Steve is not 100% with this deal.

[july4th]

[ Steve looks dubious about this, at best. ]

I'd be okay, y'know-- if you weren't so comfortable playing murderous sociopaths. Not really my thing, Ms Mundane.

[ wehwehweh cry more Stevie. ]

Your proclivity for leaving me in the same room as him is a little sadistic, ma'am.

[ You know you love TWS!Bucky, babes. ]

Comments

[movesthings]

What, is she taking bets on who walks out in one piece?

[july4th]

[ He's a little downcast about things in general (and hey, you look kind of like him). ] Who knows. It's not exactly easy to deal with, though.

[movesthings]

Him being in the same room as you? Or the whole not remembering you, trying to kill you stuff?

[Yes, the similarities are striking. Yet another reason why Nick prefers living in Hong Kong to living in the States where everyone and their dog thinks he looks like Captain America. He certainly doesn't envy your lack of privacy, Steve.]

[july4th]

It's a bit of both, you know. [ He's still a bit downcast about it, even now. Talking about Bucky isn't the easiest thing, though there's been enough talk amongst his fellow Avengers to tide him over for a lifetime. The Winter Soldier-this, the Winter Soldier-that. It's been quite a hot topic lately.

Glancing up at Nick, he chances half a smile: ] You hear about it in the papers?

[ Because reading about it on the Yahoo.com homepage is just not Steve's vibe. The man still makes a morning trip to the corner shop for a copy of the lastest headline. ]

[highflyingbirdofprey]

The muns have a really bad habit of leaving us in places that are bad for us as a whole. They find it "cute" or "funny", but I think it's damn sadistic. But at least there's usually some familiar company there.

But what's important is this: How're you doing, Steve?

[movesthings]

[Is that three eighths of a smile or an actual half smile? Nick can't exactly tell. Still, an attempt at a smile is a positive sign, and Nick offers one of his own in return, though there is a hint of a wince mixed in for good measure.]

Actually ... I saw it at the movies. Can't really argue with the mun when she decides to drag you along for an outing.

[july4th]

[ walkdfjfdg Sammyy yay ♥

Steve spares his friend a long-suffering look, eyebrows raised. He smiles, though (doesn't he always?). ]

I'm doing just fine, but it's been a week to reckon with. You? Still in one piece?

[july4th]

Those Hollywood folks don't waste any time, do they? A movie, man, I'm sure Tony had something to do with that. [ He's not exactly up to date with the current pop-cultural events; he's been preoccupied with catching up on the last several decades, and, of course, of following the shadowy trail of a certain AWOL Russian super-soldier.

He's wearing the characteristic crooked grin now; it's not everyday he can discuss his life (and it's an unusual one, granted) with someone so casually. ] Was it interesting, at least?

[highflyingbirdofprey]

About as much as I can be, considering I have to keep up with a damn super soldier on a regular basis.

*There will be a smile back, regardless of any bumps and cuts*

But I'm doing alright. Heard that there's some good stuff out there in terms of places Muns can stick you. Doesn't change the fact they can be damn evil at times.

[krasivyy]

Nice name, Rogers.

[july4th]

[ He crooks a grin her way, shrugging.] I'd say the same if I could, but my Russian geography's a little sketchy.

[krasivyy]

Loosely translated, it's something close to 'beautiful' in English. Not my choice, obviously.

[july4th]

Well, then it suits you just fine. [ SMOOTH.

Forgive him, he's secretly a grandpa. ]

[misdated]

Can't really see you in the company of murderous sociopaths.

[krasivyy]

Trying to make me blush, Steve?

[ jokes on you, she doesn't blush, son. ]

[firegodrockstar]

Ahh, Bucky'll be fine. Keep him away from Asgardians, and everything will be cool! A few dramatic speeches, maybe a suplex or two, and a side order of punching him until his memory comes back and he'll be good to go.

Worked on Hawkeye, right?

oh hai you

[july4th]

Aside from yourself? [ Sorry Barnes, true facts. ]

[july4th]

[ Who you calling son >:| /waves walker

He doesn't fumble his words-- but it's not as matter-of-fact as he'd like: ] Just a compliment, Nat. Credit where it's due.

why hello!

