[AU] even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course

[from_the_outside]

As predicted, Steve was concerned when she told him Tony was working on something he refused to tell her about. It's not a conversation they could have while Ross was here, but as soon as she could let him know, she did.

Whatever it is, she doesn't want to worry Bucky about it until they have some idea of what Tony's up to. Even she doesn't think he'd be so stupid as to try to activate Bucky again, but it's Tony Stark. He's not exactly known for making good decisions.

That's why she and Steve had opted to go see him in person, and why Steve's knocking on Tony's door, trying not to look concerned. "It'll be okay," he tells Sharon while they wait. 

She's not so sure, but hoping so is better than the alternative.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"I've noticed." He goes quiet after that for several moments, clearly mulling over everything she's said.

He doesn't want to do it, not really. But he hates himself for the deep-down reason why, and he also doesn't want for them all to keep living like this. It balances out.

Bucky takes a deep breath, and looks up at Natasha. "I need to talk to him, don't I." It doesn't really sound like a question. "Think he'd come here, if you called him?"

[marvel_npc]

"Yes. Although I couldn't guarantee Pepper wouldn't come, too."

She watches him closely. "Although it might kind of be stepping on Sharon's toes."

Ultimately it's his decision, and if he wants her to bring Tony here, she will. But she knows the balancing act her friend has been trying to pull off over the last few days and weeks, and she also knows what it'll look like to her and her boss. "Should I call?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He hadn't thought of it that way until she said it.

"Call Sharon first. Ask her to come. We'll see what she says." The corner of his mouth quirks upward. "I'm getting a phone soon, I promise."

[marvel_npc]

Her smile quirks a little further, and she gives him a sardonically amused look. "Good choice," she says, and gets up to go find her phone.

She pauses before calling and looks back at him, something complex in her carefully wry expression and dark eyes. "Though I would call him for you either way," she says. "You know that, right?"

Still, she's glad to not have to be going behind her friend's back on it.

[nerves_of_ice]

This time his smile is sweet.

"I know."

[marvel_npc]

Something in her expression warms minutely at that smile. "Good," she says, and lifts her phone.

"Sit tight."

[from_the_outside]

She's just finished her email to Ross when her phone vibrates, and she frowns at the name on the caller ID before she picks up the call.

"Nat? Is everything okay?"

[marvel_npc]

"Everything's okay," she promises, watching James sip coffee on her couch. "I hear you've had quite the day so far."

[from_the_outside]

"I would tell you all about it, but I think it might require more martinis."

She puts the phone on speaker and quickly signs off her email, then hits send and closes the laptop. "What's up?"

[marvel_npc]

"I'll pour them whenever you want. Just say the word."

Nat taps her index finger against her thigh, thinking how to phrase it, then says, "James was telling me about Tony's new project. And the idea you and Steve had. And the long and the short of it is -- he thinks he might need to talk to Tony. Think you can come over here and let's figure out if that's a good idea or not?"

[from_the_outside]

Sharon's mouth makes an o before she actually says it. "Oh," she says, finally, a little blank.

"Sure. Yes. I can come over."

[marvel_npc]

"I'll have coffee ready. See you soon."

She disconnects the call and looks at James. "One of these days you might ask her how she feels about surprises," she suggests, gently. "Just a thought."

[from_the_outside]

By the time she knocks on Natasha's door, she's almost as tense as she was in the last few moments of her talk with Pepper Potts.

(He wants to talk to Tony. She doesn't know how or why he came to that conclusion; what Nat said or did that might have prompted it. But it's the first time he's suggested being anywhere near Tony, and that means she has a responsibility to see it through for him.)

"It's me," she says, though she's sure Natasha already knows.

[marvel_npc]

"Come on in," Nat says, pulling the door open. "Coffee's on the counter. James reminded me about the cinnamon, so that's there too."

There's a little sympathy in her expression as she takes in how tense her friend is. Under her breath, she adds, "Sure you wouldn't rather have that martini?"

[from_the_outside]

"God, would I ever," she mutters. "But I'm on the clock now."

She comes in and heads to the counter to make herself a cup of coffee, glancing from Natasha to Bucky and back again. "So," she says, leaning against the counter and taking a sip. "Fill me in?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Not much to tell," he starts, and catches the sharp look Natasha shoots at him. "I mean -- I told Natasha about what you and Steve said about Tony's new project, and your idea for her to run oversight. We got to talking about him, and what he might want, and why."

He shrugs. "There's one way to find out for sure. And he sure as hell isn't going to expect to see me, you know? How he reacts will tell me a lot."

[from_the_outside]

She stares at him.

"Your plan is to bring Tony here under false pretenses and then surprise him with a confrontation?"

[marvel_npc]

"That part's news to me," Natasha points out. "James, do I need to explain why that's not a good idea?"

"Tell me another way we get him here and not her, and then fine," Bucky shoots back.

[from_the_outside]

"By her I assume you mean Ms. Potts," Sharon says, and shakes her head.

"I don't know. If this morning is any indication, she's not likely to let Tony see you – or me, frankly – alone." She glances at Nat.

"Any thoughts? You know her better than we do."

[marvel_npc]

"She might. Depending on how much she's doing for Stark Industries right now," Nat says, thoughtful. "She must have had to juggle a lot of things to get here, based on what I remember from keeping her calendar when I was undercover."

She shrugs. "If I ask him to come over to talk about his new project, and she's busy, she might let it go. If not, I can see if I can talk her into letting me run interference to get the meeting to happen at all."

[from_the_outside]

"Or I could," Sharon says, wry. "I'm sure she's got round two locked and loaded. Okay. So we'll either just get Tony, or we'll get Tony and Pepper and we'll... deal with Pepper somehow."

She studies Bucky closely. "Are you sure you're ready to see him? If you have specific questions, I can interview him again. It doesn't have to be like this."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I think I have to," he says, quietly. "For a few reasons."

[from_the_outside]

She watches him for a long moment, taking in every line of his features, the weariness in his eyes, the faint edge of bitterness.

("if you'd been willing to compromise, or even communicate – ")

"Okay," she says, quietly, and looks at Nat. "I say make the call."

[marvel_npc]

She nods, and looks at James, who looks steadily back at them both. He'd say to do it even if it would tear him apart, she knows, and she thinks Sharon knows that now too.

It'll be up to them to make sure it won't, if at all possible. She lifts the phone to her ear and waits through the sound of ringing to the click-and-hiss that means Tony's answered and shifted the call to speaker, whether so Pepper can hear or just because he's working on something and it's easier impossible to say.

"Hi," she says. "Got a minute?"

[marvel_npc]

"FRIDAY, isolate that reaction and run it back to me," he says, and lifts his mug for a sip only to realize he'd picked up one that's full of pens instead of one that's full off coffee. He puts it back down again and goes searching for the right one – it's under a pile of papers – as he answers.

"Little busy. Why, what's up?"