[She wants to argue that Bucky needs to get it taken care of now, but there's no direct path back to the Bus right now, and he's still standing. It's hard to tell in the dimness but he doesn't look sickeningly pale.
Daisy is so caught up with trying to take care of the situation that she doesn't realize Bucky has never seen her use her powers, until he brings it up.]
Oh. Thanks.
[If she sounds caught off guard, it's because she is. It's not the usual response to her powers, to be complimented for them.
Daisy opens her mouth to say something when he compliments her gauntlet, but she's so focused on the fact that he he's still holding onto her hand even after she's on her feet. Her stomach does that increasingly familiar feeling whenever he touches her, or looks at her a certain way. In the moment, her being distracted is dangerous for them both and she's quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she hears a gun go off.
Her heart sinks, thinking it's one of her own, but then she sees Mack lowering his gun and one of the HYDRA assholes on the ground grabbing at his side.
Pulling her hand from Bucky's grip, Daisy sees an opening. It's not even about taking the rest of them down, it's about getting Bucky out of here.]
[ It's a quick, brisk way that she snaps to attention and focuses on what matters, and the thought occurs to him that though she's never served in the military, Quake is still a soldier. It's the kind of focused attention he'd once seen in the Howling Commandos. But when she suggests leaving the field, he instinctively recoils. ]
No, I—
[ But. Bucky is, after all, the asset, isn't he? And you need to remove the target from the battlefield. His arm's still dead at his side. They need to get out of here. He's more of a liability than not.
And that awareness stings, grinds like a thorn in his side. He hates feeling like a useless liability. But Bucky takes a deep breath and nods, and then he's running after her, following Daisy back towards the Bus as they take the opportunity her teammates have given them to escape. And as the plane looms into view above them, he... goggles. Head craning upwards and his superhuman speed slowing as he peers up at its multistoreyed bulk. It's not as big as one of the Helicarriers he'd downed (oops), but it's still astonishing. Impressive. ]
Holy shit. You said you lived on a plane, but I didn't expect it to be, like, a flying building.
[Daisy is on the comms with Simmons, letting her know they're coming back and that Bucky needs to be seen. Good luck trying to fight her on that one, if he thinks Daisy is stubborn, Simmons is 10 times worse.
At this point, Daisy is so used to her life on the plane that it doesn't faze her anymore.]
Welcome to SHIELD.
[Daisy replies cheekily as they make their way up the ramp. Smiling tightly at Mack, he puts a hand on her shoulder as they pass.]
Nice work, Tremors.
[He's the only one who has a nickname for her, and he's about the only one who could get away with it actually being endearing. Leading the way to the lab, Daisy debates whether or not to leave or stay with Bucky. Wringing her hands out, Daisy's choice is quickly made for her when Simmons tells her she needs to be checked out today.]
I'm fine, Jemma.
[Remember how Jemma was 10 times more stubborn? Daisy ends up taking a seat not far from Bucky, making sure he at least gets checked out before she does.]
How are you doing?
[She asks Bucky, keeping her voice low as Jemma goes to grab some supplies.]
I'm alright. Thanks for coming. And for bringing the party.
[ He'd been trying not to peer around too much like a slack-jawed yokel when they made their way through the Bus and to the laboratory. He's settled on a chair now, waiting for Simmons and feeling oddly like he's a kid in the nurse's office again. (He'd been there often. Schoolyard fights.) When the doctor returns, she turns out to be quick and efficient, telling him to remove his jacket — he half-considers being stubborn and refusing, but there's something in her tone of voice that brooks no argument, so he winds up dutifully shucking the leather and folding it in his lap instead.
He has to tug up his shirt slightly to let her get at his injuries, and he goes oddly still and quiet while she works. Over the years, the Winter Soldier had grown accustomed to sitting obediently in one place, immobile as a statue, letting the doctors and scientists swarm over him like ants. He stares off into the middle distance, looking at the lab but not fully taking it in. Jemma extracts a bullet (he winces, but doesn't make any noise), sets it aside with a clatter, cleans the wound, and then presses some adhesive gauze to it.
She beckons Daisy closer, tells her to be useful, to hold the bandage to his stomach while it sets. Daisy wheels closer on her chair and suddenly she's in his personal space, right up next to him out of sheer necessity, their knees bumping.
Jemma's eyes had lit up when he shrugged out of his jacket and she got a closer look at the vibranium arm, and now she gets to try to wake it up; she moves into his blind spot, tinkering with the hinges, muttering to herself about how Fitz ought to be seeing this.
Bucky tunes it out. Shifts his attention to the gentle pressure of Daisy's hands against his abdomen instead; the drifting curl of her dark hair out of the corner of his eye; her face so close to his. He clears his throat. Feels a self-conscious flush heating his throat. ]
[Daisy is holding an ice pack to the back of her head, trying to look everywhere but at Bucky when he takes off his shirt. It feels like an invasion of privacy and she just wants to give him as much space as he needs. Almost as if picking up on it, Jemma asks for her help. Setting down the ice pack, Daisy forces down any awkwardness so she can help get Bucky out of her faster.
