Marvel/Peter Parker One Shots!

5+1 Peter Parker: Bucky

A/N Written by @ForTheLore. Plot minorly changed.

Bucky sighed heavily as he wandered around New york. No matter where he turned his head, there was something new to take in. The Empire State Building was now more impressive than he had ever recalled—even covered in piles of snow, the building was lit up like a star. In the distance, Stark Tower, and beyond that even the Statue of Liberty.

His old skyline, the one he loved to stare at on sleepless nights when he snuck out meet Steve by the river, was gone. It was heart breaking, and world changing—literally. Bucky, loathe he to admit it, was having a hard time adjusting to being an Avenger, and a normal citizen of America. After so many years on the run with Hydra, from Hydra, and searching for Hydra, Bucky finally got to observe and relax.

And yet…

And yet Bucky couldn’t seem to keep his mind to just New York. It would venture quickly out to Vietnam, where he had chased down a Hydra unit for two months. Or it would travel to Beijing where he and Steve had rushed off to after the Accords. Where they had been just before Tony called.

Thanos was coming.

That was the only thing Tony had said on the phone call, but it was all that needed to be said. So much had changed in that fight that Bucky wasn’t even sure he could handle it. He had been up there only temporarily; dragged back to earth by ship after sustaining an injury. Something had happened up there. Everyone who had come back was different.

Almost everyone.

Peter still chattered everyone’s ear off, and Bucky had never been so grateful to have the chatty teenager around. It kept the silence in his head at bay, and allowed him to be in the now. His mouth had proven to be useful even at the worst of times.

Like now.

Now, when Bucky was wondering what to get everyone for Christmas. Now, when Peter tapped his shoulder shivering under layers of jackets and scarves because ‘Spider’s don’t handle the cold too well.’ Bucky had found it oddly endearing that Peter had called his other half out on the inadequacy. He felt, that if maybe he could do that for himself, he’d be able to find some peace.

Unfortunately, Bucky was a lot more like Peter than he thought. His luck prevented him from finding the silence that he wanted; prevented his nerves from relaxing into a calm state indicative of his comfort.

“Kid,” Bucky chuckled as Peter shivered beside him. The wind hadn’t even blown, and he was shaking like a tree. “How do you even survive New York anymore?”

“That is a very good question,” Peter mumbled grumpily hoisting the bags that he had gathered from their shopping further up his shoulder. “I’m starting to wonder if I could convince May to move to Miami. It’s warm, there’s probably less crime--”

“Nope.” Bucky popped the ‘p’ as an amused smirk ghosted his lips. “Been there. Besides, wasn’t there a guy there that had gotten high on something and ate some homeless guy?”

Peter’s eyes bulged slightly as he glanced up at the Winter Soldier. It had been all over the news a few years ago. Peter would have been maybe nine?

Peter would have been nine.

The thought sent Bucky reeling momentarily. He often forgot just how young Peter was because of his capability. He had seen the teenager in action many a times, and never once had he paused to tell him to stop; to sit this one out because it was too dangerous. Then there was the whole...death thing.