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"What?"
"I said I'm not going to be coming back. Today, when I put the stones back where they belong. I'm staying in the past. I'm going back for Peggy, Buck." He smiled when he said her name. It was a special smile, one that used to be reserved only for Bucky, right up until the moment Steve met Peggy. The familiarity of the nickname rung in his ears as Bucky tried to process what he said. Steve, his best friend for almost a century, "inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield," the man who only a couple of years ago had fought the entire world to keep him by his side, was leaving him behind the second he got him back. They hadn't had more than a passing conversation, a quick "I'm glad you're okay," a quiet exchange of condolences over Tony, since the battle with Thanos and it was already over. Bucky looked up at him from where he sat on a guest bed in Tony's cabin.
"I..." He cleared his throat, the words getting caught. "I can't say I'm surprised."
"You're not?"
"No, I.. I think if there was someone I could go back for, I would."
Steve sat down next to him, putting a hand on his actual arm. Bucky was extremely aware of it and shifted slightly. "Are you going to be alright? You could come with me if you want to."
"No," Bucky said quickly. Too quickly. Steve looked at him with concern.
"That was fast. You don't even want to think about it?"
"No, I really don't think I could. There isn't anything for me back there."
"If you say so." Steve stood up.
"Wait, Steve-"
"What is it?"
Bucky looked down at his hands. "I've been thinking lately, and.. I mean, I've been thinking it for a long time, actually, I've been thinking about this since the 40s, and it's taken me a long time to even accept it myself, and I just thought since I'm not going to get the chance to tell you this ever again, I..." He stopped himself from rambling. "There's really no easy way to say this."
"Go on, Bucky, you can tell me anything."
Bucky paused for a while. A long while. Steve watched him, and after a couple of minutes broke the silence again.
"Buck?"
"I'm in love with you, Steve." He blurted out, his voice breaking as he said it. He immediately buried his head in his hands, not even waiting for a response, as Steve stood there in shock, unable to give him one.
Steve just blinked at him. "I don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything. Just go."
"Why... Why did you tell me that?"
"Because I needed to. Just once."
Steve stared down at the floor. "I... I still care about you. This doesn't change that, I just-"
Bucky cut him off, looking up at his friend. "I know, you don't feel the same. You wouldn't be going back to Peggy if you did. It's fine. I didn't expect you to. I just needed you to know."
"I.. I'm sorry, Buck, I-" He cut Steve off again.
"I said it's fine. Just leave me alone, Steve. I'll come to see you off in a couple of hours. If you even still want me to."
"I- Of course I do, you're my best friend." Steve paused. "I'll see you later." He started to walk out, and then stopped at the door, just for a second, and without looking back said, "I'm with you until the end of the line, pal."
Bucky didn't respond, and Steve left, closing the door behind him.
"Yeah, right."
And Bucky was happy for him.