Biting her lower lip, Daisy briefly glances at his chest before looking up and away. Were there always lights on the ceiling?!]
You can fix it though, right?
[Daisy asks, looking at Jemma as she messes with his arm to try and fix it. Sure, Fitz would probably get his arm working faster, but, Jemma was smart. She'd figure it out.]
I'm okay.
[She probably as a concussion, but that's not what she's focusing on right now.
Could Bucky hear her heart hammering in her chest or was that not part of his enhancements? With how close she is to him it's hard to not notice how good he smells, even after being in a pretty intense fight.
Oh god. How bad does she smell right now? The suit doesn't exactly breathe and she's usually out of it by now. Shifting so she puts a bit of space between them, just in case, she keeps her hand on the bandage. She could've sworn she just saw Jemma fight back an amused smile before oh so casually telling her she could let go.
Tongue pressing against her cheek when Jemma basically confirms she had done this purpose, Daisy clears her throat as she scoots back in her chair. Grabbing the ice pack, Daisy places it back on the spot where a knot is definitely forming. Once Jemma was done fixing Bucky's arm, she turns her attention on Daisy. Telling Bucky he's good to leave if he'd like to go get some rest.]
You can have my bunk, you know, if you want. It's the one on the end farthest from the stairs.
[ Once the vibranium lights up again, he rotates the arm, feeling it settle back into place with an edge of relief. Tugging his shirt back on, he feels— whole again, thankfully no longer paralysed.
And at Daisy's offer, he hesitates before accepting and also giving a grateful murmured Thanks, doc — because James Barnes might be combative with his therapist, but he does tip his hat to doctors — and then he wanders off to find the bunk. It feels odd, not being closely-supervised or watched with wary mistrust. He passes the occasional agent who blinks wide-eyed at him, but he's so recognisable with his arm visible, so they don't challenge his presence on the plane — maybe word's already gotten out that they've scooped up a stray.
He goes down the narrow hallway, eventually finds the living quarters, and stands there taking it in for a moment. The lines of bunks do have privacy but they're small, cramped, not exactly sprawling luxury.
But that makes it feel far more familiar to him. He isn't exactly built for comfort. He unlaces and toes off his boots and then settles into Daisy's bunk, all six feet of his height sprawled out; he stares at the bobbing hula figurine, which starts to move as the plane starts to hum around them, powering up for takeoff.
He should probably be more worried about where they're headed, the unknown of what's coming next, but he's too tired for it, and he supposes is SHIELD is a good enough place to stay for now.
Bucky never sleeps well, but that droning hum is soothing, the faint vibration lulling him almost hypnotically into a doze. He closes his eyes, feeling the aches and twinges of pain starting to settle in. They'll heal quick, given his capabilities — but that doesn't change the fact that right now, it hurts. His body feels like a weary and battered machine. With an arm tucked behind his head, he drifts off slightly while waiting for Daisy to get discharged — but he's hyper-aware enough about his surroundings that he'll jolt awake again when she approaches. ]
[Of course the moment Bucky is out of the room Jemma is giving Daisy a look. Most of the time Jemma is examining her she's asking Daisy questions about him, and as much as she tries to hide it, there's a smile on her face the entire time. Partially because it felt good to have saved him, but mostly because, whether she'll admit it or not, she likes him.
Getting the go-ahead to go and rest Daisy makes her way to the showers first to clean up and change into something less--
Superhero-y
Despite it being her bunk, Daisy still knocks gently before sliding the door open.]
Nah, just resting my eyes. [ He'd grown long-since accustomed to catching little snatches of sleep wherever he can; drifting off, waking up, immediately jumping right back into the saddle with a gun in his hand. Here, though... Sequestered away in a plane above the city, Bucky almost(?) feels safe. Somebody could always still get onto the Bus — villains can fly too, and HYDRA can infiltrate SHIELD, he knows that better than anyone — but there's something to that background drone and knowing that they're out-of-reach of most people that makes him, finally, breathe out a little.
He shifts on the bed, swinging his legs back out and rubbing at his face, elbows propped against his knees. His jacket's hanging on a hook nearby. ]
Sorry. About all this hassle. Didn't exactly mean to drag your whole workplace into having to deal with a scuffle in my neighbourhood.
[She knew her 'room' was small, but seeing him in it made her realize just how cramped it really was. Realizing she's staring at her arms she looks away and catches sight of her underwear on the floor near the foot of her bed. Trying not to bring attention to it, Daisy kicks it out of view.]
Are you kidding me? Here I thought I was going to have a boring night of watching movies with you.
[Concussion or not, Daisy is right back to teasing him.]
Which, by the way, I'm still down for if you are. Simmons says I'm supposed to rest.
[Daisy rolls her eyes as if she's bothered by it.]
