Steve had flown everyone in from the prison to Wakanda. T'Challa had offered them asylum until they were prepared to move on, and had even offered up his services to help Clint and Scott contact their families to let them know they were alive and okay.
Bucky had been quiet the whole way, contributing when asked questions in conversation but not asking much himself. Steve was a bit worried about him, but didn't comment. His silence cleared itself up when the others had gone and it was just himself, Bucky, and His Highness. He wasn't entirely surprised that Bucky wanted to go into cryogenic stasis again when he explained his reasoning, and he was grateful to T'Challa for agreeing to help, but he was going to miss his best friend.
It was going to take a day to get the equipment assembled however, so Bucky spent the day with Steve. They wanted to relax, and just enjoy their time together, so they turned on some movies that they had both missed out on that didn't look too dramatic, mostly animated ones so they wouldn't have to pay too much attention.
The last movie they turned on was a movie about aliens in Hawaii, called Lilo and Stitch.
Bucky had been quiet all day, and hadn't interrupted the films much, so Steve wasn't too surprised that Bucky wasn't talking throughout the movie.
He looked over at him around where Nani wanted to take Stitch back to the pound, and the look on Bucky's face was new, and he didn't quite know what it was, but it worried him.
He nudged him a little. "You ok?"
Bucky shook himself and smiled a little. "Yeah, I'm good."
He left it at that, not thinking anything of it until that night.
He woke up and looked around his room a bit. It was two in the morning, and Bucky was gone. They had been sharing a room since Bucky wasn't going to need one of his own for very long.
Steve got up and walked out of his room to look for Bucky, finding him standing up facing one of the wall length windows that covered T'Challa's home.
He wasn't necessarily surprised that Bucky couldn't sleep.
He was surprised however by the glistening streaks in Bucky's reflection that signalled was crying.
"Bucky?"
Bucky quickly turned to face him, and brushed away his tears. "Did I wake you?"
"Nah, I couldn't sleep. Are you okay?" Steve came over and stood next to him.
"I'm good." Bucky said quietly, but Steve didn't entirely believe him.
"Bucky..."
Bucky's shoulders hunched in a little, and Steve put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Talk to me Buck."
"I shouldn't be upset."
"It's alright Bucky."
Bucky shook his head, and Steve rubbed his shoulder gently.
"Talk to me."
A moment of silence passed, and then Steve heard Bucky speak.
"I was thinking about the old days. You and me, side by side. You were my whole world. I was constantly saving you, from fights or being sick. You're my family. The only one I have left now."
There was a long silence as Steve let Bucky take a few breaths to keep himself calm.
"Ohana means family." Bucky recited quietly. "Family means..."
"No one gets left behind, or forgotten." Steve finished for him, remembering the words from the movie and realizing just how deep of an impact those words had on his best friend.
Bucky nodded gently, and Steve pulled Bucky into his arms. Bucky buried his face into Steve's shoulder, and the front of his shirt grew wet with silent tears.
"I just... I want it all back. How it was before the war. Before Nazis and experiments and assassins, when we were just family."
Steve rubbed his back gently. He knew what it was like, jumping through time and being thrust into a world you weren't entirely prepared for, but Bucky had it so much worse than he did. He had volunteered, while Bucky was forced into the experiments, at more hostile hands, and while Steve had been allowed to sleep for seventy years in the ocean Bucky had been tortured and forced to become an assassin. He couldn't imagine how much that had hurt him.
He wanted to make Bucky feel better, but he didn't know how right now, so he simply kept rubbing his back. Bucky had always been more of the caregiver of the two.
Eventually Bucky nodded a little and they let go of each other.
Bucky looked tired but peaceful, though tear tracks still stained his face.
"You've got a family Bucky. That won't ever change." Steve said gently.
"To the end of the line?" Bucky smiled gently.
"To the end of the line." Steve nodded.
They both turned and looked back out the window, where the sun was beginning to rise over the rich landscape of Wakanda.
"What are you gonna do next?" Bucky asked him.
"I don't know yet. We need to find a new place to hide out, T'Challa can't hide us here forever, not without any threat to his leadership."
Bucky nodded a little in understanding.
"Think you'll come visit my poor frozen body?" Bucky joked a little, making Steve smile.
"Whenever I can." Steve nodded.
Bucky yawned a little, and Steve nodded back to the room they were sharing. They went back together and laid back on the bed, curling up together just like they had done all those years ago in Brooklyn when it got too cold and Steve couldn't keep his body heat.
"Good night Bucky. I promise I'll be there tomorrow, and whatever you need, I'm right here. And T'Challa will help you now, and I have the rest of the team, they'll help."
Bucky rested his head on Steve's chest and closed his eyes. "Go to sleep punk."
Steve smiled a little and closed his eyes to drift off.