[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

[from_the_outside]

A faintly disbelieving smile touches her lips, and the look in her eyes is almost achingly fond.

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

[nerves_of_ice]

He reaches out to take her free hand in his, and laces his fingers together with hers.

"It's not fair of me to ask you to go through this," he says, after a moment. "But I'm glad you're here."

[from_the_outside]

She lifts his hand to her lips and presses a kiss to the backs of his fingers.

"You're not asking," she tells him. "You don't have to. I'm not going anywhere."

Her smile is very sweet. "Partners, right?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Right," he murmurs, brushing a fingertip over her cheek while she holds his hand close to her lips. "Partners."

"It's just ... this is why I was trying to wait. Before. I didn't want to do this to you."

[from_the_outside]

"Bucky," she says, softly. She turns his hand in hers and presses a kiss to the palm, then presses his palm to her chest.

"You're not doing anything to me. I might be worried, but I'm glad you decided to stop waiting. I wouldn't give up this last week and a half with you for anything. And we'll have plenty of time again once you wake up."

[nerves_of_ice]

He spreads his fingers wide, feeling the beat of her heart, and his small, warm smile is almost impossibly sweet.

"Count on it," he murmurs, deliberately echoing Steve's own assurance.

[from_the_outside]

He can probably feel the way her heart pounds when she looks at that smile. She puts her bottle on the table and shifts her chair, careful not to disrupt his hand as she comes close enough to lean forward and kiss him gently.

"I am," she tells him, soft and smiling when she pulls away again. "You better believe it."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I do.” Softly, so softly, as he studies her face, memorizing it.

“You’ve knocked me for a loop, baby.”

[from_the_outside]

"Good," she tells him, quiet. "It's only fair."

Her free hand goes to his head, tucks back a fallen lock of hair, and she smiles at him, lets herself just get swept away in this adoration. "But I am going to be pissed if you forget about me, so don't."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I don’t see how I could,” he murmurs, leaning in to her touch. “No matter what.”

[from_the_outside]

"But if you do..."

She leans in and kisses his forehead, his cheek, his mouth. "I don't care how many times I need to win you over. I'm not going anywhere. I choose you, Bucky. Got it?"

[nerves_of_ice]

His eyes light, bright as any star, and he slides his hand up and around the back of her neck as he pulls her in for another kiss.

"Got it," he affirms. "And just so you know, angel... I'm not going anywhere either."

[from_the_outside]

"Good," she tells him, when this kiss breaks. "Because I'm going to miss you like crazy until you wake back up."

Her own eyes are shining and her heart is so full it almost hurts. She doesn't have the words to tell him about it, so she just leans in to kiss him again.

[nerves_of_ice]

This time, he runs his hand down her back as he returns her kiss and tries to coax her closer, into the curve of his arm, even if it means she has to come sit in the chair with him.

"I'll come back as soon as I can," he promises.

[from_the_outside]

She slips off her chair and into his lap, putting her arms around his neck and letting his arm go around her waist.

"I hope so," she tells him, and kisses him again, and then once more for good measure. "Because I will probably drive Shuri kind of crazy until you do."

[nerves_of_ice]

He smiles at that, a little ruefully.

"Please don't piss off my doc to the point where she rushes the procedure?" he asks, drawing her closer to him.

[from_the_outside]

"Me?" she asks, teasing.

"When I have I ever been impatient and reckless?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Let me think about it," he drawls, and kisses her again.

[from_the_outside]

"I promised someone I would be careful," she tells him, and kisses him back.

"So I'm going to have to be. And that includes not pressuring Shuri into rushing anything. I want you free of those triggers more than I want you back fast."

[nerves_of_ice]

He leans his forehead against hers and is still for a moment, wrestling with the words-- fighting to keep them held back, unspoken.

[from_the_outside]

She holds him close and curves her hand at the back of his head, as comforting a gesture as she can make it.

"What?" she asks, very gently. "What is it?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He shakes his head, and stays quiet for a moment.

Finally:

"I just..." Bucky trails off there before thinking better of what he was going to say and concluding, "Want them gone."

[from_the_outside]

"I know, baby," she tells him, and runs the pad of her thumb over his temple.

"They will be. Nobody's ever going to be able to use you like that again."

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods, and stays quiet, leaning into her touch.

[from_the_outside]

She rests her forehead against his and strokes her fingers through his hair, slow and soothing, listening as the camera shutter clicks quietly.

"Just think," she tells him, voice soft, "you'll close your eyes and when you open them again, they'll be gone. And Steve and I will be there."

And Ayo. For...

Testing. "The mission will be over, and we can all just relax for a little while."