[ Bucky glances down the hall, back towards where they came from, the exit somewhere in the belly of the plane. He's kind of stuck here for the duration unless he decides to plummet out of yet another SHIELD aircraft— but also, it doesn't really feel like the worst thing ever, either. It means he gets to spend more time with Daisy, without going through that awkward negotiating tapdance of your place or mine? and overthinking every last little thing or feeling self-conscious and awkward about his empty apartment. Serendipity landed their movie night here instead, and they might as well make the best of it. ]
You got snacks or drinks? I kinda lost all of mine.
[ He slides further up to the head of the bed, clearing space for her, and pats the mattress beside him, a little sheepishly. ]
I'm down. Although— not really sure how we're both gonna fit.
[Her eyes light up when he seems down to continue movie night, half expecting him to just give her the brush up. She wouldn't even blame him, especially because he got shot. Pressing her lips together to keep from smiling too big, Daisy looks over her shoulder in the direction of the kitchen.]
Uh--
Yeah, what do you want?
[She's not sure how much she'll eat, or how much she'll even be able to pay attention to the movie, but it's just nice to have him there. Eyebrows shooting up when he brings up an, admittedly, good point, Daisy bites her lower lip.]
It might be tight, but, I'm sure we can figure it out.
[ While she's off fetching supplies from the kitchen, Bucky squeezes himself against the wall with its porthole-like window, the shutter pulled down for nighttime. His left arm's against the wall. He tries to make himself comfortable again, shifting and restlessly rearranging himself and his long limbs, except this time he also consciously leaves space on the other half of the bed for Daisy once she returns.
It really doesn't seem like a lot of space. He keeps eyeing that strip of empty mattress mistrustfully, envisioning how close they're gonna have to get to make it work. Like a submarine, space is a premium when you're literally airborne, so the bunks are twin beds; it doesn't leave much room to fit two. Sitting elbow-to-elbow on his stupid sofa probably would've been less nerve-wracking.
All of it reminds him mortifyingly of being a teenager again, all his nerves suddenly in his throat, climbing out of his skin at the mere prospect of being so close to a girl. He's rusty; he's forgotten how to do this. God, it's annoying.
But when she returns, Bucky's expression at least doesn't betray how nervous he feels, although he does try to wedge himself even further against the wall to make room for her. ]
[Daisy has a minor internal freak out while she's in the kitchen, gathering what she thinks he might like. Thankfully it's later at night and people are already heading bed, so there's no one there to call her out on how nervous she might look.
Most of their interactions have been over the phone, including some minor flirting. Now? She's got to deal with any insecurities head on when she didn't expect it.
Coming back about five minutes later with two different types of chips, a bowl of popcorn, and two bottles of water tucked under an arm, Daisy nudges the door open all the way with her foot.]
Think this is enough?
[So focused on not dropping anything, it's not until she lets the water bottles fall onto the mattress that she realizes he's already reclining on the bed. Her stomach does another flip.]
You look--
[Hot.]
Comfortable.
[Daisy internally cringes as she waits for him to help grab things so she can sit down. It feels weird to just lay down next to him, but wouldn't it be more awkward to just sit there while he's reclining? Reaching for one of the pillows, Daisy props it against the wall so she can rest her back against it.]
Which movie do you want to start with?
[Looking at him Daisy realizes this is the closest she's been to him, you know, other than when she 'helped' Jemma earlier in the lab. Her eyes briefly flicker to his lips before she firmly removes her gaze from them and makes eye contact with him again.
She realizes then, with some panic, that she's really into him. She thought she would have a better handle on her emotions around him, but she can't help it. Daisy had been so afraid that she was going to lose him tonight, and now he's here. With her. Safe, and looking like that.
Made myself comfortable, sorry. Figured that was the only way we'd both fit. [ Bucky had considered propping himself up and sitting sideways, but the arching curve of the exterior wall won't really allow it, and the idea of both of them sitting awkwardly upright and getting a crick in their neck to face the monitor, well, it sounds uncomfortable as hell anyway. He reaches down for one of the bottles of water, twists it open and takes a sip; between bloodloss and battle and running around, he could do with just hydrating and taking it easy for a little while.
At the question of what movie to watch, though, he has to stop and consider. He's unfamiliar with so many movies; he's still working his way up through decades' worth of necessary pop culture, yet another to-do list in his notebook being meticulously crossed off, recommendations pooled together from everyone in the Avengers. He can't really bring himself to rewatch things when there's so much else to catch up on. But... There are some exceptions: ]
Got a pretty good idea I might fall asleep partway through, so maybe something I've seen before. A comedy. His Girl Friday?
[ This old man looks a little sheepish suggesting it, revealing his oldfashioned streak. Bucky's fond of screwball romantic comedies; he'd been to see that one in theaters. ]
[And she’s sure she would be a lot more comfortable if she mirrored his position, but that would put them even closer together than already are. She just hopes he can’t feel her heart hammering in her chest.
Smiling at his suggestion, Daisy reached for the remote to bring up the streaming service.]
I don’t even think I’ll make it ten minutes in, but, I’ve never seen it before.
[As she’s typing in the title, Daisy keeps her eyes firmly on the screen because there’s a pretty big chance of her doing something stupid if she looks at him again.]
