Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a chaotic few days. 

Well, a chaotic few years, but Bucky was used to that. Days spent in the lab, learning mechanical engineering through Tony, becoming good enough to upgrade or repair his own arm. Learning about astrophysics, or just simply space stuff with Jane as trade-off for helping her learn different skills to defend herself. When he wasn’t doing any of that, he was catching up on the history HYDRA didn’t feed him, or the various aspects of pop culture Darcy insisted he needed to know. 

There were stretches of time, be it hours or weeks, where Steve went away on a mission. Sometimes, though rarely, Bucky would go, too. But he was usually out of sight with a gun trained on an assailant. That, or hanging back on the quinjet or in the safe house because he was only there as backup.

Chaotic good, he supposed, could sum up the last few years. But the last few days? Just plain chaotic. A wedding where the bride and the groom get pulled away, off-planet because that was a thing that happened. Then part of the wedding party and the guest list get a call that someone or something that they’d been tracking was spotted in Lagos, and off they went.

The Avengers that weren’t off-planet or on the mission were either called away to some meeting or another, making the compound eerily quiet inside while the people hired to set up for what was supposed to be a big event began to take things down. The wedding wasn’t going to be happening any time soon. At least not on Earth.

“Well,” Darcy said with an emphasized sigh, “this was a thing.”

“Suppose that’s how we can sum it up, huh?” Bucky asked, squinting at the drive, noting the car coming for Darcy weaving its way to the compound building. In the distance, a quinjet was coming in, though there was no telling who was on it. “I’ll let you know if she pops back up again.”

“As you should. And when she does, call me. I want to be able to talk to her, so if I can get her set on Earth time and not Asgard time.”

“What am I? Chopped liver?”

“Yeah, fine, I’ll wanna talk to you, too,” Darcy smacked him on the chest before smirking up at him. “We can get together, braid each other’s hair, talk about boys.”

“You gotta get one of your own for us to do that,” Bucky smirked back, elbowing her in return as Happy Hogan pulled up.

He parked got out. 

“Miss Lewis,” He greeted with a smile, nodding at Bucky as he went to open the passenger side for Darcy.

“Well, that’s me,” She said, turning to give Bucky a hug that he readily returned.

It was amazing to realize how touch-starved he’d been without knowing. It was only after someone - probably Natasha - gave him the words to describe it that he understood what it was. 

 It took him a long time to realize he had been a tactile person in general before his brain was scrambled, and that he needed touch almost like he needed anything else to live. He had most of his mind back within a couple of months after leaving HYDRA, but recovery was still slow as he relearned himself and what he needed. 

With Steve there was their every day, though private, interactions. In public, around the team, their physical affection was limited to a hand gripping a shoulder, arm, or hand. A handhold or a forehead touch at their most intimate in public. But in private, they usually found themselves pressed together. They would sit on the couch with no space between them, if not one having the other’s head in their lap. There were arms snaking around one another’s waists, hands on their backs. And dancing. Steve may have never been one for dancing back in the day, and he still wasn’t now, but he humored Bucky when the mood would strike, the two swaying in their kitchen or living room together.

With Jane, it was just as easy. While Bucky had gotten a few more memories of Becca back, he still thought of Jane as his twenty-first-century sister. They ribbed each other, physically and verbally. They hugged and shoved, and had lots of physical contact with one another when they were around. Even when he was teaching her how to fight, the contact they made with one another never felt hostile.

But aside from them, people usually didn’t come in contact with him. Darcy would because she did that with everyone. Tony only when working on the arm. Non-hostile touch hadn’t been something he had a lot of after falling from the train. 

He gave Darcy a squeeze then stepped back.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Bucky said to her before she stepped away. “Just ‘cause Janie ain’t here.”

“Yeah, I’ll be by, don’t worry,” Darcy waved off his concerns before getting in the car. She waved to him through the window before Happy took off, and Bucky waved until he was certain she wouldn’t see him anymore.

With no reason to stand there any longer and nothing much else to do in the meantime, Bucky went into his and Steve’s compound apartment.

They didn’t live there full time. They still had a place in Brooklyn, away from everyone. They would spend a couple of weeks there, drive up to the compound and stay on it, or in one of the cabins by a lake a little ways away. But while Steve was away on missions, Bucky stayed exclusively on the compound. 

He didn’t like to feel alone and isolated. Even if he could see Jane and Loki’s cabin across the water, Tony’s somewhere in between. Even if every single avenger who lived on the base was away, Bucky still stayed there. There was always staff, and when he was really desperate for companionship there was FRIDAY. 

It wasn’t everyone away this time. Pietro stayed behind this go, probably so he could flirt with one of the interns he seemed to take a shine to, and focus on his studies. Bucky was sure he’d seen Rhodey still hanging about. But he didn’t feel like finding one of them now that Darcy was gone, so he went to his own space.

Once inside, he went right for the couch, deciding that flopping down on that and watching TV was the best way to kill some time for now. He turned it on, thinking he might pull up Netflix, when the news caught his attention.

“11 Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria…”

~*~

It was probably an hour or so into the news coverage when Bucky heard the door open. He was on his feet, turning on his heel to see Steve still in his uniform, cowl still on his head. There was only a little grime on his skin, and he seemed otherwise unharmed. But something must have shaken the unshakeable captain because Steve looked at Bucky like he was terrified he’d come home and find him gone. 

“What happened?” Bucky asked, moving around the couch as Steve started to come toward him. “What-“

He never got to finish the sentence. The second Steve was in range, he grabbed Bucky, pulled him in, holding him close before kissing him fiercely. 

It immediately had Bucky worried, and torn between allowing Steve to have this, whatever it was, and pushing him away. Not because it was weird for Steve to hug and kiss him after a mission, that was almost ritualistic when Bucky wasn’t with him. It was the fact that Steve was shaking, vibrating like he was a breath away from falling apart.

When Steve finally did break the kiss he didn’t go far, pressing his forehead to Bucky’s and panting. 

Bucky ran hands over Steve even though he wouldn’t have felt the touch through the uniform in an attempt to ground them both.

“That bad, huh?” Bucky asked when it seemed Steve calmed a little.

“We got the bioweapon. But there were innocent casualties. And… and Rumlow was… he was there,” Steve swallowed. “Do you remember him?”

Bucky shook his head.

“He was HYDRA. Was on my strike team before SHIELD fell, so he knew me before I found you. Probably wondered why nothing seemed to faze me. He knew now. Started talking about you, what they did to you. Said he was there and you-“

“Hey,” Bucky interrupted gently, holding Steve’s face and tilting his head so he had to look Bucky in the eye. “It’s over, alright? You said Nat looked everywhere for that book with the words. Said there wasn’t any trace of it, right? That the last guy who supposedly had it was dead.” Steve nodded, and then Bucky nodded, too. “Doesn’t matter what this Rumlow guy said. Not going anywhere on you, you here me? Winter Soldier’s gone, and I don’t gotta go through that again. Just you and me now.”

“’Til the end of the line,” Steve said softly.

“You got it, Doll. ‘Til the end of the line.”

~*~

“So apparently we’re going to be back here in about… two years,” Jane said as she stood across the breakfast bar from Bucky.

He wasn’t quite used to her like this yet, here but not, popping in on occassion. He remembered the couple of times Loki had done this while Bucky and Jane were away on their road trip to find themselves. He was always image and sound, but nothing else. 

Jane could interact with her surroundings. She was leaning against the counter, moving an apple from one hand to the other while Bucky finished his second cup of coffee.

The apple would be as cold as if it had been refrigerated by the time she set it down, as Jane in this form was hard and cold as ice.

 Her eyes were also in a permanent state of strange. Never were they the brown eyes that sparkled with ideas and mischief, but the galaxies that meant the alien side of her was coming out. It happened now and again over the last couple of years, usually when she was in an extreme emotional state or trying to use whatever alien powers she might have even if nothing actually happened. 

“Two years on a spaceship?” He asked, smirking behind his cup before taking a sip.

Jane shrugged, “well, to be fair, it’s like the cruise ship of spaceships. This thing houses the Hulk, thousands of Asgardians, and a couple really alien aliens. I mean, there’s a guy who is literally rocks, and his friend is like this giant bug thing. I can’t even explain it.”

“I don’t know if I should be jealous or happy I’m not there.”

“I don’t know what you should be, either, to be fair,” She said as she set the apple back down. “On one hand, I’m getting the experience of a lifetime. No other Astrophysicist will ever be able to know more or say they’ve seen as much as I have. But while there’s so much room it seems there’s always someone around. At least the drama is entertaining, some days it’s like living in a soap opera. I’ll have to remember to update Darcy on the latest in the love triangle when I see her.”

“Oh, what, and not me?” Bucky teased.

“Like you care,” She shot back with a grin.

“Sergeant Barnes,” Vision interrupted, coming through the wall three feet away from the apartment door. 

Bucky arched a brow, and if Jane startled at all it didn’t show.

“Your presence is being requested at the meeting in the conference room,” Vision said somewhat regretfully. He turned to Jane, “Will you be joining us, Doctor Foster.”

“God, Doctor. That is so nice to hear,” She sighed, rubbing her face before standing upright. “Is it just the Avengers? Should I get Loki?”

Vision grimaced, “it’s not just the Avengers, I’m afraid.”

Jane pursed her lips and nodded once. “Then that will be a no. Probably too confusing to explain all this.” She then turned to Bucky. “See you in a couple weeks?”

“I’ll be here,” He said with a grin and wave. When Jane popped out of existence, Bucky downed his coffee before setting the mug in the sink and headed for the door. “What kind of shit show should I be expecting?” he asked Vision as he left the apartment.

The android followed by going through the wall.

“The worst.”

Steve

Tony had warned them that there was something happening. Steve knew he couldn’t say what, exactly. Regardless of how much money Tony made while doing basically nothing, it didn’t mean he wanted to waste any of it by breaking the multitude of non-disclosure agreements he had to sign when he was forced into these secret meeting the last few months.

But this, the Sokovia Accords, was something far worse than what Steve was expecting. Especially the way Ross was pitching them.

He had thought, when the meetings started, that Fury was trying to persuade the Avengers in rejoining SHIELD. Or to be SHIELD and have the agents work for the Avengers. He thought maybe there going to be some sort of request for training, something like readying the next generation to take over when the non-enhanced got too old, or the actually enhanced wanted to retire. 

He wouldn’t have minded the idea of the latter. Especially not after the incident with Rumlow last month. 

It had made Steve realize that he was still spending more time on missions or training with the other Avengers than he was with his partner. That while doing the right thing was set in his bones, and standing up for what was right a part of his soul, coming home aching and bruised meant less quality time with the guy who held his heart.

He knew he still had a few more years in him before he was really ready to give it up. He wanted to have someone in place before he did. Someone he could trust to take over the shield and what it stood for. Someone who wouldn’t abuse it.

