z_jay | Luceti | Appointments

It was a joke, Gene.

[Bucky cleans the blade off and holds it out to him, handle first.]

A girl like that... Tony had better know what a lucky bastard he is. But the way she talks about him, I get the feeling he does.

[He grins back and shakes his head, leaning back against the wall to watch Eugene. He even holds up his hands at the threat.]

Valentines was eventful for everyone. If it makes you feel any better, I was a girl at the time - so now that we've both got loaded guns, let's not pull the triggers.

[He pauses a beat, unsure of what Natasha has told Eugene. She's not exactly one for keeping her profession a secret, but she only really talks about it when it comes up - and he's not the person who should be telling anyone.] Don't feel bad. Tasha is more capable than half the people in here, super powers included. You should see her before her first cup of coffee in the morning. It's a magical combination of adorable and utterly terrifying.

I've never actually met Tony, heard lots about the man. Not all of it flattering, and from a very reliable source.

[Jack's first encounter with him hadn't been pleasant-- but considering the world they had just been plucked from, Eugene couldn't blame Jack for reacting as he had from the comment. Not when those statements had meant something very threatening and real back home. On the other hand, it was unfair to expect everyone else to curtail themselves on account of their past terrors.

With a smirk, he took the blade and then turned his attention to the mirror, to form and being cautious. Even if he wasn't entirely perfect at following from example, he wasn't going to let that stop him. Bucky being a girl-- now that... he hadn't expected and his brows rose a considerable about when he viewed him in the mirror, trying to place it.]

No triggers pulled here, my friend. Still-- can't imagine you as a lady. And Tasha carries herself with a confidence I've never seen anyone for that matter. She's got the Major beat. Kind of like Pepper only... it comes from a different place? How did you two manage to hit it off in the first place? Don't tell me you fell over her.

I don't doubt that. He doesn't seem like the kinda guy who makes a whole lot of friends.

[He doesn't know what happened, but Tony pissing someone off doesn't exactly surprise him.]

Good. Do us both a favor and don't imagine me as a lady. [He humms and nods his agreement about Natasha. She is confident, but it came at cost, and he admires her all the more for what she's made of herself and her life.

Eugene is pretty perceptive, too. There's something like guarded interest in Bucky's gaze, but his laugh is light and carefree.] Hey, give me a little credit. She... [Knows me from the future where I'm a hitman with a cybernetic arm, and that's the simple part. Bucky grins.] We got in a bar fight.

Pepper wouldn't hang around a guy who wasn't worth it. So he must have some redeemable qualities that we've gotten off on the wrong foot with.

[With a wink he set back to the task at hand, carefully shaving along the underside of his chin.]

It's not impossible to imagine, but I think I'd prefer you as you are. Nice and chiseled and less... curvy. But-- A bar fight sounds precisely 100% more interesting than what I had imagined. Here I was picturing you meeting during the christmas party we had last year over cocktails and chit-chat. But I'm assuming she slugged first? You don't seem the type to hit a lady.

[Any guarded interest is missed in favor of not cutting himself, and he shakes some of the shaving cream off into the sink]

Unless I've misjudged you?

I will say this for him: he put everything on the line trying to bust people out of here. It wasn't the first time, and I doubt it'll be the last. He's a good man, when you get past the... bravado.

[Bucky watches him, but Eugene seems to be a natural at this.

He arches an eyebrow at the 'nice and chiseled' comment.] Glad to have your approval, Sir. [It's said in a slow drawl that's obviously meant to be teasing.]

Nah, it was more like us against the rest of the bar. We stole every Tommy Gun in the place and a beautiful Studebaker after. Most fun I've had in ages.

... Looking for a way home, then? [Which, if Eugene were confronted with that option, he wasn't sure he'd take up that offer. Still, it was a noble sentiment, he could respect and admire it. The drawl drew a soft laugh out of him-- followed by a short hiss, because really, razors and laughing weren't a natural combination. It wasn't bad, however, after a short examination and he carried on.]

Oh, so that kind of bar fight. Cooperative effort. Not too shabby. What started the fight in the bar?

[Bucky nods.] For people who want to go.

[His fingers twitch against his arm when Eugene nicks himself, but he looks okay, and Bucky can almost hear Steve grumbling at him not to fret about everyone so much.]

Well... It was a Shift that turned Luceti into, among other things, part 1920s America. Everyone except us Luceti guys were a... Simulation? That's the word, right? We killed one of these simulation things and got caught on the way out. You can imagine how his friends felt about it.

