InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "...one good reason to do it."

Carol Danvers (cpt_marvel) wrote in snapthread,
@ 2019-04-18 22:47:00

Entry tags:

america chavez (616), bucky barnes (mcu), carol danvers (mcu), clark kent (dctv), clint barton (616), evaan verlaine, gamewide plot, gwen stacy, janet van dyne (avac), kate bishop (616), klaus hargreeves (netflix), loki (616), peter b parker (sv), peter parker (mcu), remus lupin, rose tyler, sirius black, steve rogers (avac), steve rogers (mcu), tony stark (avac), tony stark (mcu), vision (mcu)

Who: Anyone who wants to come by
What: Grand-opening party!
Where: Pancho's Bar
When: Friday Night

The streamers were up (because Jan had insisted), and the bar was as ready as it ever would be. Alcohol was stored in a few make-shift shelves on the back wall and a relatively well-cobbled together bar was freshly polished and ready to go. It wasn't the most well-put-together, place, but Pancho's definitely resembled its namesake in terms of dim lighting, chipped tables and a floor that looked like it should be sticky. All in all, Carol was pretty proud of what they'd made. The minifridge was even a good choice since it allowed them to keep some drinks cold (they were going to have to find a larger one in the future, though).

She had warned Peter that the pizza oven needed to be ready by that evening, but she wasn't sure how on the ball with that he was. She'd been busy doing damage control on some electrical issues they were having with the fridge and double checking to make sure they actually had drinking cups (that took a little bit of maneuvering, but Clint came through with the coffee mugs). Yup, vodka from coffee mugs, a mini-fridge filled with a variety of stolen beers, and mismatched chairs. And, of course, the balloons. The annoying, awful squeaky balloons that had floated into a couple of corners of the room, save for the two that kept dragging on the floor and that Carol dreaded would pop at some point that evening. Definitely professional.

Karaoke was set up in one corner of the room with a make-shift stage and Christmas lights (Yes, more Christmas lights) decorating around it. Old 80s rock music blasted from the speakers for now, and Carol stood behind the bar, ready to serve as needed but more than willing to drag anyone else into the position should they so choose that evening.

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

sgt_barnesjb
2019-04-24 10:44 am UTC (link)

Bucky raised an eyebrow as he thought over the song title. That was... well, it was something. Writing and playing music was definitely not something he would've seen himself doing, but he could understand the benefits of it. If it helped that Bucky to cope with things the way Steve said it did, then more power to him for finding a healthy way to do so. There was nothing wrong with that, even if the puns were pretty lame. Then again, most puns were lame so maybe that was what he was going for.

"Good for him," he said. "And good on you for supporting him. Guess that's a common thread among Steve Rogers across the multi-verse." He did smile a little at that. "What about you? What do you like to do? The Steve where I'm from can draw amazingly well. Even before the serum and everything, he was crazy talented." Bucky had always been as supportive of Steve as could be. It was something his best friend could do that didn't put him in harm's way and didn't zap what little physical energy he had at the time. And, if he was sick in bed, he could still draw. "Do you have anything that helps you?"

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

shieldtoss
2019-04-25 04:06 am UTC (link)

His cheeks continued to flush in that Aw, Shucks kind of way that Steve had yet to grow out of -- even in his more sturdier form. "Oh, I dunno about that," he replied, "I can draw a decent picture or two. Nothing special about it. Dime a dozen, really." He shrugged as he finished off his soda. "Spend most of my time training, facing off the bad guys, tryin' to gather troops," he began, "so I don't get as much chance to sketch or anything. But sometimes. Maybe before bed or between when we have some time to breathe." He paused, tilting his head. "Sometimes we go out and I get to do the Charleston." He smirked. "Turns out, Charleston goes with a lot of music." He chuckled, a bit. "Tony over there gets so embarrassed. It's the only reason I bother doing it." He offered Buck a bit of a wink.

He shifted so that he was facing Bucky, leaning on his hand as it was propped it on the bar counter. "How about you?" he asked. "You find something to help you?" There was a genuine concern on his face. Guess it didn't matter what universe you were from -- a Bucky would always be at the center of his concern. This Bucky, though haunted, looked a bit more at peace than his Bucky looked sometimes. He wanted to pry. Ask questions. Maybe find a way to help his Bucky sometimes, but he knew better than that. Bucky would have to find his own path. Steve just had to be there to help when he needed it the most.

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

sgt_barnesjb
2019-04-26 06:18 pm UTC (link)

It was actually very refreshing for Bucky to see a version of Steve like this. He was young, and though he still had obviously faced some tough obstacles in his life, he seemed lighter, less gritty than his Steve. Bucky wouldn't trade his Steve for the world, but sometimes he wished he could do more to make Steve's life easier, instead of harder all the time. It was good to know that this Steve and his Bucky were close. He liked to think that was a trait that remained consistent across all of the multiverse.

