[ There's a sharp inhale as their borders dissolve, like breathing in cold air after surfacing from being underwater just this side of too long and getting reminded of how much you need it, like waking up the morning after your first night with someone you love and realizing they're still there, that you want them to still be there every morning for the rest of your life.
There's no space between them anymore, but there doesn't ever need to be. It's easy like this, easy to breathe, to let himself experience the memories that Bucky flips through and trips over without getting stuck on them. ]
(It's hard, sunshine, I know it's hard. But you can do this.) [ You can do anything, I believe in you.
He can feel the parts of Bucky asking him to stay, telling him not to leave, and there's an answer without him even having to think it.
Always. Never.
Bucky wants, and their brood bond lights up with Sam's encouragement. He doesn't say a word, but his mind murmurs you're so good, you're doing so good god I love you so much with the sensation of a hand running through his hair, fingertrips trailing over his wrist to play with the charm on his bracelet.
It's harder to sort himself out enough to form words, coherent thoughts, to use the brood bond the way they planned, but he manages. ]
(It's okay to want.) [ The programming is still vulnerable, humming and ready to be shifted, just a little, and Sam - he knows that Bucky's spiraling, that he's overwhelmed with all of it, but they have to do this. ] (It's okay to say no, to me or anyone else. It's okay to say yes, to have a preference.)
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There's no space between them anymore, but there doesn't ever need to be. It's easy like this, easy to breathe, to let himself experience the memories that Bucky flips through and trips over without getting stuck on them. ]
( It's hard, sunshine, I know it's hard. But you can do this. ) [ You can do anything, I believe in you.
He can feel the parts of Bucky asking him to stay, telling him not to leave, and there's an answer without him even having to think it.
Always. Never.
Bucky wants, and their brood bond lights up with Sam's encouragement. He doesn't say a word, but his mind murmurs you're so good, you're doing so good god I love you so much with the sensation of a hand running through his hair, fingertrips trailing over his wrist to play with the charm on his bracelet.
It's harder to sort himself out enough to form words, coherent thoughts, to use the brood bond the way they planned, but he manages. ]
( It's okay to want. ) [ The programming is still vulnerable, humming and ready to be shifted, just a little, and Sam - he knows that Bucky's spiraling, that he's overwhelmed with all of it, but they have to do this. ] ( It's okay to say no, to me or anyone else. It's okay to say yes, to have a preference. )