What the Water Gave Me

Chapter Twenty-One

Bucky returned with food stolen from off ships and packaged in plastic and threw the dead fish carcasses away.

“You were right,” he wrote. Steve noticed he was avoiding his eyes. “Cooking something underwater, that’s dumb.”

“I appreciated it,” Steve said quietly. “The thought at least.” Bucky shrugged and disappeared again.

They continued on this way for a few days and spoke relatively little until one day, Bucky approached Steve with an oxygen tank and mask.

“What is this,” Steve said, picking it up and turning it over. “Is this… Scuba diving stuff?”

“Swim with me,” Bucky said, holding his board out. “Let me show you things.”

“Where did you get this?” Steve asked and Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Relax,” he said. “I put her on land before I took it. She’s fine.”

“You ripped this off a person?” Steve said.

“Come on,” Bucky wrote. “Come with me, come on.” He was grinning. “It’ll be fun, you’ll like it.”

“I dunno,” Steve said. “The ocean’s sort of a scary place.”

“I’ll protect you,” Bucky promised.

“I’m serious,” Steve said. “Honestly, it’s a miracle nothing’s gotten in here and tried to eat me yet.”

“Because I’ve stopped them!” Bucky said.

“They’ve already tried?” Steve cried. “See, look, that’s just too much for me. There’s all sorts of stuff out there and I’m struggling to stay alive as it is.”

“I’m a good fighter, Steve,” Bucky reassured him. “I’m strong. I can save you and I’ll keep you away from the dangerous stuff.”

“What if we get lost?” Steve asked and Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Who do you think I am?” He asked. “Have a little faith.”

Steve then remembered Bucky’s hurt face over the words, “you really don’t trust me at all” and he felt a pang of guilt. He ought to trust him. He ought to try.

Steve put the mask on over his face and tied the tank to his back and let Bucky grab him and pull him in.

Bucky wrapped his arms around Steve and Steve could feel him pumping his tail as he propelled them out of the tight cave entrance and Steve squeezed his eyes shut and put his head against Bucky’s chest and let him. Once they were out, Bucky let go of Steve gently and Steve opened his eyes. It was dark underwater, and cold, and Steve took a heavy breath, unable to pretend to himself that he wasn’t even a little afraid. But Bucky seemed confidant and Steve followed him when he gestured him. Bucky even made sure to go slow enough so Steve could keep up and sometimes grabbed his hand and yanked him along.

Bucky took them deeper and deeper, until Steve could hardly see anymore, and then he stopped. Steve grabbed his arm and tried to look out at what Bucky was pointing at. He squinted through the blackness and then it came together.

Ships. Thousands of sunken, broken ships littered the ground and he sucked in air and looked at Bucky, who was grinning. With Steve’s hands still on his arm, Bucky took them down lower and lower until they could rest on one of the rotting decks. Steve let his feet drop down to the floor and felt his ears pop and Bucky let him go and swam around him. He wished he could tell what Bucky was thinking.

They went in and out of a few of the ships and sometimes, when they found something interesting, Bucky would hold it under his arm or sling it around Steve’s neck and smile at him and they would keep going.