"It's been tough," he said, admittedly. "When I first got my memories back, I used to write everything down in case I forgot, or when it felt too crowded in my head to remember anything else. Writing things down helped sometimes. A really gifted and amazing scientist worked on my brain, removing what HYDRA did to me which officially wiped the Winter Soldier from me for good. That helped. Just knowing that I'd never turn into that again was a relief I didn't realize would be so prominent. Ever since then, I started living a quiet life, which I needed." He smirked then. "You ought to do the Charleston tonight," he said. "Been a long time since I've seen anyone do it."

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Re: Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

shieldtoss
2019-04-26 07:08 pm UTC (link)

It was good to hear that the Winter Soldier conditioning had been removed. He knew how much his own Buck had been terrified being switched on and off at the drop of the dime. Plus, there was the whole going back and forth about wanting to kill Steve. Steve very much liked it when Bucky didn't want to kill him. Made life a little easier. He quirked a brow at Bucky's smirk, though, and laughed at the suggestion -- shaking his head. "Oh, no," he replied. "I barely know most of these people." Still, it was an amusing thought. He glanced back at an older, though less broken (maybe?) version of his friend and tilted his head, studying for a moment.

"How about you?" he replied. "How rusty is your Charleston?" He wore a challenging grin. "I'll show you mine if you me yours." Were Steve any other man, it sound worse than what it actually was. Steve, though, was still innocent enough (oddly) for it to be taken at face value. It wasn't like he was Tony Stark or anything. Still, it'd almost a hundred years since either of them had seen them on the dance floor. Though, truth be told, Steve's time on the dance floor was fairly limited growing up. Sickly, scrawny, and too smart for his own good was never the kind of boy girls gravitated toward, so it wasn't like his dance card was very full. Bucky, though. Bucky had been a site to see when the music hit and he had a pretty girl on his arm.

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

sgt_barnesjb
2019-04-27 10:10 pm UTC (link)

This was a bit of a refreshing conversation. It wasn't weighed down by guilt or anything from the past. There was no baggage there. Although this was Steve Rogers, and from what it sounded like he and his Bucky had been through some shit, they weren't from the same place so the baggage wasn't shared. The two of them could talk normally. It was nice. He and his own Steve could do that too, sometimes. They'd done it most recently at that weird convention place, and that had been nice too. He wanted more days like that. More conversations like this.

Bucky actually laughed. "I haven't been on a dance floor in over a lifetime, pal," he said. That said, if he really wanted to he probably could've picked it back up. It used to be nothing for him to take a dame out dancing, and doing the Charleston was pretty regular. Hell, sometimes he even ended up dancing with women he didn't bring because they'd wandered away from their dates to dance with him instead. Most of all that was a front though. He loved dancing with women, but it was mostly just for show and to have a good time. He'd never gotten to dance with who he'd really wanted to back then.

"I'll show you mine at the same time you show me yours," he said, smirking.

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

shieldtoss
2019-04-29 01:37 am UTC (link)

"Sounds like now that life's a little less dark," he began, "it's something you should start doing again." Steve had tried his best to put the past behind him, but that was always easier said and done. It was the little things that reminded him that he was a young man out of time. Whether it was the things he valued that were regarded as naive and simple, or it was how he held himself. Sometimes it was the things he knew that were outdated. Everyday was a day he had to adapt. It could be exhausting.

He tilted his head and quirked a brow. "Is that a challenge, Buchannan?"

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

sgt_barnesjb
2019-04-29 08:06 pm UTC (link)

Adapting was hard. Bucky understood that. He too often felt like a man out of time. Even though he'd been awakened and used throughout the course of his time as the Winter Soldier, that wasn't Bucky. It wasn't like he was keeping up with the times while he was being sent off to assassinate someone. The first time he tried Googling something he became completely overwhelmed. It was hard, having to catch up on a full lifetime of events going on in the world, not to mention everything that had been going on in his own life. It wasn't easy. It was exhausting.

"Did you seriously just call me Buchanan, punk?" He asked, grinning. This wasn't the same Steve he grew up with, but he was still Steve, and still a little punk he felt the urge to keep in line. "And yeah, maybe it is."

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Re: Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

shieldtoss
2019-04-30 04:37 pm UTC (link)

"Looks like I did, Jimmy," he replied with an amused grin. Why not bust out a nickname that had, even while they'd been friend running around the 1940s,, long been buried. He'd been lucky, he supposed. Tony, Sam, Jan. They'd all been eager to fill in his very long gap that spanned, for some, two lifetimes. Now, though, he was just happy to be around someone who understood -- if at least vaguely -- what it was like. Even his Bucky, as wonderful as it was to have him back, sometimes felt out of reach.