Listening to what Ross had to say, Steve didn’t think his ideal successor would be considered, and he wouldn’t get a say in who took the shield if he gave it up.

As it was, it was beginning to sound like Ross thought of them less like people with moral values and more like weapons to be pointed where he wanted them. Like to think of them as anything otherwise was reckless. 

“The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place,” Steveargued as he eyed the thick book being handed around. “I feel we’ve done that.”

“Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor, Loki, and Banner are right now?”

“Asgard,” Tony pipped up from where he sat slightly away from everyone. 

It wasn’t precisely accurate, and it would likely make the work Tony was doing on Thor’s behalf to claim land and build a place where the displaced Asgardians could live a lot harder. 

But the taken aback look Ross had for a second was worth the half-lie.

“But do you know when they’re going to be back?” Ross countered smugly.

No one answered, and Steve looked over his shoulder at Bucky. He had been standing at the back, on the opposite side of the room from Tony. It had the best view of the entrances, allowed him to see everyone in the room. Bucky had had his arms crossed, face stony and unreadable as he had listened to what was being said. That didn’t change in the face of Ross’s tone, not that that was surprising.

“You tell us why it matters,” Pietro asked, unafraid and probably more than a little pissed.

He had a right to be. First for having these accords named for his home country that he as an Avenger had tried to save. Second for having to watch his sister grow quietly distraught over having her mistake shoved in her face again.

Not that it was even her fault. Wanda had tried to save people, tried to get Rumlow and his damn vest away from civilians and out of harm’s reach. She couldn’t control when it exploded, and no one would have expected her to be able to contain it, either.

“It matters, because if I misplace a couple 30 megaton nukes - or, hell, was shipping them from one place to another but couldn’t tell someone when to expect them - you can bet there’d be consequences.”

As if that was somehow a fair comparison to any of them, Ross looked pointedly around the room at all of them.

“Compromise,” he said, “reassurance. That’s how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground.”

“So, there are contingencies?” Rhodey asked, gesturing to the accords book in front of him.

“Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords,” Ross gave the nonreply, gesturing for his assistant to follow him. “Talk it over.”

Steve turned to Tony behind him who looked defeated. They held each other’s eye for a while, unspoken agreement on the bullshit happening around them, before Natasha spoke up.

“And if we come to a decision you don’t like?” She asked.

“Then you retire,” Ross said in a condescending tone before leaving the room.

~*~

It wasn’t long after they relocated to the common room that the arguing started.

Rhodey was vehemently for, having had the luxury of entering the military of his own free will when the world wasn’t necessarily at war. Clint, he had been on speakerphone long enough to declare the whole thing bullshit before hanging up. More important things to do, something Steve could completely respect.

Sam was against the accords and had no problem making his opinion known. Pietro was leaning for them, reminding Wanda what it was like to have their country infiltrated when they only wanted to live in peace. But he made it clear that he did not like some of the mandates within, especially the registration.

Everyone else was relatively silent, only offering their opinions when it would matter. 

And while they bickered, Steve read. His ability to speed read was coming in handy, being able to go through the accords at a quick rate to have a better idea of what they actually were.

What he saw didn’t feel right.

“So let’s say we agree to this thing,” Sam said, from somewhere behind Steve. “How long before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?”

“A hundred seventeen countries want to sign this. A hundred seventeen, Sam, and you’re just like, ‘no, that’s cool. We got it.”

“How long are you going to play both sides?”

“I have an equation,” Vision spoke up, getting the room’s attention. “In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate.”

“Are you saying it’s our fault?” Steve asked him, arching a brow.

“I’m saying there may be a causality.”

“Can I ask something?” Bucky spoke up for the first time, ignoring how everyone looked at him as he stared at Vision. “You know everything, right?”

Vision tilted his head, “I have access to everything on the known web.”

“So, yes. Anyway, do people know about the Tesseract weapons? Like, common folk?”

Vision blinked, “no. It was not common knowledge that the Red Skull was using the Tesseract to make weapons during the second world war.”

“Right, and what about what Steve did? I mean, everyone knows he went on ice to save the world, but do they know why?”

“Yes,” Vision replied, “that was common knowledge.”

“So, we got two, potentially world-ending events right there, and the world only knew about half. Now, I ain’t an expert, I was still on ice when it happened. But I heard stories, and the understanding I have is that the only reason Loki came to Earth was for the Tesseract. And he only knew it was here because people - not the Avengers - were messing with it.”

“SHIELD was working with it,” Natasha confirmed. 

“So that wasn’t because of the Avengers. Neither was the whole thing in London. With the dwarves.”

“Elves,” Steve and Tony corrected at the same time.

“Right. It was just… Earth, right? Guy just wanted to use Earth as his point of origin for the thing he wanted to do.”

“We were already warned there was something coming,” Steve pointed out. “Loki was able to reach out to Tony and me and get us there. Then when he, Jane, and Thor came back to Earth, they were able to give us exacts.” 

“Right, but that wasn’t you guys or the Avenger’s problem specifically. If you guys weren’t there, what woulda happened? Would anyone have been able to stop things?”

Bucky’s eyes fell on Rhodey, the only person in the room still actively in service.

Pressing his tongue to the inside of his cheek a moment, Rhodey tilted his head to the side a moment before he said, “maybe. But probably not in time for things to go bad. Or worse than they already did.”

Bucky nodded once, waving at Rhodey before looking at Vision. 

“So, these go in effect,” Sam started, gesturing to the accords in Steve’s hand, “and you got another elf coming down from space ready to use Earth as ground zero. Hell, you get the purple people eater landing in, I dunno, Greece or Mexico, what are we supposed to do?” Sam raised his hands in surrender, mockingly sayin, “sorry folks. Can’t help, not our area.”

“What about the enhanced that are not Avengers?” Pietro asked Steve, gesturing to the book with a tilt of his chin. “What’s it say about them, huh?”

Steve glanced at the pages even though he was long past that part.

“They need to register themselves. And enhanced individuals are expected to… to be able to be monitored.”

“Ah, see!” Sam exclaimed.

“Yeah, and what if one of those enhanced go super villain, huh?” Rhodey countered. “Vision, tell him, huh.”

A pause.

“Oversight... Is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand. Not when our strength invites challenge, and challenge incites conflict.” He replied reluctantly.

“Tony, you are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal,” Natasha pointed out.

Tony sighed, long and drawn out. 

He’d been sitting the whole time in a chair - if you could call what he was doing sitting, anyway. While everyone spoke, he had his hand covering his face, masking the pinched lines around his eyes from those who didn’t know him well enough to see it.

“It’s been months of listening to this, and defending us, and trying to make Ross understand. Reminded me of my hearing, when they wanted me to give up the suit.” He got up, moving stiffly to the kitchenette.

He poured himself a cup of coffee with one hand while placing his phone in the basket of fruit, tapping it a couple of times to bring up an image of an unfamiliar bow.

“Thought I was doing the right thing until I got cornered by a woman at the MIT thing. That’s her son, Charles Spencer. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor-level gig at Intel planned for the fall of 2014. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service, some of you know what that’s like.”

Tony turned, taking a drink from his mug before continuing.

“Charlie didn’t want to go to Paris or Amsterdam. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. In Sokovia. He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won’t know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass.”

“And how is that our fault?” Pietro asked curiously. “It was not your fault your missile blew up our home, yeah? So why is it our fault if a building falls when we tried to get everyone out?”

“It’s not,” Tony replied. “I’m not saying it is. We did everything right, as right as we could. But at the end of the day… you and Wanda? You blamed me for ten years. And I get it, I blame me, too. I didn’t know my weapons were being used like that, not before it was too late. And I get it, I do, we try our best, we do what we can. But let me tell you, if Morgan,” he paused, choking on his words.

Steve knew how Tony felt. Maybe not to the same level, Morgan was only his goddaughter. But if something happened to her, he would be raging at whoever could be blamed for it. 

Still, Tony had set up Damage Control. The Stark Relief Fund. He paid for and the rest of them aided in getting the Sokovian refugees homes. To the best of his knowledge, Tony paid for funerals and medical aid for those affected. What would happen to those affected if they were to sign the accords? Would those programs cease to exist?

“You’re right,” Steve said, meeting Tony’s gaze. “You’re right, we need to be held accountable. Maybe more than we are. But this? This document just shifts the blame.”

“I’m sorry, Steve, that… that is dangerously arrogant,” Rhodey spoke up. “This is the United Nations we’re talking about. It’s not the World Security Council, it’s not SHIELD, it’s not HYDRA.”

“You sure?” Bucky asked. “I mean, this is essentially saying they want to know every enhanced individual currently on the planet, and have a say in where they go and what they do. I mean, I get my memory’s a little fuzzy, but that sounds a helluva lot like shit I was made to do.”

“It’s taking a precaution,” Rhodey replied, his tone more understanding. “They don’t even necessarily want every enhanced individual to participate in all this. No one’s going to be forced to do anything.”

“But it’s surrendering our right to choose where we go and how we help,” Steve pointed out. “It’s surrendering those people’s right to anonymity.”

“If we don’t do this now, it’s gonna be done to us later,” Tony sighed. “That’s the fact. Just like they tried to take my suit from me six years-ish ago. I said no. I said I was it. They couldn’t have it. Now, well, they’re gonna get it, they're just stuck with me in the tin can.”

After a beat of silence, Nat spoke up.

“Maybe Tony’s right.”

Tony fumbled his coffee cup, whether honestly or for show, Steve couldn’t be sure.

“If we have one hand on the wheel,” Nat said, making a point to look at everyone but Tony, “we can still steer. If we take it off-“

“Aren’t you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?” Sam asked incredulously, leaning toward Nat with his arms crossed.

“I’m just… reading the terrain,” She replied carefully. “We have made some very public mistakes. And have befriended not one, but two people who had posed a threat to national security in two separate instances. We need to win their trust back.”

“I’m sorry," Tony said, coming to stand between Nat and Sam. “Did I just mishear you, or did you agree with me?”

“Oh, I want to take it back now,” Nat said as she shook her head, a hint of a smirk on her lips.

“No, no, no. You can’t retract it,” Tony said as Steve felt a buzz in his pocket. He fished out his phone, checking his messages as Nat and Tony continued their playful bickering.

Sharon: Aunt Peggy passed. It was in her sleep.

Steve’s heart sunk into the pit of his stomach at the same moment he realized he wasn’t hearing anything more from anyone. 

He looked up, seeing Tony with his phone out as well, heartbreak evident on his face before he turned to Steve and met his gaze.

“Nat, can you handle the, uh… the accords?” Tony asked.

She frowned but nodded.

“Everything alright?” She asked, glancing between him and Steve.

“We gotta go to London,” Tony replied, shoving his phone in his pocket before walking away.

Attention turned to Steve, and he swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Peggy’s gone.”

