It's all coming back to me now (Spot and Bucky)

[brooklynishere]

When the Hydra facility had been raided, the last thing anybody expected to find was a 16 year old kid on ice, and yet there he'd been. Steve had been the one to stop the Hydra scientist from shutting down the life support, but they hadn't got there in time to prevent the destruction of a good half the facility's records - including the ones about who the kid was or why he was there.

So what choice did they have but to wake him up and find out?

He was uncooperative at first, refused to give them any details other than the name 'Spot' and kept threatening to fight anybody that came close, though they managed to work out pretty easily that he was from Brooklyn and he'd been on the ice almost as long as Steve had. It's when he overhears a comment about Bucky that he seems to change his tune.

"Bucky Barnes?" he asks, and while he still seems wary, for the first time since he woke up he says something actually helpful "I'll talk to him. Tell him the name's Sean Conlon."

Comments

[not_a_commie]

Bucky hadn't been on the opp, he'd been dealing with some trouble in southern California, AIM was starting to get really fucking annoying. He had gotten a long warning email from Steve though.

He's in civilian clothes, and years of undercover work, since his brain got cleared out, have made it possible for him to hold his body like a civil again and not someone ready to take out anyone who comes across his path.

"He uh won't talk to anyone... said he'd talk to you though," Steve says coming into the room in the Avengers mansion where Bucky had been waiting.

"Did either of really talk to anyone after being pulled out of 100 years of bullshit?" Bucky asks smirking at Steve a little.

"He looks like you, poor kid." Steve teases a little pushing Bucky in the shoulder before kissing him on the forehead.

Bucky gets up and debates changing into a long sleeve shirt, but it's hot as fuck out, and the kid is gonna see his arm sooner or later. He lets out a breath and moves down the hall and opens the door. "You hungry?" He asks, he remembers being starving when he woke up, woke up.

[brooklynishere]

Spot has half a mind to break out of the place, he really does, only... well, they've told him that Bucky's on his way and given that the last news Spot heard about the man was the report of his death, he kind of wants to stick around.

When Bucky walks in, Spot's silent for a moment, just regarding him with a thoughtful expression. His gaze flicks to the metal arm and there's a flash of curiosity before he hides it again, obviously still tense and a little bit wary. They've never actually met before, so he isn't sure how this is going to go.

"...Yea." he admits eventually. It's not exactly a friendly welcome, but it's a damn sight better than what most other people have had so far.

"So. You're Bucky." he adds.

[not_a_commie]

"What most people call me, not Nat though, she will only ever call me James." He snorts, looking the kid over. "Steve only calls me James when he's mad, or worried." He smiles easily, which has been getting better, it's weird he never got to meet the kid. But Steve's right about Sean looking like him, he's got some of his mother in him too.

"Cant take you outside yet... you'd have a meltdown, Steve sure the hell did, I saw the footage, I was still on ice mostly when they found him." He explains. "But there is a kitchen up a few floors. Could order pizza or whatever you want really... military back pay, and sorry we didn't look for you, back pay is pretty good." He gives the kid... Sean a minute before he adds, "How you feeling?"

[brooklynishere]

Spot nods at the explanation - it's a familiar one, barely anybody ever called him Sean and he always found it a little weird when they did.

"Pizza sounds good," he agrees. It actually sounded really good, given how hungry he was, but he doesn't show too much enthusiasm - partly because Spot isn't the kind of person to show a lot of enthusiasm unless he's totally comfortable, and partly because he's still a little sore about being stuck in this place - however much fancier it is than anywhere else he's ever been.

"Fine," he shrugs "... Weird. I ain't really got no... y'know, reference for dealin' with somethin' like this."

[not_a_commie]

"You know it's okay if you're not fine." He points out, raising his eyebrows and blowing a lock of hair out of face before tying it back. "Gonna have to get you some clothes." Follow me, we'll go up to the residential floors, Steve and I only stay here sometimes, we have a place in Brooklyn." He pulls out his cellphone and pushes a couple of buttons, heading for the elevator, up out of the medical floor. "Hey, can I get one large meat lovers, extra sausage, and a large pepperoni for delivery..." He finishes giving the address they are in the upper west side.

