[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

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[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."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky stares at her. “One of Tony’s suits?”

[miss_american_pie]

She reaches for a cookie and nods as she crunches on it. "Yes, of course."

[nerves_of_ice]

He groans under his breath, imagining that. “Did you tell him that?”

[miss_american_pie]

"Yes," she says, again, easily. "And I have his number."

So maybe it'll happen after all. She grins at the thought.

[nerves_of_ice]

He gives a deep, deep sigh. “If he makes you a suit it better be a good one.”

[miss_american_pie]

"Why wouldn't it be?" she says, reasonably. "It's Tony Stark. Even I know what he can do."

[nerves_of_ice]

“There’s that,” he says, ruefully. “It’d be pretty damn hypocritical of me to say otherwise, too.”

[miss_american_pie]

She smiles at that, before her expression turns rueful. Yelena rolls her coffee between her palms, then looks up at him. "I think maybe not tonight," she says, a little apologetic. "Is that okay?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“I said it was, and I meant it,” Bucky reassures her, softly. “It’s okay, Alyona. There’ll be another time.”

He can say that now; he can believe that now. He’ll have to explain to Sharon, but he trusts that she’ll understand.

[miss_american_pie]

He says it's okay, but she still feels a knot in her stomach; guilt at disappointing him. "You're here," she says, trying to ignore it. "I'm here. She's here. I can come back, easy."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I’m counting on that.” He smiles, a little, and pours her a glass of water.

“Let me just give her a quick call to let her know not to wait for us for dinner.”

[miss_american_pie]

"Okay," she says, softly.

A moment later, she adds: "Sorry."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky reaches out again, this time to take her hand and squeeze it. “I understand,” he murmurs. “I really do.”

He lets go and gets up. “Be right back.” He moves to the side of the patio, in clear view of the waitress so she won’t worry about a dine-and-dash, and takes out his phone to call Sharon.

[from_the_outside]

Difficult to say what Yelena might like, so she's gotten an assortment of goodies from a few of her favorite restaurants, from classic German fare to a fresh salad that takes advantage of seasonal ingredients. The vodka's chilling in the freezer, and she's unwrapping a fruit-filled pastry when her phone buzzes.

Reaching over, she taps the icon, then the speaker icon. "Hi," she calls. "You guys coming home soon?"