It's a Howard Hawks flick. He did a bunch of stuff, both action movies and comedies, like Bringing Up Baby, the original Scarface — it's weird, how many movies got remade? — and he also adapted The Big Sleep, although that came out after—
[ After he went into the ravine. ]
Anyway. It's about a star newspaper reporter whose editor is her ex-husband, and she's about to quit her job and go get remarried to an insurance salesman. And her ex dangles a hot new scoop under her nose and tries to do everything possible to delay her trip and try to win her back. [ The corner of his mouth quirks. ] It's a lot of fun, I promise.
[ Then he glances over. Daisy's practically falling off the edge of the bed herself in trying to be polite, the popcorn bowl wedged between them, and Bucky finally just sighs. Takes the bowl and props it up on his chest and waves her over to get closer, even when it makes his nerves turn over in his throat. ]
[Daisy’s eyebrows shoot up as he lists of different movie by this director. She enjoyed movies, but he’s clearly got a lot more knowledge on them.
Finding the movie, Daisy brings it up but doesn’t hit play just yet.]
It sounds like it’ll be good.
[Daisy feels the popcorn bowl that was digging into her side move, and that’s when she finally looks at him again. It’s like she’s never been this close to a guy before as her mine suddenly backfires. Has it really been that long for her that she doesn’t know how to do this without making a fool out of herself?
Okay, maybe it has been a minute...]
If I get any closer I’ll be on top of you.
[As soon as she says it the regret is evident on her face. Laughing out of embarrassment, Daisy reaches for some of the popcorn as a way to get herself to stop talking. She hits play, but as it starts all she’s doing is replaying what she just said in her head.
[ A beat, a moment of his own embarrassment upon realising he'd just said something that basically amounted to yes, please do. ]
As in, I mean. There's space. We'll just have to, uh. Get a little cozy. If you don't mind that.
[ Each one of his words comes out haltingly, tripping over his tongue like a sputtering machine. Bucky clears his throat and tries to make himself look away from her, focusing back on the screen, where the movie's starting to play. He's normally so good at compartmentalising, honing all of his attention on the thing in front of him and nothing else; but now he's distracted, again, by Daisy's weight on the mattress beside him, the sound of her laughter, the huff of her breath.
Fuck.
This might be a problem. He'd toyed around with online dating, mostly egged into it by his teammates, but always skittered away from committing to an actual date. Always inevitably dropped the conversation, the text messages, the rigmarole, the dancing in circles. It felt like speaking a language he wasn't fluent in any longer, one where he'd forgotten all the vocabulary — and didn't have the energy, besides, to lie through his teeth for an entire evening and another and another.
But he doesn't have to lie to Daisy, and she gets it, and she has such a goddamn great sense of humour and a beautiful laugh, and this might be a problem. ]
[Eyes widening, Daisy looks over at Bucky as he starts rambling. A smile spreads across her lips when he ends up tripping over his words, it was oddly comforting that he seemed to be just as bad at this as she was.
Her smile fades a little when she realizes what she’s about to do. As if she’s no longer in control of what her body tells her to do, she leans down and brushes her fingers across his cheek. She looks into his eyes, giving him an out but if he doesn’t stop her she closes the distance between them to kiss him.]
[ Bucky goes still and quiet at first: not pulling away or stopping her, but he's a deer in the headlights, frozen, ready to bolt. In a way, he's still waiting to see if he'll bolt. It still takes a few seconds after Daisy's lips meet his, a moment of hesitation, before he seems to react and kisses her back, long-dormant instincts finally humming back to life after eighty years (eighty years) gone to rust. He leans in and curls his right arm around her where she's finally closed the distance; tries to remember how his mouth works; worries for a second that he literally won't know how to do it; but then he eventually realises that it is, in fact, like riding a bike, and he does remember how to balance this delicate pressure of lips and tongues and teeth and his mouth against hers.
...And his elbow jolts, accidentally knocking over the bowl and spraying popcorn all over both of them, breaking the kiss. ]
Ah, shit—
[ He curses, looks embarrassed, brushes a few pieces of popcorn out of her hair; but then a laugh finally breaks through and his face lights up, and Bucky leans in and kisses her again, and again, movie forgotten. ]
[Relieved that he didn’t reject her, Daisy smiles against his lips on the verge of almost laughing before he even knocks over the popcorn. First kisses can be awkward, and she can’t help but think that she’s kissing someone who is way older than her.
Laughing with him as he pulls the popcorn out of her hair, she pushes the bowl out of the way when he leans back in.
So much for the movie.
It’s easily been a few minutes when there’s an abrupt knock on the door before Jemma’s voice breaks through, asking how they’re doing.]
Shit.
[She hisses out, pulling away from Bucky and rolling away from him. Okay, so maybe things had escalated, sue her. It’s been a while.]
