Happy Birthday, Bitch

A/N: hello everyone! Yes, it is me. Arisen from the grave. I won't give you a big apology for my long absence as you have all heard it a hundred times, but I am sorry! This chapter was hard for me and sat, almost finished, for months on my computer. But I just didn't know if I wanted to post it/how it would be received. Anyway, here I am. All I can say is please read till the very end in order to understand the whole situation/all the characters real feelings on it. This chapter deals with some potentially heavy (but not graphic) content.

~O~

Aurora and Wanda sat on the hallway floor, leaning back against the lockers in their free period, sharing a styrofoam bowl of hot chips from the fancy cafeteria that charged straight to their parents' bank accounts.

"Are we still party planning tomorrow afternoon at your place?" Wanda questioned, flicking aimlessly through her Psych textbook, not really taking anything in.

Aurora winced - she was supposed to be going back to Bucky's apartment tomorrow after school. "Can we do it this afternoon instead?"

"You have cheerleading practice this afternoon, idiot," Wanda teased. "Why? Did you make other plans for tomorrow? C'mon it's my birthday on Friday - we've sent out invites and we have literally nothing else planned! I mean, playlist, food - what are we going to wear?"

"Ok, ok," Aurora laughed. "Tomorrow, my place. Planning. And shopping, if need be. You need to look hot."

Wanda grinned and agreed.

That afternoon, right before cheer practice, Rora went to Bucky's classroom, which was devoid of any students. He must have had a free last period.

"Hey," she grinned, re-adjusting her bag on her shoulder and leaning a hip against his desk, where he was packing up his things for the day.

"Miss Prince," he tried to hide his smile but she could see it, the small upturn of his lips, the twinkle in his blue eyes. She felt her heart do something weird in her chest, something she hadn't felt before.

"So about tomorrow afternoon…"

He groaned. "Oh no, don't cancel. We've barely spoken since Friday night."

She chuckled, even though she'd missed him too. "I promised Wanda I'd party plan with her. It's this Friday and I can't bail on her."

Bucky sighed, feigning annoyance for a moment. She sidled around the desk, slipping her hand over his for a moment.

"But," she grinned. "I could come over after cheerleading practice this afternoon."

His tongue darted out over his bottom lip for a moment as he looked at her, eyes darker than usual and she wondered if he was thinking about her in the cheer uniform. "I'm supposed to be grading papers, but I think I could make a little time."

"Gee thanks," she joked, rolling her eyes, turning to go. He grabbed her hands, tugging her toward him.

"Yes, I want you to come over this afternoon," he said quietly, like maybe someone was listening even though they both knew no one was. "Obviously."

She brushed her lips over his jaw quickly, feeling him shiver beneath her light touch, before stepping back.

"I'll see you then," she said.

~O~

That evening, after a long and gruelling cheer practice, she sat beside Bucky on his couch, chatting as he marked papers. Hers came to the top of his pile.

"You're going to give me a good grade right?" She grinned, peering forward, her legs resting in his lap. He shot her a look.

"You'll already get a good grade, eco is a breeze for you, but for the record, I'm not fixing your grades just because we're sleeping together," she knew he was serious but his tone was light enough for her to laugh and sit up completely. She brushed her lips against his neck just to feel him shiver beneath her touch. It was a bit of a power trip, the control she had over him. But that was okay, because he had just as much control over her.

"We're not sleeping together," she pointed out quietly, her breath fluttering against his ear.

He gulped and turned his head to look at her, his eyes darting down to her lips momentarily. "Maybe we should change that," he suggested quietly and her breath hitched as he put his pen down blindly and leaned over her, pushing her down against the couch until he hovered above, his hands planted either side of her.

Her body suddenly felt like it was on fire as he pressed down against her, despite the several layers of clothing separating them. One of his hands came up and rested in between her breasts, his thumb swiping over one of her nipples momentarily and making her gasp, arching her back further into his touch. He moved his hand up, over her collarbones and then rested it loosely around her neck, before finally his fingers brushed over her lips.

