[oom] an indentation in the shape of you

[from_the_outside]

Her room is closer. If he had to get up to take care of the goats, she'd walk them back down to the little hut by the lake, but K'Senge will still come by in the morning, and her room is closer.

"Follow me," she says, and steps back to take his hand in hers, then walks with him through the quiet halls of the Citadel until they reach her door. She unlocks it and draws him inside, then closes it firmly behind them again. 

Her heart is racing, anticipation chasing sweet fire through her veins as she puts her arms back around his neck. "Welcome to my humble abode," she murmurs, smiling, and kisses him.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

He turns his head and kisses her temple, then brings his hand up to curve his fingers lightly over the side of her neck, resting them there.

Quiet descends over them, broken only by the sounds of their breathing.

[from_the_outside]

She lets her eyes slide closed and just basks like a lizard in sunshine in the warmth of this afterglow and the sweetness of his touch, having him right here with her.

"I missed you," she murmurs, after a long, long while of just lying here together in contented quiet. Her grin is as languid as the rest of her.

"Could you tell?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"A little," he says, soft, fond teasing clear beneath the words.

[from_the_outside]

She breathes a laugh and belts her arm loosely over his stomach. "I pined," she teases back. "It was pathetic."

[nerves_of_ice]

He glances across the room toward the window, then back at her. "Well, you didn't install a fainting couch, so I guess it could have been worse?"

Bucky kisses her temple again, and puts his arm over her in turn.

[from_the_outside]

"I still might," she muses. "I think it would be comfortable."

Not as comfortable as him, though.

[nerves_of_ice]

He chuckles at that, and draws her a little closer.

"I see you got the flowers."

[from_the_outside]

"I did."

Her smile is warm and fond. "I loved them. Thank you."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You're welcome." He smiles back at her. "I wanted to be sure you had something to brighten your days a little."

[from_the_outside]

"They did," she tells him. From here, at a remove from the last three weeks, content and saturated with happiness, she can think about it without a pang.

"It was sweet of you."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I hoped you'd like it."

He shifts a little, drawing her a little closer.

[from_the_outside]

"I liked them a lot."

She tips her head back to look at him. "But I like having you back more."

[nerves_of_ice]

He bends his head to kiss her.

"I'm back," he says, softly, "And I'm not ever going under again."

[from_the_outside]

She kisses him back, soft and sweet, and smiles a little as she looks at him.

"Welcome back."

Her fingers trace idly over the soft skin of his belly. "How do you feel?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He gives the question serious consideration. "Lighter," he decides on. "Relieved. I don't know if I can describe it."

He glances at her, trying to see if she wants him to try.

[from_the_outside]

She props her head up on a fist and meets his glance with her own curious one.

"'Lighter' sounds good," she says, encouragingly, tracing soothing patterns over his stomach.

"You must be feeling all kinds of things."

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods. "I'm not sure I even know them all yet."

How can he even begin to describe it?

"Being the Winter Soldier..." He shakes his head, giving up on that line for the moment, and tries coming at it from a different direction.

"It's been a long, long time. Since I knew - since I knew - that no one was in control of me but me."

[from_the_outside]

She nods and keeps up a slow, directionless touch.

"Thus the test." Shuri hadn't been pleased when she realized that Sharon and T'Challa had known what would happen. "It must be pretty overwhelming to know it for sure again."

[nerves_of_ice]

The feel of her hand on his skin is steadying.

"It was the only way to know. To really know."

[from_the_outside]

"It was."

No matter how fraught, how stressful. She can't even imagine how he'd felt in those moments, waiting for the veil to fall, waiting to be sucked under again. And if it had gone wrong. "You would have gone crazy worrying otherwise."

[nerves_of_ice]

He shakes his head, denying that, but says nothing else at first.

[from_the_outside]

Hm.

She flattens her hand on his stomach and moves it in soothing circles. "Baby," she coaxes.

"What?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"There was always going to be a test."

[from_the_outside]

A small frown pulls between her brows as she looks at him.

"What do you mean?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Finally, he glances at her.

"I didn't know Ayo had been thinking about it, too. When I started planning."