The days following the snaps that both brought half the universe back to life and ended Tony Stark's life are very quiet. People are ecstatic to reunite with their loved ones but are tinged with the bitterness of the sacrifice that had to be made in return.
It seems that short term goals were the only way to make it through the days. The Avengers started by clearing the rubble that was once their facility.
Bruce Banner and Steve Rogers knew they had an immediate project to work on. They knew they had to return the stones to the exact time that they took them. Bruce started to work on a new quantum tunnel while Steve began to prepare himself to jump through time once more.
Steve had never been a selfish guy. He was always one to step up to the plate whenever the world needed saving. When he woke up when he exited the ice, he decided to continue to step up when needed. He made the best of the situation he was forced into.
Time travel changed everything for him. He could have the life he always wanted. For once in his life, he finally wanted to be selfish. He helped bring back half the universe and now he just wanted to rest.
He knew before he made that decision that there was someone he needed to have a conversation with first.
Steve made his way through the pathways cleared through the rubble to one of the makeshift trailers that he shared with his best and longest friend.
"Hey Buck, I'm back," Steve yelled as he walked through the door.
Bucky was sat at the table near the front door. He was reading the newspaper. There were a lot of amazing stories that have come out since the blip reversed. It made Bucky feel good to be apart of the team that fought to keep these families together.
"How is construction going?" Bucky asked. He continued looking at the paper as Steve took a seat across from Bucky.
"It's slow moving but it's definitely getting there. Sam has really stepped up in helping organize the teams." Steve said.
Bucky put down the paper to look at Steve.
"As much as he annoys me, he's a good man. He followed you into whatever stupid thing you decided to do any given week," Bucky said with a grin.
It was good to see Bucky smile and tease him again. Steve knew that Bucky would never be who he used to be but he was hoping he would be happy again.
"Just remember that one of those stupid things was saving your skin pal," Steve quips.
Bucky rolls his eyes. He knew that Steve is the reason he's not currently dead multiple times over. That's what they've always done though. They always look out for each other.
They sit in silence for a moment. Bucky thinks back to the time when Steve snuck flowers through his window because he had forgotten Mother's Day. He knew his Dad would have his hide if he didn't do anything but Steve saved him.
As Bucky thinks fondly of the memory, he notices Steve begin to frown. He knows him well enough to know that he has something on his mind. He also knows that he won't let it out without some prompting.
"I know you don't want to talk about Sam so what's eating ya?" Bucky asked.
Steve looks up in surprise. He should've known that Bucky would pick up on his mood.
"I do need to talk to you about Sam but I think there's another conversation we need to have first," Steve said.
" want me to follow you into another war?" Bucky asks with a smile.
He tries to ignore the anxiety that pops up at the thought. He has fought one war after another for almost his whole life. He knew he would follow Steve into any fight but he wants to rest. He had a brief respite in Wakanda but even that was filled with the stress of ridding himself of Hydra's influence.
"The opposite actually," Steve says with a small smile.
This brought Bucky up short. Steve wants to stop fighting? He didn't think Steve had it in him to put down the shield if he was still able to wield it.
"You want to retire? Find a pretty girl and settle down?" Bucky asked.
"I actually already found the pretty girl," Steve said.
Bucky was shocked. He knew that it's been five years since they had truly been together but he figured as his best friend, he would tell him immediately if he had found himself a girl.
"What? Who? What's her name?" Bucky stutters out.
Steve doesn't miss a beat.
"Peggy Carter," Steve responds.
Bucky frowns at Steve. He knows how hard it was for Steve to lose the love of his life. He was hoping Steve would manage to move on and stop living in the past. He thought that Sharron might help him move on but apparently she's been on the run since Germany.
"Steve, I know that she is the love of your life but she's long gone and we're stuck in a time we're not meant to be in. There's nothing left that we can do but try and move on," Bucky said.
"But what if we could?" Steve questions.
"What if we could what?" Bucky asks.
"What if we could go back?"