Uh—
[Daisy looks over at Bucky, her face flushed as she quickly fixes her shirt, making sure he looks decent before she answers]
By the time the doctor is peering skeptically down at them, Bucky's swiveled away from Daisy. Although his right arm is still pinned beneath her and she's caught in the crook of his arm, using him as a human pillow by now, the two of them half-cuddling just out of sheer proximity in order to fit on the bed. They're both a little rumpled, and there's popcorn debris scattered on both of them. ]
Yeah, uh, just watching a movie.
[ Even though his attention's completely gone away from it. And as he glances back up at the monitor, he catches the black-and-white screen and a heap of newspapermen milling around an office. The embarrassment of someone looking in on them is mortifying, and yet also— refreshingly banal and normal, like he's rewound time, and they're just two teenagers being caught together. It's a nice low-stakes thing to worry about, compared to his usual life. Compared to dodging HYDRA's dregs earlier. ]
Promise I'm not straining the bandages, [ he says, with a flash of a radiant smile at Jemma, which is Bucky Barnes trying to be his Most Charming™ with a medical authority. ]
[Daisy struggles not to laugh, again, when it's pretty clear Jemma doesn't believe them. Sitting up straighter, Daisy grabs her bottle of water from its place on the floor next to the bed.]
I'll just leave you two to your movie.
[Daisy isn't worried that she would go in snitch, because really, it's not some big secret. When the door slides shut again, Daisy looks over at Bucky. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little anxious now that they've gotten over that hurdle.
She's got a bad habit of not thinking before doing something.]
So that was--
[She wants to say how she feels about it, but she's afraid he won't feel the same way.]
[ He's still sprawled in her bed, and she's still far too close for his heartbeat to be anything but normal, and now Bucky's just looking at her. His expression a little wry, a little fond. He wonders what word she was about to say there before she cut herself off, and he can't help but have that instinctive little flicker of self-doubt — maybe he's a horrible kisser now! it's been long enough that he's not entirely sure! maybe she'll think it was a huge mistake!
But then again, she'd been the one to cross that line first, so maybe he really shouldn't question it this much. Instead: ]
That was nice, [ he says, filling in the blank. ] I'll even forgive you for not paying enough attention to one of my favourite movies.
[ But there's a quirk at the corner of his mouth — he's teasing — and he leans in just close enough to press another kiss to her jaw. ]
[Eyes lighting up when he agrees with her, Daisy shoves lightly at his shoulder when he teases her.]
Well someone was distracting me--
[She trails off when he leans in and kisses her jaw, inhaling sharply at the contact. Does he really expect her to be able to pay attention when he's doing something like that? Eyes closing again, Daisy tilts her head to give him more access because that felt nice.]
There's no way this is your first time kissing someone in--
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Daisy is so caught up with trying to take care of the situation that she doesn't realize Bucky has never seen her use her powers, until he brings it up.]
Oh. Thanks.
[If she sounds caught off guard, it's because she is. It's not the usual response to her powers, to be complimented for them.
Daisy opens her mouth to say something when he compliments her gauntlet, but she's so focused on the fact that he he's still holding onto her hand even after she's on her feet. Her stomach does that increasingly familiar feeling whenever he touches her, or looks at her a certain way. In the moment, her being distracted is dangerous for them both and she's quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she hears a gun go off.
Her heart sinks, thinking it's one of her own, but then she sees Mack lowering his gun and one of the HYDRA assholes on the ground grabbing at his side.
Pulling her hand from Bucky's grip, Daisy sees an opening. It's not even about taking the rest of them down, it's about getting Bucky out of here.]
We need to go. Now.
no subject
No, I—
[ But. Bucky is, after all, the asset, isn't he? And you need to remove the target from the battlefield. His arm's still dead at his side. They need to get out of here. He's more of a liability than not.
And that awareness stings, grinds like a thorn in his side. He hates feeling like a useless liability. But Bucky takes a deep breath and nods, and then he's running after her, following Daisy back towards the Bus as they take the opportunity her teammates have given them to escape. And as the plane looms into view above them, he... goggles. Head craning upwards and his superhuman speed slowing as he peers up at its multistoreyed bulk. It's not as big as one of the Helicarriers he'd downed (oops), but it's still astonishing. Impressive. ]
Holy shit. You said you lived on a plane, but I didn't expect it to be, like, a flying building.
no subject
At this point, Daisy is so used to her life on the plane that it doesn't faze her anymore.]
Welcome to SHIELD.
[Daisy replies cheekily as they make their way up the ramp. Smiling tightly at Mack, he puts a hand on her shoulder as they pass.]
Nice work, Tremors.
[He's the only one who has a nickname for her, and he's about the only one who could get away with it actually being endearing. Leading the way to the lab, Daisy debates whether or not to leave or stay with Bucky. Wringing her hands out, Daisy's choice is quickly made for her when Simmons tells her she needs to be checked out today.]
I'm fine, Jemma.
[Remember how Jemma was 10 times more stubborn? Daisy ends up taking a seat not far from Bucky, making sure he at least gets checked out before she does.]
How are you doing?
