2478/Pinch Yourself.

Pinch Yourself.
Date of Scene:	16 July 2020
Location:	North Woods
Synopsis:	Holy smokes, Barnes went on a date and Steve was there for that reveal. Lili's worries as to popped handballs are laid to rest.
Cast of Characters:	James Barnes, Steve Rogers

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James Barnes has posed:
It's been one of their regular....well, playdates is a good word. If superheroes can be said to have playdates. Late evening, after dinner, with moths darting around the lights that illuminate the complex of fields and courts. Lili's off to one side, head on her paws, dozing, with Buck's pack right by her.

The man himself is in rare form: jogging pants, t-shirt, hair pinned up in a lazy knot. Apparently he condescends to a man bun, now and again.

"So yeah," he says, as he lobs a ball towards the wall. "Tennis. Never played. We just did technique. I kinna couldn't explain how much tennis was a rich people thing in our day," Buck's explaining. "I guess it's not so much, now."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Pock -- the ball pops off the wall and there's Steve darting after it. He's in loose basketball shorts and a t-shirt as well -- no man-bun, his hair isn't nearly long enough and to his druthers, never will be. It gleams under the nearby lights as he swats the ball back with a twist of torso in follow-through.

"Hard thing to explain to somebody who wasn't around for it. Maybe next time, approach it about the time it takes? People were working hard, wasn't a lot of time to devote to it. That'll probably make more sense to her," he says. He's crouched down and readied for the next angled return when it dawns on him.

The man looks directly at Bucky, heedless of the ball. "Wait -- 'nd this was just some idea she threw at you? Playing tennis?"

James Barnes has posed:
A moment of distraction Buck takes shameless advantage of. He's not as graceful as Steve, but there's a litheness to the way he moves, especially when he's warmed up. In pants rather than shorts; apparently his modesty demands that his knees never see the light of day. He bats the ball back at the wall, hard enough that there's that faintly metallic note of impact.

Then he wipes at his face with his human hand. "Yeah. I don't remember how we got on the subject. But....she said she knew a place, so we went." The assassin's tone is a little abstracted, concentrating on the game, maybe.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Zwhip -- there goes the ball past Steve, who's now straightened up in place and put his hands on his hips. There's this squint now aimed at his oldest friend and turn of head without losing visual focus.

"'nd you went with her 'nd played tennis 'nd then what...?" he asks, golden eyebrows lifting. There's this suspicion brewing in his own mind, but he sure as hell isn't going to pin it on Barnes until more information is forthcoming.

James Barnes has posed:
Lili's head comes up immediately, and she looks between them. Dad, Dad, I could get it. I could. Buck goes ambling over to retrieve it, rolling it around his human hand. "Then we had coffee," he says, still in that faintly toneless voice. It's his turn to squint back at Steve. "What?" he asks, with a hint of irritation....and a lot of Brooklyn suddenly making its appearance. "What's *that* look?"

Steve Rogers has posed:
Lookit them brows lift high.

"You had coffee with her. Again?" he asks, this incredulous note now entering his voice...and something almost sly and disbelieving bleeding into his expression. He shifts his weight to his other foot, keeping his hands on his hips, now apparently trying not to smile. Lili gets a significant glance as if to let her in on the amusement. "Not a look," the Captain adds with an innocence just that hair too much to be true. He glances back at Bucky and now? He's having a very hard time not smiling.

James Barnes has posed:
Lili is glancing attentively between them...and she thumps her tail hopefully against the worn asphalt of the court. "Yeah," Buck says, still peering narrowly at Steve. "What're you doin'? Why you lookin' at me like that?" He hasn't gone full-on *Taxi Driver* but he's getting there, fingers making the ball squeak as he grips it.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Rolling his lips, Steve can't help but look down at the handball court...away and off to one side...up briefly at the lights with a squint, so many moths, yeesh...and then back at Bucky. One hand finally lifts off his hip as he replies, "Buck. Think about it. Lay it all out. She decided to talk to you more than once. She then gave you a challenge 'nd made you work for it. She then thought coffee was a good idea 'nd you went 'nd had it with her. Y'know I don't have the best track record for anything like this, but...?"

The hand even circles a few times off to one side as if to jog the Soldier into realizing what the Captain's implying.

James Barnes has posed:
That stitch between the brows Steve knows so well. The way his lips part and his nose wrinkles. His expression's going ever more skeptical, puzzled. Like he suspects Steve of baiting him or trying to lead him on. He even flicks a look at Lili, like she might translate.

Then the dam breaks, comprehension dawns, and Buck's bridling like a horse reined hard. "Tsssh," he says. "Steve. C'mon. She couldn't possibly." Except that yes, she can. And probably is.....and he, whose life depends on his quickness of perception and acumen, has been drifting along like a leaf on a stream.

Steve Rogers has posed:
The dam breaks and so does Steve's attempt to keep from laughing. He blurts out a guffaw or two, honestly amused by this 'impossibility', and has to bend over for just a second or two. Oh lord: his ribs.

"Buck," he then laugh-wheezes. Here comes the Brooklyn accent in turn, laced with the Gaelic of his youngest years. "Buck, she can. You can. Anybody can, but god...oh m'god. Buck! She coulda had you wrapped around her little finger 'nd you'd not've noticed! C'mon. That was a date. Admit it," and he points at Barnes even as he's walking over a little closer, grinning like mad.

