[AU] there's grief of Want and grief of Cold

[from_the_outside]

She sleeps later than she had the day before – a combination of not having to get up and go to the doctor and exhaustion – and when she comes downstairs, the house is quiet but coffee is already made. After making herself a cup, she pads barefoot to the door and steps out into the crisp mountain morning.

She's unsurprised to see that Bucky is up, and to find Steve's motorcycle gone from the driveway. "Steve head out already?"

Comments

[marvel_npc]

"It's excellent for that," Harrison promises the younger man. "We're so busy back home in Richmond, it's nice to come out here and get away from everything for a while."

"And everyone," Amanda laughs. "I think the closest neighbor is twenty minutes away."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Peaceful," he observes. "I'm more used to city crowds myself, but you're right, this is nice."

He glances at Sharon.

[from_the_outside]

Oh, she knows that look. She takes a larger swallow of coffee to rally herself and turns to her parents.

"So what's on the docket for you two today?" she asks, then looks at her father. "Are you going into the office?"

That should buy some time: her mother launches into an explanation of the luncheon she's attending and her father talks amiably about work and the new accounts and his newest brilliant hire. Sharon just lets it wash over her and sips at her coffee, every now and again asking a question designed to start them up again.

They talk at Bucky, of course, but there's neither the expectation nor opening for him to give any kind of response.

[nerves_of_ice]

He doesn't sigh in relief, but he thinks about it, even as he nods in all the right places and gives the occasional wordless hum of interest and acknowledgment.

It's been a long, long time since he's had to engage in this kind of social conversation.

[from_the_outside]

It's about twenty minutes later and Sharon's about halfway into her second cup of coffee when Amanda glances at the time on the microwave. "Goodness, it's getting late," she exclaims, and looks at her husband.

"Darling, we really should get going."

"All right," says Harrison, getting up from the island and removing his cup and Amanda's to the sink. "Yes, we should get on the road."

Sharon gets up and goes to put her arms around his middle, and he wraps her in a warm, careful hug and kisses her hair. "Please take care of yourself, pumpkin," he tells her, and she nods before letting go.

"It's really good to see you," she tells her mother, when Amanda comes in for a hug as well. "Drive safe."

[marvel_npc]

Amanda gives her daughter a careful squeeze, and Harrison goes to pick up their bags and offer a hand to shake to James.

"Wonderful to meet you," he tells the younger man, smiling warmly. "So glad you could come. You're welcome any time, James. Let's not make this the last visit."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Great to meet you too," he says, with an answering smile as he returns the handshake. "And thank you."

He can't help it - he likes Sharon's parents. They genuinely seem like good people.

[marvel_npc]

It's Amanda's turn next; she offers her hand to shake, then steps in to kiss his cheek. "I'm very glad you're here, James," she tells him. "Keep an eye on this one, won't you?"

Somewhere behind her, Sharon sighs, and Amanda's smile grows. "I hope we'll see you again soon."

Harrison brings the bags out and Sharon comes to stand on the porch as they get into the car, her arms wrapped around herself in the chilly morning air. She waves as Harrison honks the horn and doesn't go back inside until the car is heading back down the drive.

"I like him," Amanda says, once she's settled back in her seat, and Harrison nods.

"Me too."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky looks up as Sharon walks back into the kitchen.

"Want another cup of coffee?" he asks.

[from_the_outside]

"Honestly? I want to go back to bed," she says, a little facetiously. Now that her parents are gone, she drops the 'awake enough to socialize' act and scrubs her hands over her face.

"But I'll settle for another cup of coffee."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You can do that too," he points out, even as he snags the pot and refills her mug. "I can keep an eye on your phone in case Steve calls."

[from_the_outside]

"I'll probably just take a nap later."

She feels a little better, but she'll probably stick with the codeine another day or two. She re-doctors her coffee and takes a sip. "I hope my mother wasn't down here hassling you at the break of dawn."

[nerves_of_ice]

"She gets up pretty early," he observes. "Don't worry about it, Sharon. It's fine."

[from_the_outside]

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" she says, wry. "I'm so sorry. She means well."

[nerves_of_ice]

"It's fine," he says again, gently. "She didn't bother me. She was just concerned about you... and curious."

[from_the_outside]

"She's almost as good at sniffing out secrets as Nat is," Sharon tells him, and gazes ruefully into her coffee.

"She was so upset when I went into SHIELD. She tried to talk me out of it. They both did."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Almost," he agrees.

"I guess they had to try. But I don't think you'd really have been happy otherwise. And I figure they probably know that, too."

[from_the_outside]

"Sure. But that doesn't mean they don't both secretly hold out hope I'll give up the agent life and come back to Richmond."

She sighs and lifts her coffee. "Anyway, they're gone now. We can both relax."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Or try," he says, a little ruefully. "You've got your phone with you, right?"

[from_the_outside]

"Yeah."

She slips it out of her pocket and unlocks it, then hands it over.

[nerves_of_ice]

He takes it, but doesn't look down at it. Instead, he looks at her.

"I didn't mean - I just wanted to know if I should be listening for it to ring upstairs or not," he says, a little sheepishly.

[from_the_outside]

"Oh."

It's a little bemused. "Sorry. My brain isn't working yet. But you could..."

She waves a hand at her phone. "Check in with them, if you want."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky nods, and scrolls to the recent calls list. The most recent, from the right timeframe last night, is a number that's not in Sharon's contacts - which means Steve was using a phone different from his usual.

Good. That probably also means it's safe to try. He sends it a quick text.

OK? B.

[marvel_npc]

He's talking with Sam, the two of them already geared up and Nat off supervising Vision and Wanda as they prepare, when the flip phone vibrates silently in his pocket. Tony's nowhere in sight, so he doesn't have any hesitation about taking a quick look.

"That him?" Sam asks, keeping his voice low. Steve nods. "Cover for me if the rest of them get back before I do," he asks, and Sam nods back.

It only takes a few moments for him to get out to one of the balconies. "Hey." Steve keeps his voice low so as not to be overheard, just in case. "Caught me about ten minutes before calling you with the mission brief. We're going in after him on a retrieval run, stealth op."

[from_the_outside]

She listens to Steve's quiet voice as she sips her coffee, and tries to remember Bucky saying you're not benched.

"Where's Tony?" she asks.