NO, YOU MOVE.

during the war, what’d they say about bucky --- he was doing all the things captain america couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t do? the words seemed a reflection of that, of those times before ( before everything, before nothingness, before the new century could claim them ), and they sat in the air between the men for a beat too long. maybe steve thought they’d outgrown that; maybe he’d thought their roles had switched now that the blazing star rested solely on bucky’s chest. or maybe steve was living too far in the past. maybe the words were just words. 

“you really believe that?” he finally said. it seemed the safest question, the one that gave the least away. 

at one point in his life, steve might’ve agreed with the statement. there was something to be said about the strokes of a painting, the sketched outlines of a pencil --- they captured the artist’s frenzy as much as the piece of artwork did. there were a hundred secrets in any form of art; there were countless emotions, wrapped up in color and negative space. how many times had he taken to drawing something he couldn’t say --- that he didn’t dare say? 

but he knew better now. she’d taught him that much. what was art, to saving each other --- to relying on that safety in the midst of violence? what was art, to the first time he kissed her? he could capture a moment in a sketch, he could capture the abstract world of feelings; it would never do it justice.

“i can think of one or two things,” he answered, half a smile on his face.  

HONESTY IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE, but that does not stop men from believing they can force it to be something it isn’t.  Or force it to exist at all.  Or force it to be nothing.

❝ And it is hurting to you. ❞  Again, Steve wears the blood of his own honesty proudly as he had the star on his chest ; again, Wanda wonders if he’s chosen that, or if it was simply placed upon him as that same star had been.  She finds herself quite suddenly unwilling to pursue the questions she’d so feverishly sought an answer to.  Instead, she lays a hand upon his arm, too - warm and dry and solid where perhaps it would be expected to be slight.  ❝ Do you not trust them ? ❞

he shifted --- for all the truth lived between them, it was not always a comfortable thing. ( he did not want to admit the hurt. for what was, for what never would be. he had learned to live with a hundred different versions of this hurt. what would admitting to it do now? ) her hand anchored him, and he placed his own on top of hers. “i trust them. i do.” some of them. “but it’s like with shield. the entire organization was built in the image of hydra, whether we knew it or not. and there were good people with shield --- there’re still good people with shield. but ultimately, it shouldn’t exist anymore. it’s been compromised in a way you don’t come back from.” 

Damn it Steve.

Bruce stopped his tracks and pulls steve in an alleyway so they can talk. “Rodgers, you of all people should know that I don’t need help. I’ve been doing fine on my own.” he replied. “You didn’t have to come here, im not worth it.” Bruce meant that dearly, almost like he was begging him to just go on with whatever he was doing to and to just completely disregard him.

Bruce sighed as he rubbed his face in frustration, though the damage have been done. It’s been years since he actually talked to any of his old teammates. Bruce didn’t know if he was glad Steve even gave a damn about him or if he was angry that he of all people were looking for him. “You know…for a soldier, you’re not very good at the ‘keeping a low profile’.” the scientist remarked. “ How did you know i was here?-  I made sure none of you…including S.H.E.I.L.D knows where i was.”

“you might not need it, but you might want it. this isn’t a good time to be alone.” bruce was smart, strong --- he was everything he needed to be to survive. but there was something more than survival to be found, even if he couldn’t see it at the moment. steve reached out, resting his hand on the other man’s shoulder. “we were on the same team once. i don’t just forget something like that, pal. let’s just talk for a few minutes, alright? then i’ll leave if you want me to.” 

STEVE’S ENERGY ALWAYS FEELS LIKE THE AFTERMATH OF A RAINSTORM, unmistakable, powerful, calming but never calm.  She will sit and feel the force of it roll off him like waves of springtime humidity and see without looking.  He reveals more, always, than Wanda thinks he means to.

A change in tack, or rather : a different line of questioning entirely.  ❝ — — And what was it meaning ?  Before ?  What did they not understand ? ❞

he didn’t know if he was born with the worst possible luck in the world or fate has been toying with him form the start, but the last thing he wanted was to run into one of his old co-workers. let alone, steve rogers. “shit.” he cursed to himself, rogers why did you have to so damn oblivious.

“i don’t know who you’re talking about. leave me alone.” banner didn’t want to bring out too much attention, but it sure didn’t help with steve being around. he needed to get away, so with that bruce started to speed walk away from the man. it wasn’t like he didn’t want him around, steve and him used to be in The Avengers…they were both on the run. but bruce wasn’t taking those risks, no, not now or ever. he was good, he let go of the whole hero freak-show act.

banner felt himself getting stressed out, he can NOT get caught again, but he also felt the guilt eat him alive. Steve was a friend…..right?

“Used to be.’”

That was Joe (aka: The Grey Hulk), one of the few alters in bruce’s head, banner groans in frustration, he didn’t want to deal with any of the others bossing him around; bruce just needed to get as far away from rogers. “it was for his own good” he said to himself. the doctor could hear Joe say  “the past always gets back at you, banner.”

god he hated he was right.

well, that wasn’t great --- there wasn’t much worse than greeting someone and hearing shit in answer. and it only seemed to get worse, each statement from the man building on itself. it shined on bruce’s face, and steve let him run through it. hell, steve would have let him run off if he needed; he wasn’t looking to start a fight he couldn’t win in a town they both wanted to remain anonymous in. 

