Ascertainment || Bucky Barnes (2)

1

The gym was old. With dim electric lights and a high ceiling and concrete pillars holding it up. The paint was peeling and the boxing ring in the corner was dusty. It looked like it hadn't changed in half a century, which was just like Basil and Steve liked it. The blonde man stood in the middle of the floor. A leather punching bag full of sand in front of him. The sounds of his fists hitting the bag echoed round the windowless room. Thud, thud, thud. Basil was lying on his stomach on the floor, feet kicking as he tapped at the Stark touch screen phone in his hands. He poked at it with one finger, squinting at the screen but also looking slightly nervous, as if the phone was going for turn sentient and eat him. (You never know with Stark technology. Both men had learnt that with Howard Stark. They had no idea what his son was like).

"Hey Steve", Basil called. Steve grunted, barely stopping his repetitive punching. "According to this Wikipedia thing, I am a historical Lgbt icon. My brother gave my letters to that exhibit they have of you in the museum. Apparently my, I quote, 'love affair' with Bucky is well known and famous". He scrolled down the phone a bit more. Shield had given him the item but it had been Phillip who had taught him how to use it. Actually it had been Phillip who had tried to catch him up on what he had missed over the last sixty six years. It had been kinda mind boggling but Basil believed his brother more than he did any shield agent. Still, he didn't trust most modern technology as far as he could throw it.

He frowned as he read the next part aloud. "The tragic love between Sargent James Buchanan Barnes and Corporal Jahi Basilton Parrish is just one example of the hopelessness and alienation of lgbtq people that was experienced. They really were the Achilles and Patroclus of that generation". He turned to give Steve a confused stare. "Achilles and Patroclus, really? Does that make Bucky Patroclus then? Or am I because I'm the medic? I cannot believe that they compared us to them. I mean. They make us seem so beautiful and romantic like Romeo and Juliet but our relationship was literally me whining until I got on Bucky's nerves. Wait, there's a link to a thing called tumblr, I'm going to click it".

There was a short silence. Steve's fists pounding agains the bag. Then Basil's eyes widened. "Oh fucking hell!" He yelped, rearing back and dropping the phone. He rubbed his fists into his eyes as if to remove what he had just seen. "The internet is a cursed place Steve", he whispered in horror. "I'm scared".

"Serves you right", Steve snorted. Basil glared at him grumpily. His curls had grown slightly from the short army cut he'd had when they had come out of the ice. They bounced slightly as he moved.

"They had art of us having sex", Basil whimpered, pressing his hands to his face. "I'm no virgin but oh god, the positions! Also, why am I top? I'm too lazy to do all that work". He wrinkled his nose at the phone.

"Basil. I really don't want to know about your and Bucky's sex life", Steve grumbled, punches increasing in speed.

"We didn't have much of one. It's quite hard to have one at all when you are surrounded by other people twenty four seven", Basil muttered as he picked up his phone. He peered at it again. "Aww okay that art is actually adorable. They gave us flowers".

With a loud crack the rope holding the bag onto the hook ripped. It flew across the room right towards where Basil was sitting. He looked up and the bag passed right through him and hit the wall behind with a thud before sliding to the floor. A hole in the leather was leaking sand. Basil huffed at it. "I swear you aimed that at me on purpose", he called. "Are you done yet?"

"Now why would I do that?" Steve called back as he walked to the other side of the room where five more punching bags lay on the floor. He picked one up and carried it back over to hook it on the chain. His blonde hair was damp from sweat and his white tshirt had dark stains on it. He was wearing beige sweat pants (weird name) and a pair of basic white trainers. Basil wasn't dressed much differently except that his sweatpants were navy and his trainers were black. His tshirt didn't cling to his chest like Steve's, instead it was way too big for him.