forum Marvel AU OxO?

Started November 29, 2019 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

"Three's a Crowd." Steve read, making sure he'd found the right one. He shook his head, ridiculous. "There's one playing in about a half-hour, we could get ready and walk there, if you like?"

Bucky nodded a little. "Yeah, sure." he said, straightening. "I'll go get dressed." the supersoldier had still been wearing his pajamas, and he headed to his room to change.

"Mhm." Steve nodded, glancing at some dishes he could do. He headed toward the sink, admiring the high-tech faucet and modern decor.

Bucky closed the door to his room, and pulled on some clothes. It was nothing fancy, just a grey t-shirt, jeans, and a navy blue jacket. He hesitated for a moment, then bound his hair back in a loose bun to keep it out of his face. Then he came back out to the main area.

"Hey," Steve greeted as Bucky came into view, a smile making its way onto his face at the sight of his hair tied back. He didn't know why, but these little things about Bucky– the new hair and the nest of blankets made him feel like he was getting to know him again. "Ready to go?" Steve confirmed, drying his hands and moving from the kitchen.

Bucky nodded a little, brushing away a stray lock of hair. "Alright. Let's go." he replied, putting his shoes on and waiting for Steve.

Steve nodded, slipping on his boots and trying to ignore how robotic he tended to sound. He couldn't blame him, though; it would take a while before he could properly feel at ease. Steve shrugged on his sheepskin jacket; his favourite thing to wear nowadays, and opened the door for the two of them.

Bucky was quiet, adjusting the sleeves of his jacket to cover his left hand a little bit more. His hair was still bound back in a loose bun, and his face was cleanshaven now.

Steve closed the door behind them, silently making his way to the elevator with Bucky. It felt weird– the silence between the two; who used to be inseparable, but now were at a loss for words. "Thought of any ways to get back at Tony?" Steve prompted, half-joking and listening to the quiet hum of the elevator slowly making its way to their floor.

Bucky blinked. "Oh. Not really." He replied slowly, shaking his head. Why do we need to get back at him? Was the kiss really such a bad thing? He bit his lip a little, not looking at Steve.

"Hm," Steve smiled, trying to turn the memory of their kiss into something happier, wishing it had been someplace else, where their actions were honest and not the result of a game. "He's just trying to be annoying– or, I should say, himself."

Bucky let out a soft chuckle. "Mhm." He replied. He shrugged his shoulders slightly. He ran a hand over his hair. "It wasn't…that bad." He replied slowly.

"Hm- what?" Steve asked cluelessly as he stepped into the elevator, polished to a shine. He was sure he hadn't heard Bucky right; believing without a doubt that he'd misheard him– or that he was referring to something else he'd mentioned earlier. What?

"Ah– nothing." He said quickly, shaking his head slightly. "Nothing." He ran a hand through his hair.

"O-h, okay–" Steve said with a nod, what was he trying to say? Tony? Is that what he meant by 'not that bad'? "If you meant Tony; yeah, he's okay. Sometimes he can be a bit of a nuisance, but he means well," He smiled, but then thought back to their conversation, "…I think."

Bucky let out a soft chuckle at that. "Mm. I see." he replied, fixing the bun, which had started to come undone already. He sighed, stepping out of the elevator as the door opened.

Steve followed Bucky out the door and into the first-floor lobby, smiling at the receptionist. “It’s not far, just a few blocks.” He said, passing a few businessmen.

Bucky nodded a little, automatically hiding his face from the businessmen, not wanting anyone to recognize him. "Alright. I'd assume we're walking, then?" He asked.

"Yeah, I guess. We could drive, though; ask the receptionist to call a car up," Steve shrugged, and remembered some advice from his old neighbor, "But apparently traffic in the city is so bad that it'd be faster to walk."

Bucky nodded. "Walking is fine." He replied as they headed down the street. He took a deep breath, running a hand over the top of his head, smoothing his hair down.

"'O-kay," Steve nodded, his boots scraping against the sidewalk and avoiding the occasional daisy growing in the wide cracks. Those parts of the city never changed, just like the soggy newspapers around park benches and chipping curbside paint. "So…what do you think of the city so far?" He asked, wanting to know if he remembered anything about how it used to be.

Bucky shrugged a little bit. "It's very different from what little I remember." he replied after a moment, shaking his head slightly. He sighed softly. He didn't look at Steve, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Well, it is different." Steve agreed, glancing up at the reflective skyscrapers and the huge billboards. "But what sticks out most to you? For me, it's all the ads." He chuckled, "Time's Square is just…buzzing."

"I don't know." he replied. His eyes snagged on a couple walking by. Two guys, hand in hand and talking. He looked away after a moment. "I uhm…" he shrugged slightly. "I don't know."

"Hm," Steve replied, distracted by the passing couple. He didn't know how he felt about the two of them– they were together and just…held hands. They knew what they wanted and it seemed so easy, and Steve couldn't help but hope he might have that simplest courage someday. God, Tony would just squeal if I had that.