Doll and James

Ten points to Buffy

"Well, the thing is, it needs to be available now, I'd need to have the keys in a few days, tops," Lana confirmed into her phone as Bucky entered. He sent her a small smile as he passed her, sitting down by the computer and logging onto it with his password.

"A couple of hundred, yeah," she added, nodding at whatever her counterpart said.

"That'd be great, thank you. Yeah, I'll get back to you. Thank you, bye," she ended, pulling her phone away from her ear before letting her fall into her chair with a heavy sigh. She grabbed her laptop from her back and placed it in front of the stationary screen, quickly opening it and going to her email, refreshing it repeatedly.

"Realtor?" Bucky asked in a hum, hardly looking away from his screen.

"Yup. She's going to send me a few options and I'll have Yanya check them out asap, get some contractors and lawyers to look at it or whatever," she explained equally distracted; "Just so I can at least pretend to learn from my mistakes."

"They're almost at the base. We need to talk, Doll," he suddenly told, spinning in his chair to face her. Placing his elbows on his knees he gathered his hands in front of him, looking at her with concern as she slowly turned to him.

"You're right," she agreed quietly, taking a deep breath.

"It's - wait, I am?" he interrupted himself, surprised.

"You... Aren't you?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows confused.

"I am?" he repeated.

"You're... Not?" she asked slowly.

"I might be?" he told honestly.

"Ah," she agreed, even though she had no idea what they'd agreed on.

"Clint is coming," he told her before she had a chance to overthink their conversation so far.

"Oh," she realised.

"I'm sorry," Bucky told her honestly.

"No, it... It's not your fault. And he didn't do anything wrong," Lana pointed out, sounding unconvinced herself.

"That doesn't mean you're not allowed to find this difficult. It is difficult, everything about it," he added with a humourless laugh.

"It is pretty messy," she agreed flatly, licking her dry lips.

"Base in sight, first check in," Steve's voice appeared over the com before the sound cut off again.

"I'll be with you every step of the way, to the end of the line, Doll. Just know that," he told her seriously.

"I know," she told, smiling softly at him. Seeing that, he couldn't help the smile that sneaked on to his lips. An honest moment dedicated to the connection he hoped to God he wasn't the only one feeling and a slow, almost waveless, stream of care flowing through his body, only moving enough to make its presence known and never more.

"Please confirm message," Steve's voice ordered, making Lana roll her eyes.

"We're here, Captain," she told, pressing down the button allowing her to be heard as she did so.

"Good. Don't be silent," he told her decidedly.

"Alright. William said your suit is poorly designed because you look like Captain Puerto Rico," she told, glancing at her nails.

"Once again, this is on you, Freddie," Tony's voice exclaimed lightly through the com.

"Does that make you Shaggy?" Lana asked her father curiously.