Marvel AU, in beyondtherift

[thebestman]

Can we please not inform Stark that it's my birthday? I feel like the likelihood she'll do something ridiculous and embarrassing. Please. I just want to go to the Declaration reading at the museum and then watch the fireworks.

No, please don't-- you can't ask if Kenzie knows. I haven't even met this girl, and--

Are you listening? I'm asking politely - please don't let Tony Stark know it's my birthday.

Comments

[thebestman]

[ SMALL GIRL LOOKS FAMILIAR SOMEHOW. Kinda like Peggy, actually. Just enough to remind Stevie of her. She smile crookedly at Rikki ]

Thank you, miss. It's a little earlier than it should be. And 70 years late, I guess.

[withoutaworld]

[ Rikki grins and shrugs. ] I think it's one of the risks of being a superhero. Losing time because of weirdness, never being sure exactly how old you are... Me, I'll take whatever birthdays come along.

[ There's an awkward pause before she explains: ] I've, um... kind of done the universe-hopping thing before.

[thebestman]

[ Stevie nods slowly ] Seems fair enough, I guess. Just roll with the punches.

Ah. [ beat ] It ever get easier?

[withoutaworld]

...sort of. I mean. It doesn't hurt less, and you don't miss whoever you left behind any less, but... the people you find wherever you end up, they help. A lot.

[thebestman]

Well, that seems like pretty good advice. And I guess I've got a bit of practice - getting frozen in an iceburg for 70 years is just as effective as universe hopping for leaving folks behind.

[ Stevie offers her hand ] Stevie Rogers, by the way. Don't think I caught your name.

[withoutaworld]

[ And Rikki shakes her hand without hesitation, though she'd rather a hug. Steve looks like she needs it, and even if it's not her Steve... But no. Polite handshaking. ]

I know who you are. I knew a version of you. ...a couple versions of you, actually.

I'm Rikki Barnes. [ Cautious, 'please don't freak out' smile. ]

[thebestman]

[ Steve's eyebrows go up ] Barnes, huh? My best friend growing up was a Barnes.

Mind if I ask how you knew me?

[withoutaworld]

[ A soft laugh. ] Yeah, that's what I hear.

I was your sidekick. Bucky. ...I'm not anymore, but I'm still friends with the Steve in the universe where I live now.

[ Pause. ]

They were both guys, but other than that, you seem a lot like them.

[thebestman]

[ Stevie laughs a little ] Did they really call him my sidekick?

You seem like a sharp kid. Awful young, but sharp. I'll bet you did a good job of it.

[ shakes her head and laughs again ] Sidekick...

[withoutaworld]

Hey, it's not that funny. Cut the giggles, or I'm gonna have to defend the honor of sidekicks everywhere. [ She holds up her fists, mock-threatening. Like she's gonna punch any Steve. ...like it'd do much. ]

[thebestman]

[ Lord above, Stevie likes this kid. She snorts a little and shoves Rikki lightly ] Nah, I don't have anything against sidekicks, I'm just having trouble imagining my Bucky as a sidekick.

[withoutaworld]

[ Rikki stumbles a little and drops her fists, grinning. ] Really? What was he like?

[ Not super interested in this for personal reasons. Nope. ]

[thebestman]

He was tough. Wasn't afraid of a fight, even if he was outmatched. Always felt like he had to stand up for me since I was kind of bad at doing it for myself, though I tried anyway. Loyal a fella as you could ask for. [ though she doesn't really realize a lot of that loyalty is for her and her alone ]

And he always wanted to keep up with the bigger kids, even when he was just a little kid. Wouldn't stop until he couldn't take another step. Kept doing that during the war, too, the idiot. Could always count on him to come through, though.

[ She takes a shaky breath and then laughs faintly ] Sorry, got a little nostalgic there, I guess.

[withoutaworld]

It's okay. I didn't mean to bring up anything sensitive, I just...

It's nice to hear what your version was like when he was... Well, he didn't talk about it much. The war and all. I'm not sure why.

[thebestman]

[ cautiously curious ] How much do you know about what happened back then, to him?

[withoutaworld]

[ She ducks her head and brushes some hair from her face, a little awkward. ] He raised me. Him and my grandmother.

She knew you too, at least in my universe. Peggy Carter?

[thebestman]

[ oh my god Peggy's grandkid.

The awe and weird sort of... protectiveness that suddenly flashes across Stevie's face should be proof enough that yes, Stevie knew Peggy. ]

I... yes, I knew her. Your grandmother. She was an amazing woman.

[withoutaworld]

Yeah, she was. [ Pause. ] Is, I guess, maybe, even if I probably won't ever see her again... [ Momentary wibble. ]

She thought you were pretty amazing too. Or that he... Whatever. You know what I mean.

[thebestman]

Yeah, I do.

[ beat ]

I'm gonna hug you, if that's not too weird.

[withoutaworld]

...definitely not.

[ And she's not even going to wait for Steve to come to her. There's just a half-tackle. ]

[thebestman]

[ Steve doesn't 'oof', but she does wobble backwards a little - but whatever, she wraps her arms around Rikki as soon as she processes that she has a teenager attached to her.

Given the hug the girl's giving her, she misses her Steve a lot. Stevie almost feels bad she hadn't hugged her earlier. ]

I'm a little jealous I didn't know you myself, you give good hugs, kiddo.

[withoutaworld]

[ She grins a little against Steve's chest, not pulling away yet. ] Well, now you do. I'm open for hugs any time... and apparently collecting Captain Americas or something?

[thebestman]

Well, apparently we're collectable. Or, the trading cards are. I know a g--

[ Oh. Wait. Right. ] Uh, knew. A guy who had a full set.

[ ...well there went THAT good mood. sorry, Rikki. ]

[withoutaworld]

[ Rikki pulls back, pretending not to notice the sad. She sees it, yeah, but she's not good at talking about it, so... banter is the way to go. ]

Wow, I'll have to step up my game. All I have is a poster...