[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]

The steady look shifts into a deep scowl.

"No."

[from_the_outside]

She frowns harder at him.

"What do you mean, no?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I mean I don't see why you have to be there," he counters. "Set it up, yeah, that could work. But pinning a target on your back like that? No."

[from_the_outside]

"For one thing, she'd know something was up if I weren't there," she points out. "And you're crazy if you think I'm letting you and Sam do any of this without me."

[nerves_of_ice]

"She's going to suspect something's up anyway," he retorts, scowling harder. "Since you'd be here."

"I'm not saying you have to stay out of this, I'm saying there's no need for you to be in the literal line of fire."

[from_the_outside]

"Then I'll stay out of the line of fire," she says, peaceably. "But I'm coming. Whatever ends up happening."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'll talk to Sam." It's all he's willing to concede, and he sure as hell doesn't want her reaching out to Karli now. Maybe Torres will come up with something soon.

[from_the_outside]

She nods, her expression softening even as his scowl settles into the lines of his face.

"Okay," she murmurs, and smooths her thumb over the worry lines in his forehead. "Let me know what he says."

[nerves_of_ice]

She doesn't push it, and he's deeply, deeply relieved by that. Bucky draws a slow breath, allowing himself to just be quiet for a moment, feeling her touch.

[from_the_outside]

She draws her thumb over the curve of his eyebrow, then down over his temple.

"She's not going to take me away from you," she says, finally. "I won't let her."

[nerves_of_ice]

"She better not," Bucky murmurs. "Because I don't want to live in a world without you in it, either. Not again."

[from_the_outside]

She leans to press her forehead against his. "It's not going to happen," she promises. "Never again. I plan to still be bugging you when I'm old and gray, Barnes."

And when he's... well. Less gray, probably. "Don't even think about it."

[nerves_of_ice]

Her soft promise makes the weight of loss and grief lessen. Bucky curves his right hand around the nape of her neck and kisses her, sweet and lingering and thorough.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon melts against him, warm and pliant in his arms as she kisses him back, long and lazy, like she did so often during those sunlit days by the lake. She presses kisses to his mouth, to his cheek, to the side of his throat before pulling back to look at him.

"Feel a little better?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I'm not sure," Bucky tells her, but he can't hide the way the corner of his mouth turns up in a teasing smile.

"Kiss me again and let's find out."

[from_the_outside]

She laughs and bites at her bottom lip, affecting coyness. It's not a great attempt, seeing as she's sitting here curled in his lap, but that's not the point.

The point is: he's teasing and silly and she loves it. So she bites her lip and pretends for a second to hold off, before leaning in to kiss him again, much more deeply.

[nerves_of_ice]

He makes a low sound deep in his chest and slides his right hand further into her hair, angling her head as he kisses her back just as passionately, desire rising like a tide within him.

[from_the_outside]

That sound he makes sparks the want in her that, even now, after weeks of being back together, feels nowhere near satiated.

She's missed him for so long. They have so much time to make up. Sharon shifts in his lap to straddle his legs, pushing herself up so she can kiss him more deeply, nudging him back into the couch as she does. "Baby," she murmurs. "My Bucky."

[nerves_of_ice]

He lets her push him back against the couch with no resistance, pulling her closer against him as she shifts and bracing her with his left hand against her back as he kisses her again and again.

"Sharon," he murmurs, between kisses. "Sharon. My angel."

[from_the_outside]

"Yours," she agrees, and traces kisses down along the line of his throat, up towards his ear. "Yours, forever."

They've been through so much already that it's a promise she's certain she can make. If nothing in the last six years kept them apart for good, what possibly could?

[nerves_of_ice]

He groans at the promise, at the feel of her lips on his skin, and lets his head fall back to give her the ability to do whatever she wants with him - and then jerks, startled, as Alpine leaps up onto the couch beside them with a curious prrt?.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon jerks, her eyes going wide, then collapses into giggles against him, her forehead on his shoulder.

"Oh, Alpine," she groans, laughing helplessly. "Go back to sleep."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Cat, you have the worst timing," Bucky informs him, putting both arms around Sharon as she giggles.

On being addressed by both humans, Alpine nudges his head against Bucky's arm and Sharon's side, seeking to be petted.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon sits up, careful not to dislodge Bucky's arms from around her, and reaches for Alpine to cuddle him against her chest. "But who can resist this face?" she asks, turning Alpine in her arms so Bucky can look straight into the cat's recriminating gaze.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky sighs, and lifts his right hand to scratch Alpine behind the ears. The little white cat half-closes his eyes and starts purring as he nestles down in Sharon's arms.