Centennials Are A Nuissance

[reconstitution]

Who: Bucky Barnes & You!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: SS Heron
When: 3/10


[Broadcast;;]

[ The feed opens up with a view of the Heron's cargo bay, set upon a surface and focused on a very plain, yet sizable crate set in the center. Bucky comes into view, absolutely suspicious of the box addressed to him. He circles the crate a few times before kneeling and pulling out a knife so he can shimmy the lid off. It's removed very carefully and set to the side, much like he's diffusing a bomb. It may as well be, he knows what day it is, and this is obviously some weird thing from the Atroma.

He lifts a piece of paper from the top, skims through it quickly and crumples it and tosses the offending thing across the cargo bay. Bucky takes out a package that looks harmless enough- the crate is filled to the brim with very questionably made bottle rockets? Fiddling with it ends in a very harmless but extremely unnecessary explosion of glitter and confetti.

Boy, those sure aren't very nice words are they? Bucky seems to realize that the communicator is broadcasting this catastrophe, so a very glitter and confetti-covered captain stomps over to the device to shut it off. Not long after, a text comes through the network. ]

I don't care who takes the damn things, just get them off my ship. There are 99 more...

[Action;;]

[ Throughout the day, Bucky can probably be found sulking around the Heron, or sitting in the kitchen trying to clean glitter out from between the plates of his arm. His mood would be so much better if there were cake. ]

Comments

[reconstitution]

I don't know if 'deserve' is the right word to use. I don't take any of them for granted.

[ He makes it a point to look at her when he says it. She's included in that. How could she not be when they're both made of the same darker pieces that the others aren't? She understands him a little better than most- if only because of their background. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[She holds the bottle in her hands, dropping her eyes to it briefly before she offers it to him again.]

I think it's the right word.

[reconstitution]

[ What the hell, why not. He takes the bottle back and takes another swig before putting it on the counter between them. ]

Didn't mean it like that. Just sayin' it goes both ways.

[outstandingbalance]

[A little smile, because she knows.]

I appreciate it.

[She thinks about saying that she's still not entirely used to that. She's never been a woman people trusted, not if they really knew her. And without trust, there was only so close she could get to people.

Part of what made Steve special.

She thinks about it, but she's not that drunk, and it's not about her anyway.]

I could do a lot worse.

[reconstitution]

I could name a few, definitely.

[ He leaves that open for where exactly he's picking at. Whether it's a jab at the Fleet or even a jab at SHIELD. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[She snorts at that. Could be the Fleet, or SHIELD. Could be other peple she's worked with, though she wouldn't call them friends.]

Careful. If you keep talking like that, I'll start thinking you actually like me.

[reconstitution]

Well, I don't dislike you.

[ They're still just figuring each other out. He hasn't had the luxury of time like Steve has in getting to know Natasha. ]

[outstandingbalance]

Flatterer. [Teasing, with real amusement in her tone. Not that she expected more, especially from him.] I bet you say that to all the girls.

[reconstitution]

Only the ones who could kill me. [ The sass master has come out to play. ]

[outstandingbalance]

Around here, that's not narrowing it down so much.

Though a lot of the ones who could are too nice for that sort of thing. [Kara. Natasha is thinking of Kara when she says that.]

[reconstitution]

[ He knows exactly who you mean, Natasha. He shakes his head, smiling quickly. ]

You just have to find common ground with those ones. Dessert works pretty nice.

[outstandingbalance]

Popcorn and a movie doesn't do too bad either. Though I think your way is probably better in the end.

[Even more amused by the thought of the Winter Soldier taking nice, young blonde girls out for ice cream and cake.]

Plus you get dessert out of it.

[reconstitution]

Haven't tried that one, yet.

[ They can both eat an unnatural amount of dessert without the other judging and he doesn't have to carry a conversation. ]

[outstandingbalance]

The selection is limited, and she seems to like cartoons, but I wouldn't say it's not worth it.

[reconstitution]

She's pretty easy to spend time with, anyway.

[outstandingbalance]

Usually. Sometimes a little thirsty for approval. But she's a good kid.

[Kara is not, in fact, really a kid. But she seems very young to Natasha sometimes.

Natasha reaches for the bottle again.]

[reconstitution]

She has a good heart. Her intentions are noble.

[outstandingbalance]

Very true. Could describe some other people we know, too.

[Not them, but she's glad for the people they have like that in their lives. Her next question is like, obviously still playing.]

Is that what it takes to get an invitation for dessert?

[reconstitution]

Liking dessert is what will get you an invitation for dessert. If dinner is more your style, I'm flexible.

[ Nailed it. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[That gets a smile out of Natasha, amused by his quick come back and maybe surprised.]

As a matter of fact, I do like dinner. Not that I have anything against sweets, but only once I've earned them.

[reconstitution]

I'd offer you dinner, but we're not in an ideal place. And you don't want me attempting to cook right now.

[ It's hard making that protein palatable. ]

So, what are the parameters for 'earning' dessert?

[outstandingbalance]

Well, first you have to have dinner. Just as a start. Other than that...

[She hums, putting on a thoughtful air.]

I think generally the requirement is a workout before hand. For people who don't have superior metabolisms.

[reconstitution]

Fair enough. Workout, dinner, dessert. [ Sounds like making plans for a date, but they're totally not dating. ]

Next time we have a planet where that's possible.

[outstandingbalance]

And you still owe me a dance. Don't think you can get out of it.

[It is clearly a very platonic plan. Nothing like a date at all.]

Your treat?

[reconstitution]

Yeah, my treat. [ As if he'd let her pay, anyway. He does the same thing to Kara. ]

Nothing wrong with dancing so long as you've got the right partner.