#defrost other steve sooner

[fiprobsreblogsalot]

Ooh what’s Project Sparrow? 👀

@jemgirl86 asked about the same title!

Project Sparrow is an AU where Sam is the Winter Soldier (codename Sparrow) and Bucky is a SHIELD agent. I doubt I'm the first one coming up with this AU, so if anyone knows a good fic with this concept, feel free to let me know!

After Bucky's fall in CA:TFA, a troop of airmen was sent away to find him, including Sam. HYDRA was trying to retrieve Bucky at that time when the troop struck. A group of airmen managed to bring Bucky away while another held the HYDRA agents back. Sam was one of the ones staying, and all of them either got killed or brought back to base, where they were experimented on. Sam was the only one to survive after the experiment, in which they forced wings on him, and turned him into a Winter Soldier. As for Bucky, he and Steve went on the mission in CA:TFA together. The plane crashed, both got frozen until they got defrosted 70 years later. Steve retains the title Captain America, and Bucky gets recognized as one of the SHIELD agents when it was first founded.

As for the codename Sparrow, I was talking with my sister about Sam, and somewhere in that conversation she said Sam looked and felt like a sparrow (something about brown feathers for skin, white breast for purity, and sharp as fuck beak, apparently). I thought it was a pretty interesting take, and the name kind of clicked. The Falcon alias will come to play at the end of the AU, though.

One of the things I'm most disappointed about these kinds of AUs is that they all are very, very long ones. And since I can barely afford time to write long fics, most of them won't make it on any fandom platform (I do promise the oneshots will get finished and posted sooner or later). This one is also unlikely to be a full fic, but here is a snippet:

They stalked close to each other through the hallway, going past doors with locks too cranky to break. There was blood seeping from under some of them, black and disgusting. Whatever was done here was done a long time ago.

Feathers in all shapes and sizes and colors, littered across the floor. Some seemed new, some looked like they were halfway through decomposition. Bucky's boot hit something in the dark, and he pointed his flashlight at it.

- Bones.

He crouched down to pick the piece of bone up. A skull. Small, laid neatly inside his palm, with a short beak.

A sparrow.

The skull looked white and dusty. Not a stain of blood. It must have been here for quite some time. Bucky pocketed it for some reason, to Steve's confusion and Natasha's indifference.

Send me a WIP name and I'll tell you something about it!

[slashtakemylife]

Ugh I can't believe I'm whining about Steve's ending again, like what is my life now?

Did Steve cuckold himself when he jumped to another timeline with Peggy?

Supposedly Steve created a new timeline where he lived with Peggy and jumped back to his original timeline just to give the shield to Sam, he made the jump around 1949 but that means there's another Steve there and that timeline's Steve is still in the ice...

What's gonna happen when that Steve is defrosted?

I guess the answer is the same as in the movies but it all narrows down if Steve made any changes in this timeline.

Remember in the other option of Steve's ending, the one explained by Endgame's screenwriters, since he goes back in his own timeline, he has a reason not to move anything so he can stay in his own timeline and reach where he gives Sam the shield, since he's able to stay without generating another timeline, it basically says that's how the timeline is supposed to be, that's where we get the whole "he's been Peggy Carter's husband all along" and creates a loop that, while there are two Steve's, it's the same Steve.

However with this other option, which I believe is also "confirmed" since it's said by the directors of Endgame and I think also in the MCU's new book which makes it the "canon", feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, he does generate a new timeline where he lives separate from his original timeline and just jumps back to give the shield to Sam, we can only infer he probably jumps back to it.

This however creates a new problem, this new timeline has his own Steve Rogers, this isn't an alternative reality where say Steve does die in the Valkyrie, Steve can't jump to other realities, he can only create new timelines when he deviates from it's intended story, it being him staying with Peggy instead of being frozen in the ice, this means in his original timeline, Peggy does in fact marry and has kids with someone else and let's remember Kang still makes sure the MCU timeline is separated from other timelines/realities, which means that even with the infinity stones, Steve can't jump to other realities, he probably doesn't even know they exists, he only knows he can create new timelines, not jump to other realities, which btw would inherently be different from his, the point of his time travel is to just deviate from his own timeline.

So let's go back to the initial question.

What happens when that timelines Steve is defrosted?

You can easily say it stays the same as in the movies and there's no issue except there is because that means that timeline's Steve is going to reach Endgame and just jump to yet another timeline, basically creating a loop of infinite Steve's making new timelines to be with Peggy.

This of course if Steve doesn't change anything, now in this new timeline, Steve has no reason to keep history the same, he knows he doesn't have to worry about repercussions on his original timeline, he knows he's in his own new one so he can do whatever he wants, he no longer has to hide from view in case he gets recognized like he would if he'd stayed in his own timeline, he can simply say he survived the crash and walked back

No one knows he's actually alive and frozen.

What does Steve do? Does he rescue Bucky sooner? Does he prevent Hydra from infiltrating SHIELD? What if Steve does in fact prevent Endgame from happening and creates his own idyllic timeline? Or as idyllic as he can with minor hiccups and no major catastrophic events and especially no Blip, but if he changes the timeline it still leaves out a major component

What does he do with that timeline's Steve?

What does that timeline Steve do if he wakes up to a world where an alt version of himself has been living there, with his girl, while he was frosted? And the other guy knew it?

Honestly the most chilling solution would have to be... if Steve made sure there was only one Steve in that timeline...

Which we know he wouldn't... would he?

So food for thought everyone

[mitsususu]

Last Updated: May 29, 2021 (145 lists)

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[captainjimothycarter]

So ignoring dementia cause that was needlessly cruel, I love this image of Steve defrosting and immediately moving into Peggy's spare room where she still lives in her little house, garden out back, cursing at politics and keeping tabs on all the not so bright stars in SHIELD. Because Steve adjusting to the modern world with a 90 year old woman giving him advice through an earpiece. Occasionally very bad advice. Optional her setting him up like Nat did, only with various genders.

i love this prompt to death but I swear I am not right for this. I can’t capture peggy just right and get so heartbroken over peggy being old. not like the dementia was anything nicer.

anyyyyway, sorry for the bleh.

--

“Steve?”

“Sort of busy, Peggy, just hang on-”

There was a loud clanging noise of metal-on-metal, followed by a heavy splashing noise before Steve was back on the line much to the elder’s relief. “Yes, dar-Peggy?”

“Hm.” Even without looking at her, he knew she was smiling. There was something about her tone that told him. “What about Jensen? The agent-”

“Pegs, I told you no,” Steve sighed heavily, despite it she can hear the sound of his footsteps echoing on the metal floor. “Anyway, Jensen is too...much for me.”

“Is it the colored hair?”

“What? No, no.” It felt good to hear his laugh despite how he was supposed to be all Captain on the mission. He always broke that facade for her. “He’s just too much. Too loud. The guy likes to party. I do not.”

“Of course you don’t, because you haven’t tried. You need to step out there, darling. It can’t hurt to try. Fine, what about Barton?”

“He’s with Natasha.”

“Right...I forgot about that.” 

Steve grimaced despite Peggy wasn’t there to see it, frowning. She almost seemed to do that a little bit more often these days.

“Hunter then?” She continued.

“Bobbi.”

“Wilma?”

“She’s courting-”

“Steve no one uses courting anymore!”

“And no one is supposed to be frozen for seventy years and survive to tell the tale.”

“Touche,” she huffed in only mild annoyment.

A silence lapsed between them, she could hear him cursing in French again, her lips twitching into a small smile at the French.