James Barnes has posed:
Steve knows that scowl, too. It's positively thunderous. Lili looks at the ball, anxious and intent, then at Steve. Steve. Steve. The ball is in danger! For Buck's grip is tightening on it, as his other hand curls into a fist.

He tries several times to come up with a rebuttal, face contorting with his efforts. Then, finally, he blows out a sigh. "I guess it was," he concedes, grumpily. "Aw, jeez."

Steve Rogers has posed:
The sheer intensity of sour-puss on Barnes' face has his oldest friend laughing again, this time with an incredulous note.

"Jeez what? Buck, you wouldn't've said yes if it'd be dangerous, right? What, she must be a looker. You always went for the prettiest ones," he says with a snort and then snatches the handball away from the Soldier. Rest easy, Lili, the ball is now safe. An idle toss of it as he stands there, still grinning like he's uncovered the world's best secret ever. "What's'er name again? Need me to run a background check on'er at SHIELD?"

James Barnes has posed:
Sourpuss indeed....that old, familiar affectionate irritation. For that little interlude, all the intervening years have rolled away and they're sitting again in a frozen foxhole in the Ardennes, teasing each other.

But the mention of SHIELD has that bleeding away into that weary look. It's not quite the dull resignation that's one of the few expressions that *Winter* wears. "She's pretty," he says. "Yeah. Patsy. Patsy Walker. Aw, Steve," Now his gaze drops to the cracked surface of the court, and his human hand finds his hair, knots at his temple. "I can't do this. She knows who I am, I mean, about you and all. But she doesn't know *what* I am, what I done."

Steve Rogers has posed:
The realization does take some of the wind out of Rogers' amusement. His smile fades into something more introspective. While Buck is staring at his toes, the blond super-soldier looks out across the court and beyond, to the other sporting courts and the facility. The air is still warm despite the sun having set an hour ago.

Another toss and catch of the ball. "Think...maybe that'll come with time, Buck," he says quietly, eyes back on Barnes. "'nd if she's anybody worthy of you, she'll understand that what happened wasn't you. Wasn't the James she knows, has had coffee with 'nd played tennis with. If she's got anything like a heart...she'll understand."

James Barnes has posed:
Hot and humid, the kind of night that used to have them spreading their blankets on the roof and sleeping there in search of a hint of the coolness that couldn't be found in the confines of the tenements. There's sweat gleaming at his temples, and he doesn't look up. Not even when Lili gets up to come to him, slipping her muzzle neatly under his human hand, licking his fingers. "She hasn't seen the arm," he says, flatly. "It's been nice." A little time with someone who still thinks he's a real boy.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Modern air conditioning has been a perpetual thing of wonder to the Captain. He had a moment or two of idle memory about those sweltering nights even as they'd been playing ealier.

"Buck." Gently goading, Steve shifts his weight and then throws the ball down. It pocks off the handball court and up into his hand again as he watches his friend intently. "What makes you think she's gonna think less of you with the arm?"

In a tree nearby, a robin decides one more song is appropriate and the notes lilt out over the dusk.

James Barnes has posed:
James is petting the dog's ears, playing with the silky fur there. "Steve," he says, with the air of a man having to hold hard to his patience, "It's awful. No one's gonna..." He can't bring himself to say more. How it's the visible symbol of that internal monstrosity. That he's not his own anymore, hasn't been since Truman was in office.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"It is awful. It is. Nobody in their right mind is gonna argue there's not a dark place in hell for those who did those things to you." His friend's voice has swung low and calm now. "I wish I could tell you what she'll say, what she'll do. But'm not magical. 'm not psychic. But here's the thing."

He sighs. "I stand by what I said before. If she's got any kinda heart, she'll recognize that you're a good man, down to the bones, no matter what happened to you. That you've got a heart so big, you thought you'd try keeping half an eye on me when you had yourself to worry about more. How 'bout this. She make you feel good about yourself?"

James Barnes has posed:
"She's nice to me," Buck says, finally. But there's that forlorn note in his voice. Now that he's forced to look in the eye what he's been trying to ignore this last while. "It's fun to be around her. It's just....this..." A helpless gesture of his right hand takes in the hidden sweep of the arm, "Is a lot to deal with."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve remembers something even as he's looking at the metallic creation he knows to exist beneath the sleeve and glove. "Wait. You said she'd hit the ball back hard, right? Hard as you can? Buck." A tilt of his head and thoughtful frown. "She's got something else to her then. If that's the case..."

Those broad shoulders shrug. "Bet she won't be bothered by it. You don't have to show her right away either, it can wait. This's only the first real date, right? Gotta have a second 'nd third one to be more sure about things." A beat and he smirks to himself, glancing down at Lili. "Not that I'm some sage about this."

James Barnes has posed:
Buck just shakes his head at him. But there's a faint easing of that tension in his shoulders, the lines on his face. "We'll see," he says. "Hey, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving." He generally is. Hard to keep up with *that* metabolism

Steve Rogers has posed:
Recognizing a deliberate change in conversational bent, the Captain respects it. "Sounds good to me. Thinking maybe Pad Thai this time. Been having this craving for peanut sauce lately 'nd nothing's been doing it, not even peanut butter on toast." The handball gets two more brisk throws down at the pavement -- pock-pock -- and then he pockets it, beginning to walk over towards the Soldier's pack Lili was 'guarding'.

"But keep me updated, Buck. Who knows. Something good might come'f all of it," he says, giving his oldest friend a grin.

And stories. There will be stories.