OOM: post-Slenderman

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

It's obvious, from the moment they step out of the cave, that the oppressive evil that had held the bar captive is gone. The night is clear, with only a few wisps of clouds to drift over the waning moon; there are nocturnal but benign creatures stirring in the woods; but more than that, it just feels different, lighter and sweeter in every sense. Magical. A good magic, white magic.

Steve keeps an arm around Bucky as they walk, though he suspects Bucky will be better soon. All he has to do is breathe.

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[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Too long, Steve thinks. "A couple days."

[nerves_of_ice]

A slight shudder runs through him.

"Great."

They reach the top of the stairs, and turn to head down the hall toward Bucky's room.

"Any idea how I ended up in a chocolate bar?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"None," Steve admits. "Some other people went missing but I don't think the same thing happened to any of them."

[nerves_of_ice]

"At least there's that."

He digs into his pocket as they approach the door, then lets out a tired curse under his breath and gives Steve a wry look.

"Please tell me you have your key."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve nods and unlocks the door to let them in.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky tenses as he steps through the door, then relaxes almost immediately as his glance goes to the bedpost.

"It's still here."

His quick smile is relieved.

"Means I don't have to figure out how to explain to the boys back in development that I lost one of their toys."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"That would have made things complicated," Steve agrees.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Tell me about it."

He glances around the room, then looks back to Steve.

"Mind if I take you up on that offer to keep an eye out while I get cleaned up?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Of course I don't mind." Steve takes off his shield and pulls out the desk chair.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Thanks."

He goes to the dresser and pulls out a change of clothes, then extracts a folder from inside the shirt and offers it to Steve.

"You can study that if you get bored."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Thanks," says Steve, surprised, and takes the folder. "More intel from Doyle?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Yeah. On the site in Poland."

He heads toward the bathroom.

"See what you think while I'm getting the chocolate dust off me."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Right," Steve says, opening the folder, but he watches Bucky for a moment or two first.

[nerves_of_ice]

He pauses in the doorway, and turns back to give Steve a small, reassuring smile.

"I'm okay. I just want to get ... clean. You know?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"I get it," Steve says. "I do."

[nerves_of_ice]

"If anyone would, it'd be you."

He says it lightly, still smiling, but the look in his eyes is serious.

"Thanks for pulling me out of hell. Again."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve swallows and says quietly, "You're welcome. What are best friends for?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky grins, quick and bright, and disappears into the bathroom.

The sound of the shower can be heard less than a minute later.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve watches the door a moment, then opens the file to read Doyle's intelligence and Bucky's notes about their conversation.

[nerves_of_ice]

It's a good quarter of an hour before the water shuts off, and another minute or so before Bucky strolls back out, shirtless save for his tags and the damp towel slung around his neck to catch the water still dripping from his hair. His t-shirt's draped over the crook of his elbow, along with a clean towel.

He's also barefoot, holding a washcloth together with his socks in one hand, and his boots in the other.

"There's chocolate in the seams," he grumbles, as he crosses to the bed and sits down. Bucky dumps his socks and shirt in a heap to one side, then spreads out the clean towel, sets his boots on it, and begins scrubbing away at one of them with the washcloth. "Worse than mud."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Leave the clothes for laundry back at the base," Steve advises.

"I guess you're no closer to knowing where Doyle's getting his information from?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Good idea."

He picks up the boot, eyeing it critically, then renews his efforts on one particular seam.

"Not yet, no. I did tell him you wanted to meet him. He's not up for it."

Bucky looks at Steve.

"Hinted that he's worried about attracting the wrong kind of attention if the two of you are noticed together."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"The wrong kind of attention," Steve says, puzzled, then huffs. "Milliways.

"I must know him in the future or something."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Could be, given what he was reading the first time I ran into him."

He shrugs.

"I'm okay with being the go-between if you're good with it. The stuff he gave us last time was useful, and if this's anywhere close..."

Bucky's smile appears, small but real.

"Besides. When it comes to sneaking around, I am better at it than you."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"I'm okay with it."

He smiles back at Bucky. "You are. I still haven't quite learned how not to jangle."