[oom] all those times we looked up at the sky

[from_the_outside]

Karli's on the move; she'll strike soon. Bucky and Sam have been in long, tense conversations with each other and with Torres, and she herself has been keeping an obsessive eye on the tracker blip that is Batroc.

It's a lot. The air in the apartment is tense. But she still has to laugh at the sight that greets her when she walks into the living room: Bucky crouched down, his phone out as he takes a photo of Alpine, who is lounging in lazy grandeur, soaking up a puddle of sunshine.

"That'll be a good one," she approves. "Baby, I've been wondering – what happened to your nice camera? You didn't leave it in Wakanda, did you?"

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

He leans down for another quick kiss before he pulls back from her and rolls to his feet. Completely unselfconscious, Bucky goes to the door and pulls it open for Alpine.

"Did you wonder where we were, buddy?" he asks, as the cat looks up at him, apparently trying to decide whether or not to enter. "Come on if you're coming."

He doesn't wait for Alpine to decide, but goes back to the bed where Sharon's waiting.

[from_the_outside]

She shifts to make room for him, nestling her head on the pillow, and laughs as Alpine leaps lightly to the foot of the bed to join them.

"Sorry, buddy," she tells the little cat. "Sometimes we need a little privacy."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky stretches out beside Sharon, and looks amused as Alpine sniffs at his ankle, then at hers, before trying to curl up on top of them both.

"That can't possibly be comfortable," he observes. "No matter how boneless he thinks he is."

[from_the_outside]

"He seems comfortable," she says, skeptical, as Alpine becomes a puddle of warm white fur that drapes itself over their ankles, promptly tucking his nose into his tail and falling asleep.

"Pretty sure cats are a liquid."

[nerves_of_ice]

"That'd explain a lot." Alpine starts purring with each sleepy breath, and Bucky laughs.

"He's gonna get mad when we get up." He considers that for a second. "If we get up."

[from_the_outside]

"That seems like a big 'if'," Sharon says. She's almost as relaxed as Alpine, warm and comfortable.

"Unless we get hungry, I don't see any reason to move at all."

[nerves_of_ice]

"There's that," he agrees, and brushes a hand lightly over her hair. "Sorry about dinner."

[from_the_outside]

"I'll overlook it this one time," she says, magnanimous, and lets her eyes close as he runs his hand over her hair. "But you're on notice, Sergeant."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Yes, ma'am," he murmurs, and kisses her cheek, then tries to coax her to rest her head on his shoulder.

[from_the_outside]

She goes willingly, exhaling long and slow as she relaxes against him, almost as boneless as the cat snoring on their ankles.

"You don't want to get up, do you?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'm happy right here," he says, softly. It's truer than she may know; his heart's so full he can barely speak.

[from_the_outside]

"Good."

There's almost no trace now of the storm of grief and loss that had overtaken him earlier; his eyes are warm and light and his touch is gentle. She presses a kiss to his collarbone and sighs softly, letting her eyes close. "Me too."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I’m glad,” he murmurs, holding her close.

He hadn’t been enough for Steve; worse, he now knows, he failed his best friend by not helping him understand what he still had to live for in the present as opposed to the past. Bucky closes his eyes and swears to himself that he won’t fail Sharon the same way.

[from_the_outside]

If they fall asleep now, they'll be up in the middle of the night, she's sure. But that doesn't sound so bad; they can have a midnight snack. And she'll need to check the tracker, anyway.

For now she curves her arm over his stomach and melts against his side, her head fitting perfectly in the hollow of his shoulder.

[nerves_of_ice]

Her warm weight against him is a balm; even Alpine’s lighter presence at their feet is a comfort.

Bucky lets himself hold on to Sharon, staying present in the moment, and just breathes.