“Everything okay, Steven?”

“I need…” He cursed slightly as he made a sharp turn. She could hear his shield being thrown. 

“Extract?” Peggy requested in an all too-polite voice despite he could hear her rapidly typing on a keyboard. “Three doors down from your left, faux going right. Take the laundry suite down and an evac will be waiting for you.”

Steve said nothing in response, only breathing hard into the line. That was wrong. She’s seen him run miles and not even break a sweat. Even after his intense recovery and extended time off to try to adapt to the new world, Steve wasn’t this out of shape. 

“You’re hurt,” she said in a harder tone than she meant to. Who could blame her for still being invested in the love of her life? “How hurt are you?”

“Do you have a camera on this damn ship? Nevermind, don’t answer. I-” He cursed and she could hear rattling. “I hate you for that laundry chute trick.”

“It got you down fast, didn’t it? Back to that question - how hurt are you?”

“Just mildly shot at.”

“Mildly? Steven Grant Rogers.” Peggy sighed on the line and pinched the bridge of her nose. “If that bullet doesn’t kill you, I will. You’re going to give this ole woman a heart attack. Is extract there?”

“Yes, oh thank god. I’ll see you back at home, okay?”

“Don’t worry about debriefing, I’ll handle that on my end. You need a medic and a shower. Don’t make me find out that you’ve been skipping medic again, Rogers.”

“Yes, ma’am.” It was Peggy’s turn to hear the smile in his voice. “I love you.”

Somehow, each and every I love you broke her heart to pieces. “I know, Stevie. I love you too.”

How many times could they have said it had they’ve been given the life the other dreamed of?

--

“I told you, it’s not that bad,” Steve sighed in welcoming as Peggy, older than his mind like to admit took him from the doorstep and lead him straight to the couch to sit down. Her lips pursed together in thought as he lifted up the shirt and exposed the bandages beneath. “I went. They bitched me out about some protocol and Fury bitching me about something, but I went.”

“What is he bitching about this time?”

Steve’s lips twitched into a small smile. “Oh the norm, about how you’re spying on him through me. How you can’t keep calling up government officials when things don’t look right and threaten to send me after them.”

“I don’t threaten to send you. I told them that I’ll tell you about their new bills and you’ll go take care of the bastards themselves, but…” Her thin shoulders shrugged as she sat beside him, a hand curling around his own. “He’s right about spying on him. I don’t trust everything he tells us.” 

“Nor should you. I told you he’s been lying from the start.” Reaching into his pocket, Steve tossed the flash drive onto her desk. His arm laid across her shoulders and he sighed, eyes burning as they shut. “I’m exhausted.”

“Then come on, Mr. Exhaustion, let’s get you to bed.”

Despite it, Steve didn’t move. He stayed where he was, his arm around her shoulders. She was comfortable. Even if she was older, much older, she was comfort. 

“I talked to Jensen and no, the guys an idiot. He shows up to work drunk, Pegs! He got into a fist-fight about a-a crush, he-”

“Excuse me. You got into a fistfight with Hodge, Captain!”

“Because the bastard called you a slut. Speaking on...did some digging, that guy is related to Hodge.”

“Oh, that’s disgusting. You’re right to ignore my advice on asking him out.”

“You admitting you’re wrong?” Steve’s free hand fell over his chest in faux shock. His eyes only cracking open enough to look down at her. “Are you sure you’re not some carbon copy of Peggy? Sent here to kill me?”

Peggy’s eyes rolled but he saw the fond smile on her lips as they finally got up from the couch. Despite the sun was just peeking over the horizon, they were finally going to bed. She couldn’t help it, not being able to sleep when he was on missions. Steve was very much as comfort as she was to him, not that she’d like to admit it out loud.

“Besides,” Steve continues. “There’s no one I want but you, Pegs. These other people...it ain’t gonna work, rather it’s now or fifteen years down the road. I…” He sighed as he plopped into the bed and gently folded her into his arms. “I know what you’re gonna say, how you’re too old and everything but I don’t care. I love you and always will.”

“Steven…” She sat upon his chest, looking him dead in the eyes. Despite her old age and the wrinkles in the corners, he could see every bit of fierceness that was in those eyes. “I wish I could give you the life you deserve but I cannot. I am far too...old, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love you.” 

She looked like she wanted to say something more but she didn’t. Instead, she kissed at his throat and held tightly to him. 

If Steve was going to argue, he didn’t say a word. He fell asleep shortly after, holding tightly to his beloved.

--

“Are you sure this will work?’

“When have I ever lead you wrong, Steve?”

“Really? Do I need to answer that? Last week! You said planting catnip would be a good idea. The cats destroyed the garden! Or how about last month when you said jumping into the river was a good idea. It wasn’t frozen solid!”

“I didn’t tell you to jump into the river. I was yelling at the politician on CNN to dunk his head into water, Rogers. You-”

“Are you two done?”

The pair leaning closer than before to one another turned to find Dr. Banner standing just in the doorway. He looked amused at their bickering despite the situation. That is, Peggy laid in a hospital bed, wearing nothing but a gown and one too many machines hooked up to her and Steve half out of his seat so she could see him properly to talk to her.

“Yes,” Peggy said ever-so polite side-eyeing, Steve, as he sat down hard in the chair. “On both answers, this will work Steve.”

“And if it doesn’t?” He looked up at her with worry-filled eyes. “You could-”

“Die? Darling, that’s coming sooner or later, I’m ninety-two, I-”

“And you rather force me to accept to lose you now then wh-what? Five? Ten years down the road?”

“You have a mighty high expectation of me surviving,” she mused, reaching over to take his hand. “I’ll be fine, Steven. Everyone dies.”

“Not you. You’re the only thing...the only one I got, Pegs.”

“Captain Rogers,” Banner breathed, stepping up beside the bed to get their attention. “I assure you that this has a high probability of working. If it doesn’t, then nothing happens. It’ll be no risk to her health. We’ve poured over the notes. I’ve poured over Hydra’s and ours and compared results. It’ll be okay.”

Steve didn’t seem to believe that, his eyes falling from Banner’s face and back down to Peggy’s. “Just come back to me, okay? I don’t care in what condition, long as you’re alive.”

“Says the man running off of two hours of sleep and a broken arm.” Peggy’s eyes softened as she pulled Steve close by the labels of his jacket and pressed a tender kiss to his cheek. “Alright, then… Dr. Banner, let’s get this over with. I’m not thrilled about using Hydra’s ideas here but when in Rome…”

Steve had every intention of staying awake. He was told the procedure would take no more than three hours tops but Peggy was right (as always). He was knocked out at hour one, asleep in the hospital chair, neck falling onto his chest. 

He was woken up by a soft hand touching his cheek, blinking his eyes open to find a pair of honey-coated eyes staring at him. He smiled as the sleep cleared from his vision and he found Peggy looking down at him. A younger Peggy. A Peggy that must’ve stepped just from his memories.

“Am I in heaven?” He asked groggily, unable to shake the fog from his mind.

“Is that your way of calling me an angel?” Peggy chuckled as Steve sat up fully. “No, darling, I’m afraid no one has died quite yet. No, it...it worked. They’re keeping me overnight for observation but…” She pulled Steve closer by his jacket again and kissed him hard on the lips.

Something they’ve both (respectfully) been denying themselves for so long. 

Steve sighed happily as they pulled away, not even bothering to pretend he wasn’t crying. “Now will you go dancing with me?”

