Closed to [doesntrunaway]

[make_it_hurt]

Waking up from stasis was horribly familiar. It'd been so many times, and it was so familiar. He was aware before he could start to move his body, staring through the crack of his barely open eyelids. It took him only a few moments to realize he wasn't under the fog of programming, that the light outside was white and clear, not a dingy yellow or green.

Wakanda. He's in Wakanda.

Bucky sighed a little, then closed his eyes fully. He was safe, here. They must have figured out how to get rid of the programming, then. He opened his eyes again, just a little, as the light against his eyelids got brighter, and the voices of the people outside grew clearer, and louder. "James," was the first word he really understood, that his mind could process. His body was still heavy with the drugs and chill, but the hands on him were warm, steadying him. "James, can you hear me?" He nodded, as much as he could, and one of the hands retreated, only to come back a few seconds later. "Good. Just lay back. You are safe, but you are still under, we will wait for your strength to return before we move you." How considerate, to not just haul him out and drag him to the chair. 

He blinked, blearily, trying to move his hands - hand. 

But as he laid there, not only did the ability to move come back, but also his senses - not only his vision, but his hearing, and his sense of smell. And though there was the sterile, antiseptic scent that was so prominent, there was also another scent, one equally familiar, but much more welcome. "Steve?" he asked, turning his head and opening his eyes fully for the first time, looking for his best friend, his packmate. 

Comments

[make_it_hurt]

"I can ask her to come up," the scientist suggested, turning away for just a moment to tap at something before she turned back.

Bucky sighed and leaned to the side, resting his head on Steve's knee as he stretched out his legs. He liked Shuri, even though they'd only had a brief few moments of interaction. She was bright, and even a dummy like him could tell she was ridiculously smart. She'd also seemed fully confident that she could fix him. His brain, his arm. And he trusted her with that.

[doesntrunaway]

"Only if she isn't busy with something." Steve replied, fingers still working, mostly because of how easily Bucky had relaxed against him again, "There's no reason to interrupt if she's working." Especially when he wasn't even sure if that was the issue, and was just guessing.

"Otherwise whenever she has a chance will be fine." He didn't know if she had any preparations to make before the full moon, and he didn't want to be a bother.

[make_it_hurt]

"I let her know Mr. Barnes was awake, and she just replied saying she'll be right up because she wants to see him."

Bucky was starting to cool off. The drier air here in the lab was helping the most. He hadn't really even exerted himself that much, either, it was just that he wasn't used to being down a leg.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve just nodded once, giving a quiet: "Thank you."

He couldn't help but smile a little when Shuri all but bounded up the stairs, tutting and shaking her head when she spotted them, but biting back a smile all the same, "Good afternoon Captain Rogers." Steve gave her a nod of greeting even as he continued scratching at Bucky's ruff, "Your highness. Thank you for making the time."

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky lifted his head and his tail thwapped against the ground as Shuri approached, happy to see her.

She immediately dropped down next to him. "Hello, Bucky," she said and reached out to also scratch his ruff before her fingers found the spot at the base of his ears that made him groan and relax into her. "How are you doing? No lingering affects from the cryo, I hope? When we got the plans for what they had been using... Ugh. Too brutal."

Bucky whined and continued to wag his tail, pushing himself up a little so he could lean forward to lick her chin, trying to reassure her that yes, he was fine, and no, he wasn't feeling any lingering affects of the cryo.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve just nodded at her response, because really he was glad that there were other people who realized that what Hydra had done was barbaric.

He also couldn't help smiling a little at Bucky's reaction, a little surprised to find that he wasn't jealous at all the way he had been once upon a time, Bucky needed more friends, people who clearly cared for him, and while he figured she could determine what that response meant, he said: "I'm pretty sure that's an all clear."

[make_it_hurt]

Shuri brought her hands up to either side of his head, scratching behind both ears, then rubbing over the insides. Bucky groaned again and leaned forward, resting his head on her shoulder, tail still wagging. "Tomorrow is the full moon. If it goes well, maybe you want to stay out of the cryo?"

Bucky pulled away just a little to look at her, confused. Stay out? He was only out because they didn't want him to be in cryosleep during the full moon, right? He wasn't safe when he was a human, but-- oh. He could stay a wolf. That would be easiest, maybe. He didn't have to go back under, but he would also be safe from being turned into the Soldier again and used against the people of Wakanda.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve chewed at the inside of his cheek just for a moment before he added: "Only if you want to, Buck, but it would probably be good for you." Especially when they didn't know how long it had been since his last transformation, or how even the Wakandan cryo would affect him in the long term.

Also so that Steve could help him regain some of the memories that were lost or unclear. Or even just to be there as a friend, because Bucky definitely needed more of those.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky slid back down so he was laying instead of halfway sitting up and spent a few seconds nosing at his paw before he lifted his head back up and nodded.

Shuri grinned. "Great! You'll need your own room, then, since I'm sure you don't want to live in the lab. Steve, will you stay too?

[doesntrunaway]

He nodded once, resting a hand on Bucky's ruff again before working his fingers down into the fur, "Of course," He turned his smile on Bucky then, "As long as you need me to, pal."

His brow creased a little then, "I can't promise I won't be needed elsewhere for a day or two sometimes, but I'll always come back."