[ A brief pause and he glances over at Bucky, giving him a light elbow to his friend's side. ]
For lunch we should get these drinks - they're kinda like milkshakes. [ The same way the hot dogs here are really 'kind of like hot dogs', and no alcohol.
Call it Sam's influence, but Steve lets his mental guards down a bit, a porthole open. A lot's changed since Bucky first arrived. Back then every change in Bucky was a punch to the gut, a reminder of the horrors he'd been put through - and that in some way it'd been Steve's fault. For failing him.
Since then there's been a slow shift. Some of that's from Sam, some of it's from his own growing confidence with his symbiotic abilities. A lot of it is just because of the simple fact that it's enough to have Bucky here, awake, alive. He doesn't need to hide his guilt when it's no longer at the forefront of his mind.
And anything that's different about Bucky, none of that is enough to change the person that Steve believes is at his core: a little bit of a jerk, and a damn good friend. ]
no subject
For lunch we should get these drinks - they're kinda like milkshakes. [ The same way the hot dogs here are really 'kind of like hot dogs', and no alcohol.
Call it Sam's influence, but Steve lets his mental guards down a bit, a porthole open. A lot's changed since Bucky first arrived. Back then every change in Bucky was a punch to the gut, a reminder of the horrors he'd been put through - and that in some way it'd been Steve's fault. For failing him.
Since then there's been a slow shift. Some of that's from Sam, some of it's from his own growing confidence with his symbiotic abilities. A lot of it is just because of the simple fact that it's enough to have Bucky here, awake, alive. He doesn't need to hide his guilt when it's no longer at the forefront of his mind.
And anything that's different about Bucky, none of that is enough to change the person that Steve believes is at his core: a little bit of a jerk, and a damn good friend. ]