Chapter Text
Steve woke up to an empty bed and a faint buzzing coming from the bathroom. He stumbled in and saw Bucky with a pair of clippers in his hand.
“Hey, Steve,” he said. He glanced down at the hair all over the counter and floor. “Sorry, I’ll clean this up in a minute.”
“It’s ok,” Steve said. “I’m used to you leaving water everywhere.”
Bucky raised an eyebrow and ran his fingers through his hair. It was a little longer than it had been in the 30’s, and with the beard it was like seeing all the different versions of Bucky at once - his childhood friend, the dashing soldier, the sniper, the assassin. “So, whaddya think?” He squinted at his reflection in the mirror. “Should I keep the beard?”
“Yeah,” Steve said too quickly. He scratched the back of his neck. “It looks good on you.”
Bucky smiled and turned. ‘Yours does too,” he said, tugging on Steve’s. Steve rolled his eyes, but he could feel his cheeks burning.
Bucky turned back to the mirror, running his fingers through his hair again, and with a pang Steve remembered Bucky taking ages to fix his hair in their crappy apartment bathroom. Bucky’s eyes flicked to Steve’s in the mirror. “Do you think you could help me get the back?”
“Sure,” Steve said. He picked up the clippers and brushed the hair along the nape of Bucky’s neck. “I forgot it’s trickier since your hair’s curlier than mine,” he muttered, and Bucky smiled.
“I forgot I used to have to sit down for you to help me.”
Steve laughed. “I did too.” Bucky made a face at him in the mirror and Steve winked.
He ran the clippers in short, downward strokes, sticking his tongue out in concentration.
Bucky’s gaze flicked up to meet his in the mirror. Steve brushed his shoulders off. “I think you might need to take a shower to get the rest.”
Bucky nodded, scratching his neck before his fingers ran down his throat, tracing the spot where the kill switch was.
“Hey,” Steve said softly. “Just a couple hours, and that thing’ll be gone.”
Bucky’s eyes snapped back to Steve’s. “Yeah,” he said, with a grin so infectious that Steve caught himself grinning back, bumping his shoulder against Bucky’s.
“You better hurry up and shower or Shuri will lecture us both,” Steve said, teasing.
Bucky blushed and ducked his head for some reason. ‘Yeah, wouldn’t want that.”
Steve laughed. “Definitely not. She was a little too excited when she threatened to shoot me with a laser gun yesterday.”
Bucky smirked. “I’d pay money to see that.”
Steve swatted his arm. “Hurry up and shower, I’m gonna go make the coffee.”
“Sir, yes, sir,” Bucky said, throwing up a salute.
“At ease, soldier,” Steve said, rolling his eyes, and Bucky laughed.
“Hurry up and make the coffee, sir ,” he teased and Steve left, trying not to pay attention to the way Bucky calling him “sir” sent a thrill down his spine.
Steve had settled in for a long afternoon of pacing and staring out the window, followed by more pacing while Bucky was in surgery, but Shuri and Imani came out just over an hour after Bucky went back.
He jumped out of his seat. "How is he?"
Shuri gave him the thumbs up. "It went great! Imani nuked the switch and then after that it was smooth sailing. He should be awake soon."
Steve grinned, almost boneless with relief, and Shuri swatted his arm. "Haven't you learned to put a little faith in us by now? You're hurting Imani's feelings!"
Steve frowned, but Imani laughed, shaking her head. "Don't listen to Shuri, if I got my feelings hurt over that I'd have had to quit a long time ago."
Shuri snorted. "Fine, then the lab's feelings are hurt. What did it ever do to you, Steve?"
Steve laughed, waving his hand vaguely. "It's not that, it's just… I'm not usually on the waiting side of things."
Shuri hummed in understanding. "You are the most impatient person I know." Steve gasped in mock outrage and she laughed. "Well you are! You're worse than T'Challa and THAT is saying something!"
Imani raised an eyebrow. "That's odd, I don't remember T'Challa stealing my keys to drive the new speeders without a license…"
"Imani, that was a secret !!"
Imani rolled her eyes. “Please. You tell that story every time you demo the remote access kimoyo beads.”
Shuri shrugged primly. “It just made me realize that it’s easier to get away with stealing a car if you’re not actually there to get caught.”
Steve smirked. “Definitely an upgrade from hotwiring cars.”
Shuri’s eyes lit up. “Oh, you have no idea , Captain Colonizer.” Imani cleared her throat and Shuri nodded. “Anyway, why are we even talking about this when you just want to check on your boy?” She turned and walked briskly down the hall, waving a hand for them to follow her.
Imani’s lips quirked up and she held her hand out for Steve to go ahead.
