Chapter Text
Bucky wiped Steve’s fevered forehead in the hopes it would cool Steve down.
Steve had been feeling down lately (had more trouble walking up to their home, when his wings were out he had trouble taking flight, and he wasn’t eating as he usually did) and Bucky had noticed but Steve said it was nothing. Like the trusting idiot Bucky was he didn’t say anything about it until Steve had fallen down when he did his daily wing stretch.
Steve had weakly tried to scold Bucky for being a queen bee but soon he was holding his stomach and groaning with pain. The fever had started in full strength about two clicks after that.
Bucky carded his hands through Steve wet hair. He looked down to make sure Steve had his eyes closed then closed his eyes. He calmed his mind, and he felt down deep in himself for the magic he knew was there. The warm feeling that was his magic was pulsating and jumping around and Bucky took in a deep breath. He touched it and molded it into a form of a Steve’s paints. He held the image for a moment before he took another breath and moved his magic from inside him through his center through his arm then down his fingers spreading like light feathers into Steve.
He opened his eyes and saw the soft pink afterglow of his magic working down Steve. Steve coughed once, then twice before his breathing softened and evened out. His hands were no longer clenching his stomach and his face had softened into one of peaceful sleep then of pain.
Bucky let out a tired sigh. Using his magic always made him tired but it was worth making Steve feel better for at least a short time his magic worked.
He never told Steve that he had healing magic. Actually, he never told Steve he had magic at all. Steve just assumed that like him he just didn’t have some things that other fairies did. Bucky never said anything because he never wanted to be a Healer.
His mother always told him he should go be a Healer but he never wanted that. He saw how tired and how haunted the Healers became after using their magic up so frequently. He had heard of the stories of Healers using up all their magic leaving them feeling empty and alone. He also read that when that happened most Healers had left the hive and never been seen again.
He didn’t want or need that. He made his mother promise she would tell no one of his ability and she didn’t understand but had honored his wishes until her death.
Bucky also didn’t tell Steve because Steve would make a fuss about him helping him. Bucky never used his healing on Steve for little things like when Steve scraped his knees or cut his fingers on some leaves. When he got this bad though Bucky quietly did what he had to help Steve.
He felt guilty sometimes for healing Steve without his permission but when he saw how much faster Steve got better after he used his magic he couldn’t feel too bad about it.
He turned as he heard a crash outside. He walked towards their window and moved aside their old rose petal curtains given to them by Steve’s mom after her death. He gasped at what he saw.
There were fairies running and flying everywhere quickly ducking into any opening they could find.
Bucky’s stomach fell to the floor wondering what was happening. He jumped as their front door was slammed opened. Sam flew in closing the door with his silver wings before putting weight on the door. He looked behind himself at Bucky and said in deadly seriousness, “Do you have a shelter?”
It took Bucky a moment before he nodded. “Yeah.” He looked down at Steve then back to Sam. “What’s happening?”
Sam shook his head as he held on to the door harder. “First get us to the shelter then we’ll talk.”
Bucky nodded his head before grabbing the water box before awkwardly throwing Steve over his shoulder. Steve groaned and lightly hit Bucky on his back but Bucky ignored that as he went to the far off corner and put all his weight on the corner once, paused, then once again he put weight. His heart pounded wondering if he had it wrong and there wasn’t a shelter underneath there after all and-
The floor finally opened downward and Bucky quickly kicked the top to the side finally opening it up. He looked to Sam and nodded his head towards the opening.
“Here it is.”
Sam didn’t look at him. He looked like he was listening for something before he nodded and finally looked at Bucky. He let go of the door and ran to the opening grabbing the box of water from Buck's grip. He didn’t hesitate as he jumped down into it. He turn around and held his hands out for Steve.
“Give him to me.” Bucky hesitated but Sam gave him an impatient look before stressing, “I got this Buck. Hurry.”