She pushed her own hands up, beneath his shirt, feeling the ripple of his abs as he ducked down to press a searing kiss against her lips. She whimpered into his mouth, her legs wrapping around his waist so she could pull their lower bodies flush together. He moaned, reaching down between them to pull up her skirt.

And as much as she wanted him to, wanted his touch and kiss and everything in between, she forced herself to place her hands on his chest and gently give him a little push. "Bucky," she murmured. He stopped, moving his hand back to its place beside her head.

"What's wrong?" he breathed.

She gulped on a suddenly parched throat and looked down. "Can we just take a breather?"

His eyebrows pulled down and he sat back as she sat up.

"What you said...about us sleeping together, like actually having sex," she struggled to meet his gaze and hated herself for it. "I just need a little more time…"

He grimaced, taking her hand in his own. "Rora, I didn't mean to pressure you. I'd never want you to-"

"No," she interrupted, her voice more firm this time. "You didn't, I promise. The thing is..I've never…" She didn't know why she couldn't say it - it wasn't even a big deal, really. So she was a virgin - she knew he wouldn't care. Or...would he? With a face like his, she couldn't imagine how many hot girls - no, women - he'd been with, probably experienced ones. Plus, he already had a chip on his shoulder about her being so much younger than him; this just felt like reinforcing that ideal.

But he reached out and brushed his fingers down her cheek. "It's ok," he said. "I know. And it doesn't matter. We've got time."

She smiled at him, her crimson lips curling up so high she felt like her face might crack. She tried to remember ever being so happy and warm and full before but couldn't. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, cupping his jaw. Then she kissed his lips, smoothing her hand over his chest before swinging her leg over his to straddle him. "Well, there's still lots of other things we can do in the meantime," she grinned sinfully.

~O~

The Stark penthouse was absolutely ridiculous, even by Aurora's standards. Every single thing was modern, no more than a year or two old, and every single thing was big, luxurious and screamed 'too much money to handle'.

Wanda looked gorgeous, in high heels and a tight, long-sleeved velvet dress that matched Aurora's outfit in every way except colour. Wanda was in black whilst Aurora sported maroon.

As people from their grade streamed into the home, whistling compliments and shouting 'happy birthdays', Aurora and Wanda felt every bit the queens they were. Arms linked together, outfits corresponding perfectly and already a little tipsy from a dip into Tony Stark's ridiculously large liquor cabinet, both girls were ready for a night of fun.

Or so they thought.

Betty and her entourage strutted inside, looking around the place and either hiding their awe at the mansion or simply not feeling any due to being raised in ridiculous luxury from the time they were brought home from their private hospital birthing suite.

Betty embraced Aurora and complimented her before turning to Wanda. "Happy birthday Wendy! This party is going to be so much fun. Hope you had a good day," she kissed 'Wendy' on the cheek before floating off, her girls following her loyally. As soon as she was out of sight, Aurora and Wanda burst out laughing, gripping each other as their stomachs clenched and their eyes screwed shut with intense amusement.

"Oh my god," Wanda gasped out. "What a bitch! She totally fucking knows my name!"

"Of course she does," Aurora chuckled. "You, your brother and your foster dad are on the news at least once a month!"

They were still laughing when Kyle Hentley came up behind them and slung his arms around their shoulders. Their giggles ceased, replaced by looks of distinct disdain.

"Hey there girls. This place is pretty mint. Must be quite a change from where you were born, huh Maximoff?" He taunted, hinting at the war torn country the Maximoff twins had been adopted from. Aurora pushed him off, shoving him harshly in the chest, although he barely budged. Wanda stepped back, glaring at him. If looks could kill, Aurora thought. If only.

"We didn't even invite you dickhead," Aurora spat. "If Pietro heard you spouting crap like that, he'd kick your spoilt ass."

