[Leipzig AU] a means to a necessary end

[nerves_of_ice]

It's a long flight from Berlin to Novosibirsk and the secret location far beyond it, even in a Quinjet. They spend the time planning and coordinating. Bucky describes the structure and security of the facility itself as best he remembers. Tony calls up plans and blueprints from god knows where and throws them into the middle of the plane for all to see. They're not the same as what Bucky remembers, they figure out fairly quickly, but they're better than nothing.

Tony also takes over the back of the plane and snaps at anyone who comes close, doing something that involves shifting screens and models of buildings and wave patterns and a human skull, and the eventually the low humming grind of a machine. Soon after, he stalks back up to the front of the plane and shoves a set of custom-fabricated earplugs at Bucky, who stares at them and then at Tony.

"Noise-cancelling all the way to total sound blackout. Tap the end of the earpiece to deafen yourself," Tony informs him. "Last thing we need's for you to be his puppet." Bucky starts to stammer a thanks, but Tony growls something under his breath and stalks back to the back of the plane again to work on something else. Steve catches Bucky's eye and shakes his head, and Bucky decides to leave well enough alone.

Sam advises everyone to rest in shifts; Bucky knows he's not wrong, but neither he nor Steve can do it, and after a while Sam stops trying to convince them. Natasha sits with him for a while, her eyes dark with concern. They don't say much, but there's no need to.

A Snowcat is parked outside the door of the facility when they land. Bucky's jaw sets in hard lines at the sight of it, and he trades a look with Steve.

They're already here.

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[from_the_outside]

She puts her arms around him, shaking like a leaf in the autumn, every muscle a confused mess of loose and relaxed and protesting violently at having been used so strenuously after the events of the last few days.

It doesn't matter. He holds her and she holds him as the aftershocks ripple through her, until she can catch her breath and lift her head to look at him, her smile sleepy and sweet.

[nerves_of_ice]

He cradles her to him, supporting her against him, until she stirs and raises her head. The sight of her smile has his heart turning over in his chest.

Bucky kisses the tip of her nose, then smiles back at her. "Hi," he murmurs. He shifts just enough to snag the edge of the blanket, then shifts again to lie back down, drawing her with him and pulling the cover over her.

[from_the_outside]

"Hi," she whispers back, and makes a small contented sound as he pulls them back down and drags the blanket over them. She kisses his chest and rests her chin on her forearm to look at him.

"You are so precious to me," she murmurs, reaching with her free hand to stroke his hair back over his ear. "I hope you know that."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I do." His voice is just as soft as hers. "I don't know why, exactly, but I do know it. It humbles me."

[from_the_outside]

"Lots of reasons."

Her smile is lazy and content and her eyes are warm. "You're sweet. And good-hearted. You're honest. You respect me. You take care of me. That smile of yours could stop traffic, and I feel like I've won the lottery every time I coax it out of you. You love to go dancing. You're a closet romantic."

She leans up to kiss him, very gently. "Believe me, I could go on."

[nerves_of_ice]

He kisses her back, then curves his hand gently around the nape of her neck and lets it rest there as he toys with her hair.

"Of course I respect you," he says, after a moment. "Anyone who doesn't is a real idiot."

[from_the_outside]

She relaxes on him, ignoring the complaints from her muscles and her aching head, surfing on a wave of dopamine.

"Well, I've known a lot of real idiots in my life."

[nerves_of_ice]

He makes a dissatisfied sound at that and tucks the blanket more closely around her with his free hand, as if to shield her from said idiots.

[from_the_outside]

She makes a soft, contented sound and closes her eyes, savoring his warmth and the solidity of him beneath her.

This bubble can't last forever, she knows. Already she's thinking about how long he'll be able to stay and what will happen if he has to go to Wakanda –

But she doesn't want to worry about it just yet. "Also, you're comfortable," she murmurs. "One more reason."

[nerves_of_ice]

He chuckles at that, the sound a vibration deep in his chest, and wraps his arms around her.

"Glad to hear it."

[from_the_outside]

His laugh hums beneath her and makes her smile. She makes a soft sound as his arms go around her and lays her cheek against his chest for a moment.

"I'm glad you asked me to stay."

[nerves_of_ice]

He presses a gentle kiss to her hair. “I’m glad you stayed.”

The world may be bearing down on them, but at least they have this time.

[from_the_outside]

"Of course I did."

She kisses his skin once more, then look up at him, her chin on her forearm. "I don't care if you end up in New York or Wakanda," she tells him, soft but fierce. "I'll find a way to come see you. No matter what."

[nerves_of_ice]

He studies her face as he raises a hand to tuck an errant lock of hair behind her ear.

“You don’t have to,” he murmurs. “It’s going to be a mess. I can’t see how it wouldn’t.”

[from_the_outside]

"I don't care."

She doesn't care if she has to burn every favor Nakia ever owed her, if she has to show up at the border and camp there. "I will anyway."

[nerves_of_ice]

He takes a slow breath and lets it out in an equally slow sigh. “I won’t try to stop you. Maybe I should, I probably should, but I won’t. Just know…”

His eyes are dark and the look in them is accepting.

“… I’ll understand. If you change your mind.”

[from_the_outside]

"I won't."

Maybe it hasn't been all that long. Maybe she's gone a little crazy. She doesn't care.

Sharon reaches to run her fingers lightly over his hair. "I choose you."

[nerves_of_ice]

He stays very still, watching her for a moment, then reaches up to catch her hand. Bucky brings it to his mouth, kisses her fingers, then twines them together with his and lets their linked hands rest lightly on his shoulder.

"Steve will need you," he murmurs. "And you him, maybe. You can lean on each other when I'm not around."

[from_the_outside]

She makes a slightly skeptical sound and shrugs. "Steve has Tony and Sam and Nat and the other Avengers," she says.

"He barely knows me."

[nerves_of_ice]

He raises his eyebrows at her. "So? That's easy enough to change."

[from_the_outside]

She's not wholly sure Steve wants it to change, as far as she goes, but she knows he'll reach out, because she's important to Bucky. The same reason she'll reach out to him.

She doubts either of them are each other's first choice for emotional support, but that's not really the point right now. "Okay," she murmurs. "I'll keep in touch with him. I promise."

[nerves_of_ice]

Some almost imperceptible tension that had been settling into his shoulders relaxes at that.

"Good." It's very, very soft. "Thank you."

[from_the_outside]

"Besides," she says, after she lifts their linked hands to press a kiss to his fingers.

"It's not like they don't have phones in Wakanda. You'll still be able to talk to us. And I know he'll do whatever it takes to visit you, too."

[nerves_of_ice]

He makes a quiet noise that's not quite disagreement... but it's close.

"You heard T'Challa."

[from_the_outside]

She shrugs, slightly.

"I have my own Wakandan contact," she says, quietly. "And I'll use it if I need to. I've still got a lot of strings left to pull."