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Recently, Eden had noticed a concerning change in Bucky's behavior. It had started three weeks ago. The first change had been his clothes, when they were going out for a walk.
"Buck, are you ready?" Eden called. They were supposed to leave over half an hour ago but Bucky was taking forever to get ready.
"I'm coming now doll." Bucky yelled. When he exited their bedroom and entered the living room, Eden looked him up and down quizzically, raising her eyebrows. He was wearing a thick oversized sweater with a bulky jacket over it.
"Babe, are you sure that's what you wanna wear?" Eden was taken aback by his outfit choice, it was July for Christ's sake
Bucky nodded.
"Buck, its sweltering outside. It's the middle of summer, why don't you take off the jacket?"
"I'm fine with what I'm wearing Edie. Let's just go." Bucky insisted. Eden sighed and resigned the matter, thinking that he was simply feeling more self conscious than usual about his arm.
The next incident had been when they'd gone to the beach.
"Buck, are you coming in the water?"
Bucky had lowered his sunglasses to look at her and shook his head "I think I'll stay here and watch you, if you don't mind."
Eden frowned at him. Of course she minded, he'd been the one to suggest going to the beach to combat the heatwave that'd been sweeping New York. She'd pulled out her new yellow bikini that made her brown skin pop even more, taken out her wig and left her natural hair loose and driven here only for him to change his mind.
"James, you made us come here and now you don't want to go swim. You know what? I'll go by myself since it's clearly too much to ask of you."
Eden turned away from him and stalked down the sand towards the sea. She wasn't going to do this. When she was halfway there, you heard Bucky's voice.
"Edie wait." He was jogging to catch up with you. "I'll come with you."
She rolled your eyes and kept walking. Bucky grabbed her arm and pulled her into him for a kiss. Turning her head away, she frowned at him again.
"I'm still mad at you."
"I know doll, how about I get you ice cream later to make up for it?"
She tip toed to meet his height and pressed a kiss to his lips, "Deal, now let's go."
Bucky wrapped his hand in hers and began walking again.
Eden looked at him, "Aren't you going to take off your shirt?"
"Nope." He said. It struck heras odd but she didn't question it. The beach was crowded and she assumed he didn't want people to see his scars which was understandable.
The next change that took place was the one that raised the most concern, a change in his eating habits.
They'd gone out for dinner that night at their favorite restaurant. When the waiter came to take your orders, Bucky said, "I'll have the Ceasar salad."
This was alarming, James Buchanan Barnes was not the kind of man that ordered salads as a meal.
"A salad babe?" She asked, trying to make sense of what was going on.
"Oh, yeah, I'm not too hungry tonight I guess." Bucky mumbled.
"Are you sure? We can always change your order." Eden pressed. She knew her boyfriend well enough to know that a salad was never gonna satisfy him.
"Eden, doll, I'm fine."
She didn't want to push the matter to upset him so she left it alone.
This change worsened over the next couple of weeks going from him eating salads and fruit to him skipping meals entirely. She had to admit, the multitude of excuses he could come up with was impressive.
"Y/N, I'm not hungry."
"I ate before I came home."
"I have work to do, I'll eat later."
"I'll eat at work."
"I grabbed food with the boys earlier."
After that, came refusing to take pictures with you.
There was this French inspired teashop that had recently opened that she'd been begging Bucky to carry her to and eventually he'd caved.
While you where there, she decided that she'd take a few pictures for Instagram.
"Hey Buck." Eden called
"Yeah Edie?"
"You wanna take pictures with me for Instagram?"
"I don't think so baby." Bucky shook his head, his hair flying in his face.
She expected him to say yes, he loved taking pictures with her. All over their apartment was littered with various Polaroids and framed images of you two over the course of their relationship. He'd never said no before and she were astonished.
"But why baby?" Eden pouted prettily at him, hoping it'd change his mind.
"I just don't want to today."
"Is it because you think I don't look pretty?" She had to admit to yourself that this was a new low, trying to guilt trip him by jumping to conclusions but she were desperate to know why all of a sudden the majority of his mannerisms had changed.
Bucky was absolutely bewildered by your response.
"Eden doll, you look stunning, I just don't want any pictures."
Well, you did look good and weren't going to pass up an opportunity to get good pictures so you let it go
"Fine, but you're gonna take pictures of me then."
Then there was tonight.
"Bucky!" Eden called, her stilettos clacking noisily on the marble tiles, "Hurry up, we're gonna be late."
"Eden, I'm feeling sick, just go without me." He called back from your bedroom.
At this point, she was frustrated. This was an important charity event that the company she worked for was hosting and even though Bucky hated those events, he'd agreed to come but now was suddenly too sick to attend.
She'd had enough of his weird behavior the past few weeks and she was going to give him a piece of her mind.
She walked into the room prepared to tell him off, but what she saw wasn't what was expected.
Bucky was sitting on your bed, tie in his hand, facing your full length mirror, crying his eyes out.
"Buck." She called out.
He jumped, even though he'd been expecting her to come, she'd startled him.
"Hey, Edie" Bucky said.
She walked over and sat next to him on the bed, "Buck, what's wrong?"
"Nothing sweetheart."
Black don't crack but this boy was gonna give her wrinkles with the amount of glaring she was doing right now "James Barnes, if nothing is wrong, then why are you crying?"
