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[hellofist]

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[redactions]

[ He's up the moment Steve leaves the room, but he neither moves or changes his rate of breathing, waiting for Cass to stir. There's something aggressively like home that he and Steve have recreated without having to think about it, and she fits into their day without so much as a ripple on the water. ]

You heard the lady.

[ He's been trying, little by little, to accustom Steve to having someone in his personal space again. He's not one for a lotta hugging - his father never did even though his sisters were very free with affection - but it's the best way to help Cass feel at ease and if Steve gets to join in then Bucky's all for it. ]

[enshields]

[He hesitates, and then sits on the edge of the bed. It creaks under their combined weight - he and Bucky alone are probably pushing 450 pounds - but it holds, and he fusses briefly with the blanket around Cass, tucking it with care.]

You guys sleep all right?

[hellofist]

[She nods, scrubbing a hand through her hair. There were no nightmares and she woke up to food in bed, how can there be better sleep?]

Don't need much, but it's still nice, sometimes. Better with company.

[She leans into Bucky a little, a quick nudge before she's taking her weight off him again.]

[redactions]

[ Bucky adjusts, so that his weight is more evenly spread out - the cot is doing fine but he doesn't want to risk breaking it. He grins at them both, exceptionally pleased with this start to his day. ]

Slept like a baby. [ he smiles at Cass, his body language sings, hello, I'm happy with you and Steve here ] Better with company, too.

[enshields]

[Steve's, by contrast, isn't quite so loudly pleased but instead is quiet and contented. Bucky never got enough sleep in the war, so for him to have it here? It means a lot. More than a lot to Steve. And he doesn't doubt Cass deserves it too.]

Yeah, well, eat your breakfast before it gets cold.

[It's a bit of good-natured grumbling as he pulls the tray in closer and hands them both a bowl.]

[hellofist]

[She's long past worrying about manners with them now, so once she has her bowl in hand she digs in with her fingers. And promptly talks with her mouth full.]

Have plans for today?

[redactions]

[ To Steve, ] Yes, Ma.

[ He stares at the bowl, debating if he should say grace, but opts not to. Neither he nor Steve have, for some months now. ]

Going on patrol, finding food, the usual. Eh, Steve?

[enshields]

Sounds about right.

[And after a moment,]

Cass, you ever play baseball?

[hellofist]

[One day, she's going to ask about that. They've both hesitated before eating now and she doesn't understand why. For now, though, she focuses on the question.]

Nope. What is it?

[enshields]

[omg cass no.]

Only the best game.

[He totally lights up talking about baseball, like this is the best thing ever, k. He just gently infodumps about it, keeping his sentences small and trying to use gestures to explain the concepts where he thinks she might not be familiar with the words.]

We're putting a couple teams together. You'd be amazing at it.

[redactions]

[ He listens, adding in his own gestures and quips where there's a lull in Steve's, and at the end of it he puts an arm around Cass. ]

She's on my team, Rogers, just so we're clear.

[hellofist]

That's probably cheating.

[They'll notice she's not actually protesting though.]

[enshields]

[Bucky gets a playful smack to the head that Cass can probably interpret as brotherly affection. It's not the least bit designed to hurt.]

It's definitely cheating.

[But he's laughing.]

But I'll give him this one. He needs all the help he can get.

[Oh, it's like that.]

[redactions]

Oh, is that how it is?

[ HAND ON HIS HEART he's so offended!! ]

All right sweetheart, you can be on his team, and I'll knock ya both out of the park.

[hellofist]

Can switch, keep things even. Bucky's one game, Steve's next game.

[Which means her team will always win. Flawless logic.]

[enshields]

I like her plan better.

[Steve just beams at her like she just cured world hunger. She is definitely one of his favourite new people, k.]

[redactions]

Way to back me up, pal.

[ Not the least bit offended. He steals some of the food in Cass' bowl. ]

I'll remember this.

[hellofist]

[She ducks her head then and laughs, though it's more like an amused exhale than anything else. It's her version and that's good enough.]

Superhero, remember? I fight for justice. That means balanced teams.

[enshields]

You heard the lady. She's a superhero.

[People have tried to put that title on him, and he's resisted mightily. He doesn't think of himself that way, and his opinion will always be that the real heroes are the folk that never come home after a war, but-- in the context of her world? She is, absolutely, one-hundred-percent everything he'd hope a superhero might be.

So, she gets the title, which he says with an immeasurable amount of fondness as he reaches out to ruffle her hair.]

Better luck next time, Buck.

[And then he does something he hasn't done in literal years, and sticks his tongue out at his best friend.]

[redactions]

She sure is.

[ He doesn't bother with a quip, or even an act of fraternal violence. Bucky just. Stares, and then starts laughing. It's so honestly Steve - no Captain America, not even a hint of Captain Rogers - that it's a rare gift and Buck feels like he's walked right into a part of the Dutch countryside: a meadow in full bloom, colours rioting in the spring air. There's no war here, not for the moment, even if it was still there when they had to leave. ]

[ They don't have to leave. He squeezes Cass's hand, abruptly. Thank you. ]

[hellofist]

[If Cass could stop time and live in this moment forever, it's something she would choose to do. How long have they been without this? After she goes back to her own bed, how long will it be before it happens again?

Moments like this are so few and far between for people like all three of them that it kind of hurts to see one now, but she won't let that ruin it.

She's never seen a grown man stick his tongue out anyone before anyway, it's not like she can not laugh along with them. She keeps a strong hold on Bucky's hand all the same though.]

Will there be practice, before first game? Could use some.

[enshields]

Of course. I'm a little rusty myself.

[He hasn't played since 1942, actually.]

We'll teach everyone the rules. Maybe we'll even design some uniforms.