open; out and about.

[trainwrecked]

Characters: Bucky Barnes and open
Location: Around - outside the city included. State if you have preference!
Situation: Bucky is out and about, now that he's got a lot less excuse to be reclusive...
Warnings/Rating: None for now.
A/N: Prose and actionspam both welcome.

Bucky was... well. One word he couldn't quite process in conjunction with 'dead' was 'happy,' but for all intents and purposes... all right. Maybe not happy, but the brooding, the feeling of doom and despair that he'd had to struggle against during the first weeks after he showed up had greatly receded. He was brighter, lighter, and found himself with a lot more time - a lot more genuine willingness, he guessed - to be out and about.

Of course, he wasn't crowding his friends. They hung out, as they tended to, but this place... (and Peggy) required that they do some work, and some exploring, on his own.

Bucky kept up with the lessons with Rikki, and the occasional patrol with her; also kept his own schedule and routes across the rooftops. And, sometimes, just walking the streets, trying to blend as much as a non-shapeshifter could. Sometimes, being quiet and unobtrusive (or charming) worked well enough, to get information.

And he even ventured outside the city (the last couple of years had cured a lot of his reluctance to visit the countryside), to explore the whole of the surface that was available to him. He hadn't quite managed to save enough to buy a vehicle, but he did rent a sturdy bike. He thought it suited him.

Anytime, anywhere, he stopped to talk with people, or to help them, or to just ask questions or lend a hand.

He was - not completely gone. Steve was here - even more, Steve seemed... happy. That was plenty good enough for Bucky.

Comments

[trainwrecked]

Of course, he has spun about to look for her. Which means she splashes him in the face.

Which just makes him shake his head to clear the water from his eyes and burst out laughing.

And splash back. Obviously.

[controlledvariable]

"Oops," It's said around a laugh as she brings up a hand to shield her face from the water. It's probably only fair that she takes that one in return for getting him so good.

"There are a lot of fish," which is a comment completely unrelated to anything, but she'd noticed it for the firs time when she'd just gone under.

Still, unrelated comment aside, she's going to flick a little water at him.

[trainwrecked]

Long arms. He will try to reach and tickle her side, through the water. NOT grab, but... tickle.

"That bother you? The touch or anything?"

He's known girls who were squeamish about the touch of the scaly bodies.

And he'll also start keeping an eye out for bigger ones that might be a problem. He's reasonably sure there aren't ones very vicious around, or unconscious people wouldn't be getting dumped in the water first thing, but better be careful. He likes this whole thing being fun. Local equivalent of sharks? Not in his ideas of a good time.

[controlledvariable]

"I'm a big girl, I can handle some fishes."

He can try all he wants; Steph's fingers close around his wrists, firm without being painful, and then all Bucky gets as a warning is a sharp grin before she drops back under the surface, giving his arms a tug to try and pull him under, too.

She doesn't play fair.

[trainwrecked]

"Just checking if it was a--" but then she is tugging him down and he lets out a shriek manly yelp, trying to gasp some air in before his nose hits the surface.

And then, well, down he can go, sitting cross-legged on the shell and trying to either free his hands or tug her closer in turn. Not that he's applying too much force, but she started it!

[controlledvariable]

Steph keeps hold of his wrists, letting him pull her close as she stretches out horizontally in the water. She gives a tiny kick to help his tugging, until she's close enough that the tip of her nose is barely an inch from his.

She could kiss him, right now. It wouldn't be more than a press of lips, considering they're underwater and anything more complicated might end in either party drowning, but it could be more, once they surface, she doesn't think she's wrong in guessing Bucky would kiss back. It would be easy, except for how things are never that easy, and while it wouldn't be the first time she's kissed a guy only a few hours after meeting him...

Steph blinks, a little slow thanks to the water, grins as if this was her plan all along, and releases Bucky's wrists so she can put her hands on his shoulders; she curls herself up and over, straightening her arms so they don't bop heads, and does a brief handstand on his shoulders before letting herself continue in an arc until her back's to his.

Kissing boys is a bad idea when she's still raw from everything that's happened the last few weeks.

[trainwrecked]

... she is brilliant. A burst of bubbles comes out of Bucky's mouth as he starts laughing again, trying to stop his shoulders from shaking with that - at least he doesn't have to hold on long, and he shoots up to the surface for breath He spins in the water to face her again, and when she comes up, his big eyes are bright with laughter.

"You're somethin', you know that?"

The kind of thing that makes him want to dive to get her a pretty shell or stuff like that, something for her to remember this by. But it's only the hard shell under his feet, and he doesn't know what to do instead.

But he does keep his hands to himself, limiting the appreciation to his eyes - on hers! - and a quick, impressed nod.

[controlledvariable]

She stays under the surface a few seconds longer, to make sure she's not going to do something stupid like change her mind about kissing him. This was the better decision and she knows it, it's just hard to remember that in the presence of a cute boy.

By the time she's surfaced and heard his comment, her easy smile is back in place and she only blushes a tiny bit. Maybe she can ban him from smiling at her like that, just to make it easier to keep a sensible distance.

"I hope that's a good thing," Because she doesn't know how to actually accept compliments, so she's going to deflect it a little.

[trainwrecked]

"One of the best."

