"On your own this time?" Kenzie asked with a blink. "I'm surprised. I would have guessed that Steve would want to keep an eye on your outings."

Bucky shrugged a bit.

"Spent a year avoiding him," he pointed out, a bit awkwardly. "'S no different sneaking out now."

"Ah." Kenzie was quiet for a moment. "What did you want to see me about, Bucky? Anything in particular?"

"Not really," Bucky admitted. He wasn't quite sure how to put into words that he just felt a little steadier around her.

Kenzie nodded and then grinned. "Want to help me watch the shop? Gemma's out running errands, so I'm on guard duty for the next hour or two by myself."

"Watch it?" Bucky repeated. He blinked and then gave a very slight grin. "What are you expecting it to do that it needs to be watched?"

"I'm never sure," Kenzie said with a shrug. "The occasional attempted robbery, sometimes some teenagers get it into their heads to try and tag the building. Sometimes the magic in here reacts to things going on outside." She briefly made a face. "I don't understand human magic."

Bucky snorted a bit.

"You're not the only one," he said. He had no idea how to handle magic and to be honest, he was okay with the witch girl not being there for the moment. Magic made him a bit nervous still.

"Come sit," Kenzie said, motioning for him to come around behind the counter and pushing out a second stool for him to sit on.

Bucky considered for a moment, and then moved around the counter and sat on the stool. He was careful with his metal arm around anything that looked delicate.

"May I?" Kenzie held out one hand, her fingers a few inches away from his metal ones. She wasn't worried; she was a lot more durable than a human, and she knew he didn't want to hurt her.

Bucky hesitated for a second or two, and then carefully put his metal hand on the counter so she could reach. He kept it flat on the counter, though, not making any move to touch her.

"Relax a little," Kenzie murmured to him. "I may look like a human, but I'm not so delicate as one." She ran her fingers along the metal gently, watching him.

"Relaxing is... difficult," Bucky admitted. "I've been practicing, though. I've heard it gets easier."

"Probably," Kenzie agreed. "Although I could provide proof for you, if that would make you feel more at ease around me."

Bucky looked at her.

"Proof?" he asked. He studied her for a moment. "What sort of proof?"

"Whatever would make you feel better." Kenzie shrugged. "I doubt you would be up for sparring, and this is not a good place for that, anyway."

Bucky honestly had no idea what would set him more at ease. He wasn't used to being truly at ease to begin with. So he just shrugged and didn't respond.

Kenzie nodded, unperturbed, and went back to her exploration of his metal arm, testing to see how sensitive it was.

Bucky twitched a little when she prodded the arm. He wasn't exactly sure how, but he could feel vague sensation from the arm, just enough that he could mostly control his grip strength most of the time. When she stuck her finger into the elbow joint, he flinched a little. That joint had been bothering him some.

Kenzie noticed and tsked quietly. "It's bothering you," she said, leaning a little closer. "Do you have any way of doing upkeep? Or any way to repair it?"

Bucky blinked.

"It still moves," he said. "It responds. That's all I need it to do."

"Perhaps," Kenzie said. "But it could do more." But she didn't push more than that for today. He still needed time, after all.

Bucky sat there quietly. Oddly, he enjoyed the company. He wasn't aware he could honestly enjoy anyone's company anymore, outside of Steve and Nat and maybe Sam. He wasn't all that relaxed around any of the others yet. But somehow Kenzie was different.

Kenzie just relaxed with him, enjoying the quiet time. This was important, this time between them. It would help strengthen the bond, and she could see it set Bucky at ease. And she was not going to do anything to jeopardize that.