.: WINTER SOLDIER. ★

"Oui, ah did Mr. Barnes ya Mister James Buchanan Barnes." Remy continued to poke the bear, finally allowing a smile to spread across his features. Crimson eyes glowing with mischievousness. He loved this. This was his element. "Nah, not listed. Ah never skip de fine print. Ah'm a Guildmaster. Ah know when dere's somethin' in de print dats gonna bite me."

Oh, not the full name. His body froze, tensing up for just a moment at the slightly uncomfortable feeling but he would thankfully shake it off. A huff left the soldier as his right hand reached forward, grabbing a fistful of Remy's shirt as brown eyes stared up into crimson ones. Nostrils flared for a moment, lips pressed together as eyelids fell half shut.

“Remy Etienne LeBeau, I swear to god, you drop my full name again I will hang you by your feet over the nearest pool like you're a lobster I'm about to cook.” A threat, indeed. A threat that he would go through if he was allowed to, too. Plus, it was only fair to hit the Cajun back with his own. At least he knew better than take a swing at his partner. Had it been anyone else, that fist would have connected with a jaw within a second.

He would let go of the other's shirt with a shake of his head then a dismissive wave of his hand, mostly to signal that he wasn't that mad about it but he didn't enjoy it one bit.

His words washed over her, his touch like the warmest balm to her frayed psyche, steadying the heart she never thought would stop rattling in her chest. Natasha had missed him so much, and she couldn't suppress a shaky sigh-- or was it a soft, uncertain laugh? -- when he kissed her forehead and held her close again, brushing away the tears of both sadness and joy. Every moment of contact stirred the anguish of loss, the pain of isolation, the relief and elation of reuniting with him…This reunion between them was an utter maelstrom of emotions, but by god was she grateful for it to exist at all.

It wouldn't take much urging for her to follow his lead, the comforter on the bed feeling both foreign and familiar as she sat down upon it. She shook her head.

"<<No… not yet, anyway. I've been keeping some tabs, but…>>" She shook her head, gazing toward the floor, a shadow of regret crossing her expression for a moment. Her eyes rose to meet his again. "<<I felt… that if I was going to reveal myself to anyone, it should be you. I couldn't.. I didn't want to hide from you.>>"

She took a long breath-- it finally felt like she could breathe again-- and listened as he spoke. While it pained her to imagine what it must've been like for him to visit her grave… she was also heartened by the fact he did, and for so long after. Not that she wanted him to be tied down forever by a dead woman if she were to die before him… but that she had still remained so loved by him, even after being gone.

"<<Somehow, that seems exactly like something you'd do. And maybe... maybe this time I wouldn't have teased you, just this once.>>" Natasha cracked a smile, an earnest one, even though her facial muscles felt like they had forgotten how to do so. The cat on his lap-- making herself a baker's dozen biscuits-- was new, but a welcome sight. She did quite like cats, and it only took her seconds to realize if Bucky had returned, and had been so alone……

"Guess I'm indebted to you, little one. Sam too…" She said softly, reaching over to allow for a sniff, before giving the feline some slow scratches under her adorable little chin. She leaned a little to the side, resting her head on Bucky's shoulder.

"Thank you… for keeping him company for me."

So she wanted to keep a low profile. He didn't mind that - if Natalia wanted that, then who was he to tell her otherwise? Considering how much of an experience it was to come back from the dead, he couldn't blame her for wanting to keep to the shadows for however long she wanted. As she leaned her head against his shoulder, James didn't waste time to lean his head against hers, closing his eyes for just a second before reopening them. It would be strange, returning to a semblance of normal life before the blip - but even if it wasn't the same, he didn't care.

Alpine purred louder upon receiving the scratches, stretching out within the comfort of the soldier's arms, paws reaching over toward Natalia. The feline could tell everything - she could tell that the spy was a very beloved person to her owner and so instead of being her usual skittish self around new people, she instead behaved the same as always.

"You can stay here as long as you want." He murmured, adjusting his hold onto the white furred cat in his arms so he didn't need both to hold her, thus allowing him to wrap one arm around Natalia's waist, gently pulling her closer to him. Her presence, next to his, meant everything to him in the moment, and he knew that she'd pick up on it - after all, how long had it been since they had last seen each other? He didn't keep track -- no, he didn't want to think about it.

"But if you have to go back to your shadows, I won't mind." It did pain him to say that, but it was something he was willing to live with. “Even if I missed you so much.” He eventually added, pressing a light kiss against the side of her head as his thumb lightly rubbed against her side, an attempt at a comforting gesture. If anything, it was better to focus onto the current moment instead of the future - they could look at that once they settled down more from the amount of emotions they both felt.

James already knew that he would still struggle - even more now that he would have to keep quiet about the redhead's return but he never had been someone that would go against someone's choices, especially someone that he knew went through something similar to what he did in the past. It didn't feel right. It would never feel right.

