William had tugged on a new pair of sweatpants and a white tank top, the only clean clothes he had left. 

His hair was dripping wet as he stepped out of the bathroom, refusing to look into the mirror any longer than necessary. He didn't like the face staring back at him.

Wanda was still curled up on the same spot as she was before, Dog on the other hand was standing up from her spot next to the door. It warmed his heart to realize she had been waiting for him behind the door. He slid his fingers through Dog's dark fur, eyes darting towards the half full food bowl near his bed. Someone had fed his dog while he had been passed out. He didn't like that, looking her over to make sure she wasn't showing any signs of being poisoned.

She just sat on his feet, wagging her fluffy tail as she stared up at him.

"Would you like something to drink as well? The boys are making some sandwiches downstairs, they're wondering if you want coffee or water or something?"

He dragged his gaze from Dog, looking at the woman across the room.

"No."

He said simply, walking towards the couch to sit on the other side as he had done before.

"Hope you like the room, Tony went all out again."

Will scowled, looking around once again. He didn't like it, it was too much space. He was still slightly confused as to why he was in this room and not locked up. Especially after what had happened. This whatever it was they were doing, didn't sit well with him either. Giving him back his things, letting him sleep on the bed, asking him if he's good with sandwiches. It was wrong.

"No."

He answered Wanda, there was no point in lying. Her eyes widened at that, a smirk pulling on the corners of her lips.

"Well, they kind of want to talk to you, is that alright?"

They may want to speak with him, but Will didn't feel much like talking to them. What would he say? What was there to say anyways? They'd seen him, what he had turned into. They had witnessed the hideous beast he was, he didn't want to face anyone, especially them. 

"No." 

"Is that your to-go answer to everything?" She asked with a small smile to ease the tension. 

He was a bit loss of words, so he just shook his head and slowly moved over to the couch to sit down. 

"You can leave the room if you wish although most of the doors are voice activated and I'm afraid you don't have access to those. If you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer those and if I'm not near, tell FRIDAY to contact me."

There was nothing but sincerity in her voice, but she did keep looking down at her phone which caused him to feel on edge a little. 

"Well, I think you are gonna have to talk to one of them." she said sympathetically, glancing up from her phone. A jolt of anxiety ran through him when Wanda stood up, folding together the fluffy blanket to rest it on the armchair. 

A knock on the door made him stand up as well. He watched as Wanda threw him another sympathetic glance as she strolled towards the door, all the while William backed off towards the bed again. Feeling on guard as she opened the door and greeted the man. Refusing to stay between the two as a barrier, she slipped out and out of Will's sight. 

William could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on ends as they were now left alone. 

Steve Rogers stood on the doorway, looking unsure if he should take a step in or not. Although the cotton grey shirt he was wearing wasn't that tight, it still showed off his muscles. Will could see an outline of a phone on the front pockets of his yeans. His eyes trailed down towards Steve's ankles, realizing the fabric of the jeans was too loose there to detect any weapons or knives to be exact. He couldn't detect any guns on his person, but a small pocket knife would definitely be well hidden there.

"I'm Steve."

His voice hadn't changed at all, making William raise his brows in surprise. The expression on his face was fleeting before an emotionless façade slipped on place once again.

"I was hoping we could talk." he said slowly, tilting his head as he offered Will a friendly smile and raised a glass of apple juice and a plate with sandwiches a bit higher.

Dog's nose twitched as she scented the air, looking towards Steve. She pranced towards him with her fluffy tail wagging behind her as she walked up to the man.

"May I come in?" he couldn't help the smile that stretched over his face as he looked down at the excited dog. At least someone was happy to see him, or more likely, the food he brought.

When he looked back up at William, the smile on his face slowly faded. The corners of his lips were pressed into a tight line, a hard look sending daggers his way. His steel eyes were cold and filled with disdain as they scanned Steve from head to toe, settling on his gaze.

