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duplicitymemes2018-09-12 11:51 am
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2018-09-12 11:51 am
Entry tags:
TDM #1
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It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit. Yet, solace is found in the lies we tell each other, comforted by the peace of knowing that we're not alone in our depravity, and once on this path, sin itself becomes the lesser of two evils masked in a cloud of normalcy. This is how Duplicity has functioned since the beginning. The divide of power and social standing is overt in that Dominants influence the decisions made both publicly and privately while Submissives cater to the rules presented to them. It is the way of Duplicity to assign random designations at birth with no leeway in altering what has been given. Climate in the Up is far stricter than that of the Down; violating outlined personas for a Dominant or Submissive while in full view of others is punished by degree of infraction. In the Down, many tend to turn a blind eye to these sorts of offenses. To counteract the discovery of the Deceit Gene – a natural "negative" response to all stimuli – the L.I.E.S. program was founded. The program had been designed to introduce new subjects to the current environment and test for the Deceit Gene through immersion in Duplicity's standing society. Sexual impulses and encounters increase the chances of detecting the gene within these individuals. Participants are typically released from L.I.E.S. after a year; however, results have remained unsatisfactory and testing still continues. |
 After stepping through the door and participating in orientation, LIERS are assembled together in the Up for a tour of Duplicity in its entirety. Seats are in pairs and randomly assigned to Dominants and Submissives alike. Traveling from Fiddler's Square, the train journeys through various parts of the Up, showcasing society and examples of lifestyle. Along the way, frequent stops are made; a variety of passengers can be seen exiting and entering the doors. A Dominant with a kneeling Submissive takes a seat near the front of the train at one stop. A small group of Submissives board and sit closer to the LIERS at another, all seemingly content in their roles. As the tour continues through the Up, the train passes close to the Market and White Wall Bridge and zips by North Park before heading into the Down and bypassing Red Wall Bridge and South Park. The train makes a "final" stop at Riddler's Square, where inhabitants of the Down are instructed to return to their temporary housing. Those who live in the Up are permitted to stay on the train and revisit the same locations while returning. |
 While the societal climate between Dominants and Submissives remains somewhat neutral throughout Duplicity, there has been the occasional whisper of defiance and call for equality. Yet, demonstrations and visible proof of this unhappiness spreads faster by word of mouth on a day exactly when you need it most. Welcome to Autonomy, a "traveling" nightclub that is never in the same place twice. People wanting to attend only learn of its lucrative location and password hours before it opens for business. Tonight, I choose the third door will get you inside and into the temporary freedom club Autonomy has to offer. In this circle, there are no assigned designations and no consequences for taking a role that isn't the one given by society. So, a Dominant may become the Submissive they've always wanted to be—or vice versa. Dominants and Submissives alike are able to mingle without repercussion and be themselves. Food, drinks, and private areas for more intimate – or if your preference is sexual – encounters are provided. Donations are accepted at any point during the night to further Autonomy's attempts of spreading the fulfillment that comes from being untitled. On the night you choose to visit, Autonomy is holding a random lottery for temporary connections. When entering, you have the choice of submitting your name into this drawing to be paired with someone else in the club regardless of designation. A short while later, a message will pop up on your device with the name and information of your partner, and whether or not you choose to meet them is purely at your discretion. Having more than one connection isn't completely unusual either. |
 Gratification of being a successful Dominant or Submissive isn't necessarily simple. Learning curves are to be made, and mistakes will happen. Led by a Dominant and Submissive couple – Miriam and Victoria, who have been paired for twenty-two years – a monthly meeting for unattached Dominants and Submissives is held in the conference room of Morning Wood motel in the Down. The meeting starts a few minutes after nine and has no designated end time. The couple introduce themselves and explain the purpose of the meeting: learn the proper method for a new kink and possibly find your perfect partner. The space is intimate and well-stocked with refreshments. To begin, Victoria, while blindfolded, balances on her hands and knees with her back perfectly level. Her partner, when ready, places various items on the level surface–a full cup, a plate. The Submissive is meant to hold the items until the Dominant believes she's reached her limit. The exercise is one of trust and understanding. The demonstration is a short one, followed by Miriam removing the blindfold and soothing her Submissive. The words are whispered low and with care, clearly a method that is specific to this couple. The process is concluded with the pair handing out workups, videos, and answering questions. Anyone wishing to practice Purposeful Submission can do so in the open room with a random volunteer, aided by the couple, or can find someone to take to one of the rented rooms. Sex may follow any scene but is not necessarily included. Experimenting with unattached Dominants and Submissives allows for new relationships to form. |
