[Leipzig AU] you shall possess the good of the earth and sun

[from_the_outside]

The surgery goes so well and so easily it's almost a non-event. The longest part is the few hours Bucky spends after the removal of the shattered metal joint sleeping in the lab as his shoulder heals at an exponentially faster rate than usual. By the time Sharon comes from her morning with Ross and T'Challa to pick him up from the lab, he's awake and alert, his shoulder neatly covered with a black pad that straps across his chest.

"Hi," she greets him, strolling into the medical recovery area of the lab with a smile, dressed casually and comfortably in the light clothes Nakia left for her. "You look great. How do you feel?"

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

“Lopsided,” he says, dryly. “But otherwise good. Did I miss anything?”

[from_the_outside]

She holds out a hand to help him from the lab bed, mindful that his balance is likely to be off for a little while. "Only Ross and T'Challa giving me permission to hang around for a while," she tells him, and grins.

"So I hope you're not likely to get tired of me anytime soon."

[nerves_of_ice]

He blinks at her and nearly overbalances himself as he starts to stand, due to surprise.

“What? Really? How long?”

[from_the_outside]

"A few weeks, at least," she tells him. "If that's okay by you."

Technically, it's mostly medical leave. Other Task Force agents had witnessed her getting shot, and they'd have a lot of questions if she showed back up perfectly fit only a few days later.

[nerves_of_ice]

The look on his face says it all, as utter stunned delight wreaths his features.

“Really?”

[from_the_outside]

"Really," she confirms, and laces her fingers with his, smiling up at him as he stands.

"I don't know yet what exactly Ross and King T'Challa have been discussing, but it seems like there's a pretty good chance of Wakanda and the Task Force working together on some upcoming initiatives. But for now, I'm officially off duty. And I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be."

[nerves_of_ice]

He squeezes her hand tight and steps close, then leans down to give her a kiss.

“That’s wonderful, baby.” He sounds as delighted as he looks.

[from_the_outside]

Her smile is as warm as the Wakandan sun outside. "I thought so, too."

Aside from their visit to Leipzig and a few stolen moments here and there, they really haven't had any time just to be together without a crisis strapping a rocket to it all. She finds she craves that almost more than she has words to describe.

Sharon sways their hands together and looks up at him, quiet happiness in her eyes. "Wanna get out of here?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“I’ll go anywhere with you,” he tells her, softly. “Is there somewhere you want to go? Somewhere we need to be?”

[from_the_outside]

"Nowhere," she promises. "We're footloose and fancy-free. But I was thinking... if there are any places you've liked, maybe you could show me."

[nerves_of_ice]

He knows exactly where to take her, and his sudden smile is warm as sunshine.

“I have an idea.”

Bucky kisses her again, then lets go to reach for his shirt.

[from_the_outside]

"Yeah?" He looks so pleased and happy that she plays along without hesitation. "Surprise me."

Normally she hates surprises, but there's no one she trusts more.

[nerves_of_ice]

He shrugs the shirt on over his head, threads his arm through the sleeve, and wiggles it into place, then nods.

“Let’s go,” he says. “Train first, back to the Citadel.”

[from_the_outside]

She comes around to his right side and takes his hand in hers, glancing at him as they stroll out of the lab.

"Did Shuri say how long it would be before she gets a chance to work on a new arm?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“She said a little while. I didn’t ask,” Bucky tells her. “They’ve got a lot to deal with right now.”

[from_the_outside]

"That's for sure."

Things could be worse; so much worse. And the grief and pain and confusion sown throughout the country is tempered with excitement for T'Challa's sweeping plans for the future.

But it's still a lot. And the grief and pain and confusion are all very real. "Well, you look a lot more comfortable now that the rest of the joint is gone."

[nerves_of_ice]

“It feels different,” he agrees, as they walk down the corridor to the platform.

[from_the_outside]

"A lot lighter, probably."

They draw to a halt to wait for the train, and she cocks her head as she looks up at him. "Nerves still going haywire, or have they calmed down a little?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“That, for one.”

Bucky looks down at her and gives her a small smile that’s as reassuring as he can make it. “It’s better. I don’t know if Shuri put some kind of block in place or if it’s just having the old damaged parts out, but it’s better.”

[from_the_outside]

"She thinks of everything."

She'd be willing to bet Shuri's not going to make Bucky wait all that long for an arm, but she also knows he'll never press her on it. And if he's comfortable and doesn't need it just yet, then a little wait won't hurt.

Sharon glances at the track as a soft sound announces the arriving train, whisper quiet as it travels through the mountain.

[nerves_of_ice]

"A lot different from the New York subway," he murmurs, as they board. They're the only ones in the car; most of the people in the mountain today are deeper down, working to repair things that were damaged in the battle.

"Did I ever tell you I worked construction on it, for a while?"

[from_the_outside]

"No," she says, smiling. "Really?"

She can just picture it, Bucky with his short, neat hair, dressed in the clothes of the times, working with a group of other men probably all in the same situation as him – the kind where any work was good work. "That must have been interesting."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Really," he promises. "It was a good job. Solid pay, a good crew. Worked construction there for a couple of years, and picked up some work down on the docks as well."

[from_the_outside]

"I guess there was a lot of construction happening around then, huh?"

Lots of infrastructure going up in the city as it grew. "Will you work with any of the crews here? I'm sure there's plenty to do."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Felt like it," he admits. "Those two were the busiest places. Some buildings going up as well, but the new subway program and the water trade were huge."

He glances out the window of the train and toward the gleaming mass of the mountain.

"I don't know."