This only seemed to make him cry even more.
"Baby, c'mon tell me what's wrong?"
Bucky shook his head. Eden wrapped her arms around Bucky and pulled him into her. As he buried his head in her chest, she gently stroked his hair, trying to soothe him.
Eventually, he raised his head, "Your dress is all wet, I'm sorry."
Pressing a kiss to his tear streaked cheek, she smiled gently at him, "It's okay my love."
"No it's not. Why are you so nice to me?"
Eden was perplexed, she were usually the needy one, aggravating Bucky every couple hours to reassure her that he'd love her even if she were a worm. He'd never needed validation but if that's what he needed now, she'd write him a book. She'd do anything to make him happy again.
"Because you're my handsome boyfriend and I love you."
At that, Bucky promptly burst into tears again.
"No no no baby, don't cry. Just tell me what's wrong James."
"I'm not handsome Eden." His voice sounded pained as he said it. She decided to try again
"You're right baby, you're sexy."
"I'm not, I'm fat." He blurted out before burying his face in his hands.
That's when it clicked. Everything that he'd been doing had stemmed from this insecurity, but she didn't know where it came from, he'd never spoken about himself like that. Bucky may not have had an ego but he knew that he was attractive.
Eden felt like crap actually for ignoring all the signs over the weeks and coming up with reasons, instead of asking him about it. There was nothing she could do now besides try her best to talk to him about it.
"You're not fat baby."
"Yes I am"
"James look at me."
When he refused, she took his chin and gently raised it so he could look you in the eyes, "Bucky, you're the most handsome guy I've ever seen."
Bucky pulled himself away from her and stood in front of you gesturing to his belly that was slightly straining against the fabric of his shirt,
"Look at me Eden, I'm chubby."
She raked her eyes over his figure. It was true that he'd put on a few pounds and instead of its usual firm shape, his stomach was now soft and slightly pillowy but it didn't take away from his attractiveness, it added to it.
"Baby, you're not chubby."
"Then what would you call this Eden?" He cried out almost frustratingly.
"Fluffy."
Bucky looked at her incredulously, "Fluffy?"
Eden nodded, "Fluffy like a cloud or a pillow or an adorable bunny rabbit."
If looks could kill, the glare Bucky gave her in that moment would have annihilated her instantly.
"I'm a man Eden, I'm not supposed to be adorable or fluffy."
Now it was her turn to glare at him. She made a mental reminder to rub her face with some cocoa butter later to prevent wrinkles.
"Who says that men can't be adorable?"
"That's...just how it is Eden." Bucky sighed. He hated feeling like this, weak and insecure, he was supposed to be the one taking care of Edie but here she was having to baby him.
"No it's not James. Who told you that?"
"No one." Bucky's answer came way too suddenly and Eden knew he was lying.
"Bucky..."
"Fine, it was Brock. He told me that I was getting tubby and that I didn't deserve you because you're so much more better looking than I am and that you'd realise that soon enough and leave me because you wanted a man that could take care of you." Bucky burst into tears again.
He felt so ashamed of himself for crying so much in front of Eden but he couldn't help it. He'd bottled up these feelings inside for weeks and now it was all spilling out.
Eden was furious. She'd always known that Brock was an asshole but to go to this length to tear down Bucky's self esteem and convince him that she was gonna leave him, was too far and she made a mental note to punch him the next day that she saw him at work for making her boyfriend cry.
"Baby I'll never leave you. I've been with you for four years and I'm not going anywhere. Your attractiveness does not decrease because you gained a little weight. I'm with you because you love and respect me not because you're hot. You are worthy of me James and you always will be."
Eden leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his stomach. It was warm and soft and she loved it, she loved all of him, just the way he was and she just hoped that he would see that.
"Are you sure that you don't mind?"
"Yup."
"You promise you'll never leave me?" Bucky's voice was almost childlike. He still found it a little hard to believe that, Eden didn't mind. He'd always known that her heart was big but her accepting him even when he couldn't accept himself, meant so much to him.
"I promise."
"And you still think I'm attractive?"
Eden giggled, "Still as hot as the day I met you."
For the first time that night Bucky smiled and it warmed her heart to see it.
Bucky sat next to her and pulled her onto his lap to straddle him, kissing her neck, "I love you Eden."
"I love you too James."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you how I was feeling. We could've prevented all of this." Despite all the joy, he had in that moment, there was also a lingering sense of regret for not coming to Eden earlier. Bucky felt like crap for doubting her, for thinking she'd abandon him. He couldn't believe that he thought that she'd give up on him
"Don't apologize baby, I understand that its hard. I'm just glad that we were able to work it out. Do you feel better now baby?"
"Yeah I am." And it was the truth. He felt like a weight had been lifted off of him. For the first time in weeks, Bucky was truly happy.
"I'm sorry too Bucky."
"For what Edie?"
"For not talking to you about the changes I was noticing." It was still bothering her that she hadn't said anything to him about them. Eden felt, that she'd in a way, failed him.
"You don't have to apologize Eden. I should've been mature enough to speak to you about it instead of acting like a child. Don't feel guilty." He leaned in and kissed her.
Eden pulled away, her hands unbuttoning his shirt "So how about, we skip this thing and I show you just how much I love your body."
"I thought this event was important?"
Smirking, Eden slid the white material off his shoulders, "We'll just tell them that we were sick."