[ Adrenaline is pumping through Sam's veins, and it's a struggle to wade through it and make sense of what's the physical sensation of a near fight, what's bleeding over from Bucky - and what's the programming humming warm under his touch, cogs bare and ready almost like they were last time, except maybe now with the strain of confusion.
He remembers the last time he saw them, when he smoothed a hand over them like he was petting them, encouraging them to slide back to work and burying them underneath the snow in Bucky's mind. And he knows - he knows it was their decision, knows they didn't have much choice, knows that Bucky's heart beats with his and on some days there is no difference between the two of them, knows he shouldn't let Rumlow get to him -
But he hates himself anyway, just for a moment. Lets himself acknowledge that he shouldn't be able to find anything redeeming about what he's doing, that it makes him a little bit of a monster that he can. That he's doing it anyway.
Then he grabs hold of the places where their brood bond is wrapped up in the programming and pulls, gentle but firm, demanding its attention. Finds the places they'd changed last time and presses on them a little more, whispers you can move, you can tell people no to reinforce them.
And makes sure Rumlow's completely gone before he speaks the next part out loud as well as over their mental link. ]
Rumlow's not your handler anymore. He can't give you orders, and he has no control over you.
no subject
He remembers the last time he saw them, when he smoothed a hand over them like he was petting them, encouraging them to slide back to work and burying them underneath the snow in Bucky's mind. And he knows - he knows it was their decision, knows they didn't have much choice, knows that Bucky's heart beats with his and on some days there is no difference between the two of them, knows he shouldn't let Rumlow get to him -
But he hates himself anyway, just for a moment. Lets himself acknowledge that he shouldn't be able to find anything redeeming about what he's doing, that it makes him a little bit of a monster that he can. That he's doing it anyway.
Then he grabs hold of the places where their brood bond is wrapped up in the programming and pulls, gentle but firm, demanding its attention. Finds the places they'd changed last time and presses on them a little more, whispers you can move, you can tell people no to reinforce them.
And makes sure Rumlow's completely gone before he speaks the next part out loud as well as over their mental link. ]
Rumlow's not your handler anymore. He can't give you orders, and he has no control over you.