❰ oh — oh. for a second steve blinks at bucky, shocked — and then he squares his shoulders, summons up some positivity, and puts on his captain america voice. ❱

Hey, it wasn't all bad. They got rid of polio. Thai food's real good. The internet's great, there's a lot to learn. Took some getting used to, but I'm getting my feet under me.

❰ bucky's just fallen to his death and here's steve making it all about how terrible he felt. still feels, if he's honest — it hasn't entirely sunk in that the winter soldier was bucky, is bucky. it's something he knows, understands, but can't feel. he was just getting used to missing bucky, to looking over his shoulder and seeing no one there waiting for him. coming home to an empty apartment and cooking shitty meals for one, eating them sat in the single chair. bucky was gone, and steve was accepting that — and then he wasn't, and now he's here.

here, and needing a shoulder to lean on more than steve right now. as they walk toward — steve's not sure, bucky's the one guiding them. somewhere secluded, probably, more private — steve tightens his grip on bucky's waist. ❱

You doin' alright? I've done the whole waking-up-from-dead thing, it's a knockout. You need to sit down?