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He feels his presence everywhere. He knows Steve’s always around, looking after him wherever he goes, like a silent shadow, a guardian angel trying to protect him, either he wants it or not. And Bucky definitely doesn’t.
It goes on for weeks until, tired of pretending he’s not aware of Steve costantly stalking him, Bucky finally reacts to this.
One day he shoves him against the wall of a blind alley, so rough it cracks under Steve’s weight.
"You have to stop it. Stop following me. What is it that you want?"
"I want my friend back." the answer is so simple, yet so hard for him to understand. He doesn’t remember this man, he can’t be his friend, he’s suppose to kill him. He should have killed him already. And yet he didn’t.
"I can’t be who you want me to be, I’m not the guy you knew. Your Bucky’s dead."
His metal fist closes tight on Steve’s shirt, breath heavy, cold blue eyes gazing upon his mouth hesitantly. There’s something familiar in it.
"Whoever I was, it doesn’t matter. I’m not your friend. Not anymore."
There’re few minutes of silence, and Bucky hopes he’s taken the hint by now.
"You’re not now, but you will be eventually." Steve says, determination thick in his voice, a stubborn attitude Bucky feels he recognizes. He’s seen it so many times before, he just doesn’t remember it.
"I won’t give up on you. I let you fall off that cliff once but I’m here now, and I’m ready to pick you up this time."
He grabs Bucky’s face with both hands, the unexpected touch making him startle.
"I am right on your side, Bucky. and as long as we’re togheter we can fix this. You may not believe me now, but someday you will."
Steve struggles against his desire to pull Bucky closer, to hug him tight as he always used to. He lets Bucky go, and he just walks away. But Steve’s not going too far; as he just said, he’s not gonna quit Bucky, that’s never gonna happen.