If he was alive [SPOILERS]

If He Was Alive

Steve had been in a slightly depressive state ever since he had been rescued from the ice. He just didn't fit in, and the only think that would make him fit in wasn't there. Bucky had fell off a train on a rescue mission, and Steve had never felt the same since. It was almost as if part of him had fallen off the train with Bucky. "Oh yeah," Steve's mind reminded him. "My heart."

Steve wandered around, eventually finding himself at Peggy's. He walked in and sat beside the old woman, who followed his every moment with her eyes. "Tell me about Bucky when I wasn't there. What did he do? What did he say?"

Peggy's eyes crinkled in a smile as she laughed a little. "It was quite funny, actually. If somebody even mentioned your name, even if not to him, and he was off on a never ending train talking about you. He'd tell stories about your times together, things you told him, everything. The worst was that there was a general in one of the departments named Steve, and people would forget and call his name across the camp. Bucky would come out and say, 'Steve? Steve's here?' It was funny and sad at the same time how hopeful he looked every time that happened." Peggy laughed again. Steve stayed silent, mulling on this new information. "He always begged for leave for a week to go see you. I don't know what happened at the Hydra base, but I did notice that he wouldn't leave your side unless he had to." Steve nodded and said a quick goodbye before heading out to the Captain America display. He pulled his hood over his hat, not in the mood to be recognized.

After entering the area, Steve went and stood in front of Bucky's tribute. He stood there for at least an hour, reading it but not registering what he was reading. In reality, he was going over Peggy's information in his head. Bucky hadn't forgotten him, he had remembered the little boy that got beat up but would never back down. He had not forgotten the little boy who would come home looking like he had fought his own war against cannons and just barely survived, and Bucky had fixed him up, cleaned his wounds and made him comfortable.

In the middle of his thoughts a hand touched his arm and he whipped his head around. He looked down at the voice of a little boy. "Are you alright, mister? You've been standing here for two and a half hours." Steve smiled and nodded.

The boy's eyes widened as he realized who he was talking to. Steve quickly motioned for the boy to be quiet and squatted down. "Captain America?" The boy breathed, almost like he couldn't believe it. Steve smiled and nodded. "Do you remember Mr. Barnes much?" Steve nodded.

"He was my best friend. My parents died when I was young and Bucky found me and took me in." Steve laughed a little. "Bucky would always get exasperated because I always stood up to the bullies everywhere, and they would beat me up. I never left, no matter how many times he hit me. Bucky would somehow always find me and send off the bullies. Sometimes I think he tracked me, because I don't know how he aways found me. He gave me my own place when I was sixteen, and we spent tones of time together." Steve smiled again, thinking of Bucky.

"Who's Bucky?"

"Oh, sorry. Mr. Barnes always asked me to call him Bucky, and almost everyone called him Bucky. To us, he was Bucky Barnes."

"He meant a lot to you, didn't he." Steve nodded. "I have a friend like that, but I don't know if he feels the same way as me. How do you know?"

Steve smiled. "Well, Bucky and I just knew. But sometimes you need to go through a hard experience together, or you just need a catch phrase. Bucky and I always used to say 'I'm with you to the end of the line'. That was our thing. You can try that if you want." The boy smiled and went to hug Steve before stopping. "What, you think Captain America is too tough for hugs?" The boy nodded, causing Steve to chuckle a little. "You're wrong there!" Steve pulled the boy in for a hug, and the boy smiled. Steve watched him run out before standing up and returning to his thoughts.