Chapter Text
It was a Saturday morning when Dr Strange sent Bucky and Sam on this crazy-ass adventure.
The night before, they were having a heated argument, Strange was in the other room and could hear bits and pieces of it. Morgan was playing Nintendo with Rhodey, he was flipping through pages of a book when suddenly, like gunfire, something blew up between Sam and Bucky.
“...I never thought you cared!” he heard Sam shout.
“...god, you’d never understand , Wilson!” Bucky shouted even louder.
“...Why didn’t you…”
“I just thought...simple… a matter of choice...Hydra, Bucky!...” Sam cried back. They could feel how tense Bucky was getting.
“...you thought, yeah, alright!” he replied sarcastically.
“...aren’t we friends?–” Sam got cut off.
“ SHUT UP , SAM! JUST SHUT UP!” Bucky screamed. They heard sniffling and a step, presumably Sam trying to apologise.
There was a moment of silence before you could hear nothing but the angry footsteps and a doorslam, Sam soon came into the living room, rubbing his face in regret and tiredness.
“You okay Sam?” Rhodes asked, looking up at his distressed friend.
“It’s just...Buck and I had an argument,” he sighed “this whole Zemo-Cap thing was just stressful - I’ll give him time.”
“What did you say?” Rhodey whispered as Morgan hit him again in Splatoon.
“I…” Sam looked at his hands and around the room, as if the answer was there “I know what I said - I said such bad shit. I wish there was another universe where I can just - be nicer , where we can just get along.”
“Take your time,” Strange finally spoke, closing the book he was ‘reading’ “you two would get close eventually.” Stephen knew what the other realities were like with Sam and Bucky, he thought this might be the only one where they–
“HIGH SCORE!” Morgan cried in victory “I won Uncle Rhodes, haha!” she teased, jumping up and down. Rhodey laughed, picking her up “alright, bedtime little girl.”
“No! Uncle Sam didn’t get to play!” Morgan whined.
“It’s okay, Morgan, I’ll be fine.” Sam replied with a smile, the girl looked back as she was carried upstairs to her room. The worst part is, he and Bucky share a room. He was sitting there, contemplating whether he can take the couch tonight or apologise tonight or tomorrow–
“Just fucking apologise man,” Stephen spoke, breaking his thoughts.
“W-What?” Sam stuttered, it was like he could read his thoughts.
“Just apologise and maybe you two might get along.”
“I need to give him time.”
Stephen scoffs, “I think you two don’t notice how much you two act like a married couple,” he said, sipping from his wine glass. He got up and left, Sam came to the conclusion that he would sleep on the couch, no matter how painful it would be, it can’t be as painful as what Bucky felt.
Sam slept at 11.00.
Saturday morning? Bucky wasn’t used to having an empty bed next to him. He awoke, remembering last night’s events. He felt heavy, sad and like there was this crushing guilt lingering over the room.
He opened the door, walked down to see Sam still asleep on the couch. He swallowed thickly, guilt creeping up on both of them. Sam stirred awake as Bucky got breakfast going, the pitter patter of Morgan’s excited footsteps “Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!” she cheered, the young Stark was excited for everything.
She went up and hugged Bucky, ran over like the speed of light to hug Sam and run over to the stairs to hug Rhodey, who was sleepily walking down the stairs. Pepper and Tony eventually joined them, breakfast was a little awkward.
Bucky had never seen Sam eat so sadly before, not that he watched his eating. He thinks. After breakfast, Sam was washing up the dishes, Bucky approached him as Morgan, Pepper and Tony played outside. Strange and Rhodey were Facetiming Bruce, catching up on his new experiments and such.
“Do you need help?” Bucky asked.
“Sure,” Sam replied, noticing how awkward his behaviour had become.
After a few moments of water running, clanking of plates and the bristles of brushes, Bucky spoke up first.
“I’m sorry about last night,” he apologised.
