zimnij_soldat | Bribery [RP for scarlethour]

Bribery [RP for scarlethour]

As he ascended in the elevator, Bucky asked himself for the dozenth time why he was bothering with the whole exercise. It wasn't as though he was really expecting anything to happen (although truth be told, he would more than a little okay if it did), and he really wasn't in any position to be spending the kind of money he was promising.

But when it came down to it, Wanda was one of the few people he knew who didn't look at him like they were wondering when he was going to snap again and they'd have to put him down for good. She knew enough about what he'd been through, because she had too, in a way.

So it was with hopes of getting back into her good graces and with a "borrowed" Stark Enterprises credit card that he knocked on her door.

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Wanda is so deeply pleased with herself because she'd only been joking when she suggested Bucky bribe her. Did she think he might actually believe her? Yes. Did it stop her from suggesting it? No. Maybe it's half an excuse to spend time with him too, but if she can get nice things out of it too, why not? Besides, she knows it'll all come from Tony anyway and Wanda has no problems spending Stark's money. Hell, she knows he doesn't either.

The dynamic between Bucky and Wanda is odd, she's not sure where they stand exactly. Sometimes she's excessively fond of him, to the point of offering the chance to remove her bra or sending a nude but sometimes they're more friendly. Sometimes he treats her the way Clint or Nat might. She doesn't put much stock into it though, Wanda is young and she already has way too much to worry about. Whatever her relationship with Bucky is, it's mostly fun and that's all she cares about.

When she hears the knock, Wanda can't help but grin. She's on her feet and at the door within a few moments, one arm in her jacket as she pulls the door open. "Took you long enough," she teases as she finishes slipping on her jacket. Wanda is already tugging him down the hall before he can reply. "I've been stuck inside all day and all I want is food."

If he could read Wanda's thoughts about the two of them, Bucky would be in complete agreement with the idea that there was no reason to try to analyze or overthink any of it. They were having fun, and considering both of their backgrounds, just being able to say that was remarkable enough in and of itself and more than enough reason to not fix what wasn't broken.

And no, the occasional picture of her semi-nude didn't hurt things, either. Wanda was a pretty young woman, and Bucky had literally been on ice for decades.

He laughs as he barely sets a foot in her place before he's spinning on his heels and heading back down the hall with her. It must be quite the sight with her having a man his size in tow, Bucky thinks, and trots along behind her.

"Sounds good-- where do you want to go?"

"Somewhere close," she says, still pulling Bucky along the hallway. "And good," she adds after a few moments. "But mostly close."

As they're standing in the elevator, her hand still in his Wanda begins to feel odd. There's something about holding Bucky's hand that feels too intimate, like something shared between lovers than friends. She pulls her hand away a little too quickly and tries to cover it by pushing back her hair.

It's too quiet in the elevator, it feels like there's something unsaid and Wanda doesn't know what it is but she doesn't want to address it. Instead she squares her shoulders whips around to face Bucky. "How likely would it be to get carried around again?"

[OOC: No problem. With the notifs going down, everyone was kinda stuck. Hope things are good now.]

"I kind of just discovered Greek food. Does that sound all right?"

Honestly, he hadn't really noticed that they were still holding hands, which he supposed in hindsight was something interesting in and of itself, but Wanda released his hand before he knew it.

The elevator music warbles away while they stand in silence, and naturally it's Wanda who breaks it. Bucky laughs. "Seriously? There is nothing wrong with those legs," he says, gesturing at said gams, even though it does make him look at them a little too long.

"Greek is good," she says with a single nod. "Do you have a place nearby?"

Something is making Wanda more aware of her body and it's proximity to Bucky, which is odd. It confuses her more than anything, but she figures it's just being cooped up all day. Wanda is feeling antsy and restless, she wants to find trouble or at least nice shoes.

Wanda looks up at him round, innocent eyes and suddenly affects a limp. "My knee," she says in a low whine. "It hurts!"

The elevator is also somehow feeling a bit more cramped than it should, and Bucky himself is still trying to reason out just why. But he shakes it off when Wanda starts miming a limp and putting on an act that's not going to win any Oscars, but is sort of adorable in its own way.

He tilts his head. "Really?" Bucky sighs and turns around, stepping closer so that she can climb up onto his back if she really does want to.

"Go on, then. But if I'm going to be carrying you, then no dessert."

