(no subject)

[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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[bottledblond]

“Because of what me and Steve had,” Sam says before it dawns on him that he’s had this wrong the whole time.

Sam’s a good man. He tells the truth. He tells it like it is. He’s done his best as a sidekick and he’s done his best helping Steve take care of whatever it is he needed to take care of.

But Bucky doesn’t know. He’d gone into all of this, for the last five years, thinking Bucky understood. He’d gone into this mess with a younger, different Steve thinking Bucky was protective because of what Sam and Steve used to have.

It makes his jaw set. You’re not supposed to be mad at the dead. You’re not supposed to be angry with them. But is Steve really dead? He turned to dust. Sam grieved. Mostly alone, because the world was in chaos.

And evidently because Bucky, getting well in Wakanda, had never known what Steve meant to him.

“Ah shit. You know what, Buck, forget I said anything. I’m sorry.”

[woundedwinter]

A whispered curse as Sam's words hit him harder than a physical blow.

Goddamnit Steve.

And none of this is made easier with a new Steve, one who never went though Rebirth. The Steve in the other room never met and fell in love with Peggy or watched him fall from the train or saw him reborn as an assassin.

He sags against the wall and wishes bitterly, not for the first time, that he had stayed in Wakanda. It would have made so many people's lives easier.

"No. Not gonna forget it."

He licks his lips and struggles for the right words, hoping that Sam will give him the time to frame this right.

"I've loved him since we were kids. The Steve from Vienna? The one who took me to Siberia to stop the other Soliders?" Christ it hurts to say. "He never loved me."

"He had time to make his own way, to find people who weren't so fucked in the head. That Steve didn't want me."

His jaw works. "I'm not trying to confuse him. I'm not. But I can't.. I can't stop the way that I feel and I can't turn him away."

"I'm not that fucking strong."

[bottledblond]

Sam gives Bucky his ear because that’s what he does. It’s what he’s figured out that he’s really good at. Being the Falcon is great and all, and his career with the Air Force had been fulfilling, but nothing had felt quite as good as helping people the way he’d helped those vets.

And Bucky is a vet too. A vet of too many wars to count, both public and in secret. The guy has a lot more than just this to say but Sam will listen just the same.

He doesn’t interrupt, but he does shift his weight so he’s not quite blocking the door anymore, his shoulders and hips against the wood with the whole jamb now open for escape should Bucky need it.

“I think he never told you because he thought you might not understand. And he didn’t have time to make it so you would when you had enough in your head to deal with.”

He’s not going to cheapen Bucky’s feelings by telling him that of course Steve loved him because he might have moved on romantically. And Bucky knows that Steve of course love him, at least like a brother. A friend.

“I get it now. I do. I thought...I thought you were afraid I’d try to make him love me again. That you were being protective. Like I corrupted him. I’m sorry Buck. I’m an asshole.”

[woundedwinter]

In the moment before Sam reacts, Bucky experiences something he hasn't in a very long time. Fear. Fear that he's going to lose a friend, fear that he's not going to be able to navigate this when talking about feelings is still so terribly difficult for him.

He should have known better.
Sam was always a good listener and even better at reacting the right way.

The tension he'd walked into the room with melts away and he refuses to hide his relief at the way Sam accepts what he said.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," he admits weakly. "The last time I stepped out with a guy was in the dark and in secret because neither of us could risk jail before we shipped out."

Bucky swallows because this part really shouldn't be so damned hard to admit. "You're my friend, Sam. I got damn few of them. I don't want whatever's going on here to mess that up."

[bottledblond]

Sam lifts his chin. “That Steve isn’t my Steve,” Sam says, definitively. “There’s no history there. He’s ten years younger than when I met him. I’m not a threat to you on that front,” he promises. “My Steve is gone.” Just like Avery. Sam has had his share of heartache but he understands that when you tangle with soldiers, there’s always a chance that one of you just isn’t coming back.

But what Sam may be signaling to a Bucky is that obviously Steve happens to go the way Bucky does. Perhaps bisexuality was just as common in Bucky’s time as it is now. Hard to say. Sam never asked. It wasn’t part of their story together.

And now that story is over too.

“I followed you here just because I could tell back in that fight that you were putting yourself at risk. Stupid risk. I’m all for having everyone’s back but if there’s one thing I know most of all, gotta watch the mission over the team. And that’s not something Steve and I ever agreed on so it’s okay if you and I don’t either. But we need to be up front about it. Can’t keep big secrets when we are all we have left in this.”

