[OOM] some enchanted evening

[nerves_of_ice]

He's been thinking about it for a while. Long enough to come up with a few ideas, long enough to find what he needs, but not long enough to stop being nervous about it.

It's late afternoon, almost evening. The kids are gone for the day, the goats are fed and watered, and there's nothing else to do but wait.

Sharon should be coming down from the Citadel soon. Probably. In the meantime, Bucky does his best not to pace a hole in the hut's floor, and tells himself to stop being an idiot.

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[nerves_of_ice]

By the third inning, when Rendon drives a second one into the stands, putting the Nats up three to one, Bucky's laughing aloud.

"That's what you get for sending the Dodgers to California!"

[from_the_outside]

"He's having a great game," Sharon says, fondly watching Rendon jog around the diamond.

The next few innings squeak by with only one more run for the Mets to tighten the score and a whole slew of fastballs from "Mad Max" Scherzer. Sharon points out the team members to Bucky as they come to bat or make defensive plays, so caught up in the game she almost forgets they're watching it all the way across the world and that what they're seeing has already happened.

[nerves_of_ice]

He's watching her more than the game now, although he doesn't think she's noticed it, a quiet smile on his face and satisfaction in his heart.

"Harper's no slouch," he observes.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon gets up sometime in the fifth to grab two of the beers Bucky had set to cool in the lake and hands them to him to uncap. "I told you," she says, slightly smug. "All-Star."

She's even more satisfied when Harper smacks a home run over the right field wall in the seventh inning, putting the Nats two more runs ahead – but it's still close.

[nerves_of_ice]

It stays close, too, until the Nats are only up by one as they close out the top of the ninth, with the New York crowd screaming as the Mets come up to bat.

"You can sure tell it's a home game," Bucky murmurs, leaning forward.

[from_the_outside]

"We've got it in the bag," Sharon bluffs, but she forgets to sip at her beer until Madson closes it out, giving the Nats the win.

Her delighted cheer echoes across the lake.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky laughs. "Congratulations. Good game."

[from_the_outside]

"That was a good game," she agrees, grinning as she lifts her bottle of beer to clink against his.

"It almost felt like really being there."

[nerves_of_ice]

"It really did," he murmurs, before taking a swallow from his drink. "I'm glad."

[from_the_outside]

She's slightly wistful as she watches Citi Park flicker and fade away, running her fingertips lightly over her delicate new necklace before she takes another sip of the beer.

"What a good date you are," she tells him, and smiles as she shifts next to him on the purple throw. It's full dark now, and the tiny glimmering lights sparkle around them like the stars he said he wanted to give her.

[nerves_of_ice]

"I try." Bucky reaches to put a supportive arm behind her back. "Comfortable enough?"

[from_the_outside]

"Mhm."

She curls her legs up and leans on him, setting her head comfortably into the crook of his shoulder. "You?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Uh-huh." He finishes his beer and sets it aside, then starts toying with a lock of her hair. "More than."

[from_the_outside]

"Good."

She smiles again to feel his fingers in her hair. "This is really nice."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'm glad you think so," he murmurs. "I thought you'd like it."

[from_the_outside]

"You know me pretty well."

Better than anyone has, she thinks, since Aunt Peggy.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Getting there, maybe." He tucks the lock of hair behind her ear and runs his fingers lightly over her cheek.

[from_the_outside]

"You didn't have to do all this," she says, softly.

"But it's sweet that you did."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I know I didn't. I just..." He shrugs, very slightly. "Thought it was important."

[from_the_outside]

She makes a soft sound and sets her bottle in her lap, thinking of the last time they were in this space together.

"Well, you did good, Barnes," she murmurs, after a quiet moment.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky grins at her.

"Just wait until I take you on a real date."

[from_the_outside]

"I'm pretty sure this is a real date," she tells him, amused.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Well, yes. But I meant in New York. Someday."

There's nothing wrong with dreaming.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon grins and lifts one hand from her bottle so she can rest it on his knee, leaning comfortably against his side. "Fair enough," she says.

"Someday we'll get to have a real date in New York City. Hopefully more than one, so we can check everything off the list."

[nerves_of_ice]

He draws her a little closer and kisses her hair.

“Sounds good to me.”