So post endgame, the avengers are all convinced Peters dead. He just never showed up, or at least no one saw him show up after they were snapped back. And to say they all feel awful about it is an understatement.
Steve and Tony are feeling parently guilt, because they had let their 23 year old son fight in a fucking war, and he had gotten injured or killed or something, and now hes fucking gone. They both blame themselves, and at one point even blamed eachother. That was a hard time, they almost split up. Both slept in different parts of the compound, fought constantly and had to go to counseling. Its better now though.
Natasha, who is very much still alive, also blames herself, infact all of the avengers do. They let their not so little but still little spider out of their grasp and now hes dissapeared. The avengers compound is a gloomy place with most people keeping to themselves, though they do try and get together every few days for some bonding, and it helps most of them...except from Bucky.
Bucky dosent feel as guilty as the others, of course he still does but he just feels more heartbroken over anything. He still remebers the night before Peter fucked off to space and they all got dusted, and how they had laid in their bed and promised they'd come back to eachother. Bucky had even given Peter a ring, not for marriage but as a promise that one day they will walk down that aisle and say there vows infront of all their friends. A promise that they'd be together until the end of time. Peter had then suprised him by pulling out his own ring he was going to give to the man he loved.
That was a special night, and Bucky thinks about it often, even the not so PG bits. Buckys heart aches for the man that resides in it, just wants to be able to hold him and kiss him and make love to him and spend the rest of his days with him. But he cant
So to say he's extremely gloomy around the compound is an understatement. He spends a majority of his time sulking in his room, crying his eyes out while scrolling through countless of albums on his phone. Hes also recently started to venture down to the training room at obscene hours of the nights where he would just detroy dummy after dummy after dummy, then end up breaking down crying in the corner. He just cant handel it
But one day after months of ignoring the rest of the avengers, Steve and Tony manage to convince the man to come and watch a movie with them. It took some force, but eventually a red eyed Bucky ended up sitting downstairs in a room that had so much awkward tension with the rest of the avengers, before Scott broke the silence.
"So what movie should we watch?"
That seemed to light the fire and soon everyone was chattering about what they wanted to watch. Steve and Tony were certain they wanted to watch Me before You, whereas Clint, Natasha and Wanda wanted to watch Back to the Future. Bruce and Thor had their hearts set on Forest Gump and Pietro, Yelena and Shuri wanted Toy Story, one of Peters favourite aside from Star Wars. That made fresh tears pop into Buckys eyes in the overwhelming noise that the group managed to produce. His mind immediately went back to all the nights they spent cuddled up watching Toy Story, and a soft smile that was only kept for Peter popped on his face.
"I'd like to watch Toy Story too if thats okay?"
Immediately the room went silent, the avengers startled by Buckys voice which resembled a small child asking for sweets. The once bickering crowd immediately sprung to action after their shock had settled and Toy Story was being downloaded on the TV. Bucky had made himself comfy on a cuddle chair in the corner of the room where he cuddled himself under a vast majority of blankets. The rest of the avengers had positioned themselves in different areas of the room, but not too far so they could still see the movie.
It was about halfway through the movie an Bucky was entranced. He knew the rest of the gang kept looking over at him to see if he was alright, and he would usually care but at that moment in time, he wasnt able to take his eyes off of the movie. The toys have just escaped Sid when Bucky feels a body slide in an cuddle his side. He wraps his arms around the person, pulling the tight to his side like a reflex. Bucky breathes in the familiar scent of green apples but dosent dare take his eyes off of the movie. It dosent seem like he even knows what's going on. So when Peters voice gently whispers in his ear
"You watching my favourite movie without me?",
and Bucky replies in a cheeky tone,
"Well you weren't here so yeah, we were doll",
Bucky somehow seems appalled when the movies paused and lights are flicked on. He pulls the boy closer to his chest, shying away from the light. It dosent settle in that PETER is there and PETER is cuddled into his chest until Tony and Steve rush over and pull him into their arms instead. The family are reunited again and cuddling on the floor while everyone sit in varying stages of shock. Buckys sat there, feeling so so much emotions. He keeps looking at his empty arms then upto the family cuddled and crying on the floor, before looking back at his empty arms. He can't believe it. Tears form in his eyes, and hes scared that this is a dream, and he'd soon wake up in his lonely world. Bucky curls up in a ball, hugs his knees and just cries for what feels like forever before he feels a set of arms curling around him.
"Go away, I know your not real. Just leave me alone, stop torturing me..."
The arms don't let go and it hits him, this is real.
Bucky peaks his head up from his knees and comes face to face with his love, and he just can't help himself. He pulls Peter into his arms and starts placing kisses all over his face. Peter lets out a laugh filled with joy while the rest of the avengers watch from afar, happy that the two lovers are finally reunited
"Bucky, James - ha - stop - ha ha - please Jamie! I love - ha - you!"
Bucky ceases his actions and pulls Peter in for a real kiss, bang on the lips. That lasts for what seems like hours until Natasha awkwardly clears her throat. Reality kicks back in as both parties pull away from the other, beetroot red.
"Where, how, why did you - pete, where did you go?" Bucky manages to spit out. Peter takes one hand to Buckys face and holds a longing look on his face as he thinks about what hes about to say.
"Well, you know that night? So, turns out rings werent the only thing that we exchanged that night," Steve and Tony both share a look of grimace, knowing what they're sons referring to, Natasha and Clint roll their eyes at how awfully Peter phrased it but Bucky seems confused. He really dosent know what else they exchanged, was it spit? Did he catch a disease from him? Oh no, did Peter get a STD? From him?! Buckys minds spiralling until little cries enter the room, as if on queue. Dr Strange comes in, holding a little baby in a carrier and hands her over to Peter.
"Bucky, meet Winnie May Pepper Barnes. Wins, meet your papa"
Bucky just stares at the adorable creature infront of him, mesmerised by her little whispy brown curls and steel blue eyes that are staring up at him. Gently, shes handed over to him and tears well in his eyes, hes a papa. Her little hand reaches up and holds one of his fingers, letting out a bubbly laugh as she does so.
"Winnie? Like Mrs Barnes?" Steve asks, him and Tony creeping over to have a look at their granddaughter.
"Yeah, we had talks about ot a while ago. Thought it would be suitable"
Bucky continues to stare at the most beautiful baby hes ever seen. He cant believe it, hes got a daughter. And hes got his boy back. This must be a dream. Why else would Peter just leave him and then suddenly come back with a daughter
"Where were you?" He utters in the tiniest voice, scared hed ball his eyes out if he went even an octave higher. Peter sighs, knowing this was coming
"Lets start at the snap. When me and dad were on Titan and we started to dust, I could feel myself going but I felt something else go too. That something was Winnie. Then when everyone else was snapped back, Dr Strange sent me to the sanctuary, which by the way I wouldn't reccomend staying in, freezing in there. He was scared something would happen to Winnie with her being dusted and all, and wanted to keep all of us safe. So he monitored me through out the pregnancy, helped me and all that. And if Im being honest, I was scared of how you'd react. Thought you might reject us a go marry some bimbo. But now we're back, and I'm never leaving you again, ever"
Bucky had tears in his eyes, as did Peter. Winnie was quickly handed to her grandfather who immediately started to fuss over her, and Bucky jump at Peter, hugging him.