Bucky pulls Steve from the river and goes home to his house in Brooklyn to try and jog his memory further. He finds a woman living in his house and she helps him to hide from authorities and Steve...
But he encounters far more than he planned for wh...
Bucky stepped out of the shower, towel-drying his hair as he admired the clean clothes laid out for him on the counter. He swiftly dressed in the fresh jeans and red Henley, taking a moment to glance at himself in the mirror. His features seemed softer, the lines of worry and pain slowly dissipating. Bucky couldn't help but appreciate the positive transformation he saw staring back at him. The care and support he received from Arthur and his family played a significant role in his journey toward healing.
He stepped out of the bathroom and made his way toward the stairs, his ears meeting the now-familiar sounds of laughter and chatter. He stopped midway down as he heard the voice of Emily amongst the others. He had been avoiding her, always finding a way to slip away or hide whenever she appeared over the last few months. But today, fate had a different plan. As he reached the landing from the second floor, his gaze collided with Emily's piercing blue eyes. An uneasy tension settled in the air, and he instinctively concealed his left hand behind his back.
"Who are you?!" Emily's accusatory voice cut through the silence, prompting Jamie to step forward, attempting to diffuse the situation.
"He's a cousin... James, actually," Jamie quickly interjected, causing Emily to scrutinize both Jamie and Bucky.
"You guys look alike," she remarked, her gaze shifting between the two men.
"He did say they were cousins," Rebecca chimed in, coming to Bucky's defense. Bucky couldn't help but be amused by the situation as Emily chuckled.
"Yeah, alright." Emily extended her hand toward Bucky with a smile, but still unsure of this stranger. "Enchanted, I'm sure..."
Bucky accepted her hand, holding it gently in his own, his eyes locked with hers as a warmth ignited within him. "Nice to meet you...?"
"Emily," she replied, swiftly retracting her hand. "Sorry." She glanced back at Jamie. "Have you been in my house? I keep noticing things moved and fixed."
Jamie exchanged a quick glance with Bucky, his face turning slightly red as if he wanted to disappear into the wall. "Um, yeah. Sorry about that. Just trying to help."
"Well..." Emily cast another contemplative look between Jamie and Bucky, not entirely convinced. But then she smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate it. I don't always have time. I have to get going." As Emily opened the front door, she found Steve standing there, his hand raised, ready to knock, with a bag in his hand. Surprise flashed across her face. "Captain America?"
Bucky's eyes widened, and he discreetly slipped into another room, out of sight, as he overheard her inviting Steve inside.
"Steve..." Jamie interjected, standing in the doorway of the dining room where Bucky had sought refuge.
"You guys know Captain America?" Emily asked in awe, gazing up at Steve.
Steve blushed slightly and extended his hand to Emily. "Steve, please. Just Steve. And actually, I grew up down the street from here. I'm a friend of the family, you could say."
Emily stared up at Steve with admiration before clearing her throat and pulling her hand back. "Emily. I'm late for a date. Night everyone..."
As Bucky stands in the dining room, he overhears the conversation between Steve and Jamie. Steve hands Jamie a bag, a smile gracing his face. "Look, I know you've said you don't know where Bucky is, but I have a feeling you might know how to reach him. Or at least I hope you do?"
Steve shakes his head, chuckling softly. "No need to say anything. But could you please give this to him? It's a Christmas gift. And, um..." Steve's gaze drifts towards the room behind him, an unspoken longing evident in his eyes. "Tell him... I miss him, and I just want to know he's safe."
Jamie nods, letting out a weary sigh. "Sure."
A smile graces Steve's face as he opens the door, preparing to leave. Before he walks away, he turns back to them, raising his voice slightly. "Til the end of the line... Thanks."
As Bucky heard the front door close, he leaned back against the wall, his head filled with a mixture of emotions. He knew Steve was grappling with his own challenges, having learned of Bucky's survival after all these years. There was a conversation they needed to have, a conversation Bucky wasn't sure he was ready for.
"You can come out now," Jamie's voice interrupted Bucky's thoughts, drawing him back to the present. He stepped into the foyer, where Jamie handed him a green and red gift bag.
"Thanks..." Bucky sighed, accepting the bag before retreating upstairs to the back bedroom, a room Arthur had convinced him to occupy. Rebecca's unwavering spirit had played a significant role in his decision to accept their help. The snow falling outside only added to his internal struggle.
Sitting on the ground beside the bed, Bucky slowly unraveled the contents of the bag. A nostalgic chuckle escaped him as he discovered an old copy of The Hobbit, setting it aside. He then uncovered a notebook filled with Steve's sketches, depicting a chronology from the time he was thawed out until their reunion. One particular drawing caught his attention—a depiction of Bucky himself, standing in confusion on a street corner. Steve's eidetic memory had captured every detail, including the pain and regret that had clouded Bucky's gaze.
As Bucky lingered on the drawing, he turned the page and a folded-up note fell into his hands. Opening it, he recognized Steve's handwriting, and his eyes scanned the heartfelt words on the page.
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He folded the letter neatly, returning it to the notebook, and placed the books on his nightstand. There was one final item in the bag—a small box. Opening it, he discovered Steve's dog tags, accompanied by a note requesting their return. Bucky chuckled softly, slipping the tags around his neck, tucking them beneath his shirt, alongside his own.
With resolve in his heart, Bucky stood up, slipped on his boots and coat, and left the house without a backward glance at Jamie and Rebecca, who watched him from the living room. The snowflakes gently fell around him, and with each step, he embraced the uncertainty that lay ahead. He knew that a crucial conversation awaited him, both with Steve and with himself, and he was determined to find the strength to face it.
