(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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[starkingenuity]

“We did fall in love with the messy professor it belonged to,” Tony agrees, letting Bruce hold his hand as he continues to marvel at him. They’d tried to make Bruce human with the Hulk an internal creature and it had not gone well for them. But putting Bruce’s consciousness in a somewhat diminished version of the Hulk had obviously been the way to go.

And by whatever or whoever started the first spark of life, Bruce is beautiful like this. Tony’s unblinking eyes drink him in.

“I think it goes pretty well with this look. You’ve obviously started lifting weights. Taking care of yourself is so important,” Tony says, though the last word comes out sputtered and he drops his head into his free hand.

Vampires don’t really have pretty cries. They’re dry and it looks like their coughing or choking. The hand in Bruce’s grips harder than before, though he can’t quite manage to hold onto it.

“I-I have so much I want to say to you— Do you want to get dinner? I’ve always liked watching you eat.”

Partially up the stairs, Steve is still slowly dying inside. He’s not exactly avoiding Bucky, but since he can’t hear what’s going on downstairs, he has nothing to do but smile off to the side and not hold his gaze for too long as the awkwardness grows.

Luckily, Sam is willing to be the asshole they all need right now. “So Stark is a vampire, and you’re a werewolf? Is there a reality where I’m some cool monster too?” Better than to bring up that in Stark’s world, Steve picked Bucky too.

[seven_phds]

As Tony starts to break down, because Bruce has always recognized the signs, he tugs a little to bring the vampire into his arms. Not his husband but still so much like him that he can't simply see him like this. He wants to hold him close, to feel the familiar way that Tony fits against him like he belongs there. Has always belonged there.

"Yeah Tony. We can do that. Anything you want once the sun goes down."

Barnes and Sam still have questions and they'll get their answers soon enough, about the serum and the Flag Smashers and be on their way and Bruce can try and see how well he and this version of Tony will fit against one another.

In the stairwell, Bucky is still reeling from the last five minutes, trying and failing to process all of it at once. In another world, in another life he still has his arm, he's a werewolf and married to Steve. Two out of three isn't that bad. So he settles for a smirk at Sam, "Yeah probably. Frankenstein? Some half-bird half-human type?"

[starkingenuity]

“I was the only one of my kind. I can’t believe there are others here,” Tony murmurs against Bruce’s chest. He can let it all sink back into a steady pain again, rather than the heavy thud of anguish he’d been feeling from the moment he heard the name of his late partner come out of his mouth. “Might have to schedule a whole week of dinners just to go over the differences.”

And because Tony is a Tony no matter what timeline he’s from. He’s hedonistic. He wants it all.

After a few more moments, the vampire’s head peeks up the stairs. “Okay you idiots. Before you spring me properly I’m guessing you came for the serum for him? You’re in luck. I have a few more vials left. Better than before too. No electrodes required.”

[seven_phds]

A massive hand smooths down his back. "As many as you want," he promises. Anything. This isn't his husband but it's still Tony Stark and Bruce has been his for ages now.

The trio in the hallway try not to gape at the very casual offer even as Bruce face palms fondly at him. He's missed being able to do that.

Bucky doesn't mention that he'd been planning to steal at least one vial to offer Steve anyway. But before Sam can argue he shoots him a look.

"Steve's choice." Not his, not Sam's, not anyone's.

[starkingenuity]

Tony doesn’t pay them much attention. He’s been trapped down here for the better part of two months, pumping out serum in exchange for a blood donor. They’ve left him rather weak, probably because the blood he’s been given has been from drug addicts and hemophiliacs, but Tony doesn’t know that the people of this timeline deal with the occasional vampire enough to be able to control them.

Even one as terribly old as he is.

He is going to destroy his work, though, after he tosses a black vial case towards Barnes. He expects the man will catch it. “Do with it what you want,” he says, setting the ignition to the test lab to set fire to the chemicals inside the control case. It’s satisfying to watch it burn. “But this new and improved. No big muscles. No physical change at all. Just the super stuff without the rest.”

Steve isn’t sure what to say. He’s got a lot to think about. “Can... can we table it?”

[woundedwinter]

He snatches it out of the air and tucks it away safely. "At least they're not getting any more of the serum to make any more fighters." It's a start and better than what they had before.