He pulls out an ID card and slides it across a panel the elevator opening, he turns to make sure Sean... Spot is still following him. "You want me to call you Sean or Spot?" He asks holding the elevator door for the kid. No Sean, not the kid.

[brooklynishere]

Spot shrugs, trailing after him. He isn't fine, not really, but he's also never been very good at admitting his feelings - or, at least, any feeling that wasn't anger anyway.

Still, he can't hide his curiosity over everything - the phone, the elevator, things that were familiar and yet so different to what he's known from before. It's not them that he comments on, however, but something else that catches his attention.

"You and Steve got a place in Brooklyn?" he repeats "Together?"

The other question is much simpler, and answers without hesitation "Spot. Everybody calls me Spot."

[not_a_commie]

"Alright, Spot it is." He says with easy acceptance. He pushes a button on the elevator, and it goes red until he swipes his badge again, and the doors close, and the elevator smooth and quick guilds up the floor.

"Yep." Bucky says, "Nice place, old brownstone, tiny ass backyard, thinking about getting a dog." He says rolling his shoulders a little. "We lived together before I got shipped out too, that orphan life." He shrugs.

The doors slide open to the residential floor, it's a large open floor plan large kitchen bleeding into a wide-open comfortable looking living room. A spiral staircase leading up to were the crash rooms are.

One wall a large window looking out over Central Park and the city. A robotic voice comes out of the speakers "Sgt. Barnes, your pizza is at the door. "

"Grab a seat soda in the fridge..." He points to the stainless steel fridge, "I'll be back in a sec."

[brooklynishere]

The place sounds pretty nice, fancier than the apartment he grew up in, and for a second Spot wonders if he'll live there too - though he quickly realises he's getting ahead of himself and it's definitely not a thought he'll voice out loud. Still, Bucky hasn't quite answered the real question he's been asking, he just doesn't know how to ask it more obviously.

He doesn't end up sitting down, instead wandering over to the window to take in the view with wide eyes. He's been to central park before, but he's never seen a view of it like this, never been up this high in his entire life in fact.

"Even you ain't seen Manhattan like this, Jackie-boy..." he murmured to himself.

[not_a_commie]

A tall blond man comes into the kitchen and opens the door, it's the guy that was talking to him before, hair cut neatly, but a slight five o'clock shadow close press and ironed more than Bucky's. "View was weird for me too, at first, some of the new buildings are kind of ugly." He says pulling a Dr. Pepper out of the fridge and coming over to the window.

Bucky comes back in with the pizza, "You always wonder in when the food comes." Bucky teases, "You probably already met him, but Spot this is Steve." He says grabbing plates and putting them on the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Good thing, Lucky and Clint aren't here otherwise this wouldn't be enough." Steve counters, grabbing three slices of meat lovers, "Gonna let you two talk tho, finish this, and I'll meet you at the house later?"

"Yeah I'll see you at home." He smiles.

[brooklynishere]

"Yea... how much of that shit do they got in Brooklyn?" Spot asks casually, glancing sidelong at Steve. His look is assessing, he recognises Steve from when he first woke up, but now he has new information to take into consideration.

If what he suspects is true, he can't fault Bucky's taste - not quite his type, sure, but Spot's got eyes, he can appreciate the aesthetics.

He watches the way the two interact as he makes his way over to the food, suspicion growing. He gives Steve a vague nod of goodbye and reaches over to grab a slice, shoving it into his face without ceremony.

[not_a_commie]

"I would eat too fast right now, you're just out, you'll puke," Bucky said grabbing a slice, but he doesn't try to stop Spot. He goes to the fridge and grabs a couple of sodas putting one down in front of Sean. He quiet for a minute just eating his pizza his years as a sniper makes him comfortable with long stillness.

"Probably should get you clothes, can't live in scrubs forever... also ask what you want, unless it's top-secret I'm an open book."

[brooklynishere]

Spot gives him an unimpressed look but he does slow his bites a little, forcing himself not to just shove the whole slice in his mouth in go. It's good pizza, he's got to admit.

"Uh, yea," he shrugs, glancing down at the scrubs in question. They were comfortable enough, but he'd definitely welcome some proper clothes.

"You and Steve..." he starts, since it's on his mind. He also wonders if Bucky will hide things from him the way his mother did - though he was always more observant than she realised. He trails off there, though, unsure how to phrase the question.

