Even if Henry could recall enough of what he’d taken in world history—even if Henry had gone to school in the United States and taken US History—he never would have learned that during the roaring twenties, along with many other counter culture developments of the age, the gay scene had sprung up and found a home within New York City.
While it would certainly take a great many years for recognition of its participants to be seen as normal members of society and not queer outliers, their influence on what developed into the signature nightlife that was present through the streets of the city even through the modern day are undeniable. Regardless of never having known any direct parties in his youth, movers and shakers of the great city usually never consorting with common civilians like Bucky, he would be remiss to not recognize the popularity of dance halls in his young adulthood had been developed with chastity and solely with heterosexual clientele in mind.
That all said, old notions of heterosexuality and homosexuality still exist very staunchly in his mind, the concepts not having been challenged in decades and difficult to properly deconstruct to be reconstructed. In Bucky’s case, it doesn’t only sound cut-and-dry but also consists of it, though he recognizes that explaining this would go nowhere and so he chooses not to remark on it directly. To him, the notions of casual sex and marriage are wholly different worlds anyway, so while he tries to give Henry’s viewpoint a proper chance in his head, it only ends up a mess of thought he hasn’t any clue what to do with other than accepting that there are other viewpoints at all.
While Henry continues speaking, he nods, acknowledging that he is listening and trying to process the idea the man puts forth. His companion has been willing to endure his disorientation with the matter for now, but Bucky imagines demanding more of it could be potentially damaging to their present, comfortable friendliness. Rather than press further with his questions and thoughts, he lets the matter fall aside, instead focusing in on the clear fact that despite Henry’s best efforts to mask what manner of man he is, Bucky can read him clearly, a hopeful man who loves and loves deeply even if wronged by one he is meant to trust. Something about that strikes a deep cord with the soldier, and he hums thoughtfully as he returns to detailing the tent on his page.
“I feel like you’ll deny this, but you’re a really noble guy, you know. Ten years is a long time. I...can't even imagine it. Gave up on any notions of real love the moment I realized I probably wasn't coming out of the war alive.” In essence, casual is all he knows and understands these days, the only thing he lets himself have if he lets himself have at all. It’s something he reserves for women, of course, Bucky himself very much straight in his own eyes. The suggestion that it doesn’t matter who or what since it’s casual anyway does end up making sense to him though. There are perverts who do worse than sleep with both sexes; surely there’s nothing objectionable about choosing between humans as long as they’re all consenting adults, right?
no subject
While it would certainly take a great many years for recognition of its participants to be seen as normal members of society and not queer outliers, their influence on what developed into the signature nightlife that was present through the streets of the city even through the modern day are undeniable. Regardless of never having known any direct parties in his youth, movers and shakers of the great city usually never consorting with common civilians like Bucky, he would be remiss to not recognize the popularity of dance halls in his young adulthood had been developed with chastity and solely with heterosexual clientele in mind.
That all said, old notions of heterosexuality and homosexuality still exist very staunchly in his mind, the concepts not having been challenged in decades and difficult to properly deconstruct to be reconstructed. In Bucky’s case, it doesn’t only sound cut-and-dry but also consists of it, though he recognizes that explaining this would go nowhere and so he chooses not to remark on it directly. To him, the notions of casual sex and marriage are wholly different worlds anyway, so while he tries to give Henry’s viewpoint a proper chance in his head, it only ends up a mess of thought he hasn’t any clue what to do with other than accepting that there are other viewpoints at all.
While Henry continues speaking, he nods, acknowledging that he is listening and trying to process the idea the man puts forth. His companion has been willing to endure his disorientation with the matter for now, but Bucky imagines demanding more of it could be potentially damaging to their present, comfortable friendliness. Rather than press further with his questions and thoughts, he lets the matter fall aside, instead focusing in on the clear fact that despite Henry’s best efforts to mask what manner of man he is, Bucky can read him clearly, a hopeful man who loves and loves deeply even if wronged by one he is meant to trust. Something about that strikes a deep cord with the soldier, and he hums thoughtfully as he returns to detailing the tent on his page.
“I feel like you’ll deny this, but you’re a really noble guy, you know. Ten years is a long time. I...can't even imagine it. Gave up on any notions of real love the moment I realized I probably wasn't coming out of the war alive.” In essence, casual is all he knows and understands these days, the only thing he lets himself have if he lets himself have at all. It’s something he reserves for women, of course, Bucky himself very much straight in his own eyes. The suggestion that it doesn’t matter who or what since it’s casual anyway does end up making sense to him though. There are perverts who do worse than sleep with both sexes; surely there’s nothing objectionable about choosing between humans as long as they’re all consenting adults, right?