tampered | Everyone raise your glasses!

Entry tags:

Everyone raise your glasses!

When; Evening of Tuesday, August 13th
Rating; PG-13, at best. Angela's on her best behavior tonight.
Characters; It's Ginny's birthday party and everybody Ginny knows was invited. Let's handwave that and just show up. BTW, IT'S BLACK TIE. PUT ON YOUR SUITS, BOYS.
Summary; There's no legal drinking age in the City, but who says we can't party like there was one anyway?
Log;

This party was four years coming. The restaurant has set aside a large room just for this event and on short notice too. The food is plentiful and of various cuisines, with even a large selection of vegetarian options for those who prefer that. But of course, there is more alcohol than one has ever seen because Angela knows the people she invited and knows quite a few of them have liquor in their veins instead of blood. Rule of thumb: more liquid than solids every time.

Everything's set and ready for the birthday girl to make her appearance, so for the time being, Angela's flitting around the place dressed in more subdued colors than usual, choosing black because no one gets to stand out more than Ginny tonight, and socializing with the few guests that have shown up already.

Sadly, there are no strippers. Ginny nixed that one hard.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I was about three seconds away from Apparating to your place and dragging your arse here myself.

[Well, no, she wasn't. But still. Ginny leans back to look up at him, hands on his shoulders and smile broad and warm.]

It's good to see you, Bucky.

I was working.

[ He took the shift on purpose thinking it would be too late by the time he got out to turn up. ] You'd have found Crepe and Bagel.

[ Surprise, he still has a cat. ]

Bagel?

[She blinks at him, amused and unsurprised by the name choice.]

Someone else to compete for your affections?

A cat. [ He shrugs. ] Steve doesn't want me to keep him but I'm working on it.

[ Is it really a surprise that he can't resist soft fluffy animals? ]

I'd offer to take him in for you, but I've already got three. I'm sure Steve'll come around.

[Ginny reaches up to ruffle his hair, smiling.]

It really is good to see you. You haven't been working too hard, I hope? Come on, there's food and drinks and everything. Cake and cupcakes, too, if you like.

[ Guilt eats away at his insides. Is she really going to let him invade her party after he tried to kill her? ]

You know me, I never work hard enough.

You get so cross with me if I do the same thing.

[She tugs him along to the food, pressing a glass of champagne into his hands when they pass the tray.]

Here, eat something.

[ He's not a big champagne fan judging by the hilarious look on his face as he takes a drink. ] Who made the cupcakes?

[She couldn't find the beer, alright. She hands him one with a broom on it.]

Stiles. I hear he's great in the kitchen, I might have him teach me a few things. I'll invite you for my experiments.

[Then, softly,]

Are you alright?

[ He examines the cupcake but doesn't bite into it yet. ]

I'll be better after a few days more sleep. [ He wants to apologise but he doesn't know where to start. ] Listen, about this weekend. I didn't -- I didn't remember anything, not even Steve, and I know that doesn't make it any better but I just want you to know I didn't mean to hurt you.

[Her heart tightens and she shakes her head quickly, reaching out to touch his shoulder, brows knit and eyes soft.]

I know. I meant what I said, Bucky, I don't blame you for what happened. And look, I'm alright, aren't I? [She healed up the rest of it and her head might be a little tender but it hasn't stopped her from having fun here.] I promise.

[Quietly,]

I know you'd never do that.

[ He thinks of what Natasha told him, of who he might become if he ever leaves the City. He'd never do that but the man of the future? It sounds like he wouldn't have any qualms. ]

I got you a gift.

[She smiles, cheeks colouring.]

You didn't have to. [She knows they joked about it just the other week. And she's been saying this all night, but when it comes to Bucky, she truly didn't expect anything more than showing up to prove that he's at least a little alright.] You being here's enough. Let's dance.

[ It's in his jacket pocket so he can give it to her any time. Instead he just takes her hand and lets himself be pulled on to the dancefloor. ]

You dance to this music?

I'll dance to any music.

[And she yells over her shoulder for something a little more swing and lo and behold, Bucky Barnes, here's some music from your time.]

You promised you'd teach me. You can lead, right?

I can lead.

[ All of a sudden he's lifting Ginny up and swinging her around, her skirts fanning out around her. ]

[She lets out a shriek of laughter and he might just shake her pinned up hair out of place if this keeps up but this is exactly what she wanted and she hopes this distracts him a little, cheers him up a bit, and she follows wherever he goes, the shift in his grip when he has her turning, sweeping around him and with him.]

You're getting the hang of this.

[ He keeps up the pace, his smile lifting to life bit by bit. ] You'd have had all the fellas falling over themselves in my world.

Why would I want that? [Just a little breathless, grinning.] I have the best one right here.

[Best friends, okay. She sees that smile, she sees how this might maybe help a bit. Ginny might think this is her favourite kind of dance, too, and maybe she'll get better at it with practice. She thinks Bucky's being far too kind, honestly, she's still stumbling along—but he's a great leader and it's hard to do wrong if she just trusts what he's doing.]

This is brilliant!

[ This is what he used to do every Friday night. The bars and the dance halls were always open and even if he didn't have any money he had his smile and that was enough. ]

It ain't bad. [ His hand is wrapped up in hers and the other is at her waist and he helps her move in time to the music. ] Used t'do this all the time.

Wait, hang on—

[Yes, she's kicking off her shoes and shoving them under a chair. Yes, that makes her a lot shorter than him but more sure on her feet and she grins, coming back into his arms and into the full swing of the music and the movement, and she falls into it with a bit more ease, face alight with a smile.]

Do your worst, Barnes. Let's go.

[ The music picks up into a full swing band song and he grins at her, twirls her around with a hand on his hip and then showing her how to kick out her feet. His instructions mostly get done via hand motions or showing her and then grinning when she follows. ]

[The kicking hikes up her already short dress but whatever, like she cares, this is exactly what she wanted and this is making her want to learn more, and she's laughing as he guides her through it, through smooth loops and clever little ways to switch up their hands and he even gets her to twirl and he makes her feel more graceful at it than she is and when the song ends, so does the dance with a flourish.

And she's a little sweaty and breathing a bit harder, but she's grinning as she throws her arms around him in a hug.]

[ He laughs as he hugs her back, his own breathing a little hitched too. ]

Well, I had to bring a little bit of Brooklyn to the party.

[She leans up to press a kiss to his cheek and then leads them off the dance floor, dropping into the chair that's got her heels under it. She's still beaming.]

You brought enough Brooklyn for all of us, I think. Did you do that a lot back home? Dancing?

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