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[bottledblond]

Not every universe in the far and wide cosmos is as lucky (however unlucky itself that seems) to encounter Thanos during a time where people live who can do something about it. Steve Rogers, a particular version of Steve Rogers who had only just suffered through his first night of basic training in New Jersey as part of the Army’s Project Rebirth and thus had not yet become Captain America, bent to untie his shoes and saw his hands begin to disintegrate. He doesn’t panic, panicking is for people who do not live like every breath is their last. Instead, he blinks in surprise as the barracks fill with shouting. He has time to contemplate two things. One, he wishes he’d done more with his life. And two, he hopes Bucky will do all right.

He’s still thinking about that last issue when he exhales his last in a universe where Captain America never existed and finishes it bent over in the ruins of the barracks, roof half open to the sky and walls a burnt and ashy gray.

It takes him an hour to get to the road and by then, his asthma is already getting the best of him. He blacks out for the second time ‘that day’ and wakes up staring at the ceiling of what is obviously a hospital.

It just doesn’t sound or smell like a hospital. Sure. People are running around and yelling, but it smells painfully clean, artificially so, and there are machines he’s never seen before connected by wires to his body. He does the thing people should never do and yanks them loose. The machines squawk strangely and frantically and Steve is almost out of bed when two large men in green pajamas force him back.

Nothing makes sense to him for days. People come to talk to him, to find out who he is and who his family is. Evidently Steve Rogers is a popular name, because they bring in more people to talk to him, to ask him questions about his life, but no one has any answers.

He explodes, as he’s wont to do when frustrated, demands answers, but nothing they say makes sense.

By then, the war is over. Not World War II, which has evidently been over for over half a century, but this new war. And Bucky Barnes had been told of his presence. Steve is in bed, arms crossed, looking dour and getting an infusion of something that honestly is helping him breathe better when Bucky bursts into his now private room. It’s been two months

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[woundedwinter]

He breathes out through his nose, taking a moment to think. He's got decades of old HYDRA secrets locked away in his head, contacts and safe houses. "It wouldn't surprise me. Look, I need to make some calls and check a few things. If they're moving, I'll find out."

"Have them send me what they've collected."

So much for living quietly with Steve, but he gets the feeling his best friend would be happier in the thick of things, serum or no.

Bucky glances back at the bedroom. He may be planning something that Sam will object to, but he's objected to a lot already. What's one more thing?

[bottledblond]

Steve is still asleep. He’s moved over to the spot that Bucky had left and has one foot hanging out of the covers with his arms around the other man’s pillow. It’s been a tough, long day for him and not even pancakes or coffee would rouse him.

It would give Bucky time to make his calls before he woke up Steve, though it may be the last time he has this sort of privacy. Steve certainly can be nosey.

[woundedwinter]

Bucky makes calls in Russian, German and even French as he walks the small apartment. Sure he glances in to watch Steve as he sleeps, silent as a panther, but only to watch over him.

Maybe. Maybe he can make this work.

Eventually he calls Sam back with a plan. He knows HYDRA secrets but not all of them. However they do know someone who does.

Bucky sits on the edge of the bed, reaching to touch Steve's shoulder. He's warm and peaceful and a part of him wants to curl back up with him. "C'mon sleepy. Revelie happened a while back."

[bottledblond]

Steve had reached up wrap his fingers around Bucky’s thumb. They’re rough, long and thin. They’re the hands of a kid that grew up hard and malnourished, who worked however he could when he was terribly sick. After the serum, they’d become something else. No softer, but so much larger than Bucky’s, and so much stronger too. He’d been able to pull him up, prop him up—

Now, the weight is all back on Bucky’s shoulders, even if one is made of metal.

The mention of being late to role call, even if he’d only been through it once over two months ago, has blue eyes flying open. He’s halfway up when he realizes where he is and that Bucky is just being an ass. He gives the man’s hand a playfully annoyed shove and sits up further.

“I was having this dream that the pancakes came to life and were speaking to me in German,” he murmurs. “What time is it?”

[woundedwinter]

Steve was always the stronger of them. For now Bucky can take the weight as he starts to sketch out plans in his head. He laughs as Steve shoves him. "That's probably because you heard me on the phone. Go on and eat up and shower, we got work to do."

