[AU] a piercing comfort it affords

[from_the_outside]

For such a busy morning, the afternoon and evening prove remarkably quiet. Sharon's tired to her core, but she finds it just as difficult to rest as Bucky does, when she tries to cajole him into a nap. He only shakes his head at her, acquiescing to rest on the couch without actually sleeping.

She doesn't ask why. She's listening for the sound of Iron Man's repulsers just like he is.

But nothing comes, even after she's called Ross to update him and learn that the JTTF translators and analysts had come to the same conclusion she and Bucky had: that Zemo planned to impersonate him and set a bomb to spark a manhunt for the Winter Soldier.

Ross sounds grim as he tells her they'll need to find some more permanent solution to the power outage problem, then hangs up after he's extracted a promise from her to check in as soon as she learns anything.

Dinner is a quiet affair. Jet lag has her by the throat, but she can't sleep until she hears back from Steve and knows for certain that Tony won't be crashing down on them again.

If he does, she needs to be ready.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"I like movies. Especially good ones," Bucky tells her. "Steve and I used to go see one whenever we could."

[from_the_outside]

"Yeah?"

She looks pleased. "I like movies, too. At home on the couch or on the big screen. Preferably with a big bucket of popcorn."

[nerves_of_ice]

He smiles.

"Of course with popcorn. That's part of it."

[from_the_outside]

"We'll make some for the next one," she promises. "There's popcorn in the cupboard, and we've got a ton of movies here."

[nerves_of_ice]

"That sounds nice," he murmurs.

[from_the_outside]

"Good."

She leans forward to kiss him again, light. "Then it's a date."

[nerves_of_ice]

He tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and smiles at her.

"You bet."