Alternate "You"Niverse *Bucky Barnes x Reader*

Nine

"(Y/N), it's Paul, not Scott" Paul chuckled at you, nudging you lightly as you rolled your eyes gently, these past few days have really taken a toll on you, mostly cause you had trouble telling everyone apart, especially; Paul and Scott, Robert and Tony, Mark and Bruce and then Jeremy and Clint. You'd yell for once but it would end up being the other, you didn't understand how no one else had a problem with this!

"Ugh, this is so difficult, at least with Chris and Steve one has a beard" you sigh out, Paul and Scott chuckled at you "Sebastian has short hair and Mackie yells cut the check every time he enters a room." Scott nodded in agreement, looking at himself in the toaster, you giggled slightly at him, and he was pondering a beard.

"We look great with a beard, by the way" Paul added, you raised an eyebrow at him "I've rocked the homeless look, gotta say, I look better than Barnes and Stan," he tells you, cockily and you snort with laughter slightly, causing both to laugh along with you. As you three are laughing, either Clint or Jeremy walks in and you don't want to be the first one to greet him in case you get the wrong one, again "go on, (Y/N)" Paul nudged.

"Hey, Clint?" you wince slightly, he shakes his head lightly and you sigh loudly "fuck, sorry, Jeremy!" you plead and he chuckles, grabbing a glass of water and sitting at the breakfast bar "where is the other you?... and everyone else for that matter?" you ask, leaning your elbows on the counter and looking at Jeremy, who sips his water lazily.

"Clint is with Natasha, who is with Scarlett, Nat is teaching her how to protect herself." You raise your eyebrows and he nods lightly "Hayley is with Steve, although, Chris is looking for him and the others are annoying Tony with questions on the portal; although other Paul and Hemsworth are actually... outside" you chuckled "they've gone to get stuff for Tony" he shrugs lightly.

"Hayley and Steve are getting pretty... close, aren't they?" you ask, frowning slightly and the others nod with you "I don't want him to get attached, he already lost one Peggy, I don't want to see him go through it again" Scott nods, frowning also "you okay, Scotty?" you asked and he nods still frowning, not really convincing you or the other two.

"He may not have to lose her" your frown deepens "Steve is a big boy, he can make his own decisions, he may... go through the portal" he shrugged gently, you chuckled but stopped as the others look at one another "it's a possibility, (Y/N). Actually, I and Robert have discussed this already, the more time Steve spends with Hayley, the more we think he actually might go with them" you couldn't believe this, there's no way Steve would, he's only just got Bucky back... he wouldn't leave his friend, plus, everything is settled between him and Tony, finally.

"Steve has only just got Bucky back, no way, would he just up and leave; Bucky needs him more than ever right now" you scoff gently at them all, Scott and Paul didn't seem convinced, Jeremy nodded in agreement with you "don't go spreading this around, we don't need Bucky getting worried or angry, got it?" you point sternly at both Paul and Scott, they nod and cross their hearts, you chuckled "I'm going to go see Nat and Scarlett" you leave the kitchen, the unsettling butterflies in your stomach about Steve actually leaving, he wouldn't, would he?

MEANWHILE

"Steve" the tall blonde turns away from Hayley, almost rolling his eyes at his alternate self, Chris Evans walking to him "Can I speak with you for an hour?" he asked, Steve sighed but Hayley nudged him encouragingly, Chris gave a small welcoming smile to his friend, before looking back at Steve, who just nodded.

"Sure, let's go for a walk, haven't left the tower since you all showed up" Steve stands up and Chris nods gently, gesturing for Steve to lead the way, he glances back at Hayley who gives an encouraging thumbs up to Chris, since it was her idea to make amends with Steve. It's silent as Steve grabs a jacket, handing Chris a coat since New York was windy today, and they exit the base in the same awkward silence.