Chapter Text

Bucky had been conflicted when Steve first got up and left the common room after announcing Peggy’s passing. On one hand, he wanted to give Steve the space he needed to grieve, because as much as Bucky didn’t want to admit it Steve would have likely chosen Peggy had they not gone on ice for seventy-odd years. On the other, he wanted to run after him, comfort him, be there for his partner.

In the end, he gave Steve space. It was a decision he still hadn’t been sure was the right one when he walked into their apartment a little over an hour later. 

The old gramophone was playing Harry James when he opened the door, a particular song that tore Bucky’s heart up a little when he caught the refrains. Steve was sitting on the couch, a suitcase packed and a garment bag laid overtop of it nearby. On the coffee table spread out was a collection of clippings, photographs, and probably official files all relating to Peggy Carter.

Steve’s eyes were sad, a little red, but if he’d cried at all it was well before Bucky had come back to their space.

He sat down next to Steve, giving him a little distance and keeping his hands to himself, unsure of how to handle this.

They stayed quiet for a while, the record playing filling the silence.

“Sorry,” Steve said eventually, and Bucky frowned.

“What for?”

“This can’t be… I mean, given everything, coming home and seeing me like-”

“Steve,” Bucky interrupted, grabbing Steve’s hand in his metal one and holding tight. “You loved her.”

“Not as much as I love you,” He immediately assured, and Bucky raised his flesh hand to stop the ramble. 

“Not about that,” he said. “I know, pal. Know you love me. But you did love her, and doesn’t matter that she looked our age, or that she had a whole life without you in it. You loved her, and now she’s gone. You said you cried for me, I’d be surprised if you didn’t grieve her.”

Steve looked up at Bucky, eyes still a little damp. “I packed you a suitcase.” 

Bucky frowned, “You want me there?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Steve asked with a smirk. “You’re my best guy. Gonna need you there.”

“Okay,” he said, nodding before leaning in and kissing Steve quick on the lips. “Gonna go pack. Tony will probably get us on a plane as soon as he can.”

As Bucky got up, Steve tugged on his hand, pulling him back in for another, longer kiss.

He didn’t say anything as Bucky pulled away and headed down to their room to get a suitcase ready, planning for a week away just in case.

Steve

Peggy Carter was nothing if not efficient. Apparently, that was the same with her funeral, which was set to take place two days after her death - three if said day fell on a Sunday. She made the arrangements for everything two years back when she had relocated to England. She wanted no one to dillydally, no one to sit around twiddling their thumbs. Peggy knew she’d be mourned, but she wanted to be put to rest as soon as possible and not have her body fawned over.

So not long after Steve, Bucky, and Tony had landed, a red-eyed Sharon explained how things were going to go.

It’s how the three of them found themselves as pallbearers, along with her grandsons, Daniel the only familiar face to Steve. It’s how they found themselves sitting with the family because Peggy demanded they be treated as such. It’s why Sharon had given the eulogy and not some official from some organization who wanted to be seen at the funeral of the great Peggy Carter.

In fact, as the service came to an end, and most everyone left, Steve realized that there hadn’t been anyone there aside from them who could be classified as a public figure.

“Was nice,” Bucky said, giving the hand he’d been holding since he and Steve were relieved of their duties.

Steve smiled, first down at their joined hands, then up at Bucky, running his thumb along the seam of Bucky’s glove.

“It was,” He agreed.

He then looked around the graveyard, something humble and not terribly public. He spotted Tony back near the church, talking to Sam and Nat who had come to support them.

“You okay?” Bucky asked as they started making their way toward their friends.

“Yeah,” Steve said softly. “Yeah, just, well. For the first couple years after gettin’ outta the ice, I thought she was the only one left who knew me. Might not be true these days, but,” he shrugged.

“It’s allowed to hurt, ya know. Different world, it woulda been her sleeping next to you at night, not me.”

Steve couldn’t deny it, and he knew if he tried Bucky would have called him out on it. So he stayed silent until they met up with their friends.

Sam and Nat each gave him a hug, making him let go of Bucky to return the gesture. Bucky just got a sympathetic smile, a squeeze of his flesh arm.

“You guys didn’t have to come,” Steve said to them, but Sam just smiled.

“We weren’t gonna let you guys do this alone,” He said, glancing at Tony.

“You’re on your way to Vienna?” Steve asked, and the pair nodded. “Who signed?”

Sam looked as though he was about to try and avoid answering, but Nat didn’t hesitate.

“Tony, Rhodey, Vision, Pietro.”

That one surprised him.

“Clint?” Steve asked.

“Says he’s retired,” Natasha replied with a smirk.

“Wanda?”

“She’s still on the fence,” Sam replied with a shrug. “Pietro figured if he signed, she would, too. But he wasn’t the one the media has zeroed in on this last month.”

Steve nodded before looking to Tony. “Would Loki sign? Banner?”

“Loki? Probably not,” Tony replied honestly, putting his hands in his pockets and bouncing on his feet. “Not sure if Ross knows about the incoming Asgardians, figured I would leave that as a nice lil’ surprise. Banner? Banner would… maybe.”

“What happens if we don’t sign?” Steve pondered aloud. “Honestly? Is Ross really going to let any of us retire?”

Nat shrugged, and so did Sam.

“You signing?” Steve asked him.

Sam shook his head. “I can’t. I get it means I’m outta the Avengers, but I can’t sign something that’s gonna tag people like animals. Put them under the microscope when all they did was mutate somehow. Or worse, it wasn’t their choice to begin with,” Sam looked at Bucky as he said it.

“I still say staying together is more important than how we stay together,” Nat said. 

“Which is why you’re figure-heading this,” Tony said, sniffing. “The rest of us, we’re gonna be getting a drink. Sam? You drinking or are you going?”

“Drinking,” He said.

“You boys always making me be the responsible one,” Natasha mock lamented with a sigh before breaking into a grin. She then hugged each of them in turn and turned to leave.

“Shall we?” Tony asked. “I know a good bar Aunt Peg used to always go on about.”

Bucky

“So I asked what she thought. And without hesitation, she picked up a gun and fired six rounds at me. Which, of course, had me - and Howard - ducking behind the shield. And after she unloaded the gun she just stood a bit straighter and said, ‘yes, I think it works.’”

There were chuckles all around, Daniel and Sharon having already been at the bar, and came over to join them.

Bucky had heard the story back in the forties, he knew he had. Even if he didn’t remember it exactly, the rage tasted the same. 

He didn’t have any Peggy stories to share, but he was enjoying listening to them. It made him appreciate the woman all the more, respect her more than he already did. The only thing he had ever had against Peggy Carter was that she was in love with Steve, and it wasn’t even something he had a right to be mad about back then.

And now all he really had left were memories of this woman in her final days, the day they went to see her in New York before Ultron, and the two times he and Steve came to London to see her before her condition got to the point where their going would do more harm than good.

It was okay, though, because Tony could tell secondhand stories from what she had told him. What his butler had told him when he was growing up. Because Sharon and Daniel had their own stories about her, what she was like in private.

“I remember granddad saying she could get pretty spiteful depending on the circumstance,” Daniel smirked. “I don’t think she ever shot at him, though.”

“You really think he would have admitted if she did?” Sharon questioned, raising an eyebrow in emphasis.

“Fair point,” Daniel conceded, and Bucky grinned at him when he made fleeting eye contact. 

Then Daniel did a double-take at something behind Bucky’s shoulder, and he turned to see that there was a breaking news story on the screen. A phone started ringing, and Sharon answered it, voice clipped and professional.

The rest of the bar grew quieter, though silence certainly didn’t fall over it. But it was enough that Bucky could hear the broadcast clear as day.

“More than 70 people have been injured. At least 12 are dead, including Wakanda's King T'Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The infamous HYDRA agent, linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations.”

“What the hell?” Bucky said, looking at the picture on the screen of a man who only vaguely looked like him at best.

“How much have we been drinkin?” Sam asked, snapping Bucky’s attention back to the table. The group of them all looked at each other, to Sharon who was staring at Bucky at a loss.

“I told them you were here with me the whole time but,” She shrugged and shook her head. “I gotta take you in.”

Steve tensed, and Tony stood up.

“Sharon,” Daniel tried to argue, but she looked at her cousin and shook her head.

“We go together,” Sam said with a shrug, standing up and putting on his suit jacket. “We go, tell’em we got, what, five witnesses who can vouch for him.”

“He’d be flying in from another country,” Steve snapped. “There’s nothing to vouch for!”

“They’re going to at least want to question him, Steve,” Sharon tried to placate. “Let’s just,” She glanced behind them, and Bucky didn’t need to look to know they were drawing attention.

People would have seen him come in, would probably be stupid enough to believe that was actually him on the news. Even if the build of the man’s body was different than his own. Even if his hair wasn’t quite right or the eyes. 

They were told he blew up the UN in Vienna, and if they didn’t leave there would be trouble.

“Let’s just go, Steve.” He said, getting up and looking down at his partner. “Sooner they see it wasn’t me, the sooner they can find who did it.” He added, which had Steve relenting, though with great reluctance.

“Good luck,” Daniel offered as they all grabbed their stuff, dropped various pound amounts on the table to cover their tab, and left as quietly as they could.

Bucky could feel eyes on them the whole time.

~*~

The flight was short, but it wasn’t unproductive. Tony had a lawyer on the phone, asking him to get his ass the Germany. Sam had all the news articles possible up for them to browse, trying to understand what was happening. All they knew was that the king had been one of five casualties, and that his son had been with him when it happened.

The moment the jet landed in Berlin where Sharon was told to bring Bucky and the rest of them, they were surrounded by officers. 

“Bout the same welcome I remember getting the first time I came to Germany,” Bucky grumbled as they slowly disembarked the plane, hands in the air.

Sam snorted, but Bucky didn’t dare look away from the guns trained on them to see if he got at least a smirk from anyone. Plus, there was a man with them, stone-faced and eyes filled with murderous rage. He was in what was probably a sort of armor, a helmet that resembled the face of a cat tucked at his side.

And he had eyes only for Bucky.

“James Buchanan Barnes,” Someone shouted. Who, Bucky didn’t know. His eyes were fixed on the man with the armor. The guns seemed less intimidating than him now.

“Yes,” He replied.

Then they swarmed him.

He could hear Sam and Steve protesting, trying to resist, attempting to keep the armed guards back as best they could but it wasn’t any bother. Bucky allowed himself to be forced to the ground, chest to the tarmac, hands yanked behind his back.

He looked up at the man as he came to stand over him, helmet now on.

“I didn’t kill your father,” He said, taking a stab in the dark as to who the guy was.

The man reached up and touched his necklace, then the armor bled away, leaving him in comfortable but still elegant street clothes.

He didn’t say anything but kept holding Bucky’s eye as the officers dragged him up, keeping a hold of him as they escorted him to a heavily armored vehicle.

“Is that necessary?” Steve demanded.

“He’s a dangerous criminal.” Someone replied.

