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[bettercallit]

[ It's been eight days. Eight whole days. Better late than never, right? But in case anyone's yet to figure it out, he feels the need to make the announcement. He's sticking to text to avoid a metaphor slipping out; that's his story and he's sticking to it, okay? Okay. ]

Agent Phil Coulson has left the City.

Comments

[yourbestguysgun]

[ A laugh. ] Yeah, yeah. Fuck you, Barton.

[bettercallit]

Not sure he'd appreciate us bonding that much.

[yourbestguysgun]

[ Pause. ]

In your dreams.

[bettercallit]

You'll be there, Barnes, you always are. [ A smug wink. ]

[yourbestguysgun]

[ Nudging him with a slight huff of laughter. ]

You've got taste, that's good.

[bettercallit]

The whole confidence thing works for me, what can I say?

[ The 40s way of talking and the mouth would help, too, if he didn't think of him more as an older brother. ]

[yourbestguysgun]

[ Taking another swig of the drink. ]

That's what all the girls in Brooklyn say.

[bettercallit]

How'd you ever leave the house without being savaged? Must've been awful.

[yourbestguysgun]

I had Steve as my body guard. [ Except he had been tiny. ]

[bettercallit]

Like he wasn't part of the masses trying to tear your clothes off.

[yourbestguysgun]

Not back then, no.

[bettercallit]

Seriously? [ He's looking at him like he can't believe the two of them were never not always a thing. ]

[yourbestguysgun]

Different people, different time. It wouldn't even have crossed our minds.

[bettercallit]

[ There's a brief moment where he just ponders it, shrugs, because, really, it's none of his business, but he gets it. Circumstances can change, and here there's been a lot of that. ]

Coulson ever let slip about his hero crush on Rogers? [ It comes out before he really thinks about it, something to move the conversation on and avoid moving into awkward territory, but it actually doesn't kick him in the gut the way he expects it to, so he relaxes into it. ] All the junior agents thought he was some kind of cyborg, and fuck knows I had to bite my tongue on putting 'em straight.

[yourbestguysgun]

A cyborg in love with Captain America?

[bettercallit]

Yeah, no one could know about the whole nerdy side, he had a reputation to maintain. [ Shrugging, but with a small smile. ] He was too cute for public knowledge.

[yourbestguysgun]

[ That makes him laugh. ]

Huh. Guess he was just as human as the rest of us then.

[bettercallit]

No one can ever know. [ He tries to give him a serious look, but the amusement comes through, the alcohol clearly taking him off his game. ]

Thanks. [ He shrugs, like it's no big deal, but the fact he's actually thanking someone for something and the quiet tone shows how much it means. ] Y'know, for this.

[yourbestguysgun]

Hey, you're a friend, okay? [ Because Clint is. Bucky doesn't care, he likes the guy and they get on well. ]

Just hang in there.

[bettercallit]

[ Friends aren't something he has many of, not people he can really trust, so he huffs a laugh at that, doesn't know how to answer, but he knows that he can trust Bucky. ]

Yeah, it's kinda like the one thing I'm good at, but I wouldn't mind shooting a few things just to let it all out.

[yourbestguysgun]

Well, if you ever need anyone to join you down the range kid, call me up.

[bettercallit]

You're on. Give it a couple of days and I'll drag your ass out there to see what you've got.

[yourbestguysgun]

I'll look forward to showing you who's the real king 'round here.

[bettercallit]

As long as that doesn't mean I'm the queen. Handsome price I could probably live with, but never queen.

[yourbestguysgun]

No, that's probably Steve.