4943/Familiar Faces, Comfortable Places

From Heroes Assemble MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Familiar Faces, Comfortable Places
Date of Scene: 30 January 2021
Location: Suite 04: Barnes - Triskelion
Synopsis: Peggy and Bucky have both been going through a rough patch. They find comfort in each other and remember what good old, true friends do for the soul.
Cast of Characters: James Barnes, Peggy Carter




James Barnes has posed:
Winter's a hard time of year for Bucky....and he's more withdrawn than usual. He can be found on the grounds tending to Lili, or even going into the city proper to visit Steve, now and again....but for most of the cold months, he sticks very close to the Triskelion indeed. Early January's been the worst of all.

So now he's home in his little suite in the Triskelion, kicked back on the couch as he watches a very old movie indeed: one of the old black and white Zorros. Lili's draped across the couch, her head in is lap, and he's stroking her head with his human hand.

Peggy Carter has posed:
While Peggy's been wrapped up in more missions than she can count, including the two weeks stuck in the desert trying to get May back from 1949, winter is rough. That mission, the one which not only brought her back in touch with the bright young agent she used to be, but the man she called husband for so short a time, pressed home a lot of uncomfortable truths. She drown herself in work after it, trying to forget things, but that just got her an encounter with a ghost and another friend comatose in the medical ward. Needless to say, it's been a rough January.

While the temptation to continue hiding and sleepless, work filled nights is there, her eyes don't even want to focus on the old files right now. So, after a few moments considering it, she went and picked up two overly sweet hot chocolates and forced herself to do something she hasn't done in weeks -- remember what it is to be a good friend. That, no matter how lonely she feels, she still has SOME people here. She knocks quietly on the door with her foot, hands occupied with hot, sweet beverages.

When it opens, the state of her is an interesting storybook of her last few weeks. There's still a few bits of her skin sunburned and freckled from far too long in the desert, but the rest of her has paled out. There's a double set of luggage beneath her eyes and, perhaps the most concerning of all, is the ring of yellow-green bruises around her throat. Someone tried to strangle the woman, it seems. She's got a new (very old) gold chain around her neck, it's pendants hidden beneath the collar of her dark green and navy tartan wool dress. "...I've been a shite friend but... maybe some hot chocolate will help?" She offers quietly. Her voice still has a rasp behind it, vocal chords holding the damage from earlier in the week.

James Barnes has posed:
He doesn't look all that great himself - the pale eyes are shadowed, his lips thinned out into that grim line....and Lili's stuck to his leg like she's velcroed there. Though she whines when she spots Peggy, glancing from Buck to Carter and back again. "I've been a crap one, too," he admits, voice raspy. "C'mon in. I haven't been much good to anyone, really."

He steps aside to motion her in, after stooping to click off the TV with a remote. The screen doesn't go dark, but instead turns to a peaceful scene of ocean waves on a tropical beach. The sound of the surf is low, soothing.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Looking him over, something slightly tightens in Peggy's chest. Flickers of guilt behind her eyes are immediately clear, though she tries to press them back. She steps into the room and turns to immediately set down the hot chocolates, those really not her concern for the moment. "No...shh. You're fine. I...should have come sooner. You're fine."

And unless he physically stops her, she now just reaches tired, warm arms up to try and tug him into a tight hug they probably both need. She's almost never a hugging person, too stiffly British and proper, but there are times and friendships that go beyond propriety. This is one of them. She holds onto him tightly, nearly for dear life. Her throat tightens, eyes glass with tears she's trying not to cry.

James Barnes has posed:
IT has Buck smiling at her, lopsided and ridiculous, that near-smirk she knows so well. He wraps both arms around her, in turn. She's one of the very few who he'll accept any real touch from. Then he's drawing her towards the couch. "C'mon, old girl," he teases. "Get off your feet. Now that we've acknowledged our mutual guilt 'cause we're both so busy trying to bottle up our feelings, let's actually talk, huh?" Lili's all but tripping them, in her attempts to keep as close as possible. "Gotta let Lili lick you some, so she can be sure you're okay," he adds.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The hug was needed far more than she could ever admit in words. Bucky can probably, practically feel her body relaxing by a few inches as she sinks into the wrap of both his arms. She still never pulls away from that metal touch, though it might not be so comfortable for him. It's never scared her. She blinks against one of those tears she didn't want to escape, but it's too late. It streaks down her cheek with a slight shake of her breath. "...Yes, fair enough." She rasps out to the comment of both of them bottling up their feelings. He wasn't wrong.

