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Bucky is surprised to see Steve return.
He’s certain when he says you’re taking all the stupid with you that Steve’s going back to Peggy. It’s not what Bucky would choose to do, nor what he would choose for Steve, because he doesn’t want that kind of heartache, and he definitely doesn’t want a lifetime of Steve having to hide who he’s in love with because of time travel and timelines and whatever other shit Bruce and Tony came up with.
They’re at Tony’s lakehouse, still, because it makes sense to finish everything here, where it should be. Tony’s dead, but that doesn’t mean his legacy isn’t saving the whole damn world.
“Wasn’t sure you’d be here,” Bucky says, dropping onto the bench next to Steve. Sam’s already gone, to find Rhodey and try to give him some comfort, no doubt, and Steve’s stretched out, a pull to his mouth that isn’t unfamiliar. Bucky’s not sure the last time he saw Steve really smile, and now he doubts he ever will again.
Steve huffs something that might be a laugh. “Almost wasn’t.”
Bucky lets that one stand for a while. Steve’s not gonna say anything, and he’s rubbing the fingers of his left hand together. A tic he’s had for years - decades now, probably - and Bucky nudges Steve’s shoulder. “You gave up Peg. Gotta be serious.”
There’s no surprise on Steve’s face and Bucky’s grateful; Steve knows Bucky’s not an idiot, and he’s never treated him that way.
“I thought, this is all I want, you know? But I was taking the stones back, and it got to the soul stone.”
Bucky knows shit all about the stones, only that he spent blood and sweat and his life to protect one back in Wakanda, and that they’re the reason Tony’s not around to be a father and friend. Soul stone though. That one he’s been brought up to speed on.
“You gotta sacrifice someone to get it, right,” Steve says. “Putting it backs a little harder. I had to see Red Skull.”
Cursing, Bucky stares out across the lake. “And?”
Steve laughs this time, humorlessly, and he stares down at his hands. “To get the soul stone you have to sacrifice the thing you love the most. To send it back, you have to confront the thing you love the most.”
“Peggy?” Bucky asks because it makes sense.
When Steve looks at him, there are shadows to his face, and Bucky’s startled by what he sees. Steve’s devastated somewhere in there and Bucky doesn’t know why, or how to help him. “Not Peggy.”
There’s only one other person Bucky knows who has the kind of impact on Steve that he’s used to Peggy giving.
“Shit,” Bucky says, letting out a slow breath. “Fuck, Steve, I’m sorry.”
“The worst thing,” Steve says, leaning back against the bench, his voice wobbling and hoarse. “Is that I didn’t even know. Neither did he. Said as much. Still don’t get how it works.” A shaky breath, and then Steve’s lip curves into a small smile. “It’s like he was standing right there in front of me. He looked so good, he looked,” another pause, “alive.”
Bucky wants to lean over, to take Steve’s hand and give him some comfort, but he knows, from the way Steve’s curling in on himself, that he’s not gonna accept it.
“I couldn’t stay with Peggy after that,” Steve says, and this time the wobble to his voice is awful as if he’s about to cry. “He asked me,” a swallow and Bucky watches the bob of his throat. “He asked me to take care of them.”
Steve doesn’t have to elaborate for Bucky to get it. He and Tony might not have had any interactions that weren’t fraught with tension, but he’s heard enough to know about Tony’s motivations (the good and the bad). Family, friends, people. Those are the things Tony cares about. Cared about.
As if drawn by the talk, there’s a small laugh and then a little girl’s running up the path towards them. Bucky can hear Stark’s chauffeur guy yelling after her, and Steve’s on his feet in a second.
“Happy, she’s up here.”
The guy - Happy - waves a hand and looks uncertain if he should be alright with this. Bucky understands; the last Tony’s friends knew, he and Steve were at each others’ throats.
“You want me to bring her down?” Steve says, and Tony’s daughter is hovering awkwardly next to the bench, staring at Bucky. Bucky tries not to stare back, dropping his eyes to the floor.
Happy shakes his head, staring off towards the cabin and back again. “I gotta see to Pepper. Will you,” Happy says, trailing off, still uncertain, but resigned.
“Sure,” Steve says, and there’s an ease to his body that Bucky doesn’t buy, not now. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“Thanks, Steve,” Happy says, and he darts away.
“Morgan,” Steve says, voice wavering again. Shit.
Morgan stares at him, not saying anything for a long time. Her eyes are piercing and she’s every inch her father’s daughter. “Uncle Steve.”
Steve startles, and even Bucky does a double take. “Uncle Steve?”
“S’what Daddy called you,” Morgan says, climbing onto the bench next to Bucky. Bucky’s not sure what to do, whether he should move and leave, or freeze. Morgan’s staring at his arm, and it’s not morbid curiosity, but the kind of curiosity Bucky’s used to seeing on Tony, Shuri, and Bruce.
“Tony called him Uncle Steve?” Bucky asks, a laugh in his voice.
Morgan sighs, rolling her eyes. “Obviously not when he was talking to Mommy or Happy or anyone else. Just when he was talking to me.”