Bucky nodded his head and silently scolded himself for being an idiot then handed a moaning Steve down to Sam. Sam got him and held him securely as he moved down the shelter. Bucky looked over and saw the blanket on the spare bed that was once his. They had no other furniture and they thought at least the bed would be good for something rather than gathering dust in the room not being used.
He jumped and grabbed it real quick while Sam was yelling at him to get into the shelter. He turned and quickly dove right into the opening and closed the shelter tight and secure.
He turned expecting to be in darkness but what he saw was the soft pink glow of his magic slowly working its way through Steve.
Sam was looking at Steve with a strange look before looking up at Bucky. “Who did this?”
Bucky could only stare with his mouth wide open. He didn’t know what he was going to say. He closed his lips then gathered his wits about him as he heard Steve start to cough.
“Tell me what’s happening first then I’ll tell you.”
Sam glared at him hard before answering tersely, “Humans with fairy technology.”
“Didn’t the Nightwatchers spot them?”
Sam made a dismissive clicking noise. “Those idiots didn’t do anything until the damn humans were in perfect sight of us.” He carded his hands through Steve hair watching as the magic grew brighter and darker were his hands touched Steve. “I was on my way to T’Challa’s to talk about how his people use their gems to heal people and somehow build their forest.” Sam looked up and asked, “Who did this?”
Bucky chewed on his lip trying to think up a good lie. He couldn’t tell him that another Healer used their magic since Sam was the head of their Healer sector and knew everyone and their magic. Sam also knew Bucky and Steve couldn’t afford Healer at the moment because Bucky told him that just yesterday.
He really didn’t want to tell the truth but he didn’t see a way out of it.
“I did.”
Sam stared at him for a moment before asking just as serious and just a tad peeved. “I’m serious Bucky who did this?”
Bucky glared and rolled his eyes before taking a sit by Sam. He maneuvered Steve onto his lap despite Sam’s disgruntled complaints. He laid Steve’s head on his lap then started to card his hands through his hair like he had before.
The pink hue of his magic started to burn brighter and even looked like it was moving in circles wherever his hands were.
He looked at Sam but Sam still looked unconvinced.
Bucky sighed then moved himself where he was comfortable. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He tried loosening up his shoulders but he at this point he was so tense it wasn’t going to happen and he knew it. He took another deep breath then once again reached inside himself for the warm feeling of his magic. He found it and it wasn’t as bright or was moving as much as it did before but it was there. He took in another deep breath then started to shape his magic into the little pendant his mother gave to him right before her death. He held that image until his magic solidified then he moved it from his center to arm then to his fingers like he did before but this time when his magic left him and entered Steve it felt like little snowflakes were leaving his fingers.
He sagged forward as his energy was sapped from him. He had never used too much energy in one setting. He opened his eyes and stared at a slacked jawed Sam.
“Holy Queen-“
“I know.” Bucky started rubbing his neck. It was hurting more than a second ago and it was bothering him to know end.
“Hey,” Sam grabbed Bucky’s hand. Sam rolled his hands until his palms were opened for all to see. Sam put his thumbs at the bottom of Bucky’s hand were the meat of the hand was. He softly massaged right at the bottom. Bucky didn’t know what was happening but it suddenly his neck wasn’t hurting so much.
Sam massaged his hand for a moment longer before asking for the other. Bucky didn’t flinch at the request just thrust his hand at Sam. Sam laughed before doing what he was did before.
After Sam was done he let go of his hand and let it unceremoniously fall onto Steve’s face.
Bucky’s eye popped opened and he started petting Steve in the vain attempt to stop him from waking. When Steve didn’t even flinch and even started to snore lightly, Bucky looked up in surprise at Sam. Sam smiled wide at him before laughing.
“Don’t act so surprised. The amount of magic you just used would put anyone to sleep.”
Bucky looked down at the now snoring at his normal loud level Steve.
“Will he be okay?”
