Steve nodded and passed over the keys. "Good, that's good... I suppose you'll be taking him to your floor with you?" He really wanted to see Bucky, but knew that his friend still didn't want to see him. Natasha had said he wasn't afraid, but Steve thought that maybe he was. He must have been, to be avoiding Steve like this. He only had a problem with seeing Steve, not talking to him, so Steve still wasn't quite sure what to think.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I've got a few places we could go that are still in the city. I'm not sure taking him back there would be the best thing right now. We might go for a day or two while i get things set up but we'll see."
She pushed a few strands of hair from her face. "I'll keep you posted on our location, I promise."
"He'll be safer in the Tower, 'Tash. HYDRA won't be able to get to him there." Truthfully, Steve didn't like Bucky being close to loose in the city, with only Natasha keeping him from roaming and possibly getting picked up by HYDRA again. He wanted to help Bucky as best he could but he still wasn't convinced that just keeping Bucky in the city was the best way to do it. He needed somewhere he wouldn't be able to get out of.
"Look," she said. "I can handle him and we've been fine up until this point."
Taking in a breath, she looked at Steve. "I get that you want to keep him close but I don't want to have him caged up. At least if he's not in the tower, he has some sense of being able to make the choice of coming and going."
"Are you sure giving him the ability to leave is a good thing? He's obviously not stable... If he leaves not realizing what he's doing and gets himself hurt or even killed..." Steve shook his head. "I think he needs to go back to the Tower and stay there." This was obviously something they weren't going to be able to agree on.
Steve sighed and folded his arms over his chest. "Why don't you ask Bucky? Let him choose."
He jumped when she knocked on the door but reached out to push open the door to let her in. "W-What?" He looked like he was going to be sick, but mostly he just looked tired. He was stressed beyond belief and just wanted to hide somewhere and sleep.
Stepping inside, she closed the distance between them as soon as she saw the look of him. Her expression flickers from concern to calm in a span of a few seconds.
"Sorry," she apologized. "I just gotta ask you something, then we can go,okay?"
Pushing a few strands of hair out of her face, she continued. "Steve wants us to go back with him. Or...Not with him but to the place he's staying. It is secure but I didn't know if you wanted to or not."
He looked at her then moved in closer to her. "Which... Where's closer?" He was so tired. "I want to sleep," he said plainly, grabbing to her shirt firmly. "Please, Nat, I..." He was wavering on his feet. He didn't care where he went, just that he got there as soon as they could and he could curl up somewhere.
"Okay," she said, her voice gentle. "We'll get you somewhere safe. It'll be all right, you'll sleep soon."
She pulled out her phone again, just texting Steve that they'd be going to the Tower that night and working things out from there. She was hoping he'll still leave her the keys and they could get there on their own but she wasn't sure what his plan was.
Moving to smooth back his hair, she kept him close. "You can sleep in the car too, if you want. I'll wake you when we get there."
Steve texted back, telling her he would take the subway back and that the keys were in the car.
He leaned into Natasha, curling against her. He happily let her take him out of the back room and out into the car. He clambered into the back, curling up on the backseat.
He wasn't about to sleep in the wide open car, but he could at least maybe relax a little.
She made sure he was settled in and then hopped into the front seat, driving them to the tower with little incident.
Parking, she gets out and heads to open his door, stepping back so he can get out. "Come on," she started. "Let's get you inside. We'll get you set up in your own space later but, fo rnow, you're welcome to steal the closet I've got here."
He nods, clinging close to her while they made their way into the building. He tucks his head into her shoulder but relaxes a little once they're in the elevator. The trip up is quiet and by the time they're out he's almost hanging off of her, needing her for support. He's burned out of energy and incredibly stressed.
Coffee and sleep would be the two best things for him.
Her arm wrapped around his wait, holding him up as they moved through the building. Her part of it wasn't too far and when they finally make it into her bedroom, she guides him to the bed.
After that, she headed towards the closet, moving a few things out of the way and shelving others, so that he might have enough room to curl up if he so chose.
"Do you need anything," she asked over her shoulder. "I can get you something to eat, or coffee..."
"Coffee..." He watches her clear the closet for him, arms drawn around himself. This place is so much different... Her apartment was warm and small and cozy, and this place was harsh and cold and big.
"Do I have to have my own space?" He doesn't really want it. He doesn't want to live someplace like this. He would never be able to leave his closet if he did.
She nodded, moving to the kitchenette and starts preparing a cup. While it brewed, she settled on the bed next to him.
""No, not if you don't want to." She moves one arm so that he can come settle near her if he so chose. "You can stay with me. We don't have to say here either, we just needed somewhere to go that was safe for now."
