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I reach and I reach, and I stretch my arm as far as it’ll go but it’s just not enough. I’m so close, just a little farther.
He’s right there.
My grips strong, stronger than I’ve ever been, and it lets me lean closer to him but it’s still not enough.
My hand is inches from his and when I look into his eyes, I can see that he’s scared. Terrified. And I am too because what if I’m not enough, what if I can’t reach him in time, what if he falls?
I can’t—he’s everything to me. I can’t let him fall. I can’t go on without him.
He cannot fall.
I won’t let him.
I refuse for this to be our fate.
This isn’t—
—metal on metal.
The worst, most terrifying sound I’ve ever heard.
The loud screech as the rail snaps, unable to hold his weight any longer.
It’s slow for all of one agonizing second before the whole thing breaks, falling away and taking him with it.
I scream. I can’t help it.
This is it.
I’m going to lose him.
I want to look away but I can’t.
I won’t ever turn my back on him, he’s my best friend, so I lunge.
He’s so close, I just have to reach a little farther and I’ll have him, and we’ll be fine.
Just a little farther and we can stay together.
Like we’ve always said.
And then I have him. I have him.
Just like that I have his hand in mine and it’s all going to be alright, we’ll be fine, we can stay together, and—
—and then I feel it.
Wind whipping against my face, differently than it was before.
My hand is empty, not the one holding him, but the other one.
I see the fear in his eyes overshadowing his momentary relief.
We’re falling.
And it’s not like one of the million times I’ve tripped and he’s caught me.
We’re falling out of a train from a few hundred feet up.
I use our connected hand to pull us closer together, wrapping my arms around him.
He mirrors the movement, pressing his face against mine so I could hear him speak.
“What the fuck Steve?” he screams, the rushing wind making him sound far away.
“I love you,” I reply, tightening the embrace as the ground grows closer.
I flip us, holding him above me so that when we make impact, I take the full force.
"I love you Stevie,” he says back.
The serum made me stronger, more durable. Hopefully it’s enough to at least keep Bucky safe.
“Till the end of the line.”