[oom] in the dark house you have seen the sun rise

[nerves_of_ice]

Ayo had suggested - firmly - that it would not be wise for him to be a part of the response team that's standing ready in case anything goes wrong, and he can't say that he disagrees with her. Instead, Bucky goes to Shuri's lab when 'Irma' and 'Ryan' leave for the meet with the distributor and listens in from there.

Nothing goes wrong. He's glad; they all are, he knows. Once it's clear that they're on their way back and not being followed, Shuri takes off her earpiece and turns to him. "Well. That is good. Everything is going as we had hoped. So now I must ask you - are you ready to proceed tomorrow as we have planned?"

He removes his own earpiece and sets it aside before he answers her. He doesn't want there to be any chance that he'll be overheard, not about this. "Yes," he says, quietly, but without hesitation. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." One corner of his mouth twitches in a rueful smile. "Is it okay to say that I'm a little nervous?"

Shuri takes his hand between hers and holds on. "Of course it is okay," she tells him. "It is no small amount of trust that you have placed in me. This I know."

They sit there in the quiet for a while before he squeezes her hand and lets go. Shuri bounces to her feet and smiles at him. "Now go," she says, attempting a stern manner and failing due to the laughter in her bright eyes as she orders him around. "Do something fun today. I will see you in the morning."

"Okay," Bucky says, and gives her a quick answering smile before he walks out.

He goes back to the hut by the lake. Whether or not that'd been what Shuri had intended, he doesn't know, but it's more peaceful than anywhere else, and right now that's all he wants. Besides, if anyone's looking for him... well, they'll know how to find him there.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"That's nice of you, but I know how bad it is. So what you're offering sounds good to me," Bucky tells her, and Steve nods, then asks, "Need help carrying anything?"

[from_the_outside]

"Nope," she tells him, and stands, dusting herself off. "You guys hang here; I'll be back soon."

She gives them both a mock-salute, then turns to head to the Citadel, tying her hair back into a ponytail as she goes.

(They deserve all the time they can get together.)

[nerves_of_ice]

They both watch after her as she walks up the hill. It's Steve who speaks first.

"I'll look out for her, you know."

"I know." He says it very, very quietly. "I'm counting on it."

[from_the_outside]

It's about an hour later when Sharon comes back down the hill, this time with a pack over her shoulder and a cooler in one hand. There's practically enough food in the pack for a squad of super soldiers – the cooks here like Steve and Bucky as much as anyone – and she'd packed as much of the things she knows he likes as she could find: fresh fruit and cheese, some of that flatbread they'd had the last time, and so on.

Hopefully they're hungry. And haven't resorted to just throwing Jenga blocks at each other.

[nerves_of_ice]

They're sitting together under the usual tree, talking quietly. As Sharon approaches, the movement draws both their attention, and moving with unthinking synchronicity they both get to their feet and start toward her to help.

Bucky switches direction toward the hut and says, "You help her carry, I'll get the table--"

"Swap that around," Steve says, firmly, and goes to get the table and chairs and bring them outside. Bucky goes to meet Sharon.

[from_the_outside]

The look in her eyes is warm and fond as she watches the both of them, and it only gets warmer and fonder as Bucky comes to meet her. "Hi," she tells him, smiling.

She waits until Steve is inside the hut before leaning up to kiss him lightly, then holds out the cooler. "Special delivery. I think they put half the kitchen in here."

[nerves_of_ice]

"That was nice of them," he says, taking the cooler, and leans down to kiss her back. "Thanks for going to get it."

[from_the_outside]

"Happy to play courier," she tells him, and moves in the direction of where Steve is setting up the table. "Sorry to keep you guys waiting so long, but there's plenty in here for the rest of the day and evening."

And morning, she doesn't say. She's not sure if he should eat anything before his procedure and if she's here in the morning she is sure she won't be feeling like eating anything at all.

