"Steve."
Steve groaned as a cold hand shook his shoulder.
"Steve! We need to go."
Steve blinked his eyes open groggily and squinted at Bucky. "Why?" he groaned, peering around the cavern. The fire was burning merrily in the corner, snow was drifting down from the sky in thick droves. Steve almost thought it was beautiful. The wind blew the snow into dancing shapes that resembled everything from dancing figures to misshapen trees. Cold trees. Steve yawned as he buried his head back into the blankets. Everything seemed alright, and the blanket was warm.
"Hydra."
"Wha?" Steve slurred.
"We need to go," was all Bucky would say before he yanked the blanket away. Steve flinched and scrambled to his feet, lunging for the jacket lying on his pack. Bucky snorted and began throwing snow over the cavern floor. He made sure to especially cover the fire until it was lost in two feet of fluffy snow.
Steve huffed unhappily and began folding the blanket he had been using—a big heavy fur cloak that he could wrap twice around himself if he really tried. It was probably Bucky's coat.
Steve picked up his backpack and stuffed the blanket inside. "You ready?" He turned back to Bucky. The soldier was eyeing him warily, his hands clenched into fists at his side.
"Are you going to try to run?"
Steve shook his head, "I don't know the territory, and you already said you were going to leave me at the nearest city. What would I gain from running?"
"I'm a monster."
"Everyone's a monster in this day and age. You didn't kill me when you could have, that makes you better than most."
Bucky didn't say anything, but his shoulders slumped and tension leaked from his body. He pulled his own bag—a long canvas monster that looked more like it carried a gun than Steve was comfortable with—over his shoulder. Steve watched warily as he put his face mask and the glasses back on and stepped into the white expanse outside of the cave.
They traveled for three days straight. The whole time Bucky gave no indication why they were fleeing across the frozen landscape except to look at the sky every few moments and quicken his pace whenever he saw something he didn't like. Bucky pushed Steve forwards when the asthmatic couldn't run anymore. Something in Bucky's tone, the urgent fear in every inch of his body made Steve push himself when he otherwise would have decided to rest. On the third day it became too much. He collapsed into the snow.
"We have to make camp," he insisted. Bucky glanced back at him then circled back.
"Get up," he said coldly.
"No!" Steve snapped. Part of him expected Bucky to leave him there, but the soldier bent down and pulled Steve's pack from him, hoisting it over his own shoulder.
"Hydra will find us if we stay here."
Steve threw his hands in the air, "Hydra's dead! Let me sleep!"
Bucky didn't move and Steve glared defiantly at him. He hadn't seen hide nor hair of anything that looked like Hydra since they had left, and he was seriously doubting that the organization existed.
"Very well," Bucky said suddenly.
"Great," Steve sighed in relief, "the thermopack's in the—" The most unflattering yelp possible escaped Steve as Bucky leaned down and hauled Steve into his arms.
"Let me down!" Steve growled. Bucky said nothing, only continued to walk. Nothing Steve did or said could stop him and finally he gave up, going limp and resting his head sleepily against Bucky's arm.
They got to the border of the cold zone on the fourth day and Bucky made camp for a night in a collapsible shelter he had in his pack. The next morning he woke Steve before the sun had even risen and made him lead Bucky to the nearest path.
Bucky seemed even more nervous now they were in the desolate, mountainless plain of the desert. He glanced up at the sky every few moments and when Steve asked if they could stop for lunch he tossed a nutrient bar at him. It was almost nine before Steve could convince Bucky to stop. While it was hot, the temperatures were still low this close to the cold area. Steve knew that the farther away they got, the hotter it would become, and by noon even the supposed super soldier wouldn't be able to keep going. Steve knew he would be long gone before then.
"Bucky," Steve stopped walking when the super soldier refused to stop. Bucky paused and turned to look back at him, his eyes narrowed dangerously. He had long since taken off the mask and the glasses when the heat had become overwhelming, and Steve almost wished he would put them back on. The soldier was beautiful, and Steve knew if he asked, Steve would keep walking until he melted. Thankfully, Bucky didn't seem to know how to ask.
"Steve…" Bucky was eyeing him warily, "we need to keep walking."
"It's going to get really hot soon, and I don't feel like getting baked in my own skin—and I'm not going to let you carry me." The last few words were snapped out as Bucky stepped towards him. Steve stepped backwards, "And I don't think you want that metal arm burning off your shoulder either." Steve narrowed his eyes defiantly and crossed his arms in the very picture of stubbornness. Bucky gave him an exasperated look.