Peggy lets herself be drawn to the couch, kicking off her heels as she goes so her stockinged feet can curl up beneath her. Lili's tripping concern is almost welcomed, as the sweet dog might be able to lap up those tears before James actually gets to see them. Peggy buries her fingertips warmly into the shephard's scruff, letting out another slow breath. "...god, we're both ridiculous, aren't we?"

James Barnes has posed:
It feels *odd* to hug him, with that metal arm, yielding and yet not in a way so alien to a normal human body. He settles her in the middle of the couch, and Lili's up in a moment, leaning up to lick at those tears.

They don't go unnoticed, though. Far from it. Pragmatically, James pulls a clean hankie out of the pocket of the worn jeans he's wearing, proffers it to her. "Yeah, we are. You'd think we'd know better by now, but...." He shrugs, grins that sheepish grin. "At least I've got Lili, who I really can't fool where feelings are concerned, you know? I try and push 'em away, but she's reading 'em even when I don't want to."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"...More reasons why I never kept an animal. They know you too well." Peggy states mockingly stiffly, clearly meant to be a joke. But there's a core of uncomfortable truth in most jests and this one is no different. Still, she allows the canine to lap at her salty tears and what is left of her make up, stripping off more of that concealer trying to hide the ends of the sunburn and faint freckles. She's not even bothered with her throat, the bruises too nasty to bother covering. She clears her throat, managing to pull herself back together now that they aren't hugging. It's hard to be stiff and proper hugging a life long, dear friend.

"Now... are you going to tell me why you've been locked up in here for months or am I going to have to go first?" Peggy asks, torn between trying to keep herself together and the temptation to just let the emotions fall out. But she's leaning towards being professional.

James Barnes has posed:
Which he's well aware she's doing. Lili being up in Peggy's lap more than signal enough. But James simply cocks a brow at her wryly, and goes first. He takes a breath, clearly marshalling his thoughts, "The bland way to say it is that I hit a particularly difficult phase in the deprogramming," he notes, that almost humorous note in his voice. "The blunt way is that I was close on a breakdown and wasn't much use to anyone. I spent a while not mission-capable, let's say, and doing a lot of work with my doctors and therapist and finetuning medication." He laughs, but it's mirthless. "It's working. It's amazing how well they can make it work, these days. I'm grateful for it."

Peggy Carter has posed:
While Peggy's going to realize the answer the moment after she asks it, hearing that information gets a tight knit of her brow and an immediate, "Oh hell, James...why didn't you TELL me? I would have... I don't know. Been here. Watched an awful movie with you or beat up a punching bag or...what have you. You needn't do that alone..." But as soon as she stops her words, her lips press a bit. She keeps one hand buried in Lili's fur, but lets her frame sink into the couch a bit deeper, so her leg rests against his. There is some sort of contact there, lingering. "... Pots and kettles, I know...I know. Still. I... I'm glad it's working."

James Barnes has posed:
Lili, if she has her way, will be draped across both of them. Gotta reassure both humans at once, she takes her job very seriously. The soft brown eyes look back and forth between the humans, and her tail thumps gently.

"There was a little while when I wasn't sure I was safe around people," Buck says, quietly. "So....that's where I was. But it's getting better now. Three steps forward, two steps back, all that." He finally leans over to pick up one of the cocoas, and eyes her expectantly. "So, now it's your turn. And lemme tell you, you look like hell. What's had you running so ragged?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
Despite her stiffness of seemingly not caring for animals, Peggy quite loves Lili, and does not mind at all having the girl's warm belly and lower legs draped across her as she slowly massages red nails through her back haunches and across her tail. That touch alone is centering. Calming. It lets her frame just slump a little more against James, though his comment about not being safe around people gets a flat look. "...Maybe not others, but... remember who I am, James. We have fought before. I *know* you... all parts of you. Trust yourself or not, I will manage. Please. Trust me." Peggy's eyes are on the edge of a firm plea as she says that. If he can trust her that much... maybe she can trust him as well.

Then he's asking that. Her turn to dive off the bridge. She lets out a slow breath, dark eyes dropping. She doesn't even seem certain where to start. "...I spoke to my husband who has been dead since 1956. May... she got stuck back in the past... with the SSR. We managed to recover her, I was leading the operation. Hell, it's my fault she was stuck there in the first place. But... I... I miss them. All of them. I can normally just... forget how very lonely this life is. But sometimes..." She shakes her head quietly, eyes dropped again so she doesn't see that fresh sheen of glass there.

James Barnes has posed:
He's taken a healthy swig of cocoa...and as he listens, forgets to swallow, blue eyes getting bigger and bigger. Then he's gulping it down hastily, and pulling her closer, resting her head on his human shoulder.

