The Park, Friday Afternoon

[shapethecentury]

Bucky had been doing a lot of thinking over the past couple of weeks.

... And Bucky was still doing a lot of thinking, so, you could tell just how well that had gone. But at least he'd braved the outdoors again today - actually in the daytime for a change - and even had a takeaway cup of (plain, black) coffee in hand as he made his way through the park. Until he came up to the pond, anyway, and saw the flamingos and the ducks hanging around there.

A very old memory in a long-forgotten part of his brain made him wish he'd brought something to feed to the birds. But maybe he could stay and watch them for a while, even without having anything to offer.

[ooc: Open! SP warning for a while as I try to wrap up my work for the day.]

Comments

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda was cutting through the park after grabbing a celebratory (filled with sugar and cream) coffee from J,GOB. Look, she had kicked ass at paintball, she earned it.

"Hey, Bucky," Wanda greeted. Look at her trying to be friendly and non-threatening.

[shapethecentury]

At least by now Bucky had had the time to listen closely to some semi-recent radio broadcasts enough to know Steve seemed to both know her and trust her. It had eased some of his paranoia.

Sadly, it couldn't really touch his impulse to be wary.

He gave her a tiny nod back. "Wanda."

[scarlet_chaos]

"I'm no bird expert and I haven't lived in this country long, but are flamingos native to Maryland?" she asked.

[shapethecentury]

Bucky returned his attention to the birds.

Or, you know. At least turned his eyes that way. His attention was probably a separate thing.

"These ones probably aren't." Not to Maryland at large, anyway.

[scarlet_chaos]

"I figured. Chalk that up to another weird Fandom thing," she said, taking a sip of her coffee. "Speaking of--how have you been since the whole...hole thing?"

[shapethecentury]

"Fine."

That was his stock answer, and the only one he was interested in giving... pretty much anyone who wasn't Jesse.

(And even she had to dig, most times.)

"You?"

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda shrugged a shoulder. "I guess it's keeping me more on my toes. I knew this place was weird within five minutes of being here, but I was kind of hoping to avoid traumatic events for awhile."

[designateddadfriend]

Having spent a large chunk of the wee hours of yesterday morning turning off all the fire alarms in town (after making sure there weren't any fires, dammit, he was a professional), Travis had decided he got Friday off.

You know. Unless some shit went down.

So he was out for a light jog, because spending last week with Maya and Station 19 had reminded him just how insanely out of shape he'd let himself become over the last several months. When he saw James, he slowed to a stop a safe distance away, bracing his hands on his lower back as he caught his breath.

"Hey, man. How've you been?"

[shapethecentury]

'A safe distance for who?' might've been a good question had that bit actually come up out loud.

Still, Bucky appreciated it. (As if he hadn't been aware someone was approaching long before Travis was actually there.) "Travis," he said with a little nod. "Fine. You?"

Look, it was acceptable small talk, even if it was a little... minimalist.

[designateddadfriend]

Travis nodded. "Good." He gestured to his (quite sweaty, stupid Maryland heat) chest. "Trying to get back into shape. Haven't been training like I should, you know?"

[shapethecentury]

Bucky sipped from his cup.

"That a firefighter thing?"

[designateddadfriend]

"It is, yeah." Travis nodded. Shrugged. Tried to pull his sweaty shirt away from his chest so it didn't feel like it was clinging to him. "Our equipment ways a ton, and we need to be able to use it at a moment's notice, sometimes for hours at a time. . . . Unless you live here, apparently."

[shapethecentury]

And here Bucky was wearing gloves and long sleeves outdoors in late July.

(Not that he'd been working out just now, anyway.)

He offered a little shrug. "Don't recall many fires 'round here."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve had had a much less successful paintball day than Wanda, which was why he was covered in paint head to toe (thanks for the paint showers, Tony, very innovative) and cutting across the park to head home for a well deserved shower.

Trusting that Bucky noticed him as fast as he always noticed Bucky, he gave a small wave but didn't slow down much. He was beyond tired of making the first move to be constantly rebuffed. Let Bucky move for once.

[OOC: Allll the SP today having 13yo sleepover here.]

[shapethecentury]

Bucky noticed him because he always did, and fast, yeah. He managed a small nod. Then almost left it that. Wanted to leave it at that.

Wanted to not leave it at that.

Steve had practically already gone past, when -- "What's with all the paint?"

Sounded a little tired, muted. Didn't match up to any of his snark from decades ago. But still, it was something.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve's entire face lit up at the acknowledgement, but he recovered quickly. "Paintball class," he said, smiling ruefully at his ruined clothing. "Tony and I are teaching it, but with the skill level around here we need to keep it challenging. I ran into one of the paint shower traps Tony'd invented while I was escaping from the Dean."

[shapethecentury]

Bucky's eyes flicked up and down him with a very quick once-over. Then he turned his gaze on the birds again.

"Look like a clown spewed on you."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve snorted. "Was the clown fresh off the Cyclone?"

[shapethecentury]

Bucky didn't snort, but maybe something in his face twitched a little. "You tell me."

He'd always been able to handle his rollercoasters.

[imafuturist]

Tony's paintball experience was better than Steve's, but lesser than Wanda's. But other plus side, he got to test out a number of security measures with the traps!

Also, he won the coin toss in getting to head home to shower first while Steve took care of the class breakdown. Which was why he was coming back with Patriot to check in on Steve.

"Barnes," he said with a tight smile, nodding in greeting as the dog rushed to go investigate all the birds.

[shapethecentury]

If Bucky looked more tense, all of a sudden -- well, he looked kind of tense all the time. It was hard to tell the difference.

"Stark," he said, with the tiniest nod he'd managed today.

He was fully intending to leave it at just that. Last time had been months ago, and yet it was far too fresh on his mind.

[imafuturist]

"Nice day we're having," Tony said, blithely making the conversation continue for him. "Patriot, stop with the ducks. C'mon."

He didn't want to have to give that dog a bath for rolling in duck poop. Again.

[shapethecentury]

Bucky...

Took a long sip from his cup.

(By now, it was largely empty.)

[imafuturist]

"Cat got your tongue?" Tony asked dryly.

[shapethecentury]

"Dog's gonna get one of the birds," Bucky replied mildly, "if you're not careful."

He took another gulp.

And now the cup was empty.