"We need to stay here until the heat waves are over." Steve pulled his backpack from his shoulders and pulled his thermopack from it, keeping Bucky in the corner of his gaze in case the super soldier decided to pick him up without his consent. Steve laid the pack out on the ground and quickly dove into it headfirst, taking his backpack with him.
Bucky's metal hand closed around Steve's ankle in a vise like grip and he gave an undignified squawk as he was pulled forcibly out of the thermopack. "We need to keep walking," Bucky snapped through gritted teeth. Steve patted his clothes to get rid of the red dirt ingrained in them, trying to keep his temper in check.
"I don't want to die!" Steve darted back into the thermopack and tucked his legs against him to make sure Bucky couldn't get to him without getting in himself.
Bucky sighed and Steve winced as he felt something hit the thermos pack. It sounded like dirt and Steve wondered for a moment if Buck intended to bury him alive. Then something was pressing against Steve's legs and Bucky was sliding into the thermopack next to Steve. Steve gave a sigh of relief as the super soldier rolled over and zipped the entrance shut.
"You better be right about the heat," the soldier growled and Steve smiled. If only he knew.
Bucky tried to roll over, grunting as his legs tangled with Steve's and he was suddenly pressed chest to chest against the smaller man. Steve smiled awkwardly as Bucky stared down at him, his eyes narrowed unhappily. Steve could feel every bump and curve in Bucky's body and to his horror his mind began to wander towards how much he would love to draw Bucky...preferably nude. It would certainly be a challenge to define all of those rippling muscles…
Steve cleared his throat awkwardly as he tore his mind from the subject. Bucky shifted awkwardly against Steve and pulled back a little, trying to make room for both of them. Steve was sure he was blushing, and it only added to his humiliation.
"How long?" Bucky asked in a monotone, crushing himself into the corner of the pack. Steve could just make him out from the light that shone through the cloth from outside.
"A few hours," he muttered unhappily.
Bucky groaned and rolled over onto his side so his back was facing Steve. "We better get some sleep then," he muttered and Steve sighed as he rolled on to his side, facing away from Bucky.
"Right," he muttered as something that sounded like a snore drifted from Bucky's side, "sleep." He couldn't remember when he drifted off, but he most certainly remembered waking up.
Unlike the last few days, Steve woke up slowly. His eyes fluttered open sleepily and he smiled as he snuggled back against his pillow. It certainly was a comfortable pillow, a little soft…but hard underneath and every so often it would rise and fall…
Steve's eyes flew open and he jerked away from his pillow—a rather loudly snoring super soldier—and slammed into the side of the thermopack. An awful ripping sound rent the air and Steve suddenly found himself on his back in the dry dust with half his body lying on the hard rock and the other half on the nice, cushy inside of the pack.
Bucky looked out of the gap and frowned as he crawled out and stood, taking both his bag and Steve's with him.
"It's ruined!" Steve scrambled forwards and gently touched the ragged edge. He cursed himself bitterly. Damn reflexes, damn attractive pillows, damn the goddamned Winter Soldier!
"We need to go," Bucky's looked up at the starlit sky and Steve sighed unhappily as he stood and bundled the torn thermopack into his bag. There would be no mending it now, he didn't have the supplies and even if he did, it would never work as well as it did before.
"There is a small trading post not far from here, if your map was correct," Bucky said as Steve fished through his pack and handed him a nutrient bar. "If we start now, we should be able to get there before the heat kicks in."
Steve pulled out his own nutrient bar and bit into it unhappily. His throat was burning from the lack of water, and though the nutrient bars kept them hydrated enough for functioning, it still wasn't as good as the real thing. He still had a canteen and a half left from the water Natasha had given him, and for a moment it was tempting to drink it. Steve pushed the thought away, grumbling to himself. They said you drink it once and you were addicted for life, the clear headed feeling and the energy it gave you. But water was expensive, and better used to barter for food and clothes. Steve didn't need it.
They walked for the rest of the night and into the morning. Bucky strapped his mask back on and let Steve lead for most of the time. They reached the trading post before the worst of the heat set in. A single red flag signaled where it was. Under the flag was a small, half melted metal door.
"We'll have to wait here until the heat goes down," Steve reminded Bucky as the soldier lifted it up. Bucky grunted unhappily but nodded to show he agreed. Under the door was a ladder and under that another metal door and another ladder. The bottom was a long dark tunnel that lead to another door.