Steve looks shell-shocked and sits down abruptly on the bench. He’s staring off at the lake, and though Morgan seems quite happy to let him, she pokes at Bucky. It takes everything in him not flinch or react.
“Daddy said you was hurt and he made it worse,” Morgan says, and it’s Bucky’s turn to be surprised.
“He didn’t make it worse.” Bucky shifts uncomfortably. “Tony, your dad, he reacted to being hurt and sometimes you make mistakes.”
Steve’s staring at him, soft and warm, and Morgan nods, smiling. “Daddy said you’d say that.”
“Your daddy’s a smart man.” It’s Steve that speaks.
“He was,” Morgan says, her voice quiet.
Bucky wants to say something, but it’s Steve that covers his blunder, pressing two fingers to Morgan’s chin and lifting her head. She stares at him, expressionless, but there’s something watery in her eyes, a hope behind them that’s huge and overwhelming.
“Just because your daddy’s not here,” Steve says, “doesn’t mean he’s not still a smart man, or loves you, or cares about you. You wanna know what he told me?”
Morgan shakes her head, resting a small hand on Steve’s arm. He shifts, takes her hand and Morgan seems to content to squeeze him, her little fingers white.
Steve leans down, gives Morgan a small smile. “He told me you’re gonna be a very smart, caring, wonderful young woman and he wanted me to make sure I watched out for you because he couldn’t be here.”
“Uncle Steve?”
Bucky feels like an intruder for a moment, something passing between Steve and Morgan that he can’t explain.
“Yes, Morgan?”
“Daddy said you was his friend, that he loved you, but you hurt each other.”
“That’s true,” Steve says, pain flickering across his face.
Morgan nods, still clinging to Steve’s hand. “But you loved him?”
Bucky watches the subtle changes to Steve’s face, the pain, the hope, the love that he’s stupid for not having seen before now. Then the contentment that comes from understanding yourself. “I did. Very, very much.”
“Okay,” Morgan says quietly. She leans a little more into Steve. “Daddy loved you too. I heard him telling Mommy when he thought I was asleep. Said I love him, Pep. I know we don’t see things the same way, but I love him.”
“What did your mom say?” Steve asks, his voice deceptively calm.
Morgan shrugs. “To tell you.”
“Shit,” Bucky says, and then startles. “Uh, sorry.”
“Daddy says it’s okay because shit is Mommy’s word, so it’s her fault.”
That makes both Steve and Bucky laugh because it’s so Tony, and Morgan smiles, the first smile Bucky’s seen since they arrived at the lake.
Steve’s quiet for a long time after that, and though Morgan doesn’t let go of his hand, she sends a barrage of questions at Bucky about his arm, Wakanda, his past, everything that’s hard to talk about, but he answers the best he can.
Eventually, Steve seems to come to a decision about wherever his mind’s been. “What do you think about me sticking around for a while, Morgan?”
Morgan turns to stare at him, and the hope’s back on her face. “With me and Mommy and Happy?”
“Sure,” Steve says easily. “If they’ll let me.”
“I hope so,” Morgan says quietly. “Happy doesn’t know how to talk to me now, and Mommy’s crying a lot. I think,” she says slowly. “I would like someone who wouldn’t do that.”
“I wouldn’t,” Steve promises. He leans down, presses a kiss to Morgan’s head. “I’ll tell you lots of stories about your Daddy and our job, if you like.”
“Iron Man?” Morgan asks. “All the stories?”
Bucky’s wrong; apparently, Steve’s still got his smile. He turns it on Morgan now, brushes her hair out of her face. “As many stories as I can.”
“Daddy’s stories weren’t very good,” Morgan admits in a quiet voice, smiling sadly. “Some of them were, the ones about the ‘Vengers. I want more of those.”
“Then more of those you shall have,” Steve promises again.
“And Mr. Bucky?” Morgan asks, and this time the full force of her hope and attention was on Bucky. “You’ll stay sometimes too?”
Bucky pauses, not quite sure what to say, but eventually, he nods. “I’m not sure your Mommy would like that.”
Morgan nods as if she’d been expecting that. She’s a smart, precocious kid and Bucky’s not sure how Steve handles looking at her with how much of Tony is in her. Perhaps that’s why he finds it so easy. “I’ll ask. You look like you give good rides.”
With that, Morgan sweeps to her feet, and plants a kiss first on Bucky, then on Steve.
“Can we go see Mommy, Uncle Steve? I wanna ask if Uncle Bucky can stay for dinner.”
Uncle Bucky.
Bucky doesn’t watch Morgan and Steve leave, doesn’t think he moves for a little while. The only times he’s allowed himself to think about being an uncle died when he became the Winter Soldier. He’s gonna mess it up, he knows, because he’s not okay, not anywhere close to constant stability, but for Steve, for little Morgan, he’s sure he can be something to her.
“Uncle Bucky!” Morgan yells, and when Bucky stands, she’s at the bottom of the path, hands on her hips, Steve leaning against the cabin steps. The rest of the Avengers have gone, only Pepper and Happy left behind, and it’s gonna be awkward. “Mommy says it’s okay!”
Perhaps this is the start, he thinks, of making it less awkward.
Of making a family and a home.