"Oooo," he laughed, rubbing his hands together and sizing her up like she was his next meal. "Pietro couldn't kick shit. Clearly you've already had a bit to drink, huh Princess?" The nickname, a play on her surname 'Prince', was a pathetic and old joke that douchebags at her previous school had been using since the eighth grade. They're all the same, she sighed. No originality.

"Honestly Kyle, your immaturity is tiring at best and positively nauseating at worst. Your inability to allow others to have a good time because of your own insecurities is pathetic and the fact that you weren't even invited to this party clearly shows that despite you owning the title of Football captain and supposed most popular guy in school, you actually have nothing better to do on a Friday night than show up where you're, quite frankly, unwanted," said Aurora, because dickheads needed to be put in their place. Because this was Wanda's night and fuck anyone who would try and ruin it. "Now either leave us alone or leave the party. It's your choice, future frat boy."

For a few, wonderful and powerful moments, he was stunned into silence. She was pretty sure he didn't understand half of the words she had just used, but she didn't care. She was positive he got the point. He stuffed his hands in his varsity jacket pockets and with a glare at her and Wanda, wandered off into the crowds of drunken, dancing teenagers.

"Thanks Aurora," Wanda said, quietly. Aurora turned to her friend. "You know you're...you're basically the best friend I've ever had. Other than my brother."

Aurora smiled at her and grabbed her hand before she pulled her into a hug, breathing in their shared perfume.

"C'mon," Aurora grinned, a gorgeous, infectious grin. A party grin. "Let's go get drunk."

Two hours, 5 shots and 3 vodka cruises later, Aurora was waiting in line for the toilet, despite the fact that she was pretty sure there had to be at least 5 other bathrooms in the penthouse. But she was too drunk and needed to pee too badly to think about going to find them.

She finally got into the toilet, after waiting for God knows how long, and after she peed she looked in the mirror. Her mascara was a little smudged, but her lipstick was still in tact and her dress only smelled mildly of alcohol and smoke. She looked around the bathroom behind her for a moment, although the world was a little blurry. It was large, luxurious. Predictable.

She walked back outside, the clack of her high heels on the hardwood floor drowned out by the bass-thumping music. The hallway, which had been filled with girls before, was now empty. Maybe they'd found another bathroom. Unlucky that happened just after Aurora had waited to pee for a solid 15 minutes.

A shape lumbered in from the main area and, to Aurora's intense dismay, it was Kyle. He was clearly drunk and maybe high, as indicated by his bleary eyes and unsteady gait.

"Aurora Prince!" He grinned. "Just the girl I was looking for."

Aurora rolled her eyes and tried to get past him, but he blocked her way in the narrow hallway, placing a hand on the wall.

"Move out of my way, dickhead," she bit out.

"Look," he said, his voice taking on a serious tone despite the slight slur. "I just want to apologise ok? About what I said earlier, about Maximoff."

Aurora scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest - she could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Well don't say it to me. You should be apologising to Wanda. And do you have to continually use last names? That is so 1980's."

He huffed, taking a few steps closer to her. She could smell the reek of beer on him and she recoiled slightly. "Do you always have to be such a smartass?" he sounded frustrated. "I mean, I'm trying to be fucking nice here."

Aurora glared at him, her lips parted in astonishment at his stupidity. "Oh yeah 'cause you're totally the nice guy. The nice guy that cheats on his girlfriend. The nice guy that calls girls out in the hallway and objectifies them and-"

"You know what, Prince?" He grabbed her arm, tight enough to make her wince in pain, and yanked her toward him. "You need to learn to shut your fucking mouth about things you don't understand."

His grip tightened and she was pressed against his chest. He was tall and muscled and suddenly he seemed...scary.

"Let go of me, Kyle," she tried to make her voice not shake, but Aurora Prince drunk was considerably less effective than sober (or tipsy) Aurora.

"I'm trying to be nice," he repeated, his words more slurred than before. He leaned down and she tried to pull away, but that only served to spur him on, as he shoved her against the wall, knocking the air out of her lungs. His other arm came up to bracket her head, his hand on her arm so tight it was bruising. "Let me just be nice to you ok? Let me make it up to you."

