[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]

“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."

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods again, very carefully, so as not to dislodge her.

It's hard for him to prepare for the possibility that it might not work. That Shuri might not be able to remove them - not without destroying his mind. He'll endure if that's the case, but he's not sure quite how.

But he'll do it. For Steve's sake, and now Sharon's as well.

[from_the_outside]

It will work. It'll be fine. Any other result is unacceptable and therefore impossible.

And Shuri would never suggest it unless she was sure. She can take that right to the bank.

For now, she just sits and listens to him breathe, feels his soft hair slipping between her fingers, concentrates on his arm around her, holding her safe and close.

Above them, the stars spin, too slow to see. The camera shutter clicks.

[nerves_of_ice]

"The picture will be done soon," he says, a few clicks later, breaking the silence around them. "Are you tired?"

[from_the_outside]

"Getting there," she admits, and pulls back a little, enough to run all five fingers of her right hand through his hair from his forehead back. "But I don't mind sitting up with you if you aren't."

She already knows she's going to sleep like shit for the next few weeks. Why not get a jump on it?

[nerves_of_ice]

A faint shiver runs through him as she runs her hand through his hair.

"No, it's okay," he says. "Probably just as well if I have my brain in top shape tomorrow anyway, not all strung out."

[from_the_outside]

"Probably," she agrees.

She smiles and runs her hand through his hair again, this time fisting her fingers and tugging lightly on it.

"But we don't have to go to sleep right away."

[nerves_of_ice]

He hisses in a breath, and tips his head into her touch.

"That's true," he agrees.

[from_the_outside]

She tugs a little harder and leans in to kiss him, deep and sweet.

"I'm glad you agree," she tells him, when it breaks.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Ah, god, Sharon--"

Words fail him as he wraps his arm around her and pulls her in, kissing her back, drowning in her touch, her scent, the warm weight of her against him.