[dynamicduoofstackie]

When people feel like Sam shouldn't have been made Captain America, 'cause poor prisoner of war, he knew Steve longer, end of the line, got that good hair, just got jilted by Steve, hot as hell, thicker than a Snicker Bucky...

But I'm like, bitch this ain't about you and your crush on Sebastian Stan and Bucky Barnes.

Steve did not betray Bucky. Instead of living the rest of his life in the alternate universe he created when he stayed with Peggy. He came back out of a sense of duty to pass the Shield on and because 'End of the Line'.

Steve also spent the Captain America movie franchise putting his life on the line to save Bucky over and over again. Y'all really think that blonde, lovable goofball with all his self-righteousness, I cant turn my back on any wrong-doing, wouldn't try to save past Bucky sooner? That he wouldn't tell Peggy, his wife who knew him before the glow up, that the S.H.E.I.L.D. agency she built with Howard Stark, was being corrupted from within by their biggest enemy, HYDRA? Ya'll really trippin'.

Whatever Steve did in the past wouldn't have effected the present Bucky's future. If what he did in the past did anything then just like Back in the Future the changes would have been obvious. Steve only crime was finally putting down that shield and getting himself a damn life.

As far as the shield goes, Steve did Bucky a favor. Steve blindly signed up to be experimented on and although he became a beefcake he became property of the USA. Hence, all the propaganda movies and tour performances to drum up business before he selfishly went rogue to save his best friend and proved what a weapon he really was.

Even after Steve sacrificed his life for his country and went under the water to save New York, as soon as they found his frozen body and defrosted him, they put him to work.

That man had no vacation time. Was doing SHIELD special ops work when he wasn't leading the Avengers or angrily punching at a gym bag. It wasn't until Captain America: The Winter Soldier, that Steve realized almost everything in his life was being controlled by S.H.E.I.L.D. from his apartment to his neighbors to the jobs he could take.

Steve couldn't even tell Sam what made him happy and this was before the S.H.E.I.L.D. betrayal. You really think Steve want Bucky to go from recovered brainwashed prisoner of war victim/weapon to being in charge of a bunch of strangers he hadn't really interacted with outside of a brawl to kill/lock him up?

Clearly, y'all too much in your feelings to realize last time we saw Bucky, before the Infinity War fighting, he looked so done in by the mere thought of fighting. You want him to fight for America just cause he's Steve's Day One? His best friend? Stop thrusting all this responsibility on this man and let Bucky live.

Sam Wilson, damn near interned under Captain America. Whatever Steve couldn't do, like spend time searching for Bucky, he gave to his Number 2. Sam is loyal as fuck to Steve and isn't such a follower he doesn't tell Steve when he is being full of himself. Sam might not know Steve from childhood, but was the first person to ask Steve what made him happy; offered him an excuse to visit him in the Veteran's Affair in hopes of Steve seeking help; offered Steve and Natasha a sanctuary while they were fugitives; actually offered him options to do something more than being a superhero; sat at his bedside whenever he was injured cause even super soldiers need someone to lean on; chased after Bucky when Steve couldn't; left his 9 to 5 job and civilian life because he knew supporting Steve was more important; teamed up with Bucky numerous times, despite Bucky nearly killing him several times when he was brainwashed; etc.

But nope a brother ain't qualified to be Captain America cause he isn't souped up with super soldier serum; didn't know Steve as long; isn't hot enough, white enough, loyal enough or whatever excuse you want to use.

Sam Wilson is one of the few senior members of the Avenger team at the end of Endgame. If you go for seniority bases it would be Rhodey, Sam and Hulk cause Hawkeye is going back to family and Thor is riding with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

If you want to go who is more qualified and strength. Sam went from happy, retired veteran to bad ass with wings and a gun. He fought Hydra agents with a knife and they had guns. He held his own with super soldiers, gods, armored tech geniuses, etc. He also, actually a member of the Avengers and the only one who actively repaired relationships in Infinity War.

Poor Bucky only interacted positively with T’challa, Steve, Princess Shuri and Sam. I'm pretty sure you don't make a complete stranger that the team ended with infighting over, the leader.

Sure Bucky is no longer controlled by HYDRA, but do you honestly think someone like Nick Fury, General Ross, or other world leaders will trust Bucky?! Especially when they find out what brainwashed Bucky has done?

Steve was smart. He gave the shield to a man that will uphold justice as he would. That knows the team. That purposely decided to join the superhero fight on his own, not just cause Steve asked. That won't just move on emotion and will help Bucky decide on how to settle in if he decides to become a superhero or not. When Sam said 'On your Left' he was letting Steve know no matter what he had Steve's back and will more than likely have Bucky's back if and when he decides to join the Avengers.

Steve got two best friends and he want both to be happy. If that means given one the shield cause he is more mentally stable and is already about that superhero life; while the other has a chance to decide for himself what makes him happy... well he only being a good friend. 

Another thing... Peggy Carter has known Steve before the glow up. You know she was charmed by pipsqueak Steve and him needing to fight even if it meant getting beat up in every alley. Y'all honestly shouldn't be surprised he went for his because Peggy is a strong, independent woman that challenged stereotypes, was not for the bullshit when Steve started getting fan girls, and didn't just mope when she thought Steve was dead.

Steve deserves a good ride or die. He deserves more than one friends or one chance at love. Sorry but not sorry Stucky fans. Steve was always going to want that dance with his best girl. The one who should feel slight are those Sharon x Steve fans. Just damn... original Carter always better.

No hate. Celebrate.

[essiefreds]

… so… this may or may not be a thing? We’re gonna see how people respond to it, I guess, and then maybe it’ll continue as a series? 

I don’t expect it to go well, because uh, I don’t have any idea how to write Steve Rogers as a character, and I feel as though there are some topics that could arise in this series that I might not know how to handle, so… 

(It’s a thing): 

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18,  Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22

Word Count: 2147

Tagged (if you’d like to be added to this list, btw, just send me a message and let me know!): @hotemotionalmess

“We need you to talk to him.“ 

You blinked at Nick Fury. Not only had you never been addressed directly by the head of SHIELD, you had never been in the same room as him. Now, here he was, standing in front of you, his arms hanging by his side, and a sincere expression on his face. 

"Uh… wait,” you said, deciding that it made sense to clear up this request he was bestowing on you before simply agreeing. After all, just because he was Director Fury didn’t mean that you were going to do everything he said. 

Especially something like this. 

“So… you want me to… befriend the man who has been trapped in ice for seventy years, in the hopes that… what? He’ll… decide to join society?" 

Fury lifted his shoulders. "Basically.”

“And why me?” you queried, frowning. 

“You have a way,” Fury said, as though that answered your question in the slightest. “Anyway, the sooner you can figure it out, the better, because we need him to, uh, not consider anything other than rejoining society.”

You did not have to ask him to elaborate on what he meant by that. Your experience with war veterans gave you a pretty solid understanding on the euphemisms of suicide. 

“All right,” you said, carefully, “but… if I don’t manage to get him to like me, then what?" 

"Well, we’re not incredibly worried about him,” the Director of SHIELD responded, “but we know that he must feel very lonely, and rather helpless. We’re not positive that he’ll accept you as a friend, but we also don’t think he’ll flat-out deny someone wanting to help him integrate back into society.” He offered you an expression that might have been reassuring, had he been anyone other than Nick Fury. “You’ll do fine.”

Again, he hadn’t answered your question, but hey, what were you supposed to do about it? He was your boss, after all. 