[not_a_commie]

"The answer to what your asking is yes." He laughs folding the slice in half and taking a bite, "That a problem for you?" He asks easily, he knows the era the kid grew up in, it was the one he and Steve hide to hide everything about themselves so they didn't get beat to death.

"Since he pulled me out of that hydra lab, then I fell off the train." He blinks taking a sip of his soda, metal fingers flicking the pull tab on the soda can. "But we look at is a fate, all that shitty stuff was kind of worth it, would I rather not have PTSD, hell yeah, but being able to live with Steve, and not get arrested, I'll take being in therapy, and having nightmares sometimes." He shrugs.

[brooklynishere]

"...No, not a problem," Spot said quietly, taking another bite and chewing slowly as he stares down at the tabletop as he listens to Bucky's explanation. He nods slightly.

"Back at home there's... there was," he corrects himself "this kid... Racetrack. Race. He... we were pretty close." he's too used to speaking carefully, to not revealing himself unless he's absolutely certain it's safe, but he wants Bucky to know that he gets it. Then something Bucky says clicks in his mind and he looks momentarily surprised, until he gains control of his features again

"Not get arrested... so it ain't illegal anymore?"

[not_a_commie]

"Nope." He says smile spreading across his face, "I uh don't have a left hand that can wear a ring anymore." He snorts wiggling the metal fingers, "But about six months ago, we got married... it's mostly good now, still assholes, but they get in trouble now, still got aways to go..." He says pulling a chain out from under his shirt that had a silver band on it with one of Steve's old dog tags before tucking it away.

"So he was your boyfriend?" Bucky asks torn between father and older brother, the kid in front of him would have been 5 or 6 when he died... but now he's looking at a 16-year-old in front of him.

[brooklynishere]

Spot's about to ask about the arm when he's interrupted with the news that Bucky and Steve are married. For all Spot's really good at staying cool and composed most of the time, that just floors him - and obviously so. The idea that two men could not only live together without fear of arrest, but also get married? It's a moment before he manages to say anything else, and when he gets over his shock he actually has to fight to keep from grinning at the thought, because it's a pretty big deal. Instead, he clears his throat a little awkwardly and nods, muttering something almost unintelligible but that sounded like a congratulations.

"Yea...No... I guess...We was somethin'" Spot shrugs. Not like he and Race had ever talked about their relationship, that was just how they operated, it had all been stolen kisses and heated looks and Spot's way of caring, which was to get angry and demanding and also to soak anybody who dared so much as look at Race funny.

That's about when it hits him.

"I ain't never gonna see him again, am I? Not him or Jack or Davey or any of the Brooklyn boys..."

[not_a_commie]

There it is Bucky thinks, Steve went through it, he went through it, the wheels clicking together that all your friends are probably dead, everyone you loved gone. But He and Steve have a few people left, the youngest of their friends and the ones they were pretty sure made pacts with god or the devil not to die in Germany. Bucky had made a pact with God... then he 'died' in Poland. But he supposed God kept their end of the deal because he's alive, married to Steve... He shakes the rush of memories, of labs, of murders he didn't want to do, but his free will and memory of all that was good, was locked in some steel cage in his mind.

He stands up and moves to sit next to Sean, "Probably not most of them, Spot." Bucky nods, "Some of them will be gone, either the other wars Vietnam most likely, or time, or illness." He's honest but his voice is kind, "But you're 21 years younger than me, so you'd only be 78 or 79, so some of them are alive." He takes a sip of his soda, "Depends if you want to look for them if you think it's fair to them to hunt them down." He goes on.

"My friends found me... I had this big war crimes trial, pissed the Commandos off that they would even think of hanging me or putting me in Leavenworth." He gives Sean a look, "The press is gonna find out, but you probably have some time to think about what you want, and Steve and I are good at cover stories, we'll just say we adopted you or some shit."

[brooklynishere]

"Dunno..." Spot shrugs, "Probably couldn't even find them. Jack or Davey maybe, but how the hell am I s'posed to find a guy when the only name I got for him is Racetrack?"

Without knowing how much easier tracking people is in the modern era, it seems like an impossible task. Besides, he's not sure if he wants to see them knowing they've lived their whole lives and he's still a kid.

"If you's gonna say you adopted me... that mean I'll probably be living with you?" he doesn't look at Bucky as he says it, and his tone is a little too obviously casual.

