[Virginia AU] take my waking slow

[nerves_of_ice]

The nightmares are present, but at least they don’t jerk him out of sleep in any way that disturbs Sharon. When he does finally wake sometime shortly before dawn, he kisses her shoulder and her hair before sliding silently from the bed.

Bucky pulls his shorts back on, then pads into the kitchen and searches out the coffee. He sets it to brewing as quietly as he can and picks up his phone to send Alyona a text while he watches the sky lighten.

surprise - am in Berlin
hope all is going well

Comments

[miss_american_pie]

"Bye," she says, softly, and hangs up before she can give in to the desire to babble out all her worries and fears to Natasha over the phone line.

Everything is so new. She doesn't quite have a handle on it yet. She turns off her phone screen and puts the phone back in her pocket, then comes around and heads back towards Yasha and the table, frowning in thought.

[nerves_of_ice]

She's frowning, but from what he can tell she doesn't look angry. Bucky waits quietly for her to return, having waved off the waitress while Alyona was talking.

[miss_american_pie]

She comes back to her seat and slumps into it, then looks at him across the table. "Okay," she says.

She's not happy about it, but at least neither he nor Natasha seem all that sad. "She confirmed."

[nerves_of_ice]

He bites back the first question, which is Did you think I was lying?

"Okay," he murmurs, instead, and waits.

[miss_american_pie]

She toys with a napkin, then looks at him. "Will it make you happy if I come meet her?" she asks.

It's a little cruel not to call the woman by name, but she's grieving a loss. Maybe he'll forgive her for it.

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'd like you to meet her sometime, but it doesn't have to be now if you don't want," Bucky tells her. "I'm happy just to see you, and spend time with you."

[miss_american_pie]

"Maybe," Yelena allows.

Probably he wouldn't want her being rude to his new girlfriend, and she's not sure she'd be able to restrain herself just yet. "Do I have to decide now?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky smiles, small and warm. "No. You don't." He nods at her melting ice cream. "Want another to replace that? Or something to drink?"

[miss_american_pie]

"They probably don't have vodka," Yelena points out. "So water would be good."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Probably not, but I bet we can find some. It's a big town." He's smart enough not to mention that Sharon's picked some up for them.

"Water's easy, though." He tips his head back to signal the waitress.

[miss_american_pie]

The waitress comes to take their order, and Yelena zones out a little, lost in thought as Yasha tells the woman what to bring.

He'd looked so pleased at the idea of her coming for dinner, meeting Sharon. "Sorry," she says, when the waitress leaves. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I was just surprised."

[nerves_of_ice]

He shakes his head. “You didn’t. I know it was a heck of a surprise.”

[miss_american_pie]

"Still."

She reaches for her napkin, then pulls her hand back. "You were happy. At the idea."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I still am,” he says, gently. “Will be. Whenever it happens.”

[miss_american_pie]

Only if it goes well, she thinks, glum. "What's she like?"

It's not quite a promise to come, but it's something, she thinks. A compromise.

[nerves_of_ice]

“Stubborn,” he says, as the waitress returns with a bottle of water, two glasses, and two espressos with cream and sugar and tiny cookies on the side.

“Kind. Loyal. Committed to doing the right thing. A spitfire temper. Brave.”

[miss_american_pie]

She makes a hmm noise, trying not to be too skeptical. "This doesn't sound too bad," she allows, reaching for one of the espressos.

[nerves_of_ice]

He chuckles at that and reaches for his own coffee once she’s claimed hers. “It’s not.”

[miss_american_pie]

She gives him a look that suggests his judgment is probably impaired, but shrugs as she adds cream and sugar to her coffee. "And she knows about me?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“She does,” he confirms. He’ll take that skeptical look over a shocked, hurt one any day. “She was there when Natasha got your package, and I explained more later.”

[miss_american_pie]

Yelena absorbs this and adds it to the little else she knows.

"She might not like me," she warns. She knows what she is, blunt and emotional and maybe a little clingy when it comes to Yasha.

Sharon Carter might not understand. What then?

[nerves_of_ice]

“She will.” He sounds certain of it. “She was impressed when I told her about you jumping off the helicarrier, by the way.”

[miss_american_pie]

"I might not like her," she points out, but she's slightly mollified that the woman had approved of her experiment.

"That was fun."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Maybe,” he allows, “but I think you will.” Eventually, anyway. He hopes.

“You looked like you had fun with it.” He sounds pained.

[miss_american_pie]

She beams, thinking back on it. "I did. I would like to try one of those suits."