[ Sam's vision prickles and blurs; he can't tell if he's seeing the Soldier leaving or if he's feeling his broodmate's presence get more distant. Everything shifts together, pain and the staggering sense of loss - himself or Bucky or both -
But something tips, and even he's not sure if it's because the Soldier is putting distance between them or because his searching finally led him to their brood bond. Both, maybe, maybe the feeling of home called out to him more strongly when the distance started to make separation more clear.
Sam rolls into their shared link, slipping under and it's not so much that he's suddenly himself again, it's - safe, he's safe. There's room to breathe, to sort out what's here and what's not, where he is and where Bucky should be.
To feel Bucky's absence and miss it with just as much strength, but know what he needs to do to get it back.
They've been through this before. It doesn't matter how much the programming tries to burn, how hard it tries to knock them down and kick him out - they're stronger. They'll always be stronger, and Sam should have known better than to try to take it on without using their bond.
There's a surge of panic as he feels the Soldier moving even further away from him, but he pushes through it as he struggles to his feet.
He takes off, doing his best to stay out of Bucky's mind and chase the Soldier down just based on his sense of where his broodmate is - but it's hard, and he slips in and out as he tries to steady himself. ]
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But something tips, and even he's not sure if it's because the Soldier is putting distance between them or because his searching finally led him to their brood bond. Both, maybe, maybe the feeling of home called out to him more strongly when the distance started to make separation more clear.
Sam rolls into their shared link, slipping under and it's not so much that he's suddenly himself again, it's - safe, he's safe. There's room to breathe, to sort out what's here and what's not, where he is and where Bucky should be.
To feel Bucky's absence and miss it with just as much strength, but know what he needs to do to get it back.
They've been through this before. It doesn't matter how much the programming tries to burn, how hard it tries to knock them down and kick him out - they're stronger. They'll always be stronger, and Sam should have known better than to try to take it on without using their bond.
There's a surge of panic as he feels the Soldier moving even further away from him, but he pushes through it as he struggles to his feet.
He takes off, doing his best to stay out of Bucky's mind and chase the Soldier down just based on his sense of where his broodmate is - but it's hard, and he slips in and out as he tries to steady himself. ]