"It's dawn out there Tony. You got anything down here to protect yourself against the light? We can debrief in the air."

And he nods at Steve, "Yeah Steve. It can wait. We've got bigger problems."

[bottledblond]

Speaking of bigger problems, Tony goes very, very still, the amusement vanishing from his face. “Eleven humans. Fighting. One a whole lot better than the others.” Tony rolls his shoulders before he shrugs at the lab coat. “My best time in direct sunlight has been two minutes ten seconds.”

Which is honestly unheard of, and Sam balks. “That’s a lie. Vampires got ten seconds, tops.”

“Yeah? And a man I’ve known for 90 years is not a werewolf. Your point?”

At least that tells Tony that the vampires most are familiar with here are very young. Only a few hundred years or so. That still gives him an edge. He smiles at the version of his husband in this world. “Do you still Hulk Bound? If not, give me coordinates and click the quinjet back door open for me.”

Steve is still awfully quiet, but at Sam’s insistence, he follows behind him upstairs just as Tony blows the whole lab.

[woundedwinter]

"We've met," Bucky drawls. Two minutes in the sun is a long damned time and while he doesn't argue like Sam does, it is information to file away for later consideration.

At the entrance to the container, Bruce signals FRIDAY to ready the jet and polarize all of the windows to filter out any harmful sunlight for vampires. The AI complies and he gathers his almost-husband in his arms and is gone in one massive leap.

This sure as hell wasn't how he expected the day to go and honestly Bucky is glad for a moment of quiet for the three of them before they head to the jet.
"Hm. That was.. unexpected. Come on, we better get out of here."

[bottledblond]

They arrive at the tail end of a battle, a few stray people gunning for them but otherwise, Sharon’s taken care of the majority. Sam and Bucky are able to get one a piece while Steve basically sails through the fight without looking.

There’s a lot on his mind, though he does two-step out of Bucky’s way once or twice before the three are free of the fray. Sharon refuses to go with them, which only partially ties up a loose end. Sam leads the way up the ramp and the smell of burned hair greets them as they head into the darkness of the ship.

Tony is a little singed, but otherwise unhurt and getting the tour of the quinjet. It’s about fifty years or so behind what he remembers, but he’s already thinking upgrades.

He can’t help it.

“Where to?” Tony asks, and then defers to Bruce. “Sorry. Old habit. I have no where else I’d rather be anyway.”

[woundedwinter]

"Don't ask me," Bruce smiles at Tony, "I was just called in to give these three a lift to Madripoor."

Bucky sits down, checking the case again to make sure that it's safe. "We need some way to track them down. With the serum off the market, everyone in the world is going to be hunting down the Flag Smashers."

The Power Broker, in particular.

"Any Stark-Banner properties in the area we can hole up in for a bit?"

Bruce nods. "I'll get us there." A safe place in Central Europe. Larger vampire population which means friendlier locations for Tony to move around in.

[bottledblond]

Tony is going to be astounded that there is such a thing as vampire enclaves in this particular timeline. He’s also going to wonder how he could manage to be human now rather than when he very barely remembers being alive. But those are thoughts for another day and time.

Bruce occupies the majority of his mind and he intends to keep it that way.

The jet is quiet as Bruce pilots them across the water. It takes very little time for him to put them down in a slow, rotating circle on the lawn of a fine looking house with ivy crawling up one side and a bricked in garden wall.

“This is beautiful,” Steve breathes. “Buck, this is exactly what I thought of when you were reading the Hobbit to me. Minus all of the dashing waterfalls,” he whispers, momentarily distracted away from the discussion they’ll need to have.

[woundedwinter]

The villa is lavish but still small enough to feel welcoming and Steve's whisper pulls him out of his reverie. He nudges his knee with his own. "Yeah, 's almost like Rivendell."

Maybe when their lives slow down he can show Steve the movies.

Maybe.
They've still got so much to discuss.

Bruce is already discussing ways to get Tony settled into this new world and far be it for him to argue. God knows he didn't want to lose Steve when he was given back to him.

His eyes cut over to Sam. "Let's leave them to it for a little. We all need more solid rest and tone to figure out our next steps."

