In all honesty, Steve could survive without him if he had to. He'd done it once before. Watching Bucky fall from the train had been the hardest, most gut wrenching thing in his life. His best friend, watching him disappear from sight and not being able to do anything about it. He'd lived without him once. If he had to, he could do it again.

Damn if he didn't want to have to.

Slowly, Steve nodded his head in understanding. He really did get it. HYDRA. If anyone knew about HYDRA, it was him. Zola. All of it. HYDRA would be the dirty curse word he'd never be able to forget. Still, he doesn't have to like it. And he gets it. Bucky feels like this is where he needs to be. He feels like the others are like him, even if Steve doesn't see it that way. He knows that he has to let Bucky go, but he hates goodbye.

"Sometimes things happen to you. Things you don't get to choose. Things you have to deal with," he says softly. "I get it. It's not easy to move on from, well, things."

Steve shivered, finally lowering his arms to his sides. "Whoever he finds himself to be, at the end of it? I'll be here waiting."