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it took him a little longer than a minute to catch the joke, which might have embarrassed him had it been told by anyone other than the sorcerer supreme. he could accept his own lack of knowledge in certain subjects when faced with someone like stephen strange. he had to laugh – something he didn’t allow himself to do often, if only because he found so few reasons for it – and shook his head. “you almost had me, doc,” he said. “those were not the kind of jokes we told in the military.” no – those were more crass, and mostly unfunny. but even the worst joke could leave you in stitches when you were laying in uncomfortable bunks and listening anxiously for air raid sirens. “it is prism like prison, right?”

“natalia.” that was what he always called her, but not what she went by anymore. it was a habit he would have to break for her sake. there was no reason to rattle any memories that might be somewhere in her mind. “i wanted to talk to you.” what could he say? what excuse did he have for lingering behind her the way he was? moreover, what excuse would she believe? “i never apologized,” he said finally, “for the times i tried to kill you. i may have been the winter soldier when i did it, but i was still in here.” he touched his temple and smiled without joy. “for what it’s worth, i’m glad i failed.”

peoples’ capacity for kindness never failed to impress bucky. he chose the word kindness because he wouldn’t be willing to risk the word forgiveness. whether tony stark could ever really forgive him for his actions as the winter soldier seemed unlikely – not that bucky could blame him. still, there was civility between them now, which wasn’t something that he would take for granted. “i guess it’s less lonely,” he observed, looking back over his shoulder at the people who’d gathered to the safe places they could find. “or so i would imagine.” he turned back to tony, his face solemn. “tony... i’m sorry. about how it ended. it shouldn’t have been like that.”

where’s steve? he supposed that were the question to be posed to anyone, it would be best posed to him or sam. he wished it had been to sam, as bucky’s lack of answer made his chest feel tight with guilt. “i wish i knew,” he said, his voice quiet. he was still taken aback at times like this with how comfortable people seemed to be in his presence – even moreso than he was with himself. there was always that looming question of his stability and the danger he posed, and he knew that there must have been a back up plan. a just in case to put him down. if anyone knew it, it was probably maria hill. “people are here, but they’re scattered. as far as i can tell, no one knows anything.”

bucky knew about every agent of some significance in shield, as was expected when hydra had a hold of him. that information ensured greater success in his missions, and that’s all they cared about. success. agent hill’s name rung a bell just like any of them would have. they’d met in passing – such was the case between him and most shield agents, and almost always in bad situations – and the kid’s comment made him smirk. “hill cuts a pretty intimidating figure,” he said, “but i don’t think heads are gonna roll because you couldn’t get a radio working. nobody could. not here, anyway.” wherever here was, it was beyond the known world.