Breakthrough

Eight

Bucky was finding it hard to settle as he and Steve waited for you in the living room. Steve had taken a seat on the couch, but he remained standing, prowling around the room. Steve had had to put a restraining hand on his arm when they had seen you turn to the beta you were with and kiss him on the cheek.

There was a scent of an alpha all over the room, along with the scent of a beta and the subtle notes of a young pup. Bucky knew as soon as he had caught your scent that you were still unclaimed. But apparently you had ended up with a pack anyway. He didn't know why the alpha hadn't claimed you, but still.

"Buck, you need to relax and sit down."

He growled but did what Steve said, sitting down next to him just as you walked into the room. Unable to help himself, he inhaled deeply taking in that pumpkin pie scent of you. He felt himself stir in response to it. Steve cleared his throat lightly, likely having picked up on the subtle change in his scent.

Blinking, Bucky focused on the task at hand. You perched yourself on the edge of the chair facing the couch, picking up your cup and fidgeting with it. When no one said anything, Steve sent him a look and said, "You said you know who we are?"

Your eyes looked him over as you nodded. "Yes, you're Steve Rogers. Captain America. And you're..."

Trailing off, you looked at Bucky, your eyes looking like depthless pools. Bucky cleared his throat. "Bucky. I'm Bucky."

Your eyebrows lifted. "I thought it didn't matter what your name was."

Bucky winced, remembering that he had in fact said that to her when they were together. But what else was he supposed to say, at the time he hadn't remembered his name. Before he could respond, you had continued, "How did you find me?"

Steve glanced at him, the look speaking volumes. This wasn't something Steve could help him with, he would have to take the lead. "Before I left you—back then. I found your id and got your name from there."

You hummed in the back of your throat. "So, what? You decided you'd wait nearly six years before tracking me down?"

Steve opened his mouth, likely to come to his defense, but Bucky held up his hand. His eyes remained trained on you. "It's complicated."

Eyebrows rose even higher as your head tilted. "Is it?"

"If you know—who I am, then I suppose you know what I was?" Bucky asked, haltingly.

The tiniest of sighs seemed to escape you. Leaning forward, you set the cup down and folded your hands in your lap. "Yes. I do."

Bucky shifted uncomfortably. "Well, then maybe you can understand that I really—couldn't come back."

You said nothing, your eyes continuing to watch him steadily. He scrubbed a hand over his hair. "When I left I was still under HYDRA's control. And when I returned to them, having gone of the rails as I did, they were—displeased. I—they put me back under and didn't bring me out again until they sent me on the next mission."

Bucky spoke haltingly, struggling with the words but knowing you needed an explanation. You deserved that much. But it was so hard going over this. You listened patiently as he gave a brief rundown of that fateful mission and how he had, somehow, completely broken free of HYDRA's control as the helicarries were going down, pulling Steve out of the river and going on the run. How he was set up, and Steve tracked him down. And then how he had made the decision to go back under until they could remove his triggers.

You remained silent the whole time, not interrupting a single time. It seemed to make it easier somehow. When he got to the part where he said that Shuri had brought him back out and they tested him, and he was finally free she held up a hand.