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[jumpthegun]

1201 Sugar Plum Grove

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[advanced]

[It's a bigger vote of confidence than he deserves, but not more than he was expecting given all he's experienced with John so far. He's not a good man, but he's damn well trying to remember when he was one and get back there again, so perhaps that counts for something.]

...I know, I will be too.

[Til the end of the line, pal.

It's on the tip of his tongue, but he swallows it. John is like a brother to him, but some things are for Steve only. He exhales heavily.]

Do you think we'll remember our time here and Norfinbury when we eventually get home? [He smiles crookedly, there's not any real mirth behind it, but he's trying to lighten things.] You could be that crazy guy who stands up in the movie theatre and tells everyone the guy on the screen is real.

[jumpthegun]

Nah, I'd be the crazy bloke online who 'stans' for your character. 'Bucky Barnes did nothing wrong and here's my Power Point on why.' [John offers his own wry smile. A part of him really hopes he remembers none of this. The other part hopes he can remember everything and still maintain his sanity.] I had fans on Tumblr. Social media thing. Watson's Wenches, they called themselves. I'm sure they'd listen.

How about you, though? You can tell everyone you met the great Sherlock Holmes' assistant.

[advanced]

[He doesn't understand most of that, but he gets the gist that John would defend him and it makes his lips curl up a bit.]

I don't know the 'great' Sherlock Holmes, so I sure as hell wouldn't describe you that way.

[Besides, from what he's heard, Holmes sounds like an ass.]

But when I went and found Steve, I'd make sure he knew he had you to thank for it.

[jumpthegun]

['Great' men are not necessarily 'good' men. John thinks Sherlock is working his way there, though, as best he can.]

He'd have you to thank for it, too, Bucky. You've come a long way since you first arrived in Norfinbury. You do see that, right? Can you imagine letting Stephen perform a proper surgery on you before that? Or anyone?

[Granted, 'proper' doesn't mean proper here. But he'd at least been unconscious like a normal patient.]

[advanced]

No.

[He still can't quite believe he did it at all, and it's not something that he's ever looking to repeat.]

But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have got there if it wasn't for you. So quit trying to make me seem better'n I am and take the thanks.

[jumpthegun]

I gave you a hand, mate. You helped pull yourself up. That doesn't mean it was more me than it was you. Learn to take a compliment your direction, too, yeah?

[advanced]

Quit it, you're stepping all over my apology.

[He's smiling, though, just a little.]

Listen, if sticking friends with me after this is gonna get you into trouble with other people who already think you're kind of a dumbass when it comes to your friends, then I can keep my distance for a while. Not leaving, pretty much got that's not an option now, just lay low.

[jumpthegun]

I don't care what people think of me.

[That's both an absolute lie and completely the truth. He doesn't care if people side-eye him for keeping friends like Bucky and Sherlock, but he does have problems with them making assumptions about the nature of his relationship with either of those men.]

I'd rather be around you than leave you off to your own. You'd be there for me if the situations were reversed.

[advanced]

[He could argue some more, but John's got him with that last statement, because he can't deny that he'd ignore all the naysayers and stick around too.]

I'd be used to it. Not like it would be the first time people questioned why I was friends with a short blond guy.

[It's not the best joke, but he's really trying not to be all doom and gloom.]

[jumpthegun]

[John offers a wry smile in return.]

The first one turned into a giant super soldier, though. Something to rub in their faces. Sorry that's not happening for me.

[advanced]

Are you kidding?

[He scrubs his hand over his face and finally starts to relax a little now that the apologies are done.]

I remember wanting to kick his ass about that, just never got time with the war on.

[jumpthegun]

You didn't approve of the serum?

[advanced]

I don't mind the serum, I know it gave Steve what he wanted.

[A way to finally stand up and fight without immediately being knocked down.]

But I kinda have a problem with my best friend getting experimental stuff pumped into them that could've killed them. Just to be bigger. Just to go to war.

[jumpthegun]

[That's fair. John isn't entirely sure what to say to that, though. Even if he hadn't seen the Captain America movie, he knows the feeling of wanting to push yourself, being willing to take risks to be able to serve your country in a time of war.

He offers a crooked smile and small shrug, deflecting from the heavier topic.]

Guess I shouldn't mention all the times Sherlock's experimented on me here, yeah?

[advanced]

[He really hopes that John is joking, even if it's a joke in really bad taste. He doesn't have much of a sense of humour when it comes to people experimenting on one another, especially potentially without consent.]

...what kind of experiments?

[Because perhaps he needs to have a word with Holmes about this. A definitely non-violent but stern word.]

[jumpthegun]

[Okay, minor miscalculation based on that tone and look.]

Joking. I'm joking, Bucky.

[John holds up a hand. He doesn't think Sherlock has been experimenting on him... recently. If he has, it's not something significant enough for John to remember.]

Sorry. Um... have you talked to Renart much, yet? We were trying to sort out ways with Zephyr to stop this happening. You getting locked up, I mean.

[advanced]

[That's some bad taste in jokes, but he'll let it go, it's not like he's in any kind of position to take the moral high ground at the moment, not with what he did to John only a few days ago.]

Yeah, I saw her, but you guys shouldn't have done that.

[He appreciates it, he knows they're trying to help, but still.]

You don't need to get in their bad books too.

[jumpthegun]

You're assuming I'm not already there? Had an argument with their mum about it, actually.

[advanced]

[He actually groans aloud.]

You had an argument with the Ma of our god-thing jailer? Do you like being beat up?

[jumpthegun]

I've been accused of being a masochist on occasion.

[He can take her!]

[advanced]

Well, quit it.

[Honestly, it's enough to give him a headache.]

This is why I asked Stephen to watch out for you, you need a goddamn minder sometimes.

[jumpthegun]

[That gives John pause, then makes him frown.]

I don't need a minder, Bucky. And I don't need Stephen looking after me like I'm a kid.

[Honestly!]

[advanced]

You need someone looking out for you.

[Utterly unabashed.]

You're too dumb for self preservation.

[jumpthegun]

I did manage to survive three years in a warzone. I think that says something about my self-preservation abilities. [Never you mind how he left that warzone.]

[advanced]

I think it says something for your skills, your fellow soldiers, and your CO.

[He's not buying that John has any self preservation.]

Steve survived in war too, and he was even dumber than you are.