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The Perk, Friday Morning

Bucky had skipped town during the island's pollen assault after it had clearly started getting even to him. And then he'd caught a lead, and had been chasing it for the past two weeks since.

But now he was back.

And the sliver of comfort that came to him just by stepping off the causeway and looking up to see the castle looming over everything... Well, it was a weird thing, no matter how small it was. And maybe it was that weird thing that got him to stop by the Perk on his way to the MCA.

He wasn't going to stay for long. Just for however long it took to finish this cup of coffee. By a table that had the most comprehensive view of the whole place and was near the door for a quick getaway.

Hey, the narrative had said it was a sliver of comfort.

[ooc: Ooopen.]

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Well, classes were done with for the semester and Tony had Steve here for the weekend before he had to go back upstate with his team. So all in all, a pretty nice Friday.

He also had a need for more coffee that would never stop. Can't stop, won't stop.

Even if he did slightly pause at spotting Bucky there before going to order. "Morning, Barnes."

... See, now, this was exactly the kind of reason Bucky had gone for the seat that he had.

Maybe if he didn't react, if he just ducked his head further, obscuring more of his face with his baseball cap, Tony would think he was someone else after all.

No?

He was giving it a shot anyway.

Well. It was cute that he thought so.

Tony leaned his hip against the counter and gave him A Look for that. "It's a very small town and I've met a couple versions of you now," he said kindly.

Also that whole mess with HYDRA and his alternate universe counterpart's parents.

Bucky was impervious to his looks. 'Cause he wasn't looking over, for one thing.

There was a long silence. And when he spoke, it was just... tired and quiet. "Was a kid, years ago, that worked at the candy store," he said. "Looked just like me."

Kid probably hadn't worn gloves indoors in April, but that was beside the point.

Tony hummed at that, turning to smile at the barista as he took his oversized coffee.

"Yes, that happens here," Tony said, playing along for now. "I managed to have some height on my counterpart. Which is nice, I have to admit. Eyes a slightly different shade of brown."

Bucky was just staring down at his coffee. Not looking up.

Not saying anything further.

"Is this what you do with Steve too?" Tony asked, thoroughly undeterred. He had to admit, though, the Bucky back home actually had some life in him. Mostly fueled by anger, but still.

And Bucky had supposedly sounded tired before. "I don't do anything with Steve."

Well, now, that just wasn't true:

Last time he'd run away.

"No," Tony replied with a strained sort of smile, well aware that Barnes kept running away despite being on the same island as him. He lived with Steve, after all. "No, I suppose you don't."

Bucky fell silent again. What was there to say? It wasn't as if there was anything Tony could say that would make him feel worse than he already did.

All the goddamn time.

He was seriously considering just abandoning his coffee.

That was up to him, really. Though it seemed the running was the real issue here. Steve being the very obvious physical symbol for his past.

"He'll wait for you to be ready, but you have to get yourself there."

And it didn't seem like Bucky wanted to get himself anywhere other than away.

Bucky heaved a very quiet sigh. "Save it, Stark," he told his coffee.

Softly.

"I'm sorry, should I not be concerned about this?" Tony asked. "Neither of you exist in a bubble."

"What's that even supposed to mean?" Bucky asked, in the same quiet, resigned tone of voice.

He thought, for whatever reason, about the time Jesse had called him to come bail her out of a party.

(Then wondered, briefly, whether he should let her know he was back.)

That was easier than thinking about the actual issues, certainly.

Tony watched him for a moment longer, fongers tapping along the side of his coffee. "That what worries Steve, worries me."

The stagnation Barnes was in wasn't getting any better no matter how much time and space Steve gave the man.

It didn't feel like stagnation from the inside.

It felt like hard, slow work. All the time, every day.

The nod was slow, and yet still managed to look a little automatic. Like it had no feeling behind it.

"All right."

Well, it was hard to see the forest for all the trees, wasn't it?

Tony sighed and looked away. He could say anything and the reaction wouldn't change until Barnes took a step forward. "So long as you know the door is open."

No point in getting Steve's hopes up, though.

Bucky finally glanced up and over at him. It was brief, though. His gaze returned to his coffee cup before his mouth opened again.

"Message received," he told him quietly.

Whether it was the one about the door, or something else, he wouldn't say.

"I hope so," Tony replied with the utmost honesty in his words. "I really do."

Bucky said nothing more, and didn't look up again.

Just hoped Tony would leave soon, before the urge to grab his backpack from under the table and flee again got too strong.

Was that the walking dead coming into the Perk?

No. It was Jessica who looked like death warmed over. Honestly the only reason she was vertical was that she forgot that she had to be deposed over a case back in New York. She had an hour before the portal opened and if she was going to face Hogarth today, caffeine was the only thing that was going to get her through it.

Well that and the whiskey she'd inevitably pour into it. After getting said coffee and giving death glares to the cheerful barista, Jessica gave a grunt of acknowledgement to some of the other people in the joint as she waited for her order.

Bucky gave her a small nod. Watched her for just a brief moment, noting the 'walking dead' aspect of it all, before turning his attention back on his coffee.

The level of being social was just astounding, here.

As soon as she got her coffee the flask came out and her coffee was spiked. Seeing Bucky's small nod she held up the flask as an offer.

Hey, Jessica appreciated non-verbal communication. And she might as well be "polite".

The movement was very slight, but Bucky shook his head.

Booze didn't actually do anything to him these days, anyway.

Jessica shrugged and topped off her coffee some more. Then took a swig.

"Jessica," she said, her voice hoarse from not talking and not bothering with any other pleasantries. Just sticking with the truncated introduction.

There was a short pause. Then Bucky nodded again.

"James."

He, at least, wondered if he should have said something else. Didn't, though, at least not right off the bat.

Honestly this was probably the amount of conversation that Jessica could handle at the moment.

"Pleasure," she said with a nod.

It was also far easier than the other interaction Bucky was going to have to face here today.

(For a given value of 'face'.)

He gave her another nod. "Likewise." That was what you said, right? Nothing came too easily to him, these days.

For some reason his response amused her. "Talk much?" she asked, wryly.

"Not really," Bucky said after a beat. With a tone that approached wry, but didn't quite get there. "You?"

"Sometimes," Jessica said with a shrug. "Mostly to insult people."

Bucky mustered up a little huff. Amused.

"Guess that's one use for it."

"You got a better use?" Jessica joked.

"Nah," Bucky said, lifting up his cup, "don't think I have."

Probably explained why he only talked to one person on the regular.

(Ingrid didn't count. She tended to do all the talking for both of them, when it came to the movie theater's affairs.)

Ah. The strong silent type. Or at least that's how he came off.

"Well. If you can think of a better one. Let me know," Jessica replied with a small salute. "Got to catch a portal. See you around, James."

Traumatized silent type, really. The strength was... a separate issue.

He reciprocated her salute with his cup.

"Bye, Jessica."

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The Perk, Friday Morning

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