lefthandfree | [meme] open post / picture prompt catch-all

[Steve really went all out. All for him. He’s touched in a way that makes his chest sting even though he’s on cloud nine. He wants to press into Steve and hold on because he doesn’t want any of this to slip away, because it will. It always does.

He walks out, just watching the sky for a moment, before he nods.]

Yeah, sure.

[He actually doesn’t know what he’s agreeing too. He’s still blown away. But the words do eventually register, and he looks back down again and spots what he thinks is the tent.]

Uh. That it? [He gestures with a nod of his head.]

Yeah. It's a lot bigger on the inside, so I'm told.

[ Steve tucks his hands into his pockets, then immediately takes them out, and sort of... well, hovers, before he thinks there's maybe something more productive he should be doing. There's a rolled up mat by the icebox, so he busies himself spreading it next to the telescopes. ]

Fingers crossed.

[He throws it out wryly, like he used to do, and saunters over to inspect it. He doubts Steve would get it if it weren’t good for them. Steve has always been that sort, the kind who took a little longer than everyone else deciding because he wanted the best choice and not just what everyone else said was supposed to be the best. It’s an endearing trait, and it’s how he knows that even though Steve is playing dumb about it that Steve probably picked it out specifically for Bucky.

He picks up the supposed tent, curious at the flat design. When the other layers start slipping gently from the initial tent pancake it had been, realization slowly dawns on him. He flicks it lightly in the air, and the layers slip a bit more. More sense is made, and he flicks it one more time, a little harder. The tent pops up proper, and he has the biggest smile on his face. This is the cleverest thing in the world.]

Holy shit, Steve! Steve!

[He laughs and wiggles the tent in the air a bit before setting it down, smile still plastered to his face. Damn, the world is full of so many amazing things. He loves it so goddamn much.]

[ Steve is deliberately taking a ridiculously long time with this mat, and definitely not looking over to see how Bucky's getting along with the tent. He's not worried, but keeping an eye on him is an instinct he can't and won't silence. ]

Yeah, Buck?

[ He's trying (and failing) to contain how much he's beaming. The wonders of the world to him are wonders, true, but they don't sink in and inspire the same excitement they always did — do — in Bucky. He was always the one filling up the silences between them with Verne or Wells, dragging Steve to the shop to get comics. ]

[He’s laughing again as he runs his eyes over the tent. It's probably not the best for field camping, but he's plenty pleased that it works just fine for what they need right now. And Steve is a damn genius.]

It pops out on its own! Did you see?

[And he knows Steve saw because he felt Steve’s eyes on him, but he pretends because they always do. He turns back to Steve, unable to stop smiling and laughs again.]

You picked a good one, that’s for damn sure.

I saw.

[ One-handed. Score one for Rogers. Steve smooths over the corner of the mat and stands, grins at Bucky. ]

C'mere and help me fiddle with the telescopes, would ya?

[He gives the tent on last satisfied smile before he turns away and trots toward the telescopes. He’s been wanting to touch them since he saw them earlier when picking up the tent, but he played it cool because he knows they’ll be in the thick of it soon enough.

Casually, he throws out his concern.]

I ain’t never used on before though, Rogers. You gonna teach me?

Edited 2016-08-16 15:35 (UTC)

Would if I knew how.

[ He picks up one of the manuals and opens it to a page showing them how to change the lens focus. The one facing is tripod adjustment. The star chart, he hands to Bucky. ]

Anything you wanna look at first?

[He takes the chart and skims it. It takes a split second for him to realize there are way too many things on the page, and he leans back from the chart a bit.]

Uh.

How you feelin’ about the moon?

[It’s the biggest in the damn sky anyway, and it doesn’t need a chart.]

[ Steve laughs, quietly. ]

Let's try Mars or Jupiter.

Aw, Stevie, you don’t wanna moon with me? [He teases with a small laugh.] But okay. Mars first then.

[And he leans into the chart again, poring over it properly this time. It takes him a little to get the hang of reading it, but eventually he starts making sense of all the markings on the page and the positioning indicators. It reminds him of orienteering during the war, that feeling of zeroing in on something he can’t see with his bare eyes yet. The memory trips him up a little, but he takes a breath and lowers the chart with a flat smile.]

Okay. I think we gotta point ’em around that a ways first.

[He points. The telescopes need to be turned about a quarter. Even being stuck here, Bucky made sure to find out which way was North and South, though the sun made that clear every morning anyway.]

You gotta ask me properly, Barnes.

[ Still grinning. Steve bumps Bucky's right shoulder with his before he follows his gaze over the map. The palace is at the equator, almost, and it's absolutely clear, spread with a sea of stars. He moves the other telescope a little away so they have space to flank one, and turns it. ]

Focusing left.... [ fiddling with the knobs ] here, have a look.

[He doesn’t answer Steve’s jab back. It’s just silliness—they both know.

Bucky watches intently as Steve gets to work. There’s always been something satisfying for him about watching Steve get a job done. Maybe because Steve used to rarely feel well enough to finish anything. His gaze goes fond now, glad that Steve’s here right in front of him. When he’s invited to look, he steps forward to take a peek.

He’s surprised he recognizes Mars. He hasn’t seen it in so long, and here it is through the little eyepiece, a glimmering, red dot—sure, larger than he used to see—and it looks gorgeous. He adjust the position a bit, centering it better for Steve, and he messes with the knobs a little to try and figure them out on the fly. It works well enough, and he’s even zoomed in a little more.