Anything else said Bucky didn’t hear. He was uncuffed for a moment only to be shoved inside some sort of thick-walled, clear box. Forced to sit and strapped to the chair within it.

Panic began to rise as memories flooded Bucky’s brain. Cryo and chair were battling for supremacy in the living nightmare he was experiencing. Doors were closed and lights were dimmed and Bucky could barely breathe. He swore he felt the air around him drop, sending goosebumps racing along his skin and a chill tingling along his bones. His head itched and tingled on both temples and he was unable to touch or yank away whatever was doing it even though he logically knew there was nothing there.

He knew what he would have to do if he wanted to not have a mental break in the time it took them to get wherever they were going. 

Closing his eyes, Bucky took a couple of seconds to tuck away himself and brought up the familiar yet uncomfortable mask of the Soldier. Opening his eyes, he allowed himself to exist in the state where he felt nothing, where he would be obedient. And with luck, he would only have to wear this persona until the idiots that be actually look at the footage and realize it wasn’t him. Or better still, look at a map and realize how impossible it was for him to have set the bomb. 

Steve

“What in hell are you doing?” Steve demanded the moment he spotted the suit that had to be in charge in the conference room they had been given.

For one, Sharon was talking to him. For another, he had that smug, know-it-all look about him. 

Sharon had gone ahead when they arrive at the facility, so she probably (hopefully) didn’t know that someone her aunt considered important enough to be part of her funeral had been brought inside via a forklift. That he hadn’t even been allowed to see the light of day. 

Steve was already furious and fuming, Tony and Sam’s elbows firmly in his gut the only thing preventing him from lashing out further on the drive over. The second they got out of the vehicle, Tony was on the phone, tone sharp and words harsh before he stormed inside.

Natasha was waiting for them inside, shooting Steve a warning glare that he very promptly ignored.

The man in the suit turned to Steve and said, “Same thing that ought to happen to all of you. Psychological evaluation and extradition.”

“He didn’t do anything!” Steve snapped back.

“Steve,” Sharon said gently, “the forensics are sound.”

“Sound?” Steve snapped back. “He was carrying your Aunt’s casket when they say he was in Vienna blowing shit up, and you wanna talk about forensics being sound?”

“It was an eighty-seven percent match, Captain.” The man replied as if that somehow made people witnessing the flesh and blood Bucky in London irrelevant.

“This is Everett Ross,” Sharon introduced, “Deputy Task Force Commander.” 

“Ross. How convenient,” Steve said, jaw tensing. “Any relation to the General?”

“No, the secretary of Defense and myself are unrelated. But I’m not opposed to his work,” Everett replied.

“No. I suppose you aren’t. What with arresting a man who wasn’t even in the country when it happened.”

“Who is also responsible for numerous assassinations and acts of terrorism.” Everett retorted.

“That was HYDRA, not Bucky,” Sam spoke up before Steve could. “And over the last couple years he’s had a psychiatrist vouch for him. He’s not a threat.”

Everett sighed, and the smarmy mask fell away. “Look,” he said, sounding nearly defeated, “I get this is a unique situation.”

“Unique?” Steve repeated incredulously.

“But the fact remains, he’s an enhanced individual who didn’t sign the accords.”

“Accords that only went into effect,” Steve checked his watch, “three hours ago.”

“Three hours,” Everett nodded. “Enough time that anyone wanting to could theorize that Barnes planted the bomb, left the country for England, and was there for the funeral.” He glanced away at someone before continuing. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, and we will work on getting witnesses and whatever other proof we can get. But for now, the law - which went into effect three hours ago - says he has to be detained in a manner that will hold him while he is evaluated, then returned to his home country if he passes. Excuse me.”

Everett went to deal with something or someone else, and Steve sighed, collapsing in a chair. On a screen nearby, he could see where Bucky was, but he only took a glance at it. 

Seeing his lover look emotionless, damn near lifeless, in order to survive being in the damn unit was too heartbreaking. Having his heartbroken tended to get Steve in more trouble than he could handle.

“Hey,” Sam said gently, getting Steve to look up at him. “You good?” He asked, knowing the answer already.

It made Steve crack a slight grin. “No,” he replied cheekily.

“They’ll let Buck out before you know it. Alright? Forensics can only do so much in this case. It’s a video, and he wasn’t even in the damn country.”

“Right, whatever,” Tony snapped as he came into the room, pulling the phone away from his ear. When he realized people were looking at him, he threw his hands out to the side. “So Ross - that would be tall and ass, not short and snobbish - wants Barnes locked up forever. Wants your ass for helping him evade authority.” He pointed to Steve.

“Evade? We came voluntarily because-“

“Yeah, save it. He talked to so and so at the funeral home who doesn’t remember seeing Bucky Bear. Don’t know who, I don’t think he cares. All he knows is that Buckaroo flew from New York to London and it’s only about a half day’s trip if you time it right. And I alone can’t be considered a reliable witness because I’m, quote, ‘too close to the situation.’”

“What are we, then?” Sam asked derisively.

“Chopped liver, really. You and Stevie didn’t sign, Ross doesn’t think you’re credible. Well, he doesn’t think your credible, Sam. You’re just a civilian. Steve here is in violation of the accords and may be brought up on charges for just being next to Bucky.”

“This is one of the reasons I didn’t wanna sign,” Steve said pointedly.

“And I knew you wouldn’t. You don’t think I fought for us?” Tony retorted. “I didn’t want this, but Ross… he brought up Banner. Hulk, sorry. Brought that up, the total cost of all the damage all these damn attacks cost.” Tony sighed, tossed his arms to the side before gesturing to Steve. “He wanted a you. It’s what had Banner go green in the first place. He wants a powerful army that can’t be stopped, at least not easily, and this is one of the ways he’s going to get it. Because you gotta notice, Steve, most of us? We’re American. Loki was marrying an American, which probably would have made him one some defacto why or another. Nat’s naturalized. The only ones on our team not from our neck of the woods are Wanda, Pietro, and Thor.”

“So what happens to them? Pietro? Wanda?”

Tony grimaced. “Currently they’re being confined to the compound. Vision’s probably keeping Wanda company.”

“Tony,” Steve chastised.

“What? It’s a hundred acres with a lap pool. It’s got a screening room. There’s worse ways to protect people.”

“Protection? Sounds more like internment,” Steve shot back.

“It’s better than what they likely woulda done to the wonder twins, alright? They don’t grant visas to weapons of mass destruction, and right now that’s all they’re seen as.”

“They’re kids.”

“They’re in their twenties,” Tony snapped back. “Which, yeah, suppose even to me that makes them a kid. But for fuck sakes, Steve, I’m trying my best here.”

Steve sighed, “Yeah, I know, I’m sorry.” He said, glancing back up at the monitor when it seemed like there was some movement in Bucky’s containment unit.

Someone entered, but if they were talking at all, Steve couldn’t tell.

Tony glanced around, taking out his device and tapping it a few times. Before Steve could ask what he was doing, audio from the containment unit clicked on.

“I’m not here to judge you,” the man who had entered said, and Sam snorted audibly, a sentiment Steve could agree with. 

“I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James?” The man continued.

A beat of defiant silence. 

“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me, James.”

The mask Bucky wore slipped, and Steve could see him relaxing a little. “My name is Bucky.”

“You know what doesn’t make any sense?” Sam asked, and Steve glanced at him to see he was looking at a TV outside the conference room, one that was currently showing the supposed picture of Bucky.

It looked nothing like him. Nothing. Too skinny, hair the wrong style, face not quite right. And maybe it’s because Steve rose and set with Bucky at his side most of the time, had gotten to know him intimately over the last few years, be he couldn’t see how anyone would mistake the two.

“Why would they release this photo?” Sam continued, pointing at the screen before glancing back at Steve and Tony.

Nat, who had been at the back the whole time, silently letting things play out, took three steps to the table where they were gathered and looked hard at the screen where Bucky’s interrogation was playing out.

“What was the first thing you did when you found out?” She asked, turning to Sam. “You all left where you were and came here. And if you hadn’t then there would have been people actively looking for Bucky. He’s not a face people are unfamiliar with.”

“It’s a good way to flush a guy out,” Steve agreed. “But he wasn’t exactly hiding.”

“He wasn’t exactly a public figure, either,” Sam retorted. “Bucky spends most of his time around Brooklyn or the compound. Both ways, though, he’s usually got someone around him.”

“This would have been a way to not only nail down where he would be, but to get him separated from everyone else,” Nat agreed. “Framing him for blowing up the UN,” she tilted her head from side to side. “It wouldn’t guarantee whoever was looking for him would get him, that was a risky move.”

“Yeah,” Steve said with slowly dawning horror. “But it’s a risky move we’ve done dozens of times. With photostatic veils.” 

Steve snapped his attention to the screen, getting to his feet as if it would get him a better look at the man with his back to the camera. 

“Tell me, Bucky,” the man spoke. “You’ve seen a great deal, haven’t you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Bucky replied somewhat politely.

“You fear that… if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop. Don’t worry, we only have to talk about one.”

Nat, eagle-eyed as ever in ways Steve could never be, cursed in Russian. Her eyes had gone wide, not necessarily with fear, but something similar.

“What?” Steve asked.

“The last person that had the Winter Soldier book was killed. I couldn’t find any trace of it.”

The power went out, and people outside the room began to scramble. A feeling of dread fell over Steve as everyone in the room seemed to rush out, while he stood still, staring at the monitor that had shown Bucky not a moment ago.

Why would someone want to get Bucky alone? Why would they go through great lengths to frame him for something he wasn’t even in the country to do, and then have him contained where a good chunk of UN officials, as well as the Avengers, would be?

Bucky had always been quietly afraid that he would be the Winter Soldier again if they didn’t get that book. 

It looked like he had every right to worry.

Chapter Text

“Steve?”

At Bucky’s voice, Steve ran over to where they were holding him, arm in a vice, while they and Sam hid out from the powers that be. How they didn’t think to check an abandoned warehouse is beyond Steve, as that should have been the first place anyone looked. 

But it afforded them a place to rest and recoup, and if Bucky came to still the Soldier, it would have hopefully kept the damage to a minimal. 

Steve had initially tried to talk Sam out of joining him, knowing it would mean that they would all be considered criminals. It didn’t seem to matter, a fact that would have Steve forever in his debt. There was no real way to repay that kind of loyalty. 

When Steve crouched to look at Bucky’s face, he seemed a wreck. The suit he wore to the funeral, which he’d never had a chance to change out of, was a mess. Torn and stained, both with blood and river water. Bucky’s eyes were a little bloodshot, and he was paler than normal as well.

Steve palmed Bucky’s cheek, lifting his head a little and getting a better look.

“You alright?” He asked.

Bucky, confused, looked around them. He gave Sam an uncertain grin before looking to the left and seeing his arm locked in place. He frowned,  then whimpered when he seemed to remember or at least understand what happened.