You’d joined SHIELD after an invitation had reached you in your tiny apartment in New York, which you rented through the funding you received from your job at the hospital as a receptionist. Although no one had ever told you how they’d figured out who you were, and what you did, you thought that you’d adjusted well to your position in SHIELD. Handling panicking people was something you were good at, and, more often than not, there was a panicking person, or group of people, for you to deal with on a regular basis. 

Aside from that, however, you were also extremely good at helping people who’d been through hell and had somehow gotten out of it, only to continue to be faced with it in their daily lives through nightmares and panic attacks. It was a skill you’d developed through extreme sensitivity that your mother often called psychic, and through your work with war veterans that passed through the hospital. You’d also created a group for them, at the nearby retirement community, where many were spending the remainder of their lives. 

It was because of this, you supposed, that Nick Fury had approached you to help with Steve Rogers, who’d recently been unearthed like a fossil or something. Although you’d never been one to read comic books, you knew who he was, who he had been, at any rate. 

You did not ask, but you wondered if Director Fury hoped to bring back who Steve Rogers had been, although for what purpose, you did not know. A back-up plan, in case aliens tried to take over the Earth, or something. 

Even with your experience, however, you did not have any idea how to handle a ninety-year-old man who looked and had the physicality of a twenty-year-old, especially one who had at one moment been in the 1940’s, and in the next had been thrown into the 21st century. 

It was going to be something new. 

“He’s been living in a facility that we’ve created to model the 1940’s,” Fury told you as he led you down one of the many hallways of one of the buildings that SHIELD owned. “We meant for it to help him adjust to what’s happened, but I don’t know how well it’s worked." 

"Right,” you said. Your mind was reeling. You’d put yourself into the shoes of many victims of trauma, but never before had you had to help someone who had been asleep for seventy years adjust to the new life that they were suddenly faced with. So much had changed since the ‘40’s, so many things, in fact, that you doubted you’d be able to think of them all, in order to help him adjust. 

Again, you weren’t positive that this was going to go well. 

It was too late, however, to back out. Fury would not have come to you, specifically, if he did not think you had at least some chance of making this work.

You supposed that out of many of your coworkers, you did have the best chance. 

Still. 

Director Fury paused outside a door down a bland hallway, and nodded to it. “We’ve had people check on him every hour or so since he defrosted, but he hasn’t been the most responsive to them,” he said. “So, first thing’s first -”

“Get him to respond to me,” you concluded. Fury dipped his head. You exhaled, and faced the door. “Sure. I can do this.”

“Good attitude,” Fury praised, and then he patted you on the shoulder. “And good luck.”

You nodded, and listened as he walked away. He did not leave the hallway entirely, you noticed. 

After taking a moment to center yourself, to calm your thoughts, you lifted your fist, and knocked politely on the door. 

You were incredibly surprised when, after a minute, it opened from the other side. 

Holy shit this man’s arms are the size of tree trunks.

So, needless to say, your first impression of Captain Steve Rogers was probably not the most profound. 

Luckily, you were good at pulling yourself together, and you quickly held out your hand towards the gorgeous figure that had opened the door. 

“Hello, Captain Rogers,” you said, offering a smile. “My name is Y/N.”

The moment you knew that helping Steve Rogers would be a wonderful experience was when he shook your hand, and said, “Pleasure to meet you, ma'am.”

You were almost positive you stood there, holding his hand and blinking at him like an idiot for at least two minutes, but he did not seem bothered. In fact, if anything, he seemed amused, especially when you finally realized that it was time to let go of his hand, and quickly dropped your own to your side. 

“I just… I’d heard that you were… well, here, and I wanted to know how you’re doing,” you said, hoping that you didn’t sound too much like you were stammering. “I mean, I don’t have any clue what it must be like for you, obviously, but I’d like to understand, so that I can help you in anyway I can.”

Captain Rogers’s amused expression faded, and he tilted his head, moving slightly so that he blocked the entrance way to his living space. “You don’t need to lie to me, ma'am,” he said, and you furrowed your brows, slightly. “I know that I’ve been causing troubles for the nice people of SHIELD, and that they want me to get a move on with reentering the world. It doesn’t need to be sugar coated for me.”

Okay. So, he understands that he needs to reinsert himself. That’s a good start.

“That’s true,” you said, calmly smiling once more, “but, like I said, I’m here to help you with that. I’m not just another person who’s been sent to check on you, make sure you’re trying. I’m here to help you try.” You paused, and then tilted your head, mimicking him. “Could I come in?" 

When he did not reply, immediately, you gestured down the hall. "Or you could come out, instead. We could go get something to eat?" 

"No,” he said, almost immediately, and you lifted an eyebrow. “Here’s fine. Come in, please.” He stepped out of the way of the door, and you sidled past him into the living space on the other side, already knowing that you had plenty of work to do. 

The living space was the same size of a small apartment. In fact, it was bigger than the apartment that you’d been living in, actually. There was a bedroom, with a bathroom attached, and a small kitchen that was in the same space a a living room of sorts. Looking at the furniture, including the TV and kitchen appliances, you saw that SHIELD had done everything it could to give Captain Rogers a 1940’s feel. 

The TV was a boxy, clunky thing. Next to the ragged looking couch was a square side table, on which sat a boxy radio. The lamp in the corner of the room had a very ugly shade on it. The carpet was atrocious, as was the tile in the kitchen. The appliances themselves were green. 

“They wanted it to feel like I was at home,” Captain Rogers said from behind you, seeing that you’d paused to take everything in. “It was nice of them." 

"Yeah, definitely,” you agreed, turning to watch him as he entered the kitchen, and opened the outdated fridge. You were honestly surprised that these things worked. He looked at you. 

“Would you like some water? It’s all I have." 

"Sure,” you said. “Thank you.”

You moved to sit down on the couch, and winced as a stray spring immediately dug up into your ass cheek. They couldn’t have given him at least a slightly comfortable couch? The radio was on, although it was only buzzing, softly; no music came from its single speaker. 

When Captain Rogers joined you, holding a glass of water, you nodded towards the radio, taking the glass from him. “No music?" 

He managed a small smile, one that looked almost sheepish. "I don’t really like the music that you have here,” he explained. 

“Oh,” you said. Obviously. “But, you like background noise?" 

"Sorry.” He immediately moved to turn the radio off, with the same ease you’d use to turn off a cell phone. “I just - it’s something that’s at least sort of similar to how the radio was. Static.”

You took a sip of your water, wondering how hard it would be to find a record player and some vinyls with ‘40’s music on them. After a period of time, you realized that Captain Rogers had not joined you on the couch, and you looked up at him. 

“Are you… not sitting down for a reason?" 

He let out a chuckle that sounded a bit forced. "It’s a small sofa,” he said, gesturing to it. 

Confused, but deciding to let him do what was most comfortable, you set the glass of water down on the table that the radio sat on, and looked at him. “So,” you began, “talk to me, Captain." 

"About what, ma'am?" 

"About you,” you said, gesturing. You smiled. “And I don’t mean Captain America. I mean you. Who is Steven Rogers? What was his life like?" 

For a moment, he was silent, and you wondered, briefly, if he didn’t quite understand why you wanted to know about him. 

Before you could say anything else, however, he spoke: "Was." 

You frowned, a little. "Was?" 

"You said, "What was his life like?”,“ he explained, his eyes trained on the floor. "Everyone else always talks in the present tense." 

You forced your shoulders to relax. This wasn’t going the way you’d hoped it would, so far, but you decided to just… stick with it. "Well, there’s really no sense in living in the past, is there?” you asked him. “I mean, you’re here now, and although there’s plenty of things from your old life that you can keep with you, and you can even be the same Steve Rogers that you were… there’s also things that you’re going to have to accept, and the fact that you’re in the 21st century is one of them." 

