Bucky’s throat works when his stomach tumbles on itself like a circus act, like it’s decided to realize it seems like the world’s managed to jump around them. What the hell just happened? It’s the bar he was in, but there’s something off about it at the same time - and that’s ignoring the part where the pretty bartender up and vanished, and so did the few customers nursing their drinks.
Instead, it’s lights out in here, and there’s only a man with broad, broad shoulders and powerful arms that look a little like they could snap his rifle in half. Bucky’s hand settles on the knife…and yet something in him’s practically screaming at him not to knife this guy, even before the fella whirls around.
The knife goes clattering to the ground the next second, and for once, Bucky forgets all about the part where he's not got a single weapon on him anymore.
Bucky stares, gaping. He’d recognize him anywhere; even with the long hair Steve wouldn’t be caught dead in, much less a fucking beard that Bucky didn’t know Steve could even grow in the first place. (And hell, if it doesn’t look good on him). Steve looks as gobsmacked as he does; they stare at each other like the world’s frozen over in that moment. Steve looks at him in this way that makes goosebumps prickle all over his skin; like he’s seen a ghost or something.
Bucky might as well’ve been rooted right to the barstool, ‘cause he can’t move a muscle as Steve carefully, slowly makes his way around the bar. Bucky can’t look away from the man standing before him; there’s something different about Steve. Something deadlier in the way he moves, like a blade finely honed, something confident in his body that his Steve doesn’t quite seem to be yet, and those eyes….
…There’s something older there; worn to exhaustion and something so sad that Bucky finds himself stumbling forward to grab at a hand as if Steve’s gonna slip away somehow if someone doesn’t keep him anchored.
“Yeah, pal, it’s me.” The words seem to echo in the bar. Bucky’s eyes search Steve’s face, while that sense of wrong skitters up his back. The animal part of him knows; It’s Steve, but it’s not his Steve, even as Bucky’s mind races to figure out what the hell happened, and how! “The hell’s going on? What happened to you?”
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Instead, it’s lights out in here, and there’s only a man with broad, broad shoulders and powerful arms that look a little like they could snap his rifle in half. Bucky’s hand settles on the knife…and yet something in him’s practically screaming at him not to knife this guy, even before the fella whirls around.
The knife goes clattering to the ground the next second, and for once, Bucky forgets all about the part where he's not got a single weapon on him anymore.
Bucky stares, gaping. He’d recognize him anywhere; even with the long hair Steve wouldn’t be caught dead in, much less a fucking beard that Bucky didn’t know Steve could even grow in the first place. (And hell, if it doesn’t look good on him). Steve looks as gobsmacked as he does; they stare at each other like the world’s frozen over in that moment. Steve looks at him in this way that makes goosebumps prickle all over his skin; like he’s seen a ghost or something.
Bucky might as well’ve been rooted right to the barstool, ‘cause he can’t move a muscle as Steve carefully, slowly makes his way around the bar. Bucky can’t look away from the man standing before him; there’s something different about Steve. Something deadlier in the way he moves, like a blade finely honed, something confident in his body that his Steve doesn’t quite seem to be yet, and those eyes….
…There’s something older there; worn to exhaustion and something so sad that Bucky finds himself stumbling forward to grab at a hand as if Steve’s gonna slip away somehow if someone doesn’t keep him anchored.
“Yeah, pal, it’s me.” The words seem to echo in the bar. Bucky’s eyes search Steve’s face, while that sense of wrong skitters up his back. The animal part of him knows; It’s Steve, but it’s not his Steve, even as Bucky’s mind races to figure out what the hell happened, and how! “The hell’s going on? What happened to you?”