Please read carefully. On each Test Drive Meme, there will be a section noting character roles based on birthdays; these will vary each TDM. On an IC level, character will still have gone through the doors but assignments OOCly are still randomized. When applying, there is a section of the application that denotes whether the character chose "left" or "right". When participating on the TDM, there will be a third option. Players may link either a top level or a thread (five or more comments from their character) from the TDM and title the link as "Door Pass". This means that the player is choosing to take the designation that they were randomly assigned on the TDM, rather than taking the designation of a door. If the player decides to select a door rather than use the pass, then they are trying their luck; they may get the same designation they had on the TDM or the opposite. Once the application is submitted, players can't change their choice. To assign roles to characters for this TDM, use the following guide. For characters with a birthday falling in the months of January to June, their designation will be Dominant. For characters with a birthday falling in the months of July to December, their designation will be Submissive. For characters with an unknown birthday, their designation will be Dominant. Arrival into Duplicity has not been used as a prompt as it is a rather large part of introducing the game and will be saved for the first in-game log. But feel free to thread it on the TDM. Also, any locations throughout Duplicity are available for TDM prompts as well! Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!! |
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Because he did. There's absolutely no doubt in his mind that Steve knew he remembered every scrap of everything, so why he's acting now like they haven't already had this whole conversation a few times over is almost baffling.
What'd they do, scrap Steve's memories this time around instead of Bucky's? What the hell kind of sense does that make? What the hell is the point of this whole thing? ]
When's the last time you saw me?
[ He asks instead because he needs to know just exactly how much they took from Steve. Needs to know what ground they last stood on.
He has a sinking feeling he knows already. ]
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Right before I woke up here. The helicarriers were going down.
❰ there's still the shadows of bruising around steve's eyes, a mostly-healed gash on his lip visible once you know what to look for. hands and knees was only slightly harder a position to maintain with the quickly-knitting gunshot wounds in his abdomen and thigh. ❱
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[ It's the only thing that clears his lips at first, and this time it's him reeling back to put a little distance between them. A hand passes over his mouth, eyes flicker from Steve's face to anywhere else. God, Jesus- yeah, that explains a hell of a lot, doesn't it?
He's got to take a moment to replay every line of dialogue between them since the second Steve said his name, and with this new context behind it? It feels a hell of a lot more serious than he'd been playing it. Add that to the list of shit he feels guilty for, somewhere ten or so lines beneath beating Steve almost to death - which is, apparently, Steve's most recent memory.
He ran from that moment for nearly two years. Selfishly hid from it until the pain in Steve's eyes hardened into determination, which was about a million times easier to face. He hadn't been in his right mind when he stared down at Steve's black eyes and busted lip, he'd had a layer of fog between himself and reality that made the whole thing softer and easier to bear.
That luxury is gone, and the memories filter in with a vividness only an eidetic super-serum memory can afford.
He breathes out slowly, and then flickers his eyes back to Steve at last. ]
That's been a while.
[ He rasps finally, an incomplete explanation but - it's a start, at least. ]
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❰ steve reaches out, unthinking, when bucky reels back, stepping back into his space and grabbing at his bicep. it doesn't matter that he'd just done the same thing, he's not even thinking about that, all that matters is bucky shouldn't look like that. it's only when steve has his hands on bucky that his words actually process, and then the confusion returns to his face. ❱
Been a while? I fell, I woke up here. How long...
❰ hydra wiped bucky's memories. they had to have, somehow, for him not to know steve at all, to work for them. could they have done the same to steve? begun the process and then been stopped by l.i.e.s before it could be completed? the idea sits like a lead weight in steve's stomach, and he stares at bucky, ashen-faced. ❱
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I fell, I woke up here- god, not even a day? Not even long enough to know that Bucky pulled him out of the river? The first piece of a puzzle that he took months to put together on his own, museum trips and history books and god damn Wikipedia. ]
Years. Maybe two.
[ He says, because those first few months had been rocky and patchwork for him. He thinks it's been about two, give or take a few months. Hard for him to put an exact number on it, but he knows it's well over one.
There is one thing he can at least reassure Steve of, though- he reaches out again to settle a flesh hand on Steve's neck, fingertips curling beneath his ear dipping into his hairline. ]
I remember.
