[oom] a shadow in pursuit

[nerves_of_ice]

It's been well over a month since the auction, a couple of weeks since the procedure, and Bucky thinks they're all beginning to settle into what he thinks of as 'after.'

Sharon's at the lab with Shuri this morning. He's supposed to swing by there later or tomorrow, depending on how far she's gotten with the latest prototype - he'll wait to hear. In the meantime, he's concentrating on chopping up the latest fallen tree.

It's good work. Clean work, in more ways than one.

Comments

[from_the_outside]

"Deal," she says. That's an easy promise to make; she doesn't intend to work through any of this without talking to him first.

Partners, right?

[nerves_of_ice]

He relaxes - just a little, but visible if one happens to be looking for it.

"Thanks."

[from_the_outside]

A small bit of tension bleeds away as she watches, and she relaxes, too, seeing it.

"Stubborn man," she says, fondly.

[nerves_of_ice]

"You're only now noticing that?"

It's as dry as dust.

[from_the_outside]

"It may have come up one or two times before," she says, amused, and curls a hand around the nape of his neck, fingers toying idly with the ends of his hair.

[nerves_of_ice]

He leans back into her touch. “Oh, good. I’d hate to think you weren’t observant,” he teases.

[from_the_outside]

His hair is getting even longer; she wonders if she'll be able to coax him into letting her trim it again. For now, she twirls a finger loosely in it and makes an amused face at him.

"It comes and goes," she teases back.

[nerves_of_ice]

He smiles, slow and gentle, and stays still as she twists his hair around her fingers.

[from_the_outside]

"There it is," she says on seeing his smile, and leans in to kiss it gently before leaning back with a sigh.

"I should call Steve," she admits, and taps his chest with the index finger of her free hand. "And your coffee's getting cold."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You know I'd just drink it anyway," he points out, but picks up the cup all the same.

"At least Ross didn't make Steve along with you at the auction."

[from_the_outside]

"You know it's not the Great Depression anymore, right?" she teases, but pushes herself out of his lap and reaches into her pocket for her phone. "Yeah. Small favors."

She scrolls through her contacts until she finds the number for Steve's burner phone, then selects it and hits the speaker icon as it rings. "Let's hope he's not in the middle of something."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

He's not in the middle of anything that can't be interrupted.

"Yes," he says when he answers the call. In the background, Bucky and Sharon will hear the bustle and noise of an afternoon crowd shopping in an outdoor market.

[from_the_outside]

"Hey, Steve."

Her voice is warm despite the faint thread of tension. "Sorry to call in the middle of the day, but we had a surprise visitor at the Citadel today."

She sits down, the phone set between her and Bucky, and folds her arms onto the tabletop. "It turns out Everett Ross made me back in Prague. He showed up to talk to T'Challa but found me instead. Things got a little hairy from there, but we're all fine."

That last part is a quick addition as she glances at Bucky. "He's with T'Challa now."

[nerves_of_ice]

"He hasn't seen me," Bucky reassures Steve. "I'm staying out of sight."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Well, that's a relief, anyway." Steve exhales. "So, what the plan? Extraction?"

[from_the_outside]

"No," Sharon tells him. "He's agreed to keep my presence here quiet, at least for the moment."

Which is good, because she's pretty sure T'Challa is perfectly comfortable with creating another diplomatic incident if it means keeping her and Bucky safe. "But he asked if I was in contact with you and for me to pass a message along. The Task Force is willing to open negotiations with the goal of finding a way for the scattered Avengers to return."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky stays silent, listening, letting Sharon and Steve discuss this. It's not about him - not yet, and if he has anything to do with it, it won't be.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve lets out a long, audible breath. "Wow.

"What terms are they offering?"

[from_the_outside]

"Nothing, yet. I'm meeting with him and T'Challa again tonight after dinner to talk more."

She taps her finger on the table, mouth twisting. "I'll tell him I passed the message along. I'm sure he wants a line of communication to you, but I can play go-between if you'd rather he not have direct access."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"I would like that," Steve says. "I don't want to speak to him directly until I have something solid to offer our friends.

"Thank you."

[from_the_outside]

"Sure."

She pauses, then continues. "I don't know if anything's going to come of this, Steve. And I know you didn't have the best introduction to Ross."

The memory of that meeting makes her grimace. "But he's a good person. He'll help if he can. That much I know for sure."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

That makes Steve huff wryly. "I believe you have good intentions," he says, "and our best interests at heart. I'll reserve judgement on Ross."

[from_the_outside]

"Fair enough."

She folds her hands on the table so she'll stop tapping her fingers. "Anything in particular you want me to pass on to him tonight?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Our friends who have families waiting for them are my priority," Steve says. "Find a way to get them home."

[from_the_outside]

"Sam Wilson," she notes, and frowns quizzically at Bucky. She has no idea if Natasha has any family left, outside of the Avengers.

"He can't be the only one, right?"