a_musingly | [closed to disassembling] - I Thought You Were Dead

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[closed to disassembling] - I Thought You Were Dead

Bad luck always comes in threes.

Steve had never been the superstitious sort before (he was Catholic). First there had been an accident with Banner that had lead to a last minute switch-up in assigned team members for this mission. Then there had been an accident in an Stark Industries owned factory that left Stark worried, twitchy and furious. Not a good state of mind to be doing a mission with.

The third of course was the attack that had brought down the quinjet over the thickly grown jungles Steve was currently hiking alone through right now, having been forced (for once it was not his idea to jump out of a plane without a parachute) to hastily exit the plane while it was on fire. He'd been separated from the rest of the team in the explosion; he hoped they were alright...no, he KNOWS they are all fine. Now it was only a matter of getting back to civilization and getting in back in touch with the rest of the Avengers. Any civilization, he wasn't picky at this point.

He didn't know that by the time he made his way out of the bush into civilization, more than a week would have passed.

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He knew that and he also knew that not everyone spent full time at the Stark Tower as well, but everyone had some aspect of rooming to themselves. There were enough floors, though he had never inquired on if he was given a broom closet or a prison for his quarters. He stayed overnight so infrequently that either would work if he didn't stay with Steve anyway. "Yes, and we all remember how the last mission went," he replied sourly. "Next time, a parachute should come attached to your shield, since you remembered to bring that." He huffed softly. "Sam is an Avenger now?"

He pondered that, remembering how he had lamely tried to help Steve with that illness. It had seemed like the right thing to do, like he had been good at it and might even someday enjoy it. "I... want you at pique health at all times," he agreed softly. He eyed the pillow, not certain what he was supposed to do with it when he was perfectly comfortable as he was nestled on his arms, one soft and warm, the other hard and cold. "You were sick a little while ago, but I didn't take very good care of you. Do you think I should be like you and have my own place?" He actually couldn't imagine that right now.

When Bucky started appearing more with Steve, Tony had pulled him aside and asked if he should start renovating a floor for Bucky. Steve had told him no, that Bucky was unlikely to stay over often enough to use one. He felt uneasy enough as it is to have an entire floor to himself when he wasn't all that often at the tower; a single guestroom would have been just fine. "That was an accident." Steve answered, exasperated. "If it makes you feel better Tony's currently trying to redesign my uniform to have some sort of parachute attached at the back." He'd also told Tony he's not accepting anything that would add more weight or restrict his mobility in any way; only time will tell if Tony can come up with anything with those restrictions. "We all consider Sam one, whether Sam acknowledges that is a different matter entirely." Tony did in fact, has set aside a floor for Sam, except like Steve, Sam spent most of his nights elsewhere.

"And I want the same for you. It doesn't matter if you never remember everything about your past. I just want you to be warm, well-fed, and always content. If there's anything I could do for you to be like that, I would." And Steve recognizes this is why there is very little he could say no to Bucky for. Since Bucky didn't seem to know what to do with the pillow, Steve decided to show him by example (there was a second pillow in the back), but plopping down on it, arms wrapped loosely on the pillow and resting his chin on it. "You were fine that night." Steve tried to reassure Bucky. He had wanted Buckys company more than any physical thing Bucky could bring him for his comfort.

He gave Steve a dark look, hoping that it would chasten his friend to being a bit more careful when it came to jumping off of high and fast moving objects. He knew that Steve could take it, but it wasn't a risk that he wanted to see happen all the time now that they were together and seemingly dedicated to keeping the other safe. It was hard to do that when his friend was continually jumping out of planes or off of vehicles into some situation. "I didn't realize he was a fabric designer on top of everything else," he replied sourly to the idea of Tony designing any type of non-gaudy uniform. "I should sew a parachute to your back," he added with a shake of his head. He shrugged a little at the idea that Sam had earned the Avengers title so easily, though with all that had happened, the man was probably the most responsible of the group.

"You've... done more than enough for me," he replied softly. He was aware that his presence on missions in particular had a high potential to damage Steve and the Avengers because sooner or later, Hydra would come looking or the public would realize some of what he had done. They'd probably just associate him with Hydra and put to trial for his actions in assassination and terrorism. He eyed this display of using the pillow and frowned, pointedly pillowing his chin a little more on his arms instead. "I was acceptable," he said in reply.

