For all of us who've seen the light

[punched_hitler]

Meme Thread Continuation
From: Here




"Seriously," Steve said quietly, trying to smile nonchalantly, even if he still felt a little on-edge. He took a breath, held, it, then let it out at the question.

"That's the long story part. The short answer is, we've both been on ice. In my case, it was unintentional. In yours - not so much." There. That was the simplest explanation, wasn't it? It was the truth, too, if not all of it. "Honestly, you weren't gone more than a couple of weeks before I... ended up taking a very long nap. I woke up a couple of years ago when SHIELD - that's what the SSR turned into - found me. By accident, it turns out."

He watched Bucky as he spoke, looking for signs that he should stop, that it was too much - or that he could keep going.

Comments

[punched_hitler]

"Bucky..."

Steve knew Bucky had told him to go, but he was having a hard time turning and walking out that door. Yes, he had a good thing going with Sam, but... Bucky was his family. Bucky was everything. For a second... he wanted to go back to the way things were. He'd give anything to go back to 1941, before December, before any of this went down. Hell, he'd weather being sick the rest of his life, if only he could have the life he hadn't known he was lucky to have back. "You will never be a third wheel. Ever."

[make_it_hurt]

"Go, Steve. Please. The longer you stay here, the less I can control it." He wasn't sure how much control he had over the darkness in the first place, exactly. It was more like it was lurking, waiting. "I need to shower at least." He knew he probably wouldn't be allowed anywhere close to a razor for a long time, but he could at least wash his hair and get the grime off of him.

[punched_hitler]

For the first time in a long, long time, Steve felt like punching something just to feel it crumble under his fist. Instead, though, he nodded, walking toward the observation room with his jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists, saying, "Yeah. I'll... be back later. You take some time."

He felt awful, for too many reasons to name, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to destroy something or just go to bed until he'd slept for another 70 years. Maybe both, one after another. He'd thought finding Bucky would be a good thing, and it was. But it was also hurting a hell of a lot. He hadn't anticipated that.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky watched Steve leave the room then got up and headed for the bathroom. He stripped down bare then managed to get the water on. There was no shower stall, just a drain in the floor. There was soap and shampoo though, which is all Bucky really cared about. He had showered worse places in the army.

Sam touched Steve's arm when he emerged from Bucky's cell. "Let's go." He had heard and seen everything that happened but wanted to get Steve away from Bucky before discussing it.

[punched_hitler]

"Yeah," Steve said quietly, letting out a breath through a throat that felt tight. He closed the cell door, making sure it was secure, and waited for Sam to lead him upstairs. He hadn't left the observation room, so other than the way in or out of this place, he didn't know where much else was.


[If you want to keep going with Sam and Steve, that is cool, but we can also fastforward if you just want to play Bucky~ 8D]

[make_it_hurt]

Sam nodded and headed up a flight of stairs. This floor was totally different - it looked like a modern living room, with a big kitchen, even though there noticably weren't any windows at all. It still managed to be bright and airy. "Bathroom's this way." He pushed open the door - it was still steamy inside, though somebody had picked up the wet towels off the floor and the towel rack and replaced them with dry towels. "Here. I think JARVIS can control the shower, but I managed to figure it out on my own, so." He gestured then stepped back to let Steve into the bathroom.

[I don't care, I don't mind playing Sam!]

[punched_hitler]

The lack of windows was a little strange, but the place did still manage to feel comfortable. Leave it to Stark, Steve figured, to find a way to pack in every modern convenience (and then some) no matter where you were. Steve was still feeling... well, awful - on edge, antsy, angry, guilty, and a hundred other things. Grimy and sore were two of them, and although part of him didn't think he deserved the comfort and convenience of a shower, Sam would argue if he tried to deny himself that.

"Thanks," he said, as Sam pointed out the bathroom, stepping inside and getting to work on getting his clothes off, even if - after all this time - he still felt a little self-conscious doing it in the presence of someone else. He'd just figured he might never get used to it, and that was the way it was. "I think I might stay in there for... oh, an hour," he said wistfully, even if that wasn't true.


[Okay, just checking! <3]