[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]

"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?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Hi, baby.” The bright cheer in her voice warms him, even as his heart twists painfully in his chest.

“I’m so, so sorry, but Alyona’s not going to make it tonight,” he says, as gently as he can. “Forgive me for raising our hopes?”

[from_the_outside]

"Oh."

She looks at the food she's gotten, that's suddenly too much for just the two of them. "That's too bad. Is everything okay?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“She’s okay, just… a little overwhelmed, I think.” He’s not sure how else to explain it here, and he’s not going to try to explain the more difficult, private aspect of things until he’s there.

“Next time. Sometime soon, I hope.” It’s easy to say, because he wants it for more than himself alone.

[from_the_outside]

"I hope so, too."

She starts wrapping the pastry back up again, swallowing her disappointment. "Tell her I'll look forward to that, okay? And that I say hi."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I will,” he promises. “Both things. I’m sorry, baby.”

[from_the_outside]

"It's okay," she promises. "We'll just have a little extra food for a while. No problem."

[nerves_of_ice]

“That’s not so bad.” Bucky glances back at Alyona, then turns his attention back to the phone.

“I’ll text when I’m on my way back. It’ll be a while yet, I think.”

[from_the_outside]

"Okay, baby," she tells him, going to the cupboard and taking out a wineglass. "I'll see you later, then."

[nerves_of_ice]

“See you later,” he agrees, then ends the call and goes back to rejoin Alyona.

[miss_american_pie]

She feels bad, but there's no doubting she's more relaxed now that he's said they could do this another time.

Her eyebrows lift at him, questioning, as she sips at her water and as he sits down.

[nerves_of_ice]

“She says hi,” Bucky tells her, in response to that look. “And that she looks forward to meeting you another time.”

[miss_american_pie]

She makes a soft sound of acknowledgment and feels slightly bad again. "Do you need to go?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“In a while.” He smiles, a little. “Trying to get rid of me?”

[miss_american_pie]

That makes her laugh, a very little, a soundless huff of air. "Идиот Яша," she murmurs. "No. Never."

Especially not now, when she has him all to herself.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Well then." Bucky takes a sip of his espresso, and smiles at her. "Here we are."

[miss_american_pie]

"Here we are," she agrees, and lifts her glass of water to him before she sips at it. His smile comforts her, and she thinks Yasha wouldn't lie to her. If this wasn't okay, he would have said so.

"Кстати, поздравляю," she tells him, and smiles back. "Мститель."

[nerves_of_ice]

His sudden delighted grin catches him by surprise, and, did he but know it, makes him look years younger.

"Thanks."

[miss_american_pie]

He looks so happy, and the years fall away from his face in a way she's not sure she's ever seen before. Even when she was small and she first learned of him as James and then Yasha, he didn't look like this. Not really. He was already old then, much older than her.

She wonders if this is how he used to look all the time. It pleases her to think she's delighted him so much with only a few words. "Welcome."

[nerves_of_ice]

* * * * * * *

It's truly wonderful to have Alyona there. They finish their coffee, and wander around for a while talking and window-shopping and just spending time that has nothing to do with missions or trouble or anything else. He takes her to dinner out, shoving the pang of guilt aside that he can't take her to Sharon's place, and before she leaves makes her promise to let him know when she gets back safe to the helicarrier. She scoffs and rolls her eyes but he thinks she might be secretly pleased about it.

Hard as it is to watch her leave, he's deeply glad to have had the chance, and to know that there'll be another one sooner rather than later.

Once she's out of sight, Bucky turns his steps toward Sharon's apartment. He's only a few minutes away.

[from_the_outside]

She doesn't think it's any coincidence that shortly after Bucky calls to tell her Yelena won't be able to make dinner, she gets a text from Natasha commenting on Bucky's appearance here in Berlin and asking if it's a good time to chat.

Nor does she think it's at all coincidental that after she's confirmed for Nat that, yes, Yelena was correct and things are official now and after they talk for a little while and hang up, she gets a text from Bucky saying he's taking Yelena out to dinner.

It all adds up easily enough, and she doesn't think she's totally out of line to feel a little hurt. She dines on some of the take-out spaetzle and accompanies it with a glass of wine that she maybe drinks a little too fast. She considers making a martini with the vodka in the freezer, but opts to leave it in there for now. She's not really much of a vodka drinker, if she's being honest.

She's topped off the second glass and curled up on the couch once she's finished eating and cleaned up, scrolling idly through social media on her phone as the television murmurs, kept, as always, on the news.

[nerves_of_ice]

He knocks at the door in a series of quiet taps before he opens it, slipping inside quietly as a ghost. She's there, on the couch, with a news report playing at low volume.

"Hi, baby." He crosses the room to crouch down on his heels in front of the couch, looking up at her.

[from_the_outside]

"Hi."

She sets her glass aside and smiles at him. "How was dinner?"