[bottledblond]

There’s no objection from the scientists. They want to spend a few moments alone obviously and Steve is absolutely not going to argue with that even if he desperately wants to grill Tony about the other timeline. Maybe it would give him a direction to go here. Bucky as a werewolf is an odd enough thought, and that’s even before considering that there’s whole groups of other species of creatures living here.

“I’m turning in,” Sam says, holding Bucky’s gaze even though he knows it upsets him. He wants the guy to cool it with Steve, if only because he can’t risk loosing his allies with the Flag Smashers still out there.

And because the serum is a temptation he knows he has no bios ones discussing even if he has a whole lot to say about it.

Steve wishes the other man a good night before his eyes roll up towards Bucky.

“Can we talk?”

[woundedwinter]

At least this time everyone has their own rooms? When Sam turns in, Bucky meets his look evenly because damnit he's really trying here even if it's harder than anything he's done lately.

The request gets a nod, but they don't say anything until they're back in one of the other rooms for the night. For Sam's sake Bucky will probably find a reason to sleep on the couch or in the corridor. He genuinely doesn't want to hurt him even when he knows there's a vet good chance he's gonna screw that one up too.

"Yeah sure. C'mon."

Take the serum, don't take it, it's a crap shoot either way.

[bottledblond]

“He said the Bucky he was friends with married me. Eh. Steve.” The words come out of his mouth the moment Bucky closes the door to the bedroom at the end of the hallway. Maybe even before the door officially closes.

Should he talk about the serum. Probably. But he’d promised himself that he wouldn’t harbor this secret once the mission was over and it is over. Bucky might hate him, but somewhere, sometime, the guy fell in love with him. Obviously, it was a version of him with strength and power, with a pleasing outward physique.

It doesn’t make Steve’s eyes burn any less as he stares at Bucky in the darkness.

“I... Buck, I know this might seem out of no where, but back at the bar, when I thought we might not make it, I wanted to tell you that...”. Steve draws in a breath. “The way I care for you, it’s the way Tony Stark’s Steve cares for that Bucky. I’m not expecting anything here, pal. But I need you to know.”

[woundedwinter]

Bucky closes the door as Steve starts talking and it only takes his brain a moment to catch up. He had honestly been expecting Steve to want to talk about the serum, so there's a quick blink as he turns around. No time to find the switch as the words start coming and he holds up his hand, trying to slow Steve down, not that he can see him in the dark.

"Whoa, slow down okay?" So he might be stalling a little because that's a lot and he works to find the lights because they need to be able to see one another for this.

His expression is wondering, almost daring to hope when he can finally see Steve's face. "And here I thought you were trying to say goodbye all over again." Bucky sighs. "The way Tony's Steve cares for his Bucky." Married. His smile goes soft and warm as he reaches out for him, "Well I hope you're expecting something out of this, punk. Cause I love you Steve Rogers. I have since we were a couple of stupid kids running around the neighborhood."

[bottledblond]

Steve acts like he’s trying to stand his ground against a bully. As Bucky finds the lights, his shoulders square and his fingers roll into fists. He’s got an almost stoic face, one that looks almost angry but it actually more like concentration.

Bucky’s initial responses make him brace. His whole being prepares for an emotional blow and he breathes a little harder in anticipation.

He does not, at all, expect Bucky’s response and the easy way the idiot confesses leaves Steve almost shaking with relief. His whole faces turns red from embarrassment and he shoves his trembling hands into his pockets.

“That’s— I thought you had better taste.”

[woundedwinter]

Steve stands his ground, jaw defiant and stance ready for anything and Bucky can't keep ignoring the warm feeling spreading through his chest as his best friend tries to brace himself for what he thinks is going to be a let down. As if he could ever feel anything but warmth and affection for the punk.

Bucky reaches out, resting a hand on his shoulder in a familiar and grounding gesture. "I was gonna say the same thing to you, pal."

"I love you too." Because it needs to be said.

[bottledblond]

Love.

Steve isn’t sure what to do with that. He knows he basically said the same thing when he mentioned how he cared for Bucky in a marriage sort of way but things like that you don’t talk about. And you never actually go for.

So this is an odd emotion to wrap his head around.