“Did you at least want something to nibble on? I.. uh.” A pause, as he turned his head to look away, embarrassed as he remembered what actually waited downstairs, aside the fact that he had been barely eating anything, only making sure that Alpine had everything she needed, compared to himself. 

"Good, I'm glad."

Natalia smiled a little more earnestly at his slow, affirmative blinking, the warmth of the tub filtering through her back. The brush of his fingers through her hair caught her attention anew, so she took it for what it was, a signal that he was okay with her looking more properly at him. She shuffled around to face him, folding an arm upon the rim of the tub to lean on as she gazed upon him again.

His eyes were much less clouded than before, much less strained. There were still ghostly remnants of the stressors from earlier that lingered in his features, but much of them had been subdued by now. What seemed to settle in him at this moment-- now that the adrenaline had long since passed-- was weariness.

The spy cocked a brow at his gesturing, then softly chuckled. Despite his hangups about imposing on her when he had a bad day... James had his particular comfort habits, and couldn't truly resist the urge to ask for them.

"Sure," She replied to his unspoken inquiry, sitting up again. "Just lean back for me a little bit..."

Guiding him with a gesture of her own, she positioned herself behind him so that soon enough, her deft yet gentle fingers would be weaving amidst his sable locks. With a practiced ease she shielded his face from the warm water she poured through his hair, before setting once again to the rhythmic stroking that constituted the sort of head-wash-massage he found so hard to resist from her. Nat was certainly good with her hands.

And of course, it did make her feel quite warm and fuzzy inside, looking down at him and seeing the tension drain away from his face even more with every swirl and stroke of her hands. As the feathery scent of rose wafted from that old candle around them, she leaned forward, pressing her lips softly to the top of his forehead, lingering for a moment before drawing back again.

"You can relax as fast or slow as you can manage, sweet James. Don't worry. And before you even think to say a word about imposing on me? Shut it." She added with a light somewhat playful snicker, and then her tone softened again, earnest and warm.

"I've got you. Safe and sound."

His eyes lit up a little at her answer and as she gestured, he moved, making it easier for her to do exactly what he requested. He hated to impose, he really did, but James always had to remind himself that it was okay for him to ask, more often than not when he was trying to crawl out of one of these downward spirals. When her fingers threaded through dark strands of brown hair, a small, content hum left his throat as eyes were shut. She knew exactly how he liked it and each time Natalia would give him such a head massage, he always found himself melting under her touch.

A touch so caring, so gentle.. Always did he feel like he didn't deserve it. Arms were leaned against his knees as he took in a slow breath before exhaling at the very same speed, his muscles relaxing further as he almost sank back against her hands but managed to stop himself. Though, when that kiss was pressed against his forehead, eyelids parted, his gaze looking up at her before a tiny smile crossed his lips as she spoke, only for him to shut his eyes once more.

He didn't have to utter a word, she knew exactly what he'd say in the moment, and he wasn't even offended by it. It made it easier, way easier for his troubled mind to not have to think too hard about anything. Her words were answered by a small noise leaving his throat - almost a laugh yet not quite. He did however mouth a ‘thank you’, not bothering finding his voice to speak in the moment.

The soldier moved, adjusting his position within the tub to be a little more comfortable before he stretched out his arms with a little grumble of unintelligible Russian, shoulders raising before his metal hand reached over to rub the side of his right arm. With the spy's comforting presence nearby, many of the little habits that he had when he wasn't feeling himself hadn't shown their so-called face - a good thing, honestly, he doubted that Natalia would be too happy to see him try to claw at where his bionic arm connected to his body, possibly adding more to the already heavy scarring there.

"Mmm, ya t'ink ya know me so well, solider boy?" Oh he did. He called him right out. Remy attempted to cover his mouth as if her was so appalled by it all. "Ah did not see dis in de contract, Mr. Barnes." He's struggling here.

"@owinterer, what de hell man." Hands on hips, shaking his head. "Bad pun... brut." He's trying to not smile. Remy is trying really hard.

🦻 ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ: □□□□□□□□ ​ɴᴏ ʙᴀᴛᴛᴇʀʏ​     — ❝ I’m not playing. I’m not enjoying a moment on this.❞

He flicks a trickshot of an unbalanced Margaritavile Magnet off the wall and onto the back of Bucky’s bicep.

Eye twitched at the other's answer. But what really made his brows furrow was the next magnet that became attached to his bionic arm. A heavy sigh left the soldier's lips as hands came to rest at his waist, his disappointment becoming rather evident. No use in trying to take that one off right now.

“Don't play dumb with me.” Well now he was raising his voice, on top of taking those magnets off his arm as well. The glare from behind his domino mask would be extremely obvious.