Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 179

He doesn't believe it.

He can't.

He refuses to even entertain the idea.

Bucky wouldn't do this. He wouldn't blow up the UN. He's out of HYDRA's hands now – and, more importantly, he remembers. He helped them defeat Ultron. He saved Natasha; he fought by Steve's side; he helped evacuate the city with him.

Bucky remembers who he is.

He wouldn't do this.

And that's what Steve sets out to prove.

It takes some time – and a bit of help from Sharon Carter and her classified documents that she really shouldn't be sharing with him – but he manages to find Bucky''s apartment. He wouldn't have pegged him for a Bucharest resident after so many years in New York, but then, much of what Bucky's been up to lately has been a surprise to him.

There's no answer when he knocks on the door, but that's alright; he certainly doesn't need an invitation. He breaks in as quietly as he can, shutting the door behind him. If Bucky comes back, he wants his presence to be a surprise. The moment his friend realizes he's here, he's bound to flee, and that won't work out for either of them.

He's careful as he walks, eyes scanning the room for any sign that his friend lives here – or, though he hates to admit the possibility, any sign of a trap. It certainly isn't the most homely of homes – it's small, dark, dirty. There's not much here, but then, how much does a person on the run truly need to have?

Something brushes against his feet, and he lifts his shield instinctively, ready to bring it down on whatever it is.

It's just a cat.

Needless to say, his shield does not get any use.

Steve huffs quietly and crouches down, holding out a hand to the creature. "Hi, buddy," he coos. "Are you a friend of Bucky's?"

The cat looks up at him, its bright blue eyes shining up at him, a sharp contrast from the pure white of its fur. It rubs its face against Steve's hand, and he gently scritches under its chin. He's never been a big cat person, largely because there weren't many cats in his life, but he's learned enough from his time with Snowflake that he has a general idea how to act with this one.

"Hey, little guy," Steve murmurs. "Where's Bucky, huh? You know where he is?"

The cat purrs quietly, which is something Steve has come to love from Snowflake but it doesn't quite help him right now, so, reluctantly, he pushes himself back to his feet. He bends down to give the cat one more head scritch, then resumes his little peek at Bucky's apartment.

There's a notebook on the fridge, he notices; little sticky notes hanging out the top. He tucks his finger into one, ready to open it up, to see what important pages he's marking, but a voice in his ear stops him.

"German Special Forces," Sam warns him, "approaching from the south."

"Understood," Steve says. This is all he gets, then: just a little look into Bucky's life. It's not much, but it's a start. He knows Bucky has a cat, for one. He's bound to come back for it. Steve just has to wait until then.

He turns around, and there he is: Bucky Barnes, in the flesh.

Steve feels a wave of relief, and... nervousness? He's nervous to see him again. It almost feels wrong, but after last time...

Bucky didn't want to see him. He made that pretty damn clear. He showed up to help them defeat Ultron, but he didn't want to talk and he disappeared the minute they touched the ground. He made it clear he wants nothing to do with Steve. How is he going to take this now that he has no choice?