While Steve eats and he eats (again) he tells him about Siberia and the other soldiers as well as the ones they've been tracking.

"I have some contacts within HYDRA we can talk to."

[bottledblond]

“Uh...” Steve lowers the fork from his mouth slowly. He’d been eating the entire time up until the point that HYDRA was mentioned. The pancake piece falls from the silverware. “HYDRA? Buck, Buck really... why do you still have contacts?”

He taps his thumbs on the counter and straightens his shoulders.

“Whatever you do—. I’m with you, pal. Even if you’re going to do something dumb.”

[woundedwinter]

It makes him sick the way that Steve looks at him, but he swallows his coffee and keeps talking. "They're people who worked with and for HYDRA because of money or because they were afraid. Not HYDRA proper, but close enough."

Steve's loyalty will always warm him through and he smiles. "You got no idea what that means to me, Steve. I promise we're going to try and stop whatever they're up to."

"As a team."

[bottledblond]

He’d seen this on television. It’s called a fist bump and Steve lifts his hand with his fingers curled in to tap his knuckles on the other man’s. “Someone needs to keep you out of trouble,” he says.

There’s got to be a good reason Bucky would still keep tabs on people. Steve trusts the guy. He trusts his judgement. And he knows Bucky has his back.

“Let me take a shower and pack a bag. You can teach me some German on the way.”

[woundedwinter]

The fist bump is appreciated and it helps ease Bucky's shoulders back down to where they should be.

"It's always been you, pal." In more ways than one.

"Finish up and I'll get us a flight out." Hopefully Sam can get them a military flight so they don't have to go commercial. His arm is.. difficult to explain.

[bottledblond]

“Flight?” Steve perks up. He’s always wanted tl fly! “Where are we going? Is it Germany? Wow, I read that they’re a lot different now. As a country and a people....”

He’s still talking to himself as he heads back to take a quick shower and to get dressed. He’s glad for the choice of clothing now. He also packs a bag for Bucky and is ready in record time.

They’re in luck too. Sam has a lot of friends in the Air Force and they’re already booked on the next flight out from the base.

[woundedwinter]

Bucky smiles as Steve takes off, chattering to himself and it's beautiful. He's looking forward to a trip and seeing Europe and it's so very different from shipping out to war.

A pleased smile when he realizes Steve packs a bag for him, hooking an arm around him as they head out to meet Sam for the flight.

"I'll teach all the good stuff like swearing," he promises.

[bottledblond]

Knocking against Bucky’s side, Steve reaches up to grab hold of the other man’s wrist. They can’t get through the door like this, but Steve’s close to him for as long as he can be.

He’s almost bouncing off of the walls when they get up into the jet. It’s not a great way to fly, with only jumpseats and battened down cargo netting, but Steve is still thrilled.

Sam, maybe not so much. As the crew does their flight checks, Sam pulls Bucky aside.

“You really sure about this?”

[woundedwinter]

Sam can gripe all that he wants, but he knows damn well that if he had found Steve he wouldn't have left him behind. He scowls at the question. "Yeah. Yeah I am."

Steve's been left behind most of his life because of his illnesses, and Bucky can't do that to him.

"Where he goes, I go. It's that simple."

[bottledblond]

Sam grabs at a Bucky again, pulling him even further away from the little blond It’s not that Steve is even paying attention to them. He’s too busy trying to follow one of the crew members around as they do their final checks.

“What are you saying, man?” Sam frowns, leaning in towards the former asset. “That sounds entirely too serious. Get your head in the game.”

[woundedwinter]

Bucky pulls away with an angry sound because he's spent too long having his decisions second guessed after living as the Asset. "Don't. Don't accuse me of not having my head in the game. I know what the hell I'm doing and if you want me on this job Steve is coming with. Period."

He and Sam have had their issues before but this isn't an issue he's going to give on.

Steve is coming with him. Otherwise he's not going.

[bottledblond]

Sam glances at Steve again and presses in closer, head ducked to force himself to keep his voice down. “Not what I’m saying, Bucky,” the Falcon says. “You and him, fine, whatever, you’ve got his back, what I’m saying is... I need you to come clean with me if there’s anything going on between you two. Don’t need the details but I need to hear it from you. We have to trust each other.”

And he needs to know how much of a liability this Steve will be. He doesn’t like the idea of anyone taking their dates on a mission.