#wdowed

[antipersonal]

✱ [ @wdowed | continued from here ]

John didn't answer right away.

His silhouette stayed unsettlingly still at the edge of her bed, faintly outlined by the hallway glow, and his fingers twitched between her shoulderblades like he couldn't decide whether to freeze or bolt. John didn't have the vocabulary to explain it-- that he'd woken up in a cold sweat again, same dream he always had after missions went sideways, and prowling like he was the team's watchdog was the only thing that stopped the uncertainly crawling under his skin.

"…Yeah," he said eventually, voice rough on the edges. Real eloquent, dumbass.

He started to pull his hand away but hesitated, eyes flicking over her uneasily like he regretted every part of this-- he felt embarrassed, without really knowing why.

"Look, I know it's weird, alright? I just had to check-- make sure, whatever. That everyone was--" he clicked his tongue, gesturing vaguely at the room. "Y'know. Still here."

There was a pause. Then, unsteady but edging back toward familiar sarcasm: "Not like any of us are winning medals for most well-adjusted behavior. You especially."

He started to turn, like he meant to give her privacy. But he didn't leave.

[nota1one]

❛ i thought you’d like some company. ❜ 

@wdowed , an assortment of dialogue prompts .

the muffled voices of his friends wavered in volume the longer the conversation went on . bob had been involved to begin with , stood around the central screen admiring the holograms and technologies far beyond his comprehension , waiting for the conversation to drift towards him and what he could do to help ; it was awesome , and he was a part of it ! he wanted to be , anyway . he deserved to be , alas his name had not once been mentioned . a raised hand had drawn bucky's eye towards him , that slow roll of his eyes bob could see he'd been dreading — it's best if y'sit this one out , bob . just a quick in and out , there'll be nothin' for you to learn on this one . and that was that . as the conversation persisted bob had slowly slipped away from the group and found a seat just down the hall .

it didn't seem like a quick in and out to him . would a quick job follow a rowdy disagreement over who's idea was best ? with all the job's hurdles they were struggling to overcome it certainly didn't seem a simple job . it's not fine , he gets it .

he hadn't noticed that the conversation had stilled at some point , it's yelena's approach that pulls him from his thoughts . posture straightens when he catches himself slipping , and bob tries a smile , even a small wave that barely lifts his hand from his knee . i thought you'd like some company . that strengthens his smile a little , it creases at his eyes and warms him some . bob just nods , and shuffles in his seat to offer her enough space beside him . " when are you leaving . . ? tonight ? "

[handspike]

@wdowed [ cont. from here. ]

soft  assessment  of  the  widow  led  kate  to  notice  the  injuries  sustained  were  more  severe  than  she  was  letting  on.  yelena's  threshold  for  pain  might  be  higher  than  the  average  person,  all  it  took  was  a  tremble  for  the  hawkeye  to  make  mental  note  of  where  it  stung  the  most,  how  she  winced.

the  mug  was  meant  for  soothing.  kate  didn't  have  fuck  all  in  her  apartment,  but  she  at  least  had  tea.  she  enjoyed  her  tea,  and  this  was  her  favorite  brand,  sweetened  just  the  right  amount  for  the  new  avenger  sitting  across  from  her.

“that  wouldn't  be  so  bad,  would  it?”  she'd  been  vying  for  that  spot  for  a  while,  them  becoming  friends.  it  didn't  feel  like  it  existed  outside  the  realm  of  possibility  now  that  yelena  was  there.  “you  wanna  take  a  shower?  then  let  me  look  at  some  of  those  wounds?”

while  the  food  was  seldom  stocked  in  her  kitchen,  kate's  first  aid  kit  was  always  loaded  to  the  brim.

“i've  got  sweatpants  and  my  dazzler  hoodie,"  she  teases,  "i  think  it's  more  comfortable  than  a  bulletproof  vest."

[centurie]

❝ please tell me what's really on your mind. ❞ for bob, if that's okay! :>

@wdowed , please .

too much . there's too much on his mind . bob surrenders , tired of the façade , tired of the i'm fine that rolls off his tongue as easily as a bad habit . eyes squeeze shut , he holds his breath until , " i . . . i don't know . " his voice becomes a desperate whisper , trembling as frustration mounts . he's glad she asked , she cares , she wants to know ————— no she doesn't , she's only asking because she has to . eyes snap open and find yelena's , they search them for the hatred he can't help but expect . it's not there , of course it's not there . there's kindness , delicate encouragement , the look of someone who understands to some degree .

" there's so much . i can't pinpoint one thought . " like a revolving door sentences would come and go without pause , they overlap , some louder than others . there's mockery . memories he'd beg to forget . the echoes of vicious things said repeated in his own voice as if they were fact . twisted versions of days past that emphasise the worst of the scenario . there's too much . " everything . everything is always on my mind . i can deal with it sometimes , it can get quiet but its still there and i feel able to kind of . . . ignore it , not let it get to me as much as it normally does , " bob's shrug is sloppy , and he finds he can't maintain eye contact for much longer . " but i can't today , it's so loud . "