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 ]]

Comments

[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.

[weirderthanthou]

"A store that's supposed to help you figure out what couches you like," Jesse pointed out.

[shapethecentury]

In response, Bucky turned a little more towards her, complete with a lean. It wasn't conspiratorial or anything fun like that, but it did mean he dropped his voice a little lower.

"Have you clocked where all the exits out of this space are? 'Cause I have."

[weirderthanthou]

"No," Jesse said, looking him in the eye. "But I do know which couches would do a lot of damage if I have to throw one of them in someone's face."

[shapethecentury]

"That doesn't make me feel that much more relaxed," Bucky replied. Or maybe admitted? Anyway, more wry, he added, "Does make me a little concerned about the possibility of a couch to the face, though."

Although he'd definitely had worse.

[weirderthanthou]

"Why," Jesse said, amused. "Were you planning to do something that deserves a couch to the face?"

[shapethecentury]

Bucky shrugged. "I don't know what your parameters are."

Was he trying to faintly joke to make up for not being relaxed enough? Maybe.

[weirderthanthou]

"I think I have a hard time picturing you tripping any of my parameters in an IKEA," Jesse said.

[shapethecentury]

"You never know."

He tried for a little smile.

[weirderthanthou]

Jesse huffed out a soft laugh. "I guess a supervillain could always break into the store, or something, but..."

[shapethecentury]

"See, like I said," Bucky replied, "just because something's unlikely, doesn't mean it couldn't still happen."

[weirderthanthou]

"At least there's plenty of couches available in case of emergency," Jesse said brightly.

[shapethecentury]

Bucky gave one of those very soft huffs of his. "Yeah," he agreed. "That's the spirit."

He was hilarous, considering he was way more in need of getting into the spirit of things.

[weirderthanthou]

Jesse rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Let's go find one of the uncomfortable ones and maybe you'll be able to tell the difference," she said.

[shapethecentury]

"That's putting a lot of faith into my backside," Bucky joked, as he went to push himself back up again.

Somewhat obediently, for lack of a better word.

[weirderthanthou]

It's a nice backside.

Did I just think that?

Jesse pushed up to her feet, sticking her hands into her pockets. "I'm a hopeful person."

What IS a nice backside, anyway? What about a--

[shapethecentury]

"It's a good quality," Bucky said, looking around again. For the next couch, probably. "So there's that."

[weirderthanthou]

"I'm sure the Swedes are really proud," Jesse teased, walking into the next fake living room. It was pretty light shades of yellow.

[shapethecentury]

"Oh, they're the ones making you hopeful?" Bucky teased back, in his understated way, as he followed her. "Good to know."

[weirderthanthou]

Aw, hell. Now she was a little flustered, because Jesse was pretty sure she'd tripped up that joke. "... Because of the couches," she explained lamely. "Not your, uh. Backside."

This was fine!

[shapethecentury]

Meanwhile, Bucky glanced over, a little surprised - and saw she was a little flustered, and...

"I just thought being hopeful is more... intrinsic to you than that," he explained in turn.

Gently, was maybe the word for it.

"Because you're a hopeful person. Swedes don't get credit for that."

[weirderthanthou]

"Most people would just call me stubborn," Jesse said. If she sounded a little croaky, well, she was recovering.

[shapethecentury]

"They're not mutually exclusive," Bucky replied, a little wryly.

And, after a second of hesitation, gave her shoulder a very gentle little bump with his.