"Stop it," she breathed out, sinking back against the wall in an attempt to further herself from him. It didn't work.

"You know, you're really hot? Seriously," he was just somehow getting closer and closer.

"Get off," her voice was barely there, her throat closing over as panic began to slowly set in.

"Oh c'mon, take the compliment. Girls find it so hard to just take a freaking compliment these days," his breath was on her cheek and it was nauseating.

Get the fuck off, she wanted to shout, but for some reason she stayed silent. Why was Aurora Prince staying silent? Why am I so fucking scared?

Her heart was beating in her chest, hard and fast, pumping adrenaline around her body.

His forehead came to rest against her temple.

Her voice was choked and broken when she next spoke and she would later realise that it was not the alcohol in her system that inhibited her speech but rather the paralysing fear that had taken over her body. "Kyle please I-"

"Shh," he shook his head, his lips ghosting over her jaw and for a second she thought she might actually throw up. Her stomach was twisting in disgust, in terror.

And then everything happened so fast. His whole body was suddenly pressed against hers and his lips were on her own. She tried to squirm away, but he held her tight, kissing her sloppily. She turned her head, but his followed, his grip on her steadily becoming more painful. One of his hands went down to grope her ass, pulling her flush against him. She felt tears she hadn't known existed trickle down her cheeks as she gasped desperately for air that refused to reach her lungs. She was suffocating, slowly and painfully. Drowning in a horrifying sea of monsters that she couldn't begin to understand.

"Hey!" Pietro's commanding voice was a breath of fresh and desperately needed air. "Hey what are you doin' man?" He grabbed Kyle's shoulder and yanked him backward. Kyle peeled away from her, leaving her breathless and tear stained, lipstick smudged and eyes downcast as she panted.

"We're just having some fun, brother," Kyle grinned, clapping a hand onto his shoulder and swaying on his feet.

Pietro ignored him, looking to the trembling girl that was usually so bold. "Hey, Aurora, you ok?"

She couldn't answer. How on earth did he expect an answer? She stood, looking at the ground, her heart in her throat and her stomach dropping by the second. She'd hooked up with Betty's ex. She'd cheated on Bucky.

Fuck.

The thought hit her like a train at full speed. She'd cheated on Bucky and she hadn't even fucking wanted to.

"Aurora," Pietro reached out to place a hand on her shoulder but she flinched away, snapping out of her reverie.

"I-I'm fine," she managed to stutter out. "I just-...I have to go." She stumbled away, down the hallway and back out into the party. She heard someone yell her name and steadfastly ignored it. She needed to do something - she didn't know what. Something.

She needed to go see Bucky. If she was upfront about what happened, if she explained it to him then maybe...maybe…

Maybe she should talk to Wanda. Wanda would know what to do - would know how to talk her down or go and threaten Kyle until he was crying. Something. She scanned the crowds with blurry, tear filled eyes and spotted the birthday girl. She was laughing loudly, a red cup in her hand, no doubt filled with expensive alcohol. She was having fun.

This is her night, Aurora thought. Don't be selfish. Don't burden her. Bucky'll understand. Go to Bucky.

Wanda was safety, but so was Bucky. At that moment, they seemed like the only two people in the world that were safe places for Aurora to land.

She swiped up the first bottle of liquor she lay eyes on. She didn't know what it was. She sculled it till she was choking and spluttering and had to slam it back down onto whatever bench she'd grabbed it from.

The effects took a few minutes to kick in, and in that time she managed to stumble out of the penthouse and into the elevator.

By the time she got to Bucky's apartment, she was barely staying upright, leaning heavily against the doorframe as she knocked mercilessly. It had to be nearing 1 o'clock; the city had been quiet in the cab ride over.

~O~

Bucky woke to incessant knocking only an hour or so after managing to actually fall asleep. He had an ability to be awake practically instantly - perks of never sleeping heavily due to his time spent in the military. You were never safe over there, not even when you were in bed.