He motioned toward a more empty spot of the bar that could easily serve as a dance floor, the karaoke machine playing music, and simply said: "Well, best to put up or shut up, pal." He grinned. "Why don't you show me how it's done if you're so confidant."

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

sgt_barnesjb
2019-05-01 11:59 am UTC (link)

It wasn't always easy falling back into old habits, remembering how to tease his best friend and let his guard down. One would never think that such a deadly soldier, a literal living weapon could have ever once been the fun-loving, playful and charming Bucky Barnes; the same man who could definitely turn out on the dance floor. Somehow the thought of doing that now was both terrifying and exciting. He could remember how it felt, to step out with a beautiful dame on the dance floor, twirl her around and catch the scent of her perfume as he caught her in his arms and started to dance with her. He could remember the way his hairline was damp with sweat by the end if they were doing a swing dance or -- the Charleston. He also could remember seeing his Steve smiling at him from off to the side and how that would make Bucky's own smile widen that much more.

"Jimmy," he said, and shook his head. "You're really pushin' it, aren't you? Then let's go, Stevie," he said. The Charleston was all about timing. Dancing it with a partner was more difficult, but he wasn't about to let Steve get out of this. He'd started it, after all. It'd been a lifetime since he'd danced, but he was about to see if he remembered how to do it. He'd never danced with this particular Steve, but they'd either pull this off or fall over themselves. Either way it'd probably be a fun time. He held out his hand to Steve. "See if you can keep up with me."

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

shieldtoss
2019-05-05 10:20 pm UTC (link)

Oh, he remembered those days. Those awkward surprise dates that were, almost always, for Bucky's benefit. "Speaking of, we're in for a treat, here's Trixie." And then it was a series of awkward shuffling, nervous chuckling, and unbearable small talk as his date stared at her friend in Bucky's arms. Or any other casanova waiting to get his mitts on a pretty dame. Never good for the ego, but Steve had always been honest enough to know the game. Sometimes, he'd watch Bucky dance and he couldn't but smile -- he looked like he was having so much fun. Often, he was jealous. Of what, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was that smile.

He blinked, though, when Bucky held out his hand. He felt, oddly, flustered before he let out a chuckle and a laugh. He had given the challenge. No backing out now. He'd never live it down, so, without skipping another beat, he took Bucky's hand and said, with a flush in his cheeks, "I guess we'll see just how rust you are, pal."

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

sgt_barnesjb
2019-05-06 08:33 pm UTC (link)

Bucky didn't know if this Steve had lived with his Bucky in the same sort of conditions or had the same sort of relationship he and his Steve had in the past. If he did, then this Steve had likely been in the awkward position of getting set up on dates with the friend of whatever dame Bucky was taking out that night. In his world, he really hadn't been doing it because he wanted to get serious with any of those women. It was sort of a way to scratch an itch, to take the edge off and deflect from what he'd really wanted at the time. Who he'd really wanted. That subject he and Steve so nimbly avoided at all costs. Regardless, if the situation with this Steve was the same or similar, he'd definitely been out dancing with Bucky before.

For just a moment, Bucky kind of forgot that this wasn't the 1940's. He felt young again, carefree. Were it not for the way his longer hair brushed against his cheeks and the glint of the light reflecting off what was visible of his bionic hand he might actually have believed it. He winked at Steve, and soon the two were dancing the Charleston together, stepping in time, kicking back and moving forward together. It was a great feeling. The first time he'd really let loose in a very, very long time.

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Bucky (MCU) & Steve (AVAC)

shieldtoss
2019-05-12 01:25 am UTC (link)

Steve couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd danced with anyone who knew this. Sure, there was Jan and a few others who enjoyed a good swing every now and then, but it was a lot of Steve teaching them the little he knew. Bucky had always had the more experience, and as the twisted and turned and twirled, it was as if they'd been dancing all their lives. He laughed--a true, genuine, feel-good laugh--since he'd arrived. Perhaps even longer than that. As much as it was nice being reunited with his Bucky, there was still a distance that time and whatever was trapped in his mind that kept them from connecting like this.

So, he let himself have this and indulge until the music shifted and his laughter died down, and they came to a sudden stop and he was looking this Bucky in the eyes. "Thanks," he said, "I forgot how fun that could be with a partner." He hesitated a second before he brushed some that mop on the top his head he called hair out of the way of his eyes and then cleared his throat. "Guess you're not that rusty after all." He offered him a smile, hoping his cheeks were not nearly as flush as they felt.

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