It lights a tiny fire of anger in Bucky's heart to know how much struggling Steve is concealing behind those few words. He gets given the damaged stock because he can't afford paints of his own, even with working and the grants he gets to go to school. It's not fair, damn it, not for someone like Steve. It's not fair because he was gonna take care of this stuff when he got out, he'd have stuff saved to take care of them both, and-- His brow furrows and he stops, finally looking up to meet Steve's eyes properly.

"I missed you, Steve."

He should have called.

He should have done anything other than what he did, but he hadn't been ready. He still isn't ready, but now the choice has been taken away from him, and maybe that's a good thing. Would he ever have been ready if he'd been left to his own devices? Or would it all just have got too much one day, and he'd have eaten a bullet from the gun he shouldn't have?

"It's kind of complicated, I have a place here in Brooklyn. Becca-- the girls don't know I'm back Stateside."