His gaze lifted, and met yours. God, his eyes were blue. "Easier said than done, don’t you think?" 

"Most things are,” you replied, easily. “And besides, you don’t have to do it alone, now.” You grinned at him. “I’m here to help.”

A moment of silence passed. For a scarily long second, you thought that maybe he was going to tell you to leave. 

Instead, he smiled back. “It is always easier doing something with a little help,” he admitted. “That’s something I’ve come to learn, anyway.”

You relaxed for real, this time. “Good,” you said. “Glad we can agree on that, at least.” You crossed your legs at the knee. “So, Captain -” you started, again. “What was your life like?”

[naferty]

Would you ever write more for the soul of your soulmate follows you around au.. Like when tony and Steve first meet??

I actually had a little something-something that I wanted to add into this au and Steve and Tony first meeting is the perfect time for it! It involves what your souls do when they come within range of each other.

Even after discovering time has moved on without him and the life he once had is no longer accessible, Steve surprisingly rests easy the first few nights after getting defrosted. Everyone expects him to have nightmares or have panic attacks at the sudden changes or even have a mental breakdown, but Steve actually stays grounded very easily thanks in large part to his new little companion following him everywhere.

He can’t explain to you just how happy he is knowing there is someone out there for him, that he isn’t some anomaly without a soulmate, to forever live with just his own soul by his side. He’s so thankful and grateful that his soulmate after 70 years got taken from him in a blink of an eye, is still there. Even if they’re old, which most likely is the case, and they missed their chance together, he’s grateful they lived long enough to show him he has a destined.

They aren’t going to get a happily ever after together like most, and Steve tries to show how sorry he is, how regretful he is for leaving them on their own for so long, by always touching and always hugging the beautiful and warm soul. He makes sure to give it plenty of affection and even give it praise, knowing full well his destined won’t be able to hear it, but perhaps they’d be able to feel the emotion he’s expressing as he’s saying it.

This leaves Tony very emotional each time. After so many years going with nothing but the feeling of coldness and no gentle caress or loving touches, being deprived of contact for far too long, he is forced to flee to his room and huddle on his bed as he soaks all the affection with teary eyes. He, in turn, makes sure to hug the now active soul following him, curl up with it on his bed and hold it very close. Sometimes he asks the soul questions during these moments, wanting to communicate with his soulmate but knowing he won’t get an answer. It’s more out of peace of mind for himself than anything.

Most questions he asks share a very common subject. “Where were you this whole time?” “Why now?” “Couldn’t you have done something sooner?” “What changed for you?”

Steve can’t hear the questions but he can feel the sorrow behind them, just as he knows his destined feels the same coming from his end. Regret for their missed chance a strong motivation to hold each other’s soul and fear letting go.

Then their first meeting happens and no one is prepared for it.

The thing about soulmates finally meeting? It’s a very special moment. Their souls attract each other, pulling the other until they meet in the middle and combine. When combined it’s as if their very being are joined and everything that is them is shared with the other.

For Tony, he sees a sickly child growing with odds against him, a loving mother who worked so hard to support her son, a father who left to fight for the innocent and remains a hero in his son’s eyes, feels the sting of rejection when the papers come back and remains unqualified, the sorrow at watching the best friend say goodbye, the pain of an experiment to make a difference, the feeling of loss at watching a lifelong best friend fall from a train, the acceptance when the plane crashed and the grief upon realizing years of a life were taken within seconds.

For Steve, he sees a small child that carried high expectations even before they were born, a child who stood under the shadow of another and fought every day to see the light, a son who only wanted to make his father proud but failed at even achieving that, a teen prodigy who struggled under the expectations of a father who wanted perfect, feels the anguish and anger at the father for killing the mother, the fear and desperation when a hole was carved in a chest, the pain of betrayal when the man who was a second father revealed the truth, the surrender when the device meant to save was slowly poisoning instead and the sting of rejection, of not recommended.

All this happens within seconds, and for Steve and Tony, it happens in the middle of a fight.

Iron Man joins a fight to aid Captain America. He sees the little glowing ball of light that is no doubt the Captain’s soul and thinks nothing else of it, but a moment after he lands and taking down enemies the flashes of past memories and emotions comes crashing down. He’s blinded from the fight at feeling all that is Steve Rogers and in turn, Steve Rogers gets knocked back by all that is Tony Stark.

When the sharing is done they find their souls have combined without their knowledge in the middle of the battle. Not one of them even realized the souls were migrating to each other. In the middle of them, the two souls twirl in a circle, embracing, completing the half of the other.

Shock is not enough to explain how they feel. Tony learns more than he thought he needed to know about Captain America and Steve learns more than he thought he needed to know about Iron Man.

Suddenly it’s as if they’ve known each other their whole life.

But it’s really not the time to think more on it. They still need to fight, but if they suddenly gained a boost and are in perfect sync of each other’s attacks, well, it’s not as if anyone will figure out why.

Not until they take off their cowl and helmet and realize the color of their left eye has changed to match their destined, just as people who finally meet and have their souls combine usually do. A manifestation of them becoming one.

It becomes near impossible to keep it a secret if they decided to hold off mentioning it to the world.

While their souls are combined Steve walks around with a left brown eye and a right blue eye. Tony goes with a left blue eye and a brown right eye.

Anyone who sees them can’t help but stare.

[whorror-jpeg]

Owner of A Lonely Heart

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Summary: You help your best friend, Steve after his bad breakup with Nancy, which leads to something much more.

Prompts: nonnnneeeee

Song: Owner Of A Lonely Heart- Yes

Request: nope :)

Warning(s): cursing, angst, breakups.

Word count: 1.1k

Authors note: I completely forgot I had this in my Google Docs and welp here ya go.

You were sitting in bed, reading a book for your literature class when you heard knocking on your window. You opened your curtains to reveal none other than Steve Harrington. Instead of the nice smile you’d come to adore on the boy, his face was shrouded in sadness and near panic, his eyes red and glistened over.

You opened the window quickly, letting him in, he jumping in. You waited for him to call himself a ninja, but there wasn’t a joke to be made. Not tonight, anyway. “Hey, (Y/L/N).” he greeted sadly.

“I thought you went to a party with your girlfriend?”

“Well here I am, at your house, girlfriendless.” he tried joking, doing his famous sad jazz hands. He let his hands drop, inhaled, and let a few tears fall.

“Hey, hey, hey! What happened?” you asked, coming to hold his face in your hands.

“She doesn’t love me, (Y/N). We’re bullshit, apparently.” he chuckles, despite the situation.

“Oh Steve.” you wiped his eyes,”Let’s go downstairs, watch a movie, eat fat stuff, yeah?” He nodded, wiping his nose as you took his other hand and guided him through the empty house. Growing up with Steve, you had at least one major thing in common, and that was frequently absent parents. And it’s not like Steve had to climb through your window, your parents adored your best friend, the first time he did it when he was 14 to scare you- knowing you were watching a scary movie, it became a tradition.

He sat on your couch while you made popcorn and brought out some ice cream to defrost. When the popcorn was ready, you grabbed the bag, two spoons, and the tub of ice cream, before coming back into the living room. Steve hadn’t moved, instead, he had his head in his hands, sobs quietly racking his body. You put the food on the coffee table and gave him the tissue box that held residence on the side table. He took it and blew his nose while you put in The Outsiders, a movie you and Steve adored, as well as the book. When you sat back down, you put a pillow in your lap and guided the still sobbing boy to lay in your lap. You’d never seen him like this. You always saw Steve Harrington: The Basketball Star, or Steve Harrington: King of Hawkins High, never Steve Harrington: The Broken-Hearted Boy. The last time you saw him cry was when he was 14 and his parents had started leaving him home alone. He felt like his parents didn’t love him, but you assured him they did, they just had jobs.

