action | party mingle

[seeingscarlet]

Who: Wanda, Bucky, and you!
Broadcast: No
Action: Iskaulit
When: March 10

[It's a double birthday party! There's pizza with slightly strange cheese and cake. And probably shenanigans.

...definitely shenanigans.]

Comments

[outstandingbalance]

"You know I can't promise that." And since he's mentioned it, she definitely will ask it. He can rest assured of that. "Captain Barnes would almost certainly have different things to say than you."

[brooklyn_boy]

Steve groans but the banter is definitely getting him to dance better than he had before. He even steps outside of Nat's feet instead of on them as he moves. It's the same sort of thoughtless way he can fight; it's all instincts and knowing where another's body is. It's only when someone calls it 'dancing' and brings his mind to it that years of self-conscious anxiety makes him stumble.

"I'm sure he would. Our pasts up until the train seem to be identical so I know a few choice tales he might want to embarrass me with..."

[outstandingbalance]

"Must be you have a few stories of your own. Mutually assured destruction?" Because surely that's what it means. Perfectly fair in friendship. At least in the kind of friendship these two have. "If you ever wanted someone to tell them too?"

[brooklyn_boy]

An impish look breaks over Steve's face as he thinks over all the material he truly does have. "If he says anything about my dancing, I'll tell him I'll let you know about his eighteenth birthday." Growing up during Prohibition made the eighteenth all the sweeter for them. Bucky might have been indulged a bit by their friends, Steve included.

[outstandingbalance]

"I'll remember that one." She also doesn't promise not to ask Captain Barnes herself. A tease like this is too good not to follow up on eventually.

[brooklyn_boy]

Steve knows her well enough to know she's gonna ask Bucky as soon as she can about all this amazing gossip. He rolls his eyes and just allows it. Like he could stop her, anyways. "Hey," he finally seems to notice, "I'm not doing too shabby..."

[outstandingbalance]

"It's like you're not really all that bad at it, once you get out of your own head." Teasing him, taking the opportunity to pull away and do a little flourish. She spins herself, really, but Steve could make it look good.

[brooklyn_boy]

He ends up making it look alright. Men don't have to do much except lead the girl in and out and he does so, just a little unsure and stiff. But Nat is a natural and somehow manages to do both part's work by herself.

He reels her back in and lifts his eyebrows.

"Impressive."

[outstandingbalance]

"Just proving the point." And she thinks rather well, all things considered. "And winning our bet."

[brooklyn_boy]

"I guess I owe you dinner, huh?" He moves to spin her and she'll probably have to duck to avoid his arm but it's an attempt. "Better pick a good planet. I'm not sure there's anything better while drifting."

[outstandingbalance]

"You better believe you you do." Natasha adapts to the spin. Luckily, she didn't wear heels. "And I'll keep that in my pocket until it's worth cashing in. I'm not going to settle for a waffle house."

[brooklyn_boy]

Steve looks way too excited about that. "There are waffle houses around here?" Steve loves cheap diner food. It's just how he was raised. Give him an oily French onion soup and a burnt panini and he'll think it's the epitome of food.

[outstandingbalance]

"Not necessarily around here." Considering they're currently on a space ship, and who knows what systems they might be in next. Natasha's eyeroll isn't for Steve's question, though—it's his excitement, and the fact she had a similar conversation with James early in their relationship when she'd questioned his drive to find diner pancakes. "But you never know. We've run into them before."

[brooklyn_boy]

His face is lit up like a sun. A planet that had diners, maybe! Real, honest diner food. Sure he and Buck might be the only ones doing nothing but eating on that planet but even having a possibility was amazing. Who knew, maybe there was a whole 1920's planet? The options available seem to be endless. And for the first time, that idea is thrilling instead of worrisome.

"That would be amazing. Real food! You should definitely cash in your meal there, if it happens. Don't know what you'd be missing."

[outstandingbalance]

"Most systems have real food, even if you can't order pancakes or a cheese burger. Next you're going to to be talking about soda fountains again." Not for the first time, Steve. Don't think she's forgotten.

"I'll let you know when I want to cash in my meal."

[brooklyn_boy]

The song comes to an end and Steve isn't about to try his luck with another. He steps back and raises Nat's hand to his lips to kiss the top like a gentleman.

"I'll be ready whenever you wanna go. But if there is a soda fountain somewhere..." She asked for this one, "you better believe I'm dragging you there cash in or not."

[outstandingbalance]

If they find a soda fountain, Natasha imagines that Steve won't be the only one in a hurry to go. Captain Barnes wouldn't be far behind. Not if he's anything her her Barnes was.

"If you want me to go with you, I will." Letting him kiss her hand. It's cute.

Wrap?

[brooklyn_boy]

"I gotta educate you," he says with seriousness. "Steaks are great but a good soda shop burger? Nothin' like that." Steve can almost see it: him, Bucky, and Nat at some alien shop.

Thor was right that he needed to keep reminding himself of the ultimate goal, here. He was starting to look forward to too much.

"Thanks, Nat. For everything."

Works for me!

[outstandingbalance]

"Don't mention it. I had a bet to win." She lets him go, giving him a wink as she says it. If there's one thing she can do, it's give a friend a nudge when he's too caught up in his own head.