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. 

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[doesntrunaway]

"Right here." Came Steve's voice somewhere to Bucky's right, "Morning, sleeping beauty."

They hadn't yet figured out how to scrub the trigger words from his mind, or if there were more than just the ones they already knew about. But it was coming up on the full moon, and Steve was worried about what would happen to Bucky if he shifted while still in stasis. Hydra either had a way around that, or they hadn't cared, either way it wasn't something Steve wanted to think about too hard.

He'd also been less surprised than he probably should have been to find that the majority of Wakandans were weres of some stripe, or in many cases, some spot given as how the royal family were all black panthers, which should have been no surprise.

"Feel like trying to stand up yet?" Steve was right there to help him if he needed it.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky's head snapped around as Steve spoke, and he let out a breath when he saw Steve in front of him - the last thing he'd seen before going under, but here he was again. He wasn't alone. "Yeah," he said, reaching out for his friend, but not trying to actually stand, honestly not sure if his legs would support him, but he trusted Steve to not let him fall.

But as he started to come more awake, he realized: he could feel the pull of the moon. "They didn't figure out how to get rid of the programming, did they?" He stared at Steve for a moment, blinking slowly, then laid back in the pod. But Steve would be here for the shift, at least. He'd been alone for it so many times before now, just the idea of having somebody else was a good one, but... he was still a danger. And not being a danger was the entire reason he'd even done this in the first place.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve shook his head at the question, but he did still offer Bucky an arm up, indicating the cot on the other side of the room, where there were clean clothes stacked and a protein bar on top of them.

The medic was quick to correct Steve with a: "Not yet, but it hasn't been all of four weeks, yet. We're still waiting to hear back from sources." She nodded towards Steve then, "Steven was concerned about what would happen if you were to shift while still in stasis, and he's not incorrect in that worry."

Steve didn't wince, not exactly, "I didn't have to tell them, they knew." He didn't want Bucky thinking he'd let that secret out without his consent.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky, who had indeed hesitated at what the medic said, relaxed a little then nodded. He knew most Wakandans were weres, and they had likely been able to find out he and Steve were the same - even if they weren't cats.

"Okay," he said after a moment and a nod. "Thanks, for waking me up." And that was all he was going to say about shifting while in stasis.

He reached out to take Steve's arm and let himself be pulled up. His legs were utter jelly, but this close to the full moon, his strength was boosted, so he was at least able to stand.

[doesntrunaway]

It was really all the explanation Steve needed, just nodding once as he peeled the wrapper on the protein bar open, handing it over and just leaning back against the edge of the cot once he'd done so, arms folding as he explained: "I've shifted with some of the Dora a few times, just so that they're used to the idea of having a couple dogs around."

There was a little twitch of a smile as he said it, as it wasn't the title he'd used since their days with the Howling Commandos, who had often been referred to as a pack of half-feral dogs, "Some of them aren't too thrilled, but nobody's going to try and eat you, at least." It was the general consensus at having them there at all, not just over the moons, so Steve wasn't terribly concerned about it.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky took the protein bar, grateful that Steve would open it - He was by no means used to being down an arm, and even something so simple as opening a wrapper was beyond him, for the moment. He took a bite of the bar, then laid back, too weak from the sedation and cold to stay upright any more. "What time is it? Is tonight the full moon?" He swings his legs up onto the cot and allows one of the medics to tuck a blanket around his legs and hips.

[doesntrunaway]

"About five in the evening, and no, it's the day before. Wanted to give you a chance to adjust before you had to shift." They'd still feel the itch come moonrise that night, but it wouldn't be undeniable as it would be on the actual full moon.

Steve himself would probably spend at least part of the night shifted, it was how he tended to do things, and especially now that he actually had Bucky to protect.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky nodded again, relieved that he had a bit of time to relax. Though he wanted to shift - not only because the moon was so close, but he was also safer as a wolf - Hydra had tried many times to program him as a wolf, but had mostly failed. Trigger words didn't work on him when he was shifted, though he would still obey commands they gave him.

