[A little bit under an hour later, Bucky is gently knocking on her door, making sure she can hear him without being too loud to spare her the aggravation for her headache:]
Barb? You up? [he asks through the door.
He's picked her up some greasy breakfast sandwich and a sugary kind of coffee drink, as well as lots of Gatorade and painkillers for her head.]
[This is it, isn't it? That one moment none of them can take back, right? And even if Bucky feels his chest tightened with fear, something he hasn't felt in a while, he wants to jump into this, just like she does. Even if he ends up getting burned, the prospect of having Nat just for himself, and to be hers, makes him feel more alive and free than he can remember. Because for once, this is his choice, his decision, to let her have him.
He swallows hard before sending his next text:]
Let me know when, and I'll be there.
Yeah, I'd be more than willing.
[There's no point hiding how much he wants her, is there?]
[It's a cute Italian place, family-owned that seems to care very little that the Winter Soldier likes to dine at their place once in a while. It feels appropriate to get that for his date with Nat, especially since he has a feeling Mama Saladino is going to be elated with knowing he's having a date over.]
Yeah, exactly.
I think I've always known that you know. I don't think anything goes by you, to be honest.
Maybe? Although, it might be too cold for that tonight.
[He doesn't want her to get a cold, even if all of him wants to suggest that he'll happily keep her warm.
That next text is sure to make him smile:]
You're thinking about a Tony-approved secondary party? Should I swipe a bottle before going up?
[He doesn't wait for her answer, and picks a bottle of bubbles (champagne, he thinks?), but no glasses. They can drink directly from the bottle, right?
He turns around when he hears her coming up and his lips curl upward at the sight of her, his stomach tightening slightly when he notices the red heels and white stockings. He walks closer to Nat before putting the case down, offering her the bottle of champagne first. The view from the roof of the Avengers Tower might be one of the best in New York City, but James only has eyes for her:]
I'm not doing anything now. You can come over whenever you want. Waiting will only be a lesson in patience I've already learned plenty.
[And it's true. Natasha has spent lifetimes waiting for someone like James to enter her life, someone who has a hint of the horrors her life holds. There's a calmness to his presence that comes with no one else, because she knows that he doesn't judge her. The others have said they don't, but they don't know what it's like to be used as a weapon.
There's a yearning that happens every time she sees him now, and it's started from that very first time she met eyes with him, even when he was still the soldier and not yet the man, because she understood it. Now, she wants the man and her body burns with it. Her gut twists with it. She doesn't feel guilty about it either. For once, the guilt isn't there. ]
[ sleep....doesn't really happen. she drags herself out of bed, showers and brushes her teeth, and makes an effort to look halfway normal. makeup is too much to ask of herself, but she's at least changed out of her pajamas and put on a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants by the time she opens the door, looking happy to see him even if she's keenly aware of her brain throbbing in her skull.
she's never had a hangover before, and if they're all like this, she's never going to drink that much again.]
Hey, come on in.
[ she leans forward without thinking, offering him a one-armed hug to keep him from dropping the food in the other.]
[She's right, he doesn't want her to behave. Not when he feels she needs to let loose just as much as he does. Not when there's nothing wrong with what they're doing, right?]
I won't. And I'm a gentleman, I'll shower before showing up, even if I know you'll get me all dirty again.
[Look, he's be new to this whole texting thing, he doesn't always think before pressing 'send' either.]
[Hey, he's not going to deny it. There's nothing to gain from doing so anyway.]
Vodka it is then. [He's teasing, of course. He's totally picking both bottles, because why not have both ready when you can't get drunk anyway?
Thirty minutes on the dot and Bucky is knocking on Donna's door. When she opens the door, he's leaning against the door frame, smiling charmingly at her, raising a bag containing the booze, hydrating drinks and munchies up to her line of sight:]
[ human bodies are kind of weird, aren't they? she's so used to never really getting hurt that she's not sure she'd know if she actually was or not.
she's not in any pain.]
You don't have to do that, Bucky. It's probably not as big a deal as I made it out to be. It's all just kind of new, you know? I never had to worry about things like this before.
[In his excitement and happiness for her, he's texted too fast and hasn't really noticed the term of endearment slipping in there. Bucky is genuinely happy for her, not knowing how this may change her relationship with her mother.]
[That makes it pretty clear to Grace where this afternoon is going to go. She makes a note to hop into the shower herself before he gets there.]
I like making a mess. You've seen my apartment.
[She's not totally chaotic, but she's of the attitude that "it's my place, I can leave stuff lying around if I want to." There are still home renovation supplies in the living room as she works every night on one project or another.]
But I like making a mess on you more than anything.
[She's not going to argue. How often does a man volunteer to help with housework?]
Internal affairs. I guess I'm staying in New York after all.
[Grace was still officially a member of the Detroit Police Department, simply persona non grata while everything involving her ex-boyfriend was settled. She had been spending the last few months essentially hiding out, going about a normal life in a state where nobody knew her and there was good baseball. But getting that job offer was a pleasant surprise. Someone wanted her to stick around.
The question was explaining that to her family, and leaving the state she'd grown up in. It wouldn't be a small change even though she's been in New York for a while now.]
