The Isle of IKEA, Wednesday Morning

[weirderthanthou]

James's apartment had been largely abandoned for years, and he hadn't exactly made it homey before he left. So there was really only one solution, at least as far as a girl like Jesse went: a trip to IKEA, to at least get him some plants.

And furniture.

And weird little things. (She loved the weird little things.)

Being the disgustingly early riser that she was, it was probably no surprise that they turned up early, walking onto the premises of the island and its massive Swedish monolith a few minutes before opening time. "I always wonder who exactly shops here," she mused. "I think there's actually a special Portalocity station assigned to just the isle?"

[[ for him ]]

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[shapethecentury]

Well, everything was relative. At least in cases like this where Bucky successfully masked his own awkwarness. Or whatever that was.

He wasn't looking at it too closely. Just nodded ahead. "Up?"

[weirderthanthou]

"Up," Jesse agreed. "First there's a whole layer of model rooms? We can poke through those and see if we can find anything you like."

[shapethecentury]

Bucky managed a little huff. "Don't hold your breath for me having opinions."

He was going to have opinions, probably. He just didn't think he would.

[weirderthanthou]

"Uh huh," Jesse said.

She was determined to make him have opinions.

But for now, they were riding up the escalator, where a little stylish fake living room-and-kitchen waited for them, bathed in pink light.

[shapethecentury]

And as soon they were at the top of the escalator, Bucky took one look at said pink light, and --

"'Kay, I might have some opinions."

[weirderthanthou]

"Feel free to share," Jesse said, fighting to keep the grin from her face.

[shapethecentury]

"Pink's too much."

What, no one said it was going to be an elaborate opinion.

[weirderthanthou]

"Lucky you, then," Jesse said, stepping up to the little screen in the center of the room. She pointed. "You can pick your own colors."

[shapethecentury]

"Can they be just the color of... lights?" Bucky wondered, with a look that maybe qualified as wary.

He was from a simpler time. In terms of lighting.

[weirderthanthou]

"Warm yellow or super-white?" Jesse said. "Because there's kind of... a range there too."

[shapethecentury]

"Warm yellow," Bucky replied, with no hesitation. "The white's... no good."

Good things had rarely happened to him in places with bright white lighting.

[weirderthanthou]

"Right, so if we get lamps, we'll keep an eye out for those," Jesse said. She looked around. "Well, that couch is okay, but... I'm not wild about it." She pointed down the hall, where more living room setups awaited. "Let's go."

[shapethecentury]

Bucky swallowed his question about whether (and/or why) anyone would be wild about a couch.

Instead, he took a fraction of initiative in leading her towards where she'd pointed to. Just trying something out.

[weirderthanthou]

"Ooh, the Kivik," Jesse pointed, as they stepped into a much more subdued, homey, grey-and-dark tones kind of living room set up. "Those are nice."

She was immediately sitting down.

[shapethecentury]

Bucky? Not so much.

He was instead eyeing the couch like he was wondering what he was supposed to be seeing that made it any different from any other couch.

[weirderthanthou]

"It's a couch," Jesse said, looking up at him with amusement in her eyes. "You have to sit down to appreciate it."

[shapethecentury]

"Aren't all couches pretty much the same?"

Look, he had to ask.

[weirderthanthou]

"No," Jesse said patiently. "Sit."

[shapethecentury]

Bucky gave a tiny, put-upon sigh.

But he did follow it up with sitting down next to her.

[weirderthanthou]

"For instance, this couch is comfy," Jesse told him solemnly. "I know you haven't had that in a while, so appreciate it."

[shapethecentury]

Bucky did not look convinced. "Feels like a couch."

Of course, he also had no ability to relax into it.

[weirderthanthou]

"Well, not when you sit like that."

[shapethecentury]

"I'm sitting wrong?"

He was aware his back was way too stiff. It wasn't going to stop him from the slightly dry tone.

[weirderthanthou]

"You're never going to be comfortable if you keep sitting in everything like it's a torture chair," Jesse told him.

[shapethecentury]

"This is a store," Bucky pointed out, helpfully.

He was keeping his fleeting kneejerk thoughts on 'torture chairs' to himself, and everyone should be very happy about that. That was the actually helpful part.