And Banner, of course, but Banner’s one of the old guard. And Sam sees himself as a New Avenger.

Bucky too.

[woundedwinter]

Bucky can't argue that he put himself at risk, but he's not sure Sam understands why he did it. So he pulls his shirt off and gestures at the already healing injuries across his body. "Not exactly. Look, I put myself first in that fight because I know how much damage I can handle. Gunshots, knives, broken bones, I know what I can take and keep fighting."

"I don't want to see either of you hurt when I can take the hit and be back in fighting shape in a day or two." Usually less if he pushed it, and HYDRA always pushed it.

"You're both too important to me."

[bottledblond]

It’s not that Sam hadn’t known that Bucky was the same as Steve, but it’s hard to really wrap your mind around it without seeing it. The Falcon nods, understanding, and unfolds his arms from over his chest.

“I want you to know that you’re my friend, too. I might have had a hand in clearing your name for Steve’s sake but I’ve always thought you and I were friends.” Maybe that’s not quite the truth but Sam’s tried a whole lot harder than Bucky to stay in touch over the years. “Okay, are we gonna bull hug this out?” he grins, opening his arms. “Let’s hug this out.”

[woundedwinter]

Okay.
Good.
So it's settled.

Then he has to go and be all Sam about it and insist on a hug and Bucky can't help but pull a face. "I'm not a huge hugger. Can't we just agree that everything's fine?"

But fine. Just this once.
A quick hug.

Then there's a tap at the door because they haven't started the water yet and Bruce may have found more information for them.

[bottledblond]

Sam of course let’s Bucky go, turning towards the door a floor below. “Clean up. I’ll go see what’s up.”

When Bucky comes down to see about the information, it’s not Bruce seated on the couch. He sticks out like a sore thumb and has elected to stay instead with the quinjet. Instead, it’s just delivery. Steve and Sharon are having Chinese and Sam is puttering around on his phone, socked feet up on the coffee table.

Steve can’t help but smile when Bucky returns, noting the wet fringe of hair. “Sharon said her shower head has fifteen different settings. Want some sweet and sour pork?”

[woundedwinter]

The food smells amazing and he runs a hand through his damp hair. "Wouldn't know," he grins and sits next to him and accepts one of the offered boxes of food. "I'm still pretty happy for hot running water and good water pressure."

Bucky takes the fork and digs in, "Getting settled in okay while they do the research?"

[bottledblond]

“Nothing else to do,” Sharon speaks up. “Research complete. We just need to move in. Before you guys get tracked here. Or they realize there’s a Stark Industries jet in Low Town.” She’s already standing up. “You three can fight for the pull out couch and the recliner. I’m going to bed. See you in three hours.”

Steve, of course, wishes her a cheery good night and has a little more food before he’s finally starting to wind down.

He will likely nap with his head on the arm rest and Sam will just fall asleep as is, phone in his lap. He learned early on in his career to sleep where and while you can.

They have a big day tomorrow. Hopefully, they can destroy the lab and find out where the serum got to.

[woundedwinter]

Bucky doesn't feel like sleeping, not in a strange place and not after a near escape from that club. But he trusts that Sharon would only stay in a secure place and eventually he slips into a light doze.

Three hours will come up on them fast, but dawn will give them an advantage when they hunt down that lab.

He dreams, but this time it's a good dream. Him and Steve, somewhere warm and safe. Building a life together.

So maybe he wakes up a little grumpy because it isn't often his dreams are good ones. But there's a bit of extra food and the promise of stopping the serum traffickers. He can settle for that.

[bottledblond]

Steve is very ready to get moving and as Bucky stirs, so too is the blond. He’ll use the bathroom first, brush his teeth with his finger, attempt to wet and run his fingers through his hair, and be ready to go by the time Sharon is ready to herd them all out too. As the blond strands dry, he looks a little less straight laced and more modern. The all black clothing helps, and so does a typical millennial look of partial sleepiness.

There’s no one to stop them entering the docks but they still move through the shipping container yard on foot and quietly, guided by Sharon’s wrist watch (somehow) and Bruce Banner’s voice in Sam’s ear. Steve is already just starting to accept the craziness of technology and he lets it go.

The container number Sharon gives them seems almost like a dead end before Bruce gently tells them to look for a secret wall. It’d been Tony’s favorite thing, and something HYDRA really overused in their base designs. When Sam does find the door, Sharon announces she’ll be outside keeping guard and Steve doesn’t bother to wait for a go before he slips down under Sam’s arm and heads down the stairs into a lab.

