semi-open;

[bracchium]

CHARACTERS: Bucky, Sam, Steve, and guests
WHERE: The Gardens
WHEN: Backdated to D040-idk 45ish?
SUMMARY: After another death in the nest, Bucky feels the need to run.
WARNINGS: Nightmares, talk of violence, etc.


[Death in the Nest never comes easy. Anakin's had been so violent and sudden and now Aoba's seemingly the opposite. Something planned and slow and when the pain of the loss surges through the Nest, Bucky's left shuddering in its wake. He can't stay here, that's all he knows in the moment as he surges from his quarters. His backpack is heavier than he remembers as he hefts it over his shoulder. However, he's only a dozen feet down the hall before a conversation with Sam springs to his mind. Over shared drinks, he agreed to think about not running, about camping, about seeking offered help when this urge rises.

But he can't bring himself to search for help directly. Not when all he can focus on is the pain of a purposeful death rocking through his nerves.

And yet his feet bring him to the Gardens, to dirt crunching under his boots instead of the darkness of the farthest corners of the Station. He's reminded again of Sam, of their talk of camping, and he quietly sends up a ping of his location to both his broodmate and Steve. The impression of his panic colors the leaves of the trees around him, burning incandescent over the link.]

Comments

cap trio

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Sam's focus on their connection is almost instantaneous, the moment he feels Bucky consciously thinking of him. It might not be open quite as wide as it'd been on Waypoint, but he never did really repair his shields with Bucky, and he's honestly not even sure he could.

Bucky sending his location would be more than enough to get Sam moving - if Bucky wants him, he'll always be there - but the panic means it's quicker than he might have otherwise. The panic brings an instinctive response across their mental link: the sensation of slow, steady breathing and the feeling of fingers laced together. ]

( I'll be right there. )

[ He can feel the shape of Steve's connection, too, so he sends it to both of them. It's not the first time the three of them have come together like this, and with the symbiote's enhancements to his speed, it's not long before he's at the Gardens. ]

[decommission]

[ Being outside the brood leaves Steve a step behind Sam and Bucky when the message flares in his mind, Bucky's panic setting his chest alight and shooting down his arm, the mark of his pencil suddenly changing course as though he'd just hit a bump. ]

( On my way. ) [ His response comes with the sensation of a third hand reaching for theirs, the last leg of a tripod.

He tucks pencil and pad under his arm before moving down the halls to meet them. ]

[bracchium]

[Bucky dives deeper into the gardens before he can really stop himself, even as Sam and Steve both send confirmation that they're on their way. He does his best to ignore the sensation of being cornered--- the reminder of Bucharest heats up his throat--- and to instead accept the mental impressions Sam and Steve send back his way.

But someone's dead and the situation calls too closely to the end of a mission to be ignored. Runrunrun sings under his skin as he continues to move.]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ The echo of Bucky's instinct to move hums in Sam's veins, for a moment almost overtaking him. But he can feel the sensation of Steve's hand in his, grounding him back to himself. He remembers Bucharest from the other side, remembers trying to chase Bucky down in Waypoint, and that second one makes him slow his own pace.

He stops in a part of the Garden that's reasonably well hidden, leaning against the strange bark of an alien tree. It'd worked better last time they were on the Station letting Bucky name a rendezvous spot. ]

( You're okay, sunshine. Where should we meet? )

[bracchium]

[Through the brood bond, Bucky can sense Sam stopping, giving him distance and it takes him a moment to remember that he asked for Steve and Sam to come, that he doesn't want to be alone. No matter how difficult it might be, he needs them here to help with the open wound in the Nest, and the questions that accompany it.

Sucking in a breath through his nose, he forces himself to count slowly, to anchor himself, to reach out again instead of running. Ahead of him, there is a small grove of what might be willow trees, if not for the strange purple bark.]

( The willow grove. )

[decommission]

( We'll be right there. )

[ It helps, in a way, that his connection to the pair of them is lesser outside the brood. The benefit to not feeling everything as strongly is that it keeps him a half step removed from being swept up in outside panic - and it's a bit easier to keep his own fears buried just beneath the surface of what's visible to the others. Barely.

He spots Sam's back first, slowing to a walk as he approaches them. ]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Despite the lingering sense of Bucky's panic, something like relief settles in his chest as the three of them find each other. There's a low, distant ache of guilt and grief from everything going on since they got back from Waypoint, and he - he has to remind himself that it's not selfish to want them close.

To feel better with the two of them there. With how bad Bucky wants to run, he knows he's keeping the promise he made to let Sam and Steve help him when things get bad, and a faint hint of gratitude and pride curls out around them. ]

Sounds like now's a good time for a camping trip. Few days out here, just us?

[bracchium]

[As the other two approach, Bucky keeps to the shadows, more out of habit than necessity. Once it becomes well and clear that Sam and Steve are indeed the only other two here, he moves to acknowledge them with a nod. Camping might be nice. He remembers telling Sam about doing that after escaping HYDRA, how he liked getting fresh air, and how he promised to do something other than run and hide.

So Bucky offers a short nod, still keeping to himself as best he can.]

[decommission]

[ His gaze shifts from Sam to Bucky, offering them both a half-hearted grin. He glances up at the high ceiling. This is as close to fresh air as they're going to get until the powers that be let them know when they're getting sent out again. ]

Well, we won't have to worry about getting rained on... [ And he's not going to complain about some time away from Life Support right now. One foot digs into the dirt. ] This the spot?

[ His own camping experience is, well, pretty limited. ]

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ He gives a soft chuckle at Steve's comment, warmth spilling out over their mental links. He hasn't missed that Bucky's keeping to himself, and for the moment he follows his lead - even if it is real damn hard to resist the urge to be in physical contact with him. ]

I saw some camping supplies buried back in the rec area. No idea if they come with instructions, but the three of us can probably manage to figure it out.

[bracchium]

[At the question regarding the spot, Bucky offers a small nod. The willow grove is as good a place as any to set up a campsite, no matter if the supplies come with instructions or not. He's spent more than one night out on open ground or on the top of a train; a tent is a relative luxury.

Like Sam, the brood link pulls at him, wants to draw him in closer to Sam, but the programming fights back, and ramps up the urge to run.]