Knock knock knock.
The person on the other side of the door sure is impatient.
I swing the door open and my eyes widen as I stare at the man standing on the other side of the door, my mouth gaping open. "I thought you were dead," I say opening the door wider to let him in. "And I'm 100% sure you were much smaller last time I saw you," I say with a laugh as I close the door behind my uninvited guest. His deep laugh filled the small space with warmth "Well I've got a lot to catch you up on," he chortles sitting at my table. "Alright, I will finish making this spaghetti and come to terms with the fact that you are somehow alive. Once I'm finished, I'll eat and you can catch me up on everything, okay?" Steve agrees sitting in my kitchen as I finish making us Dinner.
"I can't believe it. You're actually here?" I ask in disbelief. "In the flesh," he replies "I know it's hard to believe, but everything I'm about to say is hard to believe so try to keep an open mind." He says apprehensively. I laugh rolling my bottom lip between my teeth the nerves getting to me. "All right well before we get into that do you want some of this spaghetti?" I ask as I make a large bowl for myself. "Oh yes please, time travel leaves you with a crazy appetite." He says with a laugh. I make him a big bowl as I try to ignore the fact that the "dead" guy that's showed up at my house is now talking about time travel.
While Steve explains his journey. I came to terms with the fact that my life is indeed dull compared to everything that's happened to Steve. It's unbelievable and he hasn't even gotten to time travel yet. I doubt spaghetti is enough to help digest what he's saying. My heart stops at the mention of Bucky. "B-Bucky's alive...... in the future......how?" I ask wiping the new tears off my cheeks. I can't stop the tears and my heart breaks as he tells me everything Bucky has been through. Everything he's currently going through. One heaping bowl of spaghetti later and I'm almost all caught up on his whole journey. I take his bowl and begin washing it as I replay everything Steve has told me. It all sounds, fantastic.
I run the dishes under warm water, the water grounding me as I let my mind wander. "So Bucky's alive, Aliens, Wizards, time-travel, space travel, and androids are all real. Also, you've battled most of them. 6 magical stones control the universe. Half the universe faded from existence and you and your friends used time travel to bring them back. What I don't understand is you've finished returning the infinity stones. Why have you decided to make a pit stop and talk to me before you go back to the future?" I put away the dishes I finished drying and look at him awaiting his response. "Well, the thing is I'm not going back to the future. When I returned the last stone the ancient one showed me my future. I'm going to stay in the past with Peggy," Steve explained his plan to stay while I made tea for us. "So did you say goodbye to your friends from the future before you left?" I ask putting my empty teacup in the sink. Steve pursed his lips "Well not exactly that's where you come in," he says looking up at me expectantly. "Ha, I don't get it," I nervously laugh as I pull some ice cream from the freezer. "Cup or cone?" I ask with a smile. "Cone," he says with a chuckle remembering our routine.
I pass him his cone and sit down next to him. Steve moans when he takes a bite, causing me to whip my head to the side.
What the hell.
"Do they not have ice cream in the future?" I ask with a nervous laugh. He chuckles "The ice cream in the future doesn't taste like this." He laughs taking another appreciative bite of the vanilla bean ice cream. I smile and take a bite closing my eyes and savoring the sweet treat. I ate in silence wondering what it would be like to never taste my favorite ice cream again.
What did he mean that's where you come in. He can't expect me to say goodbye to his friends for him like a letter from a total stranger would be a proper goodbye..
"So, you were telling me the whole reason you dropped by," I broke the silence when we were both finishing our ice cream. He took a deep breath.
"Well I'm offering you the opportunity to go to the future in my place." Steve said seriously. I looked at him dumbfounded.
What he can't be serious.
I bite the corner of my lip contemplating my response to his proposition. Mentally weighing the pros and cons. "What's the future like on a day-to-day basis? It has to be more than terrorists, wizards, aliens, and madnesses. Also what would me going to the future in your place entail?," I ask expectantly. "The future is not perfect but it's pretty good the people are much more accepting there," he says with a smile. "When you go the future I want you to give my shield to Sam as well as a letter I've written to him. There's one for Bucky as well but I talked to him about my decision before I left. The world will be drastically different when you arrive than it was when I left. Half the population of the planet reappeared after five years of being missing. There's bound to be strife and tensions will be high. It could become dangerous for you especially if you plan on being with Bucky. I'll do my best to prepare you for it,"
Being with Bucky. Right at this moment, he's alive. He's trapped somewhere being tortured by hydra right now and there's nothing I can do about that. He's getting his memory of me wiped, It could already be gone. I wipe away the tears that unconsciously appeared at the mention of his name. It's been so long since I've heard someone else say his name. Steve continued "If you agree to do this you'll have to train to fight before you leave. It'll be long and hard, harder than anything you've done before but I've got faith in you. You have to be worthy of carrying the shield to transport it for me," he says with a smile. I laugh
Training with Captain America. An hour ago I was thinking about a way to get on my sleazy bosses' good side. Now I'm considering training with Captain America so I can travel to the future. Is this my life? Did I go to sleep after all?
I pinch myself. Steve cocks his head to the side eyebrows scrunched as he looks at me perplexed "um, why did you?" You cut him off "Alright, this is real".
Nothing is keeping me here in 1950. My parents have passed and I pushed away all my friends after Bucky's disappearance. I hate my job and most of the people around here suck. But in the future, I'd have so many more opportunities. There's so much I can learn and experience and people are treated equally. It'll be all futuristic and cool. There are aliens and super soldiers and to top it all off Buckys there.
I take a deep breath and smile. "Let the record show that any normal person would time travel to the future given the opportunity. I'm not doing this for Bucky. I would not travel 70 years into the future for a guy. When do we start training," His smile is almost as big as mine "I was hoping you'd say that. You're only allowed to bring one trunk with you that you have to carry yourself. Also, you have one hour to pack starting now."
My first task on my journey was an easy one for me. I didn't have many things to be sentimental over. I begin compiling a list of all the things I'd definitely need to bring with me.
He didn't specify a length of time but most of my clothes won't suit the agenda anyway. I'll save space by leaving any clothes I won't be able to train in.
I packed my photo albums and began going around the house grabbing all the important things. I went through the chest twice to ensure I had everything. Steve sat quietly in the kitchen watching the clock while I worked. I came into the kitchen grabbed my cast iron skillet and the leftover spaghetti from the fridge. I stuffed the pan and food in the trunk before locking it and sitting on top of it with a grin. "58 minutes good job," Steve says with a smile. I hear a car horn beep outside and look at Steve mentally asking if that was for him. "Time to move out, cadet," he says, standing up from the table. I stand up after him and pick up the trunk. It was much heavier than I'd anticipated. I'm immediately relieved I lived on the first floor as I walk out my apartment door. Steve turned out the lights and locked the door behind me. I walked out the door of the apartment complex ready to start a new life.