Steve responded with a look of his own, one of deliberate, wide-eyed innocence. Tony called it 'the look of pure evil'. Steve said he had no idea what Tony was talking about because he had the best of intentions. It's not like he he wanted to jump off of high buildings or fast moving vehicles (though the adrenaline rush he got every time was exhilarating) with no proper gear, usually it was because their enemies gave him no choice. "Tony likes a challenge. And body armour is within his area of expertise." And if it wasn't, Steve was sure Tony would make it into his. "You can try adding a parachute." Steve added fondly. "But under the same conditions as I gave Tony; it can't add any extra weight and it can't restrict my mobility in any way." It was not only his strength he relied on in a fight, agility also played a big part and he can't have that part compromised in any way.

Truthfully Steve thought most of his other friends considered Bucky to be an Avenger to some degree or another, if only more attached to Steve than the rest of them. And there were already contingency plans in place for dealing with the public if public opinion went ill against Bucky (though Steve thought Bucky would probably disappear first if that happened.) As for Hydra, if they came looking, the Avengers would be glad to deal with them. It wasn't like they weren't alrady running missions digging up as many bases as possible anyway.
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He shifted suddenly to abandon his pillow drop an arm around Bucky's waist. Half-covering Bucky with his larger body, he dropped his face into Bucky's shoulder "It's enough that you're here." He murmured into warm cloth covered muscle. "That's all I need."

He didn't buy the look that was given in return to him and knew that there would be yet more incidences of Steve jumping off of high or fast moving places. He narrowed his eyes to show that Steve's attempt at innocence was certainly not working on him, though he would only give Steve the cold shoulder for recklessness and ignore any complaints about his own behaviour on missions. "So it meddling," he replied darkly because he was certain that Stark was always looking for an opportunity to do that too. "You're strong enough to take the extra weight and be able to fight as optimum level," he growled, though agreed with the fact that anything worn had to not impede mobility.

He tensed when Steve suddenly shifted, almost rolling to his side as if he thought he might have to defend himself from some kind of impromptu wrestling match, given they had given up on it at Stark Tower. Yet, he settled easily when Steve's weight only shifted to half cover him, effectively pinning him to the blanketed floor, but his eyes half-shut in pleasure at the closeness as he pillowed his cheek more onto his arms.

"You're too easy to please," he grumbled half-heartedly. "And you should stay behind on the next mission too."

It was inevitable in their line of work; while he's not going to actively look of chance to jump off of high or hast moving spots it's going to happen again whether they like it or not. What could be improved so that no one is left stranded for days like he was for the past week; better communication systems, better processes for dealing with what happens next if it happens again. All this would be worked out in the next few weeks barring missions. "Tony likes tinkering." Steve agreed lazily. "Says perfection is boring...there's always something to improve on." He wrinkled his nose at the thought of added weight on his uniform, though it was true he could stand quite a bit more weight than average. "There's a point where added weight is just going to slow me down and I can't have that."

Steve'd noticed the way Bucky had tensed when he dropped his weight unexpectedly on top of Bucky and was prepared to pull back immediately but Bucky had settled the next minute much to his relief. Before, he'd always left it to Bucky to initiate anything. His eyes slid half-closed as well as he rubbed his face back and forth against Bucky's shoulder, breathing in the scent of the soap they'd used last night and a light metallic tang underneath that he's now associated with Bucky.

"Might have to support them remotely, or be the backup. It depends on the type of mission. Unless you want to go?" But most likely he could afford to sit out on the next one unless it was something like the Chitauri invasion again, as he was hardly the only heavy hitter in the team. "Would you prefer I be more demanding on you? Ask you for treats or HYDRA agents instead?"

From what he had read in various files and seen himself, there were a lot of things that Tony liked. There was a part of him that was surprised that Steve got along with the man, given that his friend was selfless and honourable and Tony was... well, pretty much the opposite in almost all life endeavors. Steve had clearly figured out a method to dealing with the man, though he hadn't even come close to puzzling out what that was. "As long as he doesn't try to improve things attached to me," he grumbled, aware the debate about his arm was still a big issue for Tony who practically found any opportunity to sit next to him or admire his arm when it wasn't clothed and hidden. "You wouldn't complain if it was me clinging to your back," he added dryly.