Wanda looks up at him again, making sure to look extra pathetic when she nods her head. She doesn't hold back the smile that bursts across her face when he turns away from her. With a small hop, she's situated comfortably against his back, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck just in time for the doors of the elevator to open.

"Small price," she replies, a smile in her voice. "I much prefer salty snacks anyway." Which is partially a lie, Wanda likes dessert but she enjoys making Bucky do silly things more.

She doesn't really need to give him the big eyes and trembling lip, but it definitely seals the deal. It's not as though it's particularly difficult for Bucky to carry her around-- although Wanda has a stronger frame than she might seem, he's a fairly big guy and, well, sort of a super soldier.

"Hmmm," he responds, then turns to face the elevator doors. A few moments later, they walk out into the lobby, then onto the streets. New York surrounds them: sounds, smells, everything. He heads uptown, ignoring the occasional looks from other pedestrians, although he does laugh when an elderly woman smacks her husband as they pass, wanting to know why he doesn't do that anymore, so what about his artificial hip.

Maybe Wanda is heavier than she looks, but if anyone can carry her around with little effort it's Bucky. Although Steve might be the better candidate, he's not here and she's confident Bucky will survive carrying her around for a night. It does begin to feel a little awkward when they're outside the elevator, but Wanda likes being tall and smiles at those who linger on them as they walk down the street.

"You should offer her a ride," Wanda teases when they're out of earshot. "That could be a decent way to make money, you know." Although she jokes, it makes her uncomfortable and she has to resist the urge to hop off his back suddenly.

Even before the War, Bucky could have probably carted Wanda around Coney Island for most of the evening, so physically it's no trouble at all. But it is a little silly, which is very much not him anymore. Maybe, though, that's a good thing, as he did have a certain amount of dark side that needed to be kept in check. Perhaps a little silly was just what he needed.

He turned his head to smirk back at Wanda after her comment. "I'll consider it. I wouldn't mind a little extra lunch money."

Bucky wasn't kidding about knowing a place close at hand. They arrive in just a few minutes, and he helps her slide down off his back. "Here we are, milady, door to door service."

A lot had been taken from Bucky during his time with Hydra, Wanda knows that better than anyone. It feels silly to her too, to ride on his back but she craves moments like these because they're ordinary, normal and for someone not normal it's a nice reprieve. Wanda needs the levity of playful banter and bets and making the superheroes she's friends with give her piggy back rides otherwise she thinks she might go mad. At the end of the day Wanda is still a young woman that likes to have fun just like everyone else.

Wanda exhales a quick little laugh. "Or those cool comics they sell at the corner store." The statement is playful and ridiculous until Wanda realizes that Bucky had lived that life, in a manner of speaking. Maybe he doesn't remember it all anymore, but he grew up in a time when life was considered simpler and she has to shake the thought from her head when he places her down.

"Thank you." she says primly, straightening her back and turning her nose up. Wanda waits for him to open the door for her, giving him a pointed look. She doesn't drop the act until they're seated, when it feels out of place.

"They actually had those of me and Steve," he tells her. "Government recruiting stuff, selling war bonds. Had me running around the War wearing red tights and blue trunks." Bucky says it with a kind of grimace, but it's clearly an amused, nostalgic kind of embarrassment. It had been a different time, and he didn't mind revisiting parts of it.

He watches Wanda as they sit, and once they're brought water and menus, he leans towards her, voice lowering.

"Are you okay? You seem a little... distracted every now and then."

Wanda laughs because the idea of Steve and Bucky in comics is so ridiculous and weird that it's all she can do. It's too strange to think that Steve and Bucky are from an entirely different time with different customs.

"Red tights and blue pants, huh?" she says, quirking an eyebrow. "Those have to still exist somewhere."

The question catches Wanda off guard and she looks surprised and then confused. "N-no, nothing" she says too quickly, words rushing out. "I mean, I'm fine..." Even to her own ears do her words sound disingenuous and she grimaces at herself, trying to think quickly of how she can explain herself.

"I'm just... It's weird, you know?" Wanda says, not looking up at Bucky but fiddling with her menu. She contemplates confessing her attraction for half a second before firmly ignoring that because it doesn't exist. "You and Steve, you come from this whole different time and it just... catches me sometimes."

"The Smithsonian," Bucky mutters under his breath, recalling his trip to the museum not long after the destruction of the Triskelion, and how the comics had been one of the few things to register a genuine emotional reaction from him. Annoyance and embarrassment, to be sure, but real emotions anyway.

