Chapter Text
Stephen looked around and immediately knew. Of course they could do it. He remembered the timeline he had seen in the time stone barely an hour ago — he knew that it had been more than that in reality, but his body and mind still weren’t caught up on that.
Stephen looked around him seeing the very confused guardians of the galaxy and a frightened spider-man laying on the ground. He quickly made a portal to the compound, knowing that was where the Avengers who had survived the dusting were. He practically pushed the heroes near him, their confused minds not quite caught up yet.
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At first, nothing happened. Not that he expected anything, but this seemed very anticlimactic. No catastrophe, no people appearing out of thin air, no dust reforming itself. He almost thought that it hadn’t worked.
But then, just when Steve was starting to wonder if all of their sacrifices had been worth it, an orange circle appeared between the wall and their little gathering around Bruce, who was now being checked on by Tony, and Rhodes.
A person passed through the portal. He wore bloodied blue robes and a red cape, not unlike the one Thor had worn long ago. Steve vaguely recognized him, but he couldn’t really place a finger on the guy’s name.
A few other people followed, and Rocket’s reaction was what made it click. The raccoon had talked about his and Nebula’s little friend group enough times for Steve to vaguely recognize some of them — a bald man, a girl with antennas and some other guy with curly hair —, and now he knew that the first guy was the ‘wizard’ — Tony’s words, not his.
Speaking of Tony. The man had gotten up from the ground where he had been sitting and slowly approached the guy with the cape seeming unsure, but then they both turned to look at the still glowing portal as the last person passed through.
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Rocket may or may not have jumped up and squeaked when he saw that his friends were back. He was hugging them and talking a mile a minute, not even bothering to tease Quill — he had missed him too much. But then other portals started forming just outside the windows — when had they lifted the shutdown mode? — and Groot emerged from one looking around.
Rocket left Nebula to catch up with the others and ran out the front door. He called for his best friend and, upon him turning towards the familiar voice, jumped in his arms to hug him. The others had followed him outside and arrived barely a second later, forming a big group hug.
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Peter passed through the glowing orange circle, following Doctor Strange and the guardians. He arrived in a room he vaguely recognized, like he had been here a long time ago. He looked around spotting many of the Avengers, all with big smiles on their faces. Even Tony.
Wait- Tony! Peter’s face lit up when he saw his mentor immediately going to hug him. He remembered what had happened just before he was turned to dust. But it didn’t matter now. Tony still looked the same, the only difference being a few additional gray hairs and wrinkles.
But that was okay. They were here and hugging and everything would be just fine.
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Steve looked around at his friends celebrating before going outside towards the newly formed portals. He recognized the tree-like guardian reuniting with his friends and King T’Challa hugging his little sister surrounded by various warriors. But they weren’t the ones he was looking for. And there he was. Bucky. His best friend since 1927. Looking around like a lost puppy. Now that wouldn’t do.
Steve took a running start and screamed his name.
‘‘Bucky!’’
Bucky turned around, his expression shifting to hope and pure joy. And a little disbelief. And then they crashed into each other.
After a few seconds of bone-crushing embrace, Steve looked up — it had been a long time since he had to look up instead of down — into Bucky’s eyes.
‘‘I thought you were bigger.’’
A laugh came bursting out of him. Of course he would say that. Just as he had said all those years ago after seeing him Barely a week ago, he had expected to die and he was now in Bucky’s arms. Bucky, who’s eyes shone and who’s laughter could be heard along his own.
Steve knew then that they had won for good. Everyone had come back because of them. He knew they had done the right thing, even at the price it came with.