[not_a_commie]

"Super secret spy, you know, so are my friends Nat and Clint, three of us can find anyone, we do the stuff Steve can't or won't, and I..." He doesn't finish the next part, that can wait instead Spot gets, "Though it's not always a good thing if the three of us are looking for you." He snorts.

He smiles that smile again, "Yeah else did you think you'd stay? Not gonna let you stay here, Tony is way too much... anyway, you're family." Bucky says as if it's the easiest thing in the world.

"Think Peter probably has left some clothes here, that might fit you, he's 16, probably, he's from queens but he's okay." Bucky gives Sean an amused grin. "Gotta get you clothes and into school." He says pushing fingers into his hair knocking the hair tie out.

[brooklynishere]

"Oh..." Spot looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding slightly "I guess if you find 'em I can figure out later if I wanna go meet 'em, right?"

He nods again at the comment about staying with them, and though he doesn't respond there's a shift, a slight relaxation of tension in his shoulders, a flash of obvious relief in his eyes as he starts on the pizza again. He's never liked uncertainty, he's just not very good at expressing it, so he's grateful for the reassurance even if he doesn't say it.

"You want me to wear clothes from Queens," Spot looks affronted, but there's almost a hint of a smile playing about his lips that gives away he's just joking - a smile that drops immediately as Bucky continues "School?"

[not_a_commie]

"Yeah, school, summer so we can try and get you caught up on some stuff." Bucky says for the first time sounding a little more serious, "Not gonna be a high school drop out like me, Steve finished college before he got shipped out, art degree." He smiles. "But yeah you're going to school." He repeats. "Maybe get you into a summer program try and get you caught up on computers and shit, Bruce or Peter would probably help you with the math." He sounds like he strategizing. "Gotta get you phone too." He laughs making a mental checklist.

"Be right back." He says dashing up the stairs, and coming down a few minutes later with a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers. "Bathrooms over there," he nods, "change and we can head home."

[brooklynishere]

The affronted expression on Spot's face is entirely genuine at this point. It shouldn't be a surprise, but he'd just assumed with all the upheaval that he wouldn't bother going back to school, he hadn't exactly been all that big on it before he'd been taken, and had been pretty much planning on dropping out as soon as he could anyway.

"There ain't no point in me going to school, come on..." he protests, even though he can already tell it's going to fall on deaf ears.

So when Bucky leaves the room he goes back to eating his pizza with a scowl on his face, a scowl that doesn't really abate even after he grabs the clothes and goes to change.

It's good to be in real clothes again, even if they are kind of weird and not what he's used to, and they're an okay fit, so he doesn't spend too long messing with them before coming back out again with his hands shoved in his pockets, still looking a little sullen.

[not_a_commie]

"Don't give me that look." He laughs pulling on a leather jacket and picking up two motorcycle helmets from by the door. "Can't let you stay home and sit on your butt." He snorts grabbing his keys off the hook and shoving them into the pocket of his jacket. "Wanna go home first, or clothes first?" He asks easily. "See your room.. we'll it's the spare room now, can figure out if you wanna change anything, it is yours now." He says opening the door.

[brooklynishere]

"I could just get a job," he tries, though his mood does seem to improve a little at the sight of the helmets - argument aside, motorbikes are pretty cool.

"Clothes" he decides, mostly because he wants to see more of this place, how much everything's changed - he's curious about the house, of course he is, but it'll be waiting there. Plus he'd rather be in clothes of his own than borrowed ones.

[not_a_commie]

Bucky scans his pass once they get down to the entrance hall, a security guard standing at the front door. "Later, Sgt. Barnes." He says easily.

"Later, Mark." Bucky waves, taking the lift down to the garage. He walks over to a space, where there is a jeep, but the bike is gone. "Little shit took the bike and not his helmet." Bucky scowls. "Gonna have a chat with Steve." He shakes his head but there is affection and worry on his face. He tosses the helmets into the back of the jeep with a huff, "Parking is gonna be a pain now." He smiles a Sean, "He's a worrywart though, probably knew I'd just toss you on the back and tell you to hang on."

Once they are settled in the jeep, after Bucky unzips the top cover, figures he should let spot see everything. He starts heading for the Brooklyn Bridge.