[Virginia AU] as sunshine flows into trees

[nerves_of_ice]

In the wake of his success creating the block, Pepper manages to coax Tony into coming back down to the city for what Tony says'll be 'a few days, maybe a week.' Bucky wonders how successful she'll be at keeping him there, given that part of the reason he'd moved fully into the compound to begin with was evidently the strain between them, but decides it's not really his business.

In Tony's absence, Steve doesn't think it's a good idea for him to be too far out of reach, just in case something comes up that needs the Avengers. Bucky finds this out when he broaches the idea of going back to Virginia for a day or two, if they can figure out a plausible excuse. He encourages Bucky to go with Sharon anyway, though, and to have fun.

Bucky's not sure if they can get away with it, but there's no question that it'll be easier without Pepper and Tony around to ask awkward questions. Still, he tries not to get his hopes up too high when he comes to find Sharon in the office after Steve heads down for a training session with the team.

He raps on the door with his right hand, and waits for her to answer.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"Oh, you have plans, do you?" he drawls. "Do I get to know what they are?"

[from_the_outside]

She chucks him fondly under the chin, like she's Cary Grant and he's Katherine Hepburn. "You know what my plans are," she tells him, smiling as she pulls her hand back and guides the Quinjet gracefully down toward the clearing in the trees.

"To make myself irresistible to you. Or, at a pinch, to kidnap you to a nice vacation home."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Good work on the first part," he concedes, watching as they start to settle into the clearing with no sign of concern about the trees' proximity. "Your kidnapping skills need work, though."

[from_the_outside]

"Do they?" she wonders as the Quinjet settles onto its landing gear and she shuts the engine off, flipping a switch that opens the back hatch. "I got you back here, didn't I?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Kidnapping implies a degree of coercion," he counters, getting to his feet and moving out of the way so she's got plenty of room to join him. "I'm definitely not feeling coerced. Or even tricked."

[from_the_outside]

"Fair enough."

She gets up from the seat and takes her laptop bag, letting him handle the rest of the luggage once more, then heads down the ramp and into the clearing, breathing deeply of the cool, green-scented air once she's outside.

Turning to him, she smiles, sweet and warm. "Welcome back, baby."

[nerves_of_ice]

His smile's smaller than hers, but just as warm, and somehow relaxed.

"Thanks. It's good to be back."

[from_the_outside]

She waits until he's out, then closes up the Quinjet behind him and starts making her way with him along the path that leads them through the trees to the house.

[nerves_of_ice]

"It's early," he says, as they come out into the open space. "Do we want to run into town for supplies first?"

[from_the_outside]

"Okay," she tells him, and leads the way up the porch to unlock the door. "Let's drop our stuff off and do a quick check to see what we need, and then we can take a trip down the mountain."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Stuff for burgers, that I know." He gives her a quick smile as he carries their things inside and heads for the stairs to her room.

[from_the_outside]

"You know I love a burger," she laughs, and heads in to the kitchen to take stock of the fridge and cupboards, scrawling an abbreviated shopping list as she goes.

[nerves_of_ice]

He chuckles and keeps going. It doesn't take long to set her bags on the desk in her room, or to lean his backpack against the wall. He considers unpacking a few things and decides against it for now. Besides, he's not sure where she'd prefer to put them.

Bucky considers for a moment, then goes down the hall to the guest room he'd used the first time and retrieves the quilt from the bed. He brings it back and folds it over the end of Sharon's bed, then goes back downstairs.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon's peering into the fridge as he comes into the kitchen, checking the expiration date on a carton of eggs sitting on one of the shelves. "Well, we're set for condiments and anything canned or frozen, pretty much," she tells him, shutting the fridge door and making a note on her list.

"But we need some fresh food."

[nerves_of_ice]

He blinks at her. "Did you expect otherwise?"

[from_the_outside]

"Sometimes my parents have someone from the store come and stock the place up if they're planning on coming down," she points out, pocketing the list. "And it's getting toward the time of year when they might be here a little more often. So it's worth it to check."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Speaking of that,” he says, “should you let them know we’re here?”

[from_the_outside]

"Definitely," she agrees. "If only to make sure they won't show up this time."

She comes towards him and takes his hand, then tugs him down the hall with her toward the door. "Come on, let's go into town."

[nerves_of_ice]

He follows after her willingly. “If they wanted to come down for an afternoon or something…”

[from_the_outside]

"If they do, you're on your own," she warns him. "I'm climbing through a window. You can give my mom all the details."

[nerves_of_ice]

He laughs, soft and low. “It’s just I know you don’t get to see them very often.”

[from_the_outside]

She lifts their linked hands to press a kiss to his knuckles as they near the garage, then hits the door opener with her free hand. "They'd love to see you," she teases. "They're so excited I have a boyfriend that they don't even care that you're not a lawyer. Now that's enthusiasm."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Or a doctor,” he remembers. “Your mom says she’s not picky.”

[from_the_outside]

"So she keeps telling me," Sharon says, deeply amused, and tugs out a pair of keys from her pocket to unlock the glossy silver sedan that's waiting in the cool garage. "Feel like driving?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Not unless you don’t want to,” he says, immediately. “I’m fine riding along.”