[Leipzig AU] good for trouble

[from_the_outside]

Busan glitters like a disco ball in the night, and no one gives them a second glance as they stroll through the fish market, Sharon in her white dress on Ross's arm, the rest of the team behind them. "Sophia," she says, warmly, and exchanges air kisses with the woman, her pink visor and plastic apron both bright. She knows to expect them, and after she pats Sharon fondly on the cheek, she nods them through.

They spread out through the casino, the team's voices low in her ear. She stays by Ross, playing the part of arm candy, applauding when he wins and consoling him when he loses.

There's no sign of Klaue yet, and the metal briefcase full of diamonds stays locked to the wrist of one of the other agents. "I'm going to get a drink," Sharon murmurs to Ross, and makes her way through the crowd to the bar. 

The martinis here are fine, but not as good as Nat's.

Comments

[from_the_outside]

Sharon gives her a small, pressed smile, and nods.

"I get it," she murmurs. "And I'm sure... Wakanda is very happy to have you back."

[marvel_npc]

"For as long as I can stay, yes," she agrees. Her glance flickers toward Bucky, then back to Sharon.

"But I suspect you understand the choice."

[from_the_outside]

Her own glance lingers on Bucky, drinking him in. It's been so long since that day on the tarmac.

"Yeah," she says, quietly. Not that she had much of a choice before, but that's not really the point. She looks back at Nakia and deliberately lightens her tone. "Too bad. I was really hoping to have a queen in my friend circle."

[marvel_npc]

Nakia laughs, and leans into her side for a moment. "You still might," she teases. "I have yet to introduce you to the Queen Mother."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon chuckles, but her glance keeps returning to Bucky.

"Do you think T'Challa might let me stay for a little while?" she asks, not quite able to kill the wistful note in her voice.. She hates to do it, but Nakia is the one who understands best

[marvel_npc]

"Yes," she says, firmly. "Now that you are here, yes."

Gently, she adds, "He has missed you, you know."

[from_the_outside]

"I've missed him, too. Like crazy." She looks rueful. "I told him I'd find a way, but honestly this was not what I had in mind."

Not making him think she might die; not worrying her boss and her friends and requiring emergency evacuation to Shuri's table. Lifting her voice, she calls: "Hey, Barnes!"

Her smiling glance goes to Ross. "You, too, sir. Come on, there are plenty of seats."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I should hope not," Nakia scolds, as Bucky trades a look with Ross and starts across the room. He takes a seat on the couch on the other side of Sharon, and Ross chooses one of the chairs for himself.

"Should I ask?" Bucky drawls, looking back and forth between the two women.

[from_the_outside]

"Just catching up," Sharon says, and reaches for his hand. She's starving for his touch, but she contents herself with lacing their fingers together for the moment.

"Did Shuri say T'Challa was going to come down?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"She said she would call him," Bucky says, and looks at Nakia, who looks grave.

"He may be with the Council. Or with General Okoye," she says, and Ross immediately looks like he's bitten into a lemon. "I didn't know she was a general," he mutters. "No one mentioned that."

Nakia smiles, a little, before she continues. "Not everyone is happy about the presence of outsiders here, already. It will be worse when more realize that foreign intelligence operatives are among them. Not to mention that there is ... much unhappiness, that Klaue escaped."

[from_the_outside]

"I can see why it might not have been a very popular decision," Sharon says, wry.

But T'Challa is a good man. He wouldn't have let her just die. "But I really appreciate that he made the call that he did."

[nerves_of_ice]

"As am I," Nakia says, as Bucky's hand tightens on Sharon's. "And he has already defended it, and will continue to do so. It was the right thing to do."

Bucky realizes something, and glances at Sharon. "I mentioned that friend of his, before," he says. "W'Kabi. He's also the leader of the Border Tribe. Having Steve and Tony cross the way they did was kind of a slap in the face. And..."

He trades a look with Nakia, who nods, and Bucky finishes, "Klaue was the one who killed his family. So I'd expect he's pretty unhappy right about now."

[from_the_outside]

"I guess he would be," Sharon murmurs, and looks at Ross.

"Maybe he'll be inclined to think a little more highly of us if we help catch Klaue again?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Ross nods, jaw set. "Not that we wouldn't anyway, but can't hurt."

"At the very least, combining your intel will help," Bucky observes.

[from_the_outside]

"Still," Sharon says. "What a way to kick off T'Challa's reign."

It's a good thing he's popular with the people.

[nerves_of_ice]

"It is not ideal, but no good thing comes easy," Nakia says. "And besides--"

"Besides, what?" Shuri asks, bouncing into the room. "Something interesting, I hope." She drops into the first chair she reaches.

"Politics," Nakia tells her, and Shuri grimaces. Bucky swallows a laugh.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon laughs at the expression on the princess's face.

"Definitely not as interesting as the stuff you get up to here in the lab, seems like."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Much more boring," Shuri agrees. "Better my brother than me. I am too busy for all those meetings."

Bucky fights to control his expression, but laughter dances in his eyes.

[from_the_outside]

"The it is just as well you are not invited to them," comes a mild voice from the door, where King T'Challa stands, hands clasped at his back, a small smile on his face as he looks at Sharon. "Agent Carter. It is good to see you up and about."

Sharon stands, automatic, though she doesn't let go of Bucky's hand. "Your Highness," she says, and finds that words fail her. They clog in her throat, none of them enough.

"Thank you," is all she can say, after a moment. "You and your sister saved my life. I can't ever thank you enough."

[nerves_of_ice]

T'Challa gestures for her to resume her seat. "You saved Nakia," he counters. "So I am happy that we were able to help."

Bucky squeezes Sharon's hand.

[from_the_outside]

She sits down, her leg pressed warmly against Bucky's, her fingers still laced in his.

"She's well worth saving," she says, lightly, and gives Nakia a small, crooked smile, which her friend returns before Sharon looks back at T'Challa. "I hope we aren't interrupting anything," she says. "And congratulations on the coronation."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Thank you," T'Challa murmurs. He strolls into the room, passing behind Shuri, and takes a seat of his own across from them. "I wanted to see for myself how you were doing," he says, ignoring his sister's impatient huff, "and to suggest that you, Agent Carter, and you, Deputy Commander Ross, join me and General Okoye tomorrow morning to discuss the problem of Ulysses Klaue."

Bucky goes absolutely still, and stays silent.

[from_the_outside]

"Of course," Sharon says, as Ross nods. She can feel Bucky's stillness beside her, and squeezes his hand gently.

"You know my stance on this already," Ross tells T'Challa. "The Task Force – by which I mean Agent Carter and myself, here – is ready and willing to assist you in apprehending Klaue, by whatever means necessary."

[marvel_npc]

"I appreciate that," T'Challa says, gravely. Nakia studies him for signs of strain, and finds more than she would like.

Something has been troubling him since they returned from Busan. Certainly there is a great deal that could be troublesome, as she had just been telling Sharon, but she thinks that there is something more. Still, if he is not willing to talk about it yet, there is very little she can do to draw it from him save to wait, watch, and be ready to listen.

[from_the_outside]

Tomorrow morning. For all she wants to make sure she knows what's happening, she's just as happy for it to actually happen after she's had a little time to adjust.

Apparently Shuri is thinking along the same lines. "Do not strain my patient!" she says, whacking at her brother, who is far enough away that Shuri's fingertips barely brush his arm. "She still needs rest."

"I thought you said you fixed her?" T'Challa says, a glint of mischief in his eyes, and Shuri tsks at him.

"I did," she says, with perfect certainty. "But that does not mean I want her running around after criminals just yet."