Work Text:
Peggy‘s words echoed in his head. So did the music, but even though he was awake, he could have sworn there was a band playing far in the distance out on the street.
It happened every night. The nightmare always came back and he couldn't do anything against it. Wanda had messed with his mind, but even though they were on good terms now, there was no going back.
War is over, Steve.
It was in the middle of the night, but he sat wide awake on the edge of his bed, feet touching the cold floor.
No, the war wasn't over. The war was in his head, every day and every night. And not only in his mind, no, he saw it everywhere. And everything reminded him of it. The war in the past. The war in the present. Everything was louder in his head than it should be. A bang out in the streets, a too loudly closing car door or whatever. His brain always immediately thought of an explosion.
Someone taking a picture with a proper flash? Gunshots. Just as in his nightmare. The man with spilt wine on his shirt, people crouching around him, laughing. To Steve, it was a wounded soldier on the ground and his comrades were taking care of him, mourning him.
And that was only what his brain made up for him every day. There was also so much war going on in the real world all over the world. And he wasn't able to help there.
We can go home. Just imagine it.
Every time Peggy said these words, in this dream, the hall turned empty and he was alone. No one left. Just like in his real life. Yes, he got his team and they are somehow family to him. But it's not like it's been before in his old life. Sure, he had his problems back then, but there were also good times. His real family and the few friends he’s had died. Of old age probably, of illness or because of war. Peggy was already so old, she wouldn't be here any longer.
Besides her, there was only one person left. And he didn't know where to find him, yet.
He laid back down and closed his eyes, tried not to think about the usual ending of his dream. The end where he was spinning Peggy around and holding her in his arms as he’d never let her go again. It made everything worse because he knew they would never have that dance.
It took him a while to fall back asleep but almost immediately he got the same dream as usual. He fidged lightly around below his thin duvet, when the pictures of celebrating and dancing people flashed before his inner eye.
Just imagine it.
And even though he knew it was a dream this time, or exactly because he knew this was a dream, he tried to concentrate so much on Peggy’s words that something actually seemed to change and made him feel different. He was alone in the hall, though, but the music was even more quiet than before at this usual moment.
He turned around and took in the empty room, a cosy dancehall, the warm light. A trumpet and some drums sounded for a second in the distance. A woman sang a few words of an old song.
Suddenly, he felt something, someone, standing behind him and when he turned around he expected it to be Peggy again, as usual. But apparently, his mind was making up a different scenario and didn't inform him previously. Because suddenly it was Bucky standing in front of him.
Good old Bucky, looking just as sharp as on the day he’d left for war back in their days. The same uniform as Steve was wearing. He was skinnier. Just as Steve remembered him from the days before they had performed experiments on him as well.
We can go home. Just imagine it.
But this time it wasn't Peggy's voice, but the one of his friend who stood right in front of him. Bucky smiled his best smile, the one that would make everyone melt.
And Steve simply took his hand, spun him around, and pulled him close in a soft motion. And Bucky swayed with him to the music playing far away in the distance, his left hand on Steve’s shoulder, and his right hand softly in Steve’s left one. All the people were back around them, but both of them completely blocked them from their visions and danced all by themselves.
This moment, Steve actually felt like he finally came home. He didn't want to wake up ever again and never wanted this moment to end.