[She asks Bucky, keeping her voice low as Jemma goes to grab some supplies.]
no subject
[ He'd been trying not to peer around too much like a slack-jawed yokel when they made their way through the Bus and to the laboratory. He's settled on a chair now, waiting for Simmons and feeling oddly like he's a kid in the nurse's office again. (He'd been there often. Schoolyard fights.) When the doctor returns, she turns out to be quick and efficient, telling him to remove his jacket — he half-considers being stubborn and refusing, but there's something in her tone of voice that brooks no argument, so he winds up dutifully shucking the leather and folding it in his lap instead.
He has to tug up his shirt slightly to let her get at his injuries, and he goes oddly still and quiet while she works. Over the years, the Winter Soldier had grown accustomed to sitting obediently in one place, immobile as a statue, letting the doctors and scientists swarm over him like ants. He stares off into the middle distance, looking at the lab but not fully taking it in. Jemma extracts a bullet (he winces, but doesn't make any noise), sets it aside with a clatter, cleans the wound, and then presses some adhesive gauze to it.
She beckons Daisy closer, tells her to be useful, to hold the bandage to his stomach while it sets. Daisy wheels closer on her chair and suddenly she's in his personal space, right up next to him out of sheer necessity, their knees bumping.
Jemma's eyes had lit up when he shrugged out of his jacket and she got a closer look at the vibranium arm, and now she gets to try to wake it up; she moves into his blind spot, tinkering with the hinges, muttering to herself about how Fitz ought to be seeing this.
Bucky tunes it out. Shifts his attention to the gentle pressure of Daisy's hands against his abdomen instead; the drifting curl of her dark hair out of the corner of his eye; her face so close to his. He clears his throat. Feels a self-conscious flush heating his throat. ]
How about you?
no subject
Biting her lower lip, Daisy briefly glances at his chest before looking up and away. Were there always lights on the ceiling?!]
You can fix it though, right?
[Daisy asks, looking at Jemma as she messes with his arm to try and fix it. Sure, Fitz would probably get his arm working faster, but, Jemma was smart. She'd figure it out.]
I'm okay.
[She probably as a concussion, but that's not what she's focusing on right now.
Could Bucky hear her heart hammering in her chest or was that not part of his enhancements? With how close she is to him it's hard to not notice how good he smells, even after being in a pretty intense fight.
Oh god. How bad does she smell right now? The suit doesn't exactly breathe and she's usually out of it by now. Shifting so she puts a bit of space between them, just in case, she keeps her hand on the bandage. She could've sworn she just saw Jemma fight back an amused smile before oh so casually telling her she could let go.
Tongue pressing against her cheek when Jemma basically confirms she had done this purpose, Daisy clears her throat as she scoots back in her chair. Grabbing the ice pack, Daisy places it back on the spot where a knot is definitely forming. Once Jemma was done fixing Bucky's arm, she turns her attention on Daisy. Telling Bucky he's good to leave if he'd like to go get some rest.]
You can have my bunk, you know, if you want. It's the one on the end farthest from the stairs.
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And at Daisy's offer, he hesitates before accepting and also giving a grateful murmured Thanks, doc — because James Barnes might be combative with his therapist, but he does tip his hat to doctors — and then he wanders off to find the bunk. It feels odd, not being closely-supervised or watched with wary mistrust. He passes the occasional agent who blinks wide-eyed at him, but he's so recognisable with his arm visible, so they don't challenge his presence on the plane — maybe word's already gotten out that they've scooped up a stray.
He goes down the narrow hallway, eventually finds the living quarters, and stands there taking it in for a moment. The lines of bunks do have privacy but they're small, cramped, not exactly sprawling luxury.
But that makes it feel far more familiar to him. He isn't exactly built for comfort. He unlaces and toes off his boots and then settles into Daisy's bunk, all six feet of his height sprawled out; he stares at the bobbing hula figurine, which starts to move as the plane starts to hum around them, powering up for takeoff.
He should probably be more worried about where they're headed, the unknown of what's coming next, but he's too tired for it, and he supposes is SHIELD is a good enough place to stay for now.
Bucky never sleeps well, but that droning hum is soothing, the faint vibration lulling him almost hypnotically into a doze. He closes his eyes, feeling the aches and twinges of pain starting to settle in. They'll heal quick, given his capabilities — but that doesn't change the fact that right now, it hurts. His body feels like a weary and battered machine. With an arm tucked behind his head, he drifts off slightly while waiting for Daisy to get discharged — but he's hyper-aware enough about his surroundings that he'll jolt awake again when she approaches. ]
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Getting the go-ahead to go and rest Daisy makes her way to the showers first to clean up and change into something less--
Superhero-y
Despite it being her bunk, Daisy still knocks gently before sliding the door open.]
Hey, sorry. Did I wake you?
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He shifts on the bed, swinging his legs back out and rubbing at his face, elbows propped against his knees. His jacket's hanging on a hook nearby. ]
Sorry. About all this hassle. Didn't exactly mean to drag your whole workplace into having to deal with a scuffle in my neighbourhood.