“I knew this would happen,” He said mournfully, leaning his head into Steve’s hand. “Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words.”

“Who was he?” Steve asked.

“I don’t know,” Bucky shook his head. 

“He framed you for the bombing just to get a few minutes with you. You really don’t know who he is?” Sam asked, crossing his arms and making his stance wider.

“I swear,” Bucky told him pleadingly. “But,” he licked his lips, “I remember what he wanted from me.”

“What?” Steve asked.

Bucky ducked under his hold, twisting in an attempt to reach the vice. Steve went for the handle where Bucky couldn’t reach and loosened it enough for the metal arm to come free.

“Sorry, Sweetheart,” He apologized quietly, rubbing Bucky’s left shoulder to try and help and ache.

“It’s fine, Doll, I get it,” Bucky promised, wrapping the arm around Steve and bringing him closer. He pressed his head to Steve’s shoulder, long hair tickling Steve’s neck. He could feel a slight tremble over his lover’s body, a vulnerability that Sam might notice if he looked close enough, but was only expressed because Bucky was with Steve.

Steve turned, pressing a reassuring kiss to Bucky’s temple, then another when he felt a responding kiss by his collar bone.

“Cute as all this is,” Sam interrupted, a little smirk flashing on his face before he grew serious again. “But what did the guy want, Buck? It had to be pretty fucking serious to work that sorta plan out.”

Bucky sighed, hot breath puffing through the sweater Sam smuggled for Steve so they wouldn’t have to wait around in suits. Bucky lifted his head, getting himself together.

“He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where.”

“Why would he need to know that?” Steve asked, running his hand down Bucky’s back.

“Because I wasn’t the only Winter Soldier,” Bucky replied.

“Sorry. Say that again?” Sam said, clearly having heard but not wanting to believe.

“I wasn’t the only one,” Bucky repeated. “Just the only one they could control.”

“Who were they?” Steve asked.

“Their most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in HYDRA history, and that was before the serum.”

“They all turn out like you?” Sam asked carefully.

Bucky snorted sardonically. “Worse. They were… out of control. Vicious. It was like once they started a fight they couldn’t shut it off. They’d have to be tranquilized before they could be contained.”

“The doctor, could he control them?” Steve asked, guessing the answer.

“Enough,” Bucky said hesitantly.

“He said he wanted to see an empire fall,” Steve said, glancing at Sam, seeing a mutual understanding.

“With these guys, he could do it,” Bucky nodded. “It would be Soldier me, but multiplied. I was a ghost all these years because that’s what I was trained to do. I could take down a country in a week if given enough time, but the others? They could take a whole country down in a night, just one night. You’d never see them coming.”

Steve allowed that information to sit with him a second.

“We need to call Tony,” Steve said.

“What for?” Sam asked, huffing. “He signed the accords, Steve. He might not be allowed to help, and even if he was, they can track him.”

“So we’re on our own?” Steve asked, mind already wandering to Clint and wondering if stopping one last bad guy might be enough to pull him from retirement. Contemplating if there was some way to get Wanda from New York to Germany.

Sam pursed his lips, rubbing at the back of his head before saying, “I may know a guy.”

Tony

If things had been different… well, Tony didn’t exactly know. Once upon a time, he wasn’t exactly a fan of Steve Rogers. In fact, when he heard he’d been defrosted, Tony nearly wept. His dad would have been happier with that news than anything Tony had done. The last thing he thought the world needed was the icon to shake his head in disappointment at it all.

Then Steve had to go and be decent. Like a genuinely decent person who really did stand up for the little guy. Who didn’t have as black and white a morality as Tony was always told. 

He supposed if things had been different, there would have always been tension like when they first formed the Avengers. Maybe Steve wouldn’t have supported Tony when he attempted Ultron and defend him when things went South. Maybe Steve would have been angry with Tony and his handling of the Maximoff twins rather than disappointed but understanding. Maybe he would have looked forward to kicking Steve’s ass.

“I don’t suppose you have any idea where they are?” Ross asked in a sneering tone that Tony, frankly, didn’t appreciate. He also wasn’t fond of the way Ross had crowded him in, using his height as an intimidation factor.

“We will,” Tony assured diplomatically. “GSG-9’s got the borders covered. Recon’s flying 24/7. They’ll get a hit. We’ll handle it.”

“You don’t get it, Stark. It’s not yours to handle. It’s clear you can’t be objective. I’m putting Special Ops on this.”

“What happens when the shooting starts? What, do you kill Steve Rogers?” Natasha asked.

She was acting all cold and aloof, indifferent, until that point. 

“If we’re provoked,” Ross retorted. 

“You’re not going to solve this with boys and bullets, Ross,” Tony snapped. Before he lashed out, he took a breath and said, “You gotta let us bring them in.”

“How would that end any differently from the last time?”

The last time. The last time should never have happened. Tony knew that, he knew Natasha knew that, too. That doctor, whoever he was, had had the little book of spells that Tony knew Nat and Steve had been hoping to get a hold of. The one that supposedly had all the magic words to get Bucky to do whatever the person who said them wanted.

It was the only way to guarantee that the Winter Soldier didn’t return. He’d been clear about that. Natasha didn’t know enough about it to try and deprogram him. Loki said it wasn’t in his or Wanda’s skill sets, despite both of them being able to mess with minds. 

Last time only happened because that doctor, whoever he was, escaped. Ran away instead of seeking any medical attention because the bastard had been the one in control, the Soldier wouldn’t have hurt him. No, the shrink set him loose on the Avengers, CIA, and everyone else in that building for a reason no one seemed to know.

It’s why Nat didn’t blame Bucky for the faint, hand-shaped bruise around her neck. It’s why Tony didn’t see it as him who tried to blow his face off, and would have succeeded had it not been for the gauntlet.

But Ross wouldn’t want to hear that. He didn’t want to hear how they knew their friend, their teammate, wasn’t in control of himself. He didn’t want to hear how there was someone else who had done all this. Who had used brains instead of brawns and was getting the upper hand.

So Tony told him what he wanted to hear.

“Because this time, General, I won’t be wearing loafers and a silk shirt. Seventy-two hours, guaranteed.”

“Thirty-six,” Ross countered. “Barnes, Rogers, Wilson.” He turned and left, not even bothering to acknowledge Tony’s barely genuine thanks.

He slumped when Ross was out of sight, feeling out of breath and a little dizzy.

“My left arm is numb, is that normal?” He quipped as Natasha plopped down next to him.

“You alright?”

“Always,” he said automatically. “Thirty-six hours, jeez.”

“We’re seriously understaffed,” Natasha smirked.

“Oh, yeah, it’d be great if we had a Hulk right about now. Or a God of Mischief.”

“We already discussed at length how they wouldn’t be on our side,” Nat’s smirk grew a little before falling, twisting slightly into a grimace.

“I’d like to think loyalty would fall to me on this,” Tony said. “Not that we’re actually picking sides here. It’s just boiled down to who signed and who didn’t, didn’t it?”

Nat pursed her lips. “I have an idea,” She said.

“Me too, where’s yours?” Tony asked.

“Downstairs.” Nat frowned, “where’s yours?”

Tony just grinned.

Natasha

“King T’Challa?”

Subjectively, Natasha thought he was handsome, and decided to play that bit up a little. Be softer spoken, charming, charmed. She didn’t need to play a part much these days, and given what she’d done a few years back, it’s not like anyone could really be fooled into thinking she was that flighty.

But it made things easier, anyway. It made her come across as non-threatening, even if she could easily kill everyone in the room. It made people - especially straight men - feel they have an upper hand on her, eased them into telling her more.

T’Challa, though, wouldn’t fall for it. She already knew he wouldn’t but old habits died hard, and being the woman who half-flirted with him before his father died couldn’t hurt. 

He’d looked up when she strode in the office, then got to his feet as she approached. 

“Have you heard what was happening?”

“I have,” He nodded once. “And, despite what happened earlier, I think I believe your friends when they say that Barnes did not do that which he is accused.”

She may have been a bit taken aback by that, but T’Challa would never know.

“Do you know who really killed my father?” He asked when she didn’t reply.

“We have our suspicions,” She told him honestly. “We need to ask Bucky if the doctor said anything in the room before he activated his programming.”

T’Challa frowned at that but didn’t ask, merely nodded.

“I wouldn’t ask you otherwise, but maybe you could be of assistance. After all,” She grinned, “Ross would expect you to want to have a hand in bringing Bucky in.”

T’Challa looked around uneasily and then slowly nodded. 

Tony

The thing was, Tony had been more than a little curious when Ross first started dragging him into the accords. Learning what he wanted from them, how they would work, it had Tony curious: why did Ross think there were that many enhanced individuals on the planet.

Realistically, Tony knew there were probably way more than any of them knew about. That young SHIELD agent, Daisy Quake or whatever, said there was a whole village of Inhumans who just wanted to be left alone. That only a handful dared to venture out into the world, her mom being a sort of cautionary tale. But that had been SHIELD intel, kept close to Fury’s chest, and unlikely something outside the organization and the Avengers would have known about.

So, Tony went searching, trying to find out where Ross got his idea. Youtube was the biggest thing, and he could see someone like the ol’ Secretary of State being made to believe half the stuff out there was real.

Most of it was stupid stunts. Anything genuine seemed to be glimpses of SHIELD agents who would have already been put in their database. One video of Jane and her creepy alien eye-thing had floated around, but most people thought it was faked.

One kid, though. One kid Tony kept on his radar. Because he analyzed the video of this spiderling stopping a bus and couldn’t find any hint that it wasn’t real.

FRIDAY had done more than a few questionable if not downright illegal things to figure out the kid's secret identity. Something Ross and his gang of bootlickers might get around to, but probably not until after the kid's voice deepened a little more. And Tony? He wasn’t going to say anything, accords be damned. But now? Given everything that happened, the show he would have to give Ross, he needed a little more manpower behind him. And maybe, just maybe, he might be able to protect this kid in the meantime.

Pietro

The last two years weren’t all that bad. Pietro supposed a lot worse could have happened back in Sokovia than taking a stray bullet, but it had also been a sobering experience.

It wasn’t like he and Wanda hadn’t been faced with the reality of war, it’s what had radicalized them in the first place. But there was something different about it, now. 

Maybe it was seeing the other side of things, like hearing how Tony hadn’t known what was happening with the Stark weapons back then. How hearing Bucky explain how HYDRA used him not once, but twice and how little they cared for him even when he was of use to him. How it might have been him and Wanda in the same boat if things hadn’t gone the way they did.

Whether it was that perspective, or seeing how close he really could have come to losing his life when he still had so much of it left to live, Pietro couldn’t say he was eager to jump back in the fray. He did, of course, when it was asked of him. He would go along on missions, do as he was asked, hope that wasn’t the day he ran too fast into something he shouldn’t.

