An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 8/? Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Marvel Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers Characters: Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes, Sharon Carter (Marvel), Natasha Romanov (Marvel) Additional Tags: Post-Movie: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Canon Divergence - Post-Movie: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Post-Movie: The Avengers (2012), Canon Divergence - Post-Movie: The Avengers (2012), Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, Made Up Science, Bucky Barnes Doesn't Remember Steve Rogers, A bit Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Angst, POV Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers trying to find his place in this new world, But he just wants his Bucky, Moral Dilemmas, Steve’s questionable decisions
Summary:
Steve Rogers was found in the ice. Now he's navigating the 21st century, being back in Brooklyn, being part of the Avengers, trying to find his place in this strange new world. Then one day, in his local bodega, everything gets a whole lot stranger.
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“Is that everything?”
The voice hits his ears. Steve’s eyes snap up in shock. And then the world stops turning.
Bucky. Bucky is there. Bucky is there, in front of him, on the other side of the counter, looking at him. Bucky—his best friend, who fell from that train, who died right in front of him—is standing there, looking at him.
Chapter 8
Snippet:
“Steve?”
Steve sees the way Bucky’s eyes light up, and he knows he should be panicking, except all he can think right then is that he can’t believe he got to hear Bucky say his name again. To hear that recognition, even if it’s not the right recognition.
Bucky’s walking over to him. “Is that you?”
Okay. Now he’s panicking. It’s not like he can run, even though he’s suddenly coming back to reality and realising quickly that he’s fucked this up massively. So he does the only thing he can, and he pretends. “Wow, uh…James,” he manages to catch himself just in time, “what are you doing here?”
Bucky tilts his head at the café, but his eyes are studying Steve’s face. “Oh, you know, just grabbing breakfast. I didn’t know you wore glasses?”
Steve forgot about those. His hand flies up to his face. “Oh, uh, sometimes,” he mumbles, pulling them off and then holding them awkwardly in front of him. He can’t help but notice how Bucky now has more of a five o’clock shadow instead of his clean shaven look he had before. It suits him.
“I-I thought you were gone?” Bucky asks, looking both confused and like he’s maybe had a happy surprise.
“Oh, er, yeah, I was. Plans sort of changed,” Steve fumbles. Oh god, what does he do?
Bucky frowns a little now. “So you’re back?”
“I, uh, I’m not sure,” Steve stutters.
♥♥♥
Poster’s note:
Oh Steve, you monumental doof! (No one writes wittering dialog better than @deadto27!) I couldn’t find any art that expressed an awkward conversation between Stucky, so I reverted to this classic. I think the expressions were very much reused by our intrepid twosome in this work. ♥♥♥ @smlmsworld