About an hour in, you noticed he’d fallen asleep while you played with his hair (which he never let you do, he had just been so emotionally drained and couldn’t deny that it calmed him down). You’d tried not to laugh as you saw a spoon in his hand, his other arm cuddling the now melted and nearly empty tub of ice cream. You decided to clean up the mess you’d made and turned off the movie. You had left him with his head on the pillow and replaced the ice cream tub with another pillow, before taking off his shoes and covering him up. You ended up in bed later after kissing Steve’s forehead and turning the lights off.

From there, it was a nightly occurrence for nearly a month, but you noticed he’d gotten worse with his sleep. At times you’d wake up with him still awake, gaining no sleep. Other times, you’d wake up from him screaming, having to run downstairs and tell him everything was okay. You didn’t know where his PTSD was coming from, but he needed help, soon.

You had confronted Nancy about their relationship, tired of seeing your best friend crying every night or drinking himself to sleep. Sometimes you had to force Steve to take a shower, or to eat something other than those stupid peanut butter crackers he loved.

“What the fuck, Nancy?” you grabbed her shoulder while she was talking to Jonathan, seemingly her new boyfriend.

It was like she knew what you were talking about, “Can we not do this here?”

Jonathan gripped his bag tightly, swaying nervously. “No. What the fuck, Nancy? He was in love with you, he is in love with you. Do you understand he’s been at my house every goddamn night sobbing?”

“Really?”

It dawned on you that Nancy was still the nice girl, she truly hadn’t known what was going on with her ex-boyfriend.

You sighed, “Nancy, you broke his heart. If you didn’t love him, why’d you lead him on? Let alone break up with him intoxicated?”

“I didn’t mean to, okay? It just happened, and I planned on it for a while.”

You shook your head, “I really can’t believe you right now.”

“I would’ve broken up with him sooner, okay? I just stopped feeling what I thought I was feeling.”

You looked up, angry, “What you thought you were feeling? I-”

You stopped when you saw the tall boy, staring hopelessly at the girl he loved. He’d heard everything.

This led to him asking you to skip school with him, and you accepted, so long as you could drive because Steve was crying too damn much to see the road.

You had worked with him, making sure he was getting better every single day, not letting him talk to Nancy, making sure he took a different route to his classes to avoid her. It got to the point where he could look at her, and it’d be okay. Yes, he’d be a little upset, but he was glad she was doing okay. They even started to talk again. You were proud of him, and on a warmer sunnier day, you took a drive, going on spring vacation together to camp at a lake a little ways away, the windows rolled down, sunglasses on, your feet out of the window, blasting Journey, and laughing. It was the spring before the two of you graduated.

You’d talked about your future; you wanted to study in college, and he wanted to stay in Hawkins and help out in the police force. You promised you’d visit all the time.

He was holding your hand while driving, stupidly singing and dancing to the music, before pulling over, stopping the car, turning down the music, and looking you. You put your feet in the car and looked at him while he took off his sunglasses. Without saying anything, he reached over, cupped your jaw and kissed you.

“I had to get that out of the way, sorry.” he laughed. You stared at him, smiling.

“I hate you, Harrington, and the things you make me feel.” you laughed, intertwining your fingers with his as he put the car in gear and drove off again.

[flowerfan2]

Somewhere Only We Know

In honor of Black Panther, here’s a story about Bucky waking up in Wakanda.  In this one, Steve isn’t there (for perfectly non-upsetting reasons), and I have no idea whether that’s the case in what’s to come in the MCU (no spoilers here - I haven’t seen the movie yet), but I hope you enjoy this little foray into rare-pair land.

Bucky/Bruce, M, 9k, A03

Chapter 1

Bucky comes to slowly, the chill from cryo hard to shake.  He hears soft music, and quiet voices.  When he can finally open his eyes, he scans the room for Steve, and tries not to ignore the stab of disappointment when he realizes he isn't there.

The Wakandan doctors smile gently and respectfully, but it's all medical talk for a while - they've found a way to de-trigger him, he seems to have suffered no harm in cryo, they'll run some tests as soon as he's more fully awake.  No one tells him what he actually wants to know - where is everyone?  What's happened while he's been out?  - but he can't bring himself to ask any questions, not when they are treating him so kindly, and everything feels so floaty.  It doesn't seem quite real.

After a time, when the doctors have left him to rest, there's a knock on the door.  It opens slowly to reveal a slight man with glasses.  He's got dark curly hair, graying at the edges, and looks mildly uncomfortable.

"Excuse me," the man says.  "If you're feeling up to it, may I speak with you?"

"Sure," Bucky, says, his voice hoarse.

The man comes inside and perches himself on the edge of a chair near Bucky's bed.

"I'm Dr.  Banner.  Bruce."  The man pauses, as if waiting for Bucky to figure it out - and then he does.

The Hulk.  Great.  Apparently mere mortals aren't enough to restrain Bucky.

 Bruce apparently sees the distress in Bucky's eyes and a flash of embarrassment flickers across his face.  "I'm responsible for the process we're going to use to remove your triggers.  I wanted to go over the concept with you first, in case you had any concerns."

 The Hulk figured out how to cure him?  Bucky groans audibly, and presses his remaining hand to his face.  Talk about jumping to conclusions.  What an ungrateful bastard he is.  They should have left him in cryo.

 "Sergeant Barnes?  Are you in pain?"

 That name again.  It's been too long since he was Sergeant of anything.  

 "Call me Bucky."  Bucky peers through his fingers at Bruce, and then blinks at himself in amazement.  "And, um, no.  I'm not in pain."  Which isn't exactly par for the course when it comes to being defrosted.

 "You sound surprised."

 "I kind of am."

 Bruce smiles, just a little thing.  "I'm glad to hear that.  Coming out of cryo can be rough, if not done right."

 Bucky considers him, this soft-spoken man who, according to popular belief, is nothing more than a rage monster.  "Any chance you had something to do with how they brought me out this time?"

 Bruce ignores his question, not impolitely, and holds up a tablet Bucky hadn't even seen.  "Let's talk about what to expect tomorrow."

 It doesn't take long - Bruce has developed some kind of biochemical process which sounds like magic, but Bucky supposes all science trends that way these days.  They pause when King T'challa comes in to wish Bucky well.  He doesn't linger, and he hands Bucky an honest to god paper letter on his way out.  "Captain Rogers asked me to see that you received this," he says, but Bucky knows.  He'd recognize Steve's handwriting anywhere.

 "Bucky?" Bruce says tentatively, as if trying out the name.  "Are you okay?"

 Bucky isn't sure how he's going to open the letter with only one hand, but he is anxious to figure it out.  "Just curious about what the hell is going on, is all."

 "No one told you?"

 Bucky feels a tremor of fear go through him as he shakes his head.

 "Everyone's fine," Bruce says quickly.  "Steve, and... everyone.  But the accords are still a problem, and the, uh, 'Team Cap' folks still can't go back to the U.S.  Other countries have relented, some have pulled back from the accords, but the States are being run by a difficult bunch right now.  So when Thor asked for Steve's help, he went."

 Bucky parses through this information.  "So Steve's not...?"

