Please don't go

Heartache

Bucky awoke to T'Challa and Steve smiling at him. "Bucky!" Was the first thing that his ears registered after being in Chyrofreeze, for 37 years, he was told.

"I think that I have found a solution to your problem, James. It is more probable than other choices, but it is still only probable. We will isolate you, as we don't want touch triggering you accidentally. Technically, Steve isn't supposed to be here, but he can be very persuasive."

Bucky chuckled. "You don't even know." Steve blushed and looked away, Bucky laughing again, though his chest constricted slightly.

Bucky stood up, and Steve immediately crushed him in a Captain-America strength hug. "I missed you, Buck." Steve whispered in his ear.

Bucky's chest constricted suddenly and he was gasping for air, and not because Steve was hugging him too tightly. It felt like someone was twisting his heart and wringing it out like a wet cloth. "How have you not changed in these 37 years?" Bucky managed.

"I...I went into Chyrofreeze for most of it. I've only been out around half a year, and I went in a year after you did. I didn't want to have to manage without you, Buck."

Whoever had their hand around Bucky's heart squeezes and twisted, pulling it out of Bucky's chest. Bucky collapses, unconscious.

The next thing Bucky knew, he was in a white bed in a just as white room. Looking around, he saw only T'Challa standing there. "Good evening." T'Challa said, and Bucky nodded a greeting. "It has been 5 weeks. We performed the procedure for removing the certain brain cells, and at the same time we replaced your arm, now with vibranium. We will keep you here for a week, then you can figure out where to go from there. Steve has been calling you frantically, might want to face time him. Your phone is on the bedside table. Call or text me if you need anything, my number is in your phone." T'Challa nodded and left.

Bucky looked over at his phone as it lit up. A picture of Steve's shield showed up with a request to FaceTime. He reached over and hesitated a second before propping it up against the headboard and shifting, hitting the answer button. Steve's face lit up the screen, concern etched into his face. "Hey, Stevie." Bucky said softly. Steve's face immediately lit up, a grin appearing.

"Hey, Buck. How are you feeling?" Steve asked, worry crossing his face again.

"Not sure. Just woke up with a new arm and brain cells probably removed from my brain, and then you called me."

"I can call you back if you want..."

"No, it's ok!"

"Let me know if you want me to hang up or anything, ok?" Bucky nodded, and smiled a little.

"So, how are you doing, Steve? Given that you've only been out for 2 months and..." Bucky trailed off, a surprised look crossing both of their faces. "...and 23 days..."

"How did you know that?" Steve asked, face becoming a whole other level of surprise.

"I...I could have just said random numbers...you said you've been out half a year..."

"No...I just calculated and I've been out exactly 2 months and 23 days..." Both stayed silent, staring at each other. "I had told T'Challa to unfrost me when he unfrosted you, but he unfroze me about a month and a half before so that I could re-integrate myself into culture. I...I visited you before I went into Chyrofreeze, but I didn't know you would remember that..."

"I didn't either. I guess I still 'hear' what people say even when I'm frozen."

A silence stretched between them for a while before Steve broke it. "Has T'Challa told you how long it is before he'll release you?"