𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 | barnes¹

xxxii. a glimpse into the future

After the Blip, the remaining Avengers traveled through time, gaining the necessary pieces to get back up and try again. They were in the endgame, and there was no choice but to win.

So, that's what they did. They won but at a costly price. Lives were lost, innocent lives, and Bucky couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he had survived it.

Why did the heroes have to die over him? His life was far less valuable than theirs, so why was he alive and they weren't?

After Thanos was defeated, Bucky kept to himself, staying in his small hut in Wakanda. He didn't know many of the Avengers well, so he told himself that he didn't deserve to mourn with them.

Besides, he was still trying to navigate his own mourning. From a love that he had lost, one that he would never stop grieving over.

Bucky was resting on his couch, reading through one of his journals when a soft knock came from the other side of the front door. He slowly shut the book and stood, quietly placing it down on the chair beside him before making his way to the door.

He made sure that his steps were slow and calculated, putting his ear to the door before he remembered that he didn't need to be careful anymore. He was no longer running, yet the assassin instincts were still a part of him. They would always be.

Steve was on the other side, leaning against the doorframe with a sad smile as Bucky opened the door. "Hey, pal."

"Hi," Bucky responded. He was like a statue in the doorway, letting silence fall between the two of them before finally taking a step back and putting an arm out. "Uh, come in."

Steve nodded and followed him inside, taking a look around the living room as he shoved his hands into his pocket. Bucky shut the door and watched his old friend with careful eyes. "You can sit if you want." He gestured towards the couch.

Sitting down on the plush couch, Steve melted into the cushions and sighed. "I haven't seen you in quite a while."

"Yeah," Bucky breathed, running a hand over his face. "Sorry about that. How... How have you been?"

Steve looked tired. His shoulders slumped with the weight of grief and the bags under his eyes proved that he couldn't sleep much after the outcome of their latest fight. He had lost so much and finally felt himself crumbling under the dreadful pressure. "I've been better. I mean, I know we won but..."

"At what cost?" Bucky finished his sentence, sitting in the opposite chair.

Nodding along with Bucky's words, Steve looked at his lap and fiddled with his fingers. "I've been doing some thinking. Trying to find some good that came out of this."

Bucky leaned back in his chair and let out a long exhale. "Hard to find it, right?"

Steve breathed out a bitter laugh and nodded. "Tell me about it."

"You've lost a lot, Steve," Bucky whispered. He hated the tears that welled up in his best friend's eyes at those words. "Let yourself feel it. You've always been the one to take everyone else's burden on your shoulders but you don't have to do that anymore."

A tear rolled down Steve's cheek and he nodded. "I wish I could go back in time and save everybody but... It doesn't work that way."

Bucky's eyes softened as he stared at Steve. That familiar feeling settled in his chest. "It's unfair."

"Yeah," Steve breathed. His eyes left his hands as they finally locked on Bucky's. "But maybe... I can do something."

Shaking his head out of confusion, Bucky's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean, pal?"

He could see Steve's chest rise and fall with a deep breath. "I-I've been up every night thinking about Nat..." The blonde paused for a moment to compose himself, swallowing hard. "The stones have to be returned, and I'm gonna be the one to do it. I have to go to Vormir, and when I hand the Soul Stone over, I'm getting her back."

Leaning forward, Bucky braced his forearms on his thighs, clasping his hands together. He understood how Steve felt about Natasha. It was different than how he used to act around Peggy. Natasha brought out a side of Steve that reminded Bucky of their youth.

And most importantly, Bucky knew how it felt to lose the girl he loved.

The determination in Steve's voice made Bucky sigh. He was all for the idea, but he didn't want Steve to get his hopes up. "Will that work?"

"I don't know," Steve admitted. Regardless, determination settled in his eyes. "If it doesn't, I'd sacrifice myself. If it meant she gets to come back—"

"Steve—"

"No, no, don't," Steve choked out. He was starting to lose his composure, and Steve Rogers never lost his composure. "Don't try to talk me out of this. Aster has woken up every night begging for her. She needs her."

Bucky stared at him for a long moment, unblinking. That dynamic was something he didn't understand quite as well. Aster was more than a teammate to Steve. Steve had taken her under his wing when she saw ten, looking out for her in ways that a father would. The fear of losing his best friend constricted his chest. "Aster needs you too," he softly insisted. "Don't forget that."

His words seemed to strike Steve deeply. After a moment, the blonde nodded, murmuring, "I just want Nat back."

"I know," Bucky whispered. He understood.

Clearing his throat, Steve blinked away the glossiness in his eyes. "Anyways, then, I talked to Bruce, a-and I got another idea... What if we went back and saved Lucy?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE!

that's right, folks.
lucy barnes will return in final fate!
more information for you lovelies in the next chapter.
thank you all for your support!

<3 mal