"Excuse me, what?!" That was the loudest Steve had heard Bucky since before the fall. He heard his friend's frustrated shout from down the hall and picked up his pace, jogging the rest of the way to the brunet's hospital room. Inside was Bucky, of course, alongside Detective Carter and Officer Hodge, Dr. Strange, and the Stan's. Bucky looked furious. He was seething from his place on the bed while the Stan's both looked resolute. Dr. Strange looked subtly frustrated. Detective Carter was obviously trying to keep her expression professional and Office Hodge looked almost confused.
"Dr. Strange, if you would." Mrs. Stan held out a piece of paper towards the doctor.
"Mrs. Stan, I understand your concerns, but the simple fact is I cannot do what you are asking. Bucky is more than capable of making medical decisions for himself and I cannot legally or morally qualify him otherwise, no matter what you imply. And I doubt you are qualified to make that distinction." Dr. Strange explained a touch sharply.
Steve was grateful for his small body at the moment because it meant he could slip into the room and weave his way to Bucky's bedside without attracting too much attention. Bucky was still fuming and his head snapped like he'd been startled towards Steve long before the blond spoke. Even in the real world, Bucky was acutely aware of when someone was near him to the point it was almost unnerving sometimes to Steve (not that he could talk; he'd picked up a few paranoid quirks after fighting in the War too).
"What's going on?" Steve asked softly, just to Bucky, and the brunet huffed, about to reply but he got interrupted.
"And get that boy out of here. I don't want him around my son." Mr. Stan ordered sharply, which made both Steve and Bucky jump.
"You can go to hell if you think I'm kicking Steve out!" Bucky snapped back hotly. Steve was a little glad because it didn't look like Bucky was going to have nearly as much trauma to deal with from his time as the Winter Soldier as Steve had feared.
"I won't have a… gay around my son." Mr. Stan declared, faltering slightly like he was watching what he said, and Steve just blinked at the accusation. While he was kind of just confused everyone else in the room bristled. Including Bucky, who looked very much like an enraged murderous Winter Soldier and for a brief moment Steve wondered if, because of the memories given to him, he actually knew how to kill someone. Because he really looked like he wanted to kill Mr. Stan.
"Get out." Bucky snarled into the silent room and his parents flinched.
"Sebastian…" Mrs. Stan started but she fell quiet at the glare Bucky shot at her.
"I said get out." He repeated.
Neither of them moved and Dr. Strange stepped forward, putting himself between Bucky and the Stan's. "You heard him. Leave, or I will call security." Dr. Strange warned.
"He can't kick us out. Who else will pay for his medical expenses?" Mrs. Stan declared, like it was some revelation that made her utterly important.
But before anyone else could say something, none other than Tony Stark spoke up from the doorway. "I will. Or, more accurately, I would have, if SHIELD hadn't already offered to pay for them. So he's totally covered." Tony entered the room with a confident smirk and Steve smiled, relaxing slightly.
"Hey, Tony." Steve said softly. Tony nodded at him before he looked at Bucky.
"Hey, terminator. You don't look so good in real life, but nice to know that glare is still there." Tony added to Bucky, whose glare changed into something a little unsure.
"Iron Man." Steve informed him softly and Bucky nodded.
"Ah. Hi." Bucky greeted hesitantly and Tony gave him a brilliant smile. The man turned to face Bucky's parents, who were looking at him in shock, and crossed his arms.
"You must be his parents. I am sorry for what happened to Bucky. I'm sorry for not realizing what was happening to him sooner and putting a stop it to. But I won't let you take him away when he doesn't want to go. I owe him at least that much." Tony warned coldly.
Mrs. Stan looked ready to argue but her husband nudged her towards the door. "Let's go, dear. I'm sure the lawyers can fix this atrocity." He said it just loudly enough everyone in the room heard it and then they were gone.
Bucky slumped into the pillows, clearly exhausted, as the rest of the room let out a breath of relief. Steve took Bucky's hand and the brunet offered him a weak smile as they laced their fingers together. "Dr. Strange, what was that about?" Steve asked after Bucky had closed his eyes again.
The doctor looked at them for a moment before he let out a heavy breath. "They were trying to get me to sign a document stating that their son was mentally unfit to make decisions for himself, thus giving those decisions to his parents. They want to transfer him to another hospital of their choosing, as well as decide who would be allowed visitation." The last part was obviously directed at Steve.
"Those…" Tony just growled in frustration instead of answering. After a moment he turned to the bed. "Don't worry, terminator. They try to press a case, my legal team will be at your disposal." Tony promised and Bucky offered him a flash of a small smile.
"Thanks." Bucky said softly, exhaustedly, and Tony mellowed out immediately as he nodded.