Sam snorted. “Yeah, he will.” Sam looked over at Bucky in silence. Bucky knew questions were coming by the searching look Sam was giving him. “So, you’re a Healer?”
Bucky tensed up. “No, I have magic that happens to heal.”
“So, you’re a Healer.”
Bucky looked Sam dead in the eye and Sam’s smile quickly died on his lips. “No, I have some magic that I sometimes use to help Steve. That is all I do.”
Sam gulped and looked away. Bucky felt a little vicious sense of pride for making Sam uncomfortable.
“Where’d you learn?”
Bucky didn’t let up on his stare. “My father was a Healer. When my mom found out I had the gift she taught me some of what he told her.”
Sam finally looked up at Bucky. “Why didn’t he-“
Bucky finally looked down. He started to lightly pet Steve’s hair making Steve start to hum ever so quietly. Bucky smiled at that.
“He was a Wanderer.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Sam didn’t say anything more after that and Bucky was grateful. He did not want to talk about his healing magic to the one person who could forcibly force him into becoming a Healer.
They stayed in silence until finally after what seemed like forever they heard the loud stop of a foot then a muffled, “Bipeds gone.”
Sam opened and got out first then awkwardly stood at the mouth of the opening. Bucky looked at him before rolling his eyes and offering a still sleeping Steve to him. It was harder getting Steve out then in but Sam had him out without too many scrapes and bruises on Steve’s part.
With the help of his wings Bucky got a powerful jump up. He landed on his stomach and pulled himself from there. He dusted himself off and turned then jumped a bit when he saw how close Sam was.
Sam offered up Steve for Bucky to take but Bucky just shook his head and pointed to their bedroom. Sam nodded and left to put Steve down.
Bucky closed and locked the shelter leaving the box of water down there for the next emergency. He closed his eyes as he got up from his haunches. He rubbed his tired eyes and wished for this night to be over.
He looked over as Sam came out of the door and awkwardly stood and stared at him.
Bucky didn’t need this right now but he had to at least know if he was going to be transferred tomorrow or not.
“So, going to transfer me to the Healing sector tomorrow?”
Sam looked surprised at his questions before looking offended. “No. You said you didn’t want to be a Healer so you won’t be.”
Bucky shrugged. “If you say so boss.”
Sam glared at him before closing his eyes with a big bone weary sigh then opening them up again. “Look I won’t say anything okay? To anyone or Steve,” Bucky raised an eyebrow and Sam snorted, “Don’t act like he doesn’t know. He’s the one who told me he finally one upped you on something.” Sam looked down then brought his hands to his hips. Bucky then noticed how tense his silver wings were and he chalked his unobservantness to being so tired. “Just next time we hang out we have to talk about this Buck.”
Bucky didn’t know what to say about that but he nodded just to get Sam out. He wanted to sleep and if agreeing to a meeting he was never going to go to was going to have Sam then so be it.
Sam stared at him for a second before nodding.
“Sorry for crashing here. Had nowhere else to go.”
Bucky shrugged. “No problem and anytime.”
Sam looked unsurely at Bucky and asked, “You sure?”
Bucky smiled. “For sure.” He didn’t add that he considered Sam more Steve’s friend and that if Sam suddenly stopped coming he would have to deal with a lot of awkward questions from Steve and he really didn’t need that in his life.
Sam nodded once then twice before clapping his hands. “Okay, I’ll just head out then.”
Bucky waved with one hand and said, “See yah.”
Sam did the same thing and quickly left.
Bucky went and locked the door. He walked into the kitchen and blew out the candles that were there before sludging his way to the bedroom. Bucky laughed at the site before him. Steve had taken over the bed again. He was even drooling on the side of his mouth making a poodle of spittle right by his head. Bucky just shook his head and entered the bed with a few shoves.
When he was comfortable he grabbed Steve by the wrist and checked his pulse. He closed his eyes and let the rhythm of Steve’s pulse lull him to sleep.