riverviewlogs | [OPEN] apple pie is officially banned from this party, aka Steve Rogers' birthday

who: ANYONE
what: 616 Bucky, Peggy, and 616 Tony throw a birthday party for Steve.
when: July 4th, afternoon into the evening
where: A nice park
warnings: Birthday fun. :v

Steve Rogers, former (and still) Captain America, was born on the Fourth. It was pretty much fated. That said, he deserves a party that has nothing to do with Independence Day, and that's what Bucky, Tony, and Peggy set out to do. They rented a nice little park with some good open, grassy space perfect for a pick-up game of football (American, of course). On one end of the park, in the relative shade of a couple of large trees, they've set up two long tables - one for food, and one to deposit presents for the birthday boy on. The picnic tables already in the park have nice blue tablecloths to eat on. A banner hung between the trees proclaims, "Happy Birthday, Steve!", in blue letters on white.

The decor tries to stay away from Fourth of July colors - there isn't a speck of red, just shades of blue and white, and it's all very put-together and classy looking (thank you, Peggy and Tony). It's the sort of party they thought Steve would want, outdoorsy and casual, just a gathering of friends and whoever else wants to come by to wish the birthday boy a happy one.

Invites
Invitations have mostly been word of mouth and texts sent to people Steve is friends with, nothing too fancy. They just say to drop by and wish Steve a happy birthday, have some food, and spend some time hanging out; Rogers wouldn't want anything fancy anyway. That said, they won't turn anybody away from the barbecue if someone decides to just crash the party, as long the behavior stays respectful.

Food
The food is mostly standard American barbecue fare. Two large grills have been set up near the tables and someone (often Bucky) is usually cooking on them - an array of burgers, hot dogs, steaks, even some ribs and chicken. Side dishes are laid out on the food table, the usual simple things. Here and around the picnic tables are a good place to mingle; there's plenty of food for everyone, and metal tubs full of ice and bottled soft drinks. There isn't much alcohol present at this party, though, just one of the tubs set aside with beers in it.

There's also a massive cake for Steve, with close to a hundred candles dotting its layers - Bucky's idea, payback for the time he couldn't see his own cake for all the candles.

Tossin' the Old Pigskin
They're all (mostly) adults here, so there aren't 'party games' necessarily, but there are a couple of footballs and some frisbees in the grass for anyone who wants to play a game in the lush field. Just be careful if the heavy hitters decide to arrange a game, it could get pretty out of hand.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He doesn't want to spook Tony, not really. It's not his intent to make him uncomfortable. He likes his world's Tony, even considers him a good friend, almost on par with Steve and Natasha. There are definite timeline differences, and he doesn't know what kind of history this Tony has with that Bucky, but Bucky is trying to make an effort.]

Probably not. Carol used to call me 'Buckaroo'. [The comment is offered with a slight smile and a little self-deprecation. An olive branch.] Not that she's here, but.

Identification numbers for different alternate universes, I guess. The eggheads use 'em. I don't know any but my own.

[One eyebrow goes down but the other stays up. Buckaroo? He can't see it. Not that Tony knows this man at all to judge.

He can't help but smile faintly back, though, if only because Bucky is trying so hard to put him at ease. He can respect that, even if he's not entirely sure how to feel about it.]

Might as well stick with the nicknames, then. Go on. [Tony shifts a little like he's bracing himself, but the wry twist to his mouth says it's not serious.] I guarantee you that anything you can come up with, I've heard worse.

[There's also 'Bucky Cap', but he's not going to get into the whole 'why I'm filling in as Captain America back home' thing. The other timeline Avengers never take that well.]

I'm not that creative. I'm sure one of your cohorts could come up with a good one. Then again, he kept trying to call our Tony 'Greg', for some reason.

[Okay the Greg thing is a lot more inexplicable. Tony considers it for a moment, then shrugs.]

Genuinely not sure if you mean my Avengers or my duplicates. You're probably not wrong either way. [He can already feel himself resigning to it. Hell, it's not like he'd give up the opportunity if he had it.]

I meant the latter, but. [A pause, as he leans back a little and studies Tony's face.] You don't get on with your Avengers?

[Tony opens his mouth and then immediately closes it again. Of course this man would be annoyingly perceptive. He's honestly not sure why he'd thought otherwise, but that's his mistake. And it makes him wonder exactly how much deflecting Bucky is going to let him get away with.

Not that he's not going to try. The look Tony shoots him out of the corners of his eyes is somewhere between wary and measuring.]

That's a complicated question.

[Bucky isn't here to grill him. He doesn't want to ruin the mood for anybody, he just... can't help but notice the little things in body language, what goes unsaid between the lines. It's a bit of conditioning he can't turn off, this awareness, and one he can't even entirely blame the Russians for.]

Things usually are complicated with the Avengers. Especially in this place, with so many running around.

Yeah, no kidding. [So very dry. He's still trying to work out the part where there's three of them. Not mention the fact that he's having this very civil conversation with this man right now.

But he sighs a little and finds something interesting to look at across the way.]

There have been some differences in opinion lately. The other you was kind of in the middle of some of them. [There, that's about as neutral on the whole subject as he can get.]

[His smile at that is slight, wry, and brief, not entirely humorous. Riverview has been an exercise in awkwardness for some of them, especially lately.]

'Differences in opinion'. [A quiet snort. He's heard a little bit from Steve at this very party. On the subject of the other Bucky, though...] I've... met him. [He starts, carefully, with a slight pause. As if he's trying to choose his words.] It's complicated.

I'm gonna guess you ain't fond of him.

It's complicated. [He echoes with a dry smile.] If it's all the same, I'd rather not get into it now. But he and I probably going to be having drinks any time soon.

[His own smile has a definite self-deprecating twist to it when he replies,] That's fair. [Honestly nobody hates Bucky as much as he hates himself. He thinks that goes for the other Bucky, too.]

Whatever it's worth, I'm not him an' he's not me. Not exactly. [Some things are the same, the bad things, but... Well. It just needs to be said. Not that he'd blame this Tony for judging him based on that Bucky's actions, whatever he did.]

[Tony flicks a look at him out of the corners of his eyes before his smile shades a touch more genuine.] I know. Believe me, that much I get.

[He's pretty sure he wouldn't want to be judged by his counterparts either.]

What's between him and me is personal.

If anybody would, it'd be you. [Considering how different the other two Tonys are from this one.]

I get it. I ain't askin'. [Their business is their own. He and the other Bucky aren't the same, and he doesn't want to nose into his life.]

[OPEN] apple pie is officially banned from this party, aka Steve Rogers' birthday

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