The last of the bandages had finally come off, and Bucky was beginning to act more like his old self again. He swaggered a bit when he walked. He called Steve 'pal' and 'punk' now and then, with the same affection he'd used when they were kids. He smiled more. He'd even tried to flirt with Natasha, though that had ended in a very awkward stare-down. He'd only tried it once.

Steve wasn't sure what had changed, but as long as Bucky kept getting better, he didn't care why.

"Hey Tin Man."

"Agent Romanov."

She fell in step with him as they crossed the National Mall. Bucky hadn't really gone outside since his infamous jailbreak, right after Steve had finally caught up with him in the woods outside of DC. He had been afraid that something or someone would set him off, as unstable as he'd been then. Now it was a beautiful spring day and he was ready to try going out into the world again. The sun felt incredible on his skin.

"Where's your baby-sitter?"

"Cute. He said he had a mission or something. I… didn't think it was a real good idea for me to go with him. Not yet, anyways."

"What, you thinking of switching to team Avengers? I hear try-outs are a bitch."

"I'll take my chances. Turns out my old team electrocutes you if you get a bad report-card."

"Yeah, I know. I saw the files before you did."

"About that...Thanks, I guess… for getting all that stuff on me. It's nice to have some idea what the hell happened to you for the last 75 years or so."

She paused, forcing him to turn and face her.

"Alright, level with me, Jiffy Pop, What's up with you lately?"

"Wha- Jiffy Pop? Really?"

"Just answer the question, Barnes. You normally sound like an extra from West-Side Story."

"What the hell is West-Side Story?"

"It's… oh my god, you guys are impossible with this stuff. You sound like you just walked out of a propaganda movie, that's what. You've got this whole Uncle Sam Wants You poster-child thing going. But you're not doing it now. What's with the act? ...You just do it when Cap's around, don't you?"

Bucky sighed and plunked down on a nearby bench, draping himself across the back of it. He seemed to have deflated slightly.

"Look… there's only so much I can remember about who I used to be… I'm trying to get it all back, and I'm remembering bits and pieces every day… but I'm not stupid. Being Mr. Idealist is Steve's job. Some of it's just gone…. I don't even know how many times they wiped me. It's a goddamn miracle I remember Steve at all. Thing is, he wants me to remember it all so bad. He wants everything back to the way it used to be. It means everything to him. How do I not at least try?"

She leaned against the wall behind them, eying him critically.

"He's gonna figure it out eventually. Rogers might be an idealist, but he's not stupid."

Bucky dropped his head and scruffed his hands through his hair, finally trimmed down into the neat and tidy style he was used to.

"I know. But how do you tell somebody that almost died for you that many times that you only sort of kind of remember them? He was my best friend for most of my life, and my clearest memories are just him getting his ass-kicked in an alley. I remember what he looked like when I fell off of that train - that's a fun one."

He looked up at her.

"You wanna know why the act? Half of what I know about me and him is second-hand. I mean, I'm pretty sure it's true, but I don't remember it. Steve's a good guy and a good friend. I don't even have to remember anything to know that. But I don't think I can be the guy he's trying to bring back. Not after everything that happened in between."

"So don't be. Be the guy that came back."

"I can't do that to him."

"Look, don't make me get all mushy, Barnes. Steve loves you. You're his big brother. It doesn't matter if you're not perfect. It matters that you're here. ...And, y'know... not trying to murder him."

He stared at her in silence for a moment, then smiled.

"Thanks. Y'know, I thought you hated me. Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"

"I don't hate you. And I'm not being nice! You shot my boss, so you're not my favorite person- By the way, you ever try that again and I will kick your ass straight back to 1945."

"Aw, you just ruined my weekend plans."

He raised his hands defensively when she glared at him. "Sorry, sorry. Bad joke. Let's pretend I said something witty and you can not kick my ass. That fair?"

She rolled her eyes, but let it go.

"Let's just say I get what it's like to have a past you're not proud of. You seem like you're really trying to get past it. I'm willing to give you a shot if Steve is."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. And I mean that literally. This conversation never happened."

"...You wanna do another lap with me? I haven't gotten outside in… a really really long time."

"Are you trying to flirt with me again, Jiffy Pop?"

"You kidding me? After the death-glare you gave me when I tried to take you out for coffee? I'd sooner hit on the Hulk!"

"Yeah… Ok, we can do a lap. … Seriously, though, the Hulk?"