It’s pretty remarkable, the whole set up, and the single soul working doesn’t even notice him.

[woundedwinter]

There's only a brief exhale of annoyance as Steve slips on ahead of them. A quick look shared with Sam before he pads down the stairs after his best friend while Sam runs backup. They're going to have to have a talk about this later, but too late now and the lack of general chaos or sounds of a struggle mean that the lab wasn't heavily guarded.

A metal hand closes gently but firmly around Steve's shoulder to keep him from charging forward. Vampires are dangerous, even when it's just a single man on his own.

No heartbeat, no respiration, but the movements are vaguely familiar. When the vampire moves again and Bucky can glimpse his profile he swears and turns off the comms. Bruce can't hear this, not if he's wrong.

"Stark?"

Aaaaaaah

[starkingenuity]

The person stops, pulling an earphone out of one ear slowly and setting it upon the desk. He hadn’t heard the shift of metal or feet on the stairs over the din of the music, but human speech through more musical human speech is an easy pick up.

He turns his head without turning the rest of his body, something human beings are incapable of doing, opens and then shuts his mouth.

There’s no question that the man in front of them is Tony Goddamned Stark, wearing a lab coat and messing around with things far too dangerous for most people to attempt. Rose colored shades sit across his nose and he takes the three people in.

“Uh—“ Tony takes off the glasses, sets them on the table, and rubs his eyes a little too quickly, reflexes preternatural. “Are you kidding me?!” he asks, before his grin grows wide, almost joyous, before the obvious, to him at least, leaves him still again. “I thought this timeline was wrong, but I didn’t realize how wrong,” he says, more quietly now, looking over the three men in turn. “Three questions. Where is your real arm, how did you figure out a cure to lycanthropy, jealous by the way that it wasn’t me, and who shrunk Rogers?”

He doesn’t bother with Sam. Tony was always bad with the Avengers that didn’t matter much to him.

[woundedwinter]

"Holy shit," he breathes out, too stunned to move for a long moment.

"Yeah, I can't answer the timeline differences or how it happened but I've never been a lycanthrope and I've had this arm for a good seventy years or so now." How and why the timelines changed is hell and gone above his understanding, but if Stark works it out with Banner maybe one of them can break it down into terms that he might follow.
Maybe.

"Steve here is another one pulled in from a different time line. Pre-Rebirth." He squeezes Steve's shoulder for a moment. "Steve, Tony Stark. Howard Stark's son."

Oh. "Tony. What do you remember about Bruce?" His seven foot or so and very green widower. Husband? He's not sure how that works either but he should sort this out before giving Bruce a heads up.

[starkingenuity]

Tony doesn’t have time for this. The door is opened. The world is back the way it had been a century ago and sure, great, Barnes isn’t a werewolf and Steve is from a different timeline, but you mention Bruce Banner and things aren’t going to go so well.

The vampire half bum rushes, half lifts Barnes against the wall with his toes barely touching the ground. Steve doesn’t know how it happened, but he’s on the floor, having been shoved over a rolling chair. His elbow feels bruised but not broken or dislocated. Even so, he doesn’t pick himself off of the ground.

“My husband died,” Tony says, lips curling and eyes a brilliant gold. “What do you know about Bruce Banner, Bucky?”

[woundedwinter]

Christ but he's fast.

Bucky doesn't fight the hold, doesn't struggle because this reaction is honestly a good one. Tony loves Bruce which means he might be able to reunite the two. Give them some happiness again. He gives Steve a 'hold on' signal with his hand while never taking his eyes off the furious vampire.

"Because in this world you were the one who died. Bruce is here Tony and he's been mourning the loss of his husband since the battle at the compound. He's been mourning you."

[starkingenuity]

At least that’s enough for Tony to set Bucky’s boots back on the ground even if he doesn’t let him go. Sam, behind them, rolls his eyes. Trying to line up different versions of people doesn’t seem like a good idea to him. It’s why he’s not going for Steve. This isn’t the Steve he knows. And the Tony Stark they knew wasn’t a vampire.

He tries giving Bucky the high sign but of course he’s ignored. Typical.

Tony leans in, entirely too close, their chests and hips almost perfectly in line. He dips his head to sniff at Bucky’s neck, the tip of his nose touching the other man’s throat as he moves.