He studies Wanda's reactions carefully. Bucky can tell that she's not giving him the whole truth, and that there's still something eating at the young woman, but since she's not feeling like being forthcoming about it, he's not going to pry unless he thinks it's necessary.

"It's the details, really. People themselves are still pretty much the same. New York is sort of the same. Men's hair is longer," he says, touching his own, "girls' skirts are shorter--" Now he gestures idly towards Wanda. "But people are people."

"The Smithsonian," Wanda repeats almost thoughtfully. She's never been there, but she's heard about it. There's a whole exhibited dedicated to Steve and it's just too strange for her. She can't imagine what it's like for him or Bucky. "I'll have to go, see Bucky Barnes in red tights and blue pants."

Under such scrutiny she begins to study the menu with far too much interest, cheeks feeling warm. She's grateful when he speaks, it gives her something to focus on because it's starting to feel like she's become too obvious in her thoughts which are determined to work through her feelings for Bucky.

"Still," she replies with a shrug, ignoring the way her stomach seems to drop out beneath her when he gestures to her skirt. This is pretty long, she feels like retorting but it cuts above her knee and she figures it'll be useless to argue her point. "It's odd to think you lived by different social customs, in a world where things like these weren't even thought of." She holds up her phone and shakes it.

"You let me know when you do," he says, smiling wryly. "I'll see if I can get the over-65 discount on tickets." He's made his peace to some extent with being part of history. In a way, that aspect of things is easier on him than it must be for Steve, who still looks exactly like he did then, still running around playing hero.

"Oh, people thought of them," Bucky explains. "People like Howard Stark, but you're right-- there are things that have changed a lot. Because of things like that, people can know much more anytime they want, find out just about anything. But I'll admit there are times I miss things like..."

His eyes dip down to the menu. They widen as he shakes his head. "Like beer not costing eight dollars."

"I think that only works for you," she replies with an amused smile. "Besides, I don't mind paying full price because I'm sure I could get Stark to pay for it."

Wanda hadn't really considered that someone might have thought of smart phones back in the 40's. The 60's maybe, she's seen Star Trek, but the comment strikes because it seems like such a long time ago and Bucky was there. He'd lived it first hand. Perhaps people are mostly the same but it's true that society and technology have changed. The latter more than the former but none of this makes it any less odd for Wanda.

She laughs because of all the things he misses it's beer prices. Wanda's not overly impressed with them either but she's found prices that compare to Sokovia. Although, it's usually shit beer. When the waitress returns to take their order, Wanda orders one of the eight dollar beers, spanakopita and lamb kebabs.

"How much did it cost then? For beer back then."

Bucky laughs. The truth is that they're sort of all living off of Stark's money, but the man rarely seems to begrudge them spending it as they see fit, even if he makes a show of griping about it from time to time.

He thinks for a moment, then shrugs. "About a dime?"

The waiter swings past, and they order drinks. Once they've been served, Bucky raises his bottle. "To spending Stark's money and having fun doing it."

Wanda knows that Tony doesn't mind sharing what he has, mostly because he has so much of it. But she's felt the guilt he carries, the shame and loneliness. This helps in a way Wanda can't understand, but she barely understands her own emotions and coping mechanisms let alone other peoples.

When Bucky speaks she looks surprised for a moment before shaking her head. "I think I would miss that too," she replies with a nod. "I thought 2 dollars was a good deal... But I think I have been in America too long because I thought 6 dollars was good too."

"To spending Stark's money," she repeats, holding her own bottle up and tapping Bucky's before taking a swig. "That I can drink too."

After taking a sip, Bucky settles back into his chair. A moment later, it's clear to him they've hit one of those lulls in conversation, and even though it's really not his nature anymore to be especially talkative, the idea of just sitting there in an awkward silence while they wait for their food sounds even worse.

"So what about the rest of America?" he asks, giving it a shot. "Living up to your expectations? Or down, depending?"

Wanda is too preoccupied with the idea of a world where beers were a dime and entertainment wasn't as her finger tips to really catch the awkward silence vibe but, if she's honest, she leans into the thought as a way to side step it.

"It's fine," she says with a shrug. "There are things that I miss from home, but I think it is better here. The internet is faster at least." Wanda grins, trying to keep the mood light. Thinking about home is difficult and she doesn't do it often, too many things lost; to many people.

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Bribery [RP for scarlethour]

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apologies for the wait! work has been wiiild >_>

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it's relaxed some, but it can get killer sometimes

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