[What? What even--why is her phone going at o'balls thirty in the morning? She glances at it, siiiiiiighs and then answers] Wh--[No, hang on. She has sleep in her throat. She's going to be clearing it for a moment or two here.] What?
[That didn't sound much better, either. coughcoughahem.] Bucky, what's wrong?
[Still crap but she gives up on trying to sound normal. It's half past balls in the morning.]
Where are you, you big idiot. [That really is a term of endearment, even if she is insanely exhausted right now.] I'm going to find you and feed you coffee and bread and we're going to talk about why you suddenly want to break the law.
[She's pulling clothes on as she speaks.] You don't suddenly want to find the first bumbling idiot you see and rob a hot dog cart, do you?
[ Laughing at his own stupid joke to pull the cigarette in between his teeth, voice muffled around it. ] Park. I don't need - uh, bread. M'fine. I shouldn't've - well, drunk all that whiskey, but it felt better'n the alternative. Not robbin' anywhere.
I'll be there in a few. [And no, you can't change her mind. She'll be arriving a few minutes later dressed in black pajama bottoms, a light jacket and she's holding coffee, fresh donuts from the diner and trying for all the world to not glare at Bucky.] I was sleeping, bro. Sleeping. Do you know how rare it is for me to do that?
[She's done bitching now, Bucky, and will wrap her free arm around you in a hug, chin hooked over shoulder for a moment.] What's wrong? You're worrying me.
[ Holding the cigarette out away from her when she goes to hug him, because even drunk he's careful. ] S'nothin', it's just me being a stupid jerk, honest. I didn't mean t'wake you up.
[ Scratching along his chin. ] Kinda missin' home, I think. I mean, the place is hell. But I knew what I was doin' there.
No. It's not nothing. If I thought it was nothing, I wouldn't be here. [She guides him towards somewhere to sit, settling next to him and curling herself against his shoulder.] And you're not a stupid jerk.
[As for missing home? Charlie nods slightly. She sort of knows that feeling.] So how do you want to break the law, Bucky?
[ Bucky can't tell her,the half-blurted confession now stuck in his throat. His fingers clench against his lap for a moment, the other hand lifting the cigarette so he can pull smoke into his lungs, and he feels guilty for a moment, stupid, the sluggish pull of whiskey in his veins making it impossible to keep his thoughts straight. ]
I ain't sure it's even illegal here, I don't - . [ The more he's drunk, the thicker his accents gotten, a proper old fashioned New York thing. ] I jus' know it is where m'from, and I don't - awh hell, forget it. I'm a stupid shit.
[Oh, fuck this noise. Charlie really was trying to be helpful and calm and quiet but he wasn't saying a damn thing useful and she was tired and he woke her up to ramble about God knew what. She was getting annoyed. Sitting up and moving away to look at him properly, she let one bony fist fly at his shoulder, connecting hard. And then one more for good measure.] Would you just get to the god damn point before I go get a bottle of ice water from the store and dump it on your head? I can't help you if you tell me nothing.
[ There's nothing but silence for a moment, before Bucky starts laughing, a quiet kind of boyish thing, rougher with the smoke and the booze, but still youthful. ]
Awh jeez, am I gonna have'ta teach you to punch too?
[ Bucky leans back against the bench, the cigarette burning into a stub between his fingers. ] It's not like m'tryin' to keep secrets, s'just that I can't. Not about this. It's kinda - I don't know.
I can guarantee that you can. As big a hell as this place is, some of us have found it to be a place of freedom in a fashion. To be ourselves without having to worry.
[Case in point; her.] I don't think you'll be judged for it, either, whatever it is.
Reply
[That didn't sound much better, either. coughcoughahem.] Bucky, what's wrong?
[Still crap but she gives up on trying to sound normal. It's half past balls in the morning.]
Reply
Reply
[Wait...] Why are you--are you drunk, Bucky?
Reply
[ The sound of a match flaring. ] Sorry, uh - what time s'it? It's late, ain't it? Can't find m'watch.
Reply
[She's pulling clothes on as she speaks.] You don't suddenly want to find the first bumbling idiot you see and rob a hot dog cart, do you?
Reply
[ Laughing at his own stupid joke to pull the cigarette in between his teeth, voice muffled around it. ] Park. I don't need - uh, bread. M'fine. I shouldn't've - well, drunk all that whiskey, but it felt better'n the alternative. Not robbin' anywhere.
Reply
[She's done bitching now, Bucky, and will wrap her free arm around you in a hug, chin hooked over shoulder for a moment.] What's wrong? You're worrying me.
Reply
[ Scratching along his chin. ] Kinda missin' home, I think. I mean, the place is hell. But I knew what I was doin' there.
Reply
[As for missing home? Charlie nods slightly. She sort of knows that feeling.] So how do you want to break the law, Bucky?
Reply
I ain't sure it's even illegal here, I don't - . [ The more he's drunk, the thicker his accents gotten, a proper old fashioned New York thing. ] I jus' know it is where m'from, and I don't - awh hell, forget it. I'm a stupid shit.
Reply
Reply
Awh jeez, am I gonna have'ta teach you to punch too?
Reply
Reply
[ Bucky leans back against the bench, the cigarette burning into a stub between his fingers. ] It's not like m'tryin' to keep secrets, s'just that I can't. Not about this. It's kinda - I don't know.
Reply
[Case in point; her.] I don't think you'll be judged for it, either, whatever it is.
Reply
Leave a comment