had to put a bunch of bars in the cast to keep it stable, I guess."

"Who did it?"

"A guy named Ashley LeRoux."

"Why?"

Kitty sighed, slightly irritated at all the questions. "I don't know! Some hard on for blondes, how the hell should I know?!"

Bucky looked back down at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Bucky," Kitty leaned over and put her hand on his metal one. "I'm just grumpy, I shouldn't take it out on you." He focused his attention on her hand covering his. "Hey, do you know how to braid hair?" Bucky's eyebrows drew together but eventually he nodded. "Would you mind braiding mine back? It's too hot in here to have it down and Steve didn't know how-"

"Do you have a brush?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah, in that bag." Kitty pointed down at her rucksack.

Bucky leaned down and started to riffle through the bag, only to stop. Kitty watched as he slowly withdrew her sketchbook.

Kitty's eyes widened and she quickly said, "That's kinda private-"

Bucky opened it up and started leafing through it. Finally he stopped at a self-portrait that Kitty had done in a mirror. He showed it to her and proudly said, "This is my favorite."

"Oh." Kitty sat there confused as he put the sketchbook back and got out her hairbrush. She turned so he could have better access to her hair, which he carefully started brushing. Her eyes drifted closed and she smiled. "Isn't it funny how good something simple, like brushin' your hair, can feel?"

"I like it when people brush my hair."

"I can brush yours, if you want." Kitty said as she turned to look at him.

Bucky shook his head and told her, "I like your hair. You need to sleep, Sunshine."

"Yeah…" Kitty yawned. "I am feelin' pretty sleepy." She hugged her pillow to her chest while Bucky continued to brush her hair. "I could fall asleep just like this…"

She was asleep in seconds and Bucky didn't leave until Natasha got there, around nine at night.