tushanshu_logs | (closed) Return the favor

Characters: Natasha Romanoff and Bucky Barnes; Rikki Barnes and Bucky Barnes; Jack Frost and Bucky Barnes, Kyle Rayner and Bucky Barnes
Date: Soonish
Location: Fire Sector, Natasha's suite.
Situation: Natasha's checked up on him a couple of weeks back; now he's doing the same for her.
Warnings/Rating: Possibly violence or the potential for it, probably language.

Steve told Bucky he sent Natasha to explore the underground. In his stead.

Which is fine, in its way, because if Steve thought her the right person for the job, then she probably was. But - she'd been pretty damn silent, after that. Not that he thinks that he could notice her if she doesn't want to be noticed, or that she'd be overly talkative after the last time they met - when she sought him out and he was a mess, and then he was almost more of a mess - but still. She came to him. Now it's time for him to come to her.

And if she doesn't let him in, he can hang out with Steve, right?

He doesn't even try to sneak up to her. Just shows up at her door and knocks. And brings take-out food.

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Rikki's head snaps up - she hadn't expected company up here, but she's a little surprised herself at how relieved she is to see him. She lifts a hand to wave him over, managing a tiny smile as she watches him. Well, at least one of them doesn't hate her.

"Hey. You looked at the network today?"

"Yup."

He ambles over, then flops down sitting beside her, his feet dangling down. Yes, he's being a little extra ridiculous. She can probably use that.

"Seemed like you can use some aspirin, or at least some company that's not freaking out on you... for a change."

"Yeah." She rubs a hand over her face and looks back down at the street, kicking her feet out absently. "I think I really screwed that up."

"Because somebody just arrived who's already short on temper got a bit - pissy over information overload? No." Soft, but firm. "If he hadn't reacted that way to you, he'd have done it at somebody else. There's such a thing as too much all at once, and I'm gonna guess he'd reached that before he talked with you."

After a moment, he makes a face. "Guess I should thank my ignorance with the consoles, early on. Wasn't in that much danger of that myself when I kept to myself and - meetin' people directly."

She smiles faintly, flicking a glance over at him. "You made it easy. And from what I know, you're a lot less used to the whole alternate dimensions and time travel thing than he should be. Did you just have a really temperamental phase you grew out of or what?"

Not that she really blames Bucky. The... other Bucky. She still feels like a jerk dumping all that on him when she probably should have taken things slower, but she'd just thought...

She'd kind of thought he'd get it. He was Cap's sidekick too, after all, and after all that puts you through... alternate universes and somehow surviving your death don't seem so weird. Maybe that's just her.

"Temperamental, and loving all the fights that Steve got us into. And the ones that he didn't. But at least his were ones that were worth winnin'."

What. He had a shorter fuse, back then. Not that it's very long now, but he - tries.

"But since I was already, you know, dead, thought that I'd just listen, for a change."

"He is too," she says quietly. "Guess it's gonna take a little more than dying to settle him down. I don't know, maybe I shouldn't have told him right away. I know it's a lot. But... I couldn't not talk to him, and if I don't tell him, it's like... I don't want to lie to him, y'know?"

He's family, even if he doesn't know it. None of the Barneses have much of that to spare.

"I couldn't, either. And I hit his point of 'too much' without even introducing myself." It is so, so strange. So very strange, seeing oneself and being helpless to change anything.

"I can hope that he'll start processing things, with time. At least we've got this, here."

Time. None of the three of them had that luxury, back home. Not exactly.

Rikki sighs softly, though her lips quirk into a wry smile. "Yeah. We don't have the best luck, do we? Barneses?"

"We've got Steve. That's better luck than most people ever know right there."

Beat.

"But, other than that, I guess not much, no."

"Got you too." She leans over a little, bumping him fondly with her shoulder. "That's pretty lucky, I think."

Oh. He didn't expect this.

But it makes him smile, and he reaches an arm to squeeze her shoulders, lightly.

"And I've got you." No Sonny and Cher. They sang a bit after his time. "I agree with that."

For a moment, he just. Sits like that. Then, gently. "I've been a bit... quiet, recently. May be not very loud on the network in the coming days until the other... me settles a bit. So. What've you been up to?"

"Nothing much new," she says with a shrug, relaxing a little now that the conversation's turned, and she's reminded that whatever happens with the other Bucky... she's got one grandpa who cares about her no matter what. "Patrolling, working... Got a roommate now, can't remember if I told you before. You know Tommy?"

She does have one grandpa. Who may be less that the one she's used to, but he does love her and will try to be there for her to the best of his ability.

"Uh... I think I've seen him around the consoles. He's sort of... impatient, isn't he?"

Rikki laughs. "Yeah, he definitely is. He's got speed powers, so I guess it's kind of hard not to be. But he's nice. He and his team helped me out once back home, and now he's the only one of them here, so... we figured we'd keep each other company."

And the tiny fond smile on her lips as she talks about him is in no way an indication of a huge crush. Nope. Not at all.

The downside to having a grandpa who is this close to your own age? Is that he actually can pick up on something like this.

"Nice, huh?"

It's probably too dark to see the twinkle in his eyes. Then again, shell glow.

Maybe she can't quite see his expression, but his tone is suspicious enough. "Yeah, he's..." Her cheeks heat a little. "He pretends to be a jerk, but he's really not."

That... okay, that makes Bucky pause. HE IS NOT PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THIS.

"... does that mean I should get to know him better?"

"I don't know... I mean, I do live with him, so you're probably gonna meet him if you drop by..."

"Yu-huh."

This is so. So weird. He's never gotten anywhere near this kind of serious with a girl, but he knows the dance. At least part of it. The one where the girl's family makes sure the kid their daughter's seeing isn't a no-good. (Like him.)

It's just that he's never thought he'd be working on it from this angle.

Ever.

(closed) Return the favor

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