And he can take the hint. Kissing is not on, and he'll be able to take his turn in cleverly evading them, if they got carried away again.

Instead of focusing on that, he laces his fingers together.

"Another boost? Splashing's still fun."

[controlledvariable]

"Flatterer," That's - sort of accepting the compliment, right?

She gives him a considering look, then casts a glance back to 'land', a bit of a smirk appearing once she realizes they've drifted away from where their gear is.

"So are races. Wanna make a wager out of it?"

She's not sure what exactly they'll bet, but she's had a chance to beat him on land, so she figures she should give him an opportunity to win one back.

[trainwrecked]

Bucky laughs. "Not if it's true, Steph, not if it's true."

He follows her look over to the shore, then half-smirks.

"Wager on what?"

Open to suggestions. Yep.

[controlledvariable]

She shoots him a half-hearted mock glare, but she'll let the compliment slide.

Anyway, she's busy giving thought to what exactly they can bet on.

"First one back gets to drive home?" She wants a chance to take it for a spin, and to see how fast she can push it.

[trainwrecked]

"Should I be worried? That gleam in your eyes suggests I might wanna..."

But he's laughing, too. And it might be... interesting, even if he ought to be worried.

Though, damn, he's not overly fond of the idea of losing.

"Race it is."

[controlledvariable]

"Well, if I do win, I'd advise holding on," Just wait until she gets her hands on her own bike and can modify it to her heart's content.

She swims back a little until she's lined up with him and the shore, so that they're both starting from the same point.

"On three?"

[trainwrecked]

"Will keep that in mind. And yeah, on three."

He grins over.

"One. Two."

[controlledvariable]

"Three."

And then she's gone, starting in the direction of their gear.

She's not a fast a swimmer as she could be, but she's eager enough to get a chance to take the bike for a spin that she's trying her best.

[trainwrecked]

All in all, between the two of them, it's almost more splashing than swimming.

Almost.

Slightly longer arms and legs mean that, this time, he manages to win - by a narrow margin. Very narrow, but not enough to question it. He flops on the shell, toes still lapped at by the waves, catching his breath and laughing.

"And now I'm curious about having to hold on. Maybe we can switch?"

[controlledvariable]

Steph doesn't quite pout, but it's clear she kind of wants to as she moves to sit down beside Bucky; sort of instinctively curling in on herself to hide the worst of the scars on her stomach. He must've seen them by now, after having given her a boost, but she's still a little hesitant.

"I can work with switching," If her grin is a little cheeky, that's only because - well, switching has two meanings.

[trainwrecked]

He did notice the scars, and now is getting a better look at them. But... not staring, and his frown is halfway for them and halfway for the way she's hiding them. But he... well. Attributes that to women and the fact that they are supposed to look differently. Scars are a badge of honor, for a soldier. Proof that he was not a coward, that he went through hell and came back to tell about it. If she doesn't see hers the same way... it's none of his business, is it?

He finds her attractive, and his eyes smile at her above her hunch.

"I bet you could." Oh so innocent, back. "You're all spry and flexible..." Beat. "Mentally, I mean."

[controlledvariable]

It doesn't escape her notice that he's looking at her, and it takes a lot of self control to not react in some way, but she does meet his gaze for a brief second, a silent warning in her expression not to comment on it. She isn't sure if he would or not, she doesn't know him well enough, but she feels the need to make sure he won't.

The fact they're joking around makes it easier, and she laughs at his comment, "Only mentally?" She quirks an eyebrow, amused that he's managed to wander into slightly dangerous territory by accident. Not that she'll mind either way as to what he answers, but - still.

[trainwrecked]

Oh, he wasn't going to. But he files the fact that she needed to warn him off in his mind. It is... out of joint, with a lot of her behavior. But this is not the time or place to insist.

Instead, he makes a face. "Well, I did ask for acrobatics lessons, thought it'd be laying it a little too thick if I complimented you on it, too..."

[controlledvariable]

"Uh huh," Though she doesn't quite sound like she believes him, and as if to illustrate the point, rather than just standing up like a normal person, she braces a hand on the shell and performs an easy valdez until she's standing, then without missing a beat she walks over to their gear so that she can pull her shirt back on.

Her posture visibly relaxes once she's a little more covered, and she comes back to sit next to Bucky.

"I suppose I'll just take being spry and flexible-" She says that in a bit of sing-sing voice, "- mentally."

[trainwrecked]

"... is doing things like that even fair?" But his voice is laughing, his own rising a lot more ordinary, if quick and neat.

"Though I'd really like to be around for that. Mental spryness's gotta be catching, right?"

God, he's digging himself in deeper and deeper. And he knows it... and he doesn't really mind.

[controlledvariable]

"Are you complaining?" She quirks an eyebrow at him, already knowing the answer, because what guy is going to complain about a girl in her naught but her bra and knickers doing flips and shit?

And she laughs at second comment, "I've heard it can be. I'm very educational."

About... mental spryness, yeah she's not sure how that works either, but she just knows they're dipping into dangerous territory again.

[trainwrecked]

"Not at all, actually."

And then, just because he has to come up with something to tease back with, he just. Stretches, arms up in the air and body elongating and flexing as he does so.

Followed by a wide, smirky grin.

"Good thing I'll have a good example then, right?"