riverviewlogs | [closed] give me half a chance and you can be my new obsession

[This is all Thor's idea. Bucky likes Thor, surprisingly, but he didn't agree until this was turned into a wager. If these blind dates go badly, Thor owes him a steak dinner and a good whiskey, so it's worth it.

He hasn't been told the names of any of his dates, just given days, times, and places to show up, so tonight is a bit of a mystery. Holding up his end of the bargain, Bucky has dressed up a bit in dark-wash jeans and a nice button-up with the top two buttons undone, though he's still wearing motorcycle boots, because this is about as dressy as he gets on his own. He's clean-shaven and his hair is sort of styled, at least. Nobody can say he's not earning this steak dinner he's pretty sure he has coming.

He's not really expecting any of this to work out.

Bucky strolls up to the classy little restaurant he's been told to stand in front of, tucking his bike keys into his pocket with his wallet, brown eyes scanning the crowd with just a hint of nerves. It's starting to dawn on him, he's never really done this before, a date night with someone new. With Natasha, they were old lovers, familiar and comfortable already. With Gretchen... well, wars didn't allow for this kind of thing. Jesus. Here goes nothing.]

[What Tony knows about this, is that while the person he's getting set up with is a friend of Thor's, he doesn't expect anything to seriously happen. This means Tony's free to try and get laid, but he shouldn't act too much like himself and upset the other person. It's his personality rather than his appearance that tends to be off-putting and while he usually doesn't care he's at least going to make an attempt for Thor.

His pre-drinking is at a minimum and he comes wearing a freshly pressed, tailored suit jacket paired with black skinny jeans. His hair's carefully styled to give just hint of debauchery and he's wearing make up to hide the bags under his eyes and give his skin a healthier glow. Tony's not going full out, the place isn't that fancy and he's not supposed to scare them anyway.

He walks towards the door while adjusting his tie and just freezes when he sees Bucky. He hasn't attempted to talk to either Bucky Barnes ever since he found out what the other one did to his parents. However he recovers quickly enough and he's had plenty of experience faking it, but he still wishes he had a bit more to drink earlier.]

You clean up rather well.

[Bucky is definitely surprised when the person who walks up adjusting his tie is Tony. Not the Tony he spends more time with, generally speaking, but the Tony he hasn't seen in a while. Still, it's almost a relief, knowing this is someone he doesn't really have to impress by summoning up his old charm and wit. The line of his shoulders relaxes a little, and he even summons up a smile that isn't faked, although the way Tony freezes for a moment lends it a hesitant edge.]

So do you, although I guess that's no surprise. Thor put you up to this?

[The initial misstep aside, Tony has no plans on bringing up the topic of his parents until at least after the date. He's doing this for Thor so he's got to do this properly. He can deal with his issues later.]

As his smartest and most handsome friend of course he had to involve me.

[That's a direct quote from the god himself.]

How do you even work out who's the smartest and most handsome when alternate universe versions are involved? [It almost comes out teasing as he offers an arm, ever the gentleman. It's a legitimate question. Although he's pretty sure he has the edge over the other Bucky. That guy needs to shave, and cut his hair more than once a century. Not that Bucky is vain but chopping off his long hair had been the first thing he'd done when he was back in his own head.]

I'm not sure what Thor was thinkin', but there's no reason we can't have a drink and tapas.

[Tonight, it's a small pub downtown, known for upscale bar food and artisan beer - and their Quarantine-famous trivia night, happening tonight in about half an hour. Again, Bucky has given no one room to say he didn't try; he looks decent and well-groomed, freshly shaved and wearing jeans, boots, a v-neck t-shirt in heathered blue, with a casual blazer left unbuttoned. Inside the place is a little crowded, but nothing too crazy.

He's already snagged a table for them both, and a spot in the trivia competition. They'll probably lose, it's no doubt a lot of Riverview trivia and non-Earth questions, but it's a good enough icebreaker for a first date, right?