Bucky stands tall again and takes a step back with a please smile on his face.]

All yours, Rogers.

[ The silliness is familiarity — Steve just hopes (there it is again, ever present where Buck is concerned) it feels real enough for Bucky. To let himself have it, and not think it's some horrific standard he needs to keep measuring up to (especially) when he can't do it. ]

[ Steve leans in, resting his chin on Bucky's shoulder, withdrawing when he straightens. ]

Wow, they weren't kidding about these.

[There's joy in his eyes as he looks up from where he stands, trying to see if he can spot Mars on his own. It takes a couple seconds, and then his eyes come back down to watch Steve. He laughs quietly at Steve’s idle observation while running a hand through his hair.]

I think that's the understatement of the century, pal.

[He gives Steve's shoulder a hearty pat before grasping on with a squeeze.]

There’s so much to see and hardly enough time to see it all with.

[Clearly another star-gazing session needs to be arranged to satiate Bucky’s curiosity.]

We are gonna be here all night.

[ Which is still not enough time. Steve straightens only to adjust the telescope towards Saturn instead of Jupiter — nice surprise for Buck to see the rings with how clear this lens is. ]

If you're thirsty there's drinks in the box.

One night’s not enough, Stevie! There’s a whole universe just waiting for us!

[He’s beaming in that way he does when he’s talking about the wonders of life and the world around them. Obviously, this part of Bucky has never changed, and he wears it without any shame or doubts. Things like this always light a fire in him, a love for existence and everything in between.

He's not thirsty yet, but he doesn't wonder,]

What'd ya bring?

[ His mouth pulls into a crooked smile. They don't do surprises on this scale anymore: a lot of the lustre's gone. Besides, there was never any room for that kind of grand gesture, and Steve's not about to get into the habit of it now. Bucky's enthusiasm is unrestrained, and Steve is viciously carving out places where his friend is still allowed innocent wonder. ]

It's that fruit punch they give us on Saturday lunches.

[ Buck's favourite. ]

[What.]

What.

[He doesn’t think it’s possible to feel any more elated. Fuck cloud nine. He’s flying straight to the moon and dancing around on fucking stars. His heart beats hard in wonder and awe, and his breath catches in his throat. Touched isn’t a strong enough word. The shell crumbles.]

Steve...

[It’s soft and appreciative, everything he feels that he can’t find the words for. The lines between the spaces. And in that moment, the sum is so clear that he remembers who he is.]

I'm glad you like it.

[ God, what does he do? Drawing attention to it is unnecessary -- Steve's just been trying to treat it as okay, that this is their new equilibrium and it doesn't have to involve the men they used to be. If all that's left are glimpses he can live with it. Love for Bucky is endless, and without condition. And then there's this, and he inhales slowly. ]

Really, Buck.

[His expression softens, and his lips draw to the side in a smirk, familiar but different, real as real can be. He doesn’t want to make a big deal of it. Steve doesn’t seem to want it either. He reminds himself that none of it needs to be perfect. A little goes a long way, and it doesn’t change what any part of it means. Bucky knows how much Steve loves him. He only hopes Steve knows how much he loves him back.]

You’re a blessing, Steve.

[And he leaves it at that.

He leans in to peek through the telescope again. Saturn. The rings are so clear and look like hula hoops of different sizes stacked together. He laughs and wishes he could draw.]

[ His expression softens. ]

You too, pal.

[ It's sincere as it always is, but attention is uncomfortable so Steve quickly switches tracks, ]

I didn't know they built something powerful enough to see Saturn, but T'Challa says you can make out Neptune when it's in the sky. Or -- if you want, in the morning we can go through the Hubble website.

[Bucky beams into the telescope, as if it understands him, and draws back after a few more seconds of admiration.]

Technology’s come a long way. I’m glad.

[That there’s this and not just things like his arm. The world needs more of the good, less of the bad. He just doesn’t know what good is out there anymore, but he's glad Steve knows some of it and can share.]

Assuming I’m not ready to pass out on you, I’ll gladly take you up on that. Hell, even if I have to pass out on you.

[He throws Steve a pleased look and steps away to go check out the fruit punch he’s pretending he’s not dying to have a sip of.]

[ Except his arm is intricate too, articulates like a real one and when he's not being throttled by it he can appreciate its design — not the butchery that sewed it to his friend's body. There had been moments, reading the file, when he'd had to close it and look away at the wall, seeing red at the corners of his vision. Bad enough that this was done to another human being, but to the best and brightest of them — Steve's always been angry. It rears its head and it never sleeps. This world earned nothing else from him. ]

I'd like that. My room?

[The problem with Bucky’s arm is that he knows it’s beautiful but hates its intent. He loves it—loved it—for what it is capable of and can accomplish. Yet, it was made for destruction. The brand on the outside of his arm reminded him daily.

Maybe whenever he gets a new one, he can reclaim its meaning properly. So that he doesn’t regret loving something so magnificent and yet so deadly. But that would take time, something he doesn’t know if he even has much of.]

Yeah. Your room.

[So he can feel like he belongs somewhere. His own room always feels so empty by comparison, even with the few belongings Bucky can say are definitely his.]

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battletested - 2016-08-17 16:41 (UTC) - Expand