"The right person to make him smile?" Steve said, pondering if that was him. Bucky was still in a fragile state, still trying to adjust to being of his own free will and recovering his memories, and it hadn't occurred to Steve that him being with Bucky might actually be a bad thing. What if what he really needed was a clean slate; a life where no one knew him?
(I gtg in about ten minutes, sorry)
Tony nodded. "Yeah." he replied, shrugging a little bit. "Lemme think for a minute and figure out somewhere you guys might like."
"Okay," Steve said plainly, turning around to glance at Bucky through the glass, candid in whatever it was he was doing. Was there a look? He pondered, What if he wasn't kidding?
Bucky was still looking out the window, his eyes tracing over the skyline.
Tony hummed for a moment, thinking. "Hm."
Steve forgot about Tony at that moment, his focus directly on Bucky as he stared out the window. What could he be thinking about? Something happy? Something sad? HYDRA? A faint memory, perhaps? Whatever it was, he wanted to know. He wanted Bucky to talk to him like he used to, ramble on about some fanciful idea or plan and tell him how he felt, even though it might be a long time before he'd open up like that.
Bucky ran a hand through his hair. In truth, he wasn't really thinking about anything. He was just observing the city in all its glory.
"Oh! A movie?" Tony asked, arching an eyebrow and hoping Steve was still listening.
“A movie?” Steve said, shifting his focus away from Bucky and onto Tony’s suggestion. He’d only been to a theatre once after coming off ice, and the price of admission had nearly given him a heart attack. But this was Bucky, and he’d do almost anything to help him adjust; even pay twenty-five dollars for a movie. “Sure, I guess. Is anything good playing?”
Tony hummed softly. "Depends. Do you want a kids movie, a fluffy romance, a comedy, or a war movie? I'd suggest anything but a war movie. With his mind so fragile, it might not be a good idea to take him to see a war one."
“Right. War is out.” Steve agreed, trying to recall any trailers he’d seen recently, “And we’re not watching a kids movie, either. That’s out.” He sighed, debating between the two options, “So that leaves comedy, and a ‘fluffy romance.’”
"Oh! Or fluffy comedy romance." Tony added with a laugh, grinning. "I mean…I don't know what else there might be."
“Hm,” Steve presses his lips into a line, glancing at Bucky, “I’m not sure how he’ll take a comedy-slash-romance, but it might be a good thing. What do you think?” He asked, then rolled his eyes; of course Tony would want them to see it, ‘quitting’ was something unfamiliar in his vocabulary.
(gonna make up a movie lmao)
"There's a good one out right now." Tony replied. "I'll text you the link, but it's got a love triangle, but it's really good. Or at least, Pepper says it is." He chuckled.
“A love triangle?” Steve smiled, raising his eyebrows at the ridiculous term, “If Pepper says it’s good…” He shook his head, the entire situation a little unbelievable. Finding your amnesiac best friend who was thought to be dead and taking him to see a rom-com. Sure, sounds about right.
"Yes. One girl, two guys. Twist ending, apparently." Tony chuckled. "Just go. Have fun with your boyfriend." He hung up before Steve could protest. He texted the information for the movie.
"He's not my–" Steve tried, but Tony had already hung up. "–Boyfriend." He shook his head, boyfriend. The word was so unfamiliar to him, and the bare thought of Bucky as his boyfriend felt strange. The idea almost made him smile, but he still didn't know how to feel about it. Was that what he'd wanted all those years before? Steve shook his head again, sliding the glass door open and stepping inside.
Bucky looked up as Steve came in. "Hey. Talk to Tony?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. Steve's phone dinged in his pocket. Bucky glanced at the source of the sound, then back at Steve's face.
About the movie, Steve reminded himself at the soft chime. "Yeah, still annoying, though." He smiled, walking over to him, his previous thoughts simmering away as the mellow heat of the room warmed his skin. "He thinks we should go see this movie," Steve suggested, praying that Pepper was right about it being good.
Bucky blinked, then nodded slowly. "Alright." He said slowly. He was looking at Steve carefully. "What movie?"
"Don't know what it's called," Steve said, then remembered Tony's text. He winced slightly, looking up from his phone for a moment, "And it uh…a rom-com." Steve told him, "Options were pretty limited, it was either this or a kid's move."
Bucky nodded a little bit. "Mm. Alright." He replied softly.
The text read,
title is "Three's a Crowd".
Then there was a link to a ticketing website.
"Three's a Crowd." Steve read, making sure he'd found the right one. He shook his head, ridiculous. "There's one playing in about a half-hour, we could get ready and walk there, if you like?"
Bucky nodded a little. "Yeah, sure." he said, straightening. "I'll go get dressed." the supersoldier had still been wearing his pajamas, and he headed to his room to change.
"Mhm." Steve nodded, glancing at some dishes he could do. He headed toward the sink, admiring the high-tech faucet and modern decor.
Bucky closed the door to his room, and pulled on some clothes. It was nothing fancy, just a grey t-shirt, jeans, and a navy blue jacket. He hesitated for a moment, then bound his hair back in a loose bun to keep it out of his face. Then he came back out to the main area.
"Hey," Steve greeted as Bucky came into view, a smile making its way onto his face at the sight of his hair tied back. He didn't know why, but these little things about Bucky– the new hair and the nest of blankets made him feel like he was getting to know him again. "Ready to go?" Steve confirmed, drying his hands and moving from the kitchen.
Bucky nodded a little, brushing away a stray lock of hair. "Alright. Let's go." he replied, putting his shoes on and waiting for Steve.
Steve nodded, slipping on his boots and trying to ignore how robotic he tended to sound. He couldn't blame him, though; it would take a while before he could properly feel at ease. Steve shrugged on his sheepskin jacket; his favourite thing to wear nowadays, and opened the door for the two of them.
Bucky was quiet, adjusting the sleeves of his jacket to cover his left hand a little bit more. His hair was still bound back in a loose bun, and his face was cleanshaven now.
Steve closed the door behind them, silently making his way to the elevator with Bucky. It felt weird– the silence between the two; who used to be inseparable, but now were at a loss for words. "Thought of any ways to get back at Tony?" Steve prompted, half-joking and listening to the quiet hum of the elevator slowly making its way to their floor.
Bucky blinked. "Oh. Not really." He replied slowly, shaking his head. Why do we need to get back at him? Was the kiss really such a bad thing? He bit his lip a little, not looking at Steve.