[log] It's a Wednesday night, there sure is gonna be a fight! [closed to Bucky and John]

[zunesareawesome]

Characters: Peter Quill, Bucky Barnes, and John Watson
Location: Building 53
Date: Day 277
Summary: One night only, LIVE from Norfinbury, Peter "Star-Lord" Quill versus John "What is my life even" Watson! Bucky Barnes starring as referee! You may have bought your whole seat but you're only gonna need THE EDGE.
Warnings: Potential for violence, references to character death, further applicable warnings will be noted if they come up

53: The walls of this single-story house are quite intact, although it seems pretty empty inside. There is a fireplace, but it doesn't seem to have been a wood-burning fireplace, and whatever mechanisms were used to work it have been removed, leaving only holes where devices might have once been. The kitchen and living room are entirely empty, but the bathroom is functional. There is one bedroom with a mattress on a bedframe, but it lacks bedding or even a pillow. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, MAMI TOMOE, FREYA CRESCENT, GREED, EDWARD ELRIC, STEPHANIE BROWN, DAY FORTY TWO, TRAVELLING NORTH." has been carved into one of the walls.

Comments

[jumpthegun]

['Guilt, Sholto replies. Bucky is aware of him, so John allows his gaze and attention to focus on the major. The doctor's voice is quiet as he speaks.]

Never very good with the hard things. Imagined myself into a limp after the Army. Stopped talking to most of the people I'd met after Sherlock faked his death. Saw Mary after she died, started drinking, couldn't sleep. Haven't slept since I woke up, not properly. That might be some of it. Reckon it's the Major, particularly, for what happened with him.

[advanced]

[That it's a pattern is worrying and also comforting at the same time, because it means that while he's susceptible to it, he has also recovered from it on multiple occasions too.]

What happened to him?

[He has more he wants to say than that, but he'll keep things short and simple for now.]

[jumpthegun]

Led a group of crows into battle--the new lads. [He's not sure how well military terminology will translate across time and countries.] Standard procedure. It was supposed to be quick in and out. But everything went wrong. When we got to them, he was the only one left alive, half his body covered in burns. He probably should've died that day, those wounds, out for that long. I think he wishes he did.

[Or rather, he knows the Major did.]

It never left him. There weren't any charges drawn up. He had an honorable discharge, went off to live alone in the country. People send him death threats. Someone tried to murder him at my wedding. He came near to letting them.

[advanced]

I saw that before, people needing to blame the survivor because the one they loved didn't make it back too. Must've been a lot worse because he was their commanding officer, people seem to think that makes you able to stop a bullet or something, a protector for the others. Poor bastard.

[The actual war might have been a different one, but the reactions of the people in it and surrounded by it are the same.]

[jumpthegun]

Mm.

['I like him,' Sholto notes with some approval in his tone.]

That's him, anyway. I had a couple of different blokes in charge of my regiment over in Afghanistan, but Major Sholto was my commander.

[advanced]

You don't forget your commanders.

[Even he remembers his, for all the other people he's forgotten.]

You know his guilt wasn't justified, so subconsciously this part of you conjuring him knows your guilt isn't either.

[jumpthegun]

[That would earn a raise of John's brows. Sholto does it, instead, giving Bucky another appraising look.]

Did you find a Psychology 101 book?

[advanced]

[Bucky's look is endlessly dry.]

You really think I never tried to read things on psychology and psychiatry after I got free?

[jumpthegun]

I dunno. Just seems like you'd want to catch up on what was going on with the world first.

[advanced]

I've been on the run for nearly two years, I've had a lot of long evenings to look up all sorts of things.

[jumpthegun]

S'pose so. [He's really not keen on addressing Bucky's point, though. Major Sholto is there because... well. Because there's something wrong with John's head. That's about the long and short of it, as far as the doctor wants to concern himself.

'Ignoring the problems don't make them go away. It makes this happen, Watson.'

Perhaps it's a good thing he can't emote. His jaw would be tightening in annoyance. As it is, he just casts another glance at Sholto.]

I'll deal with it, Bucky. Later.

[advanced]

No, you won't.

[It's not accusing, just stated like a fact.]

I know, because you're like me. It's hard to face, so you don't do it.

[jumpthegun]

I saw a therapist back home.

[Sometimes.]

[advanced]

You're not back home.

[And those problems are just mounting up.]

[jumpthegun]

I'm doing what I can to deal with it here, Bucky. Getting everyone out of here is more important than whatever time I'd need to recover from this, though. We might not have enough time for that.

[advanced]

You have time at night, after lockdown. You can--

[He hesitates, nearly backing down before he makes the offer, but this is John.]

You can call me and I'll listen.

[jumpthegun]

I'd only do that if you'd be willing to talk back, Bucky. You have your own problems.

[advanced]

[That's-- He scowls over at John, but he doesn't say anything for a while, weighing up just how important this is. Despite him not being there, it's Steve that decides his answer. He can picture the idiot in his mind, all bloody and refusing to stay knocked down, refusing to shy away from pain for himself if it helps someone else he cares about.

Isn't that the sort of man he's trying to be?]

Deal.

[It's low and kind of hoarse, he's already half regretting it, but it's done now.]

[jumpthegun]

[John hadn't actually expected him to say yes, so there's an uncomfortably long silence before he finally speaks again.]

Okay. I'm gonna go put my things down and each now. It was a long walk.

[advanced]

[He doesn't argue, he's done enough pushing tonight and he might need to have a private internal freakout at the deal he's just done.

So he just nods and lets John go.]