Saving Bucky-Rewrite

Olivia's POV:

When I wake up the next morning, the first thing I notice is the emptiness beside me. He's gone. A pang of sadness washes over me—I miss him when he's not here. It's irrational, maybe even ridiculous, but I can't help it. He's become such a constant, such a presence, that the quiet feels wrong without him.

I roll over, grab my phone, and check for a message. Sure enough, there's a text from him. My heart skips a beat when I see it's a video.

I open it, and his face fills my screen, his smile instantly warming me.

"Good morning, beautiful," he says, his voice low and soothing. "I know you're probably upset that you woke up alone. I'm sorry. I have a few jobs I need to get done today, but I promise... I'll make it up to you."

I smile so wide my cheeks hurt and watch the video again. And again. Maybe ten times. God, this man.

Without thinking, I hit FaceTime.

The phone rings twice before his face appears on the screen. His hair's pulled back, and he's standing in what looks like a workshop.

"Hey, baby," he says, his smile soft and apologetic. "I'm so sorry I had to leave before you woke up. I promise I'll make it up to you." He blows me a kiss, and I feel my heart flutter.

I cross my arms, pretending to pout. "I mean... I'm okay. But you abandoned my sheets again. The coffee pot's pissed off now, and you're gonna have to talk to it."

He lets out a loud laugh, shaking his head. "The coffee pot?! You had to drag the appliances into this?"

I grin, loving the sound of his laugh. "So... is now not a good time to tell you the stove's depressed?"

That sends him over the edge. He throws his head back, laughing so hard I can't help but join in.

"It misses you," I say, barely keeping a straight face, "and your cooking."

He's still laughing, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Seeing him this happy feels like a gift. It's beautiful.

"I'll be back soon, baby, I promise," he says, his smile softening.

"Well, hurry up and finish your day so you can come back and cheer up the toaster, okay? Because I don't know what's wrong with that motherfucker."

He doubles over, laughing harder than before. "The fucking toaster! Oh god... I like you. Okay, bye!"

"Bye, handsome," I reply, grinning like an idiot.

We both hang up, and I set my phone down with a smile plastered to my face. Oh god, this man.

I force myself out of bed, shower, and get dressed, finishing with plenty of time before I have to open the bar. I check the clock, debating what to do with my extra time.

Hmm... let's create a distraction.

I grab my phone, open my camera, and start brainstorming. If he's going to leave me with nothing but a video message... well, two can play that game.