"Aw, Peg," Buck says, roughly. "God, that's right. That's so hard. You're not like me and Steve, your life didn't stop in the war. You got to go on and .... keep going. So you've got far more back then than we do. I'm so sorry." He kisses the top of her head, softly.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The kiss against her head wouldn't be accepted by her from nearly ANYONE else. Peggy's nose still wrinkles, just a moment, but then she lets herself lean into it. She closes her eyes quietly against those tears, letting her head sink into the side of his shoulder as she tries to pull in a steady breath, but it's still slightly shaky. If she could curl up and bury herself into his chest, she just might do so.

"It's... nonsense. They've all been gone decades now. Daniel nearly 70 years... I've had all the time in the world to move on and grieve. I just... I suppose this was all much easier when I had a... team. A family. I didn't even get to say good bye to Howard and... Ah. I'm sorry. This is nonsense."

James Barnes has posed:
"It's not nonsense," Buck insists, hitching her closer. "These're people you know and love. You got kicked into a weird kinna exile and it's terrible. I mean, I got off lightly, 'cause all the people I really had left, you and Steve, ended up here with me. But you....you had a family. It's okay to let it out, Peggy. This is me. I'm not gonna judge you for being sad." He huffs at that, indignant, but doesn't relinquish his grip. Soldier on one side, German Shepherd on the other. She's being cuddled into submission, apparently.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A ragged sniffle dares escape her breath, and he can practically feel her stiffen in his arms, as if her body betrayed her at letting that out. Peggy then forces herself to exhale and actually lean into the gentle squeeze of his grasp. He *was* there. Alive. Breathing, warm, sitting with her and not judging her. Someone who knew Peggy, not just 'Director Carter' as so many of the other agents these days. She actually shifts a little beneath Lili, so she can finally curl into his side, her arm tucking against them and the other stretched over Lili and against his stomach.

"I'm just... very tired... I thought about all of them and...missed them but was also... this is utterly awful to say... part of me was jealous. They got to finally... Rest. Sleep. I've still got so much to clean up and so many...fights... and I'm so damn tired, James..."

James Barnes has posed:
He's deliberately slowed his own breathing, as if to coach hers. Warm, almost feverishly warm, but relaxed...and leaning his cheek against her hair, now.

"I get it," James allows, after a little. "I do. Things are better now than they were, but when I was first coming back to myself....there were days and nights when I wished I'd just died in the mountains, rather than lived to be what HYDRA made of me. It's hard to accept that all these years later, the war isn't really over. I can't even really walk away. I'd never be able to live with myself. I just....have to keep putting one step in front of another, you know?" No self-pity in his voice, but an infinite weariness.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Curled in like this, practically buried in his neck like a lover, Peggy's voice comes very quiet. Low enough she feels certain that any SHIELD bugs in the room should not be able to pick up her whisper, or will play it off like intimacies building between those who could be lovers. "...yes. The war isn't...over. I spoke to Fury off site. He's... as concerned as we are. And they are buried deep in SHIELD. I need...both of us, when we find a moment to breathe..." And then her head relaxes some, not pressed so close her whisper is nothing but a ghost of breath.

"I know. We both have... more work. And reasons we are here. And... each other. We should not forget that. Even if Steve is off saving the world, I'm here... and I'd hate myself if I gave up now. No matter the sometimes...temptation."

James Barnes has posed:
His scent's an odd contrast, a mix of the perfectly ordinary: shampoo and soap and chocolate, and the harsh, metallic tang of the prosthesis. "Mmmh," he says, not sounding surprised at that revelation. His human hand's come up to stroke her hair, softly.

"Yeah, you're right," Buck agrees, voice nearly as low. "It....I get tempted, too. But I figure this is my second chance, you know? To see it down to its end."

Peggy Carter has posed:
One of her small hands comes up, smoothing across Lili's ears. Even if the canine has now mostly settled, the simple act of petting her, of giving that gentle, uncondition love back to the beast which gives so much in return, it helps. Peggy's breath has evened out again slowly, between's calm, measured pace and the warm body in their mutual laps.

"...How do we do this for each other so... so it doesn't get this bad again? I'm here. I... don't want to leave you alone. Hell. I sat there in my apartment... missing you. Thinking of you...and thinking you didn't need this muck of a situation on your shoulders..."

James Barnes has posed:
"We gotta make a point of checking in regularly," he says, after a moment. The dog sighs heavily, lowering her head to Peggy's lap. Then, after a slightly more awkward pause, James goes on, "Uh, you could sleep here tonight. This couch turns into a bed or....uh, you could sleep next to me. My actual bed's pretty big, and you know I wouldn't ever misbehave." As if he were likely to have roaming hands like a hormonal teenager.

