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[endsinafight]

Sweat drips down the back of his neck as he makes his way out of his hut and into the heat of the Wakandan sun. It's later than he usually gets started on things these days, but today he just hadn't had the energy to make himself get out of bed early. He's still tired, even if he shouldn't be. His body doesn't require the kind of sleep that normal humans need, but the last couple of weeks...well. Since he'd woken up from cryofreeze, sleep's been practically non-existent. Between flat out insomnia and nightmares, he doesn't rest much.

But this isn't even that. He knows how he feels after a restless night, and this isn't it. No, his lack of desire to get out of bed or leave his hut or do anything these days has a lot more to do with a six foot blond who's been back in Wakanda since a few days after he'd woken up. He knows Steve's there, because he's picked up the language easily -- which apparently still a thing he can do thanks to HYDRA -- and he hears whispers about "The Nomad" almost every day. He knows exactly who they mean.

He just rarely sees Steve himself. It's not like he's come around. He's not staying with Bucky. He's either in a hotel or at the palace, and that's fine. Really. He gets it. He doesn't blame Steve.

Bucky's still trying to get used to functioning with one arm. Balance has been surprisingly difficult. He's fallen more than once, used to having to lean to the right to balance the excess weight of the arm that had been strapped to him for the last seventy some years. Shuri's offered to make him a new one and he's turned her down. He doesn't need it. Doesn't want it. He's done fighting, thank you very much.

He doesn't bother with shoes as he pads out into the grassy area near the goats, who are definitely acting a lot more jumpy these days. He'd assume it was him, but his presence actually seems to relax them, so he thinks maybe there's a predator on the prowl at night freaking them out. He walks to pick up his garden hoe, because that's another thing that he's doing -- likes it. Finds it soothing. Growing something and helping it thrive instead of ruining it like he has everything else for the majority of his life.

When he rounds the house, he jumps, startled at Steve's sudden appearance. "Jesus Christ,," he mutters, heart pounding hard.

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[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve savored the weight of Bucky underneath his arms, the warmth of his body. He took a shaky breath.

“I’m always out of my head, but coming home to see my—you like that? I lost it.”

[endsinafight]

Bucky got it. He was pretty sure if their situations had been reversed, anything left of the Soldier would have surfaced immediately. He exhaled slowly, keeping his arm wrapped around Steve's waist and rubbing his back.

"If you hadn't come back when you did..." His chest tightened.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve could feel the way Bucky tightened up, the sour tinge to his sweat. He shifted, sitting down on the dirt and bodily hauling Bucky onto his lap, wrapping his arms back around him and shoving his face into Bucky’s neck.

“I’ll always come,” Steve said. There was a growl underneath the words. “Always.”

[endsinafight]

He shivered a little at the feel of Steve's face pressing into his neck and his hand slid up and into Steve's hair, scritching lightly at his scalp. "I know." He knew as long as Steve was physically able, he'd always come when Bucky needed him.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

He opened his mouth on Bucky’s skin, sucking a mark. It was almost non-sexual, attempting to comfort.

“Did you mind coming with me the second night? We could keep doing that. I probably not get more aggressive with you than I was this time.”

[endsinafight]

"I don't mind," Bucky responded, exhaling at the feel of his mouth on his neck. "I'd rather stay with you anyway." Just in case.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve’s chest tumbled and he gently dug in his feeth to Bucky’s neck before letting go, pulling away.

“Should we get your arm on?”

[endsinafight]

"Yeah." He pulled back, too, reluctantly, pushing himself to his feet and holding his hand out to help Steve up.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve used Bucky’s hand—well, at least he reached up and took it, even if he mostly got himself up by his own power. He wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to hold Bucky’s hand and he kept it in his as they walked into the room.

"She said this was easy, right? I… wasn’t paying close attention."

[endsinafight]

"That's what she said," he agreed, following him into the hut and closing the door behind them. He moves toward the case where the new arm was. He hadn't even had a chance to look at it the previous night and a thrum of uncertainty threads through him as he kneels down to open the case, pausing at the sight. It was sleeker than the other arm had been -- sleek, black, and with threads of gold woven into its design. It was actually kind of beautiful.

"Oh." His voice was hushed.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve leaned over Bucky’s shoulder. His immediate thought was a sad sort of awe—it was a lovely arm, beautiful in a way the last one had been cold and cruel. But it was hard for him to get the reminder of how tangible the loss of the last seventy years had been to Bucky.