But when he could, he went to school. Tony had been all for it, allowed him to go into the city for classes when he could, work from the compound when he couldn’t. He got to meet people his age, maybe a little younger, some a little older, and got to have a whole other set of life experiences. Some he would have thought Wanda would love to share because they reminded him so much of those old sitcoms his parents had them watch to better their English.

But this is where he and Wanda drifted since joining the avengers. She liked using her powers to help. Had Loki to spar with, someone who could fight magic with magic, make her stronger. She made friends easily with Natasha, and - much to Pietro’s confusion - seemed to be falling in love with the robot.

Their lives were changing, and their experiences were becoming more individual. 

He hadn’t been there when the explosion in Lagos happened, he’d only heard about it. And when he tried to comfort her, Wanda pushed him away. 

“You wouldn’t understand,” she had said. And he didn’t, not really, it wasn’t anything he could. All Pietro knew was that he had wanted to protect his sister.

It’s why he signed the accords. Did he like them? No. He didn’t like the idea that he would be tracked and monitored. He didn’t like that he had to give biometrics just to stay out of jail. But he thought that if he signed them, Wanda would, too. And that in doing so, maybe she wouldn’t feel so guilty when bad things happened. Or better, maybe she wouldn’t go where bad things could happen in the first place. Get a taste for the life they never got to have.

But Wanda wouldn’t. Even with Vision signing them, Wanda refused. Where they once discussed everything, she wouldn’t explain to Pietro why she hadn’t put pen to paper. Maybe she thought they would arrest her immediately, or maybe she was worried they would somehow limit her powers. 

For once, Pietro wasn’t in the know.

And it’s why he was beginning to feel like he didn’t want to stick around on the off-chance she would tell him.

As he was running down the road, he recognized a figure coming the opposite way on a motorbike. Speeding up a moment, Pietro looped around so he could run alongside Clint.

“Hey,” the archer shouted. “Where you going.”

“The city,” Pietro replied. “Stark said I could stay at a home of his there while I’m at school.”

“How ‘bout going to Germany, instead? Cap could use a hand dealing with this accord stuff,” Clint replied as he slowed the bike down, coming to a stop on the side of the road.

Pietro slowed with him, shaking his head once he wasn’t moving anymore.

“I signed,” he admitted. “I go, I could be arrested. Wanda, though, Wanda didn’t.”

“Figured as much,” Clint replied, looking around them. “So you’re taking off, then?”

Pietro shrugged. “This is not my life anymore. Wanda knows, she says she’ll be okay. And, you know, I believe her.”

Clint nodded, then reached out and gave Pietro a pat on the arm that was more of a slap. “Don’t be a stranger. I didn’t name a kid after you for nothing.”

“You gave him middle name of Pietro. Doesn’t count as much,” He replied, catching Clint’s chuckle before he sped off in the direction of the city. 

He was making the right decision, he knew he was. Deep down, Pietro had no regrets.

He just hoped it would stay that way if Wanda wound up in jail or worse.

Bucky

For so many reasons, Bucky couldn’t sleep. Where they were provided shelter, but it still felt so open. Steve and Sam had managed to get cots and civvies, a few comfort things, but that had been a risk that might lead authorities to find them. 

A part of Bucky had wanted to take off once they dozed off, lure officials away from them, and let them handle the Winter Soldier thing. But the idea of leaving Steve without a word? Going on the run? He couldn’t do that.

He wandered the facility, not that there was much to look at. But moving helped, moving kept him from running and that’s what he needed.

According to Steve, Clint was flying over with Wanda and their equipment. It hadn’t occurred to bring their gear to a funeral, since that’s what this whole trip started out as. Bucky had destroyed the burner immediately after the call, once Steve had arranged a specific meet time and location. Once Sam had called his sister to apologize for what was about to happen.

The only people Bucky had to apologize to who weren’t in the situation was either trying to live a semi-quiet life as a returning student, or in space.

“You look awful.”

As if thinking of her had summoned her, Bucky smiled at Jane’s voice and turned to face the image of her. 

“World’s gone to hell, Janie,” He said with a smirk that had no weight behind it. “Just glad you aren’t here to see it.”

“You wanna talk about it?” She asked, coming up to him and putting an ice-cold hand on his metal arm. The intense chill made him flinch, but thankfully she didn’t seem to mind. 

“How much time you got?” He asked.

“A lot,” Jane smiled, “there’s not a lot happening right now on Spaceship Asgard.”

So he settled in to tell her, wondering if Jane would use whatever ability made her visit to go tell Tony or the others. If she would relay everything to Loki and he would be the one to do it. If all this bullshit would make Thor and the others decide that maybe coming to Earth wasn’t in their best interests after all.

He didn’t feel any better by the time Jane left. He didn’t feel any worse, either. But he was tired, so he made his way back to the cots. 

Bucky laid down on the other half of the larger one, where Steve had left a space for him even in sleep. Morning would come sooner than he would like, and then they would make their way to the airport to meet the others. They would probably hijack a plane, fly to Siberia.

He didn’t want to think about what might happen after that.

The last thing he wanted before going to sleep was to do anything that might lead to him having nightmares.

Chapter Text

They pulled into the parking garage just as it was approaching their prearranged meeting time. Steve spotted a van in the designated parking spot where Clint was supposed to be, and let out a long sigh. A small part of him hoped they wouldn’t show, but he couldn’t help but be thankful they did. Parking their sad little bug, he got out just as Clint was coming around with a grin on his face.

“Cap,” he greeted him, “Buck, hey Sam,” he added with a wave as the others got out of the car.

“You know we wouldn’t have called if there was any other choice,” Steve said, taking Clint’s offered hand. 

“These accords, man,” Clint shook his head, glancing at Wanda as she came out of the passenger side. “Pietro left. He decided he wasn’t getting involved. Probably smarter than any of us, but,” Clint shrugged.

“I can’t hold it against him, but I am glad you guys have our back,” Steve replied with a genuine grin.

“Where’s the other guy?” Sam asked, a touch of wariness in his tone.

“Rarin’ to go,” Clint replied as he slid open the back door, revealing a dark-haired guy looking passed out along the backseat. “Had to put a little coffee in him, but he should be good to go.”

The door hitting the end of its rails startled the guy who had to be Scott Lang awake, making him partly sit up as he came to awareness.

“What timezone is this?” He asked, blinking as he climbed out of the van. He went still and wide-eyed as he spotted Steve, and Steve could see the hero worship begin to light the guy up from within. “Captain America.”

“Steve, please,” He said, offering a hand that Scott readily took.

“It’s an honor,” Scott said, and Steve was beginning to wonder if he was going to blink. “I’m shaking your hand too long. He pulled his hand away, putting them on his hips. “Wow, this is awesome. Captain America.” He glanced over at Wanda while gesturing to Steve. “I know you, too. You’re great.” Scott looked back at Steve. Really looked at him. Put his hands on Steve’s shoulders and squeezed.

“Hey,” Bucky snapped, “Don’t feel up my partner.”

“Right, yeah,” Scott said as he pulled his hands away, “But I mean, you’ve seen him, right?” 

Bucky snickered quietly, “Yeah. Yeah, I’ve seen him.”

“Jeez,” Scott said as he looked Steve over again . “Look, I wanna say, I know you know a lot of super people, so… thinks for thanking of me.” Scott grinned before looking at Sam. “Hey, man.”

“What’s up, Tic Tac?” Sam asked, and Steve looked over the car at Bucky who continued to look at Scott like one might a slightly stupid puppy. 

He’d been quiet since they got up, keeping to himself verbally but at least still being physically affectionate. Less so than normal, but still affectionate nonetheless. It didn’t make Steve worry less, wanting to ask a dozen things. Wanting to know if this was a side effect from being forced into being the Soldier again, or if it was from the last couple of days in general. He wanted to know if he’d done something specifically to hurt Bucky, to make him distant, or if it was just everything.

Bucky, seeming to realize that he was being watched, glanced over at Steve. They held one another’s eye for a long time, and Steve tried screaming how much he still loved and trusted Bucky in his head. Maybe he would somehow hear it.

“So, Steve said something about some… psycho-assassins?” Scott said, getting Steve’s attention again.

“It’s the sum of it,” Steve nodded. “But we’re outside the law on this one. So, if you come with us, you’re a wanted man.”

“Yeah, well, what else is new?” Scott grumbled. 

“I went ahead and called in a favor from someone I trust. Got us some wings lined up. Legit, but won’t be traced to us.”

An announcement in German came over the PA, but Steve’s German was always subpar at best. He wasn’t sure what they were saying, and a glance at Clint said German wasn’t one of the languages he learned in SHIELD.

“They’re evacuating the airport,” Bucky informed them.

“Ross?” Sam asked.

“Probably,” Steve nodded. “Alright, let’s suit up.”

~*~

Steve went out alone, hoping that if Ross had an army waiting to gun them down, he could at least save the others from getting caught. He didn’t expect to see Tony, Nat, Rhodey, King T’Challa in his full suit, and someone Steve had never seen before but made him think it might have been a kid.

“You’re not who I was expecting,” Steve said bluntly.

“Yeah, well, General Ross was generous enough to give me thirty-six hours to bring you guys in twenty-four hours ago.”

Steve nodded. “For the accords?” He asked, wincing a little.

Tony nodded, “And for taking off with Barnes. You guys essentially did a Bonnie and Clyde. Plus Sam, cause why not have a little third wheel.”

Steve snickered. “Ross listening?”

“He’s probably watching. I’m guessing communication tower,” Tony said, glancing up and over Steve’s shoulder. “Probably wondering why we’re being too nice. Which, reminds me. Underoos,” he said to the new guy.

In a blink, Steve’s shield was out of his hands and said hands were bound together with something that looked like spiderweb. Steve looked at them, then to the new guy, arching a brow and trying damn hard not to smirk.

“Hey, Cap… Captain, Sir. Big fan,” the kid, because there was no way that voice came out of an adult, stammered. “I’m Spider-Man.”

“Where you from?” He asked.

“Queens.”

Steve smirked as he said, “Brooklyn.”

“Right, can we get on with whatever’s going down here?” Rhodey asked, huffing. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

“You really think he did it?” Steve asked pointedly.

“I get the feeling you know exactly who is,” Natasha got his attention.

“The doctor,” Steve replied. “He wanted to see an empire fall. He went after Bucky using the book we were looking for. Got Bucky to tell him that there were more Winter Soldiers and where they are. He’s probably already on his way there.”

“How’s Buck-bear?”

“Should we come out?” Bucky asked over the radio.

“He’s walking it off,” Steve replied, lifting his hands in the air so Clint could help free him. A beat later, an arrow zipped overhead, freeing Steve’s hands just as Scott snatched the shield back from Spider-Man while growing in size.

“I believe this is yours, Captain America,” he said with the voice of a TV personality.

“He’s after your man, Buck,” Sam teased.

