The White Wolf's New Life

The White Wolf and the Fourth of July

July 4th, 1935

Steve wanted his 18th birthday to be special but with the loss of his mother, he didn't have a reason for it to be special. He didn't have a reason to celebrate.

"Stevie. Open the door." That was the very well known voice of James Barnes.

"Go away, Buck." Steve said, as he laid face down on his couch. He hasn't had many people over since his mother died but Bucky always kept coming back. That's why it didn't surprise him when he heard his apartment door open.

"Wow, couldn't even make it to the bed."

"What are you talking about?"

"Yesterday, I told you to shower and sleep in your bed but you're here, again. Besides you not making it to the bed, how are you doing?"

"Okay."

"Liar. Do you even know what today is?"

"I don't care."

"Well, I care and I say we don't spend this day stuck in an apartment." James got his hand and pulled him off of the couch.

"James."

"Steven."

"Can you just go?"

"Nope, you're stuck with me today."

"Why do you care so much?"

"What type of question is that? You're my best friend."

Steve sighed deeply. "Do you think our friendship will last?"

"Again, what type of question is that?"

"Some people get tired of each other."

"Well I won't. I don't think we'll ever get tired of each other. Maybe mad, maybe irritated but we'll always be there for each other. Even in other lifetimes, I'm sure we'll find each other."

"You sure?"

"Never doubt that. But enough sad talk, we got a birthday to celebrate, come on." James got his arm and led him out of the apartment. Steve kept that belief. As long as him and Bucky have been friends, they could make it a few more years.

But little did they know how strong that friendship was going to carry on.

Present time

A few days after the trial had been a severe decompression time. Steve was still processing that his family was free and everything seemed to settling back down again. All this just made him tired more so than usual.

As for Bucky, he's been touchy. Dr. Simon did a video call to check on them, Bucky panicked and stayed in his room for a while. Steve told him that Bucky's routine had been severely disrupted and he's been out of sorts since they got home. James wasn't doing better but he wasn't worse. He talked to Steve about being free and what he wanted to do now but at times he had a depressive episode where he shut Steve out for the day and if Steve bothered him, it turned into an argument. Winter hasn't shown much change. But he's asked Steve constantly if he was going back to Hydra and Steve had to keep reassuring him that he was free from Hydra and the government.

Dr. Simon explained that the behaviors the system was showing could last a few more months unless they started breaking down the fear barrier that had been built. They knew that they were free but they didn't feel it or process it yet. And that could take a while.

Steve would work on that on the coming months but he wanted to be sure he was of sound mind before he took on Bucky's. And that revolved around sleeping, if he could get any.