 Bruce delivers the news with a touch of wry humor.  "Not on Earth, no.  I'm very sorry."  He touches a hand briefly to where Bucky is gripping the letter from Steve.  "Why don't you read that?  Text me if you want to talk, after."  Bruce sets a fancy looking cell phone down on the table next to Bucky's head.  "This has got my number in it, and your doctors, and some of the staff.  You can ask any of us anything you want."  He grins a little.  "It's got some games, too.  In case you get bored."

 Bucky smiles back.  This guy isn't half bad, he thinks.  "Thanks."

 "You're welcome."  Bruce stands up and turns to leave the room. 

 "Wait - Doctor Banner?"

 Bruce looks embarrassed again.  "Call me Bruce, please."

 "Bruce.  How long has it been?"

 Bucky sees Bruce straighten his shoulders, as if steeling himself.  "Five years.  And a month."

 *****

Bucky allows himself a good pity sulk for a few minutes before he rips the letter open with his teeth.  Five years.  Five years to figure out how to take the grenade out of his head.  He wants to be angry at Steve for not waking him up sooner, just to shoot the shit or go save the world together or something.  But that's not what Bucky asked for.  Damn Steve and his principled sculpted abs.

 Five years.  No wonder Steve got antsy and took off with Thor.  Not that he's jealous, or anything.  Maybe Thor can get Steve to loosen up.  Bucky never really managed it.

 Finally he unfolds the letter and starts to read.

 Dear Buck,

 Hopefully you're going to read this soon.  Bruce says he's really close to a cure, and I believe him.  I wish I could be there when you wake up, but trust me, Bruce is the best.  He'll make sure you're treated right.

 King T'challa says he'll try to get a message to me when it's done, but I can't promise I'll be able to be in touch.  I'm working with Thor on this interplanetary peace plan (doesn't that sound crazy?) and apparently calling home isn't that simple from other worlds.  But I'll try.

 In the meantime, do whatever you need to do.  I don't know how long I'll be gone, or if I'll be able to come back.  The world kind of has it out for me right now.  But you can stay in Wakanda safely as long as you want, or fly under the radar somewhere else, you've always been better at that than me.  

 Even with you still fast asleep, it's hard to leave you.  But I know you're in good hands with Bruce.  He showed up about a year ago - none of us had seen him in forever, he just disappeared - and announced that he wanted to help.  Specifically, he wanted to help you.  He never really came out and said why, but Sam got him taking one night and he thinks your situation is more than just a puzzle to Bruce.  Somehow, it's something personal to him.  Anyway, given that the man is not only one of the nicest people I know, but also a genius and capable of fighting off armies single handedly, I feel okay leaving you with him.  

 I've missed the shit out of you these past years.  It was hard, with you here, but not, you know?  Got under my skin, sometimes.  Clint got frustrated with me, took off for who knows where, he keeps moving around.  Natasha and Sam became pretty close, they're running some kind of super secret ops for T'challa.  Wanda's off with Vision.  They all keep in touch, there's no hard feelings.

 Bucky, no matter what, I will always be so, so, grateful that you're alive.  I don't regret anything.  Don't you, either.  You've got another chance - please, live your life.  Find something (or someone) to love.  Find a way, for me, all right?

 'Til the end of the line (I had to say it) -

 Steve

 Bucky reads it again, and then a third time.  He realizes that his whole "safer for everyone if I just go hide out in cryo" approach may have shot them both in the foot, in a way even super soldiers may not recover from all that quickly.  But for all Steve's drama, he really doesn't think Steve's sworn off Earth forever.  And maybe now that Bucky's awake he can work out some kind of deal to get the price off Steve's head.  Damn idiot probably had some kind of moral qualms about negotiating with a government who wanted to kill his childhood friend.  Bucky doesn't have that kind of problem.

 A nurse comes in to check on him, and Bucky closes his eyes, just meaning to doze.  When he opens them it's the next morning, and Bruce is there, talking quietly with two doctors in colorful scrubs.  Bruce is wearing the same kind of clothes he had on the day before - loose gray pants and a wrinkled white linen shirt.  He looks relaxed, calm.  

 "Good morning," he says, coming over to Bucky's side.  He starts to explain, again, what they'll be doing, and Bucky pushes down his nerves.  This can't be the worst thing he's been through, not by a long shot.

 Bruce pauses, his eyes widening just a little.  He touches Bucky's arm, careful but firm.  "Bucky?"

 "Yeah?"

 "This isn't going to hurt."

 Bucky shrugs.  "No, it's fine, I can take it, I-"

 "No, I mean it.  It won't hurt."

 Bucky stares at him, remembering their conversation the day before about coming out of cryo.  "What, you got something against pain?" Bucky asks, striving for humor.

 "I do, actually."

 Bruce holds his gaze for a long moment, then squeezes his arm and steps away.  Bucky kind of wishes he would have stayed.

 Three hours, four injections, and a bunch of stressful questions later, it's over.  

 "Really?"  Bucky asks again.  The doctors and nurses have cleared out, leaving just him and Bruce in the room.  

 "Really."  Bruce stares at Bucky for a minute, and then pushes a button on the side of the bed.  Bucky holds still as the head of the bed rises, sitting him up.

 "You know," Bruce says conversationally, "there's a patio with a spectacular view on the west side of the building.  I think the cafe's still open.  They make a great tofu curry, if you like that kind of thing."

 Bucky sits himself up further, and tries to figure out if Bruce is pulling his leg.  "I don't think I've ever had tofu."

 Bruce holds out his hand and steadies Bucky as he climbs out of bed.  "They make other things too."

 "No, I, um, want to try something new."

Read the rest on A03

[flowerfan2]

Somewhere Only We Know

I noticed that there isn't a single Bruce/Bucky fic on A03... Then this happened.  Please reblog if you find it at all entertaining... there isn’t a Bucky/Bruce feed on A03 as far as I know!!

It’s written in full and will post in its entirety in the next week or so.  Enjoy.

Bruce/Bucky, M,1800 words, Chapter 1/4.  A03.

Chapter 1

Bucky comes to slowly, the chill from cryo hard to shake.  He hears soft music, and quiet voices.  When he can finally open his eyes, he scans the room for Steve, and tries not to ignore the stab of disappointment when he realizes he isn't there.

The Wakandan doctors smile gently and respectfully, but it's all medical talk for a while - they've found a way to de-trigger him, he seems to have suffered no harm in cryo, they'll run some tests as soon as he's more fully awake.  No one tells him what he actually wants to know - where is everyone?  What's happened while he's been out?  - but he can't bring himself to ask any questions, not when they are treating him so kindly, and everything feels so floaty.  It doesn't seem quite real.

After a time, when the doctors have left him to rest, there's a knock on the door.  It opens slowly to reveal a slight man with glasses.  He's got dark curly hair, graying at the edges, and looks mildly uncomfortable.

"Excuse me," the man says.  "If you're feeling up to it, may I speak with you?"

"Sure," Bucky, says, his voice hoarse.

The man comes inside and perches himself on the edge of a chair near Bucky's bed.

"I'm Dr.  Banner.  Bruce."  The man pauses, as if waiting for Bucky to figure it out - and then he does.

The Hulk.  Great.  Apparently mere mortals aren't enough to restrain Bucky.

Bruce apparently sees the distress in Bucky's eyes and a flash of embarrassment flickers across his face.  "I'm responsible for the process we're going to use to remove your triggers.  I wanted to go over the concept with you first, in case you had any concerns."

