middleofsomewhere | [OVERFLOW] Event: Healing Waters

The antics might be intended to draw his attention away from the scars, but they also get his attention off his own anxiety, too. It's hard to worry when you're laughing, after all. "It's called a hot springs, not a cold springs," he replied, giving his head a little shake as he watches Inigo flail.

He's ready to step in if he's needed, but it doesn't look like Inigo is in any genuine trouble, so he just keeps himself tucked off to the side. An impressive feat for someone as big as he is.

"Are you going to survive?" he asks teasingly. "I know relaxing is a totally new concept to you, but I promise people do it all the time and very few of them end up dead because of it."

Something about what Bucky just said must have been the magic word, since it gets Inigo to stop flailing around in the water as if he's drowning in a place where his feet can clearly touch the bottom and instead just stay still at the spot he's at now.

His jaw is dropping again though - thankfully not into the water this time, but still. He looks offended.

"Do you really think I'm not capable of relaxing?" Bucky would be 100% right about that fact, mind you. Despite the dramatic offense on Inigo's face. "I can relax! Whenever I want to!"

Bucky can't help laughing at that, a wide grin on his face as he lifts both eyebrows at Inigo. "The only time I've ever seen you relaxed is when you're asleep," he countered, and waved his hand through the water, playfully splashing Inigo.

"Go on then, if you're so good at it. Relax," even though he knows damn well it's the sort of thing you can't do when you're all keyed up. Or being taunted about it.

This absolute callout.

Inigo can't even sputter any defense, because Bucky is right. Cuddling up to someone trusted like Bucky and then sleeping like that is most definitely the only time Inigo ever genuinely relaxes, letting go of his constant stress and worries. Which is why he just stares at the other as if Bucky threw his favourite toy down a set of stairs.

"W--Well!" He sputters, then slowly realises something.

He may not be able to defend himself on this point, but maybe that just means he's got to attack Bucky on another.

"Why don't you tell me a little about your special guy then, huh?!"

Shots fired, I repeat, shots fired!!! Bucky is aghast at having the tactic leveled right back at him, and sputters a little. "I don't..!" But he does, and he knows it, and his face is going all red and spotchy. Look at what you've done to him, Inigo!

He sinks deeper into the water with what could be a poorly concealed pout. "He's cute. And nice. And he's into music." And that... that was kind of all he knew about Dyme. Well, there were a couple other things, but they really weren't Bucky's to share. "And he smells good," he added, petulantly.

Hah! Guess who's on top now, huh? Sure, Inigo may be having baby brother syndrome where he's just sweet to his older siblings and really looks up to them.. but if Bucky is going to tease him, then Inigo sure is going to throw it right back at him! Especially when he gets a good opportunity for it like this!

(Not to mention that he is just genuinely curious on top of it all.)

"You smelled him already?!"

It's hard to tell if it's even teasing at this point, or Inigo is just genuinely surprised at the speed Bucky is moving at while Inigo didn't even have any idea that Bucky had these feelings for anyone.

Inigo's innocent veneer has been stripped away. Bucky had siblings back home, he knows exactly what he's in for, now that he's gotten over the shock (and the awe!) of Inigo being the one to level this sort of tit-for-tat at him.

His smug grin is the only warning Inigo gets before Bucky takes aim with his next bit of information. "I've done more than just smell him," why does that have to sound so weird??? "I've kissed him. Several times." Just today, even. In fact, today was the first kiss. "I'm one hundred years old, not dead," to quote an old friend of his.

"You kissed him?!"

See, thankfully this is information Inigo can still handle. Bucky better not go into their sex life, because that might just make him pass out in the middle of the hot springs, but kisses? That's cool. Kind of cute, even.

Besides, there's still a way to spin that.

"You kissed him, and you didn't even think once about introducing him to your little brother first?" Inigo's eyes grow big. And sad. A moment later he's actually even tearing up a bit. "D-Do I mean that little to you, Bucky?"

Okay, that wasn't quite the reaction Bucky had been expecting... he sputtered a little. "Hey! It's not like I planned to kiss him! We were just... you know... walking towards the hot springs. Talking about... stuff. And then... he kissed me." And Bucky kissed him. There had been a lot of kissing. His face was a tomato.

"Besides!" Bucky's on the defense and he's not used to it. "I didn't even know for sure that there was anything there until the kiss. I just knew I liked him, and that he's nice, and plays music and..." he gestured vaguely.

“I introduced you to my boyfriend last time around!” Inigo protests. Honestly, he doesn’t care nearly as much about this as he makes it seem. He’s sure Bucky would have introduced this guy to him at some point, especially if the kiss did come as much out of nowhere as it did...

But it’s fun to put Bucky on the defensive after the other tried to corner him with that teasing, and so Inigo can’t help but press on.

Especially with his big, wibbly puppy eyes.

“I guess I’m not that important to you after all, huh.. Who needs a baby brother when you have someone to kiss!”

[OVERFLOW] Event: Healing Waters

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject