-One day in Sokovia-

He woke before it was light out, the sun was surely just about to rise over the horizon as the faintest whisps of light filtered through the edges of the curtain.

He was about to try and get up, but noticed the limbs entangled with his own. He began racking his brain trying to figure out what had occurred the night before. The pounding headache and tender face told him he had cried, a lot. He the quickly remembered why he had been crying.

He had woken to a horrible nightmare, by the Baron and thrown the man clean across the room when he had only been trying to help him.

"Fuck" he cursed under his breath. Zemo had only been trying to help him and he had hurt him.

But that hadn't explained why they where now tangled in each other's arms. Well, more so Bucky was laying on his back libs flailed out and the other man was wrapped around him like a koala hugging a tree.

If it had been anyone else in this situation other than himself and Zemo… well he would have thought it endearing. He carefully lifted the others man's hand from around his chest and started to slip from the bed.

With all the luck in the world he hadn't woken him. It surely was a miracle that man could be such a light and heavy sleeper when it convenienced himself it seemed.

He decided to take a shower while the other man was sound asleep. It had been a few days and he knew he must reek. It was one the few things he disliked most. It always seemed to remind him of his days in Hydra. A shower in an open room where he would be watched or where they would just spray him down with hoses.

Walking through the door as silently as he could he was greeted by something he wasn't expecting. In the corner of the room stood a massive stone shower, but upon the opposite wall was a massive carved stone bath.

He couldn't remember the last time he had taken an honest to god's bath. Maybe back before he'd gone to war? He decided to say fuck it and walked over to the tap and turned the copper fixtures. The pipes in the walls creaked an awful sound but he ignored it, reaching out his hand to test the water. It was hot within seconds. Ever grateful he removed his long-sleeved shirt, pants and briefs together at once. The cool morning air chilled his skin but stepping down into the bath his feet were welcomed by steaming waters.

The bath easily could have been a small pool. It was large enough for him to float and kneel in and the water to fully cover his large form. Before the water reached his vibranium arm he decided to take it off. And set it to the side of the tub. As the water reached his chest he reached forward and killed the taps.

Suddenly the only noise he could hear was the gentle slosh of water around him, he didn't like it. He liked noise. He felt at home in chaos. Peace was always unnerving to him. he lay back and let his head fall under the water. The muteness of bellow the water was something he had all but forgotten it encompassed all and yet filled everything. He must have been out of it because all of a sudden, he was brought back to the present by a loud crash of a door being kicked in.

He flailed trying to right himself but with only one arm and basically swimming it wasn't the easiest thing.

"JAMES!" Zemo rushed forward and jumped into the tub trying to pull him up and out of the water

"Zemo! WHAT THE FUCK!"

"YOU WEREN'T ANSWERING ME!"

Zemo was still wearing clothing that was now fully drenched and water over spilled the tub onto the stone floor. He realized the water was no longer hot and steaming but cool and room temp, and the window outside was bright, the sun near mid morning if he had to guess.

He pushed the man away from himself and made to grab his arm to put back on.

"Are you crazy man?! It's been hours… I thought… Well never mind"

"I'm fine, I was relaxing"

"Next time maybe warn me you're going to fall sleep floating in my tub"

"I… I wasn't sleeping" he then quickly realized they were both just staring at each other and he was fully nude and Zemo was halfway there too, but the soaked pants didn't leave much to the imagination "Can you get me a towel…. please?"

The blush that spread over Zemo's face couldn't have been hidden from him even if he tried. But he didn't say anything else, just quickly strode out of the bathroom and returned with a towel wrapped around himself and now avoiding his own gaze thrust a towel out for him to grab. He took it and clicked the tub drain open.

"I guess we should get something to eat. I shall go see what had been dropped off for us then." And Zemo then left the bathroom rather quickly.

So much for that relaxing bath, now a near half heart attack later, he guessed it was time to start his day. He waited a few moments before he heard the other room door open and close, and the gentle foot fall of the Baron make its way downstairs. Knowing the bedroom was not safe of prying eyes he retreated himself to it to find the bed made nicely and most things put away, his own bag now on the chaise. His jeans from the day before folded, a clean t shirt laid out on top of them. He forwent the jeans for some joggers.

Taking the towel from around his waist and using it to ruffle his hair dryer. The gentle jingle of his dog tags made him happy. He had originally been worried they had been lost but had found them in his kit bag in Wakanda on his last morning there, he supposed he had misplaced them, he never took them off, however after the incident at the raft he had woken without them figuring Sam or Shuri had them removed when they were doing scans. He had initially had a minor freak out by himself that they had been missing but it was certainly a breath of relief to find them.

He made his way down to the kitchen once he was fully dressed. He hadn't been expecting to find Zemo cooking but there he was back to him, leaned over the stove about to crack eggs into the pan.

"Ill take mine sunny side up"

"Oh James! Don't sneak up on a man like that"

He knew he could be light on his feet sometimes, but the floorboards here creaked and moaned at the slightest weight,

"Sam did once call me the white panther" he laughed

"Wilson most certainly did not do that"

"Yup trust me or not, he did, but they actually called me white wolf"

"Oh, white wolf, is it?"

He shrugged and reached for the tea on the counter before him. It smelled floral. Rose, the same kind from Latvia he guessed. He took a sip experimentally as Zemo had turned mouth half open mid-sentence asking him a question.

"Excuse me James that was mine"

"Not no more" and shrugs continuing to drink the other man's drink.

The man before him purses his lips and gives him a look before finding yet another teacup in the cupboard and pouring himself another cup.

"you just had to ask" he said while stirring the sugar into his drink

"Didn't want to"

There was something more he wanted to say but held his tongue. He was a hypocrite. Telling him to just ask when he broke down the bathroom door this morning.

When the eggs and bacon were put Infront of him he thanked him before stuffing his face. He hadn't realized just how hungry he had been before. He hadn't eaten anything in almost 30 or so hours. And with a metabolism like his… that was a long time to go. He finished relatively quickly and downed the rest of the tea he had stolen.

"I think ill be going for a run now"

"Barefoot?"

He just shrugged and walked out the back door they had come in the afternoon before. He inhaled a deep breath. The cool fall air of Sokovia would have chilled anyone else. But this was nice. It had been much to warm and dry in Wakanda for his liking. It had been a welcome change and he much preferred the hot summer sun to cold winter and snow. But both seasons held various memorises and emotions on both sides of the scale of good and bad.

He began his run through the woods feeling pine needles under his feet. A welcome change.

The terrain and woods around here reminded him heavily of being in the woods again with the howling commandos. The tallest of ever green trees he had probably ever seen grew here before him. he had found a path that looked like at one time had been well worn, but now it was overgrown. To anyone else it was nothing. But to his trained eyes for tracking, it was perfect.

His jog became slower as he went, now just walking through the woods enjoying the peacefulness of the birds and natures symphony before him. ahead he knew he herd a waterfall. He would find it then turn back. He didn't want to worry Zemo anymore than he had already today apparently.

No more than 100 feet more and he came to a large clearing. And the roar of the water grew far louder than he had expected.

The falls had been much larger than he had anticipated and the large pool at the base looked ever so inviting. But he supposed he would have to come back another time to enjoy them. If he came back soaked like a drowning rat again Zemo would surely have yet another fit.

And so, he sat, dipped his feet in the frigid water for a few moments and then made his way back. Walking the path back this time foregoing jogging at all was nice. he picked up on more subtle changes in the greenery. noticed animal tracks of all kinds and even found a large blueberry bush and took a hand full of berries before continuing his venture back. By the time the red spires of the mansion came back into view the sun was beginning to set again.

Honestly, he wasn't ready to face the Baron just yet… after the last 24 hours they had both just experienced together. Well, it left his emotions in a twisted jumble. His head already didn't feel his own since the last few weeks. With no clear answers as to how, what or even who had been able to activate him. it had been bugging him probably more so than anyone else. Because as much as Shuri had been pissed off she couldn't figure it out.

It was his own damn body and mind, and he hadn't had control over himself. He honestly would have never forgiven himself if he had actually seriously hurt Zemo. As much as he got on his nerves. He hated to admit it in the last 6 months he had grown rather fond of Helmut as well as Sam. He truly felt like he had legit relationships with these people. Before it had only been him and Steve. And then Steve was gone and him he had felt like Steve had kind of just dumped him into his own friends laps to take care of. But he was beginning to understand slowly that these people he had thought he had been dumped on he hadn't actually been… he hadn't been a burden. He had been introduced to Steve's friends in hopes they would also become his friends. And heck… some of them had truly become good friends. Zemo had just been… well a not unhappy addition at this point.

"Zemo?" he called out coming in the back door. It was mostly quite throughout the large house. But straining his ears he could just faintly hear talking. He must be on the phone somewhere he figured and made his way up the stairs on his way to the bedroom. He should have been hungry again but really; he was just tired and ready for bed regardless of knowing he was just going to have more nightmares. He was exhausted.

He clicked the door open and noticed as soon as the door swung open that Zemo was laying curled up in a tight ball on top of the sheets of the bed. The gentle rise and fall of the mans chest told him he was asleep the noises he had herd while downstairs had been a radio, a talk show of some kind, nothing overly relevant from what he could pick out.

He could care less at this point but pulled his shirt off. Went to the bathroom to clean off his dirty feet, and when he came back to the room. Grabbed a spare blanket from the foot of the bed. Flung it over Zemo and the climbed into the bed himself. He was so tired he just wanted to fall right asleep. But Zemo beside him rolled right over as soon as he had settled and snuggled into his side.

Fuck…

He wasn't going to shove the smaller man away.

And oh, he was so warm,

Fuck.

and oh, it hits him. This was nice, this was very nice. He snuggles in closer and draped his arm around the Sokovian and closed his eyes.