Even had Natalia not taken James at his word, and Natalia does, the enthusiasm of their reunion would have been more than enough to convince that he's been on this island as long as he says, and faithful
( ... )
It's a thorough description, depressing in some ways, disturbing in others, and Natalia can't help but notice it lacks anything personal for her to go on. She's not decided on whether James is deflecting or if it's the soldier in him debriefing her, but all the same, she smiles.
"It sounds miserable," she says honestly. Not once in his description has he mentioned any element of their own control. No way out, not even the hope of it, and what's more, nothing to fight. "What on earth do you do each day?"
"Depends on the day," says Bucky, which is honest enough. "There's a school... I teach a class there. And I help manage a task force with a woman named Captain Kara Thrace. We don't see a lot of action, but there are times this place can be unpredictable in ways more dangerous than the weather, so it's better to be safe than sorry."
He frowns a little, though it quickly turns wry, as he adds, "My appointment went over about as well as my being Captain America did. Had a couple people walk out, because they didn't appreciate the new guy taking over."
Natalia's snort manages to be both delicate and distinctly unimpressed. "Then they sought more to serve their own egos than to serve," she says, and understands without a single fact more that James' team lost nothing that day.
"But training and teaching." Settling her chin against his breastbone, Natalia grins up at him. "Are you sure you're not too respectable now to be with this old spy?"
"I'll never be too respectable," Bucky replies with a sly expression, though it's a sentiment he could very well say in earnest. He's not a good man, his past speaking for itself, and regardless of whatever blank slate policy this island may or may not possess, that won't change just because he's gone and acquired himself a couple of new jobs.
"By a handful of years," she allows, and doesn't say what they both know. Unlike James, she's spent most of those years awake. Touching his forehead, she pushes the hair away from his tanned skin. "I like you like this," she says, though she'd like him most ways. "Tell me you have an awful floral shirt."
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"It sounds miserable," she says honestly. Not once in his description has he mentioned any element of their own control. No way out, not even the hope of it, and what's more, nothing to fight. "What on earth do you do each day?"
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He frowns a little, though it quickly turns wry, as he adds, "My appointment went over about as well as my being Captain America did. Had a couple people walk out, because they didn't appreciate the new guy taking over."
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"But training and teaching." Settling her chin against his breastbone, Natalia grins up at him. "Are you sure you're not too respectable now to be with this old spy?"
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"And even if I were, I'm still older than you."
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