“What,” Bucky said.
“We believe that the number of hearts that appear over his head corresponds with how much he likes a person,” Natasha explained.
Something hot twisted in Bucky’s chest. He viciously suppressed it. Thankfully, he had a lot of practice at viciously suppressing negative emotions. “So he’s in love with Sam.”
He wasn’t surprised. Emotionally devastated, yes, but not really surprised. If anyone deserved Steve’s love, it was Sam.
“Well, no,” Natasha said. When Bucky tore his gaze from the holovid to look at her, she shrugged one shoulder. “At least, not as much as he loves the rest of us. We all average between seven to nine hearts, depending on his mood or how pissed he is. Tony got the lowest number after an argument, but he still got five.” She paused, then added smugly, “I got ten once.”
“Oh,” said Bucky.
“Dr. Strange says it should wear off in a day or two,” Natasha said, consolingly.
“Oh,” Bucky repeated. His mind was curiously blank. Not that that was an uncommon occurrence, all things considered.
Natasha, thankfully, had an unending well of patience. “He wants to see you,” she said, guiding.
Bucky hesitated by the door. He told himself, sternly, that he couldn’t expect more from Steve, not when Steve had already given up so much for him. All he needed was between seven to nine hearts, at least more than five.
And if he only got one heart, that would be more than he deserved.
So he swallowed down his stupid fear, opened the door, and said, quietly, “Hey, Steve.”
Steve’s head snapped up. “Wait—” he said, and Bucky had a moment to see the whites go all around those baby blues before the room virtually exploded with little pink hearts. Dozens and dozens and dozens of them, until there was easily more than a hundred, likely more than two hundred, swirling around the room like a whirlwind of cherry blossom petals.
“Oh my god,” Bucky said, strangled.
“Oh my god,” Steve said, horrified.
Bucky laughed. He doubled over, clutched his stomach, and laughed, straight from his belly.
“Oh my god, shut up,” Steve said, wading through the hearts so that he could grab Bucky by the shoulders. The hearts crowded around his bright red face, and Bucky had to prop himself up against the wall, coughing with uncontrollable laughter.
“Don’t be such a jerk,” Steve said, irritably waving away the hearts that kept bumping into his face.
“Steve,” Bucky gasped. “Really? Really?”
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