“i’m not here to bring you in, bruce,” steve said softly. he had never been good at this, at being the kind of friend that bruce needed. ( he liked to think they were friends, but then again, he had thought of tony as a friend too. ) steve followed after bruce, keeping his distance and never walking too quickly. 

❝ AM I WRONG ? ❞  Despite her tone, she is truly asking.  ❝ Why are they calling themselves THE AVENGERS now if we are still to be doing the dirtiest of the work ? ❞

@usedshield· !

“they’re hoping the name still means something.” steve tried to keep himself from having a tone to match hers, but it was harder than he would have thought. “’course they never did much understand what the name meant in the first place.”

He shouldn’t have been surprised; god knew he shouldn’t have been surprised. Alexander Luthor had a special talent of twisting situations to his advantage --- hadn’t they learned that at the gala? ( And Steve was really beginning to doubt the man didn’t have something to do with this. ) Steve read the message once, twice, and let out a sigh. They’d prepared for this. It was the reason they had remained unregistered, after all. He returned the message with one word: CONFIRMED. 

Steve did not look the least comfortable with the request that he stay out of the investigation, but it was a attitude Clark could only sympathize all too much with. If he was Steve’s shoes, he would find that mightly difficult as well, if he didn’t have Lois. But hopefully, Steve trusted him nearly as much, trust him enough to let them see it through for him, because this was once situation now where doing nothing was going to do less harm.

There’s one more thing. Clark raised his brows at that, then knitted them as he took in Steve’s word attentively. Then he smiled, albeit with a touch of melancholy. “So the Cap’s noticed it too huh? That’s reassuring. I thought some of us were getting paranoid for bit there - we’ve certainly got nothing worth writing about yet, but yeah. We’ll be careful. Leave no stone unturned.”

CONT’D ❱

The corner of his mouth tips UP, the beginnings of a GRIN that borders on WRY.  ❝ Been practicing it in the mirror when I can’t sleep –––––– ❞  A joke, but he’s certain they could all use a little bit of HUMOR these days.

❝ Wish I could say I’ve got something BETTER than THAT … ❞

@usedshield· !!

“well, go on then --- i’m here.” steve gestured the man forward, his tone light and halfway teasing. some days, it felt like the whole world was pressing down on all sides; some days, you had to make a bit of a fool of yourself. “you might as well get your practice in. i could use a few inspiring words.” 

[ ENCRYPTED COMM / SR ]  give me a day  [ ENCRYPTED COMM / SR ]  i’d rather talk about this in person

OR LESS ,    dependent on her ability to slip away unnoticed.   (    An ability she is gifted with, as told by a countless number of side-hobbies and freelance jobs picked up over the last few months    ).    The desire to steal away time requires pushing aside all thoughts of how odd it is she would be drawing closer to this man, left without a country.    “    ——-    Don’t ask if I’m going to arrest you, okay? The joke is getting old.    ” 

banner blended in within the crowed streets of a small town he had just visited, lucky for him there wasn’t a lot of government security here but that didn’t mean the doctor had to lower his guard. he adjusted the cap he was wearing to make his face less recognizable and walked his way over to a nearby motel. he checked himself in (thank god for pit pocketing) and made his way to his room. Once he got there, Bruce made sure to check the windows, to make sure they were locked until he covered them with the curtains.

Once that was done, bruce finally sat down in the old bed and pulled out his tape recorder. he pressed record. “personal journal of dr. robert bruce banner continued. after a long journey, i finally reached civilization, a small town in canada,i have yet to find out where i actually am, but it should be safe enough until the time being.” bruce said. “ it seems quiet and peaceful, hopefully i’ll leave my part in this town before i head out.” the scientist sighed. “ the downside would have to be the small town itself, everyone is familiar with one another and new people tend to stand out; but that shouldn’t be a problem for me. i’ll know what to do.” and with that bruce stopped recording, he puts away his tape recorder and finally leans back in the creaky bed. getting as much rest as he can possibly get.

a couple of hours passed by, and bruce couldn’t drift back to sleep. great, it was beginning to get nightfall anyways. for starters, bruce needed weather appropriate clothes. using the stolen credit cards, he should have enough money to get the things he needed. Bruce grabbed his bag and got himself ready before heading out into the streets of this small town.

It was not coincidence that brought Steve here; coincidence did not exist in their world. It was a lot of favors, some good luck, and more than a few laws broken on Steve’s part. ( Being a fugitive crossing into Canada being the least among them. ) With all that said, it was coincidence that finally had Steve running into Bruce --- Steve had been taking a walk of his own, debating about when to make contact, when he glimpsed the familiar silhouette. 

Steve walked up beside the man, waiting until he was only a few feet away before clearing his throat. He wore a too-large coat and a cap pulled low over his features, but he didn’t want to frighten the man. ( He especially didn’t want to frighten the man. ) 

[ ENCRYPTED COMM / SR ]  it matters to me, steve.  [ ENCRYPTED COMM / SR ]  because you’re right  [ ENCRYPTED COMM / SR ]  it’s not a team, it’s a business arrangement. and the name is powerful, and something people want to believe in again.  [ ENCRYPTED COMM / SR ]  where are you?