"So, how you doing?" Tony asked and Bucky tried to shrug, but his shoulders barely shifted and he slumped into the pillows with a soft groan. Tony winced in sympathy while Steve squeezed his hand.
"I hate feeling so weak." He muttered. "And the food sucks." He added, sincerely but lightheartedly, and Tony laughed.
"Well, you can stomach broth, right?" Tony asked and he nodded. Tony whipped out his phone and quickly did something with it before smiling at them both. "I ordered us some food from the nearby Chinese place, including some miso soup for you." He informed them.
Steve just smiled and squeezed Bucky's hand. The brunet looked at him and squeezed it back. "Can I ask you a question, Buck?" Steve said and Bucky raised an eyebrow. "I mean, other than that one." He added and Bucky smiled at him.
"Course." Bucky agreed.
Steve took a breath before he asked "Are you gay?"
Bucky didn't answer right away, just sort of tilted his head while he thought about it. "Uh, maybe? I think so, but in the game I didn't really… I wasn't capable of feeling sexual attraction. It wasn't... programmed in." He offered and Steve could only nod. "But I like holding your hand." He added and Steve smiled at him.
"I like holding your hand too." Steve promised as he shifted a little closer to Bucky until their sides were pressed together. Bucky rolled his head over to rest it against Steve. Tony was watching them with a little smile on his own face, and all three of them jumped when someone knocked on the door.
Bucky groaned softly and muttered "who is it?" far too softly for anyone outside the closed door to hear. Tony took it upon himself to find out and opened the door.
"Can I help you?" He asked, which clued Steve in that it wasn't a nurse.
"Um, is this Sebastian's room?" A female voice asked and Tony nodded. "I'm his sister. Rebecca. Can I see him?"
Tony glanced at Steve and Bucky, who sighed and nodded tiredly. "Yeah. Come in." Tony stepped back, allowed Rebecca to join them in the room.
She was hesitant, obviously worried, until her eyes landed on Bucky. She smile was immediate, but cautious and she stepped towards them only to pause. "Um, hi. Do you… um. I heard you have amnesia?" She offered and Bucky nodded. "So you don't recognize me?" She asked.
"Sorry, no." Bucky answered honestly and she swallowed before she nodded.
"Well, it is what it is. Can't change it and it's a lot better than you being dead." She stepped up to the bed and held out a hand. "I'm Rebecca, your little sister."
"No you're not." Bucky answered almost playfully, a ghost of a smile on his own face, and her smile widened just a fraction.
"Fine. I'm your big sister." She corrected. Bucky moved slowly but could barely get his hand more than a few inches off the bed and it was shaking. She reached down to meet it and held it. "Do you have a name you go by?"
"Bucky." He answered and she laughed, but it wasn't mocking.
"Sorry, just… Bucky? Really? That's so old fashioned." She commented and Bucky actually pouted a little. She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. "Hey, I'm your big sister. If I can't tease you, no one can." She said and Bucky actually snorted a laugh.
"I believe that." He answered and she smiled brighter.
"Oh, I haven't got your name yet." She added to Steve.
Steve held out his hand over Bucky's body, which she accepted and shook. "I'm Steve Rogers. I'm one of the guys who found Bucky. Kinda." He answered.
"Nice to meet you, Steve. Thank you very much for bringing my brother home." She added seriously and Steve nodded. Rebecca pulled her hand back and sighed. "Also, I'm sorry about mom and dad. I knew they were homophobic, but to try and get your doctor to call you mentally unstable to keep Steve away is just…" She shook her head with a heavy sigh. "Anyway, not everyone in the family is as rude and know that you have my support no matter what."
"Thanks." Bucky said softly and she nodded. She took his free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I should hurry back before they get worried, but call me anytime you need anything, okay?" She requested.
"I don't know your number. Or have a phone." He admitted quietly. She pulled out a business card and gave it to Steve.
"I assume you do have a phone he can borrow?" She asked and Steve nodded. "Good. Then once you get a phone you can contact me or just use Steve's." She added to Bucky before she left just as suddenly as she'd arrived.
Bucky watched her go with a slightly furrowed expression. Steve nudged him with his shoulder and Bucky glanced at him. "You okay?" Bucky nodded.
"Yeah, I just… Her eyes and voice. They were familiar." Bucky admitted and Steve smiled. He nudged Bucky again, gently, and got a small smile out of the brunet.
"That's good, you know." Steve insisted and Bucky nodded.
"I know." He agreed, but his smile was gone and he looked tired. "I think I'm going to rest until the food is here." He informed the other men.
"Alright. Sleep well, Bucky." Steve said. Bucky didn't give him the usual smile and just closed his eyes, but he was still resting his head on Steve's torso and the blond had no motivation to move him.