[ 'Scuffle', he says. ]
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Are you kidding me? Here I thought I was going to have a boring night of watching movies with you.
[Concussion or not, Daisy is right back to teasing him.]
Which, by the way, I'm still down for if you are. Simmons says I'm supposed to rest.
[Daisy rolls her eyes as if she's bothered by it.]
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You got snacks or drinks? I kinda lost all of mine.
[ He slides further up to the head of the bed, clearing space for her, and pats the mattress beside him, a little sheepishly. ]
I'm down. Although— not really sure how we're both gonna fit.
[ He is very tall. ]
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Uh--
Yeah, what do you want?
[She's not sure how much she'll eat, or how much she'll even be able to pay attention to the movie, but it's just nice to have him there. Eyebrows shooting up when he brings up an, admittedly, good point, Daisy bites her lower lip.]
It might be tight, but, I'm sure we can figure it out.
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[ While she's off fetching supplies from the kitchen, Bucky squeezes himself against the wall with its porthole-like window, the shutter pulled down for nighttime. His left arm's against the wall. He tries to make himself comfortable again, shifting and restlessly rearranging himself and his long limbs, except this time he also consciously leaves space on the other half of the bed for Daisy once she returns.
It really doesn't seem like a lot of space. He keeps eyeing that strip of empty mattress mistrustfully, envisioning how close they're gonna have to get to make it work. Like a submarine, space is a premium when you're literally airborne, so the bunks are twin beds; it doesn't leave much room to fit two. Sitting elbow-to-elbow on his stupid sofa probably would've been less nerve-wracking.
All of it reminds him mortifyingly of being a teenager again, all his nerves suddenly in his throat, climbing out of his skin at the mere prospect of being so close to a girl. He's rusty; he's forgotten how to do this. God, it's annoying.
But when she returns, Bucky's expression at least doesn't betray how nervous he feels, although he does try to wedge himself even further against the wall to make room for her. ]
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Most of their interactions have been over the phone, including some minor flirting. Now? She's got to deal with any insecurities head on when she didn't expect it.
Coming back about five minutes later with two different types of chips, a bowl of popcorn, and two bottles of water tucked under an arm, Daisy nudges the door open all the way with her foot.]
Think this is enough?
[So focused on not dropping anything, it's not until she lets the water bottles fall onto the mattress that she realizes he's already reclining on the bed. Her stomach does another flip.]
You look--
[
Hot.]Comfortable.
[Daisy internally cringes as she waits for him to help grab things so she can sit down. It feels weird to just lay down next to him, but wouldn't it be more awkward to just sit there while he's reclining? Reaching for one of the pillows, Daisy props it against the wall so she can rest her back against it.]
Which movie do you want to start with?
[Looking at him Daisy realizes this is the closest she's been to him, you know, other than when she 'helped' Jemma earlier in the lab. Her eyes briefly flicker to his lips before she firmly removes her gaze from them and makes eye contact with him again.
She realizes then, with some panic, that she's really into him. She thought she would have a better handle on her emotions around him, but she can't help it. Daisy had been so afraid that she was going to lose him tonight, and now he's here. With her. Safe, and looking like that.
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At the question of what movie to watch, though, he has to stop and consider. He's unfamiliar with so many movies; he's still working his way up through decades' worth of necessary pop culture, yet another to-do list in his notebook being meticulously crossed off, recommendations pooled together from everyone in the Avengers. He can't really bring himself to rewatch things when there's so much else to catch up on. But... There are some exceptions: ]
Got a pretty good idea I might fall asleep partway through, so maybe something I've seen before. A comedy. His Girl Friday?
[ This old man looks a little sheepish suggesting it, revealing his oldfashioned streak. Bucky's fond of screwball romantic comedies; he'd been to see that one in theaters. ]
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[And she’s sure she would be a lot more comfortable if she mirrored his position, but that would put them even closer together than already are. She just hopes he can’t feel her heart hammering in her chest.
Smiling at his suggestion, Daisy reached for the remote to bring up the streaming service.]
I don’t even think I’ll make it ten minutes in, but, I’ve never seen it before.
[As she’s typing in the title, Daisy keeps her eyes firmly on the screen because there’s a pretty big chance of her doing something stupid if she looks at him again.]
What is it about?
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[ After he went into the ravine. ]
Anyway. It's about a star newspaper reporter whose editor is her ex-husband, and she's about to quit her job and go get remarried to an insurance salesman. And her ex dangles a hot new scoop under her nose and tries to do everything possible to delay her trip and try to win her back. [ The corner of his mouth quirks. ] It's a lot of fun, I promise.
[ Then he glances over. Daisy's practically falling off the edge of the bed herself in trying to be polite, the popcorn bowl wedged between them, and Bucky finally just sighs. Takes the bowl and props it up on his chest and waves her over to get closer, even when it makes his nerves turn over in his throat. ]
It's your bed. I'm hogging all the space. C'mon.
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[Daisy’s eyebrows shoot up as he lists of different movie by this director. She enjoyed movies, but he’s clearly got a lot more knowledge on them.
