[closed]

[starspangled]

Who: Steve and Bucky
Where: First Floor Hallway
When: March 10
What: Bucky doesn't remember what day this is. His best friend does.



[It's been weeks and they're still trapped, no closer to being free than they were that first day. What's worse, those numbers have grown, and now there's new people to get to know, to help or assess. There's a little girl who no one can seem to find. And then there's what Skye uncovered, which he can't quite get off his mind. Overall there's no shortage of things to be concerned about, and Steve is, more than he can put into words. But there's also one thing to be grateful for too.

He's been keeping track of his days here, so Steve knows what day it is - what day it should be. He picks up an extra muffin that morning, searches the hotel until he finds one of those plain white emergency candles. He feels eyes on him the entire time, curious and just a little bit judging. He's gotten used to that feeling, especially once he learned that it doesn't have anything to do with the hotel itself.

Steve sits down in the first floor hallway, back against the wall. The plated muffin is placed beside him, the top decorated with sliced fruit left over from breakfast and that over-sized candle comically inserted in the middle of it. Steve smiles a little, because he knows the curiosity must be killing him by now.

Steve counts to one hundred, just to be a little bit more of a punk.]

You can come out now, or I'm telling this entire hotel just how old you are.

Comments

[starspangled]

That's what I wanted.

[There was nothing better in Steve's opinion. And the fact that it came true...well, he'll be sure to make wishes on birthday cakes from now on, just in case. He takes a bite of his own half of the muffin, snorting softly.]

Some frosting would've been nice. Vanilla. Or maybe that blue raspberry.

[One predictable, one less so.]

[dislocked]

[ Bucky squints; he's sure he's never heard of the latter flavor before in his life -- whatever's left of it. He's studying him, unable to look away from the way Steve consumes his food, all quiet grace and easy charm.

He's not sure he's ever seen him this relaxed, and he decides that he likes it. Things can be difficult between them, but see, he's working on it. ] Blue raspberry?

[starspangled]

Yeah. It's a little bit sour, sort of like those lemon drop candies that I used to love.

[Steve smiles when he looks over at him, though it sort of fades when he realizes that Bucky might not remember them.]

And it turns your tongue blue.

[dislocked]

[ Bucky pauses, frowning thoughtfully. Here's another little snippet he's definitely learned: Steve likes lemon drops. And what the hell kind of candy does he like eating that turns your tongue blue?

It stings, when he sees Steve's smile fade, like he's sad that he'd been asked, and he feels something tighten in his chest. ]

Did you... like that too?

[starspangled]

Yeah.

[Steve nods before looking down at the muffin. The silence is definitely more of a thoughtful one, but they've never kept their thoughts from each other.]

Everything's changed, even the little things. Right down to how many different kinds of frosting there are now.

[dislocked]

[ No, they never have. Bucky gets the impression that Steve is accustomed to confiding in him, and he regards him for a moment. ]

What was your favorite?

[starspangled]

Vanilla.

[Some people (mostly Nat) seem to think that's a little funny for some reason.]

You always liked chocolate. I bet you would've made yourself sick on it if you could've.

[But there was never enough money for that, and Bucky was always thinking of his siblings too.]

[dislocked]

[ Why? What's so funny about vanilla?

Bucky notes that down all the same, carefully putting the pieces that make up Steve together. He'd cared for him, so much more than anything else in the world, and he nods at that little tidbit of information. ]

I liked it that much? [ He pauses. ] We shared something before. [ He frowns, trying to remember. Ice cream? Candy? ]

[starspangled]

Ice cream!

[Steve says it brightly, because he'd almost forgotten that himself, which makes it even better when Bucky remembers it for them.]

You'd get two scoops. We'd set up on the roof and take turns with the licks. You couldn't count.

[He smiles, looking deeply amused.]

[dislocked]

[ Bucky has to smile at that, too. Steve's brightness is infectious, and even if he only has the faintest recollection of it. He finds that he enjoys Steve's recounting of it, remembering how it fits, and decides to tease. ]

I knew how to. I just thought two for you and one for me was a better equation.

[ This memory; this one he knew. ]

[starspangled]

Except you were twice as big. And you paid for it.

[See? Bucky' math was flawed. But consistent.]

You were always doing things like that. Taking care of me, even when I made it tough on you.

[And Steve knows he was always making it tough for him.]

[dislocked]

I got the idea.

[ He says dryly.

Because Steve is still a little shit to him here, too; and while a lot of the details escape him, he's absolutely positive that Steve was much worse when he'd been smaller a chihuahua with aggression issues.

He exhales. ] Thank you for this. And the memories.

[starspangled]

You're welcome.

[Steve feels like he should be thanking him too. There are things that S.H.I.E.L.D. and all the missions in the world couldn't give him. /bucky's thankful to get these scraps of his old memories back. Steve's just as thankful for the chance to get to make new ones with his best friend.]