"After I eat, can I shift?" He looked to Steve, then the medics, who were drifting and checking his vitals and the pod, but mostly giving them privacy.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve smiled, nodding, "Yeah, that was kind of the reason behind waking you up early, give you a chance to shift before you have to, remember how it goes." Not that he thought Bucky had actually forgotten, but he couldn't be sure.

It was also to give him a chance to get used to the balance of three legs, because he didn't really want to think about what the moons had been like for Bucky between the last one they'd had with the Howling Commandos -before everything went to hell- and now.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky smiled, "I think that's the one thing Hydra never managed to make me forget." Though he had forgotten a bit, and had had to work through the programming concerning not ever shifting, but he'd done that in his years of freedom. He took a larger bite of his protein bar, then drew his knees up, testing his body, making sure everything still worked as it should - and it should, he'd only been under not even a month. It was only when he was kept under for more than three or four years at a time that he really got stiff, and when he'd been cryoed for a decade, he'd been almost completely unable to move for a full day afterward.

[doesntrunaway]

"Good." He nodded once, "We might be remanded to the lower garden tomorrow, but that's alright, still plenty of space and I can show you around." He figured that order would mostly depend on how Bucky acted when he shifted today, whether he was violent or not.

Steve didn't think he was going to be, but it was hard to say for sure, and he couldn't entirely rule it out, either.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky watched the medics and scientists for several moments - they were nothing like the ones he'd grown to fear so much in his captivity, but part of him still bristled.

But Steve's here. And with Steve here, his best friend, his packmate, he wasn't afraid of them. Steve would tear them apart before he let them hurt him. "I'm going to shift," he said, stuffing the last bite of the bar into his mouth before roughly chewing and swallowing. He rolled onto his side, facing Steve, then let the moon's phase wash into him. It was so easy, like this, so natural. He took in a breath as a human, and let it out as a wolf. It didn't hurt, with the full moon only another night away, so he stared up at Steve with amber eyes and wagged his tail before sitting up - awkwardly, the loss of his arm - his front leg - so fresh again. He leaned his weight on his other paw, then leaned forward, sniffing Steve and trying to lick him. He whined, just a little, wanting Steve to move closer and pet him.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve's smile just spread, broad and warm, letting Bucky sniff at his hands for a moment before running them both along Bucky's cheeks to scratch gently at the base of his ears, rubbing more than anything, "Hi, there you are."

He jostled Bucky's head gently then before pushing himself up away from his lean against the cot, stripping out of his shirt, "Shove over a little." His own shift was just as smooth, gently kicking his pants out of the way once he'd done so, backing up a half-step to gauge the distance before bounding up onto the cot as well, leaning his head hard against Bucky's side.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky sagged into the touch. It had been so long since he'd been really touched. Hydra had beat him when he shifted, especially on the full moons, until he didn't anymore, but the last time he'd had his ears rubbed, or his cheeks scratched... maybe it had been Steve himself to do it.

He straightened as Steve pulled away, but did indeed scoot over, making room for Steve to bound up onto the cot. He groaned in relief and pushed himself forward, leaning into the push in return, snuffling at Steve thoroughly before Bucky flopped over onto his back. It was easy to submit himself to Steve's natural leadership, but it had never been a thing Steve had ever really used to order him around. He wriggled around on his back, paw curled against his chest, then rolled onto his side and huffed, watching Steve, waiting for him to lay down and curl up as well.

Unlike Steve, who was sleek with his summer coat, Bucky was ragged, half-shed, patches of dark undercoat coming away from the lighter overcoat in huge clumps.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve had only ever used the command voice when strictly necessary, and that was mostly because he'd ended up the leader of the Howlies by default. When they were younger, Bucky had undoubtedly been the leader of the two of them, but that first full moon as a unit, Bucky had bowed to him as well, and that was the end of it.

For the moment, however, he just huffed at the state of Bucky's coat, and as there wasn't much he could do for it in this shape he just stretched out beside the other wolf, pawing at his chest for a moment, finding that stubby wolf claws were good for pulling away the clumps of fur that were already there, but not much else.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky growled lightly at Steve, mostly to get him to stop, already but he leaned up to lick Steve's face anyways. He was lying on his right side, the neat absence of his left leg visible as a glint of metal through the fur, thick scarring making the fur stand up roughly around it. He huffed and groaned, rolling again until he was comfortable, tucked up firmly with Steve. It was nice, just being able to be close to Steve, to have another wolf to curl up with, something other than a human with pain in mind for him. It was enough to make him want to doze off, all warm and comfortable, unafraid of any trigger words that would cause him to hurt another person or were.