“We’re gonna have to put on a show,” Steve said. “You guys are just doing what you’re told.”

“I’m not,” King T’Challa spoke. “I want Barnes, or I want answers.”

“We pulling punches?” Tony asked.

“Some of us are going to have to go down for this,” Clint said over coms, not quite close enough to the stand-off yet.

“Gotta make it look good,” Steve countered. 

“Alright,” Tony’s mask dropped. “Let’s make it look good.”

Tony

“I didn’t think this was how it was going to go down,” Tony swore as he stood before the cells where his teammates were held.

And that had been the god’s honest truth - so long as that god didn’t have black hair and green eyes. But in seriousness, when Ross insisted he and a few guys oversee the supposed takedown of Steve, Bucky, and Sam, Tony had known there was going to be a fight. He knew that there would be the others involved, Vision having told him of what went down with Clint and Wanda. He hadn’t known about the Lang guy, but a part of him wish he had. Kind of always known Sam was hiding something about that one time he was left alone on the compound.

But Tony really didn’t think they’d be sent to the raft. Arrested, yeah. Held in a military prison for a bit? Probably. But this? All this? No, no this had not been what he was picturing and it was, by far, above and beyond for not signing some shitty piece of paper.

“Join the club,” Clint snorted.

“How’s Rhodey?” Sam asked guiltily.

That had been the worst. And, really, he hopped Ross went down for it. Was it Rhodey who suggested Vision make Sam a glider? Yes, because they had to make it look like they were willing to turn their backs on all of them, not on the accords. Because not doing so, as Nat found out when she gave up the pretense of fighting, meant she was automatically breaking them in the eyes of the Secretary of defense. 

Tony had seen the look in King T’Challa’s eyes when he realized what was happening in the aftermath. Realized that the accords his father believed in might not have been the answer as they were written. T’Challa was currently on the jet Tony flew in, out of Ross’s sight but with an ear to the conversation nonetheless.

“They’re flying him to Columbia Medical tomorrow. So, you know, fingers crossed.” He glanced around. “What do you need? They feed you yet?” He asked as he looked down at his watch, bringing up the commands to knock out the audio to Ross for a few seconds.

“You askin’ for real? ‘Cause I gotta list if you’re willin’ to fill it,” Sam replied, glancing down at Tony’s wrist before glancing up.

“I knocked the A out of their AV because I came with an important question: where were you guys going? Where are the soldiers?” When Sam didn’t answer right away, Tony added, “I’m gonna do what I can for all of you, but first I gotta prove that Steve wasn’t going against the accords for nothing. We need the doc, or Ross won’t let up on Steve and Buck.”

“Okay,” Sam said, glancing up one more time before spilling the beans.

Bucky

“I was going to get outta all this,” Bucky said as they flew to Siberia, autopilot doing most of the work. “I was gonna make you a fine house husband.”

Steve spat out a chuckle, turning to him with a smirk as he asked, “Husband? Whatever happened to being old-fashioned? Living with me ‘cause we’re poor and sleeping with me for warmth? Your confirmed bachelor thing?”

Bucky shrugged, a roguish grin pulling at his lips. “I’m just saying, don’t need no wedding or piece of paper to say I’m with you to the end of the line, pal. Doesn’t mean that I don’t think of you that way. And yeah, a househusband. You know, get shit together for you for when you got back from missions. Maybe keep studying stuff Tony or Jane taught me. I dunno, get a job doing something.”

“The Winter Soldier working a nine to five?”

“Did it before, didn’t I?” He quipped back, chest tight as he thought of how he hadn’t actually been a soldier, let alone the Soldier then. “Anyway, that’s what I was gonna do. Get outta all this. Not happening now, though, ain’t it? Gonna probably have to be on the run.”

Bucky caught a flash of guilt in Steve’s eyes before he schooled his features and faced forward, taking the jet off autopilot. 

“I shouldn’t have dragged anyone into this,” Steve said in his Captain’s voice. “Should’ve just tried to go for the soldiers ourselves.”

“They knew the risks,” Bucky said, but it felt hollow. 

Yeah, there were pulled punches, and none of the team had really put their heart into kicking one another’s ass. But the fact was, they hadn’t expected the powers that be to send in their friends to take them down. And while Sam, Clint, Wanda, and the new guy had all been aware that what they were doing was going to brand them as criminals, they all thought that was a later issue to worry about. When they had the not-Doctor and the soldiers either in hand or put down. 

“I know,” Steve said, and they fell silent again for a while. “I was thinking of getting out of it, too,” Steve said after a bit. 

“No you fucking weren’t,” Bucky called him out, and Steve had the decency to blush as he laughed.

“Maybe not right away,” he conceded. “But you know, thought of maybe asking Sam what he thought of taking the SHIELD.”

“Yeah?” Bucky asked, grinning.

“Yeah,” Steve nodded. “Half world has an ideal me in their head, one I can’t shake. They see us together, see paparazzi pictures of us holding hands and we’re ‘best pals for life’ and a ‘bromance.’ They think I want things to stay the way they were when I wish that things had progressed further. Maybe, I dunno, maybe with someone like Sam, who’s not nearly a hundred, who stands for the same things I do… well, suppose it doesn’t matter, now.”

“Sam woulda been a great Cap,” Bucky told Steve sincerely. “Still could be, maybe.”

“Maybe,” Steve nodded.

They were quiet the rest of the flight, the atmosphere comfortably quiet until Steve landed the jet next to the truck the doctor probably drove up.

When the engine was cut, they got up, replacing any bits of gear that were taken off when they were at cruising altitude. Bucky grabbed a new gun, making sure it was loaded, then grabbed some extra rounds. Just in case. If they were already out, hopefully he could get them in one shot while Steve distracted them.

They began to head to the back, Steve opening the loading doors before stopping Bucky before the ramp. He grabbed Bucky’s hand, holding it in his own. His eyes snapped to Bucky’s, locking their gazes together in a way that felt a bit too final.

It occurred to Bucky, quite suddenly, how little time they had spent as just them the last week. First with prep for the wedding that didn’t happen, and then the accords. Peggy’s funeral. Everything after. It hadn’t hit him until then that any kiss with Steve had been quick like a habit, so much so that he couldn’t remember the last time it happened. They’d been in public mode for what was starting to feel like ages.

So he pulled Steve in, yanking him a little by the hand and crashing their mouths together. Whatever was going to happen, whatever plans they were here to stop, they would do it together. And if this was going to be the last time they could have this, Bucky was damn sure he was going to make it worth it.

They broke apart, pressing their foreheads together a moment before falling into form, and heading inside.

Steve

“Jeez!” Tony cursed.

Steve and Bucky, who had immediately gone on the defensive after hearing a noise in the facility, eased up.

“You seem a little defensive,” Tony teased, face stoic, but the glint in his eye gave him away.

“It’s been a long day,” Steve replied, he and Bucky moving to meet up with their teammate. “You look into things?”

“Yeah, we’re looking for a guy named Helmut Zemo, because apparently his parents really loved him. He's a Sokovian national, displaced after the whole… you know. Lost his family in the battle against Ultron. “

“How’d you find us?” Bucky asked as the three of them cautiously began to make their way in. 

“Got Sam to tell me. They’re, ah… not in a good place,” Tony hedged, which only made Steve want to ask more. 

Guilt churned in his gut, and as much as he wanted to believe they knew the consequences, it really didn’t sound like any of them had a clue. 

“Ross know you’re here?” He asked Tony.

“No, or I’d have to arrest myself.” Tony retorted. 

“That sounds like a lot of paperwork,” Steve couldn’t help but tease just to see the smile touch his friend's eyes.

After a beat, Tony dropped his faceplate and they began to creep around the corner. They kept making their way through the maze of corridors, tense and expecting an ambush at any moment.

“Should be close,” Bucky whispered, maybe not even loud enough for Tony to hear. 

Rounding another corner, Tony said, “I got heat signatures.”

“How many?” Steve asked, grip tightening a little on his shield.

“Uh,” Tony paused. “One.

As they stepped into the room, lights flickered on inside capsules, making the mist inside glow yellow. Steve swallowed as he recognized them as being cryo chambers, and glanced at Bucky to make sure he was okay. 

But if Bucky had any not-so-fond memories flooding his brain at the sight of them, he wasn’t letting on. He kept his mask of indifference on and his gun at the ready.

Not that it mattered.

There were bullet holes in the glass, soldiers inside with headshots signifying that they weren’t going anywhere.

“If it's any comfort, they died in their sleep,” A voice said over a speaker as they came further into the room. “Did you really think I wanted more of you?”

“What the hell?” Bucky asked, agitation in his voice as he broke slightly away from Steve and Tony to look at the capsules.

“I’m grateful to them, though,” that voice continued. “They brought you here.”

A light flickered on, and Steve saw the doctor - Zemo - and threw his shield without thinking. It bounced off the window without leaving so much as a crack.

“Please, Captain,” Zemo said as Steve caught the shield. “The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets.”

“I’m betting I could beat that,” Tony countered.

Zemo tilted his head, “Oh, I’m sure you could, Mr. Stark. Given time. But then you’d never know why you came.”

The three of them rounded toward the window and armored wall Zemo hid behind, closing in.

“You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?” Steve asked him, righteous fury bubbly up inside him.

“I thought about nothing else for two years,” Zemo replied, his own fury evident in the burn of his eyes and the clench of his jaw. “I studied you. I followed you. But now that you’re standing here, I just realized… there’s a bit of green in the blue of your eyes. Nice to find a flaw.”

“I have a lot, they’re easy to find,” Steve retorted. “You’re here about Sokovia, then.”

“Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell,” Zemo dismissed the idea. “No, I’m here because I made a promise.”

Steve narrowed his eyes a fraction. “You lost someone?”

Zemo clicked his tongue nodding solemnly. “I lost everyone. And so will you.” He turned and Steve could see he was typing something. 

Then the screen next to Steve flickered on, showing footage of Bucky as the Soldier standing before a couple of men from what looked like the Russian army, and a couple of HYDRA heads Steve recognized from their extensive files.

“An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again,” Zemo said as the footage played. “But one which crumbles from within? That’s dead… forever.”

The HYDRA handlers were speaking English, asking about the target, the acquisition. When Bucky confirmed a successful mission, cheered the death of Howard Stark, Steve looked at his friend in regret.

Tony’s head bowed, “What is this?” He asked, shooting a glare at Zemo. “What is this?!”

“Mission report, December 16th, 1991,” Zemo replied. “I’m sure you know the significance of the date. Such a thing, it is not easy to forget.”

Tony’s jaw clenched, and Bucky inched forward.

“Tony,” he started, but Tony raised a hand toward him and fired a shot, sending Bucky flying backward.

Zemo disappeared as Steve tried to figure out whether to focus on him or Tony.

The latter won out.

“Tony?” He asked, hoping this wasn’t going to go south with every fiber of his being.