He issued a soft hum of pleasured acceptance to the feel of Steve's cheek rubbing against his shoulder, and he stretched out in their little fort now that he was secure and settled there. Steve's weight helped, and it was easy to close his eyes and savour the closeness between them in the similar way that he did when he was allowed to cuddle up to his friend in bed. He still wasn't entirely over having lost his friend for a week either.

"I can do any mission," he said simply, though it wouldn't be the same without Steve. He performed best hunting or as an assassin. "What kind of treats could you ever hope for out of me?" He had noticed that no one, not even Steve, pushed to know if he had information on Hydra despite his history with the organization. "I know... some agents."

Tony was something of an acquired taste Steve had to admit. But the man was genuinely kind and generous underneath the talk and bluster if you cared to dig past the exterior and the first time they met, Loki's interference or not, Steve was ashamed to admit that he'd not seen past the prickly front. Steve's understood after long association it was what Tony was NOT saying that was more important than the hundred words that was coming out of the man's mouth. "He knows." Steve said reassuringly. "I explained it twice and pretty sure Natasha did too." As long as Tony kept it to looks it was fine. "You're right I wouldn't Why would I complain about such a unique accessory to my uniform?" He bantered back.

He sighed contentedly as Bucky settled down, and turned to rest his cheek on Bucky's back, careful not to put his entire weight on Bucky. Not that he thought Bucky couldn't take it but this was comfort, not wrestling or sparring. Awkward morning or not, he'd missed this in the past week.

"Yes I know, but will you actually work with the other Avengers?" Steve asked, half expecting the answer to be know. He wasn't unaware of what Bucky did best; the file Natasha handed him after Project Insight had detailed quite a few of the missions the Winter Soldier was sent on. "I don't know....you could surprise me with almost anything and I'll probably like it." Everyone among the Avengers knew not to push Bucky for information. Captain's orders. Steve lifted his head off of Bucky's back, his voice serious. "If want to...do...anything about those agents, I'd like it if you told at least me beforehand. Otherwise if you don't want to do anything, that's fine too. It's your choice."

Oh he knew that Steve and a few of the others had warned Tony off of getting too close to his arm, but there were little attempts all the same. He never said anything about them because all it really required was to shift the plates of his arm, a threat that he could make noise or do immediate damage that seemed to keep Tony from pulling a screwdriver on him. "Do you and the others still have bets going on how long it takes him to have a meltdown about it?" He knew the others had a good chuckle over Tony's fascination and it was probably some personal affront that he refused to let his arm get updated. "I'm heavier than a parachute, you realize. And I would be certain to land on you."

He went silent at the idea of working with the other Avengers without Steve, but a mission was a mission. It required that he do things that he didn't enjoy sometimes. "I could," he said grudgingly. "The mission objective will always be the most important thing to me, and no one, not even the Avengers will stand in the way of reaching it." He slid so easily into Soldier mode.

He shifted his flesh arm out from under his cheek and curled it back to grasp onto Steve's back. He hadn't thought much about the agents whose name's had stuck in his head or come back to him now that he wasn't getting blanked anymore. There were names and there were faces, though some didn't match up together. "What's left of SHIELD probably rounded up most of them," he murmured softly. "Contingency plan states that exposed agents are eliminated or smuggled from the country and replaced with others."

Steve raised one eyebrow. "Of course. Do you want in on it? Person with the closest date and time slot takes the entire pot." A bit of harmless fun that no doubt Tony knew about and probably part of the reason he kept poking at Bucky. Another part was probably just Tony being stubbornness regarding technology; the more he can't touch a piece of tech the more he wants it. He smiled, amused at the mental image of Bucky clinging to his back as they made free fall; he made a mental note to see if he could sketch out a comic or something similar later. "Some things are worth the extra weight and risk."

Steve frowned when he heard the Soldier respond. "We always try to assign something suitable to that person's skillsets." And he'll make doubly sure whoever is assigned to Bucky is someone who won't grate on Bucky so much. "You know that some times there's no other option but to abort the mission right, no matter the objective. Like last week." He had to make that clear; the Avengers were not Hydra where the Mission was always first.

