[oom] I'll see you in the morning time

[nerves_of_ice]

The low hum of the television on the twenty-four hour sports channel continues all through the night, casting its shadows and dim electronic light over the bed, the blankets, and the two of them curled up together there.

For once, there are no nightmares.

It's only once the sun starts making its way above the horizon and the sky outside begins to fade from black to blue that Bucky stirs - and as he realizes where he is and who's with him, a sunshine-bright smile lights his face.

Comments

[from_the_outside]

It makes her think of Wakanda, and the flowers he made sure she got every day when he was under, and it makes her think of that last sad bouquet in Madripoor, the one that had convinced her they had to leave.

Her smile lights her face like sunshine and she reaches out to take the bouquet and bury her nose in its sweet scented petals. "Thank you."

She looks up at him, pleased and bright. "They're beautiful."

[nerves_of_ice]

That look on her face is everything he’s ever wanted to see. Bucky sets the shopping bag on the counter again and smiles back at her.

“I’m glad you like them. I don’t think I have a vase but I figured a water glass might work.”

[from_the_outside]

"That'll work fine," she assures him, and goes to the cabinet to take down a glass like he suggests.

"Find everything okay?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“No problems,” he assures her, pulling the last few things out of the bag. Bread goes in its paper wrapper on the counter, coffee and cinnamon go side by side in the cabinet with the French press, and butter and cheese go in the fridge with the cream.

“I picked up a good basic tool set, complete with measuring tape. Should be enough for anything that needs fixing.”

[from_the_outside]

"Great," she says, tucking the flowers into the glass and adding water. She puts the bouquet on the pass-through counter and throws away the plastic that had wrapped it, then leans back on the counter to watch him with an expression that isn't quite wary.

"Bucky... I made contact with Fury."

[nerves_of_ice]

Looks like he might not need Sam to get him that number after all.

Bucky shoves the paper bag in the recycling and turns to give her his full attention.

“Oh?”

[from_the_outside]

She nods and slips her phone out from her pocket, opening up the text exchange so he can read it.

"Those are the code words we agreed on. It's him."

[nerves_of_ice]

He reads the messages once, then again, then a third time.

Welcome home. And no response to her request for an explanation.

He’d promised not to shoot him. He might have to get creative.

“Uh-huh,” he says, and passes the phone back. “At least we know the number works?”

[from_the_outside]

"For now," she says, wry, and pockets the phone again. "I'm going to try to set up a meet."

She eyes him carefully. "Do you still want to sit in?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Without hesitation:

“Yes.”

[from_the_outside]

She levels her glance at him.

"You're not going to do anything horrible to him, are you?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky looks right back at her.

“I already said I wouldn’t shoot him.”

[from_the_outside]

"That doesn't answer my question."

[nerves_of_ice]

He leans back against the counter and looks at her, and doesn’t say anything.

[from_the_outside]

She levers herself off the counter and goes over to him, settling her hands on his hips so she can look up into his face and the carefully neutral expression he's wearing on it.

He'd hated the idea that Fury might use him as leverage to get her to do what he wanted. And here they are, six years and a whole new exciting range of traumas later. "Still pretty pissed at him, huh?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky nods.

[from_the_outside]

"Yeah."

She studies him a moment longer. "Maybe we should wait on a rendezvous until you've cooled down a little."

[nerves_of_ice]

“No.”

He draws a slow breath, and lets it out just as slowly.

“If you don’t want me there I understand,” he says, finally. “But don’t wait on my account.”

[from_the_outside]

"I want you there."

She lifts her hands from his hips and sets them on his chest instead. "He involved you in this, too, when he offered me that deal."

[nerves_of_ice]

He settles his hands at her waist and looks down at her. “Then I’ll be there. But I’m not going to stop being pissed at him any time soon. I’ll keep my cool, though.”

His grip tightens the slightest bit.

“He didn’t even offer you the start of an explanation.”

[from_the_outside]

"I'm sure he was a little surprised to hear from me," she says, dry.

"He probably thought I was actually dead."

[nerves_of_ice]

He sees white splashes at the edge of his vision and knows it’s anger trying to push its way out. He ignores it.

“Uh-huh.”

[from_the_outside]

The look she gives him is equal parts wry and sympathetic, but before she can say anything, her pocket vibrates.

She lifts a hand off his chest to dig out her phone, and her expression flattens as she reads the message, swears softly, and flips the phone so Bucky can see.

Afraid that's classified.
Rendezvous. 36 hours wake-up.

It's followed by numbers, and for a second she's too angry and disappointed to recognize them as coordinates. "This fucking guy."

Acknowledge, jackass.

[nerves_of_ice]

He’s very still. Too still, he knows, and can’t do anything about it.

He’s already memorized the coordinates when he looks up at her.

“Well,” he manages. “It should be an interesting conversation.”

[from_the_outside]

There's a non-zero chance that if Bucky gets ahold of her phone he might accidentally crush it, so she slides it back into her pocket and puts her hands back on his chest. "Hey."

She shakes him, just a little. "He's got a lot to answer for, but it's going to be okay now. You found me again. I'm right here with you."