Shuri led them to a different room, but the warm light streaming through the same floor to ceiling windows dyed everything a honey-gold color. Shuri smiled. “Hey there, Sleeping Beauty!”
Bucky squinted at her with one eye. “Can’t say anyone’s compared me to a fairy princess before,” he said with a smirk, his gaze flicking over to Steve.
“You’ll get used to it. Comes with the ‘decades-long nap’ thing,” he said lightly.
Shui picked up the data pad, scrolling through the records. “So, now that you’re awake, how are you feeling?”
Bucky shrugged one shoulder. “I’m fine.”
Shuri raised an eyebrow. “Fine? What kind of scientist would I be if wrote ‘fine’ as a result?”
Bucky smiled softly. “Sorry, I was never much for science class.”
Shuri rolled her eyes so hard Steve worried she’d sprain something. “Give me something, Barnes!” she scolded. “What’s your pain level? What could we do better?”
Bucky cracked his neck experimentally and Steve was forcefully reminded of a bathroom in France in 1942. He could almost smell the sulfa powder.
In the present, Bucky pursed his lips. “I’m a little sore,” he conceded. “But my… enhancement probably helps.”
Shuri nodded, fingers typing blindingly fast. “Anything else?”
Bucky snorted. “I don’t see how you could improve. This was like a trip to the goddamn spa.”
Shuri looked up slowly, stricken. “Like a spa?”
Bucky’s eyebrows furrowed as he glanced nervously at Steve. “What?”
“He’s never been to a spa! It’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.” She swatted Steve’s arm and he yelped in surprise. “How could you let him down like that?”
“There were a lot fewer spas in Brooklyn in the 30’s,” Steve protested, rubbing his arm.
Shuri huffed and turned back to an amused Bucky. “Well, for the record, this is nothing like a spa. So once you’re feeling better I’ll make up for Steve’s negligence,” she whispered conspiratorially, ignoring Steve’s spluttering.
She checked her chart one more time. “Patient gave glowing reviews, which is most valuable as an indictment of the American healthcare system.”
“Don’t forget Hydra,” Bucky said. He was smiling, but Steve could see the tightness around his eyes.
Shuri started and looked up at him. “Of course,” she said, adding a note. She tucked the tablet under her arm and pulled a small vial out of her pocket. “Speaking of Hydra....”
She uncapped the vial and tipped a small chip into the palm of her hand. “This is the kill switch,” she said, pressing it into the palm of Bucky’s prosthetic hand.
He stared at it for a moment and then looked up at her, his eyes glassy. “This is it?”
Shuri nodded. Bucky looked over at Steve, who smiled, blinking back tears. Bucky looked down at the chip, so small and flimsy against his metal hand.
“Do you need it back?” he asked softly.
Shuri shook her head. “No. We don’t need that barbarism here.”
Bucky nodded and slowly curled his hand into a fist. Steve caught the faint sound of metal shattering. He reached out and put a hand on Bucky’s shoulder. Bucky opened his hand and looked at the twisted, crushed splinters in his hand.
He took a deep, shuddering breath. “It’s done. I’m… free,” he whispered. He reached up to put his human hand over Steve’s as his shoulders curled around a sob.
Steve sank to the bed next to him, pulling Bucky to his chest. He heard the door open and looked up in time to catch a glimpse of Shuri slipping through the door. She waved at him through the glass and he nodded.
Bucky took in a hiccuping breath and Steve pulled him closer, tucking Bucky’s head under his chin. Bucky sighed. “Sorry, I’m being stupid.”
“Buck -” Steve whispered. “Don’t you dare apologize. It’s not stupid.”
Bucky wound his arm around Steve’s ribs slowly, as if he was worried Steve would pull away. Eventually his sobs slowed down and Steve tilted his chin up, wiping his tears away gently. “Do you need anything?” he asked. “Do you need more medicine?”
Bucky shook his head. “Can you just… stay with me? I don’t want to wake up alone in a hospital room.”
“Of course,” Steve said. He brushed the hair back from Bucky’s horehead and stood up. Bucky frowned, but Steve just walked over to the far side of the bed. “Shuri would kill me if I got your IV twisted,” he explained, toeing off his shoes and crawling into bed next to Bucky.
Bucky huffed out a laugh. “I guess she would.”
Steve turned onto his side to give Bucky more room and snuck his arm around Bucky’s waist. Bucky sighed, leaning his forehead against Steve’s.
“Thanks, Stevie,” he whispered.
Steve swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Anything for you, Buck. Just name it.”
Bucky chuckled. “I’ll have to think of something good, then.”
