tushanshu_logs | open; out and about.

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Entry tags:

open; out and about.

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Her smile is a small thing, but understanding, and she nods, "You been squirelling your money away, too?"

Because he's right, free housing can be taken away, and while a job can, too, if you keep your money hidden they can't take that. Steph has assorted hiding spots, not all of them even in her suite.

She eyes his hands, then his face, and worries her bottom lip between her teeth. It's clear that she wants to, but there's something stopping her.

Fuck that, is what she eventually decides as she swims over to him, puts a hand on his shoulder to make sure she keeps her balance, then uses his laced fingers as a step to leap off. If he gives a decent enough boost, she's going to do a tuck flip before landing back in the water.

"Orphan in Brooklyn, whaddaya think?" It's said dismissively - of his own troubles - but the efforts he's - they've - made are not so easy to hide. Because it was Bucky and Steve, and Steve was undersized and sick and... well. Not for here or now.

His eyebrows go up at her hesitation, but when she swims over, he's ready, and the boost is good.

Yes, he notices the scars. (And they are less of a reason for him to question than people of her own time would find them.) But what she does? The way she carries her body in the air?

"Wow. Is it a requirement for young women in the future to be in amazing shape or something?"

She's a bit busy to comment on the orphan thing, but she makes note of it, and the way that he says it. She can understand wanting to underplay that sort of thing, and she - approves, in a way. Because it's the same way she tends to downplay her own childhood, to make jokes of it. It means he's a little like her.

There is an appropriately large splash, and she's flipped so that her feet hit the shell once she'd sunk down in the water, because it just feels natural to land that way. And it means she can jump back up, laughing.

His comment doesn't help that laughter, "Not that I've heard of. I'm just a gymnast."

"Not that I'm objecting, mind you. Gymnast, huh?" Oh, he likes the laughter - very much indeed. "Gotta say it sure looks good on you.

"Think it'd better if you bounce off my shoulders?"

Better for her. Because having fun? Just about right.

It's probably because the sample is skewed towards superheroes, Steph thinks, but doesn't say that outloud. The compliment catches her a little off guard, despite the fact they've been flirting pretty much since they met, and she ducks her head a bit.

"Been doing it since I was thirteen, even competed at Nationals a couple times," She likes this part of her secret identity, even if it's not entirely true. Competing was fun, and her team were some of the few people at school she had a decent relationship with. She wonders what those girls are up to now.

Yet more things she's not going to dwell on, instead giving his question some consideration, "Probably not? Going off your shoulders is a solid starting point, the boost gives me more bounce."

A beat, then, "Anyway, I probably shouldn't just use you as my personal jungle gym."

Not that she'd mind climbing all over Bucky, but still.

It's kind of different when the compliment is made when you're in your underwear. (Most men, Bucky's been told, kind of quit the effort by that time. Not that there is a goal right now, just in general.)

It's also different when the compliment is on what you do, not simply how you look. Especially when said thing requires skill that you've worked years to acquire.

Bucky laughs.

"Believe me, it's been used much worse. And I can..." he squats in the water, then straightens quickly. Then laces his fingers again with a grin. "All your call."

It's been a long while since he's been able to just relax. And she's a spectacular person to do so with.

For once, it's not anything personal that makes her decide to turn it down.

"Nah," She looks apologetic, a little disappointed, but she adds, "Not to like - disparge on your athletic ability, but I don't wanna get too complicated with someone untrained, especially when there's not sand below the water. I don't wanna hurt you."

She's sure he's plenty strong, with decent reflexes and balance, but he's not a Bat, not a gymnast, and if something goes wrong, even in the water (maybe because of the water, it's throwing her off a little) with the hard turtle shell below them, then either of them could get hurt.

"But if you want, when we're done swimming, I can teach you how to do a backflip," She smiles; a compromise?

"Huh." He blinks for a moment, thoughtful. That makes sense. "There's no need to apologize. And I'd love to learn that, but you don't have to, all right? This isn't about obligations or anything, or offense - I was offering."

The smile returns, slowly. "Though in case we're stuck here for a while, I'd be good with changing that 'untrained' part, if you're up for it."

"I tend not to do things out of obligation," Mostly because she doesn't like getting herself in situations where she feels like she owes people things.

She's glad he didn't take offence; egos - including her own - are tricky things, and she smiles when he does.

"I can give it a shot. I've never taught anyone before, but I can probably go over the basics with you." And she just signed herself up for giving gymnastics lessons, alright.

"Good. I'd like that." Beat, but he feels like he should clarify, "but if you change your mind, that'd be fine, too. Learning new things, way to move - and to move in sync with somebody--" other than Steve "-- seems like a good idea, especially here."

Especially when he really won't get a chance to, back home.

"But it's not some ultimate goal or something. I'll be good, either way. Yeah?"

Oh. She likes how he puts that - moving in sync with somebody - she remembers feeling that way with Tim when they fought side by side, with Cass when they flew together.

It's been a while since she's felt like that with anyone, Kara is close, but the fact of her powers make things... not quite right. She can move in ways that Steph never can.

"Yeah," her smile is bright, if a little distant, "I'd like to give it a go. If nothing else, it'll keep me in shape."

As if she's not leaping around rooftops every night.

"Sounds like a plan."

Although that distant look? So not on.

Steph, you are so getting splashed!

Not when he telegraphs the move so obviously; Steph has disappeared under the surface long before the water's at any risk of splashing her.

She drops until her feet hit the shell, moves into a crouch and then pushes herself off sideways. She thinks the waves should be enough to make her tricky to spot as she swims around to put herself behind Bucky. (She might not be a brilliant swimmer, but she can hold her breath for a long time.)

If she can make it behind Bucky without him seeing her, she's going to resurface about two feet away from him to splash the back of his head.

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.

Edited 2012-10-02 07:57 (UTC)

"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.

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.

"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.

"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!

Edited 2012-10-02 09:02 (UTC)

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.

Edited 2012-10-02 09:26 (UTC)

... 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.

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.

"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."

"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.

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.

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.

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