Haven [Marvel | Bucky Barnes]

Chapter 24

As he walked past, Steve couldn't help but look at the cryostasis unit, unable to help the concern he felt knowing that Bucky was willingly allowing himself to be frozen again. He couldn't help it. After everything the man had gone through, putting him into cryosleep again felt...not wrong, but undeserved. He shouldn't have to. It clashed with Steve's inner sense of justice. But then, a lot of things had been at odds with his personal moral compass these last few weeks.

Ahead of him Bucky sat on the cot directly across from the unit, an IV hooked into his remaining arm, the stump of his metal one sleeved in a soft-looking black covering. He looked more himself than Steve had seen him since their days with the Howling Commandos; his hair clean, brushed and trimmed—though still far longer than he'd have ever worn it during the War—his white cotton shirt and pants crisp and neat. His gaze was distant even as he stared at the prepped stasis pod, the unit serving as a physical manifestation of his choice. And it was his choice. Had it not been, there was no way Steve would be going along with it.

Bucky looked up as Steve approached, and the relief that look drew out did a great deal to beat back Steve's concern; his steel-blue eyes were clear and content and all Bucky. A reserved grin appeared on Steve's face to greet the one on his oldest friend's. It gave Steve a grim sort of reassurance to see Bucky so at peace with the prospect of being put under again. Oh, he could see the apprehension, but that was only natural considering the circumstances that had seen him frozen each and every occasion previous. Perhaps it was because this time he was doing it of his own free will; he'd chosen this, and Steve imagined Bucky'd had very little in the way of choice over the last seventy years.

"Sure about this?" Bucky exhaled heavily at Steve's question, his expression sobering as his gaze slid back to the cryostasis unit.

"I can't trust my own mind," he replied. He glanced back to Steve, a self-depreciating smile easing across his face for a moment before fading again. "So until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head I think going back under is the best thing," he smiled again, though there was a shadow in his eyes that left Steve feeling sad, "for everybody." There was no mistaking who all 'everybody' meant. Steve sighed, ignoring the silent hope that lingered, despite its unlikelihood, that Sam would complete his 'errand' and make it to Wakanda in time. But he forced a reassuring smile, laying a hand on Bucky's shoulder, pointedly not looking to the small sunflower pendant that his friend now had fastened around his neck. He knew from the way Bucky's lip tugged that the former HYDRA agent saw right through the attempt, but he smiled back anyway, reaching out to lay a grateful hand of his own on Steve's shoulder.

A doctor walked past, pausing to slip past Steve to check on Bucky's IV. Drawing away, Steve hazarded another glance to the stasis unit, still trying to reconcile himself with Bucky's choice as the doctor spoke softly with the former HYDRA agent. But then, as he turned back to Bucky, movement out in the hallway beyond the glass wall that bordered one side of the room caught his attention. Steve allowed himself a small sigh of relief, unable to help the pleased smile when he saw what, or rather, who it was.

They'd made it.

Just beyond the glass wall T'Challa was shaking hands in greeting with Sam, the two men exchanging reserved grins as they spoke, their words lost behind the glass. But it wasn't them Steve had been most eager to see. Rather, he was relieved to see the woman standing beside Sam, her hazel eyes wide as she looked to the King she was meeting, her cloud of short, dark curls framing her drawn, nervous face even as her hands clung white-knuckled to the shoulder strap of her bag.

But as Steve turned back to Bucky, he frowned.

Bucky's own face had blanched, his blue eyes wide and unreadable beyond the most obvious descriptor of shock, and his whole body had tensed as soon as he saw her. His own brow furrowing deeper, Steve stepped closer, watching his friend warily. He was completely taken aback by how scared Bucky suddenly seemed.