[misdated]

[ Well, that hurts. But lucky for him, he doesn't have feelings. Least that's what he tells himself. ]

Guess so. Aside from me. Maybe it's time you broadened your horizons.

c:

[july4th]

I think one is quite enough, for now. [ Well, Bucky is his full-time live-in murderous sociopath. Like having a cat, but-- bigger. ]

You're probably the best of the bunch, anyway. [ Steve's favorite, at any rate. ]

[krasivyy]

You're not so bad yourself.

[misdated]

You're biased.

[ If he's the best of them, that is a woefully sad state of affairs. Although, technically speaking, SHIELD is pretty awful too, so maybe it's not that hard a thing for Steve to say. At least there was a good guy in there before Hydra got him. ]

And borrowing unnecessary trouble.

[july4th]

So biased.

[ As far as sociopaths go, maybe the assassin is about a seven or eight on the correlating richter scale, according to Steve's calculations. Maybe a six. Hopefully it's a gradually descending number.

He raises his hands in mock surrender (you can only banter so much with a former Hydra soldier; it's still not Bucky)-- keeping things light. ] No harm intended, of course.

[misdated]

[ He rolls his eyes, giving himself leave to express the faint curl of exasperation he feels winding through his stomach. ]

You haven't harmed me. [ That's a little literal, maybe, but he isn't in the business of convincing people he isn't a threat and right now, he isn't. ] You can stand down.

[tricksandmischief]

So you have something against murderous sociopaths...

[therightagent]

[...So this is awkward.]

[july4th]

[ Whelp. Naturally every aforementioned sociopath within a hundred mile radius seems to show up at the drop of a hat. This is just not Steve's day (week, month, year-- pick one). ]

I've got something against anyone who's murdering anyone else, yeah. Sociopaths I'm not so keen on either.

[july4th]

[ Oh boy. Steve has a knack for getting into these situations, somehow. ]

Not that I mind being in the same room as-- you know--[ Shuffle shuffle. ]--no offense meant.

[tricksandmischief]

You're just brimming with goodness, aren't you? Pure as the driven snow.

[july4th]

[ r00d.

He folds his arms, raising an eyebrow at the demigod. ] Who stepped on your tail this morning, hm?

[july4th]

[ Steve scratches the back of his neck, countenance highly skeptical. He doubts that a smack on the head will mess with Hydra's programming-- and from what he can remember, the Winter Soldier's been knocked around his fair share in the past month or two. ]

I don't think it's quite that simple, besides, Nat is basically the Barton-whisperer. Bucky's a different case.

[tricksandmischief]

They're probably still lining up for that.

[july4th]

[ :> Sorry Bucky, but Steve is basically the world's most unconditionally loyal golden-retriever when it comes to you. Good luck raining on this parade. ]

You know I was joking about the sociopath thing, right? [ Not the murderous part so much, but he's going to leave that part out. ]

[july4th]

Can't say you don't ask for it sometimes. [ Maybe not a great plan to straight-talk the stir-crazy trickster. Steve missed that memo, clearly. ]

[tricksandmischief]

Only sometimes?

[july4th]

[ Maybe not just sometimes-- more like whenever he opens his mouth. But Steve isn't going to say that now. He's had his fair share of trans-dimensional alien armies (aka. Loki getting snippy). ]

I'm sure even you take a day off from trouble-making once in a while.

[tricksandmischief]

Only when I am otherwise occupied or restricted by certain circumstances.

[misdated]

No.

[ It's accuate, whatever he thinks of it. Hydra screwed him up. He knows that. ]

You always were honest.

[therightagent]

Course not.

[From the unhappy twist of her mouth, it's fair to assume no offense meant isn't gonna cut it this time.]

[firegodrockstar]

Yeah, but aren't you basically the Bucky-whisperer? Look what you did with like five minutes of punching and dramatic speechifying, how good are you gonna do with him as a captive audience?

At this rate, he'll get fanatically protective of you- all, 'you're MY mission, nobody else is allowed to get you', and before you know it, this happens.

Then we all have a big barbecue cookout and welcome the guy back! 'Cause let's face it, Russia may have brainwashing, but AMERICA'S got baby-back ribs.