Tony ducked his head, took a moment, swallowing a couple of times before nodding.

Bucky slowly got up, hesitant, clearly unsure if he should arm himself or not.

“It reacted,” Tony eventually said. “The repulsors… it’s a bug, I guess. Or maybe despite everything I really wanted to just… shoot Buckweed, just once.”

“Consider me shot,” Bucky groaned. “I thought he said he watched us?”

“Probably didn’t realize that we weren’t keeping secrets,” Steve replied absently, trying to comb through his memory as to when Zemo could have watched them. “Guess it doesn’t matter.”

“Kinda does,” Tony replied. “I got the details on Zemo, what he did, to Everett Ross at the CIA, but even then it’s gonna take time. Try and clear you both. And even if I do? No signature means you're looking at jail time if you go home.”

“I can’t sign them until they are amended,” Steve said firmly. “You’re really letting a kid like that Spider-man sign it? Someone who, frankly, should not be doing this sort of thing?”

“Hey, you let me deal with Parker. He’s a good kid, he’d have signed them when he heard about them. This is just me making sure he doesn’t get used.” Tony shot back.

Steve nodded, glancing at Bucky.

“What do you want to do?” He asked.

It was only fair. Jail or running, neither was the dream of settling down they very briefly touched on on the flight over. 

“We get the book?” Bucky asked nervously, looking to Tony.

“Working on it.” 

“Then it’s running,” Bucky said without hesitation. “Don’t trust anyone outside you guys and our friends not to use that against me. Until it’s been burned and we know there ain’t any copies.”

“Then we run,” Steve said, stepping up to him and taking his hand. “Together.”

“Well, let me walk you out, anyway,” Tony quipped, gesturing for the doors.

“Shouldn’t we be going after Zemo?” Bucky asked.

“Nah,” Tony waved him off. “I had the king of Wakanda with me, and he was pretty hell-bent on getting his claws on Zemo. Probably followed us, or waited by the literal only exit for Zemo to run out of. Either way.” Tony shrugged, and Bucky sighed in exasperation. Tony looked at him over his shoulder, “Not apologizing for shooting you. You deserved it. Just that one.”

~*~

When they stepped back out in the cold, Steve paused.

Looking down at the shield on his arm, he realized that running meant giving it up. You couldn’t be Captain America when America thought you were a criminal. But the idea of it somehow falling into someone else’s hands? It was just a disc of vibranium, but the idea of giving it up to anyone Steve didn’t trust twisted his soul in ways he couldn’t put words to.

“Tony,” Steve said, getting him and Bucky to stop. He held out his arm, gesturing for Tony to take it. “Keep it safe.”

“You have another frisbee to fling around, do you?” Tony asked as he took the shield.

“Just… when the time comes, you’ll get it back to me,” Steve said, clapping Tony on the back, the metal cold beneath his hand.

He looked up as King T’Challa walked over to them, his attention on Tony as he approached.

“Zemo has been incapacitated, and ready for transport back to Germany, where he will receive the justice he deserves.”

“I’ll fly him back. You can take the other jet if you want. These two are apparently going to never skip leg day,” Tony replied, first to T’Challa before turning his attention to the couple. “How am I going to explain to Morgan that both her godfathers disappeared off the face of the earth. One literally?”

“Happy will be happy,” Steve retorted. 

Tony grimaced but conceded. “Keep in touch.” He said before heading for the jet he flew in on.

The remaining men watched him go until the quinjet was out of sight.

“You two are not going to try and go home?” T’Challa asked curiously.

“I can’t trust my own mind,” Bucky told him. “As long as those words are in my head….”

“I may have a solution for that,” T’Challa said carefully. “You and my father were both victims. If I can help you find peace….”

“If you help us-“ Steve started to warn him, but the King merely smiled.

“You may find, Captain, that finding Wakanda on a map, and actually getting there, are two vastly different things. Come. I will show you what I mean.” 

Chapter Text

“Are you sure about this?”

Bucky looked up at him from where he sat on th exam bed, the pair of them having been left alone after Wakandan doctors and nurses looked Bucky over. Since they arrived a couple days ago, Bucky had been poked and prodded, especially by a young woman who was really more of a kid.

The diagnosis was promising, and Princess Shuri had explained a process she wanted to attempt to remove the programming from Bucky’s mind. It had all gone over Steve’s head, and probably had gone over Bucky’s. But there were a few parts both knew loud and clear, and they were the aspects of this that Steve was very unsure about.

Bucky smiled, though, confident in what he had decided.

“I think going back under is the best thing for everyone,” he said with a nod. “It’s only for a short time, Steve. And I get another arm upgrade out of it,” He said, waving his left hand.

Shuri had taken a look at it and called it primitive and barbaric, then had shown Bucky the prosthetics she’d designed for Wakandans who required them. Pointing out the way that her vibranium design would be lighter than Tony’s design, and would mean less stress on Bucky’s skeleton.

“Besides, you got things to do. People to… visit,” he said cheekily, and Steve couldn’t help crack a smile. 

“That what we callin it?” 

“Where people might be listening, yeah,” Bucky said, hopping off the bed and reaching for Steve’s hand. “I’ll be right here waiting. Not gonna get lost on ya, okay?”

Steve nodded, but couldn’t find his voice to say anything, heart-aching far too much.

Since the moment Bucky told him he loved him, Steve didn’t think he would ever have to live without him again. Missions away were one thing, but this wasn’t just a week apart. This wasn’t even a month. It was bound to be longer. Because Steve had plans, plans that would paint a bigger target on his back than there already was. Plans that would cause more trouble for T’Challa should it become known where Steve was hiding. He wasn’t going to be staying in Wakanada on any sort of permanent basis, but there was no telling when or if Bucky would be able to safely leave.

Tony had promised he would work on getting pardons out, and Steve knew he would do whatever it took to get the band back together. But it wasn’t going to be quick, and Steve already knew he wasn’t going to make it easy for him. He’d have to apologize when or if he could.

So with Bucky needing to stay, and Steve compelled to go and set some things as right as he could make them, they were going to have go their separate ways. And it twisted Steve’s gut, made his knees weak and his chest feel like he was getting his asthma back.

His eyes stung as he looked at his partner, his best friend, the love of his far too long life. And he could see the blue-grey eyes he’d known better than anything starting to glisten as well.

“Come ‘ere,” Bucky said, giving a little beckon that Steve obeyed. 

But instead of the hug he had expected, Bucky took him into a dancing stance, Steve as though he were going to be the one leading while they both knew full well that wasn’t going to happen.

Pressing his cheek to Steve’s, Bucky began to slowly move them in a circle.

There was no music, just the silent hum of the facility they were in, the beat of their hearts syncing up with one another.

“Kiss me once,” Bucky said softly, “then kiss me twice,” the melody picking up a little in his tone. “Then kiss me once again.”

Steve felt the dampness against his cheek that wasn’t from him but said nothing. He just wrapped his arm around Bucky a little more, holding him a little closer. He closed his eyes, listening to the song sung so quietly that anyone outside the door wouldn’t hear a thing. It wasn’t Bucky’s favorite, wasn’t the one he would sing around their apartment or the campfire in Europe when egged on. It was Steve’s. One he wasn’t sure they listened to much since finding each other up until he found out about Peggy passing. It made Bucky remembering it that much more bittersweet.

After he made it through the verses, Bucky hummed it until they heard footsteps coming down the hall toward them. 

Before parting, before someone came in on their private moment to say it was time to say so long, Steve leaned back just enough to kiss Bucky exactly as the song had called for, making sure to pour his heart into it.

There was a knock, and they stepped apart as the door opened.

“Sergent Barnes? We’re ready for you.”

~*~

About a week after leaving Wakanda, Steve found himself in Madrid. Somehow it was easier than he would have thought to blend in, look like a tourist, act like one. Maybe it was because he hadn’t shaved since he parted from Bucky, the beard giving him more anonymity than he would have thought possible.

No one gave him a second glance, even when his picture would flash up on the screen in a news report, claiming him a fugitive who helped a known assassin. Usually in the same broadcast that would tell the story of Zemo’s schemes, but that didn’t matter.

His picture was in a paper on a rack just a few feet away from where he set himself up to write a letter to Tony. And yet, no one had paid him any mind.

Coming up with what to say was harder than he expected. There was so much to say, but nothing he could or should put in a letter. 

He only managed to get Tony’s name on the top when someone reached around him, picking up the stuffed bear next to the burner cell he bought.

“It’s cute,” Nat said, and Steve looked over his shoulder in surprise. That only grew when he realized she’d dyed and but her hair.

“It’s for Morgan,” he said, glancing over his friend. “Nice vest.”

“Thanks, it has a lot of pockets,” Natasha replied like there was a hidden meaning to her words. “I like your beard.”

“Thought it would help.”

“It does,” she agreed. “Could dye your hair, too.” 

“It’ll probably darken as it gets a little longer,” he told her. “So, where you’ve been?”

“Oh, nowhere exciting. Taking down the red room, finding my parents and sister. Escaping capture. You?”

Steve pursed his lips. “Wakanda, then catching a lift to London, making my way around from there. Getting into a few back alley fights along the way, only this time I wasn’t the one leaving with the bruises.”

“Thrilling,” She deadpanned, turning to lean her back against the counter. 

Steve took this as a sign that he could start writing again and returned his focus on the paper. 

I’ve been keeping tabs on you and the team as best I can, but I’m glad to see that those of you who can be together are staying together. I know you’re doing the same, but I also know it’s been both easier and hard for you to do so. You might find that becoming more true by the time you get this. I guess in a way, Zemo accomplished what he set out to do. The only thing he didn’t manage was to cause a rift between us. Imagine if we hadn’t spoken like we have to each other over the years.

Tell Morgan I’m sorry her Uncles aren’t with her. I know she’s too young to really understand, but I am sorry I’ll be missing from her life. At least for a little while. 

“Toss this in,” Nat said, pulling a flip phone from one of her many pockets and setting it on the counter with the bear. “He’ll have a way to reach us.”

“I got a burner,” he told her, but Nat smirked.

“I know.”

Steve frowned, reaching for the flip phone and opening it up. The only number saved was the one he was pretty damn certain was the one attached to the phone he’d bought.

“I’m not going to ask,” He said as he closed it and went back to writing.

You’ll mock the tech, I’m sure. But if you need us, if you need me, you’ll know how to find me. And you know I’ll be there.

He didn’t sign it. He knew he didn’t need to.

He shoved the letter, the phone, and the teddy bear in the pre-paid shipping box and put the address of the compound on it.

Once it was scanned in and set on its way, Steve and Natasha turned and left the little shop and into the busy streets.

“So, what’s your plan?” He asked her.

“I thought we could get a few good friends out of a tight spot in the middle of the ocean,” she said casually.

“I like the idea, but not sure how to get there and back without rowing.”

Nat gave him a coy grin. “Oh, don’t worry about that, I have a way.”