Perched on a stool, watching the door for whoever might be his date tonight, he starts wondering if it'd be a good idea to go ahead and order a pitcher for the table. It might ease his- well, he refuses to call them nerves. He's a grown-ass man. It doesn't mean anything that he hasn't done this much before. And besides, is he really expecting much from this? No. He's absolutely not. Whatever happens is going to happen.]

[Okay, so it's been a long time since Tony has dated, but he still remembers how it works. It helps that he doesn't exactly have to worry about the paparazzi or anything here, which already makes the whole thing more relaxed. And Thor had asked. Which is still weird, but Tony's already here, so he can roll with it.

For the moment, rolling with it means clean jeans, a nice shirt and a jacket, topped off by a pair of tinted sunglasses just because he can. And because they do an excellent job of covering his genuine surprise when he sees Bucky Barnes sitting there, apparently waiting for someone.

The scale of Thor being confused or fucking with him is seriously swinging towards the latter, here. But hey, it's not like he minds.

In fact, he can feel himself grinning a little as he heads over.]

So what's a fella like you doing in a place like this?

[It was definitely a little weird. Thor's heart is in the right place, even if Bucky isn't sure what's going through his head with this whole thing. He doesn't bother to hide his own mild surprise when Tony Stark walks through the doors, eyebrows lifting as he slides out of the high bar seat.]

I could ask you the same thing. [He says with a quiet laugh, suddenly feeling ridiculous, as nicely dressed and clean-shaven as he is. Normally he wouldn't bother to spruce himself up before seeing Tony, he'd just head over with takeout.] I'm waiting on a blind date, and I'm guessin' that's you, unless another one of Thor's friends is gonna show up.

Nope. Just me, sorry.

[ The grin just widens as Tony slips into the seat across from him. He won't deny that Barnes cleans up well, even if it isn't technically for him. Or is it. Going on a blind date with one of your own friends is a bit of weirdness Tony can't say he's ever come across before. ]

I didn't get out of him why exactly he was setting you up, but it's hard to say no to being shown a good time.

Nothing to be sorry about, I'm almost relieved, actually. [He chuckles quietly as Tony sits across from him, and he waves down a waitress for a couple of drinks.] Haven't done this in a while.

Well, he owes me a steak dinner and a bottle of aged whiskey when these blind dates don't work out, but I'm not sure what he's getting out of this. [He picks up his drink, swirls it a little in his glass.] Last I heard, his girl was back. Maybe he's trying to spread the joy.

Excuse you, what do you mean when this doesn't work out? I'll have you know I'm an excellent date.

[ And honestly this doesn't seem all that different from any of the other times they've gotten dinner, aside from the slightly nicer dress code. It's doing a lot to put Tony at ease, not that he was stressed before. Much. ]

Hard to tell. Sometimes I just think he likes trolling and thinks he can get away with it with his alien routine.

[That gets an actual laugh out of him.] No offense meant, I'm sure you're a great date, but the bet was whether or not I'd make a love connection. Also I want a free steak. [This is so much easier than he was expecting going into tonight. This isn't all that different from just hanging out with Tony like normal, and that's honestly so much better. Without the pressure of trying to be a good date, he thinks he can actually have a little fun.]

You think he's fucking with us? [He grins a little over the rim of his glass, taking a sip.] What do you think he'd say if we embellished a little when we reported back?

Love connection. Seriously.

[ And Thor had called him up? Definitely trolling.

But the question just makes him arch an amused eyebrow as he slouches back in his chair a little. No need to try and impress here, Bucky's already seen him at his most manic-and-disheveled.]

Embellished how, exactly?

He didn't use those words. That was the gist I got. [He waves a hand vaguely, clearly expecting to win this bet because nice dinners with friends don't count as blind dates, Thor.]

I dunno. Fuck with him a little. Since he's clearly fucking with us. [A pause.] The first blind date he sent me on was with the other Tony. Is he trying to imply something? [Oh god does he know about the actual date he went on with the very-realistic hologram of his world's Tony?]

Are you trying to imply something?

[ Though Tony's just grinning, genuinely amused. He knows his counterpart -- and Bucky, actually -- well enough to have some guesses as to how that went. ]

Most people have the sense to stop after just one Stark.

