nomadcaptainâ:
Steve was used to upholding core beliefs that carried him through life â Bucky Barnes being a good person sat as an undeniable truth in his mind, and it was something he was willing to defend against anyone, including the man himself. If only that torment could be as easy to wash away as dried blood and grime. Steveâs heart sank as he listened to his friend and when their eyes met, he reached up with both hands to cradle Buckyâs face, keeping him there.
âYou donât need that either, but I can make sure you arenât going through it alone.â It wasnât the first time he said it one way or another, and he would continue to do so for as long as necessary. âI *am* here and youâve been doing the exact opposite of hurting me. Torturing yourself wonât make anything better and the Winter Soldier being your past doesnât mean it has to dictate your future.â
As much as half of him didnât believe what Steve was saying, the other half wanted to so, so desperately. Bucky forced himself to meet Steveâs eyes, the only part of his face that felt truly familiar for a secondâhis blond hair so dark with water, the handsome beard heâd grown making him look so much older, covering up so much of his face. But then the sight crystalized back into Steve, Steve, the only constant still in this world, and...
âI know,â he replied, quiet and hoarse and waterlogged, his hands finding Steveâs sides and drawing him closer. Close enough to press their bruised chests together, close enough to drop his face to Steveâs shoulder as the hot water beat down on is back. âI know.â He sighed, eyes shut against Steveâs wet skin. âItâs okay,â he muttered, ready to end the conversation. âWeâre here. Weâre alright.â For the most part. âWe always are, arenât we, Stevie?â He tried for a smile that didnât quite reach his voice, dropping flat somewhere in the humid air between them.Â
