[ So if they did fuck with Steve's brain, chances are he'll remember too. Eventually, maybe not right now, not for a few months if Bucky's progress was any real indication, but. It's not as bad as it could be. ]
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but bucky remembers. bucky knows him, and he'd thought that maybe bucky never would, so whatever was lost can be regained.
steve is attempting to come to terms with that idea when there's a knock at the door, perfunctory, before it begins to open. he makes eye contact with bucky for a second, grimacing, before dropping to his knees before bucky, ducking his head and fisting his hands against his thighs. the dominant who enters the room doesn't notice, or maybe doesn't care, and doesn't pay attention to steve at all, treating him like just another piece of furniture in favor of addressing bucky.
they need to get out of this place. they need to go somewhere they can be themselves, figure out what steve's missing and what they're going to do in this place. unfortunately, steve has no idea where that would even be, too new to have any sense of any place that could be called safe by either of their standards. ❱
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Reaching forward to slide his fingers into Steve's hair is an automatic gesture, something he doesn't even think about. It feels natural to do so, a soothing touch meant to placate even as he turns his full attention on their company. They aren't still, it's a constant threading motion of fingertips sliding through strands and pressing against scalp gently. Petting.
Hello, sir. I'm sorry to interrupt. Are you enjoying the exercise? The volunteer asks, a polite and professional smile upon his face with. He carries a genuineness and a lightness about him, either he's been broken by the system or he takes to his role with pleasure. He's devout. He's someone it is necessary to convince rather than to meet vague checkpoints without effort.
Barnes doesn't smile at him, but his lips purse into a line much akin to the expression people make at one another when they awkwardly pass in a hallway. ]
He's good. [ He says instead, threading fingers constantly working. ] But new. Still learning.
[ The volunteer nods like he'd expected as much. He seemed like he was acting up in public, a very bad habit. I had a few like that. I'm quite experienced in training them, if you'd like some pointers?
The grip in Steve's hair goes a little tight for a second before he can restrain himself, just a brief snatch of roughness and the barely quelled urge to clench his fists. ]
I'm alright, thanks.
[ Coolly cadenced and politely terse, just strained enough for Steve to hear but not so much that the volunteer picks up on it. Undeterred, he steps further into the room. No really, I insist, it's no trouble-
Barnes squares up a little, brow knitting. ]
Trust me, he's learned his lesson. Haven't you, sweetheart?
[ The question is pitched to Steve, eyes ducking, fingertips curling a warning at Steve's crown. Sell it, please, if you want that privacy back. ]
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but bucky's voice goes tense and his fingers grip tightly into steve's hair, and steve's eyes snap open, tension returning to his shoulders. the other dominant steps into the room and steve rocks back on his heels, ready to put space between himself and the man, and then bucky's addressing him and steve pauses.
it takes a moment before he moves, bending forward with halting movements to kiss bucky's boot. ❱
Yes, sir, ❰ he says, and he's not quite as good at hiding his feelings as bucky is — the tension in his voice is almost palpable. his hands have remained clenched on his thighs this entire time, and he can feel his nails beginning to bite into his palm.
submitting to bucky wouldn't be difficult on its own. he knows bucky, trusts him, knows neither of them would ascribe the act more meaning than it merits. but to be observed like this, to be forced into it and expected to perform no matter his own feelings — that is what grates. that is what makes steve's shoulders a sharp, squared line where he is prostrated before bucky, tension and resentment simmering underneath his skin. it's almost like it had been before the war, before the serum, when he'd been expected to just sit back and take it when the shops around the neighbourhood refused him jobs because he was a mick, or because he was small. it engenders the same kind of anger, when steve had thought he'd left that behind. ❱
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He manages, by the skin of his teeth, to school his surprise into approval which he flashes at the intruding dom at their threshold. As a sign of his praise, his hand drops again to the back of Steve's neck, where fingers press softly into muscles and rub the tension in them.
He levels their unwanted observer with a look that reads see? The guy seems suitably impressed.
Funny, I'd had him pegged as a rebellious little guy and Barnes finds it hilarious that anyone can unironically call Steve little these days. He takes it to mean social status, that regardless of physical size or strength of merit he sees all subs as small. Fingers press harder, a sort of warning because he feels like that's the type of thing to set Steve's teeth on edge. ]
Yeah, well, once you know how to break 'em it's all downhill, so.
[ And if he sounds a little dark when he says it, it's because it's all a little too personal for him. And this has been quite enough, thanks. He motions toward the door. ]
If you wouldn't mind, I think we're gonna need some privacy for this next part. You understand.