Will wasn't sure what to say. The truth was, a little part of him he wanted to talk to Steve. Wanted to ask... He didn't even know what. There was such a loud silence between them, the air was thick with tension and before William could give him his final answer, Steve stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

He was not going to allow Will to kick him out, not this time. The knowledge made Will's eye twitch in agitation, but Steve completely ignored him as he headed towards the sofas to place the food down on the table.

"Come on, we've got a lot to unpack here."

He said, seriousness sweeping into his voice as he went to sit on the couch Wanda had occupied not that long ago. His posture was a bit rigid, his shoulder pushed back and elbows resting on his muscular thighs.

William hadn't stopped studying his features ever since he took a step into the room. The man was a stranger, yet he felt like home and hell at the same time. The colour of his hair matched his, the glistening blue of his eyes held wisdom beyond his years, or at least the years he looked.

Steve's eyes were like the midday sky, while Williams had a hint of silver in his.

After a painstakingly long, silent moment, William sat down. He could immediately tell that it made Steve relax. His shoulders slumped slightly, as if the tension slowly flowed out of his body.

"Would you feel better if... If Bucky was here, too?" it was a valid question. He was more familiar with the other man, had had more time to get used to his presence in the room, in his personal space. Steve was new, still somewhat a stranger. Not that Bucky was even an acquaintance.

"We thought it was better not to overwhelm you, but if you feel as though he makes you feel safer, we can call him here." Steve wasn't jealous or mad, his goal was to make William feel as comfortable as possible. To make sure he felt safe. They had a lot to make up for, a lot to unravel. Although Bucky had way better understanding of Williams reluctance and confusion, Steve knew he needed to step in.

He couldn't be standing on the sidelines forever.

"It's okay." his voice was almost a whisper, unsure if that was the right answer, if he was even supposed to have an opinion on such a trivial thing. On anything at all really.

He looked at Steve cautiously, his hand on the armrest, ready to run should the need arise.

William was terrified of Steve. He was unsure of how he was supposed to act. The serenity he had felt before after having woken up from a quite pleasant dream had vanished long ago. His mind was once again buzzing, telling him to run and disappear. To turn away from the man who was supposedly his... brother. It felt wrong, as if it was a cruel trick. 

Steve on the other hand seemed patient as if he had all the time in the world. He was studying William, his eyes roaming over every inch of his face, lingering on almost invisible scars for a moment too long every once in a while. He carefully rested his chin on his knuckles, subconsciously leaning closer to his younger brother who looked as if it pained him physically to be there. It hurt Steve, but he'd gone through it once with Bucky, the hesitance, the suspicion and fear of any kind of contact. 

He can do it again. And this time, he wasn't alone. 

"How are you feeling?" he rumbled quietly, giving him time to answer. Letting him know that although it may not seem like it, this conversation was going to be on Williams terms. 

Williams mind went into error. How was he feeling? What did it matter how he felt. Or what did he mean by that question exactly? Was he obligated to answer? What were the rules? What was he supposed to reply to that? If he followed his training, he would have to stay quiet until he found a way to dispose of himself or the enemy. But he had already gone rogue, the rules didn't apply to him anymore. He realized that to break the training that had been installed into his brain, he had to go against everything he had been taught and do the exact opposite. Ask a question of his own. 

"What do you want?" 

It was perhaps a bit too cold and unnecessarily harsh, but Will didn't know any better. His tone  didn't seem to discourage Steve at all. In fact, he seemed pleased, perking up at his question. 

"I wish to be there for you. I wish for you to accept my help and tell me what happened. Now, what is it that you want?" 

The air between them was thin and tense, it was a dangerous line Steve was walking. 

"I want to be free." 

The words poured out of him, it was an easy answer. And he wondered if, perhaps, he had been too willing to answer his question. The sympathy in Steve's eyes made Will curious. 

