Intertwine

74 - A Long Recovery

Bit of Bucky angst and spice in this one ;) don't worry y'all, I promise this is paving the way for Roki/Loara (what should their ship name be?)...

ROARA

It was now day 6 of being in Bucky's apartment. I had never been more bored in my entire life.

"Uno reverse." I said. Bucky sighed and slapped down 4 cards.

"All I'm saying is, you should get out more, maybe we could go around Central Park?"  He flicked through his cards and signed. "I fold."

"You can't fold in uno Bucky. It's not poker."

"Well do you want to play poker then?" He asked.

"UGH!" I slammed my fist on the table, sending the cards flying. "I don't want to be like THIS anymore!"

"Well stop bitching about it then!" He yelled,  going on all fours to pick up the cards.

"You stop bitching about me bitching about it!"

He sat back against the couch and looked at me. "This isn't working Ro. You've got to give me something."

I sighed. I knew he was right. I'd been getting more irritable by the day. I listened to the slight crackle of the old recording on the record player as the black disk turned slowly on Bucky's turn table. It was a jazz song, a song we both liked, a song we both knew from long ago. "I'm sorry. I just don't know how long I can take this. I feel like I'm going crazy."

"You're telling me." He raised an eyebrow. "Have you tried reading another book?"

"That's all I do when you're out." I looked at the toppled pile of books by the sitting room door. "I've read so many books."

"Have you been doing your leg exercises?" He rested his arms on his knees.

I nodded. "Yep."

There was a ring on the doorbell.

Bucky stood up with a groan. "I'll get it."

I heard him walk down the hallway and undo the latch.

"WE BROUGHT CHINESE!" Alina's cheerful voice carried into the living room.

"You also brought him." I heard Bucky say in an annoyed voice. "Where's Steve."

"C'mon man, I brought you dumplings, be nice." Sam replied.

"Steve couldn't make it." Alina walked in front of me, arms ladened with plastic bags which smelled glorious. "I can see my presence was needed."

I gave her a glare. "I am going insane Ali."

She fell onto the sofa next to me and patted my knee. "I'm not going to ask Fury again for you honey, you've just gotta wait this out."

Sam came in. "Hey, it's my flirty girl!" He tackled me in a hug, careful to avoid my ribs and my leg.

"Hey, I thought I was your flirty girl." Alina pouted.

"You two are both my flirty girls." He pulled a prawn cracker from Alina's bag. "But Roro has been flirting hard recently."

"Will you cut it out?" Bucky groaned. "You're in my apartment, isn't that enough to annoy me?"

"Sam, tell me what you haven't told me already! I want all the gossip." Alina whined.

"Okay, okay." Sam grinned and sat down on the floor, pulling a box of noodles towards him and cracking apart a pair of chopsticks. "Along with her usual flirting with, you know, Steve and Bucky and Loki-"