That muttered holy shit almost breaks her ridiculously in love mask, and she's a fraction of a second away from reaching out when he stumbles, but then his arm is suddenly around her and she wonders how much of it had been an act. Maybe not the words, but perhaps the stumble? Either way, she slips her own arm around his back, just partway to anchor them in this facade. Her fingers splay against hard muscles she can feel through layers of fabric, his vibrations sinking into her bones...
So it's true then. He really does have a metal arm. She can feel the difference now, the contrast between skin and bone and metal. If it were just one or the other, she wouldn't have been able to tell, but with them next to each other, there's no mistaking it. Weird. It makes her wonder, distantly, if he'd let Jemma and Fitz build him a new prosthetic when their timelines finally meet in a few years.
"A little is a good place to start," she acknowledges quietly, still smiling but a measure of genuine feeling behind the expression now. "I like you a little too, if that matters any."
He keeps his head down, masking how his eyes are constantly scanning their surroundings, looking into shadows and narrow alleyways between buildings, anywhere someone could be hiding. Sometimes it's good to have knowledge of how an assassin would think, all he has to do is think about where he would hide, and check those spots, look for any of the telltale signs of movement or life that he'd try his best to mask.
Shifting the bag as far onto his back as he can while it's slung over his shoulder, he draws the knife he'd had out earlier, but keeps it tucked close, hidden against the dark wash of his jeans. It helps marginally relax him just to have the familiar grip on it, even if he won't be fast. But he also knows flashing it around could backfire, making the men want to try their luck, like drawing a knife is asking for a fight. Best to be discreet.
"Not sure why," he replies to her, glancing at her face for a second. "So far I've threatened you with a weapon, yelled and sworn at you. And yet." He gives her another, longer, considering look. "You're still here. Starting to think I'm a magnet for stubborn."
He licks his lips in an unconscious, wholly-Bucky nervous gesture. He doesn't like that certain words, like 'stubborn' and 'noble' and 'good' make his memories go haywire, just as much as any mention of Hydra. He doesn't have the capacity to deal with memories now, when he's got to stay aware of their surroundings.
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So it's true then. He really does have a metal arm. She can feel the difference now, the contrast between skin and bone and metal. If it were just one or the other, she wouldn't have been able to tell, but with them next to each other, there's no mistaking it. Weird. It makes her wonder, distantly, if he'd let Jemma and Fitz build him a new prosthetic when their timelines finally meet in a few years.
"A little is a good place to start," she acknowledges quietly, still smiling but a measure of genuine feeling behind the expression now. "I like you a little too, if that matters any."
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Shifting the bag as far onto his back as he can while it's slung over his shoulder, he draws the knife he'd had out earlier, but keeps it tucked close, hidden against the dark wash of his jeans. It helps marginally relax him just to have the familiar grip on it, even if he won't be fast. But he also knows flashing it around could backfire, making the men want to try their luck, like drawing a knife is asking for a fight. Best to be discreet.
"Not sure why," he replies to her, glancing at her face for a second. "So far I've threatened you with a weapon, yelled and sworn at you. And yet." He gives her another, longer, considering look. "You're still here. Starting to think I'm a magnet for stubborn."
He licks his lips in an unconscious, wholly-Bucky nervous gesture. He doesn't like that certain words, like 'stubborn' and 'noble' and 'good' make his memories go haywire, just as much as any mention of Hydra. He doesn't have the capacity to deal with memories now, when he's got to stay aware of their surroundings.