James Buchanan Barnes (dzheymsbyuken) wrote in spinningcompass, @ 2014-04-08 23:17:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, steve rogers, ~bucky barnes (ws), ~steve rogers (preserum) |
Who: Bucky Barnes (WS) and Steve Rogers
Where: The hospital
What: Bucky needs some answers
When: Very very early Wednesday morning (after midnight)
Rating: Medium
Open: Guest appearance by Steven Rogers
Status: GDoc Complete
He was there. Rogers was in this place. Loki had told him. He had to see the man. Had to make sure he was okay. Why he had that urge, he didn’t know. Rogers was a target. A failed mission. And yet there was a voice in his head that kept telling him he needed to make sure he was okay. He wore a hooded jacket with the hood pulled up to hide his face, his hands shoved into his pockets. He kept his gaze down to avoid anyone seeing him. The door to the room wasn’t locked and was actually open a little bit. Quietly he made his way inside, making sure not to shut the door all the way. He didn’t want to risk the click of the latch waking Rogers. He just needed to see him with his own eyes. ---- Steve had finally convinced Peggy and Bucky to take a break and go home, Stevie getting restless had helped, and the fact that they were really only keeping him for observation now made it even easier. Though he knew that they, especially Peggy, wouldn’t be gone for long. But, he was able to get some sleep while they were gone, knowing that they were home and safe and maybe everything was just a nightmare his mind came up with to deal with whatever the island had thrown at him that injured him so much. Even as it was, his sleep was restless, more so than usual but better than nothing. But this time, when he turned on the bed something itched at the back of his neck, something bad enough to fully wake him and make him sit up in the bed. He saw the shadow standing near his bed first but then he was able to focus more clearly-grateful for the serum’s improvements to his eyes. “Bucky?” he mumbled, “Told you to go home.” ---- “I’m not Bucky.” He reached up with his left hand to push the hood back. He didn’t want to be called that name. It wasn’t his name. When the hood was removed his long hair fell into his face and he just stared at the other man, hand going back into his pocket. ---- Steve swore under his breath but didn’t move...much. He did brace himself, taking on a more guarded position, as much as he could sitting in the bed at least. It had to be a nightmare. “Here to finish your mission?” he asked, his voice almost disappointed. ---- “Why’d you do it?” He didn’t look Rogers in the eye. Couldn’t bring himself to. He noticed the change in body language almost immediately, but his didn’t change at all. And there was almost no emotion in his question. ---- Steve could hear and feel the change in the man he’d fought so much in his mind over the last days. This wasn’t the man who tried to kill him. “Do what?” he asked, not willing to give too much away too fast. He didn’t know for sure what type of agent the Winter Soldier might really be and didn’t want to be taken advantage of because he trusted too much too early. ---- “Save me.” He finally looked up at him. There was the tiniest spark of recognition in his eyes for the briefest of moments. Like he was starting to remember. But he pushed it down almost as quickly as it came up. “You could have just left me there.” ---- Steve shook his head. “No I couldn’t.” he told him, knowing that maybe it was betraying too much but he needed this man to know, if there was even the smallest hint that it might help him remember who he was Steve had to try. “I couldn’t just let you die.” Not again. He didn’t say the last words out loud but they seemed to linger in between them anyway. ---- “Why?” He was the enemy and he needed to know why he was saved. It was bothering him. Not just that Rogers had helped him, but that he was the first mission he’d ever failed to complete. And there was a part of him that didn’t want to. Before an answer could be given, however, the door started to come open. In almost the blink of an eye, he was out the window and gone. It was left open in his wake. ---- Steven came into the room carrying a tray with some nonperishable snacks on it. Some crackers with peanut butter and some chips. Basically anything that he thought Steve might like if he woke up hungry. Which he knew the other man would most likely wake up hungry. He was a little surprised when he found him awake, though. “Um, hi.” He smiled, setting the tray down on the table near the bed. ---- Steve was both surprised and not when the man disappeared so quickly. He almost cursed that Steven had walked through the door, he wanted to talk to the Winter Soldier, to see if there was still something in there of his friend that he could find to bring him back. But as it was he just sighed softly to himself and nodded to the smaller man. “Hi. Thanks.” ---- “I thought you might be hungry…” He cleared his throat. “How are you feeling?” He started moving around the room, making sure that Steve had everything he needed. He even adjusted the blankets for him a little bit. ---- “Steve. I’m