Finding the movie, Daisy brings it up but doesn’t hit play just yet.]
It sounds like it’ll be good.
[Daisy feels the popcorn bowl that was digging into her side move, and that’s when she finally looks at him again. It’s like she’s never been this close to a guy before as her mine suddenly backfires. Has it really been that long for her that she doesn’t know how to do this without making a fool out of herself?
Okay, maybe it has been a minute...]
If I get any closer I’ll be on top of you.
[As soon as she says it the regret is evident on her face. Laughing out of embarrassment, Daisy reaches for some of the popcorn as a way to get herself to stop talking. She hits play, but as it starts all she’s doing is replaying what she just said in her head.
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[ A beat, a moment of his own embarrassment upon realising he'd just said something that basically amounted to yes, please do. ]
As in, I mean. There's space. We'll just have to, uh. Get a little cozy. If you don't mind that.
[ Each one of his words comes out haltingly, tripping over his tongue like a sputtering machine. Bucky clears his throat and tries to make himself look away from her, focusing back on the screen, where the movie's starting to play. He's normally so good at compartmentalising, honing all of his attention on the thing in front of him and nothing else; but now he's distracted, again, by Daisy's weight on the mattress beside him, the sound of her laughter, the huff of her breath.
Fuck.
This might be a problem. He'd toyed around with online dating, mostly egged into it by his teammates, but always skittered away from committing to an actual date. Always inevitably dropped the conversation, the text messages, the rigmarole, the dancing in circles. It felt like speaking a language he wasn't fluent in any longer, one where he'd forgotten all the vocabulary — and didn't have the energy, besides, to lie through his teeth for an entire evening and another and another.
But he doesn't have to lie to Daisy, and she gets it, and she has such a goddamn great sense of humour and a beautiful laugh, and this might be a problem. ]
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Her smile fades a little when she realizes what she’s about to do. As if she’s no longer in control of what her body tells her to do, she leans down and brushes her fingers across his cheek. She looks into his eyes, giving him an out but if he doesn’t stop her she closes the distance between them to kiss him.]
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...And his elbow jolts, accidentally knocking over the bowl and spraying popcorn all over both of them, breaking the kiss. ]
Ah, shit—
[ He curses, looks embarrassed, brushes a few pieces of popcorn out of her hair; but then a laugh finally breaks through and his face lights up, and Bucky leans in and kisses her again, and again, movie forgotten. ]
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Laughing with him as he pulls the popcorn out of her hair, she pushes the bowl out of the way when he leans back in.
So much for the movie.
It’s easily been a few minutes when there’s an abrupt knock on the door before Jemma’s voice breaks through, asking how they’re doing.]
Shit.
[She hisses out, pulling away from Bucky and rolling away from him. Okay, so maybe things had escalated, sue her. It’s been a while.]
Uh—
[Daisy looks over at Bucky, her face flushed as she quickly fixes her shirt, making sure he looks decent before she answers]
We’re okay, just watching a movie.
[Please don’t open the door.]
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By the time the doctor is peering skeptically down at them, Bucky's swiveled away from Daisy. Although his right arm is still pinned beneath her and she's caught in the crook of his arm, using him as a human pillow by now, the two of them half-cuddling just out of sheer proximity in order to fit on the bed. They're both a little rumpled, and there's popcorn debris scattered on both of them. ]
Yeah, uh, just watching a movie.
[ Even though his attention's completely gone away from it. And as he glances back up at the monitor, he catches the black-and-white screen and a heap of newspapermen milling around an office. The embarrassment of someone looking in on them is mortifying, and yet also— refreshingly banal and normal, like he's rewound time, and they're just two teenagers being caught together. It's a nice low-stakes thing to worry about, compared to his usual life. Compared to dodging HYDRA's dregs earlier. ]
Promise I'm not straining the bandages, [ he says, with a flash of a radiant smile at Jemma, which is Bucky Barnes trying to be his Most Charming™ with a medical authority. ]
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I'll just leave you two to your movie.
[Daisy isn't worried that she would go in snitch, because really, it's not some big secret. When the door slides shut again, Daisy looks over at Bucky. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little anxious now that they've gotten over that hurdle.
She's got a bad habit of not thinking before doing something.]
So that was--
[She wants to say how she feels about it, but she's afraid he won't feel the same way.]
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But then again, she'd been the one to cross that line first, so maybe he really shouldn't question it this much. Instead: ]
That was nice, [ he says, filling in the blank. ] I'll even forgive you for not paying enough attention to one of my favourite movies.
[ But there's a quirk at the corner of his mouth — he's teasing — and he leans in just close enough to press another kiss to her jaw. ]
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Well someone was distracting me--
[She trails off when he leans in and kisses her jaw, inhaling sharply at the contact. Does he really expect her to be able to pay attention when he's doing something like that? Eyes closing again, Daisy tilts her head to give him more access because that felt nice.]
There's no way this is your first time kissing someone in--
[She can't do the math right now.]
A lot of years.
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poss a wrap? ❤️