[ If you're interested in a third- ]
Get out.
[ Yes sir, and the door eases quietly closed again behind him. The second it clicks shut Bucky's hand drops, and he scoffs an incredulous sound that shreds his throat with the size of his disbelief, the fucking audacity. ]
Something tells me he's gonna be back.
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it's possible steve took this a bridge too far, though, and he can almost feel the quizzical tension from bucky, wonders if it was too much, if he leaned too hard into the submission — but the other dominant appears to approve, at least, seeming appeased by the display. it's as though he read steve's mind, honestly, calling him little, and maybe he's been bigger for the past few years but he was small his whole life before that, and it's only bucky's warning hand that keeps steve from reacting. he can't avoid the tension that rockets through him at bucky's tone, and almost reels back when the dominant offers to stay, but bucky's hand holds firm just long enough for the dominant to leave and close the door behind him. steve's up like a shot after that, one hand going to bucky's shoulder, the other reaching for his cheek. ❱
You alright there, pal?
❰ it's been easy to forget that this bucky is not the bucky of his youth. he talks the same, jokes the same — when steve's on his knees he can almost pretend bucky's hair is still short. bucky's never touched him with the metal arm. but the darkness in his voice — it's a stark reminder of the things bucky has been made to endure, and steve can't let himself forget that. this has to be as hard for bucky as it is for him.
they'll deal with that asshole whenever he makes a reappearance. for now, steve wants to check in with bucky. ❱
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He's grim and maybe a little inscrutable when he murmurs a firm: ]
I'm fine.
[ Because he is. Because it'll take a hell of a lot more than some asshole in a suit to shake his foundations, even if he can't deny the visceral discomfort he feels about this whole thing.
At least he's not the one that has to be a table, right? He does, however, hold up a hand. One firm no. ]
Rule number one, no boot kissing.
[ Even if he were inclined to lord his status around and adopt a submissive, that wouldn't be on the table. It's just- it's humiliating for the sake of being humiliating, it's degrading, they're dirty. Anything he'd do in this hypothetical role for punishment or contrition would have a point, serve a purpose, teach some kind of lesson, not just grind an inferiority complex into them like they're some kind of god damn dog.
Steve deserves better than that, and that's not the kind of person Bucky ever wants to be. ]
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You're right, though, he's not going to leave us alone for too long. We could try to make a break for it, head back to the motel they've got us holed up in.
❰ because clearly they aren't staying here. they have too much to talk about to be interrupted every few minutes by a jackass with A superiority complex who wants to see steve on his knees.
right? ❱
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They've got dominants in the upper levels, if people see me slumming without one of those tattoos...
[ He's not... actually sure what will happen, and that's the concerning part about it. If he doesn't conform to the societal norms, the expectations Dominants are held to, what will they do? Drag him to that "liberation center" where they brainwash people to be better at their designated roles, maybe. Risk scrambling his brain even more, risk this going from a lark to a reality, some twisted scenario where he actually treats Steve like a pet? ]
Once we're contracted they'll let you move in with me, but until then I don't- I don't know the rules.
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steve sighs and drops his arms, hands on his waist and shoulders slumped. this is a bad plan. he really doesn't like this plan. ❱
Alright, then let's try to get a sense for the rules. I can... be your submissive, ❰ the way steve says it it sounds like a curse word, and he's clearly not happy about it, but if it's part of a mission it's easier to compartmentalize. ❱ and you can ask question from the dominants out there. We do some recon, wait for this event to end, head back to the motel once we've figured out what we're up against.
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Not a bad plan.
[ He murmurs in tentative agreement, with an unspoken but attached. ]
From what I get there's supposed to be some... dialogue here, about... What you can do, what you can't do, what I can't do. They've got a whole... dynamic worked out like their own god damn language, I think if we're gonna do this it can't be as simple as just wingin' it on the fly.
[ Especially if it's something they're going to have to do consistently. And on top of that: ]
You really think you can manage it? What- submitting to me? You never even did that at five foot two.
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he doesn't want to think about it. steve remains faced away from bucky, staring at the door with his hands on his hips and an angry set to his jaw, like if he just glares hard enough he can convince everyone on the other side of it to leave. ❱
Well it ain't like we got a hell of a lot of options, is it? We either wing it or we sit in here learning nothing, being interrupted every five minutes.
❰ and if steve has to spend this evening on his knees, he'd rather it serve a purpose, thanks. ❱
Five foot four, ❰ he corrects, absently, as though it still matters when he's six foot two and built like a brick shithouse. when you're as small as he is — was — two extra inches mean something, alright. ❱ And yeah, I can do it.
