PSL for Renart

[advanced]

Comments

[aigue]

It depends on how much and how fast I drink.

[She takes the bottle back, taking a long sip.]

Hard liquor obviously makes it easier than wine.

[advanced]

Sure, but can you do it by accident or do you have to be trying to get drunk?

[Because then he knows how worried he should be about her if he sees her drunk.]

[aigue]

Well... it isn't easy to drink an enormous amount of liquor accidentally.

[She didn't bring enough wine for it, unfortunately.]

[advanced]

Suppose you could always wish for more potent stuff.

[He shrugs, taking another drink of his own.]

But I prefer you sober.

[aigue]

I prefer me sober, most of the time.

[Easier to stay in control that way.]

What were you like when you were drunk? Do you remember?

[advanced]

[He shrugs, though there's no bitterness behind it as there sometimes is when he thinks of what he's forgotten.]

I kind of remember being cocky, like really cocky, and thinking I was hilarious. I was probably just really dumb.

[aigue]

Probably.

[Most people are when they're drunk.

Still, she smiles.]

But you were probably a cute dumb.

[advanced]

Yeah, probably.

[He shoots her a lopsided smile, and finishes up the bottle.]

Cute and dumb kind of sums up what memories I have of me from before. You should've seen Steve when he got drunk, he was a real lightweight because of his size, and he'd just get even more belligerent and stubborn. We got in a lot of fights when Steve drank.

[aigue]

[She notes that the bottle is now empty and tries to ignore it, focus on his story.]

Yeah? Did you win them all?

[Tell her about drunken fights, Bucky.]

[advanced]

Are you kidding? Steve picked way more fights than we could ever win, and he always seemed to go for the biggest guys in there.

[That's not fair, Steve only ever picked fights with those he saw as bullies, the ones who were disrespectful or cruel, but it sometimes felt like the man had gone out specifically looking for fights.]

I wasn't so bad, I used to box in high school so I knew my way around a fight, but I was always having to patch Steve up. Got pretty good at dealing with black eyes and split lips.

[aigue]

[She chuckles trying to picture this all.]

Sounds like he's lucky to have had you.

[That's adorable. Steve was probably grateful, too.]

I didn't know you could box.

[advanced]

Oh, yeah.

[He actually has a hint of enthusiasm in his voice, a pang of nostalgic fondness for a time when fighting still meant something other than death.]

I was a tri-state champion in school, I remember that I had this little cup that I won and my Ma polished it every week to make sure it shone. Maybe I would've carried it on, tried to be a proper boxer, but there wasn't a whole lot of money around and then the war happened.

[aigue]

[This is cute. She so rarely sees him see enthusiastic that this is a treat.]

Is that right? Maybe you should show me a few moves sometime. I've never learned to box.

[advanced]

[It's easier to talk about his past with her than most anyone else. She gets why there might be holes in his recollections and she doesn't pry overly much, it makes it so he can relax enough to say these things without overthinking it.]

I can try, but I'm not sure how much I remember myself. I think it's been about eighty years since I last boxed.

[aigue]

[That gets her laughing.]

Well, eighty years is understandable. But maybe getting back into it will jog your memory. Like riding a bike!

[It also might be something he still finds fun, after all these years. She doesn't want him missing out on something from his past that he still might be able to enjoy.]

[advanced]

[His smile gets a bit wider when she laughs. This is good, this is what he wanted when he offered for them to come out here together, for her to find a bit of peace from the pain of missing Monty.]

Bikes suck.

[Just putting that out there.]

But sure, I'll teach you anything I can think of. You want to do it now before we sleep, or in the morning?

[aigue]

[Her tail wiggles happily. She's feeling a lot better - and not simply because she feels like she's distracted him away from talking about Monty.]

How about in the morning? It's starting to get late, and up on top of the mountain there's a fighting ring that creates moving snowmen. It would be the perfect place to practice.

[advanced]

Moving snowmen. Sure. That sounds like something totally normal.

[He snorts wryly, but he's not against it. If she's used it before then it's probably safe, even if it does sound weird.]

You gonna be warm enough sleeping out here?

[aigue]

[She smiles lightly. Yeah, the snowmen are weird.]

I have my tail. What, did you bring a tent?

[advanced]

No, I don't have a tent.

[Because that's a sensible decision for someone who lives outside as often as he does.]

I brought my sleeping bag and a tarp, but you can--

[Wait. No. He catches himself just before offering to share in case she gets too cold, even he isn't dense enough to not know how that would be taken.]

[aigue]

[Oh, Bucky. He isn't quite fast enough to stop that thought before she catches on, and she looks at him curiously.]

I can what?

[advanced]

You can, uh, take the sleeping bag if you get too cold. I can make do with the tarp.

[That's definitely what he was going to say, nothing to see here.]

[aigue]

[She raises an eyebrow.]

And let you freeze?

[advanced]

[A dull flush is staining his cheeks now, which makes this all the worse. He's backed himself into a corner here.]

I'd be okay, I've slept in worse. Besides, I'm meant to just let you freeze?

[aigue]

Well, I have a tail. You don't.

[She'll gesture at her tail.]

So I've got one up on you.