video

[prespangled]

[He was gonna go somewhere a little more peaceful for this, maybe the outskirts of the park. But his energy levels are running low, even lower than usual with the stress of late, not that he'd ever admit it.

But he's not dead, not even hurt really. He's just tired. So what you get is one Steve Rogers, sitting in front of a pile of nondescript rubble. There's something just at the edge of the video, something he tried to push out of sight completely. But anyone who's every seen a little red wagon will recognize it for what it is, no matter how dirty and dull it appears.]

I know just about everyone's had a rough few days recently. I thought...maybe I could help. [Those words bring a lump to his throat. He wanted to help while it was all going on too, but in the end he wasn't able to do much.] I'm already out, so if there's anything that you need, I'll do my best to find it and get it to you.

[Steve's eyes lift and dart to the wagon, which he has a love-hate relationship with right now. It reminds him of when Bucky wanted him to do this sort of thing. Pride is always a bitter pill to swallow, and Steve's never really managed to choke it down. Come to think of it, maybe that's the lump in his throat.]

Of course, I'll be able to get it there faster if anyone knows how to put a wheel back on. I can live with the scratches and dents.

Comments

[prespangled]

If we could figure out some way of the keeping the gods from using you as their weapon. [Steve looks up at him.] Would you trust that in my hands?

[wipedclean]

[Oh.

He thinks about that. He doesn't know if such a possibility exists.

But he nods.]

If that were possible, then yes. I would.

[He'd trust Steve with anything. He wonders if he should question that. But he doesn't. It's just a simple fact.]

[prespangled]

[Steve exhales. It was probably hard to tell that his narrow shoulders were tense before, but there's definitely some relaxing now. For him, that was the hard part.

The smile that he gives Bucky in return, all the love and appreciation and just a little bit of sadness in the curve of his lips might have something to do with why he trusts Steve.]

Someone mentioned sedatives. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

[wipedclean]

[He shrugs.]

It's not a bad idea.

[It's certainly not the worst way of putting him out of commission temporarily that's been used on him in the past.]

[prespangled]

You're not bothered by it?

[Steve's surprised. Maybe because he's bothered by it. He's probably bothered by everything.]

[wipedclean]

[He shakes his head, clearly totally unperturbed by the thought.]

Better than a lot of other methods.

[prespangled]

[Steve doesn't even try to hide his frown at that.]

Will you tell me about them?

[wipedclean]

[He considers.]

I don't like the shock rods. Those are the worst.

[prespangled]

Shock rods?

[Whatever he was thinking, he wasn't prepared for that.]

You mean like cattle prods.

[Steve's hands are gripping the shield, gripping the dagger. He's smart enough to put things together, from what Bucky tells him, from what he doesn't tell him.

His best friend was tortured, and he hates the men who did it. He doesn't need Rage's influence. He'd wipe them off the face of the earth.]

We won't be using anything like that. Ever. You hear me, Buck?

[wipedclean]

[He blinks, surprised at Steve's vehemence. The shock rods--and everything else--are such a fact of life to him that Steve's anger doesn't even make sense.]

Okay.