“ I should be sorry,” Sam told him. “I said so many bad things about you that I didn’t mean.”
“It’s…” Bucky inhales before locking eyes with Sam’s - they were so pretty to look at, he almost forgot to speak because he was so dumbfounded by how beautiful he was, “it’s...okay. I forgive you.”
“Are we good?” Sam smiled, showing the tooth gap.
“Yeah, we’re good.” Bucky smiled back, they finished washing the dishes. Strange was watching the conversation from afar and smiled to himself - just one day? Or a week in the multiverse, they’d have to understand. He then stopped his thinking, they already made up with each other, what’s the point of sending them to the multiverse? He looked back to see how they looked at each other, the amount of love was sickening.
But they’re both 10% idiots which means they’re oblivious as fuck.
Maybe, just for fun?
It wasn’t until hours later until it happened. Strange had called both Wilson and Barnes to join him, he had created a portal underneath a pile of their clothing in the laundry room.
“Alright, we need to talk about your clothes.” he stated, both confusing them.
“Why?” Bucky asked.
“No one can ever find shit because you two never label your shit, therefore no one can find their own clothes! ” Stephen claimed, Sam sighed and shook his head.
“Look, we’ll label them okay? No need to get fussy about this.” Sam said, rubbing his temple.
“By the way,” Stephen stopped them from leaving “I think you might want to check in there.”
“For what?” Bucky groaned.
“Morgan was looking for her jeans earlier and she wanted to look in here but she said it ‘smelled nasty’.” he lied with a smile, Bucky and Sam came hesitantly, Sam and Bucky dug through lazily. Then, suddenly –
“I don’t see anything– AHHHH! ” Bucky cried, Sam falling with him. Stephen pushed them in the portal, closing the portal with satisfaction. Those assholes better notice their feelings.
They were falling through a whole spiral, a whole other world, everything was black and white, they were falling faster and faster, they felt the hairs of their body rise as a whole other universe was about to overtake them. Their clothes started changing into other clothes as they reached the bottom, crashing in a lobby of a hotel. In New York.
Everything felt blurry and once Bucky sat up, rubbing his head. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He’s seen this site before, the familiar clothes...the music. He turned to see Sam in a blue suit(which he looked quite good in). “You okay Sam?”
“Yeah...where are we?”
Bucky helped him up and looked him in the eye. Sam’s eyes widened at Bucky’s new appearance.
“The 1940s,” he explained, now noticing he’s wearing a light brown suit with a tie and a brooch with flowers was attached to his breast pocket. Sam was shocked.
“I-It can’t be!” he cried, looking around.
“Very much is darling,” Bucky said, those words slipped out easily with that old fashioned charm. He studied Sam for a moment, noticing a red envelope in Sam’s pocket.
“What’s that?” he said, pointing to the envelope.
Sam took it out, it was stamped with wax of the symbol on Bucky’s metal arm - which he currently doesn’t have in this universe and his falcon wings, which he doesn’t have too.
He opened the letter, Bucky coming closer to him to read it with him, they heard another voice reading along with them. The Narrator.
Dear Mr Barnes and Mr Wilson,
Welcome to your Multiverse! I am the Narrator, call me Nar for short. You are currently in the 1940s. In order to get your way back home, I’ve placed clues in each letter to help you find your reality(616).
The first clue:
The A-List Restaurant at 7.00pm
Good luck!
N.A.R
“I guess we go there? - Do you have a watch?” Sam asked, Bucky lifted up his sleeve, now noticing that he was skin. Human skin. Not the wakanda arm he was used to. “Yeah, I do,” he replied “it’s 6.30pm.”
“Let’s...get a taxi?” Sam suggested.
“Why are we going to a restaurant?” Bucky asked.
“Look at our clothes, man it’s a formal event.” Sam chuckled, punching his arm lightly.
“True,” Bucky smiled as they exited the lobby of this hotel. As if on cue, a car pulled up in front of them, the driver rolled down the window. Cars in the 1940s were different.
