Bucky arches an eyebrow at him while he slips into one of the seats, the one opposite the seat that Steve takes most times. He knows when Steve is hiding something from him, and it's pretty clear that he is. "I know you don't like not doing something, but we gotta regroup, pal. I can't go back out there yet, and if you do, you're gonna be arrested." They both know it. Tony is just as vindictive as his father was, too.
Bucky slides the curry over to Steve and sets the flat bread down between them. It's still warm from the palace kitchens and Bucky soaks in some of that heat as he picks one up. "It's like when we were overseas-" not that they aren't overseas right now- "In that old bombed out church. We know those Hydra bastards were nearby but we needed a plan. Stevie, pal, we need a plan before we can leave here."
While they're in hiding, they can still keep sharp. Bucky has skills wired into his brain so deeply that he doesn't think he will ever lose them, and Steve's serum keeps him active. Neither of them are good at sitting still, so their days usually involve a large empty field and a lot of sparring.
Sometimes, Steve is pretty sure Bucky does this on purpose. Pick up that something's wrong, make a guess that's reasonable enough and verbalize it just so Steve's basic honesty will demand he confirm or correct.
The real frustrating part is, it pretty much works.
Not that Bucky's wrong, or Steve doesn't like sparring. It's just not what's going on right now.
"I don't have a problem being here right now; right now this is the only place to be." For help for Bucky, and for some down time that even Steve and his people need, but also: "I meant physically off." Which no, isn't much of a thing, unless he's just been shot or is running on an enormous sleep or calorie deficit.
He sits down, picks up his fork and eats. Whether he feels like it or not. "Probably the suppressants." Thank God for the scent neutralizer. Shoving himself at Bucky is not a thing he wants to do.
Despite their seventy years apart, Bucky can still read Steve better than anyone else on the planet. He's glad to hear that Steve's okay with being here in Wakanda, because there really is nowhere else for them right now. King T'Challa has given them refuge away from the rest of the world, and no one can follow them here. Wakanda has been hidden for centuries, a secret from the rest of the world.
Steve's admission makes him pause though, bread and curry halfway to his mouth.
Hydra had taken his mating gland, cut it out as yet another way to control him. He still goes through what an alpha should, naturally, but bonding is out of the question. There's a chance that he could regrow it with whatever knock off serum the Soviets had given him, but it's unlikely. He's still missing an arm, after all.
Still, he can't smell Steve, and he's not sure he likes that.
"Why don't you just go off 'em? Can't be healthy, takin' that shit. Ain't like i haven't helped you out before, in a heat."
Steve's pretty sure the reality of the situation is the suppressants giving out, given the way that headache is escalating and what he can feel the rest of his body trying to do. Especially given that he's eating but he's absolutely not interested. And he likes both food and this.
He isn't sure he's going to explain that to Bucky. He isn't sure he isn't going to.
He is damn grateful any scent involved on his end is blocked.
"Because it's not safe for anyone else, and it's especially not fair to you." Not after seventy years, everything done to Bucky and, hell, their actual history and Steve's refusals before the serum.
Even seventy years of brainwashing couldn't make him forget how stubborn Steve can be. Sighing, Bucky sets his food down and looks directly at Steve. There's been so much between them over the years, the experiments, the shared heat and rut experiences, and Bucky making his desire to claim Steve very clear. It's not something Steve's ever wanted and Bucky respects that. He can't bond any more, anyway, and Steve deserves someone that can give him everything.
"You say it's not safe, but I know that you know alphas that can take care of you," he points out. There's Thor, and T'Challa, and even Bruce. Bucky isn't the only one that can match Steve in strength. "And I don't understand how it's not fair to me. If you want me, my answer will always be yes. You ain't forcing me into anything."
"I had a whole list of reasons for why you were a bad idea, until about five minutes after you walked in here."
He grimaces and pushes his plate away from himself. "Just feels ... mean after I spent that long pushing you away to ask you now."
Those suppressants have given way and he knows it. Can feel it. Hence the grimace. At least the scent blocker thing is still working. That one's not likely to break since it has nothing to do with his biology.
Bucky lets a small smirk cross his face and says, "well you were a stubborn ass then, and that ain't changes a whole lot. But I'm stubborn too, and I know that I'm your best bet." Besides, times change. But the one thing that doesn't is Bucky wanting to help Steve out, no matter what the problem is.
"Look, I wouldn't be just doing you a favour. It's been a long time for me, and you don't really forget what it feels like to get a knot into an omega. And you don't have to worry about bonding, since I can't do that anymore anyway."
To Bucky, it all makes sense, but it really is up to Steve. Maybe he'd prefer a different alpha or something.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2024-11-07 09:01 pm (UTC)Bucky slides the curry over to Steve and sets the flat bread down between them. It's still warm from the palace kitchens and Bucky soaks in some of that heat as he picks one up. "It's like when we were overseas-" not that they aren't overseas right now- "In that old bombed out church. We know those Hydra bastards were nearby but we needed a plan. Stevie, pal, we need a plan before we can leave here."
While they're in hiding, they can still keep sharp. Bucky has skills wired into his brain so deeply that he doesn't think he will ever lose them, and Steve's serum keeps him active. Neither of them are good at sitting still, so their days usually involve a large empty field and a lot of sparring.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-07 09:40 pm (UTC)The real frustrating part is, it pretty much works.
Not that Bucky's wrong, or Steve doesn't like sparring. It's just not what's going on right now.
"I don't have a problem being here right now; right now this is the only place to be." For help for Bucky, and for some down time that even Steve and his people need, but also: "I meant physically off." Which no, isn't much of a thing, unless he's just been shot or is running on an enormous sleep or calorie deficit.
He sits down, picks up his fork and eats. Whether he feels like it or not. "Probably the suppressants." Thank God for the scent neutralizer. Shoving himself at Bucky is not a thing he wants to do.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-07 10:15 pm (UTC)Steve's admission makes him pause though, bread and curry halfway to his mouth.
Hydra had taken his mating gland, cut it out as yet another way to control him. He still goes through what an alpha should, naturally, but bonding is out of the question. There's a chance that he could regrow it with whatever knock off serum the Soviets had given him, but it's unlikely. He's still missing an arm, after all.
Still, he can't smell Steve, and he's not sure he likes that.
"Why don't you just go off 'em? Can't be healthy, takin' that shit. Ain't like i haven't helped you out before, in a heat."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-11 06:45 pm (UTC)He isn't sure he's going to explain that to Bucky.
He isn't sure he isn't going to.
He is damn grateful any scent involved on his end is blocked.
"Because it's not safe for anyone else, and it's especially not fair to you." Not after seventy years, everything done to Bucky and, hell, their actual history and Steve's refusals before the serum.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-13 02:38 am (UTC)"You say it's not safe, but I know that you know alphas that can take care of you," he points out. There's Thor, and T'Challa, and even Bruce. Bucky isn't the only one that can match Steve in strength. "And I don't understand how it's not fair to me. If you want me, my answer will always be yes. You ain't forcing me into anything."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-21 12:08 am (UTC)He grimaces and pushes his plate away from himself. "Just feels ... mean after I spent that long pushing you away to ask you now."
Those suppressants have given way and he knows it. Can feel it. Hence the grimace. At least the scent blocker thing is still working. That one's not likely to break since it has nothing to do with his biology.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-28 07:39 pm (UTC)"Look, I wouldn't be just doing you a favour. It's been a long time for me, and you don't really forget what it feels like to get a knot into an omega. And you don't have to worry about bonding, since I can't do that anymore anyway."
To Bucky, it all makes sense, but it really is up to Steve. Maybe he'd prefer a different alpha or something.