[nerves_of_ice]

"We didn't even notice the time," Steve promises. Bucky sets the cooler down and starts unpacking things onto the table.

Between them all, they get it set up with a veritable feast. Bucky goes to retrieve the cut log he's been using as an alternate chair, making a third for them, so they can settle in.

[from_the_outside]

It's a good meal with good company, and Steve and Sharon keep the conversation lively. She tells him about a few of her past missions with Fury, keeping to the amusing stories with happy endings, and pesters them both for stories of their shared child- and teenagehood in Brooklyn.

As the afternoon whiles away, K'Senge stops by to check in on the goats. He's a tall boy, lanky and a little shy, but he's happy to see the White Wolf and stays to chat for a few moments before he's on his way again.

Sharon cracks open a couple of beers and passes them around the table. "I heard he taught you how to box," she tells Steve, then gives Bucky a quick smile.

"Somehow we never got around to me getting a lesson. It might be a little harder now that you've only got your right, but I bet we could still work on it."

[nerves_of_ice]

"He did," Steve confirms. "I wasn't much good at the time--"

"--but you were determined," Bucky says, and Steve laughs. "Not as determined as you," he counters. "The way I remember it, you wanted to be sure I could defend myself from bullies once you got sent overseas."

Bucky shrugs, smiling a little, and looks at Sharon. "Anyway, most of it's at the core. We could try."

[from_the_outside]

"May as well," she says, smiling slightly.

"I might have to defend myself from bullies, too."

[nerves_of_ice]

Steve chuckles.

"I think the bullies might have to defend themselves from you."

Bucky smiles at that.

[from_the_outside]

"Fortunately," she says, "not too many bullies in Wakanda to worry about."

She casts a thoughtful glance back towards the hut. "Aside from the goats, sometimes."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky gives her a look. "No?"

[from_the_outside]

"In Wakanda," she reiterates.

With any luck, these missions are the exception, not the new rule.

[nerves_of_ice]

"My point stands," Steve observes, while Bucky shakes his head. "Either way, I wouldn't try boxing the goats."

[from_the_outside]

"I won't," she promises. "The goats are safe from me."

The bullies... Maybe not so much.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky smiles at that, and settles into the feeling of camaraderie, of friendship, of everything that hangs between the three of them here as they talk, and eat, and laugh.

The sun is low in the sky by the time they finish.

[from_the_outside]

This is all just really nice, and it shouldn't have to take a series of dangerous missions and a worrisome medical procedure for it to happen.

Bucky and Steve should be able to sit and talk or play games or have a beer together whenever they want. She should be able to laugh with them and tease them and tangle her fingers with Bucky's under the table every so often like the three of them are meeting up at a favorite place in Brooklyn.

But this is what they've got, so they've got to make the most of it.

She excuses herself as the sun starts going down and goes into the hut to collect some of the electric candles she'd brought down the week before. She flips them on and sets them on the table, where they glow calmly as dusk settles in around them.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Clever," Steve observes, and Bucky nods. "She doesn't miss a trick," he says.

[from_the_outside]

"They're just candles," she tells them, like she'd told Bucky when she first brought them, but she's smiling.

"No reason to sit in the dark."

[nerves_of_ice]

"When I think of candles, I think of fire," Bucky points out. "Not - what'd you call these? Candle-shaped flashlights?"

"They're still candles," Steve argues. "Just electric ones."

"Anyway, it's clever."

[from_the_outside]

"Still not looking to burn down half of the Wakandan veldt," she says. "Battery-powered will have to do for now."

They've cleared out the dishes and the only things left on the table now aside from the candles are a few bottles of beer and some sweet fruit pastries.

And the stars are starting to come out. It's one of her favorite times of day here.

[nerves_of_ice]

Steve winces at the very thought, and Bucky nods at him. "T'Challa might not forgive me that one," he drawls. "Let's not."

Bucky leans back a little and looks up at the sky. "It'll be a clear night, looks like. And a nice one."