He was startled awake by the knocking, rubbing a hand down his face. The only person he could possibly think of that would be knocking on his door was Steve or maybe Natasha. But it was 1 in the morning - had something bad happened?

He rolled out of bed and onto his feet before snatching up a hoodie and shrugging it on, zipping it up as he made his way toward his door, which was still being knocked on. He pulled it open and his eyes widened when Aurora was what met him.

She looked like a mess, leaning heavily against the doorframe, her hair mussed and her eyes bleary.

"Rora?" His eyebrows furrowed as confusion slammed through him. What the hell is she doing here so late?

"Bucky," she grinned, her eyes focussing in on him. "I missed you." She pushed off of the doorframe and stumbled into him. He could smell alcohol and the faint scent of cigarette smoke on her Versace jacket. He wrapped an arm around her to keep her upright, kicking the door closed behind her with his foot.

"What are you doing out so late? How drunk are you?" He pushed her back, holding her steady, and looked at her face, trying to judge just how smashed she was. The answer lay in the way she giggled, her hair falling over her eyes slightly: very drunk.

"I was at Wanda's party, but she's off having fun and I wanted to see you," despite the fact that she looked like a mess and her words were slurred, she still somehow managed to be the most beautiful thing he'd seen.

"Aurora you shouldn't get this drunk and then go galavanting across the city. It isn't safe," he scolded and she giggled again.

"Galavanting," she mocked, laughing. She leaned in and pressed her forehead against his. "I love it when you say silly things like that."

His heart skipped a little at the word love rolling off her tongue, but other than that he only sighed.

"Come on, let's get you a glass of water," he half carried her over to the kitchen and then lifted her easily up onto the kitchen bench. He went to back away to grab a glass but she gripped his hoodie and tugged him toward her. He put his hands flat on the bench either side of her legs. She leaned up and caught his lips with her own. The kiss was messy and she tasted like vodka, but she also tasted like Aurora so it was still so, so good. And that was why he let her pull him in close between her legs, let her sloppily kiss down his jaw and throat and let her hands slide up beneath his hoodie. However, when they glided lower, down toward the waistband of his sweatpants, he reluctantly made himself pull back, taking her wrists in his own hands and gently pulling them away from him.

"Aurora, you're drunk," he said.

"Who cares?" She mumbled, trying to get closer to him.

"I care," a hint of annoyance seeped into his voice as he stepped back, ripping away from her grasp. "You can't go home like this. I'll get you a glass of water and put you to bed. You're going to have to tell your parents you slept at Wanda's." He turned to grab the the glass out of the cupboard. He began filling it with water when he heard a light thump on the floor behind him. He turned and his grip tightened on the glass. Aurora had let her jacket fall to the floor and was unzipping the tight and short maroon dress that clothed her body. His breathing grew heavy as she shimmied out of the dress. It hit the floor as well and she stood before him in only a bra, underpants and ridiculously high heels.

God she is gorgeous, for a moment his mind clouded with lust, but then when she walked toward him, she stumbled and fell into him and again he was reminded of just how drunk she was.

He caught her as she laughed into his shoulder. "Aurora...you should not have let yourself get this drunk."

"I don't know," she pulled back, grinning mischievously. "I think it was a pretty fun idea." Then she reached behind her back and went to unclip her bra. Before she could he quickly grabbed her forearms, pulling them down.

"What has gotten into you? Why are you acting like this?" he snapped, although he hadn't meant to be quite that harsh. Her face fell. She stumbled back and leant against the kitchen bench, her gaze trained on her feet. He let out a breath and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes for a moment, feeling guilty for being too severe.

"You don't want me enough, Kyle wants me too much," she muttered bitterly, still glaring at the floor like it was her mortal enemy. "I just can't fucking win."

Bucky's eyebrows drew down and he took a step closer to her. "Hold on, what's that supposed to mean? With Kyle?"