No offense, Stark, but I prefer redheads. [He shoots back, lips quirking up, shoulders shaking gently with a quiet laugh.]

I think all three of you would be the first to admit I don't have much sense. So here we are, I guess. Want to hang around and lose at trivia night?

Excuse you, I'm excellent at trivia.

[ He pulls his best offended face, and leans back in his chair to fold his arms across his chest. ]

Also just a note, maybe don't tell someone you're on a date with that you're not into them. You still owe me a good time, Barnes.

I didn't realize you'd been studying up on your moon trivia. [He laughs, shaking his head once. But he does grab one of the entry cards off the table, and a short pencil, and puts down their names.] What's our team name gonna be?

[And then he pauses, wondering if he's actually caused offense in trying to play this off.] I can show you a good time no matter what we call this, but uh. Are we calling this a date? [Suddenly he seems a little awkward, his inexperience shining through.]

[ He'd been in the middle of coming up with something clever but the question catches Tony off guard. He blinks over at Bucky, eying him for a moment before it quirks into an amused expression. ]

That is the idea here, isn't it? Just because it isn't as blind as we were lead to believe doesn't really change that. [ But there's something in the new, unexpected awkwardness in Bucky's body language that makes Tony shrug, something almost fond in it. ] Unless you don't want it to be. I'm easy.

And besides, we are clearly Team Disarmament.

[ Aah, puns. Always a good distraction. ]

[His third time and location is evening, when the sun is just starting to set, and a three-level riverboat docked by the city, all lit up with strings of lights, the sounds of drinking, conversation, and music filtering out over the water. It's the Quarantine's newest minor attraction, a floating bar with live music that does a round down the river every night. It's an interesting place, at least, and it boasts specialty liquors and cocktails from all over the multiverse, along with a modest menu of food.

Bucky is actually wearing slacks tonight, along with a nice button-up with threads of silver that compliment the silver of his left arm, bared up to the elbow by his sleeves rolled up. Standing on the lower deck, he leans against the railing, watching the people boarding - couples, groups of friends looking for a good time. He keeps an eye out for anyone by themselves, wondering who Thor has set him up with this time. Possibly someone familiar, possibly not. Their social circles overlap quite a bit simply because of Avenging, but it's not necessarily someone he knows this time.

Again he wonders why he agreed to this, wonders how the night will go. At least no one can say he didn't try to get out there after this, right?]

[Kara isn't exactly one for dates, it's been a good couple of decades since she's really been on one, but Thor had asked, so she's said yes. She'd needed Bryn's help to put together an outfit that felt suitable, but the hair was all her, at least. Thor had been nice enough to give her a vague description of who she's looking for, so after grabbing two drinks (scotch on the rocks), it only takes her a few minutes to locate Bucky, and then she's weaving her way through the crowd to him.]

You must be Barnes.

[She's not much of a hugger, especially not in greeting, but she holds out the drink for him and honestly isn't that better?]

[Honestly it's a relief that she doesn't hug him. He wouldn't know what to do with that. It takes a while for Bucky to initiate physical contact, or even be all that comfortable with it. He takes the drink with a little smile.] Yeah, that's me. Uh, everyone calls me Bucky. [He has a feeling this might be the most awkward blind date of them all so far. He knew the Tonys previously, but he hasn't met Kara.]

Kara, right? [He offers a hand to shake, the other curled around his glass.]

So much so they forget your first name.

[Is she just gonna come out here and immediately rat out Thor for forgetting Bucky's first name? Absolutely. He might be her god but that won't stop her from snitching because she thinks it's funny.]

I'm Kara, no nicknames, not ones that have stuck.

Not surprised. Been a hell of a long time since anybody's called me James. [He has to ignore the little pang in his chest when he thinks of the one person who did call him that.] I've been Bucky since I was a kid.

[His lips quirk up in a little smile.] Yeah? What about the ones that didn't stick?

[closed] give me half a chance and you can be my new obsession

Tony (ults)

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Tony (mcu)

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Kara

im finally here

i'm so sorry, i had to take an impromptu hiatus there :'D

its cool! i moved house this month anyway lol

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