[doesntrunaway]

He huffed, something almost exasperated, at the growl, but to his credit he did stop, he'd have to figure out if brushing Bucky was an option later.

He did heave himself over onto his side as well, tail thumping irregularly, but still happy, letting Bucky wriggle up against him, licking the other wolf's muzzle gently, nipping at his ear a moment later, just because he could, affectionate, not trying to start a fight.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky huffed as well, tossed his head, then grabbed a mouthful of Steve's scruff gently before pulling away to lick his chin briefly. Playing like this was fine, and laying like this was comfortable, but the full moon was tomorrow, so he was soon wriggling and trying to right himself, rolling onto his belly and stretching his front paw out, groaning as he stretched. It felt good, after the stiffness of the pod. He looked over at Steve, then stood - carefully, since the cot gave under his paws and he only had three to balance on. So many cats around was a bit nerve-wracking, so many of them were watching him, and wolves were meant to move anyways, right? He wagged his tail, stretched again, then looked towards the door.

[doesntrunaway]

He growled in return to the teeth at his scruff, though it was likewise friendly, just a reminder which of them was supposed to be in charge.

He did, however, roll to his feet again, just sliding easily to the floor, heading towards the door, knowing that it was on a motion sensor and would open when they got near enough. Mostly he trusted that Bucky would follow, and Steve knew the limits of where they could go for the time being.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky hesitated to even step down at first, though, not sure if he trusted himself on three legs. Still, he made his way down carefully, mostly by turning and dropping his back legs over one at a time and then hopping down the rest of the way while narrowly avoiding smacking his chin on the edge of the cot.

He turned, awkwardly, hopping on his front paw, and stared at Steve, tail wagging sheepishly before he started to walk - or more like continued to hop. It was slow, and clumsy, but he kept his eyes on Steve and attempting to catch up. He growled in frustration at himself, but refused to give up so easily.

[doesntrunaway]

He waited patiently for Bucky to get himself righted and catch up, debating going to help but deciding that either Bucky would ask, or make it obvious that he couldn't get any further on his own, but Steve wasn't going to intervene before then, not wanting to be overbearing.

He smiled again once Bucky caught up, tail thumping as he headed for the door, moving slowly enough for Bucky to keep up, even with his uneven new gait, heading immediately outside once he had, butting his head against Bucky's side again briefly before brushing past him, headed for one of the garden fountains.

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky was grateful that Steve waited for him, even as he moved slowly and awkwardly. He wagged his own tail, but had to pause halfway to the next door to catch his breath. He was in shape, but this wasn't something he'd done before. It made his shoulder and back start to hurt a little already. He'd get used to it in time, he knew, but until then...

But outside was so close. He could smell dirt, and green, and water. He took a breath to steady himself, then started hopping again.

Getting outside was a relief and he dropped down to sit in the bare dirt near the fountain. He was panting, and his half-shed coat was hot, but it was just the two of them, which was a relief.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve's tongue lolled at Bucky's throwing himself over, smiling widely, he did drop down as well, but only to paw at Bucky for a moment, still a little concerned with the way he was practically molting and not just shedding normally.

He hesitated only briefly before shifting back himself, pressing a hand gently to the top of Bucky's head as he said, "I'm going to see what I can do about this, okay?"

[make_it_hurt]

Bucky squirmed and whined but wiggled until he had his head in Steve's lap, legs stretched out. He was panting fairly heavily from the exertion, but grinned up at Steve anyways. Having something done about his ratty fur sounded great.

[doesntrunaway]

Steve just smiled again, rubbing at the base of Bucky's ears, though reminding himself a moment later not to treat him like an oversized puppy.

Fingers were definitely better at pulling out those tufts of fur than paws had been, but even then it was slow going, because some of them were matted and not just free to tug out and let blow away.