Peggy Carter has posed:
That offer drives her quiet for a moment. It's quiet in the way of someone who is considering something heavier than she expected to. Peggy doesn't respond for a few heartbeats, but lets her arm rest a little closer around his stomach. With him, she didn't have to be the distant and intimidating director. She could just let herself be a woman. Small, when she needed to be. Maybe even a touch fragile, though she'd never admit it. Finally, a tired, crackled little laugh escapes her rasping throat. "...It's not you who I don't trust. I won't be some hormonal teenager but... it has been ... a very long time since I shared a bed with someone, and the last time, the bastard snuck out before breakfast. I wouldn't trust myself to... stay in my corner, so to speak."

James Barnes has posed:
"Margaret Carter, did you just say that you might assault my shining virtue and innocence?" She doesn't need to look up to see the smirk on his face. She can *hear* it. He can laugh at it, and not bitterly, the idea that his mere presence would make him irresistible. "I'm scandalized, young lady. D' you make a habit of preying on innocent young soldiers?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Oh come *off* it." Peggy swats his stomach gently, though the laugh that rasps across her lips a moment later is an absolutely genuine one. Something she needed to do, properly laugh, after everything. She keeps her arm around him, but her head is turned and she's shaking her head as she smirks gently in his direction. "I suspect if I knew what you did with half those ladies on leave, *I* would be the one scandalized, Barnes. I just don't want you to wake up with a strange woman wrapped around you like some lamprey because she got cold in the night."

James Barnes has posed:
Buck's grinning down at her, bright-eyed. "Yeah, you might be. Ah, the good ol' days of Liberation," he sighs, reminiscently....and then points out, "But you wouldn't be a strange woman. You'd be you, and I know you. So you could wrap around me all you like."

Peggy Carter has posed:
The look in her eyes is very tempted and yet a little wary of that. Like Peggy is scared to get too attached but not an inch of her wants to go home. Her fingertips curl against his stomach thoughtfully. "It...wouldn't be an intrusion?" She finally asks, voice quieter than normal. Very little makes Peggy Carter nervous but, for some reason, this is a bundle of nerves and aching, uncertain heart.

James Barnes has posed:
"Nah," he replies, without hesitation. "I mean, hell, we've slept by each other before plenty of times...and now we've got memory foam mattresses, and not sticks and leaves and dirt. Not to mention unwashed commandos everywhere. I'll have you know I shower every day," Buck asserts, cheerfully.

Peggy Carter has posed:
As if she were skepitcal, brows arched, Peggy leans over and gives his shoulder a little sniff. She makes a mock surprised sound in the back of her throat, fingertips reaching down to ruffle at Lili's ears. "You really are good for him. Getting James Barnes to shower on the daily. I never thought I'd see it." She's grinning up at him as she says that, the echo of bloodshot exhaustion and tears in her eyes still, but it's just an echo. The smile is genine as well.

James Barnes has posed:
"She keeps me from lying around in bed feeling sorry for myself," James notes, brows canted. "Doesn't matter how I wake up feeling, we gotta go out and play with the B-A-L-L," he says, spelling the word. Wisely so, for Lili's raised her head, big ears pricking hopefully. "She's good at knowing how I'm feeling, but she doesn't let me sit around in it. Having a dog's a good thing, you got something to care for."

Peggy Carter has posed:
A little grunt escapes her throat at that comment, "I could barely care for a plant, much less an animal. Daniel at least fed himself and didn't mind if I occasionally slept in the office." There's a weak chuckle from her at that. Peggy will always be married to her work first. She always has been. "But... yes. If you truly don't mind and won't be too offended if I end up being... close... It might be nice not to sleep in an empty bed. And not with someone that I'm just a warm... " She was about to say something FAR more vulgar, perhaps a bit cross with the man, but she catches herself, "...body... and little else."

James Barnes has posed:
"I don't mind. As a warning, Lili'll likely be on the bed, too. She sleeps on the end, and she gets a weekly bath and a daily brushing, so no fleas and not a lot of hair," he warns. "Nah, it's me, you know me. Between Lili and my meds, my nightmares are under control, too."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy sits up just enough she can meet his eyes almost level. One hand comes up, resting against the side of his cheek, "James. Look at me. Even if they weren't... I wouldn't care. I'd be *happy* to be here... to help. You're the one letting me crawl in here like some orphan out of the cold. The least I can do is be there if you need someone warm in turn. And I think I'd be rather cross for Lili if she *wasn't* allowed in the bed. She is part of the family, after all."