He allowed the hand to press him back down against Bucky's warm back. "I know." He murmured back. "Natasha and Clint work with Coulson on that occasionally to find the ones that still alive and in hiding. It's just...I was thinking of closure for you. So that it's not always hanging over your head."

"No, I have nothing to bet," he said with a slight shrug of his shoulders, just enough that Steve would feel it where his friend was laying over him. "Besides, its my arm that he's so focused on anyway, and I can't be unbiased about that," he added. If he thought that his date was coming up, he might decide to bait Stark more to move things along in his favour, so it was best that he didn't know the dates involved or be too close to those kinds of antics. "You're just biased towards me, that's all. You like it when I'm laying on you after all."

He knew that missions were sometimes aborted, but from what he could remember, those moments were rare for him. His missions had always been planned well and he was good at doing them, so he wasn't certain he would need to abort one. He had only been involved in aborted missions where he had personally malfunctioned. "I'll do my best not to let that scenario come into play. If it is a mission designed for me, I should be able to complete it in the allotted time frame. That's... how it's always been." He turned his head to look at Steve. "These missions aren't any different... right? We want them completed?"

He blinked a little at the word closure because he had never thought of it. He was not vengeful, so the idea of hunting down those who he remembered and who had programmed or associated with him hadn't entirely been his focus. Steve had become his focus. "I... I've never thought about it like that." Of course he knew Hydra would go for him if opportunity presented itself, but beyond that, he hadn't considered it much.

"No one is completely unbiased. It's just a bit of fun anyway. The Howling Commandos used to do this sort of thing too...we bet on everything...what's for supper tomorrow, who's the next person that's going to catch a squirrel to supplement our rations...things like that." He huffed a soft laugh at the accusation of bias towards Bucky, not even bothering to deny it. That was true and all of their friends knew it. "Of course I am. And you're far biased towards me as well, if we're measuring it by how much each of us likes cuddle up."

Steve bit his lip, thinking about how he could explain it. "Yes, we do want mission completed. Very much. That's why they're called missions after all. But you have to take into account the cost, and it's not only monetary cost. For example...if mission completion has a high chance of causing the deaths of surrounding civilians that unexpectedly showed up on site? Then you evaluate again on the field. Or mission control will evaluate again. WE want to avoid civilian casualties." They always try to plan out for no civilian casualties but humans were contrary beings and often insist on going where they shouldn't be.

He'd been surprised that Bucky hadn't tried to go after Hydra more, instead only taking down the ones who attacked him, and attacked Bucky. It wasn't until later that he understood why. "Think about it? You can do as little or as much as you want. It's your choice. Just thought if you could have closure over this, other things might get easier for you." This too had been one of Sam's suggestions, one that Steve found easiest to talk about.

He lifted his head from his arm at the story about the Commandos, people that he recognized when he saw pictures of them but nothing solid of that point in time coming to him. He wondered if he participated in bets back then, and he ached to know, ached to remember what that was like. He was used to war now, so he thought he had probably been used to it back then, but he still craved to know. "Did I... Was I... involved in those bets?" He didn't hide the pained longing in his voice because he knew that Steve wouldn't mock or pity him for him. "Was I... really part of that team? Like really part of it, not... as I am now?"

He really didn't think that cuddling up to one another was that odd, but he had noticed that few others did it. Not like him and Steve anyway. "I'm not giving up cuddling and laying on you," he said with distinct dignity.

It seemed that missions were still very different, though he hadn't been on an Avengers-type mission without Steve. It was easy to fall back into the attitude of 'no witnesses'. However, he had never involved civilians unless it had been part of the mission objective itself. That was, perhaps, what made him so good at slipping through history unseen. "I won't involve civilians and I will still complete the mission objective."

He supposed that taking a more active role in killing off those he knew were part of Hydra might allow him to integrate more. He also knew that there was very little that could touch him while he was with Steve, that his disappearance would immediately alert the man that something was wrong. "I want... things to be easier."

Steve wrapped his arm more firmly Bucky's shoulders in an attempt to be comforting and pressed closer with his upper body. "You STARTED several of them. And in trying to win the bets, almost caused Colonel Philips to have a apoplexy several times." His tone was fond and he began to kneed the back of Bucky's neck gently. "Of course you were part of the team. A vital part. It...it wasn't the same after you...fell. The army higher ups tried to assign someone to replace you but we would have none of it." He still missed the Howling Commandos sometimes though it comforted him that they had all led full, rich lives after the war. He had the Avengers now of course, but they weren't the same (and he didn't expect them to be the same).

