Red, White & Blue | Bucky x Reader

Chapter Five

We trudge through the Triskelion, stopping by the armoury to store our uniforms before heading down to the garage. We don't say a word to each other as we climb onto the back of Steve's motorcycle, still processing the information Fury gave us.

Steve drives us home, but as I climb off to head into the red-brick apartment building, Steve asks me to wait here while he drops off his shield. I agree, curiosity spiking as I lean against the motorcycle, but when Steve returns, he says nothing else, climbing back onto the bike and starting the engine. I can't contain my curiosity any longer.

"Hey!" I shout over the engine as I climb on behind him. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see!" Steve shouts back, propelling us down the street.

Steve finds a place to park on a quiet side street. After dismounting the bike, he rummages through one of the saddle bags, finally tossing me a baseball cap as he pulls a second one over his blond hair. I pull the cap on as I follow him down a few streets and pedestrian paths, still trying to figure out where he's taking me. Finally, we come to a stop outside a large, white-brick building, its dark glass windows reflecting the morning sun.

"The Smithsonian?" I ask, spotting the logo on the nearby sign. "What are we doing here?

"The Air and Space Museum, to be more specific," Steve answers. "There's a Captain America exhibit on display here... With everything going on lately, I thought it would be a good idea to remind ourselves who we are."

I nod in understanding, pulling the cap low over my face and walking toward the museum. Inside, old planes hang from the ceiling of the lobby as crowds of people wander the floor, heading in every direction. Up ahead, a pair of escalators lead to the upper level, where a balcony wraps around the room, providing access to other exhibits. The exhibit we're here for however, is on the ground floor, its entrance marked by a mural of Captain America painted on the nearby wall.

"A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world," a narrator says over the speakers as we enter. "The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery, and sacrifice. Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first Super Soldier."

The exhibit is bigger than I was expecting, consisting of multiple displays dedicated to Steve's life before Project Rebirth and his accomplishments during the war. They even have Steve's old motorcycle on display, and I smile in memory of how he 'acquired' the vehicle while behind enemy lines.

Further into the room, we approach a series of screens displaying Steve's physical stature before and after the serum, and I notice a little boy staring at us, wearing a Captain America t-shirt.

"Steve," I whisper, getting my friend's attention and tilting my head toward the boy. "We've been spotted."

Steve looks over my shoulder, smiling softly at the boy before bringing a finger to his lips, silently asking him to keep our presence a secret. The boy nods, awestruck that he's standing face-to-face with his favourite superhero. I smile to myself, remembering when I witnessed a group of young boys playing with trashcan lid they painted to look like Steve's shield.

We continue moving through the exhibit, soon coming to a display dedicated to the Howling Commandos, consisting of a mural of our faces and a collection of mannequins wearing our respective uniforms.

"Battle tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes," the narrator informs the crowded room. "Their mission, taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division."

I gaze upon the faces of my old friends, now long gone, and reminisce over the shared memories we had. They took me under their wing during the war, teaching me everything they knew about combat, and I don't know how far I would've made it without them. I owe them my life.

As I glance around the exhibit, a nearby display catches my eye, and I find myself moving toward it as if in a trance, the black and white photograph of a young man pulling me forward. I stop a few paces before it, frozen, as I come face-to-face with a memorial dedicated to Bucky.

"Best friends since childhood," the narrator says as Steve appears at my side, "Bucky Barnes, Steven Rogers, and Y/n Y/l/n were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country."

Alongside the large photograph, a column of text explains who Bucky was, and the following panels display photographs and old film reels of us on the frontlines. I slowly walk along the display, gazing at each photo and video. My mind jumps from memory to memory, like a stone skipping across water. Flash. Playing cards on the plane with the Commandos. Flash. Sitting with Bucky in the grass back at camp. Flash. Gathering around a jeep as Steve explains his plan. When I reach the end of the panels, I realize a few tears have slid down my cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Steve asks, slowly wrapping his arm around my shoulder, I tense for only a second.

"Yeah," I say, wiping the tears from my eyes with my fingertips. "I still miss him..."

Steve pulls me into his side before looking at the photo of the three of us mid-laugh. "I miss him too."

"It was such a long time ago," I state. "But it doesn't get any easier... It still feels like it was yesterday."

Steve turns to me. "Well, we were frozen for most of it."

I nudge him in the ribs as a small smile blooms on my face, grateful for his attempt at cheering me up. We continue through the exhibit, entering a small booth toward the back where an interview of Peggy Carter plays for the handful of viewers.

"That was a difficult winter," Peggy says on the screen, retelling one of our missions to the interviewer. "A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve... Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over a thousand men, including the man who would...who would become my husband as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life."

As the interview ends, I turn to see Steve looking at the photograph of Peggy that he keeps inside his old compass. Although Peggy became a close friend to me during, and after, the war, I always had a feeling that there might've been something more going on between her and Steve, a feeling that was confirmed the day he went into the ice.

I nudge him to get his attention before nodding to the photograph. "We should go see her."