[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]

"Mm-hm. But you have a point," he agrees, with mischief in his glance. Bucky breaks off a piece of her cake and holds it to her lips.

[from_the_outside]

She laughs, but opens her mouth obediently to accept the cake. "Good thing we don't have anywhere to be today," she teases, and reaches to break off a piece of his cake, offering it up to him in the same way.

[nerves_of_ice]

He accepts it, savors it, then smiles at her. "Just so you know, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

[from_the_outside]

"Me, too." She kisses him again, soft and sweet. "It's really nice to be here with you."

She can almost pretend that this is a normal life, that they could be here anytime they wanted, instead of just stealing a few precious moments.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Yes," he says, softly, and kisses her again. "Yes."

A beat of silence, followed by a truly wicked smile. "Better finish or move the coffee and cake."

[from_the_outside]

She laughs, bright and delighted, and curls her arms a little more closely around his neck. "The coffee was getting cold anyway," she murmurs, and kisses him again.

[nerves_of_ice]

He makes a low sound of approval and kisses her back even as he manages to stretch out an arm to retrieve both plates and mugs and shoves them onto the tray and the tray as far off to the side as he can.

Task accomplished, Bucky wraps both arms around her and rolls her over to lie on her back on the quilt, covering her with his body as he kisses her much more deeply.

[from_the_outside]

Her laugh bubbles up as he rolls them over and gently pins her to the quilt, and she runs her fingers up into his hair, tipping his head to kiss him, deep and thorough. The sun is warm on his back as she runs her palm over his shirt, savoring him every bit as much as she had the coffee and cake earlier.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Sharon," he murmurs, between kisses. Bucky braces himself on his left arm and runs his right hand slowly along her body from shoulder to hip as he keeps kissing her. "Sharon. Baby."

[from_the_outside]

"Yes," she murmurs back, answer and affirmation in one. She arches up into his touch, her body loving the feel of his hand as it roams over her. "I'm here, baby. You have me."

[nerves_of_ice]

He smiles against her mouth. "Please tell me none of your curious town friends are likely to drive up for a drop-in."

Bucky curves his hand over her hip, running his thumb back and forth over the arch of bone.

[from_the_outside]

She laughs and shakes her head, then kisses him again. "We're safe," she promises, running her hands over his shoulders. "Nobody's going to come up here. It's just you and me, baby."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Good." With that he kisses her again as he slides his hand under her shirt at her waist and trails his fingers slowly along her side.

[from_the_outside]

She skates her hands over his shoulders and along the sloping curve of his back, then slides them into the back pockets of his jeans as she kisses him back. "Bucky," she murmurs. "You drive me crazy."

[nerves_of_ice]

His smile flashes, quick and bright with mischief. "Good," he repeats, and kisses her once more before he starts trailing more kisses along the line of her throat.

[from_the_outside]

It feels impossibly freeing to be tangled up with him out here in the fresh air and sunlight. It's nothing they could do anywhere near the Avengers compound – hell, she does her best to keep from touching him too much even in Steve's apartment, unless they're alone in his room together.

So she gives herself this chance, now; runs her hands along the planes of his body, sneaks one up beneath the hem of his shirt to trace the line of his spine as she tips her head to give him room. "Yes," she murmurs, lost in the moment with him. "Yes, baby."

[nerves_of_ice]

He kisses his way down to the spot he knows she likes, teases her skin there with his tongue, then pulls back and sits up, straddling her hips and keeping her pinned in place. Bucky pulls his shirt off and discards it to the side, then tugs at the hem of her shirt as he smiles down at her.

[from_the_outside]

She reaches up her hands to run them over his stomach, teasingly keeping her elbows low so he can't remove her shirt just yet.

"God," she murmurs, her glance tracing along every bared line of him as the sun kisses his skin and gleams off the metal of his left arm. "You're so gorgeous, Bucky."

[nerves_of_ice]

The corner of his mouth quirks up in a wry smile, but there's something very soft in his eyes as he watches her watch him.

"You make me see myself in a new way," he murmurs.

[from_the_outside]

"I'm glad."

Her hands drift over his stomach and ribs, soft skin and firm muscle, and along both forearms, flesh and metal alike. "Everything I see when I look at you is good. I want you to see what I see, too."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Will you let me see you?” Soft, but sweetly hopeful.

“Here, in the sunlight?”

[from_the_outside]

"Always," she promises, and curls herself up into a half-sit up to skin her shirt off over her head. She drops it to the side, letting it puddle onto the warm grass, and lies back down again, smiling up at him as the sun pours down over them, golden and warm.

[nerves_of_ice]

The sight of her would bring him to his knees if he wasn’t already there. Bucky draws a ragged breath and traces a line down over her breastbone to her belly with his fingertips, lost in the way the sunshine illuminates her skin.

[from_the_outside]

She watches him, her eyes dark and warm, and breathes slowly as he runs his fingertips so lightly over her skin, along her ribcage to her belly, goosebumps prickling in his wake.

Shifting a little, she arches her back to reach behind herself to undo her bra and slip it off, too, leaving her torso bare to him, her skin winter-pale and creamy in the sun.

[nerves_of_ice]

Slowly, deliberately, he places both hands flat on her belly and slides them up to cup her breasts, teasing her with his fingers, watching how she looks in the light as he touches her.