verb.
To come or go back to a place or person.
noun.
The firing of a weapon to counter a shooter's shot.
•
They recoiled from their pasts, and in doing so found each other.
But the universe isn't kind enough to let a moment of peace last.
It took se...
And Steve hadn't changed. If he was horrified, or disgusted, it never manifested as the pitying tone Bucky had feared. But then again, Steve had never pitied him.
"Seriously though – hair aside." Steve chuckled from behind the screen, sitting back and pushing one hand through his own overgrown hair and beard that almost matched Bucky's now. "You look... Happy."
"I am." Bucky assured him with a smile, not even having to think about the confirmation. Somewhere in the last few months, things had once again made that subtle shift. The one he had first experienced several months into his time in Amsterdam. The shift between surviving and living. There was no struggle through each day anymore. Difficulties, yes, but the crushing despair which once shadowed his steps had evaporated. Glancing down to the presence at his side who had undoubtably contributed to that, he felt his lips pull into a surprised smile as he realised that Kat was watching him, instead of the screen. Hurriedly, she swiped the back of her free hand over one cheek, leaving him to search for the tell-tale glimmer of moisture that usually betrayed a small overspill of emotion. "You okay, Doll?"
"Yeah, yeah- of course." She laughed weakly, sitting up a little. "Just... S'nice to hear out loud, isn't it?"
"I mean it." Steve added in, watching them both with a fond smile, "You both look it. It's actually nice to see you both together doing something other than gearing up for a fight."
"Can't quite figure out which is our natural habitat." Kat hummed, "But right now... Yeah. This place..." Glancing around at the lingering fiery light on the horizon and the deep navy evening that crept in around them, she smiled before looking back to Bucky. "It's what we needed."
"So I'm not gonna be able to pry you away any time soon?"
"Why, you miss me, Cap?" She laughed teasingly.
"We all do." He shrugged earnestly, "Both of you."
"We can get Shuri to drop the shields any time." Bucky reminded him. "Any time that schedule of yours allows."
"And I'll take you up on that soon." Steve promised, his smile tightening with a small note of guilt. Guilt that he hadn't yet managed to find time to make the journey to Wakanda. Bucky understood though, the intention had been there. More than once Kat had mentioned that the team were hoping to stop by, to scrape together a few weeks of respite from a life as fugitives beyond the borders of T'Challa's kingdom, but it just hadn't worked out that way. There had always been the risk of being followed by Thaddeus Ross and every other organisation that had relentlessly pursued them since the events in Leipzig and the resulting fracturing of the Avengers over the Sokovia Accords. If they had tracked Steve and the rest of the team to Wakanda, then Bucky and Kat would have been in danger, not to mention Wakanda's reputation on the world stage would have been called into question if they were found to be sheltering international fugitives. Aside from that, there was the fact that there always seemed to be somewhere that needed Steve's attention. Wrongs needing put right, people to save, everything that he knew his best friend was incapable of dragging himself away from. Bucky was also acutely aware that one of the injustices that grasped the team's attention so fully was undeniably linked to him and the woman at his side. The continued – albeit quiet – existence of HYDRA was something Steve couldn't ignore, and so he was kept busy.
The opportunity to reunite just hadn't prevented itself, and Bucky would never ask Steve to take such a risk, or turn his back on the duties that called him. Despite the fact that he missed his friend, and he could so clearly see that Kat felt the absence of the family she had found in the year he had spent on ice, he understood. He just hoped Steve could see that as Bucky watched him shift in his seat, leaning forward to elaborate on the reasoning that had already been anticipated, and already forgiven. "Seems like there's always something new springing up though, if it isn't HYDRA its something else, Nat hears everything. Keeps us busy. Keeps us moving." He hummed, glancing to the side as something beyond the view of his camera beeped demandingly. "Speaking of which..."
"It's okay." Bucky smiled at his friend as he looked back apologetically. "Go save the world some more."
"And make sure you give 'em hell from us."
Steve grinned at Kat's small comment, leaning in a little closer as he prepared to end the call, his hand hovering over the screen for a brief second.
"I always do."
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[A/N: I think I find capturing Bucky's 'a little calm' tricky. There's so much to live up to and yet so little structure to work with, I hope this little breather for these two meets expectations! X]