But he took his cue from the impressed tone to Bucky’s voice.

"Buck," he said, nuzzling the back of his head. "It’s stunning."

[endsinafight]

"Yeah," he murmured, nodding his agreement as he hesitantly ran his fingertips over the arm. He paused, glancing over his shoulder at Steve. "I think it's vibranium."

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

"Good," Steve said, with a deep well of emotion behind that simple world. This one wouldn’t be blasted off. It couldn’t.

He nudged his nose against Bucky’s cheek in a canine gesture of affection. "We’ll match, more or less. Maybe I’ll ask Shuri to repaint my shield black and gold."

[endsinafight]

Bucky rubbed his cheek against Steve's nose in return and paused at that. "Yeah?" There was a hint of curiosity there. He tried to picture it, Steve's shield matching his new arm, an outward signal to the world that they were a matched set. A pair.

Mates.

He drew in a slow breath. "That'd be pretty incredible. But I bet you could paint it yourself." Considering Steve's artistic abilities.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

"I could," he said. He sensed Bucky’s enthusiasm for the idea, as quiet as it was. And as he thought about it, the idea warmed his chest as well.

"No more Captain America," he said, with deep satisfaction. "I could match Wakandan colors and I could match you, sweetheart. I’m definitely going to do that."

[endsinafight]

Bucky relaxed at the way Steve sounded truly okay with that -- letting go of Captain America. "Okay," he agreed with a small, pleased smile. He turned his attention back to the arm, then reached up with his right hand to unwind the cloth around his covered shoulder. Shuri had mentioned this would hurt initially -- as the arm connected to his central nervous system.

But he doubted it would be worse than anything he'd already dealt with throughout the years.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve sat back a little to give Bucky some space, but he was still close to him, ready to help if he needed it.

"How would this be easiest for you, do you think?" he said. "Would you like me to put it in while you squeeze the shit out of my hand? I can take it."

He grinned, trying to put a little levity into the situation.

[endsinafight]

"It'll probably be easier if you do it," Bucky admitted, knowing he would struggle with the angle and being one-handed to boot. He glanced up at him through his eyelashes. "If you don't mind." He rested his hand on Steve's leg momentarily before letting it drop.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve’s blood ran a little hot at that look on Bucky’s face, the press of his hand against Steve’s thigh. He swallowed down the burst of arousal he felt, the temptation he had to kiss Bucky, push him down, remind them both of Steve’s claim—this was clearly not the moment. When the flush of it passed, he even had a burst of shame that he could think of that right now.

“Gladly,” he said, his voice a smidgeon rough. “I’ll help you any way I can. How do you want me?”

[endsinafight]

It was hard to miss the flush in Steve's face or the way his voice had dipped a little lower than normal. He watched him for a moment, then reached out to pick the arm up carefully from the case, holding it out to him.

"I want you in a lot of ways, Stevie. But let's get my arm on first." His voice held a hint of teasing.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve flushed brighter red, his Irish complexion betraying him. He felt like an asshole.

“Sorry, of course. Sorry. The moon makes me crazy. Sorry.”

He took the arm carefully from Bucky and schooled his features, examining how it was supposed to attach. It honestly really did seem made to easily plug in.

[endsinafight]

"Steve." His expression was soft as he looked at him. He didn't want him to be embarrassed. Not really. "I was just teasing you. Relax, Pal." He pressed a kiss to his cheek before moving to sit down on the bed. "Might be easier if I'm lying down?"

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve’s cheeks were still pink.

"I just—" he sighed and cut himself off. "It’s not anything to fuss about. Yeah, okay. Lie down. Do you want something to squeeze? Do you have any painkillers that work on you?"

[endsinafight]

"No," Bucky told him, shifting so that he could lie down, and trying to arrange himself so that Steve could have the easiest access to do this. "Just do it." He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve hated this. He felt something twist in his gut, the way Bucky was laying down and accepting pain. Steve was going to do this. Bucky wanted him to do it. But it was awful, the feeling that he was going to be another person who hurt Bucky for the greater good.

In order to make his stomach settle, he leaned in and pressed a gentle, chaste kiss to Bucky’s cheek, but he pulled away quickly and got ready.

"One, two—" and like his mama always did with shots, he didn’t wait for three. He just put it in and felt the click of it connecting.