The Hulk figured out how to cure him?  Bucky groans audibly, and presses his remaining hand to his face.  Talk about jumping to conclusions.  What an ungrateful bastard he is.  They should have left him in cryo.

 "Sergeant Barnes?  Are you in pain?"

 That name again.  It's been too long since he was Sergeant of anything.  

 "Call me Bucky."  Bucky peers through his fingers at Bruce, and then blinks at himself in amazement.  "And, um, no.  I'm not in pain."  Which isn't exactly par for the course when it comes to being defrosted.

 "You sound surprised."

 "I kind of am."

 Bruce smiles, just a little thing.  "I'm glad to hear that.  Coming out of cryo can be rough, if not done right."

 Bucky considers him, this soft-spoken man who, according to popular belief, is nothing more than a rage monster.  "Any chance you had something to do with how they brought me out this time?"

 Bruce ignores his question, not impolitely, and holds up a tablet Bucky hadn't even seen.  "Let's talk about what to expect tomorrow."

 It doesn't take long - Bruce has developed some kind of biochemical process which sounds like magic, but Bucky supposes all science trends that way these days.  They pause when King T'challa comes in to wish Bucky well.  He doesn't linger, and he hands Bucky an honest to god paper letter on his way out.  "Captain Rogers asked me to see that you received this," he says, but Bucky knows.  He'd recognize Steve's handwriting anywhere.

 "Bucky?" Bruce says tentatively, as if trying out the name.  "Are you okay?"

 Bucky isn't sure how he's going to open the letter with only one hand, but he is anxious to figure it out.  "Just curious about what the hell is going on, is all."

 "No one told you?"

 Bucky feels a tremor of fear go through him as he shakes his head.

 "Everyone's fine," Bruce says quickly.  "Steve, and... everyone.  But the accords are still a problem, and the, uh, 'Team Cap' folks still can't go back to the U.S.  Other countries have relented, some have pulled back from the accords, but the States are being run by a difficult bunch right now.  So when Thor asked for Steve's help, he went."

 Bucky parses through this information.  "So Steve's not...?"

 Bruce delivers the news with a touch of wry humor.  "Not on Earth, no.  I'm very sorry."  He touches a hand briefly to where Bucky is gripping the letter from Steve.  "Why don't you read that?  Text me if you want to talk, after."  Bruce sets a fancy looking cell phone down on the table next to Bucky's head.  "This has got my number in it, and your doctors, and some of the staff.  You can ask any of us anything you want."  He grins a little.  "It's got some games, too.  In case you get bored."

 Bucky smiles back.  This guy isn't half bad, he thinks.  "Thanks."

 "You're welcome."  Bruce stands up and turns to leave the room. 

 "Wait - Doctor Banner?"

 Bruce looks embarrassed again.  "Call me Bruce, please."

 "Bruce.  How long has it been?"

 Bucky sees Bruce straighten his shoulders, as if steeling himself.  "Five years.  And a month."

 *****

Bucky allows himself a good pity sulk for a few minutes before he rips the letter open with his teeth.  Five years.  Five years to figure out how to take the grenade out of his head.  He wants to be angry at Steve for not waking him up sooner, just to shoot the shit or go save the world together or something.  But that's not what Bucky asked for.  Damn Steve and his principled sculpted abs.

 Five years.  No wonder Steve got antsy and took off with Thor.  Not that he's jealous, or anything.  Maybe Thor can get Steve to loosen up.  Bucky never really managed it.

 Finally he unfolds the letter and starts to read.

 Dear Buck,

Hopefully you're going to read this soon.  Bruce says he's really close to a cure, and I believe him.  I wish I could be there when you wake up, but trust me, Bruce is the best.  He'll make sure you're treated right.

King T'challa says he'll try to get a message to me when it's done, but I can't promise I'll be able to be in touch.  I'm working with Thor on this interplanetary peace plan (doesn't that sound crazy?) and apparently calling home isn't that simple from other worlds.  But I'll try.

In the meantime, do whatever you need to do.  I don't know how long I'll be gone, or if I'll be able to come back.  The world kind of has it out for me right now.  But you can stay in Wakanda safely as long as you want, or fly under the radar somewhere else, you've always been better at that than me.  

Even with you still fast asleep, it's hard to leave you.  But I know you're in good hands with Bruce.  He showed up about a year ago - none of us had seen him in forever, he just disappeared - and announced that he wanted to help.  Specifically, he wanted to help you.  He never really came out and said why, but Sam got him taking one night and he thinks your situation is more than just a puzzle to Bruce.  Somehow, it's something personal to him.  Anyway, given that the man is not only one of the nicest people I know, but also a genius and capable of fighting off armies single handedly, I feel okay leaving you with him.  

I've missed the shit out of you these past years.  It was hard, with you here, but not, you know?  Got under my skin, sometimes.  Clint got frustrated with me, took off for who knows where, he keeps moving around.  Natasha and Sam became pretty close, they're running some kind of super secret ops for T'challa.  Wanda's off with Vision.  They all keep in touch, there's no hard feelings.

Bucky, no matter what, I will always be so, so, grateful that you're alive.  I don't regret anything.  Don't you, either.  You've got another chance - please, live your life.  Find something (or someone) to love.  Find a way, for me, all right?

'Til the end of the line (I had to say it) -

Steve

 Bucky reads it again, and then a third time.  He realizes that his whole "safer for everyone if I just go hide out in cryo" approach may have shot them both in the foot, in a way even super soldiers may not recover from all that quickly.  But for all Steve's drama, he really doesn't think Steve's sworn off Earth forever.  And maybe now that Bucky's awake he can work out some kind of deal to get the price off Steve's head.  Damn idiot probably had some kind of moral qualms about negotiating with a government who wanted to kill his childhood friend.  Bucky doesn't have that kind of problem.

 A nurse comes in to check on him, and Bucky closes his eyes, just meaning to doze.  When he opens them it's the next morning, and Bruce is there, talking quietly with two doctors in colorful scrubs.  Bruce is wearing the same kind of clothes he had on the day before - loose gray pants and a wrinkled white linen shirt.  He looks relaxed, calm.  

 "Good morning," he says, coming over to Bucky's side.  He starts to explain, again, what they'll be doing, and Bucky pushes down his nerves.  This can't be the worst thing he's been through, not by a long shot.

 Bruce pauses, his eyes widening just a little.  He touches Bucky's arm, careful but firm.  "Bucky?"

 "Yeah?"

 "This isn't going to hurt."

 Bucky shrugs.  "No, it's fine, I can take it, I-"

 "No, I mean it.  It won't hurt."

 Bucky stares at him, remembering their conversation the day before about coming out of cryo.  "What, you got something against pain?" Bucky asks, striving for humor.

 "I do, actually."

 Bruce holds his gaze for a long moment, then squeezes his arm and steps away.  Bucky kind of wishes he would have stayed.

 Three hours, four injections, and a bunch of stressful questions later, it's over.  

 "Really?"  Bucky asks again.  The doctors and nurses have cleared out, leaving just him and Bruce in the room.  

 "Really."  Bruce stares at Bucky for a minute, and then pushes a button on the side of the bed.  Bucky holds still as the head of the bed rises, sitting him up.

 "You know," Bruce says conversationally, "there's a patio with a spectacular view on the west side of the building.  I think the cafe's still open.  They make a great tofu curry, if you like that kind of thing."

 Bucky sits himself up further, and tries to figure out if Bruce is pulling his leg.  "I don't think I've ever had tofu."

 Bruce holds out his hand and steadies Bucky as he climbs out of bed.  "They make other things too."

 "No, I, um, want to try something new."