Steve smiled. “Just keep me posted.” He tangled his fingers up with Bucky’s and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the knuckles.
Bucky gaped at him. “Stevie.”
Steve looked down at their hands entwined together and cleared his throat. “I don’t know if you remember it - remember us - but we were together. Before.”
He swallowed and looked up to meet Bucky’s eyes. He looked winded, breathless, and Steve rushed to add, “And it’s ok if you don’t remember or don’t feel the same now… I just - I just wanted you to know.”
Bucky reached out with his metal hand to trace Steve’s cheekbone. “I don’t remember everything, but I remember some things.” His cheeks flushed. “I thought maybe you didn’t want me like that anymore.”
It was Steve’s turn to gape at Bucky. “No, no, Buck. You’ve been through a lot - we both have - and I didn’t want you to feel like you... owed me anything.”
Bucky bit his lip. “Stevie…”
Steve gave him a watery smile. “I love you. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I didn’t.”
Bucky sucked in a breath and leaned in, resting his forehead against Steve’s. “I might not remember everything, but nothing could make me forget you.” His brow furrowed. “Believe me, Pierce tried.”
Steve’s lips pressed together in a thin line and Bucky smiled sadly. “‘S ok, kid.”
“It’s not though,” Steve whispered. “It should’ve been me. I should’ve been there to pull the trigger.”
But Bucky shook his head. “You were too busy trying to get through decades of brainwashing.” He leaned back, eyes tracing Steve’s face. “You brought me back.”
“It wasn’t the end of the line yet,” Steve said, smiling helplessly.
“Yeah,” Bucky murmured, his eyes flicking down to Steve’s lips. Steve reached out slowly and carded his fingers through Bucky’s hair. Bucky’s eyelids drooped, and he leaned into Steve’s touch. “I love you too, you know,” he whispered.
Steve gasped, as if he’d been punched, and Bucky closed the distance. His lips brushed across Steve’s in a barely-there kiss, and Steve tilted his head to deepen it. He cupped Bucky’s cheek in his hand and Bucky sighed into his mouth, fisting his hands into Steve’s shirt to pull him closer. Steve went willingly, losing himself in Bucky, in holding him again, in the way they still fit together.
He vaguely heard a steady beeping in the background, but he ignored it. Nothing mattered but Bucky, and the way he looked at Steve like he hung up the moon and moaned Steve’s name when he started tracing his lips down Bucky’s throat.
And then suddenly Shuri burst through the door. “Steve!” she shouted. He jerked back, staring at her wide-eyed. “Stop raising his heart rate, you almost gave me a heart attack!”
Steve’s mouth hung open as Bucky fell back onto the pillows, laughing hysterically. Shuri folded her arms over her chest. “It’s not funny, I thought you were crashing!”
Bucky took in a few gasping breaths, trying to calm down. “It’s - it’s a little funny, Shuri,” he finally gasped out.
She pursed her lips to hide a grin. Bucky reached up and shoved at Steve’s shoulders. “If you don’t close your mouth a fly’s gonna fly in.”
Steve glared at Bucky, but Bucky just smirked up at him and Steve melted.
“Oh gross,” Shuri said, with no heat. “If you’re gonna keep making out I’m going to have to leave.”
Steve flushed. “Sorry, Shuri -” he started to say, but she just waved him off.
“Honestly, I’m glad you got your shit together, your pining was ridiculous . Almost as bad as T’Challa.” She raised an eyebrow. “But that doesn’t mean you can mess with the heart rate monitor.”
“We’ll behave - Scout’s honor,” Bucky promised, and Steve held up the Scout’s salute.
Shuri rolled her eyes before clapping a hand over them. “At least wait until I’m out of the room to make out,” she said, her voice full of laughter.
Steve turned to Bucky as the door slid shut and they both started giggling helplessly. “The look on your face!” Bucky teased, poking Steve in the ribs with his metal hand.
“Shut up,” Steve said, blushing furiously.
“Sorry, darlin’,” Bucky said, not sounding sorry at all. But he reached up and ran his fingers through Steve’s hair and he suddenly didn’t care anymore.
Bucky leaned back into the pillows, pulling Steve with him. Steve kissed him again, slow and easy, until Bucky groaned and put a hand against his chest.
“You heard Shuri, no funny business,” he quipped, eyebrow raised. “Maybe when I’m not hooked into a monitor you can kiss me again.”
Steve snorted and threw an arm over his waist, nuzzling into his neck. “Fine by me,” he said, sighing happily. “We have all the time in the world now.”
Bucky leaned back and stared at him. “Yeah,” he said hoarsely. “I guess we do.”
Steve pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and pulled Bucky close to him with a sigh. They finally had time.