Fire and Ice

•63•

Ayo returned, making as much noise as possible — even whistling as she walked. When she stopped next to them, food in hand, she looked between them. They weren't even holding hands, but something in her eyes was suspicious. "Am I interrupting something?"

Bucky looked at Kate, who shrugged, then at Ayo. "No."

"I can go-"

"No, it's fine," Kate jumps in. "It's fine."

They stare at each other for a few moments, and then Ayo turns to put the food in the truck. Bucky smiles at Kate. "Well... I'll see you... Friday, then?"

She smiles back. "I can do Friday."

"Great. Awesome. Um, Ayo and I can sort of... hash out the details, I guess."

"Of course."

"Plan the menu."

"Oh, we're eating?"

He stopped shifting. "If that's what you want to do, I mean-"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Great." Once again, they looked at each other, both of them smiling a bit. Bucky wasn't sure what to do, after what had just happened. The sound of Ayo starting the truck jolted him into the next step. "I'll see you then." Awkwardly, he held out his hand.

Awkwardly, she took it. "See you then."

And there they were shaking hands while Ayo undoubtedly watched with rolling eyes. Kate squeezed his hand before she let go, and then he was watching her walk away, trying to convince himself that he hadn't been dreaming.

"Well, Sergeant Barnes, do we not have plans to 'hash out?'" Ayo said.

Bucky jumped in the truck. "I think I have a date on Friday."

Ayo laughed. "You better ask again after you just shook her hand."

"I'm a little rusty at this, okay?"

~_~_~_~_~

Kate kept her mouth shut all week — four days, to be exact. Shuri and T'Challa, when he was around, brought up Bucky multiple times, and Kate kept her mouth shut. She didn't need them getting all excited and trying to get involved — at least, not yet.

She's excited. Butterflies in her stomach, a little bit anxious kind of excited. The same way she felt before her first date with Ryan.

It's weird. It's not that she feels like she's cheating on him exactly, but that she's cheating on herself. The part of herself that loved him —still loves him. It's not as if they broke up, like there's some animosity between them. He died. And it left a hole in her heart. She doesn't want to try to fill it with Bucky — that's not fair to either of them.

The past few nights, when she went to bed, she thought of Ryan. Of their first date, the second, the third. Of the time he asked her to be his girlfriend.

~_~_~_~_~

There was a CD playing softly on Ryan's radio — Talking Heads he said. He was always into that new wave stuff. Kate didn't mind it, but she had her preferences.