fine. You’re as bad as Peggy.” he half-smiled, hiding the fact that he was still shaken by the appearance of the man who’d just run from his room. He didn’t want to say anything just yet, maybe he was just losing his mind again, maybe it was just some kind of waking nightmare. Either way, he wasn’t saying anything any time soon and had to keep up the charade as best he could. ---- “This is what happens when you care about people, but I know you know that.” He smiled, then sat down on the side of the bed. “You really just….woke up like that?” He’d seen the chart. Had spent some time with him when he was unconscious. It was hard to believe those injuries had just appeared. ---- Steve sighed. “Yeah.” he admit, rubbing the back of his neck, “Along with a whole new set of nightmares.” he added, pushing the button on the side of his bed to bring the back of it up enough that he could lean against it without laying down. ---- “I’m sorry.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Is there anything I can do to help?” He got to his feet again, a frowning showing on his face for just a moment. He could have sworn the beds weren’t that tall. Maybe he was losing his mind. Either way, the frown only lasted for a moment before he looked at Steve. ---- Steve shook his head. “No, it’s just...I guess it’s the island. I should have known something was coming, things went too well for too long.” he told his younger self, grabbing one of the packets of crackers and peanut butter. It was tough to open, his fingers and knuckles still healing, but he got it after only a moment. “I’ll figure it out.” ---- “I haven’t said anything to Lil but I’m a little worried myself.” He looked around for a second before looking back at Steve. “It’s been nearly seven months since the last time I was a patient.” He whispered it, almost as if he was afraid to tempt fate. ---- Steve understood a little of the worry. “I’ve...tried not to let myself worry about it. I mean, this place seems to like us too much to be too worried right?” he tried to joke but his head was obviously not completely there. “And hey, it made you better, maybe you won’t have to be back here as a patient much at all anymore.” ---- “I think I’m mostly afraid it’s going to take things out on little Steve.” He sighed, pulling a chair close to the bed and taking a seat. “Already turned him into a teenager. He’s afraid that Bucky doesn’t want to be his friend anymore even though they’ve talked about it. And...he’s discovered girls. Sophia in particular, but I’m pretty sure he had a crush on her when he was five.” He scratched the back of his neck. ---- Steve laughed softly, “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t mind that last part much.” He tried not to flinch hearing about Bucky and hoped the other man wouldn’t notice if he did. He was tempted to pull out his phone and text the adult one but he could hold off until Steven was out of the room. “And those things never seem all too permanent.” ---- “I really hope it’s not. As much as I don’t want him to go back to being sick and needing the crutches, I just….Lil has been crying so much because she’s missed out on nine years of his life.” He shook his head. “I keep telling her that he’ll be back to being five in no time but, you know how emotional she is.” ---- He just nodded, “I’m sure she’d be okay too, eventually, even if he doesn’t go back. Maybe have him tell her about things? Anything important she might have missed, make sure she knows she did okay and he’s happy.” he offered, though he wasn’t sure he was the best when it came to advice about women. ---- “He’s been telling her a lot of stuff.” Steven nodded. It wasn’t until a breeze came through the window that he realized it was open. He got up and walked over to it. “You want to leave this open?” He looked at Steve. ---- Steve thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, you can leave it open a bit. The weather’s getting better.” he lied slightly. He really didn’t mind leaving the window open for the fresh air, but part of him still hoped the new man might come back again. ---- “Alright. I’ll let you get some sleep. If you need anything you know I’m just a phone call away.” He walked back over to the bed. “I’m really glad you’re okay.” ---- He gave the smaller man a grateful smile, “Thanks. And I hope things get easier with Lil and Steve.” he told him, going back to his crackers. He knew he wouldn’t be sleeping but was fine to be alone for a little while, to try and figure out what was going on in his head. “And if you have any pull around here, let Bruce know I really am fine this time?” he asked just as Steven was leaving. ---- Steven stopped just inside the door and nodding, chuckling softly. “I’ll let him know but you know how he gets.” He smiled. “I’ll bring you some of Lil’s pot roast tomorrow for lunch. Something to look forward to, trust me.” He then turned and walked out the door. ---- He stood on the ledge outside the window, listening intently to the conversation. He thought briefly about going back into the room, but instead shook it off. He could talk to the man again later. He disappeared into the night without a sound. |