He let out an amused snort. "And I wouldn't expect you to." Even if it wasn't 'normal', Steve liked the closeness too much to give it up now, no matter what anyone else said. And Bucky hardly cared what other people thought.

Maybe they'd been doing it the wrong way all this time. They'd been trying to integrate Bucky into the team through the normal non-work activities like meals and movies but Bucky had saw them as events to be endured rather than to be enjoyed. Steve had to admit that Bucky might never be comfortable in social settings again but he'd settle for a civil working relationship between Bucky and the rest of the Avengers for now. The rest could come later. Steve nodded. "I'll have you added formally to the rosters. And...you said earlier that you weren't really part of the Avengers right now. But that's yours too, right now, if you want it."

Steve had a feeling that he was articulating the opposite point Sam wanted him to make. His hand slowed in its kneading motions. "It's not revenge you know. Just...I want you to feel safe. And know that they're the past and can't hurt you any more. That I'm here now this time, when I wasn't before. Alright?"

There was a part of him that found it all the more infuriating that Steve knew with such certainty his antics and was so animated talking about it, but he couldn't draw up a single memory of that time. It was Steve's physical presence that kept him from trying to escape his own lame frustrations. "I don't... remember," he murmured softly, his tone pained from his attempt even as he bowed his head to the feel of Steve's fingers against his neck. "You... potentially jeopardized a mission success with your team because you wouldn't allow another member to be added?" He sounded disapproving, yet the undertone was clear pleasure that he had made such an impression that his spot on that team had been left vacant.

He didn't consider himself part of anything, least of all the Avengers; he had heard himself called Steve's sidekick as a teasing jest once when he hadn't supposed to have been in earshot. He didn't care what he was called between the members and he knew from listening to the communications that everyone teased everyone else at least a little, so it was no slight to him to find himself relegated to lurking in Steve's considerable shadow. Like the Widow, he worked best in the shadows. They were a team and worked well together, somehow integrating so many skill sets and personalities into one place.

"Is an offering of the Avengers something you can give? I thought it came from higher up," he replied as he went back to cushioning his cheek on his flesh forearm, his metal fingers rubbing back and forth against Steve's back. "Am I even to be trusted with missions on my own or with a small group?"

Considering he couldn't remember his past, he knew that someday it would come back to hurt him. "I feel safe with you," he replied, his body relaxing all the more under Steve's as if to show that. "Do you want to kill them for me or with me?"

Sometimes he was torn as to what to do when Bucky asked about their shared past. He never minds sharing his memories with Bucky when his friend clearly wanted to know but Bucky was almost always clearly frustrated that he couldn't remember himself. He only brought it up as a form of comfort, not as a source of pain for Bucky. "I know and I'm sorry." He murmured, wishing there was something he could do other than continue to provide comforting physical touches. "Jeopardized nothing. The man they wanted to send was clearly there because he had connections and not because of any actual skills he had. He also said some things about Gabe, Jim and Peggy that doesn't bear repeating. And we weren't about to just let anyone take your spot. An addition I'll accept maybe, but not as a replacement for you."

Most of Steve's nicknames came from Tony, who thought up new ones on the fly and just as easily discarded old ones. With the way Bucky usually lurked around him the term sidekick had been bound to come up at least once. Surprisingly when it did come up, it wasn't Tony who came up with it. He'd only smiled at the teasing and said nothing, knowing that it as his friends' way of attempting to draw Bucky into the fold.

"What higher ups? We have a charter we all agreed to and signed but otherwise we're a private organization." It was technically vigilantism but Steve would not have the Avengers be underneath any organization ever again, not even the new SHIELD under Coulson. "As to what missions...both I think, though solo missions are rare."

"I'm honoured. And I feel safe with you as well." Steve relaxed his body once more as well, laying his head back down against Bucky's shoulder, though there was a light frown on his face at Bucky's question. "...Both." People would be surprised to hear Captain America say say this but some things were unforgivable and there wasn't much he wouldn't do to keep Bucky safe.

