Chapter Text
After registering himself in the official record books, only ten years late, Steve ends up wandering the downtown area alone. Even though he knew the chances were slim, he'd checked through every dolphinback arrival since he'd figured he'd first washed up. But he still comes away disappointed.
Bucky had gone off earlier to see the Hall of Science, assuming Steve would join him once he was done. Steve decides the slow, early-morning merchant district is better than the main thoroughfares, and he intends to find a secluded bit of greenery to hide in and let his emotions out. Most of the shops look lazy, not seeing the bulk of their customers until after breakfast and even lunch, but there's a small crowd gathered around a table set out in front of something that advertises itself as "Antiques and Oddities."
Steve lets his curiosity get the better of him.
There are three people behind the table-- two saurians and a human --entertaining the crowd with stories. Tales of adventure and excitement, and a noble cause that needs to be done. Steve is immediately taken, and stops to listen, momentarily forgetting about the heaviness in his heart. The human, a dark-haired woman with a serious expression but a smile that reminds him of Bernie, on a hunt, explains their purpose: They're in Waterfall City to recruit for the overland escorts that help caravans pass across the Rainy Basin. There's been more trouble than normal, and they need extra help.
One of the saurians, a large, heavyset ankylosaur, sees Steve's furrowed brow and concentrating expression. "You thinkin' about it, kid? There's plenty of adventure to keep a pup like you busy."
"You said the caravans were in danger," Steve says, looking between each of them. "I know the Basin. I can help."
The other saurian, a long, thin Edmontosaurus, makes a surprised honk. "Forgive me," he says, "but you know the Basin?"
"Let me guess," says the ankylosaur, "you took a caravan, once, think you got a feel for it."
Steve's expression turns defiant. "I've lived there," he says, snapping his teeth the way Bucky does, when he's annoyed, "for years."
The human woman is looking at him with interest. "We could certainly use someone who knows the area. Things are not what they seem, and experience could mean all the difference."
Steve signs his name with only a small bit of difficulty. He'd had trouble, earlier, when he tried to write in Ela's records, but his brain seems more keen, now that it's had time to roost on it.
He meets Bucky back at the hotel.
Bucky is preening, peevish, when he enters the room. Steve had been excited to tell Bucky about the caravans, and what he'd signed up for, but it all grinds to a sudden halt when the only greeting Steve gets is a low, throaty growl.
"Shit," Steve curses.
Bucky glares and makes a pointed gesture of tucking his head under his wing.
"Buck, I'm sorry, I got... distracted." The last of the escorts' excitement drifts from his mind, replaced by Bucky waiting for him all afternoon, and then what had happened at the library. The entire day suddenly feels like a net loss, and he decides he'd be better just turning in to sleep.
Bucky doesn't try to groom him when he crawls into the nest. He tries a single, soft chirp, but Bucky screws his eyes shut and shoves his face deeper into his wing. Steve pulls his blanket up over his chest and tries to sleep.
After what seems like forever, staring up at the ceiling, Steve hears Bucky shift.
"I waited for four hours."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Sorry don't refund tickets, Steve."
"I'll pay you back."
"With what? You're broke."
"I'll get you a fish, next time we're at the lake."
Bucky makes a soft little trill, a raptor laugh. "Yeah, okay, mighty damn hunter over here, gonna get a fish. Last time you tried, you got pulled in. That catfish would'a ate you, if Bernie hadn't been there."
Steve hisses and snaps, "I would'a been fine."
"Fine food."
"Fuck you, Buck."
"So, you wanna tell me why you blew me off?"
Steve frowns, crossing his arms underneath the blanket. Bucky reaches over and takes a gentle mouthful of Steve's hair, running his teeth through it like he would through his own feathers. Steve sighs, relaxing, if only just a little. After a few more passes from Bucky's teeth, he says, "I didn't find my mom's name. At the library." Bucky stops grooming, and Steve can just see the light glinting off Bucky's eye in the dark. "I needed to think. It... It's different, for humans, Buck. We get upset, and we can't just wait for it to go away. It sticks around. I needed to be alone, y'know?"
"Fuck, Steve. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, me too."
After a moment, Bucky gives a suspicious chirp. "Something tells me there's more."
Steve looks over, feigning innocence. "What makes you think that?"
"You always do something stupid, when you're upset." Bucky snaps his teeth, "Scratch that. You always do something stupid, and I can smell it on you." Steve feels Bucky's snout jab him in the ribs. "What did you do."
"Ow! Hey! I didn't do anything stupid!"
"And now you're lying," Bucky puts his mouth around Steve's middle in a false threat display. "What did you do?"
Steve wriggles, half-hearted, "Nothing bad--"
Bucky growls.
Steve bites him on the wing, useless with his human teeth, even if he'd intended to actually put force into it. Still, Bucky pulls back and stares at him in the dark. Steve huffs, defiantly snapping his teeth, as if he'd won an actual fight.
"I joined up with some escorts going across the Basin."
"You what."
"C'mon, Buck, it's not that bad..."
"You're going to die, you dipshit!"
"What? No! We know the Basin! We live there!"
Bucky snarls, "We know the Western Basin, and we barely live there! How many times have we almost died?"
"The carnotaurs were a mistake--"
"How many times have we almost starved? We aren't a pair of tyrannosaurs living off our teeth. We're two losers who've gotten by on sheer dumb luck, and Bernie keeping us safe. And now you think we'd make it off on our own in the middle of nowhere?"
Steve blinks. "We?"
Steve can feel Bucky's growl in his chest. "Do you think I'd let you do something this ridiculously stupid on your own?"
"I, well..."
"You are the dumbest food I have ever met. I should have eaten you."
"You would have choked."
"And then I wouldn't be here, having to make stupid decisions just to keep my even stupider food safe."
Steve trills.
Bucky hisses at him, then folds a wing over his shoulder.
"Go the fuck to sleep."