The plane ride to Germany was long and bumpy. All of them cooped up in a cargo hold along with crates full of clinking bottles, all of it rattling as the plane shook with turbulence. Steve and Sam were sitting one one side of the small hold with their backs against crates of wine. Henry and Basil were sat on the other, the ginger somehow asleep despite the noise and the rattling. His head was lolling against a parachute hung on the wall. The thing acting as his makeshift pillow while Sam watched enviously. "How can he sleep?" He exclaimed over the noise. "I feel like I'm about to loose my stomach".

Basil shrugged, strangely quiet through the journey. He too was slightly green with repressed nausea but still he swallowed and opened his mouth. "He can sleep through anything once he gets going. Don't know how he does it. It's unnatural". Steve let out a chuckle and gestured with one hand to Bucky. The man was slumped against the stacks of crates in the centre of the hold, head tilted back and eyes closed. To the casual observer he looked like he was asleep but Basil had seen Bucky asleep dozens of times and he was too still. Breathing too evenly and sitting too still. He knew that Steve had noticed it too but for everyone's sake they pretended like he was sleeping.

Sam pulled a face and groaned. "This is horrible".

"You should have seen the journeys we took back in the war", Steve smiled slightly. He wasn't as nauseas as Sam or Basil but he didn't look too comfortable either, arms crossed over his chest and hood pulled over his head. He sent a slight smile over to Basil and it was returned.

"The boat journey wasn't too bad", Basil muttered.

"The boat was the most restful part of the whole thing", Steve chuckled.

"Yeah. Right at the beginning of it all, before it all went to shit. Straight from London to France. After that it was all long walks, bumpy jeep journeys and don't even mention the zip wires". Basil shifted and grimaced at another bone jolting shudder rumbled through the metal bird.

"What no trains?" Sam asked teasingly.

"Don't talk to me about trains", Bucky's rumbling voice made them all turn to him. He hadn't even moved from his position.

"Jesus I thought you were asleep", Sam jumped. He shot Bucky a glare and Basil giggled.

"Yeah. Let's not talk about trains", he shook his head, internally wincing at the memory of that snowy mountain. "The zip wires though".

Another loud rattling drowned out Steve's snort. "I still think that was revenge for cony island. Very glad I didn't have to do it a second time".

"Oh I don't know", Basil grinned. "A zip wire a thousand feet over a valley in the mountains and straight into the headquarters of hydra. I guess it was fun if you count crashing through a window fun".

"I think I prefer boats", Sam huffed. "You know my parents had a fishing boat. Have nice memories there. You all just have tragic backstories. It's sad man". Basil let out a cackle and Sam shook his head. "Apart from you. You're just naturally crazy".

"The word you're looking for is mad", Basil and Sam shared a grin.

"Half an hour till land!" One of the pilots called back to them.

"Thank god", Sam sighed as he laid his head back against the metal.

"My name is Basil".

"I'm not talking about you". Sam shot him a glare and Basil just grinned. "Besides what did you do anyway?"

"Grace you with my presence?"

Four people snorted in unison. Henry sat up, eyes blinking blearily as he rubbed the sleep from them. "Your presence is never a grace Basil".

"An annoyance maybe", Sam added. Basil gaped at him.

"Oh I see how it is", he huffed dramatically. "You guys just don't appreciate me. After all I've done for you. Don't laugh at me Steve! It's against doctor's orders!"

"Stop being dramatic Parrish", Bucky's voice interrupted with a grumble. Steve began laughing harder, Sam jumping once again and Henry letting out a snort at the shocked expression on Basil's face. Bucky blinked open one eye and the glimmer of ice blue seemed sharp in the gloom. The colour fixing itself on Basil as the long hair curtained his face, cheekbones especially sharp at that angle. Basil felt the traitorous flutter in his chest at the sight. (He felt that even if he spent the rest of his life staring at Bucky Barnes, it would never be enough). Bucky opens his eyes fully, a slight glimmer of humour in them that was painfully familiar. "I might not remember everything but I remember enough to know how much of a little shit you can be".

Basil gasped, gaze flickering over his friends as Sam burst out laughing. "So he's always been like this? Good to know".

"No", Bucky sighed as he sat up. They all felt the slight tilt as the plane began to descend. The man leaned forwards, eyes still fixed on Basil. "Actually I think he might be worse. Before, he was just young. Now he's bitter".

Basil flashed a sharp knife smile. His chest felt strangely hollow, like someone was seeing right through him. "That's want war does to you", he shrugged. "In my case it gave me a great sense of humour".

"Basil", Sam stated with a grin but a seriousness in his voice. "I say this with all my experience running therapy groups, but you're probably one of the most messed up people I know. Not counting the other two super soldiers in this plane. But at least you're not as traumatised as you were two years ago".

"Ouch man. Stop calling me out". Basil pouted then paused. He turned to Bucky with wide gleeful eyes. "Wait so you don't remember anything yet?" Bucky shook his head slightly. "Oh! That means I can tell you all the stupid howling commandos stories for the first time again! Like the one when Steve fell into the"-

Steve coughed pointedly. "Not now Basil".

Henry chuckled. "Actually he told me that one while drunk. It pretty funny".

"If it's that one when Steve fell into the snow pile and couldn't get out for ten minutes then I remember that one", Bucky's voice was deadpan. Basil huffed in disappointment then perked up again.

"What about the one when he saluted you during a battle and you chewed him out so much for giving away your position. I mean, you chased him around the camp for a good twenty minutes at lest".

Bucky frowned. "Actually that one has not come back yet".

"Good. Because that happened about once a week".

"Basil", Steve sighed then he turned to Bucky. "Wait, do you remember the cony island thing when I was seventeen?"

"You threw up everywhere", Bucky let his lips twitch. "Mrs Rogers gave me a hiding for dragging you back half dead. Her and my ma were the most terrifying people on the planet".

"She was so pissed at you", Steve chuckled nostalgically. Bucky nodded then turned to Basil with sad eyes.

"I remember meeting you. I remember being captured with you. What it was like when you were dragged away singing, the sound of your screams. I remember Steve finding us but I don't remember anything after until the next hydra base. I remember snapshots of the commandos, mostly battle. I remember watching you get shot and yet I don't remember how you survived. Saw the books in the museum though. I remember us. Pieces of what we shared. Trading tags and tattoos. More keeps on coming back with time but it's disjointed. I remember the train though and pieces of what happened after". Basil could barely breathe, eyes caught by the blue.

"I remember pieces of what they made me do, of what they did to me. I remember trying to kill you all in DC. I remember the fight in the hanger before you somehow got through to me. I remember a lot", Bucky took a breath. "But there's a lot still missing".

There was silence in the hold. Sam looked awkward and he traded glances with Henry. The moment something the two of them were no part of despite being right there. Steve was glancing between Bucky and Basil with a soft sadness in his eyes. Basil couldn't look away from the blue and it seemed that Bucky was powerless to break it too. For a few silent seconds they just stared at each other. Then Basil smiled. "If you want to know more about the time we shared then you can always ask. But if you don't remember then that is okay. I am not just here for the person I knew. I am here for the person you are now too".

Another short silence before Bucky gave a short nod. Steve sighed. "We're here to the end of the line Buck". Bucky gazed at them both for a second.

"Better buckle up!" The pilot called back, breaking their moment. They all reached for their seatbelts in unison.

"Let's hope Germany goes better than Romania", Sam spoke up as the ground rushed up to meet them. "Because that was a shit show".

Unedited