“Are you James and Sam Wilson?” the driver asked, looking at the notepad he was holding.
“Yes,” Sam said, not knowing why the driver didn’t say Bucky’s last name. The driver got out and opened the door for them, they got inside.
“So…” the driver began, starting the car “how long have you two been together?”
The question shocked them “seven years,” Bucky blurts out.
“Ah, strong relationship then?” the driver grinned.
“Yes,” Sam replied, it came out more of a breath than anything. Five minutes felt like five hours. Sitting in a car with your friend, being asked about your - relationship? Were they dating in this universe?
They got out of the car, thanking the unnamed driver and walking into the restaurant. A waiter stopped them, holding a name of the guest list, “ah, you must be the newly wed couple! Mr James and Sam Wilson!”
“Bucky will be fine,” he stated, trying to ignore the fact that Sam and him were not only dating but married , for some reason - that made him - happy . Sam was highly confused - was same-sex marriage even legal in the 1940s? Probably not.
The waiter welcomed them in, Bucky froze when he saw what was ahead. Steve - post serum Steve with Peggy in his arms, she was in a red dress with her hair down and Steve in a grey suit.
Their faces lit up and smiled at them. Peggy approached them, hugging Bucky. “Oh James, it’s so good to see you!”
She was still beautiful as he remembered. Still a strong woman. Sam knew how daunting it must be for Bucky, to relive - another version of his past. It was even more shocking for Sam to see a younger Steve. He was very handsome and good-looking.
“It’s good to see you too,” Bucky said, there was sadness in his eyes that only Sam noticed. Peggy then hugged Sam next, “oh Sam, you’re so lucky to have a good relationship after your fallout last year!”
“Peg, give them some room, will you?” Steve chuckled, hugging Bucky. James Buchanan Barnes forgot what it was like to be hugged by Steve Rogers. His body almost froze, he wanted to scream and cry. But he smiled because it felt like old times, it felt like home . This swell in his chest.
“It’s good to see you Buck,” he smiled. It was like the ones Sam had seen in the photos of museums and photos Bucky had kept and shown him.
“You too,” he chuckled. Once Steve hugged Sam and patted him on the back, he could feel the same closure Bucky had just felt.
He remembered they both missed Steve. They both grieved over Steve.
“You’re a good man, Sam,” he smiled. There was pain in Sam’s chest - those words were said earlier before the shield was handed to him, Sam began to wonder if Captain America was even a thing in this timeline.
“Thank you for inviting us to your Wedding Party,” Peggy smiled.
“You’re welcome,” Sam replied. Huh, so they are married. They watched as Steve and Peggy walked off to dance, Sam turned to Bucky who had tears in his eyes and smiled weakly.
He turned to Sam “I’ve...I’ve never felt like this before,” he said shakily “I feel sad and happy all at once, even though it’s not our reality it’s...it’s just like how I remembered.”
Sam put a hand on his shoulder and realised they were wearing wedding rings.
“We didn’t have these on earlier ,” Sam whispered, looking at the golden rings.
“They’re beautiful,” Bucky said, observing the rings “I have a husband with good taste,” he teased.
“Alright you, let’s get inside and try to find our way out of here.” Sam said, lightly pushing him. They stepped forward towards the table, trying to find which was theirs. There was a table with a 3-level cake, with chocolate fondant, white flowers and intricate details of birds and roses, twisting all over the cake. The top had two edible figures of themselves.
They sat down and started to think of a plan. Is there another portal?
“What if it’s in the cake. ” Sam suggested.
Bucky chuckled, suddenly the microphone turned on, a man on the stage clicked his fingers and the spotlight was turned on, “may the newly wed couple come to the dance floor for their first dance!”
People started clapping and cheering. This was all too fast - they couldn't wait to get back to their reality
Little did they know, the 1940s was only their first stop in their Multiverse - N.A.R