[ The trumpets blow and all Bucky can think is that he wishes everything would hurry up. All this formality is killing him. He's gotten used to it, but the prospect of seeing his dearest friend sends him back to the impatience of his youth.
As the ceremony approaches, Bucky sits to his father's left. It's his father who will do the knighting today, but it's a responsibility that will one day fall to Bucky, so he is here to watch and to be seen. Most of his time these days is spent making himself visible in the right places and learning about everything he'll do once his father dies. It's a morbid sort of thought to have to dwell on so much, but the country demands it of him.
He scans the soon-to-be-knights, hoping to catch a glimpse of Steve, but the angle isn't helpful and all he can see are broad shoulders and strong arms. Surely they wouldn't have lied to him about Steve's return!
It's not until Steve's name is called for him to step up to the throne that Bucky gets a good look at the man Steve has grown into.
Steve is no longer the skinny squire who had left Bucky here. He's filled out with hard muscles and a confident gait that suits him.
Bucky can't help staring, but once he catches himself, he smiles at Steve as much as he can without drawing too much attention to himself. Surely, if anyone has earned this, it's Steve. He'll have to find him at the banquet later.
Even his father gives Steve a smile and glances back at Bucky. It's not easy to make a king proud. ]
[ prince james... bucky is much taller now, standing proudly to the right of his father. his hair is long and well-tended beneath a delicate circlet inlaid with fine jewels, and his fine robes compliment a robust figure, clearly the result of arduous formal training. he's a man, now. they both are, though bucky was never so waiflike as steve was in danger of being.
but that smile is as bright and almost impolitic as ever. he'd recognize it anywhere.
steve stops himself just in time from biting down on his lip, the gesture of someone shy or anxious he hasn't known in a long time, moving instead to moisten it as he returns the smile warmly, politely, to his friend and to the king.
it is his turn to kneel. he's almost dizzy with the weight of this dream he's bled for, finally come true.
he hears the words — ]
— Sir Steven, Knight of the Realm. Rise and serve.
[ he stands slowly, bows once more to the king.
his eyes lock with bucky's for just a moment too long before he turns and walks to the banquet table, trembling.
he thinks for all the world his armor cannot contain him, he will go everywhere at once, and is infinitely glad a squire is there to help him out of his various plates before he makes for his seat. ]
[ The rest of the ceremony is a blur to Bucky, because he can't take his eyes off of Steve. He's spent so long missing his friend, he tells himself. That's why he can't look away or stop admiring the way he looks now.
Other men are knighted, but Bucky can only passively glance at them a second or two at a time before his eyes go back to Steve, whose own squire is helping him out of his armor. As the pieces fall away, Bucky can only be more impressed by the man beneath. Steve must have worked hard to become so fit and muscular.
If a man can be beautiful, he thinks the man Steve has become must be.
He finds himself seated at the same table as Steve, but too far away to talk without yelling over others and he knows better than to do that, but as they eat, he keeps sneaking glances at Steve that eventually turn into little smiles. By the end, he has no idea what Sir Odinson has been talking about next to him, but the man seems unaware that Bucky hasn't been listening and on his other side, a knight whose name he doesn't know is deep in conversation with a man he recognizes from his father's personal guard.
After the meal, he knows there will be entertainment and the mood will turn less formal. He'll be able to slip away from his own guard and the eyes of the court so that he can great Steve more personally.
He only hopes Steve will still want to speak to him informally. Surely a brave knight will have the attention and even friendship of many people more interesting than Bucky, who's spent all these years in the same dusty old castle that Steve had left. ]
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keepcruising2018-06-24 09:11 pm
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As the ceremony approaches, Bucky sits to his father's left. It's his father who will do the knighting today, but it's a responsibility that will one day fall to Bucky, so he is here to watch and to be seen. Most of his time these days is spent making himself visible in the right places and learning about everything he'll do once his father dies. It's a morbid sort of thought to have to dwell on so much, but the country demands it of him.
He scans the soon-to-be-knights, hoping to catch a glimpse of Steve, but the angle isn't helpful and all he can see are broad shoulders and strong arms. Surely they wouldn't have lied to him about Steve's return!
It's not until Steve's name is called for him to step up to the throne that Bucky gets a good look at the man Steve has grown into.
Steve is no longer the skinny squire who had left Bucky here. He's filled out with hard muscles and a confident gait that suits him.
Bucky can't help staring, but once he catches himself, he smiles at Steve as much as he can without drawing too much attention to himself. Surely, if anyone has earned this, it's Steve. He'll have to find him at the banquet later.
Even his father gives Steve a smile and glances back at Bucky. It's not easy to make a king proud. ]
no subject
but that smile is as bright and almost impolitic as ever.
he'd recognize it anywhere.
steve stops himself just in time from biting down on his lip, the gesture of someone shy or anxious he hasn't known in a long time, moving instead to moisten it as he returns the smile warmly, politely, to his friend and to the king.
it is his turn to kneel. he's almost dizzy with the weight of this dream he's bled for, finally come true.
he hears the words — ]
— Sir Steven, Knight of the Realm. Rise and serve.
[ he stands slowly, bows once more to the king.
his eyes lock with bucky's for just a moment too long before he turns and walks to the banquet table, trembling.
he thinks for all the world his armor cannot contain him, he will go everywhere at once, and is infinitely glad a squire is there to help him out of his various plates before he makes for his seat. ]
no subject
Other men are knighted, but Bucky can only passively glance at them a second or two at a time before his eyes go back to Steve, whose own squire is helping him out of his armor. As the pieces fall away, Bucky can only be more impressed by the man beneath. Steve must have worked hard to become so fit and muscular.
If a man can be beautiful, he thinks the man Steve has become must be.
He finds himself seated at the same table as Steve, but too far away to talk without yelling over others and he knows better than to do that, but as they eat, he keeps sneaking glances at Steve that eventually turn into little smiles. By the end, he has no idea what Sir Odinson has been talking about next to him, but the man seems unaware that Bucky hasn't been listening and on his other side, a knight whose name he doesn't know is deep in conversation with a man he recognizes from his father's personal guard.
After the meal, he knows there will be entertainment and the mood will turn less formal. He'll be able to slip away from his own guard and the eyes of the court so that he can great Steve more personally.
He only hopes Steve will still want to speak to him informally. Surely a brave knight will have the attention and even friendship of many people more interesting than Bucky, who's spent all these years in the same dusty old castle that Steve had left. ]