[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.

Comments

[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.”

[from_the_outside]

"Me, too."

What will life look like then, she wonders. What will it take to get both of them back to the States, free to walk around Brooklyn and do what they want? Where will she be living? What will they be doing?

Is it even possible to get back some of what they've lost?

[nerves_of_ice]

The night is quiet around them save for the soft lapping of the water at the shore, the distant calls of unknown birds, and the breeze that rustles the tree branches far overhead. Bucky stares absently at the lights, seeing another world entirely.

It'd be good for Sharon to be able to go home. Steve, too - and Natasha and Sam. With Zemo in custody and the true threat exposed, it should be manageable. Eventually. For them, anyway.

He hasn't asked about Ross's progress for a while, figuring Sharon would tell him if there were any news. Maybe he'll ask tomorrow. He doesn't want to disturb the peace tonight.

[from_the_outside]

"Can you even imagine going back to a normal life?" she murmurs, after a long few moments of companionable silence.

"Paying rent, running errands, all that? It seems so weird to think about."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Not that weird," he murmurs, his warm breath stirring her hair. "It's what I was working on in Bucharest."

He shifts a little to look down at her with a small rueful smile. "I mean, as much as I could, anyway. The fugitive part was always there, of course."

As was the Winter Soldier.

[from_the_outside]

"Were you," she murmurs, and her smile crooked and as wry as his.

Bucharest. Where he'd been staying and where she sent the strike team to find him. She thinks of the photos she saw of the small, shabby apartment there and feels terrible all over again. "It'll be easier without the 'fugitive' part down the line, at least."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Sure," he agrees. "I mean... with the exception of rent, it's kind of what I'm doing here, too."

Shuri and Elder Ayemi had both been very insistent.

[from_the_outside]

"I guess that's true."

For him, anyway. She can't help still feeling like a glorified guest: rootless and aimless apart from a few times when her skillset might come in handy. "It suits you."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Really?" He sounds as surprised as he feels.

[from_the_outside]

"Sure."

She gives him another crooked smile, this one warm, crinkling the corners of her eyes. "It's been good for you. And it seems like you like it here."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Well, yeah. I'm not sure how it could have been anything but an improvement," he points out. "And Shuri's given me a miracle. More than one."

He studies that crooked smile of hers very carefully. "Do you like it here?"

[from_the_outside]

"She sure has."

For that alone, she'll be grateful to the Wakandans forever.

She shrugs slightly at his question. "What's not to like? This place is great. And like you said: no rent. Which is nice."

[nerves_of_ice]

His eyes narrow, just slightly, but he decides not to push right now. "Okay."

[from_the_outside]

She smiles at him and settles back down to look out over the water, her thumb running lightly over his knee.

It's not a lie, exactly: she likes Wakanda. There are times when she loves it; the beautiful buildings and wide open plains, the lively marketplace, spending time with Nakia and Shuri.

And the little hut by the lake has to be one of her favorite places. Although this, right now, with the soft sound of the water lapping against the shore and the calls of nighttime birds and insects and Bucky warm and steady beside her, is definitely angling into competition.

[nerves_of_ice]

He's not sure whether or not she deliberately meant to evade his question, but he's well aware that she did. Bucky sighs and pulls her a little closer, then leans his head against hers.

Not tonight. He'll ask another time. He'll have to; if she's not happy here, no matter what's between the two of them, then that's something they'll need to figure out.

[from_the_outside]

It's late summer and even once the sun goes down, the air is still plenty warm. She wonders, idly, what fall and winter look like in Wakanda... or if they look all that different at all.

Rainy, maybe. "I hope pulling all this together didn't take up your whole day," she murmurs, tipping her head back against his shoulder so she can gaze up into the star-speckled tree.