he who hesitates is toast

Most people are more comfortable by now, settling into social chatter. A few look tense, including Anders, who just looks nervous. Bucky leans back against the outside wall and studies these few more carefully than anyone else, trying to see if--

"It's a shame." The woman who's standing nearby is silver-haired and the very image of a wealthy society matron. She's attended by a man half her age that Bucky evaluates and dismisses in an instant, and her gaze is bright and intrigued. "I don't suppose you'd let me touch it?"

He stares at her as she gestures at his arm.

"No."

"Are you sure? I'm an engineer, you see, and I'm just dying to see how it works."

"No," he says, a lot flatter than before.