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“Where is he? Bruce, what’s happening?!”
“I- I don’t know! He should have been back by now!”
“You don’t know?!!”
“I’m trying, I’m trying!!”
Bucky sighed. Of course he knew what was going on. He looked over the lake, and sure enough, Steve sat there with an uncharacteristic hunch. Just as he was about to call out to Sam, he noticed the second figure.
Wait.
This wasn’t a part of the plan. He barely registered his eyebrows contorting in confusion when he heard Sam yell enthusiastically, “Found Him!”
In a daze, he blinked several times as he tried to figure out what new shit that reckless punk had decided to pull. Again.
“Hey man, who’s that?”, Sam’s stupefied voice brought him back to base.
Bucky smoothed out his features, keeping a poker face as he beckoned to Sam.
“Go on.”
“You ain’t coming?”
“In a bit.”
He watched Sam walk towards Steve slowly. They’d talked about this. Steve had asked him a million times, over and over, if he was really down with what they had talked about.
12 hours ago.
“I’m not putting on the Time Heist Suit again till you’re really okay with all of… this.”, Steve persisted.
“And I said I’m fine with all of that, Steve. Really.”, Bucky had smiled sadly then.
“You don’t look like it, Buck.”
Bucky inhaled, bowed his head and ran dark vibranium fingers through the loose strands of his man bun. Steve “Mother Hen” Rogers had his trademark Eyebrows Of Concern on full display.
“You don’t have to change what happened to me. Things have turned out okay, through all those twisted loops of… fate, destiny, whatever. I think I’m finally grounded now, Stevie. Don’t even think of going where I was held all those times. Just leave that part of history in the past. It’s where it belongs.”
He was looking at Steve in the eye now.
“Buck-”
“No punk, enough with the tampering already. Tell my Ma I did well and that I hope she’s proud of me. That I’m sorry I didn’t come back. Tell Becca to look after herself even though she’s the oldest now.” Bucky stopped to breathe, hands clenching tight.
“And you better take your best girl to that dance, you hear me?”
Steve looked away.
“You better not do anything stupid till I get back.”
Bucky grinned.
“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you, Rogers.”
As Steve tightened his arms around his best friend, he whispered, “I mean it Buck.”
“I know.” He hugged back.
Present time.
Sam looked surprised and was surprisingly slow on the uptake for his new role. The guy’s smug and somewhat of a smartass, but he deserves it. He lost focus on Sam’s awkwardness with the shield and turned back to look at the second figure beside Steve.
What have you gone and done again Rogers?
Steve got to his feet and gave Sam a friendly nod, before he turned to face the second person and offer his hand. Bucky frowned. He had no idea what was going on. His heartbeat quickened as he finally made out the ruby red lips and fierce stance of determination that all the added years couldn’t soften.
“Peggy?”
He was already halfway towards them, barely realizing that his legs had moved of their own accord.
“Hello James.” Peggy’s crisp accent and entrancing smile took him by complete surprise. He stumbled on his last steps as he closed the short distance between them. Peggy placed a gentle, yet firm hand on his arm and wrapped her frail arms around him.
He returned the gesture automatically as he remembered to be tender in his embrace, and was surprised for the tenth time as he felt Peggy smirk against his scruffy cheek.
“I’m just old- not made of glass, Barnes” she had an eyebrow quirked up at him as she gave him a playful smirk.
“Yeah. Yeah, sorry.” Bucky stuttered confusedly as he looked at the now-wrinkled face of America’s former golden boy.
“What’s going on?”
Steve held him at the shoulders and had that all-knowing smile that Bucky had hated on certain occasions.
“Till the end of the line, pal.”
“Yeah, and if I remember what we had talked about before your time trip, that line was finished and done with. You’re supposed to move on.”
“Not without my best girl and my best guy.”
“Stevie, what did you-”
“Let’s go home Buck.”
Peggy took his flesh hand in her thin ones.
“He came back for you James. He was miserable and was at the risk of turning into an annoying old bugger. So I might have strongly insisted that he return to you. And this time, I’d be the one to live in a time different from mine.”
“Peggy decided to come back with me.”
Bucky couldn’t believe his eyes. Or ears, for the matter. Face stuck in utter surprise and rendered absolutely speechless, he gaped at them for a long minute.
Then, a soft smile broke through the stunned look. Bucky shook his head and chuckled.
“You are something else, Rogers.”
Peggy linked her hand in his arm with her face set in a determined and knowing smile.
“Come on James, there’s a lot I need to catch up on.”
“Lead the way, Agent Carter.”
“Did you know he jumped out of a plane without a parachute?”
“Wow, did he now? No he must have missed mentioning that little detail to me. By the way, did he tell you about that time he went face to face with a purple titan nearly three times his size?”
Steve groaned in the background.
Sam gleamed, awkwardness all gone while watching the exchange between the three war relics before him.
“You’re so screwed man.” Sam quipped with a huge grin on his face as he tried maneuvering the shield in different angles.
“Hey,” Steve tried to sound mad but his amused face betrayed the warmth he was feeling, “Language. You’re the Captain now.”