"These outposts can be more dangerous than the city," Steve warned Bucky as he drew his knife, "stay close to me, and keep an eye on your valuables." Bucky's metal hand went to his bag and his other hand tightened into a fist. Steve hesitated, his eyes on Bucky's arm. Everyone knew the symbol of that arm…of the Winter Soldier. Steve sighed as he reached into his backpack and pulled out the jacket he had bought for cold weather.
"Keep this on," he said, "and keep your left hand in the pocket. We don't want anyone getting the wrong idea about you." Bucky nodded and did as Steve said before they started down the darkened hallway. Voices began to echo through the hallway as people passed them. To Steve's relief, they seemed friendly enough and he quickly sheathed his knife and put it back in his pocket. Steve stopped one of the more friendly looking women and asked directions to the tinkers shop.
"Two doors down and a right," the woman said and Steve nodded his thanks as he turned to go. "And make sure you know what you want and for how much," the woman called after him, "'cause she'll try to rip you off for twice the price!" The door was right where the woman said it was and Steve made Bucky wait outside to watch the hallway as he went in. The soldier had seemed tense simply passing people in the hallway, he didn't want to know how he would react to actually talking to one.
"Hello?" Steve called into the dusty shop, "Anyone here?"
"I'm here," a woman appeared from the back of the store and smiled at Steve, revealing grimy, broken teeth, "Can I help you?"
"I need a new thermopack," Steve sighed as he pulled his old pack from his bag and shoved it onto the glass counter.
"What happened to this one?" the tinker asked as she ran her hand over the rent in the fabric. The door opened and Bucky stepped inside, his head turning from Steve to the woman before he stepped back outside and closed the door.
"Oh," the woman gave Steve a knowing look, "burning time then?" She cackled and turned away, "I don't blame you." She hesitated as she stepped into the back room, "two person or one?"
Steve hesitated. While he wasn't keen on sharing a thermopack with Bucky again, he couldn't afford two single thermopacks without spending water, and he didn't dare take out the bottles at a place like this.
"One two person," he said and the woman nodded as she vanished into the back room. The door opened and Bucky came back in, closing it carefully behind him before he stalked over to Steve. He peeked down every aisle as he walked, as if an unknown assailant might be waiting to attack him behind the shelves.
"We're going to have to share again," Steve sighed as the soldier reached him, "I can't afford two one person packs. The good news is this one will probably be a lot roomier than the last." Which means I'm a lot less likely to try to use you as a bed accessory while you're sleeping, Steve thought gratefully. Bucky tilted his head curiously, as if he could tell what Steve was thinking.
The tinker came out of the back room, clutching a rolled up thermopack. "I'll give you a deal for it with trade for the broken one," she set it down next to Steve's old one. "Two fifty."
Steve's eyebrows flew up, "The going price for a double without trade is one thirty."
"Well, you're here now," the woman smirked at him. "Two fifty."
"One thirty," Steve said firmly, "and don't pretend you can't use the broken one's materials."
The woman scowled, "Two."
Steve crossed his arms, "One forty five."
The woman cackled, "You're crazy, and let me tell you, you need this a lot more than I need to sell it."
Steve opened his mouth to negotiate, but before he could, Bucky grabbed the woman and hauled her over the counter with an earsplitting crack. "Bucky!" Steve grabbed Bucky's shirt, "Stop! Let her go!"
Bucky's grip tightened on the woman and she screeched, "Okay! One thirty, one thirty!"
Bucky released her and she scrambled back across the counter, no worse for wear, but terrified out of her wits. Bucky cupped his arm where it had slammed into the glass. Where he had hit the glass there was a huge crack that ranged across the whole pane. Bucky himself was sporting a rather jagged cut in his forearm and was trying desperately not to get blood on the ground.
"I am so sorry," Steve said as he reached into his pocket and began pulling out the money. "I picked him up in the wilderness, he hasn't been around people in a very long time." He piled the coins onto the table and pushed them towards her, "You can keep the change."
The woman looked at the pile and nodded hurriedly as she pushed the thermopack towards them and wiped the coins into her hand. Bucky waited until she vanished into the back room before he turned to Steve. Even through the mask Steve could tell he was glaring at him.
"You gave her more than she originally asked for."
"You can't go harming people because you can, Buck!" Steve snapped at him, his fists balled up in rage, "It's not right!"
Bucky's voice came from behind the mask, "She was trying to take advantage of you."
Steve raised his chin angrily. "She was trying to make a living! It's called negotiating!" He turned and stalked towards the doorway, stuffing his new thermopack into his bag. "We don't hurt dames, Buck. The end."