[An hour and some change feels like an eternity to Bucky. He uses his cell phone seldomly, wanting to preserve the battery as much as he can, in case Nat tries to contact him for more info. Instead, he paces in a circle, feeling the walls with his human hand, sometimes knocking on the metal with his vibranium one, trying to get a feel of the thickness of the metal trapping him there. There's something strange when he taps on it, feeling as if the echo isn't echoing as it should, and it's what's been keeping him from trying to truly punch his way out.
When he hears Nat from the outside, he can't help but let out a sigh of relief. He knocks on the wall so she knows exactly where he is in the silo:]
Hey Nat. I can hear you. [He frowns when she mentions the explosives:] I guess it's a good thing then that I didn't punch my way out.
[There's a huffy chuckle that escapes his lips, even as he thinks of the few cases him and Sam have been on lately:]
You mean this is not the result of my wonderful and charming personality?
[He'll have to check with Cap about this, because they've been rattling a lot of terrorists' cages lately, and he wants to make sure Sam knows to keep his guards up. And to look after Sarah and the boys.
He's feeling less panicky now that Natasha is there, and maybe he does breathe a little bit easier: he knows she'll be able to let him out quickly.]
[Oh, he absolutely expected Nat to tease him about his typo. He would have been very worried about her if she hadn't. But it still feels like torture, to wonder what she might look like under her bathrobe, even if it's a good kind of torture. He's not going to be able to focus on the ball drop show now, isn't he?]
Well, as long as you don't catch a cold and blame it on me.
[ This man and heights never mix well. The admission that he doesn't remember makes her worry even more. She hits call as she works. ]
James, there's nothing on the news. Security footage does show you getting into a cab but the plate wasn't clear enough to track.
The signal I'm getting puts you somewhere in Balkans. Stay where you are and try to find cover.
[ If this is some sort of trap or someone has been tasked to deliver the former Winter Soldier to a specific location, it likely won't end well for them. Not least because she intends to find him before they do. ]
[ it makes her laugh, she doesn't care what he brings.
but Donna is surprised to open the door and find him with a bag full of supplies instead of a bottle in hand. the preparation involved earns a smile, and she steps aside to let him in. now that they're both back in New York, she welcomes him to the place where she actually lives. her apartment isn't nearly as high tech (or as spacious) as the Tower. it's cozy; full of warm-lighting and carefully spaced out photographs, a combination of older items and distressed wood. she shuts the door and locks it, since well - it's New York, and they both have more than their fair share of enemies.]
I was under the impression I was getting you and maybe a bottle of vodka.
[ but she takes the bag from him and sets it on her counter, amusement settling over her features as she peeks inside.]
You never show up empty-handed, do you?
[ it reminds her of Christmas, when he'd basically tried breaking into the place, but he'd come with presents. there's a heat in her eyes even as Donna jokes about it; she'd sent him that text because she wanted him. the rest of it just reminds her that he's making an actual effort, and that means she's going to spend the rest of her evening making sure she wears him down for having gone to the trouble.
and also (maybe more honestly), just because she wants to. she abandons the bag on the counter and closes the distance between them, reaching up to ease a hand against the back of his neck and guide him into a warm, lingering kiss to welcome him to her place.]
You know, I don't think I've had Saladino's. But I'll never turn down Italian food. What's your favorite dish from there? I've been known to miss a cue or two.
Guess we'll find out. Well, I was thinking more silent approval. But you should absolutely swipe a bottle.
[She's not actually going to tell Tony what she's doing. But he'll figure it out, one way or another. Even when he's drinking he still keeps one eye on his security systems.
The little smirk turns into a smile as he approaches, and she takes the bottle. Her eyes stay focused on him as she answers.]
Pretty good view from here too. Merry Christmas.
[It's a nice moment. She's glad they stumbled upon the idea to meet up on the roof. She hands him over the wrapped package she's holding. It contains an EMP device - and a receiver he can wear, so he can disrupt any electronic devices around him but not mess with his arm.] I'll open the champagne if you want to open that.
Only the classiest for our Sam. Oh yeah, I'll order a regular sheet cake. The ones that get jumped out of are mostly not constructed out of edible things. I could get you an old school camera.
[More time passes, but Natasha assures him as often as she can while she fixes the cameras and makes sure that no one will be alerted when she lasers him out. There's also the few not so small land mines placed in concentric circles around the silo. With a warning to Barnes, Nat blows them from a distance. ]
Who the hell did you piss off with your charming personality. I'd expect this as my welcoming present, but wow, you've done well for yourself, gorgeous.
[Knowing that this has him shaken, she tries for a lighthearted flirt as she brings out the machine that will finally free him from captivity. ]
Only a few more minutes now. Stand back when you see the glow. I don't need you deep fried. I doubt you'll taste good that way, and I happen to already be addicted to what I know.
[They may have only started something, but it was more than enough to whet her appetite. James is not a person to be given up lightly. Natasha doesn't date. She has work, and occasionally used her body for that, and was very good at it, but this is far different. He's a close friend and no matter what, she's going to treasure that above all else.
Once she's got a small door carved, she knocks on the silo knowing that he can knock out the metal frame now that it's completely burned through.]
Now is as good as time as any. I enjoy the lead up to the ball the real time for any party. I've already got all my snack foods out, and several bottles of wine.
I've got a fireplace, and I know how to keep myself warm when I need to.
[There's going to be plenty of torture, but it's already meant to go both ways. Nat has no trouble wondering all the what ifs when it comes to him, and she can't wait to discover the answers. The biggest question in her mind is if she'll let herself finally give in.]
Page 2 of 5