❰ he's just so glad to have bucky back at all — it'll be a good excuse to stay close to him, if nothing else. if the mission is submitting to bucky, he's not ignoring anything important by indulging in his desire to stick as close to his best friend as possible. the submission part's bullshit, but he can fake his way through that.
probably. ❱
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And then Steve full-on corrects him, somehow failing to see the irony in it. Barnes is happy to point it out with a rather dry: ]
See what I mean?
[ It's not that he's being intentionally unhelpful, he's really not, but he can see how it might come across that way. It might seem like he's shooting a hole in every little piece of Steve's plan, and maybe that's part of the problem. It's Steve doing the planning when he's supposed to be submitting to Bucky's whims, so he blows out a long breath and shoves himself to his feet. ]
I'm just throwin' it out there, but could we maybe- I don't know- take five minutes to practice this in private before you're performing it for the public?
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but if he doesn't at least try here, bucky shouldn't take the risk of taking him out there. it's not just steve who could get in trouble, bucky would be responsible for his behaviour. it's not totally unreasonable for bucky to want to get some practice in before throwing them both at the mercy of steve's temper.
just because he understands it, doesn't mean he likes it any better.
steve turns around slowly, approaching bucky on the bed with what starts off as a determined set to his shoulders, before he realizes what he's doing and deliberately tries to soften them. ❱
I really hate when you're right. Jerk.
❰ the wry tone is meant to take a bit of the sting out of the comment, and steve spreads his arms before letting them flop back to his sides. ❱
Alright. Let's do this. Dominate me.
❰ because if they can laugh about it, it's less shitty, right? ❱
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Traces his lips with his forefinger and his thumb. Slides it up into his hair and cards it back. ]
Gimme a sec, I'm trying to think about the-... psychology behind this whole thing.
[ He murmurs, flicking his eyes to Steve for a second. It turns into a once-over, a scrutinizing scan of his physical being from bottom to top. Part of what he'd done over the last seventy years is chameleon his way through social situations. Adopt personas, blend in and adapt to get closer to his targets. Surveillance, espionage, integration. He could take on an entire life virtually flawlessly - for a while, at least - in order to complete a mission. He can channel that skill now, maybe, and make it work.
If he was gonna do this- really do this and not just pretend, why? Why would he willingly dominate Steve Rogers - and in a way that isn't about war, strategy, fighting, killing. Why would he- James Buchanan Barnes- willingly and voluntarily do this to Steve?
He licks his lips and contemplates a few hypothetical answers to that question. ]
You've never been any good at taking care of yourself, you know that?
[ He murmurs, an observation that might seem like it comes out of nowhere considering Steve's not following the tangents riding through his mind. Before Steve can answer, he clarifies just a little: ]
If I were gonna be in charge of you- boss you around, whatever- it wouldn't be about you licking god damn boots. It'd be about keeping you from doing something stupid, keeping you safe. Happy. Healthy.
[ You following him so far? ]
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or would be, if the corners of his lips weren't turning up in a smirk. ❱
You say that like that wasn't what you were trying to do our whole lives.
❰ and like steve didn't make it as hard for bucky to do as he possibly could, sometimes on purpose. he hated feeling like he needed to be minded, like he couldn't look out for himself, and bucky was his best friend but sometimes the ways he tried to take care of steve were not the ways steve wanted to be taken care of.
although maybe that's the point, right. figure out a way to fit this into what they've already got going, so it looks less weird when they put on the act out there. ❱
I'd say something about being a grown ass man, but that goes against the spirit of the thing, doesn't it.
❰ and it'd be a rehash of fights they'd already had years ago anyway. ❱
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[ He fires back, flat and unimpressed.
Frankly, if anyone deserves to be able to dominate and subsequently punish Steve Rogers it's Bucky god damn Barnes. Just saying. He'll keep that thought to himself, though, because he can't imagine it'll help the situation.
There's no doubting the subtext, they can both read it clear as day. Yes, that's exactly the same fight they've been having since Steve was in god damn elementary school. Yes, that's exactly why he's incorporating this element of their relationship - to spin it in a way Steve can tolerate, relate to, maybe adapt to. And if he seems a little exasperated, well, he's got plenty of reason to be and they both know it.