He curls up closer to Natasha, draping one arm over her lap. He adjusts his position so he can see into the closet. It's bigger than the other one, and not as clear on the floor. But he wants contact with her more than he needs to curl up in the closet. He wants coffee first.
She moved so that her hands could run through his hair, a soft hum coming from her lips. "We'll figure it out later, okay?"
She wasn't sure if she's going to sleep when he does but she knew she would probably have to take a rest soon. Her body was tired and the tension finally leaving her body a little bit.
He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. With his eyes closed he could forget that he wasn't at her apartment, that they weren't somewhere else.
He finally sat up, curling up his legs under him. He pulled his hood up over his head and sighed weakly. He carefully got up and padded over to the closet. He sank down onto the carpet. It wasn't the same but it was close enough that he felt secure, clothing pressing around him firmly.
Once he's up, she moved to the coffeemaker, preparing two cups and bringing one over to him. Settling down at the mouth of the closet, she offers him the other cup.
"Enjoy," she smiles. "And let me know if you want anything else, okay?"
He nods and takes the mug. He slurps at it but it's a lot more like what he's used to than he's expecting it to be, with how much everything else has changed.
"This is okay." He carefully reached out to pull the closet door shut, sealing him in darkness. He wasn't about to come out for a long time, and Natasha definitely would be able to get at least a nap.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2014-08-10 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-10 06:33 am (UTC)She pushed a few strands of hair from her face. "I'll keep you posted on our location, I promise."
no subject
Date: 2014-08-10 06:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-29 11:04 pm (UTC)Taking in a breath, she looked at Steve. "I get that you want to keep him close but I don't want to have him caged up. At least if he's not in the tower, he has some sense of being able to make the choice of coming and going."
no subject
Date: 2014-08-30 12:00 am (UTC)Steve sighed and folded his arms over his chest. "Why don't you ask Bucky? Let him choose."
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 02:51 am (UTC)She moved to the door, knocking gently. "Hey," her voice is gentle. "Mind of I come in and ask you a question?"
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 02:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 03:41 am (UTC)"Sorry," she apologized. "I just gotta ask you something, then we can go,okay?"
Pushing a few strands of hair out of her face, she continued. "Steve wants us to go back with him. Or...Not with him but to the place he's staying. It is secure but I didn't know if you wanted to or not."
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 04:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 05:04 am (UTC)She pulled out her phone again, just texting Steve that they'd be going to the Tower that night and working things out from there. She was hoping he'll still leave her the keys and they could get there on their own but she wasn't sure what his plan was.
Moving to smooth back his hair, she kept him close. "You can sleep in the car too, if you want. I'll wake you when we get there."
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 05:29 am (UTC)He leaned into Natasha, curling against her. He happily let her take him out of the back room and out into the car. He clambered into the back, curling up on the backseat.
He wasn't about to sleep in the wide open car, but he could at least maybe relax a little.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 05:42 am (UTC)Parking, she gets out and heads to open his door, stepping back so he can get out. "Come on," she started. "Let's get you inside. We'll get you set up in your own space later but, fo rnow, you're welcome to steal the closet I've got here."
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 06:03 am (UTC)Coffee and sleep would be the two best things for him.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 06:12 am (UTC)After that, she headed towards the closet, moving a few things out of the way and shelving others, so that he might have enough room to curl up if he so chose.
"Do you need anything," she asked over her shoulder. "I can get you something to eat, or coffee..."
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 06:30 am (UTC)"Do I have to have my own space?" He doesn't really want it. He doesn't want to live someplace like this. He would never be able to leave his closet if he did.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 06:38 am (UTC)""No, not if you don't want to." She moves one arm so that he can come settle near her if he so chose. "You can stay with me. We don't have to say here either, we just needed somewhere to go that was safe for now."
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 07:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 07:14 am (UTC)She wasn't sure if she's going to sleep when he does but she knew she would probably have to take a rest soon. Her body was tired and the tension finally leaving her body a little bit.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 07:24 am (UTC)He finally sat up, curling up his legs under him. He pulled his hood up over his head and sighed weakly. He carefully got up and padded over to the closet. He sank down onto the carpet. It wasn't the same but it was close enough that he felt secure, clothing pressing around him firmly.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 07:33 am (UTC)"Enjoy," she smiles. "And let me know if you want anything else, okay?"
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 07:53 am (UTC)"This is okay." He carefully reached out to pull the closet door shut, sealing him in darkness. He wasn't about to come out for a long time, and Natasha definitely would be able to get at least a nap.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-14 01:26 pm (UTC)"Get some sleep," she tells him before she slipped out the door. "I'll be outside if you need anything."
And she keeps that promise, mostly because when she's fairly sure he's asleep, she lets herself fall into bed, settling in for a nap of her own.