Feeling it is just easier than talking about it.

Still, the word ‘love’ burns him, turns his heart and his stomach to ash and leaves him breathless. Answering it back, once he aims to, is just as easy. The dream world he sometimes lives in tells him that it proves he means it.

“No. I love you too.”

[woundedwinter]

He loves him too.

Bucky knows he's still a wreck, he can't even sleep consistently in a bed and noises and sounds startle him and constantly trigger nightmares and set him on edge. His thumb moves gently along his collarbone. Somehow through all of this, Steve still wants him.

Sam will probably hate him for this, but for the first time since he was set free in Wakanda, when Ayo said the words and he knew that he was truly free Bucky wanted something for himself.

"So this is the part where I'm gonna do something I've wanted to do for about ninety years," he warns him with a smile, leaning in to kiss him softly.

[bottledblond]

To Steve’s credit, he knew it was coming. He could have read it in Bucky’s body language, but they’d just confessed their love to each other. If a kiss hadn’t been coming, he would have been sorely disappointed.

Steve’s shoulders relax under Bucky’s
Touch. He wants to tell him that he hadn’t known he wanted this until a few days ago, that he’d never thought of himself in any sort of romantic tangle in his life until Bucky opened the chains like that, but there will be time to confess it.

And there will be time to wonder if he’s maybe going too fast. He knows Bucky, up to a point, and they’d only just reconnected, but—

Steve’s world is short. His health always made him understand that if he didn’t move quickly, he’d never experience anything. Ski as Bucky leans in, Steve reaches up, standing on his toes as he joins the other halfway.

[woundedwinter]

The kiss is soft and warm and so fucking perfect Bucky wants to remember it for the rest of his life. Something good to focus on instead of so many years of pain and suffering. As much as he wants more, Bucky knows they can't. Not now. He's still got a host of issues and he and Steve still need time to reconnect, get to know one another in this time and this life.

When he pulls back he's smiling.
Naturally Steve had to be the braver one and say something when he never could.

"C'mon. Let's get cleaned up and get some rest while we can." They still have a lot of work to do.

[bottledblond]

“Five minutes,” Steve insists. It’s easy to nestle himself against Bucky’s body, to lift his chin and settle his shoulder just under Bucky’s arm. He doesn’t mind being smaller than Bucky. He’s always been smaller than everyone. But just because he fits perfectly into someone’s embrace doesn’t mean he’s exactly the shy and shrinking violet.

He’s just had his first kiss and his heart is soaring with all sorts of possibilities. Eyes bright, Steve all but demands another, and it’s still soft and sweet because he actually doesn’t know what else it can be.

He likes the way Bucky’s breath curls on his cheek.

He likes being in love.

And almost five minutes later, on the dot, he lets the other man have his space. “All right. We can go get cleaned up. But I gotta know what’s in store for me if I take that serum.”

[woundedwinter]

The sound that bubbles up out of him is warm and unexpected. He's almost forgotten what it's like to laugh when you're happy. "Anything you want," he promises, bending to kiss him again.

It's been.. a long time for Bucky to put it mildly so he keeps the kisses soft and warm, not looking to deepen them yet. Everything is still new and warm and just right between them.

"We're gonna have to talk to Stark. The serum he made is different than what they pumped into me or what the other Steve volunteered for."

He sighs as they break apart and head for the bathroom. "So you made up your mind?"

[bottledblond]

It’s not like they need privacy from one another. They hadn’t before and certainly done now so Steve just follows Bucky to the bathroom. He’s going to help him clean up from that shot, even if he’s fine and healed.

The determination is back on his face again. “I’ve got a dilemma here,” Steve says. “I want to help you and fight at your side. But if I do, I distract you.” Sam’s voice carries. And Steve is always very aware of when he’s being talked about. “I’m only distracting right now because a stiff wind could kick me over. If that serum can make me strong and fast and resilient then I want it because I’m not giving up what we’ve got going, pal, and you need all the help you can, Buck.”

Nothing Steve says is inherently wrong but the serum has historically come with side effects. Red Skull, the test subjects in Siberia... of course, Steve is still Steve. And as long as Stark didn’t mess with the serum too badly it should do for him what it did the last time Bucky knew him.