But anyway, moving on. ]
So let's say- hypothetically- for once in your miserable life you actually just trust me. Stop fighting me tooth and nail, just shut up and do what I tell you to do because you gotta know I'm gonna have a reason for every bit of it. Even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. Even if it seems like I'm just-
[ He gestures vaguely. ]
Doing something arbitrary, or something that you don't necessarily wanna do, you do it because you trust me. No questions asked.
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❰ steve begins, and then takes a deep breath and looks away, crossing his arms as he tries to rein himself in. the same argument they've been having for twenty years, and neither of them can give ground. bucky still thinks it's all about trust and how steve doesn't have it, while steve just wants to be like everybody else. to be reckless and throw himself into fights because it's the right thing to do, because he'd rather nurse a black eye for a few days than stand to the side while something goes wrong that he could have fixed. for as much as they've always been close, there have also always been things they never could see eye to eye on. ❱
I can do that.
❰ he does trust bucky. of course he does, how can he not? bucky is the missing piece of his life that rose from the fucking dead and punched him in the face, if he can trust sam wilson he can trust bucky. he's different now, anyway, the body the serum gave him letting him... relax, some. not much. he'll never want to just stand aside when he could help, or be kept from something necessary just because it could be dangerous. but he's allowed to do all the things he's always been intent on doing now, and the extra leeway means he doesn't have to fight for it as much. ❱
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Or don't go out without your raincoat because you'll almost die of the flu again, and Bucky spent a week mopping up vomit that time and he was sure- so god damn sure- that he'd be attending Steve's funeral in a matter of days because he couldn't hold down water. But no, it was never about trust? Please.
So frustrated is he that the second an agreement blessedly, finally comes out of his mouth after all these years he almost wants to throw a damn party. What he throws instead is his hands up, a vague outward gesture on either side accompanied by an exhausted-sounding: ]
Hallelujah. Someone call a press conference.
[ But there it is, there's the rock. Their foundation. Okay, then, they start with that and build up. Simple, right? ]
So let's try it out. Scene one. You ready?
[ Action. Their first real attempt which, yes, okay, long term they'll probably have to hash out some guidelines or something, what to do in certain scenarios where he slips up and Bucky's got to correct him in public, how to handle things like out there when Steve has to pretend to be a god damn tree, but for now they're just trying to establish some baseline persona.
So.
Here they go.
He licks his lips, then nods toward the bed. ]
Lay down. Face down. Close your eyes.
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but steve's supposed to be submitting, and all he does is narrow his eyes at bucky and raise an eyebrow, wordlessly challenging him to keep going. look, steve can let bucky take care of him, if that's how he wants to do this, but he's not just going to let bucky talk some bullshit without firing back. surely submissives aren't expected to be doormats.
the command is an easy one to follow, but there's still an initial resistance in steve, a reluctance that makes a muscle twitch in his jaw as he fights the urge to ignore bucky. it's bucky, though, like he's been telling himself this whole night. bucky's not going to make him do anything he doesn't want to do. bucky wants to be allowed to take care of him. slowly, with the jerky movements of one all too aware of every step they're taking, steve walks to the bed, rising to lay on it just as bucky had instructed. he's tempted to open one eye to look at bucky, but he keeps them shut, just as he'd been told.
bucky's taking care of him, and he's trusting bucky. he can do this. it's only for a few minutes. ❱
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At least it didn't almost kill him routinely.
It's a good thing they're doing this, because he can see that resistance in Steve right off the bat. Even for something as simple and harmless as lay down on the bed and Steve's first instinct is to dig in his heels, Christ, he made the right decision getting a mile or two under their belts before they take this pony show on the road. Wonder what else he's been right about all along, huh?
He'd be lying if he said it didn't feel a little good to see Steve finally listening without a knock-down drag-out. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a little vindicated, a little relieved even, to have the power to finally force Steve into a little rest. ]
Ten minutes.
[ He says seriously, but that antagonistic triumph is gone from his voice. He replaces it instead with a careful calm, a murmur that's easier for Steve's pride to digest. A little less 1942, a little more 2016. Who he is now over who he was then. Somebody Steve hasn't quite had the chance to meet yet. He moves, the quiet rustling of fabric belying his position. The bed shifts as he settles his weight down on one edge off to Steve's left. ]
You're gonna lay on that bed for ten minutes, eyes closed, no talking, no moving until I tell you. Lay there and try to wrap your head around this whole thing, and I'm gonna lay down some rules while you do it. When the time's up, if you got a problem with any of 'em, we can talk about it then, but until I'm done you just listen.
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