Old Soul (Captain America/Steve Rogers)

22

<Avalie's Pov>

I grit my teeth together as I look around the room, viciously pulling against the shackles around my wrists.

Seeing the security cameras around the room I groan, giving up and falling back against the mattress. I have to get out of here, I think.

I had to get out of there, and that was a fact. I had to get out of there to keep the world from Hydra, and for much more selfish reasons.

I missed my life. I missed waking up in my apartment every morning, sometimes going for coffee with Steve.

Oh, Steve. I missed him and his good heart and his soft, gentle touch. I missed training with him, even Clint and training with him as well.

I missed Natasha and her sarcasm, her ability to always remain cool, even in the worst of times. I missed Wanda and her exoticness, even though I've just met her.

And I missed Bruce and his scientific terms, always asking me about time travel and self-healing and future manipulation.

The sad smile that had spread on my face as I reminisced now slowly started to fall, and idea popping in my head.

Future manipulation.

A new smile starts to come to my face, but not in reminiscence, in mischief and the upbringing of my new idea.

Huh, I think, readjusting my position in my handcuffs. I crank my neck, putting more thought into this new idea. Well, I decide. It's worth a shot.

Exhaling, I fall back against the bed, my shoulder muscles tensing as I plan out my approach in my head.

Then, sighing in content with my scheme, I close my eyes, sinking into the future.

~

<Narrator's Pov>

"Then suit up," Fury says, dismissing the heroes from the meeting. "We attack tonight."

The Avengers standing around the table at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters (which at this point consisted of Steve, Natasha, Clint, Tony, Banner, Rhodes, Wilson, and Bucky) pushed off the table, walking towards the door. But Steve hung back, noticing that Bucky still sat at the table.

"Hey," he says, walking over and taking a seat next to his pal. "Are you alright?"

Bucky looks up at Steve through his eyelashes, an unsure expression on his face. "I don't know."

After Bucky had recognized Steve back in his confinement cell, they started to fill him in with the current situation, Bucky agreeing to fight but only because someone Steve cared about was in trouble.

Steve also reminded Bucky about their friendship, which Bucky really didn't need. Parts of it started to piece together since that day Bucky saw him on the bridge, but after the constant visits he received from him, he could now see the full puzzle.

Not that Bucky was back to his old self-Steve unfortunately doesn't think that will ever happen. Yesterday, after they had let Bucky out and filled him in, he had another break down, despite his mind starting to remember Steve and their past. But he also started to remember Hydra, and the torture they put him through. He doesn't think he'll ever be over that.

"If you want to back out," Steve says, leaning in towards his friend. He had the urge to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he was still wary around Bucky. The way he was tense and taunt like a wire told Steve that he was too overwhelmed and the bomb inside of his would explode if he touched it. "I understand."

"No," Bucky mutters, shaking his head. "No, I don't want to. I want to fight. I want to get back at them."

Steve bit the inside of his cheek, the way Bucky was still stuttering and quivering enough to bring him to tears. "Then what's on your mind, Buck?"

Bucky sighs unstably, his head still shaking. "I don't know."

"Look, Bucky," Steve says. "I haven't gotten the chance to apologize yet."

At this, Bucky's head cranes up, looking Steve in the eye. "You've apologized enough," he says, sadness in his voice.

Steve shakes his head. "No, I haven't," he insists. "They should've never locked you up. I never wanted them to lock you up."

"You did everything you could," Bucky says with a shaky tone, tears welling up in his eyes for no reason. At this point, he had no control of his body, his emotions, and his actions.

"I could've done more," Steve sighs. "I'm sorry. I just want you to know that I'll never forgive myself for what they did to you."

"They didn't treat me bad," Bucky says, tears streaming down his cheeks. His inability to control himself made Steve sniffle.

"I'm not just talking about S.H.I.E.L.D.," Steve says, looking at Bucky with concern.

Bucky stands from his chair, starting to pace in the room without any particular reason. He just wanted to walk, and that tore Steve apart more than anything. "Hydra wasn't your fault."

"But I could've prevented it from happening," Steve says, rising to his feet to keep up with Bucky.

Bucky shakes his head, fidgeting as he swiped at his tears. "No, you couldn't of!" he says, his voice rising. He slams a fist on the table, making Steve jump slightly. "Do you think you could've stopped this?"

He waves his arm, his prosthetic arm made out of metal. "This? This! Huh? No, this isn't your doing! I fell off that train, and I am the one responsible for the many murders that I can't even remember!"

The tears are falling more rapidly now, his face red with anger and frustration. Steve stands, stunned, at loss for words. But his heart inside mourned for his friend like it once did, nearly one-hundred years ago, when he was supposed to be dead.

Steve realizes that he would rather Bucky dead than like this, suffering.

"So no," Bucky murmurs after a moment. "You couldn't of stopped it."

"Bucky," Steve says, a single tear falling down his face.

"No," Bucky mutters, stopping Steve from continuing. "Stop feeling responsible. I was the one who looked after you, not you after me."

Steve looks at him with a sorrowful sincerity in his eyes, another tear falling. "We look after each other."

And with that, Bucky's time-ticker went off. Steve didn't touch him, didn't even move towards him, but Bucky exploded.

But not in the violent way Steve expected it to be. Bucky did loose control, yes, but in a way, he found it. Because what he wanted to do from the start, what he wanted to do so badly but couldn't find the control to do it, he finally did. And that was the only control he needed.

And Steve was more than surprised, more than pleased, and more than welcoming when Bucky stepped forward, pulling Steve into the embrace that definitely, deeply, and satisfyingly broke both of their hearts.

-------------

So, it's been forever since I've updated.

Stucky. Yay.

Thoughts?

-Fandoms_Is_Bae