"You will be, that, I can promise you." He made sure that  William could read the promise in his eyes. Steve would rather die than let anyone else hurt him, in fact, he already had a certain someone waiting for him in a cell. A certain someone who had nearly fucked it up. Daniel White will need to answer to Steve personally for his actions. 

William had a hard time believing his words, so, he stayed silent. 

"I like your dog, where did you get her?" 

It was a harmless question, just something to try and make Will feel more at ease. And truth be told, Steve was curious as to where did he pick up the animal, or was she too a part of some type of HYDRA experiment? he wouldn't put it beyond them to use pets in their experiments too. 

"Highway."

The simple word made Steve's heart hurt as he looked down at the dog who had rested her head on Will's lap, her eyes closed as he slid his fingers through her fur, the gesture seeming to calm down the both of them. 

"How long have you been on the run for?" 

"I don't know."

In truth, Will didn't even know what month it was. He also wasn't a fan of Steve's intense gaze nor his soft voice. It was too unfamiliar. 

He nodded in understanding. 

"Do you... do you remember me?" 

Hesitance creeped into his voice as he detected Will balling his hand into a fist. A sore subject, an uncomfortable one by the looks of it. But Steve had to know what he was dealing with, how much damage he had to fix, how much of it was fixable. He had seen the recognition before, had noticed it briefly in his glacier eyes. For a mere moment, Steve thought he wasn't going to get an answer, but he did, and that was a better one than he would have dared to hope. 

"Somewhat." 

Maybe they were just planted memories in his mind, and maybe this Steve was just a HYDRA soldier and that was all one big test. But maybe they were indeed brothers. But even if they were, to William, Steve was a complete stranger. And after being on his own, having tasted the freedom, he wouldn't let anyone take it away, may it be a soldier or his own brother who was merely a hazy memory from times long forgotten. 

"Good, we can work with that. Is there something you need to make you feel more comfortable here? Any books? Some cards?"

"Weapons."

The answer was instant, although he doubted that was what Steve had in mind, it was the answer he was going to get. The disappointment was imminent but it was overshadowed with a gentle look as Steve's shoulders slumped slightly.  

 "You won't need weapons here, I can protect you. We can protect you. Bucky and I." he paused for a moment before adding "and Sam, too." 

Will didn't know who this Sam was, but if Steve claimed that the three of them could protect him, than it meant that this Sam person knew of his existence. 

Besides, wasn't what had happened in the lab proof enough that William simply couldn't let his guard down? He hadn't expected anyone to come marching in and save him, William didn't need saving. He had learned long ago that heroes didn't exist, not in the world where he lived in. Everyone just had to save themselves, because no one would be there to really fight on his side when it came to being safe. 

So, no, William had no faith in Steve or Bucky or even this Sam person. 

"I don't need your protection. I need you to let me go and never seek me out again."

It was the longest sentence yet, and Steve wished it had been anything but that. He looked away, his eyes hardening. Like hell he would let William be alone now. 

"I am sorry." 

Will understood what he was sorry for, even though it was disappointing, he really hadn't had much faith in Steve to let him go free and forget about him completely. 

"I am sorry, too." 

Steve glanced over at him with questioning eyes, staying silent to let him continue. 

"Because whatever it is you're hoping to get out of this, won't happen. The person you used to know, the person I might have been back then died a long time ago."

To Will's confusion, Steve simply offered him a small smile and stood up all the while shaking his head. 

"I truly think that you and Buck have a lot to talk about. But perhaps tomorrow." He offered him no other explanation as he bid him goodnight and left him alone with Dog. 

A/N 

Hello! How have you all been? I've been quite busy lately, it's my last year in uni, so, I have a lot of assignments. Also, we finished shooting our first music video a few days ago and I'm super excited for it! 

Anyways, I've been super busy and it will get busier so I'm sorry if it seems as thought I'm not paying my books that much attention anymore. But don't you worry, I'll always come back to my boy Will and you all. 

Stay safe everyone!

Sincerely

- K