#wintrd

"What?" Alex looked down at the plate with a furrowed brow, then back up at him, almost as if he was double-checking exactly what he had been doing. "Does it look like a sundae?!" He had come to really enjoy the other's company and the friendship that had developed between them. It was almost sad for him to admit Bucky was the first friend he had in years. Though there were some things he couldn't bear to hear and the top was his food being compared to simplistic meals.

"This is a lime meringue with rosemary parfait and lemon ice cream with raspberry jelly. Here, try it." Holding out a spoon with a little shrug of his shoulders, Alex stepped back away from the counter as not to crowd Bucky. For whatever reason, having his new recipes tried out always gave him anxiety and left him intensely watching their face for any indication of what they thought. "It should taste light...and refreshing. Kinda like summer night."

@infinityvault/@wintrd

@wintrd : "You gotta stop getting yourself into trouble, man - My stress levels can't handle it." - { a random lil thing maybe based on what we were sorta plotting 👀 }  . . .

The scene is quiet, still. Charlie, amidst it, with men either too distressed to speak or entirely passed out, stands nonchalant. Just another Tuesday, really, kidnapped and found. The gang's set stuff like that up a lot.

REMEMBER WHEN YOU CAPTURED A LEPRECHAUN AND LOCKED HIM IN THE BASEMENT TRYNNA GET TO THE POT OF GOLD!? THEY PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT WAS YOU, CHARLIE! IDIOTS!

He doesn't quite understand why Bucky's concerned, but he doesn't want the expression on his face to remain so desolate, so he nods.  "Totally man, totally. No trouble. None at all. Never gonna get myself into trouble. Trouble's literally gonna come to me and be like 'hey, Charlie, you wanna do some shit that'll get you into me?' And I'll be like 'no, no, you know what Bucky said'. No trouble."   He stands up, cigarette* thrown on the ground, not even doused. 

*Bet the poor unconscious loser he nicked it off of would be so sad right now! It's not even all up yet! HAH! 

"So, d'you know the way out? There's no window for me to break so it's, like, really fucking stuffy in here."  

@wintrd

She doesn't let anyone see her like this, not ever. The horrors of her childhood and young adulthood in the Red Room left scars on both her body and mind, and they trouble Yelena more than she will ever admit. Walking through life with a smirk and designer shoes is easy; being caught huddled fully clothed in the bathtub, shaking like a leaf, is hard.

It's none of your business, she wants to say, to scream. But if she really thinks about it, he's one of the few people on this earth who understands what she's been through. Not having control of her own body or mind. Being forced to kill innocents. The torture and manipulation.

Instead, she pulls in a shaky breath and finally looks at him. The clear shower curtain hangs between them, warping his image, but she can see no sign of a threat in his posture. Her jeans are wet from the dripping faucet.

@wintrd

                            THINGS HAVE DIED DOWN A LITTLE. After the turmoil of the 107th arriving out of nowhere with one of Hydras's tanks, Steve is grateful for the quiet because it's the first time since Brooklyn that he can talk to Bucky without anyone else around. Colonel Phillips is still figuring out how to transfer Steve from the USO machinery to active duty (now that he has proven he is useful for combat situations), and until he's done so, Steve will stay in the small USO tent he shares with Petey, one of the crew members. He's currently out, probably trying to sweet-talk Doris (a dancer) again.

                             Steve managed to grab two metal plates from the field kitchen. It doesn't look overly appetizing, but at least it's hot. He has no idea when the last time Bucky ate was (except the meager K-rations during their hike back from the blown-up factory), but he's sure his friend needs something in his stomach after all this time. He should also get checked out by a medic, but as long as they're still busy with sick or injured POWs and Bucky's not completely dead on his feet, Steve won't press the issue.

The celebration was winding down as the sun dipped toward the horizon. It had been a labor of love getting that goddamn restaurant open again, and maybe Sam felt he had a lot to make up for since the Snap. It wasn't his fault, and it would have happened whether he'd ever taken up with the Avengers or not, but that didn't change the fact that while he'd been gone, people had needed him, and his nephews had gotten five years older. Missing out on their lives was a more bitter pill than the fact that being a superhero didn't come with a decent paycheck. He was proud of Sarah for managing it all alone and pulling the place back together.

People were beginning to trickle away in twos and threes, so he snagged a couple beers and went to sit near Bucky. "Hell of a view, isn't it?" He offered one of the bottles, gazing out at the water. He'd always preferred to be airborne if he could be anywhere, but the ocean was a close second. It reminded him of home, of family, of all those things they were out there trying to protect for everyone. "Glad you could come. You helped make it happen." A reluctant partnership if he'd ever seen one, at least at the beginning, but Sam would be the first to admit he struggled asking for help.

‎‎‎‎    "Hope they’re somewhere NICE, though. " she smirked, claw reaching up to trail her claws over his left arm. Nails temporarily hooking the ridges before moving further up and down. She wondered if he could feel it, or at least imagine what it felt like.

‎‎‎‎    "A little beach, a little sun, tiny drinks with little umbrellas?" she purred as she trailed a slow circle around him, heels clicking softly against the floor. "Though, if I had to guess… I'd say they didn't leave voluntarily."

‎‎‎‎    Pausing behind him, she leaned in just enough for her breath to ghost against his ear. "Tell me, soldier—did they pack their bags, or did you chase them off yourself?"