[He inclines his head.]

So what about you and Jack? How'd you meet? I thought you guys were practically old n' married already, but then you started wearing a matching set. [He taps his earlobe.]

Probably not too great, really. [And then he was flicking some of the shaving cream into the sink, following up along the line of his jaw carefully. The skin left behind was a little red, but only from such a close shave.]

But I guess simulations can't account for the real deal? And from then it was true love at first sight, right?

[He offered Bucky a joking grin before clearing his throat at the next question[

Hey, just because we're old and married doesn't mean we've done all the crazy and memorable things old and married couples have in their closets. I, uh. I tripped over him. Running from some zoms.

Something like that. [Not exactly, but he doesn't want to explain Amelia, or Valentines' Day, or everything that came after. So he gives Eugene an amiable shrug instead.

Besides, he wants to hear this. He thumbs the corner of his mouth when a smirk tugs at his lips.] So how many times have you heard 'you fell for him' by now?

Oh, my god plenty. It's not where we began to get all up close and personal and married, but suffice to say, I held on and wouldn't let go. I even used a cheesy pick up line on him.

[He stopped so he could grin, unable to help it and looked at Bucky with half his face smooth and the other half looking covered with shaving cream and a little unevenness.]

I was at least the responsible party. Jack was at a party. Of questionable legality, I might add. So I had to be the adult of the two of us.

[Bucky laughs, partly because this is hilarious and partly because Eugene, admittedly, looks kinda endearingly goofy half-slathered in shaving cream.] Well look at you, Casanova.

Wait wait, he was at a party during the zombie apocalypse?

It's a skill [he answered easily, turning back to look in the mirror as he continued the story]

It was before it actually happened. Day 0 was... I can't even remember when it was now, it's been so long. Definitely in the summer. My car broke down, I was making my way north to get away from it. And let me tell you, rental cars seriously need bigger gas tanks.

Anyway, I went on foot soon as I realized I was out of gas and headed into the woods with my backpack. Needless to say, I almost brained him with a steel pipe.

How do you even survive telling people this story? It's a minefield of bad puns.

[Not exactly your typical get-together story, but teasing Eugene is a better option than really thinking about living in a world where this kinda thing is relatively normal.] Then what, you decided to try your odds with two?

Usually it's Jack telling it and me groaning in the corner with retrospect embarrassment. But we managed to live somehow...

[And now for the other side, his eyes flicking to Bucky briefly, before back to his reflection. Normally he didn't divulge this information so freely, but people usually just took him and Jack for granted instead of wondering about what had been before.]

...He wouldn't have lived long if I'd left him behind. I figured... I... well, yeah. Two were better than one. One could be the bait.

[It had been far more complex than that, but he didn't want to bore Bucky with that]

And then we just... stuck it out together. And haven't stopped since.

[Bucky gives him a small, wry smile. It wasn't the end of the world, but he can understand a little of what it's like to find someone when you've got nothing and no one.]

I'm glad you found each other again, here. I can't say it's the Ritz with some of the stuff that goes on, but for the most part, it's a nice place to stop running.

I'd probably be fairly different without him around. [Spoken a little softer than was necessary, but it was true. Anyone would, when torn away from the people they cared about most. But now he finished up and jutted his jaw forward slightly, feeling the smoothness of freshly shaved skin. Felt a little raw, but that was to be expected.

Turning toward Bucky, he rose a brow, asking for a second opinion without using his mouth]

D'you think he'll like it?

Don't even think about it. [It's not worth it, speculating on what things would be like without the people they care about.

Bucky makes a show of inspecting Eugene slowly, and maybe not all of it is for show. He did a pretty good job, actually.]

Pretty sure he already likes it. I think you're gonna have to clear our your afternoon. [He winks at Eugene.] You're welcome.

[His smile grew slightly more when Bucky mentioned needing to clear his afternoon and he couldn't help but snort softly while having a look in the mirror one last time. Not a bad gift, not a bad shave, and not a bad visit, either.]

Thanks.

[He held his hand out for a reassuring grip, meant to reaffirm their friendship-- but he wondered if that sort of ritual even existed in Bucky's time frame? Otherwise he'd look slightly ridiculous. There were worse thing to live down, though]

I'll definitely need to repay the favor one day.

Luceti | Appointments

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I'm sorry Reina I thought I already sent this!

As you can see, it's no big D B)

<333

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