Texting
"Okay, thanks Torres."
Sam hung up and turned to the both of them but maybe more to Bucky than to baron Zemo who was coming back with two plates (where was his? Suspicious).
"So, there's a woman named Donya indeed, but she just died. From pneumonia, I can only guess."
Bucky nodded. Sam seemed to wait for his thoughts on the matter but he turned his eyes away. He heard the black man sigh lightly. He glanced at him to make sure he wasn't looking at him anymore and he took out his phone to open the texting app. There was a blank window with a number already typed in but no text. Bucky licked his lips pensively.
Hi
This is Barnes btw
Lame as fuck. But he never said he was good at this stuff (okay, he did - some seventy years ago and in the meantime a twenty something teenager told him he was now acting like a grandad). The brunet waited for some minutes, taping on the screen to prevent it from turning off. He confusedly thought (hoped?) that since Sam had him on the phone just now, he would answer quickly but...
"Buck, you're with us?"
He had the most unnoticeable jump but stacked away his phone like some child spotted the hand in the cookie pot and looked up at Sam.
"Can't call me that. Didn't pulled my ass out of Hydra."
Sam smirked. Bucky found he had a harder time coming up with these responses and didn't know how long he could last.
"I kinda helped on that one, but go off I guess."
Sam's face became serious again.
"So, Zemo and I, we were thinking..."
A part of Barnes' brain didn't listen to that following conversation. A part of Barnes' brain became suddenly agitated when his phone vibrated in his pocket ten minutes in. A bigger part of Barnes' brain couldn't give less of a thought about their next move in Riga, after that.
When he found himself alone again, he nervously - but impatiently - retrieved his phone.
TORRES
Hi!
Nice to meet you, if I can say so!
I already sent sam the intel
U wanted to know something else?
BARNES
No, don't worry, it's all fine
Wait, Barnes. If you only talk mission with him, this will never lead to something. Think. What do say to 'derail' the conversation?
BARNES
Btw ty for your help :)
Someone knocked on the toilet room. Sam, obviously.
"As I hate to disrupt you in such an intimate activity with yourself, we're here" he said.
Bucky growled. He rose from the toilet seat and left the cubicle. Zemo and Sam were already out of the plane so he quickly put on his jacket and started climbing down the stairs leading to the concrete floor. He had kept his phone in his left hand.
"I was starting to think Zemo put something in your food" Wilson joked.
"I will never do such a thing" replied the man.
"Shut up Zemo" said Bucky without missing a beat.
They left the private part of the airport and took a cab to the center of the city. The streets got unfit for a vehicle so they had to finish on foot. As they arrived at yet another Zemo family possession, Bucky's attention got grabbed by something.
"I'm going for a walk" he said.
Sam frowned.
"You good?"
He nodded and mimicking effectively walking away until the two men were inside the house. Then he went back, carefully seized the little black ball and looked for the other one. When he had both in his hands, he tried to find the person who left them in the first place. As he started going up a paved street, he got a text. He quickly read it without unlocking his phone.
TORRES
Thank you!!
I hope your mission will be successful! :muscle emoji:
Then Ayo was in front of him and he braced himself for her upcoming (yet completely unspoken) disappointment he would feel in his very bones for the rest of the morning.
As he was walking back to Zemo's house, he raised his eyes and saw the Baltic sea appearing between the yellowish houses. He stared at it a few seconds. Then he unlocked his phone, looked through it, biting his lip, frowned and went back up a few feet before taking the picture. He immediately sent it to Torres.
His answer came later that day, around two in the afternoon.
So pretty!!
Im kinda jealous of you guys :(
The young man had also sent a picture: it showed a cup of coffee in front of big computers and screens. There was a banner across it reading 'on to a boring day'. Bucky chuckled.
"Bucky? It's time for the funerals."
The brunet opened the door of the bedroom and followed Sam.
The sun was already setting down on their part of the globe. Sam was in the bathroom of the little hotel room they had found after they had to leave Zemo's house - following Zemo's own escape. Bucky was sitting on one of the two beds in the room. He hadn't taken his clothes off yet. He was looking at Torres' messages but didn't really see them. Torres had sent another picture along with two texts during his morning shift. Here, it was the evening and so much had happened.
Bucky looked up at the windows. Maybe his phone was good enough for a picture of the starry night? (Especially since there was less light pollution here.) He rose from his bed and went outside on the balcony. He got back inside as Sam stepped out of the bathroom. Without a word, the brunet sat back on his bed.
TORRES
Wow! :heart_eyes:
BARNES
Do you know about the Dora Milaje?
TORRES
Yes! They're so cool!
Wait diD YOU GUYS MEET THEM?!
Bucky bit his lips. Well, if by "meet" he meant "wipe their asses pretty hard," by all means, yes. His eyes fell on his left arm barely noticeable in the dark if it weren't for the golden touches here and there. His chest tightened under the memory of Ayo's last words. "Bast condemns you, James." He hadn't felt that shitty in a long time.
BARNES
We did
What would you do if you ever pissed one of them?
TORRES
Run away very fast ! :D
"Who you're talking to?"
Bucky took his eyes off his phone to look up at Sam. He had put some pajamas one but he was also sitting on the bed sheets.
"No one in particular."
He went back to his phone screen and the new texts he had received - Torres didn't seem too busy considering how fast he answered.
TORRES
I forgot to ask: what time is it for you?
I don't mean to keep you up :s
BARNES
Almost nine.
Don't worry, I have trouble falling asleep anyway
"Hey Sam," he said without raising his eyes, "how can you deal with having disappointed someone really important to you?"
His friend didn't answer. Eventually, Bucky glanced in his direction. Sam was staring at him.
"I don't know," he said finally.
They fell silent for a few seconds. Then:
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep Walker from interrupting your talk with Karli."
"It wasn't your fault."
Sam moved to get under the sheet and rolled the other way so that he presented his back to Bucky. The brunet's attention went back to his phone.
TORRES
Well then, I can tell you all about my day!
I guarantee you're asleep in less than 5 minutes
BARNES
Is that a promise?
I need to warn you: I don't trust men who can't keep their promises
Or women
*People
They kept talking via text until Bucky felt his mind was ready to sleep. He wished a good afternoon to Joaquín and Joaquín replied with a good night. The next day, he sent a picture of his breakfast. It was three in the afternoon and they were walking down the street of Riga waiting for a sign of Zemo or a lead from Sharon when Sam got Sarah's phone call.
TORRES
Wtf happened?
Are you okay?
Is it Walker in the video?!
SAM IS NOT ANSWERING
WHAT HAPPENED
ARE YOU OK??!
Missing call: Torres.
Missing call: Torres.