Her gaze stayed on her feet and her mouth opened, but no words came out. Her eyes started to fill with tears and Bucky's heart started pounding.

"Aurora, tell me what happened," apprehension was beginning to seep in and it increased tenfold when a tear slipped down her cheek. She furiously wiped it away.

"I didn't-I didn't mean for it to happen...But I was at the party and Kyle was there and.." She trailed off and Bucky's mind immediately jumped to the worst. Had she slept with him? Had she really given up her virginity to someone like Kyle freaking Hentley?

"And what?" He felt jealousy flame through him, hot and painful.

She looked lost in her own head, silently crying, staring at the floor. "We-we hooked up," she finally said. "We just kissed but…"

It felt like a punch to the chest, like someone had knocked the wind out of him, even though he was mildly relieved she hadn't had sex with him. He gritted his teeth. "We'll talk about it in the morning," he ground out. "When you're sober."

He reached out to help her walk to his bedroom, steering her toward it. A sob escaped her mouth and his heart twisted. Did she really feel that guilty over it? That it drove her to tears?

She sat on the bed and he crouched down and slipped her heels off her feet. Then he reached over her to pull the blanket up to cover her. She grabbed his hoodie again and pulled her down to brush her lips against his cheek.

"I'm sorry," she cried quietly into his skin.

He sighed. "It's ok," he said, even though it wasn't.

But then she surprised him by sobbing, "I didn't want to, I swear." His eyebrows pulled down. "I didn't want to.. I tried to.." Her voice tapered off, caught in her throat.

He looked at her. "Rora, what do you mean you didn't want to?"

She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks. "I tried to push him off but he was so...big and there was a wall behind me and nowhere to go and I just-... I just froze."

His stomach dropped and he felt bile rise in his throat. He forced himself to remain calm, to be sure that she was saying what he thought she was saying. "Did he force you to hook up with him?"

Her head dropped into her hands so her next words were a little muffled, although still legible. "So stupid. I goaded him at-at the start of the night and then he...He was just there when I was coming out of the toilet and then…" She made a sound in the back of her throat. "I told him I wanted to stop, I swear did, I tried to push him off but-.." She started sobbing. Bucky pulled back, standing up, anger tearing through him like he'd never felt before. He wanted to kill that stupid, fucking, spoilt prick for ever looking at Aurora the wrong way. And when people said they wanted to kill someone they generally meant it figuratively, but Bucky meant it very, very literally. All he could picture was a frightened Aurora, pressed against a wall, whilst bloody Kyle Hentley towered over her, his hands all on her as she begged him to stop.

He felt sick.

"I'm sorry," she cried again and he quickly bent down, cupping her cheek.

"Hey, look at me." He tilted her head up, staring into her impossibly dark eyes, black with mascara. "Do not apologise; it is not your fault. Rora, you can't actually believe I'd blame you for this." On the one hand, the jealousy in him faded as he realised that Aurora didn't actually have an interest in any other guy. But on the other hand, it was replaced by a deep-seeded anger that burned so bright he was tempted to put her to bed, go and get his safely locked away gun and take Hentley out once and for all. It would be so easy - a bullet to the head, steal his wallet and watch to make it look like a robbery gone wrong. Bucky forced himself back into the moment, with Aurora. Not everything can be solved with violence, he reminded himself. You're not that person anymore.

Aurora sniffled helplessly. He brushed his thumb over her cheek bone and pressed a kiss to her temple and was reminded of all the reasons he couldn't be that person anymore. She mumbled something incoherent, punctuated by a hiccup.

"Shhh, it's alright, we'll talk about it in the morning," he soothed her, easing her back so she was lying down. Another soft sob escaped her lips and he felt his heart twist painfully in his chest. She clutched at him, almost desperately. He sat beside her, running a hand over her head, her arm wrapped around one of his legs like it was a teddy bear, until he could barely keep his eyes open a moment longer. He fell asleep on top of the covers, propped up against the wall, his last thought being that no matter what his girl said the next morning, somehow, Kyle Hentley was going to pay.