There was nothing for Steve to apologize when it came to the fact that his mind was not healed enough to produce memories for him of such times. He knew there was a chance that they would never come back, that they had all been lost forever and he was stuck like this for the rest of his life. He nodded a little, able to place the faces of the people that Steve mentioned because of the research he had done, and he knew that having mixed group of ethnicity was rare back then, especially a woman. "Peggy was your dame," he asked softly. He had seen the way she had stumbled over Steve's name, trying for formality and failing. She had clearly thought highly of Steve.

He wasn't certain that he could adhere to a charter, let alone what name to actually sign, since he still had trouble thinking of something as a set word or words. While everyone tended to call him by his name or his codename, it really only felt right when Steve called him by a name, the warmth of familiarity easing him most of the time.

"I thought Fury was still involved slightly," he said, though he supposed being a dead guy - join the club - made it so that the man had no associations anymore. "I'll earn my place on the team before I sign anything," he added grudgingly because he had to feel like he had earned his right to be there, not just have it handed to him because he associated with Steve. He wanted it on his own merit and without a shadow of a doubt inside himself that he had done what was necessary to earn the title.

He hummed softly at answer, having expected it. Steve was very protective of him. "I would hunt them down with you," he murmured softly.

Steve apologizes because he doesn't know how it feels, to have giant holes in your memories. Because there is nothing he could do to fix it. Words were a cold comfort for what Bucky must be feeling. "No she wasn't. We kiss exactly once right before I piloted those Hydra planes in to the ice but there wasn't any time for anything else to happen." Steve had looked sometimes and sometimes he thought she'd been looking back but there had been a war going on and they were both far too busy, regardless of what other people thought and gossiped behind their backs both before and after he fell. He sighed. There was always a bit of regret and might-have-been whenever he thought of Peggy. But all that paled when he could feel Bucky warm and alive close to him. "She had a good life after I was gone." Hydra might have started started it's stranglehold over SHIELD while Peggy was there but it didn't negate all the good Peggy had done.

"Fury's still technically dead. And doing spy work for Coulson's SHIELD, or something like it. He sometimes drops info off for us occasionally, usually through Natasha. He's not really involved at all." Steve said lazily. "Alright...if you feel that way." How one got membership in the Avengers wasn't really laid out in the charter. Sam being an Avenger was simply an unspoken agreement by all of them though Sam had agreed to sign the charter in the end, even if he acted mostly as an auxiliary member. The process would probably be similar with Bucky, just drawn out longer.

"I don't ever want you to face them alone." If he was ever accused of being overprotective, doesn't have have reasons to be?

"Given how your face lights up around me sleeping comfortably, I suspect a single kiss is actually a big deal," he replied with a hint of his old dryness in his voice. He knew very little about Peggy Carter, but he knew a lot about Steve Rogers even if he had little in the way of memories to back up his impressions. He suspected that there were moments of regret that such things had ended with one kiss? He didn't know; he couldn't even remember being in a relationship before, but it seemed 'right' to tease Steve about them all the same. "I suppose it's your time to have a good life now so she won't be sad that she missed her opportunity with you."

Yes well, he was technically dead too, and here he was laying half-under Steve and comfortable and no longer exactly working as a spy or an assassin. "Maybe people were technically dead and that fact is untrue." Distantly, he wondered what his signature looked like because he certainly didn't remember what it was now. It was little details like that which frustrated him because to sign a name one had to acknowledge a name in the first place.

"They might be people that you know," he said softly. "People who worked with you at SHIELD before it fell. Are you alright with that?"

"It's not like it was my first kiss, Bucky." Steve replied, rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "And before you ask, I have kissed other people after I was unfrozen. I'm ninety-six, not dead." It was little things like this, the attempt at teasing, that gave Steve hope that some day, that Bucky's previous more carefree personality isn't entirely gone. He made a light humming sound. "Is this where you threaten to kill me again if I don't live a happy life?" He still remembered Bucky's earlier threat for him to be happy or be dead quite vividly.

"I was technically dead too. Then they found out differently." Apparently the legal paperwork to reverse that had been stuff of legends. He remembered signing paperwork after paperwork for hours. If nothing else, Coulson and Fury had made sure that had gone through properly untouched by Hydra, or so he'd been reassured.