James Barnes has posed:
Look at her he does, smiling ruefully. "It'll be nice," he says, softly. "I think. Yeah, she gets to sleep on the bed, too. I bet we both sleep better than we have in a while. Sometimes the quiet here gets to me, honestly. Steve and I grew up in tenements in Brooklyn, and it's never all the way quiet there, you know? Always the sounds of the city...."

Peggy Carter has posed:
The comment about Brooklyn gets a *look* from her. Half understanding, half exasperated. "You really need to come by the one apartment sometime. Been spending more time there and... yes. I have absolutely noticed that it *never* gets quiet there." Peggy smirks, both fond of and exhausted by it. Though, Brooklyn is probably not to blame for her sleeplessness. But it's a nicer thing to consider than everything else in her life. "but... Yes. I'd love to stay. Thank you, James. It... I..." She sighs, looking down to Lili's ears for a moment, "I don't really have words for what it means but... it means a lot."

James Barnes has posed:
"You're welcome," Buck says, and his voice is gentle. "It'll make me feel good, too, honestly. Even the most soothing sounds from that speaker system they got hooked up in here...I still feel like a museum piece sometimes, you know?" Then he's eyeing her. "You gonna get your own PJs, or you need to borrow some from me? I've got some clean, though they'll be huge on you."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Dark eyes flicker to the door, considering, "Oh. I think I can manage my own. I still have some things here. Not that stealing yours isn't tempting for amusement alone... Just need to be certain there aren't prying eyes in the hall." Peggy's ever-red lips pull into a deeper smirk, "Half these younger agents would be just *dying* for that kid of gossip. Carter caught sneaking into Barnes' carrying her jams. It'd be worse than if the Howlers got hold of it. And they're looking for ammo after I brought that stripper in for May's return party. If you go to the Swordfish, ask for General 'Grinder'. He's now a permanent fixture." Peggy's smile is all mischief for a moment. She's still proud of that.

James Barnes has posed:
The latter half of that explanation has Bucky's brow furrowing in confusion. "Wait. Stripper? General Grinder?" He's peering at her, brows up. "I didn't hear about this...." Not *yet* scandalized, but very definitely poised on the brink....or maybe guffawing, by the way his lips are twitching.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Melinda May says she's uptight and offish, but I rather know the sort. And she *was* stuck in 1949 for weeks... I figured I should bring her back to a more.. liberated era in a proper fashion. And the Swordfish has quite sophisticated holographic technology, even with sensory effects and the like. So... I used a bit of my clout and had them program a quite... *gifted*... sculpted... piece of entertainment for Melinda's welcome back party. General Grinder. Though, he did remove most of his 'uniform' fairly quickly. May enjoyed him quite excellently and all the younger agents could not figure out who had hacked the system to make him appear." Peggy smiles, mock innocently..."Over all, I would call the General's mission a success."

James Barnes has posed:
That's when he abruptly *blushes*, color flooding into his face. "I....I gotta admit, I'd never thought of using that kind of tech for that sort of entertainment," Buck confesses, following the admission with an awkward laugh. "I shouldn't be surprised, humans never really change, but....sheesh. Sounds like it was a successful mission. How'd May react, though?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
Seeing Bucky blush makes Peggy just smile a bit wider, her head tilting as she stares at him, a little laugh behind her breath. "James Barnes. *The* casanova of the Howling Commandos. And now you are blushing about some fleshly entertainments? Goodness... I am going to corrupt you after all, aren't I?" Peggy asks with a little chuckle, reaching up to muss his hair, fond and warm. "May loved him. Took two dances before she even let anyone else think about cutting in. She's got more heat under that skin than most people realize."

James Barnes has posed:
"I just, uh....honestly, yeah. I forget that things are different now, for both men *and* women," he finishes, lamely. He leans in to the ruffling, grins. "Yeah, I bet, now that you say that. That's often the case with the really restrained ones..."

Peggy Carter has posed:
When he leans into the ruffling, her smile softens just a bit. As much as Peggy does like the teasing, having someone to simply be affectionate with is more relaxing, and probably more needed, than she thought it'd be. She lets her fingertips slightly fall to the side, so she can tuck that messy hair behind his ears. "Mm, you've figured out *some* of the differences, you and all this hair. In a pony tail soon, it'll be. What would Phillips say?" The teasing is all far more tender than actually chiding now. "And... if we actually wish to get sleep, I should sneak out some of those pajamas, or i'll end up asleep in my stockings."