~O~

When Aurora woke, it was slowly, her head pounding painfully and her body aching in all the wrong places. Her stomach churned and for one horrible moment, she thought she was going to throw up. She took in a deep breath, let it out. She hadn't thrown up from a hangover since sophomore year - she was not breaking that record now. She slowly sat up, looking around the room. It was Bucky's, she realised with a start. Why aren't I home? Or at Wanda's? Then it all came back, last night's events hitting her like a title wave that increased her nausea tenfold. Oh, God. She remembered Kyle's hand on her and then her disaster interaction with Bucky. She felt her cheeks heat in absolute embarrassment and for one terrible moment, she thought she was actually going to cry.

She forced herself to breathe, in and out, in and out. Nothing is so broken that it can't be fixed. I can fix this. She felt ashamed - she'd gotten way too wasted and if she had have been sober, she almost definitely would have been able to fight Kyle off. Although...would she have? Aurora had a sharper tongue than anyone, but Kyle was tall, muscular. He was captain of the football team for a reason and had muscles for days. Aurora was tiny, even if her personality wasn't. If it really came down to it, even sober Aurora didn't stand a chance against someone Hentley's size.

She forced herself to stand up, looking down at herself, dressed in just her bra and undies. She peeked out of the bedroom, looking around at the empty apartment. "Bucky?" She called quietly. No one answer. She wondered where he could have gone - was he upset with her?

She stripped off and went into the bathroom, turning on the shower before stepping into the heat. She remembered the first time she'd showered here, when she'd been so cold the warm water had stung. When she'd been so scared that only Bucky's arms had offered her any comfort. She felt like that again this time; scared and embarrassed.

She felt better as she stepped out of the shower - clean, although she hadn't quite realised she felt dirty before. She dried off and grabbed one of Bucky's dress shirts, buttoning it up. She was rolling up the sleeves when she heard the front door open and shut. She left his room and found him in the kitchen, grabbing for a glass of water. He was covered in sweat and panting hard in a damp t-shirt and running shorts.

"Hi," her voice was quieter than usual and he turned to look at her.

"I was hoping I'd be back before you woke up," his chest rose and fell quickly as he caught his breath.

She straightened her shoulders and steadied herself. You are Aurora Prince, not a child. Start acting like it. "I'm sorry," she said, voice strong. "For how I behaved last night."

Bucky shook his head. "Aurora, whatever happened wasn't your fault-"

"You're right," she interrupted. "It wasn't. But how I behaved once I got here, how drunk I got. That's on me. I should have slept it off at home or at Wanda's, instead of waking you up in the middle of the night." Her voice dropped a little, her tone softening. "You're just...safe, for me."

He stepped forward and reached out to draw her close before remembering that he was sweaty and stopping. "Aurora, I am always here for you. Anytime of the day or night. You'll always be safe with me."

You are not going to cry, you are not going to cry. She gave him a wobbly smile.

"I'm going to have a quick shower and then we'll talk about this more. Why don't you put on some coffee?"

She nodded and he disappeared down the hall, returning only a few short minutes later as she was pouring the coffee into two mugs. As he walked toward her, he pulled a soft grey t-shirt over his head and she reached out instinctively to brush her fingers over the tanned expanse of his stomach before it disappeared beneath his clothes. He smiled and caught her hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing her palm softly. And for that one moment, she forgot about everything else. She forgot about everything bad in the world. She forgot about Kyle and school and her parents and the fact that she and Bucky had to hide the way they felt about each other. All of it melted away like snow under a summer sun. He stepped closer to her, placing her hand on his chest, over his heart. She felt the comforting, steady thump of it, even through his shirt.

He leaned down and pressed a barely-there kiss against her temple. "Let's sit down," he murmured, reaching behind her to pick up the two mugs. He pulled back and just like that, the moment broke and the real world resumed.