Bucky muttered something that sounded faintly sacrilegious as he followed Steve into the hallway, but Steve was too furious to try to figure out what it was. Bucky walked quietly behind Steve, his head down and cupping his wounded arm without any sign of pain.
By the time they reached the apothecary, Steve had calmed down enough to show the apothecary his hand and get some bandages for Bucky's arm without losing his temper again. Bucky waited outside as Steve finished his purchases. When Steve came out, he followed at what he judged to be a safe distance, in case the blond decided to get angry again.
"Bucky," Steve waved him over as they entered the bar, the soldier walked over to him carefully. To Steve's surprise, Bucky seemed almost like a sulky child. "It's okay," Steve said soothingly and Bucky straightened, "You just can't do that again, okay? You're pretty scary when you want to be, and you almost hurt her." Steve pushed the bandages and disinfectant over to where Bucky was standing, "Can you take care of that?" He nodded to the cut on Bucky's arm.
Bucky said nothing as he began cleaning the cut. Steve turned back to the bartender, who didn't look surprised in the least bit that a heavily muscled, shady looking character, dressed in black, with a hand made of silver was cleaning a cut on his arm. It probably happened a lot. Steve frowned as he did the math for the rations they would need. Two weeks to New York, half that to the nearest city if they continued at the pace they were at. Steve sighed as he turned to the bartender and ordered fourteen nutrient bars. One every day for each of them and they should be fine.
"These are old," the bartender warned as he put the white wrapped ingots on the table. "They'll only last a month or so. Our new shipment comes in tomorrow if you want to wait…"
"It'll be fine," Steve assured him as he traded the bars for the gold. "Thanks for the warning though."
The bartender nodded, "You want some booze?"
Steve shook his head, "Bucky here's a lightweight, and we need to leave before sundown." He patted Bucky on the back, expecting Bucky to scowl at him. Bucky flinched, his hand jerking away from the handle of his knife. He looked at the bartender and then Steve, seemingly mystified. It was clear he hadn't been paying attention and Steve looked over to see what had been occupying his mind. There was nothing, just people going about their business.
"He doesn't look a lightweight," the bartender chuckled and Steve smiled back as he tapped Bucky on the shoulder and gestured for them to go to one of the tables. Bucky picked one wedged in the back, sitting down in a chair that gave him the best vantage point of the room.
"What's wrong?" Steve asked quietly, "Do you so see something?" Bucky shook his head as he began flipping his knife in his fingers, his eyes on the rest of the room.
Steve sighed as he rested his head against the cool tabletop. "Have you actually seen Hydra?" He demanded. He didn't know why he asked, he knew the answer. Steve glanced up as the soldier turned his head towards him. His glasses reminding Steve of the pits of oil he had once seen in California before the frost had taken it over. No one dug there anymore, but the oil still bubbled up from the surface to pool in dark lakes. It was a sight to behold if you didn't get too close. At the edge of the lakes were hundreds of dead animals that had drowned or got caught in the ooze.
"You don't know if they are actually real, do you?" Steve pressed on, "Do you know about the ice? Why it's so suddenly growing? How did you survive out there with only a blanket and the gun?"
Bucky tensed and Steve scowled, "And don't say you have food in that beast of a bag, I've seen the inside of it. You have a freaking massive gun, a few blankets, a canteen and some other weird stuff, but no food."
Bucky's left hand tightened into a fist and Steve leaned back, away from him. He knew he should stop, but he couldn't. "What is Hydra? You can't mean the organization, Shield dealt with them long ago. Are they making a comeback?"
Bucky stood suddenly, his chair scraping back as the soldier looked down at Steve. "Stop asking questions that you don't want to know the answer to," Bucky snarled, his voice slightly muffled through the mask before he turned away and stalked out of the room.
He was waiting for Steve at the exit when the sun began to sink.
"I thought you left," Steve said. Bucky said nothing as he pushed open the door.
That night was longer than normal. When Bucky calmed down enough to talk, he told Steve this was a sign that winter was coming. Steve didn't mind, winter simply meant an extra few hours of travel. Nothing that really mattered. If it actually rained, Steve would be overjoyed, but as it was, all the rain they got was irradiated and only served to poison the planet further.
They walked until the horizon began to glow. Steve laid out the thermopack, expecting to have to argue with Bucky again, but the soldier got in without complaint and was snoring by the time Steve zipped the pack closed.