A/N: Two little snippets this time. Thanks everyone for reading!
"Seriously, you guys?" Sam puffed as he came to a stop. Steve and Bucky were leaning against the park wall, grinning, and, "You got food? How have you got food?" Sam huffed and puffed and tried to catch his breathe. He thought he'd done the run in quite good time.
"We were cold, hungry and tired of waiting. Steve had a tenner, so we went and got a bagel," Bucky replied, taking a huge bite of his bagel.
"We thought about getting you one too," Steve said, "But we didn't know how much longer you'd be."
"Oh, fuck you both," Sam grumbled, still trying to catch his breathe.
"Ten dollars doesn't even buy three bacon, egg and cheese bagels these days."
"I don't think bacon, egg and cheese bagels were even a thing when you guys were - you know, younger or whatever." Sam puffed.
Bucky stuffed the rest of his bagel in his mouth and licked his fingers which had golden egg yolk on them, "Yeah," he said, "But they're really good."
"I know they're real damn good! Oh hell," Sam grumbled, "Let's go home."
Steve grinned, "You sure you don't want the rest of mine?"
"No, no I do not want a third of bagel. You guys suck."
"I'll eat it."
"Sorry Buck, but I'm not giving this one up," Steve said, and stuffed the rest of his bagel into his mouth.
"Race you back to Stark Tower?" Bucky asked.
"No," Sam grumbled.
"Come on Sam, it's just a couple blocks."
"Let's just get walking before I freeze to death out here."
"Will you only freeze because you haven't had anything to eat?" Bucky teased.
"Seriously, I would kill you both if that was a viable option."
"I wonder what's on the breakfast menu back at the Towers?"
"We better run, else Thor eats it all," Bucky said, skipping ahead.
"Come on, Sam," Steve encouraged.
"No, seriously guys,"
"Come on, Steve!" Bucky called.
"Sam?"
"No way. You both," Sam sighed as Steve and Bucky sprinted like school boys across the near-empty road and along the deserted sidewalk. "If you don't hold the elevator for me, again, I will find a way to kill you!" He yelled, forcing his legs into a run to try to catch up with the super soldiers.
"I know you're there," Bucky grunted.
"I know," Natasha said, unsurprised, leaning against the doorframe, watching Bucky do chin-ups on the bar. She'd been standing at the door of the gym in Stark Towers for less than a minute, but it had taken her almost a week to gather the courage to come and speak with him alone.
"Whaddayawant?" He asked, not unkindly, but Natasha could tell that he would rather be left alone.
"I know what you're planning," she said, "I just thought - perhaps, you might like a partner."
"I'm good." Bucky said, pulling himself up again and again. Natasha had only seen two other people do chin-ups like that, one was a god and the other saturated with super soldier serum. What did they do to you?
"Yeah, I just thought that maybe, after all the years…"
"You do know what I want to do, right?" Bucky asked.
"You do know it's my speciality, right?"
"Huh," Bucky said. Apparently not, Natasha thought. "Why would you want to help me?" He asked.
Natasha shrugged, even though the gesture was useless as Bucky had his back to her. "I got a fresh start. My slate wiped clean." Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, a voice echoed in her head, but Natasha ignored it. "I reckon you deserve the same."
Bucky dropped down from the bar and stretched his arms, still facing away from her. "I work better alone," he said, though Natasha could hear in Bucky's voice that he didn't really believe what he was saying.
"Well," she said, "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."
"It's not really something I can ask Captain America to help with either, is it?" Bucky teased. Natasha noticed that his posture changed and she could just see that he was smiling.
"It's not really his field," Bucky turned around, looking more confident than she had seen him since his arrival. His hair had flopped over his face, but she could see how much healthier he was looking compared a week or so ago when he had shown up in the foyer. "I'm not ready yet," Bucky confessed.
"Whenever." Natasha shrugged.
"First I have to - just, you know. 'Get my shit together' I believe is the term I heard Stark use."
"I think he may have been talking about Clint," Natasha smiled.
"Huh," Bucky said, "Well the sentiment still applies."
"Well," Natasha shrugged, "If you want, when you're ready."
"Right," Bucky said, "Yeah. Maybe. I dunno." He walked over and lay down on one of the bench press benches. "I'll think about it," he said, gripping the bar and lifting it up above his head.
Natasha knew that their conversation was at an end. "Ok," she said and slipped out of the gym. Perhaps he'd accept her offer. It had been a long time since she'd had a partner for that sort of work. And she was more than willing to help Bucky take out the stray Hydra goons that had hurt him. In fact, it kind of excited her.