She pressed her cool hands against her flushed cheeks momentarily before following him to the couch. She settled down beside him, facing him with one leg propped up and pressed against his thigh.

"Tell me what happened," he said. "All of it."

Aurora took in a steadying breath. "At the start of the night Kyle came up to Wanda and I and made some rude comment about where Wanda came from. I put him in his place and pointed out that he hadn't even been invited. Then, later, I was a bit drunk - but not ridiculously - and I was coming out of the toilet and he was just...there," she repressed a shudder, recalling everything that had happened in excruciating detail, although now she saw it all in a different light. She'd really believed that Bucky would somehow blame her for what happened, that somehow it was her fault and that she'd cheated on him. Now, in the light of day, the idea seemed preposterous. "He apologised for being an asshole - kind of - and then when I didn't accept his apology he..grabbed me and pushed me against the wall."

Bucky looked away, his left hand curling into a careful fist.

"I told him to let go - more than once - and to get off of me. Very clearly. But then he started kissing me and.. I tried to push him off but..I couldn't," her voice remained strong, wilful, but her eyes shone with unshed tears.

Bucky suddenly stood up, turning away. He ran his hands through his hair, stress and anger marring his handsome face. He planted his hands on the desk pressed against the wall, his head hanging between his shoulders. After a few, tense moments he forced himself back over to the couch, resuming his previous position. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

She reached out and threaded their fingers together, holding onto him tightly. He gripped her back, just as hard.

"What happened next?"

"Then Pietro came and pulled him off and I..kind of ran off," Aurora admitted and Bucky tensed.

"Pietro pulled him off?" he questioned and she nodded. He gulped, forcing down whatever jealousy issues he had over her and Pietro. "Thank god he was there."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Because if he wasn't...Bucky, Kyle wasn't going to stop."

"Come here," he murmured, pulling her into his arms. She buried her face in his neck and she couldn't possibly have imagined ever feeling safer than she did in that moment, pressed into his warmth, his strong arms wrapped securely around her.

They stayed like that for a long while, just holding each other. Finally, she pulled back.

"On Monday, we need to go to Principal Coulson," Bucky said. "Kyle has to face the consequences of what he did. He can't just get away with this."

When he saw her hesitation, he added, "I don't care who his parents are or how rich he is. He can't harass and assault girls without punishment!"

"I know, I know," she said. "I agree. It's just...It'll be my word against his. I have to talk to Pietro, make sure he'll back me up."

"Do you think he will?" Bucky looked worried.

"He will. I just need to make sure," she said. "I'll go talk to him today. I want to see Wanda anyway."

Bucky nodded his agreement.

"But Buck, there is one more thing," she said slowly. "You can't come with me, to report Kyle on Monday."

"What? But-"

"Bucky," she interrupted. "You can't. You have to pretend you don't know anything about this! How would we explain it? It'd draw too much attention. We have to keep our distance at school. You know that."

He let out a ragged breath, rubbing his hands over his face. He had a five o'clock shadow going on that somehow made him even hotter than he already was.

"You know I'm right."

He reluctantly nodded. "I just..I don't want you to go through this alone."

"I won't be - I'll be with Pietro," she said, in an attempt to make him feel better, but when his expression tightened and his lips pursed she realised she'd only managed to do the opposite. "But I'll wish it was you," she added. "Always. You."

He reached for her and she crawled into his lap, curling up and just letting him hold her. She closed her eyes. Outside, reality was a mess. But inside the apartment, inside Bucky's arms, Aurora was at peace.

~O~

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I understand that it may be a controversial one. I hope you know my intentions in the middle there (where Aurora blames herself/feels she has cheated on Bucky) are not in anyway intended to victim blame, but rather portray how victims of sexual assault often feel afterwards - especially when they're intoxicated.

Also, in a lot of ways I hate to be using sexual assault as a plot device, however it is such an important and prominent issue and talking about it needs to be more normalised so that victims feel more comfortable coming forward.

Also, I love Aurora and Bucky.

Please leave a review! I do so love to read them x