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’Cause You'll Heal Over
Sliding down the mountain, crawling back up the slippery slope, and trudging back to the caves through ice and snow in sopping wet clothes had taken a toll on Tony’s poor body.
“I’m surprised he even made it back,” Bruce admitted softly as he packed up his bag. “He’s got so many scrapes and bruises, and his ankle is definitely twisted, if not broken—I’ll be able to tell better once he’s more lucid and the swelling has gone down—and he’s lucky you came in when you did, his core temperature was so low. I don’t suggest you shift and lie on top of him again,” he added quickly when he noticed Bucky’s horns crackling with ice. “You could jostle an injury that he’s still too numb to take note of. But I think he should have extra blankets for a few days, and plenty of hot soup and tea.
“I’ll come by every day to see if he’s more lucid and can take proper stock of his injuries, but I’m not surprised that he’s still dazed even a day later. He was out in the cold for a long time, with who knows what injuries from the fall.” Bruce paused when he noticed Bucky staring down at his feet, shoulders sagging, then very gently added, “Bucky, it wasn’t your fault.”
“I should have checked,” Bucky muttered, crossing his arms. “I knew he was behind me and then suddenly gone. I should have checked instead of assuming the Base Dwellers had taken him.”
“You were literally fighting for your life in the lead-up to him falling,” Bruce told him sternly. “And they were actively trying to kidnap one of you. You can’t be faulted for thinking they took your mate. This wasn’t your fault. It was theirs. Don’t shoulder any of their burden.”
Bucky took a deep breath and nodded, even though it was hard not to think about Tony out there, injured, cold, wet, and alone and bravely making his way back to their den, with no idea that Bucky had tried to melt himself in the meantime. He’d been so selfish, so stupid, and Tony had simply waited in their den for him to come home.
“…I’ll be back tomorrow,” Bruce sighed, shaking his head in disappointment, and finally left. “Hi, Steve. Bye, Steve.”
“H—Bye? Bruce. Thanks for coming on such short notice,” Steve added belatedly, waving after him, then turned to step further into Bucky’s den. “How’s he doing, Buck?”
“He’s… breathing,” Bucky offered with an uncomfortable shrug.
Steve approached cautiously, because Bucky had always been territorial around his mate, especially when he was injured. Luckily, Bucky seemed too exhausted to be combative, so he allowed Steve in, especially when he saw that Steve’s arms were full of even more blankets.
“The elders have been busy,” Steve explained when Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Especially when they heard how long he’d been outside in the cold. They want the blankets back, of course—”
“Of course,” Bucky agreed.
“—But they want you to keep them as long as you need.” Steve went quiet, clearly mulling something over.
“…There’s another but,” Bucky surmised.
Steve looked like he was in incredible pain. “Peggy said that if you needed to keep it until after whelping, that was just f—”
“I’m not going to bring up whelping while he’s injured!” Bucky whisper-shouted at him, because he was absolutely outraged, but he didn’t want to wake up Tony when he was finally resting peacefully.
“Well, it’s not my fault that basically everyone thinks you’re too much of a coward to let Tony whelp,” Steve retorted just as sharply. “You brought this on yourself.”
Bucky opened his mouth, then closed it again with a frown. “…Everyone thinks I’m a coward because I didn’t immediately say yes when Tony brought up children?”
“I mean, I don’t,” Steve muttered, shrugging uncomfortably. “And Natasha doesn’t. And Sam doesn’t either.”
“But everyone else does,” Bucky continued for him, sighing. “So you’re the odd ones out.”
“I mean. I was there, after your family was separated and you lost your arm,” Steve said, shrugging again. “I know what you went through. I wasn’t actually surprised that you wanted to wait on whelping, because in some ways, you’re still mourning the loss of your family.”
“I should have told him yes,” Bucky murmured, mostly to himself. “I should have given him the necklace.”
“You shouldn’t have done anything until you were ready for it, or else you would have just resented it,” Steve cut in before he could go on. “You’re ready now. Stop thinking about what you should have done and worry about what you’re going to do now.”
“I miss when you were an idiot who threw punches instead of talking,” Bucky said morosely.
Steve sighed, shoulders sagging. “I’m not allowed anymore because it could cause clan wars.”
Bucky reached out to give his shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Well, I still think you’re an idiot,” he said.
“…Thanks,” Steve replied, disgruntled at the fact that Bucky actually sort of meant it and even more upset about the fact that he appreciated it.
.-.-.-.
It took two more days for Tony to be totally lucid. Bucky was relieved, even if it meant nonstop chattering as Tony tried to push his blankets off while Bucky put them back on. He’d thought he’d never hear Tony’s voice again, so it was actually kind of nice, except for when Tony whined about how hot he was.
“Smother then,” Bucky retorted, tucking his arms back into the blankets. “Bruce said to keep you warm because you’ve gotten a cold and I’m more afraid of him than I am of you.”
“I’mb bore indimidading than Bruce,” Tony muttered petulantly.
Bucky scoffed at him. “No you’re not. You can’t even say ‘intimidating’ properly.”
“I’ll sdeeze on yoo,” Tony threatened.
“If you sneeze on me, I won’t make you more soup,” Bucky retorted.
Tony, who loved soup when he was sick, immediately folded, shuffling down under the blankets miserably. “Yor do bean do be.” He snuffled into his pillow. “Crool and bean an’—an’ rude.”
“That’s me, a cruel, mean and rude yeti,” Bucky agreed, tucking the blankets back around his shoulders. “If you’re good, once you’re better, I’ll give you a present.”
“Bresend!” Tony barked, launching himself into a sitting position.
Bucky shoved him back down, mentally scolding himself for not knowing he’d do that. “Once you’re better,” he repeated firmly.
Tony heaved the sigh of the truly put upon, then made grabby hands, grumbling a haughty, ‘Bucky-blanket,’ and then, when the yeti didn’t move fast enough, scowled and added, “Gimme!”
“It’s coming,” Bucky said, picking through all of the blankets to find the one he’d made out of his own shedding. He found it eventually, near the bottom of the pile, closest to Tony’s skin, but it had been kicked down around his ankles. He pulled it up so it was covering him properly. “Why do you like it so much anyway? It looks like all the others.”
“Sbells like yoo,” Tony muttered, gathering it in his hands and burying his face in it.
Bucky felt his heart flip over in his chest. Tony couldn’t even fucking smell things right now, and he still wanted the blanket close for the thought of it. “Go to sleep,” he said gruffly, pulling the rest of the blankets up.
“Okay, bud I’mb doing id becud I wand do, nod becud you’re delling be do,” Tony said, and then promptly passed out.
“Tony,” Bucky choked out, unable to keep from laughing a little. Tony kept sleeping, though, so he simply chuckled to himself and leaned down to press a kiss to Tony’s warm forehead. He took a moment to help him settle his head on his pillow in a way that wouldn’t cause a crick in his neck, then fussed with the blankets a bit more before sitting down beside him, content to just be there until Tony needed him again.
The rest of the clan had been so kind, sending soup and honeyed ginger and extra blankets. It had been clear that they hadn’t wanted him to leave Tony’s side for any reason. So he’d take their generously offered help in the spirit it was intended and sit by his mate’s side like they wanted him to.
He glanced over at the wooden box he’d hidden the braided necklace in, because he’d been too afraid that Tony would see the reflections from the red gems he’d beaded into it if he didn’t. He was ready for Tony to see it now, though. Ready to go with him to visit the Red Witch and ask for her gift. Ready to have the family that Tony had been so excited for, but so understanding when Bucky had hesitated.
He’d nearly lost Tony. Bucky wasn’t going to take the risk of holding back their happiness ever again.