Steve hesitates, smile frozen in place, dimming. They'd been having a pretty good, somewhat light-hearted conversation on the virtues of coffee, too (aside from that little thing where he mentioned Stark; Steve had made a note to mention that less). He's never been a liar, not to his enemies, and definitely not to the people he loves.
He sets the cup aside in a bid to buy a little time, to sort out the best thing to say to him because he knows Bucky's looking for something to hold on to; common ground, maybe. A place to start from. He knows it's overwhelming; Steve just had more time to get it together than Bucky did. ]
I don't know. [ Steve tries to smile again, but it's not as genuine as it was before. He doesn't remember how to be happy, not anymore. His capacity for it died with Bucky seventy years ago; the Smithsonian carrying the last happy smile he'd ever had. He had been with Bucky then, and that was all that mattered. He knows that the last thing Bucky should worry about is him. ] I'm still trying to figure that one out. But things are better now.
[ Because Bucky's here -- this important, crucial piece of Steve, the one person he still had when he'd had nothing else. Because he's found his way back to Steve, and Steve would give his life up for him a hundred, thousand times if he had to. Bucky's still recovering, but surely in time, he would come home again -- Steve just has to wait. ]
What about you? [ Since it's the question of the hour. ] Are you happy?
come hug him, bucky :c
Steve hesitates, smile frozen in place, dimming. They'd been having a pretty good, somewhat light-hearted conversation on the virtues of coffee, too (aside from that little thing where he mentioned Stark; Steve had made a note to mention that less). He's never been a liar, not to his enemies, and definitely not to the people he loves.
He sets the cup aside in a bid to buy a little time, to sort out the best thing to say to him because he knows Bucky's looking for something to hold on to; common ground, maybe. A place to start from. He knows it's overwhelming; Steve just had more time to get it together than Bucky did. ]
I don't know. [ Steve tries to smile again, but it's not as genuine as it was before. He doesn't remember how to be happy, not anymore. His capacity for it died with Bucky seventy years ago; the Smithsonian carrying the last happy smile he'd ever had. He had been with Bucky then, and that was all that mattered. He knows that the last thing Bucky should worry about is him. ] I'm still trying to figure that one out. But things are better now.
[ Because Bucky's here -- this important, crucial piece of Steve, the one person he still had when he'd had nothing else. Because he's found his way back to Steve, and Steve would give his life up for him a hundred, thousand times if he had to. Bucky's still recovering, but surely in time, he would come home again -- Steve just has to wait. ]
What about you? [ Since it's the question of the hour. ] Are you happy?