"The made the choice to work with Hydra, to be Nazis, they can deal with the consequences." Steve answered, voice hard. He hasn't changed his mind about bullies at all, and that was what Hydra were, the worse type of bullies.

"Who was your first kiss then?" He had read about how firsts in such matters were important, though he was very aware that Steve wasn't dead. He could feel the heat and pressure produced from the body laying over his own, which indicated that his friend was very much alive and no doubt prepared to kiss again someone who was deserving. "I don't need to make a threat again since you already remember it the first time I made it, but it still holds truth." He would stand by that threat too.

Well, it didn't seem prudent to find out about him, since it would be difficult to explain where he had been the last seventy years and too many questions about his activities. He suspected that for now he was going to have to stay dead and it was not something that bothered him much. Hi attachment to the current world was Steve and while probably unhealthy, he didn't mind.

He hummed softly in reply to Steve's hard tone. "I will think of a list of names that I remember or look at some faces to see if I recognize anyone worth hunting."

"One of the chorus girls I worked with when they had me selling war bonds on tour." Steve forehead furrowed as he tried to remember. He hasn't thought about that for a long time. "Her name was Sally and she had brown hair and blue eyes." He'd learned a lot about women during that tour, though it didn't make talking to women any less awkward for him, seventy years later and that still hasn't changed. "Maybe I should say something similar to you too. I don't want to be the only one happy. Be happy or....hmmmm" He trailed off as he thought about what kind of threat he could make and came up with blank.

Tony's cadre of lawyers were working on...something for Bucky, just in case. There wasn't any urgency in it since Steve knew it wasn't something that concerned Bucky very much. It was easy to disappear if you were dead. He only hoped that by now Bucky won't leave him behind if Bucky made that choice.

He'd been especially disappointed by the Strike team he'd been working with right before SHIELD's fall. He'd worked well with them, liked most of them, and every single one of them had turned out to be part of HYDRA, though he knew it made sense from a tactical sense in Hydra's viewpoint. "I'll ask Coulson to drop something off for you...I know they've been tracking some."

Ah, he didn't know who that was, but he remembered the song and dance routine about the war bonds and had watched it all the way through. He had enjoyed it, given that he had seen so very few movies to begin with. He could also see Steve getting kissed rather than initiating really. "Was she good at kissing?" He waited in silence for the threat for him to come down the line, but it appeared that Steve couldn't come up with one. He raised an eyebrow as he turned his head to regard his friend. "You aren't very good at threatening people."

If Steve wanted to hunt with him, then they would do just fine as a team on their own. It seemed rare that they took on missions of their own, just the two of them. "There were scientists and doctors," he murmured softly, eyes flicking to Steve. "And technicians for my arm. Most will have left the country by now."

If asked, he still remembered how to do the entire thing from start to finish, having done it so many times in the tour, even if it wasn't something he enjoyed. Being a costumed dancing monkey wasn't what he wanted to do with a strong and healthy body when there was a war going on. "In hindsight, I suppose. I didn't have much to compare it to back then. I guess you could say she was experienced. Why so interested in my kissing history?" He met Bucky's eyes with an amused look. "No, I leave that to you. People say I'm good at motivating them. So how about this. Be happy or I won't be."

Missions with just the two of them didn't happen very often. While their skills were complimentary, usually a mission required a broader skill set than just what the two of them offered on their own. He clenched one fist tightly before releasing it slowly, lips flattening into tight line. "We'll track them down. All of them."

"I don't remember my own kissing history, so it seems worthwhile to look into yours," he replied and glanced aside to the wall of their little fort. He couldn't remember all the young women he had flirted with, been gentlemanly to, kissing on hands, cheek or lips here and there. "Besides, you must appeal to many people who would want to kiss you. I just thought... you might have done more of that now," he murmured with a shrug of his shoulders. It was clear that Steve still kept to himself.

He frowned at the idea of Steve not being happy if he wasn't, and it was probably the worst threat to be leveled at him. He wanted Steve happy after all, and it seemed unfortunate that the man would choose such a stipulation. "...I want you happy," he murmured almost sulkily.

He nodded his head in agreement; he was very good at tracking and reading the signs. He had been updated on some hacking skills as well, though it might not be enough with how things were currently. "Yes, just you and I. We'll make them pay."

[closed to disassembling] - I Thought You Were Dead

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Away until Tuesday

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