“Daylight,” Tony murmurs. “I want to talk to him.” He doesn’t need Bucky to turn his comm on. Tony figures it out easily, capable fingers making quick work of the device in Bucky’s ear. “Bruce?” It’s just a hunch he’d be on the other end. “If not, connect me with him. Doctor Bruce Stark. Surname might be Banner.”

[woundedwinter]

Fuck. That is way too close for comfort and he's ready to put a hand between them when Stark flicks on his comms and demands to speak to Bruce.

There's a very long silence on the other end and Bucky can hear ragged breathing on the other side. He uses his arm to put some space between him and Stark. "Bruce, it's Barnes. It's Tony from another time line, but it's him and I think you can tell that he'd like to see you."

He nods at the voice on the other end.

"Bruce is coming." And Bucky switches off the comm again. "In your world, did Bruce manage to merge with Hulk?"

Might come as a shock for him to see his almost-husband as a seven foot tall green guy.

[starkingenuity]

Bucky would be surprised by what Tony thought was shocking. Or the lack of what Tony thought was shocking.

The arm between them causes him to step away, but only after he hears Bruce through Barnes’ earpiece. He’s about to let Bucky go completely when he speaks up. The vampire almost looks like he wants to crush his windpipe, but he doesn’t.

And that’s only because little skinny Steve Rogers opens his mouth. “Mister Stark, please.”

Oh jeez, really? Tony glances Steve’s way and releases Bucky. “Don’t give yourself an asthma attack,” Tony says. “Your future husband— current? Future? Hm,” he pauses, “doesn’t do it for me like this. Pity. You used to taste...”

He doesn’t finish. He doesn’t have the will to once he hears stomp-running. It makes his head tilt slightly, but he doesn’t shy away from the sound and heads to the bottom of what will be extremely tight stairs for Bruce to navigate.

[seven_phds]

Husband? Bucky's eyes go wide at the implication. There's a hell of a lot to unpack in what Tony casually throws off, so at least that hasn't changed.

Broad shoulders force their way through the stairs, metal groaning as he shoves his way down. Nothing is going to stop Bruce from getting down those stairs once he registers the voices speaking.

TonyTonyTony

He shoves his way down, tearing off his glasses because he can't even trust them with the sight before him. His shirt is taking a fair amount of damage but he could care less. He had to see for himself. Tony. Alive. Whole. Not the man he had cradled through his final breaths after he saved the universe, promising him that it was all right, that he could rest.

"Tony?"

[starkingenuity]

This isn’t the Bruce he’d held for his last few breathes, hair white curls where it hadn’t fallen out and eyes bloodshot with crimson tears streaming across his cheeks. The person that finally gets down the stairs has to duck his head, is green, is alive and is saying a name he hasn’t gone by in half a century.

If Tony could cry, he would do it right now. Instead, he tilts his head up and presses his lips firmly together to keep them from trembling.

“Sort of,” he finally responds, his eyebrows bunching up on his forehead. “H-He found a way to make it— You two figured out a way to make it stable?” There’s a shaking emotion in his voice. Tony can almost feel a sob catching in his chest. “It’s so good to see you, kid,” he whispers.

[seven_phds]

This isn't his Tony but now Bruce understands the way Barnes reacted to seeing Steve again, how fiercely he wanted to protect him and keep him near rather than find some way to set him back in the time stream.

Somewhere the Ancient One, or even Strange, are probably rolling their eyes at the lot of him but he can't bring himself to care.

Bruce steps forward, resisting every urge to haul him into his arms and hold on. "Yeah. Yeah we found a way to make it stable. I couldn't have done it without him."

Behind him, Barnes is nudging Steve and Sam back up the stairs to give them a few moments. Work can wait a little longer.

He can't stop himself, extending his hand to Tony. "It's so good to see you too Tony. I've missed you so much."

[starkingenuity]

“Don’t give him all the credit,” Tony says, drinking in every twitch of Bruce’s face and reveling in the sound of his voice. “We’re not all real great with it.”

He sees the other three leaving but he doesn’t care. There’s death up there for him right now anyway and he has some people who lied to him to kill.

Right now, all Tony wants to do is reconnect. It doesn’t matter if this isn’t his Bruce. His Bruce is as dead as the Tony that belongs to this world is. Without hesitation, Tony runs a hand up Bruce’s palm like a Hulk lullaby and laughs with joy and pain when he stays just as he is.

“Did you do something to your hair? I really like it.”