TEAM CONRAD ♾️

Y/N sat on the bench outside Tony Stark's cabin, staring ahead blankly as the team said their goodbyes to Steve. Everyone had gathered for a funeral service at the edge of the lake. The battle with Thanos had resulted in the losses of many, altering the lives of everyone who was affected.

The team had lost Tony. Natasha. Gamora. Vision. Loki.

Y/N hadn't known Loki or Gamora very well, but their sacrifice still mattered. The losses weighed heavily on family, friends and allies alike. Y/N was fortunate to have seen Steve return unscathed with his closest friends at his side.

It felt strange to be grateful in such a melancholic situation, surrounded by mourning individuals wearing black clothing. The service had been arranged for Tony, but most of the people who gathered together had their own loved ones to mourn.

It was the type of situation that opened people's eyes and made them look at their life differently. What could they have changed? Should they call that person they've been thinking about? Confess something that they've been keeping buried inside?

Steve had spoken to Y/N before the service about his plans. He hadn't confided in anyone else at the time, but his mind was already made up.

He was leaving her.

Steve had been hung up on Peggy for decades and Y/N always respected that. Y/N was naive to think that their connection could ever rival the one he had found with Peggy all those years ago. Peggy changed his life and Steve would never be able to fully let go of her, especially after being ripped away from her so suddenly when he went into the ice.

Their engagement was called off, but Steve encouraged Y/N to keep the ring. He apologized for the suddenness of his decision, but he didn't have a lot of time. He told her that their connection was amazing, but he would never forgive himself if he passed up this opportunity.

Y/N watched him smile as he shared a quick hug with Bucky before moving over to the machine that Bruce had assembled. He was gone in a flash, roaming through time and returning the infinity stones to their designated spaces along the timeline.

Then he would go to Peggy.

The thought made bile rise in Y/N's throat as tears gathered in her eyes. Steve just tossed her aside, discounting their years together and chasing a woman he barely knew over seventy years ago.

Y/N looked up as someone made their way over to her, "Mind if I join you?" Bucky questioned.

Y/N shook her head, not trusting her voice enough to speak. Bucky nodded, stepping past her and sitting down on the bench beside her. He glanced down at her hand, immediately noticing the absence of her engagement ring.

"I take it from the missing ring that he told you about his plan?" Bucky questioned, Y/N nodded.

"How much notice did you get?" He asked.

"He told me when I was getting ready to come here," Y/N replied softly.

"What a punk," Bucky muttered, shaking his head, "I'm sorry that this happened to you... You're a really good person and you didn't deserve this," Bucky continued.

"Thank you," Y/N said shakily, wiping away a tear with the sleeve of her sweater.

"He's an idiot for letting go of a girl like you," Bucky stated.

Y/N smiled slightly, "That's sweet," She said.

"I'm here if you need anything, okay? I don't want you to feel like you're alone in this because you're not," Bucky said.

"C-can I have a hug?" Y/N asked softly.

"Yeah, of course," Bucky said, standing up from the bench.

Y/N stood up with a sniffle, wiping away another tear before wrapping her arms around his neck. Bucky wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to himself. He could feel her body shaking as she sobbed silently into his shoulder. Bucky looked up, gulping when he noticed Sam walk over to a white-haired man who was sitting on the bench by the lake.

"He came back," Bucky said softly.

Y/N pulled away quickly, turning around to see the old man as he talked to Sam, "Oh my god," She mumbled, turning away from them.

"I feel like I'm gonna be sick," Y/N said softly.

For a millisecond, she allowed herself to believe that he returned the stones and came home to her. It was like another heartbreak to see him sitting there after living the life he'd always wanted with Peggy.

"I need to get out of here," Y/N said shakily, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Let me take you. You shouldn't be driving in your condition," Bucky said, she nodded and passed him her keys.

Bucky led her over to the steps, resting his hand on her back as they moved down the stairs. Bucky could hear Sam chasing after them as they approached her car.

"Hey, Y/N, hold on," Sam called.

Bucky paused as Y/N turned around, allowing Sam to catch up to them, "Look, I'm really sorry about how everything went down, but he's here and he wants to talk to you," Sam said.

Y/N shook her head, "I can't," She stated.

"Y/N, please," Sam began.

"She said no, Sam. She's been through a lot today and it's borderline cruel for him to try and talk to her right now," Bucky said.

"He wants to apologize, Y/N," Sam stated.

"Sam, I'm sorry, but I can't see him like that. Not yet at least," Y/N mumbled, wiping away her tears with shaking hands.

Bucky opened the passenger side door, holding it open for her. Y/N moved to get into the car and Sam quickly grabbed onto her wrist.

"Just give him a minute of your time. Please," Sam pleaded.

"No, I can't," Y/N replied.

"Let her go, Sam," Bucky said firmly.

"Bucky, this is between Steve and Y/N," Sam stated.

"Then why are you the one chasing her down? Let go of her," Bucky repeated.

"Fine, but I want you to give me a call if you change your mind, okay?" Sam said, releasing her wrist.

Y/N nodded before quickly getting into the car, Bucky closed the door behind her, "Don't push her on this, Sam. She needs time," Bucky said.

"I know," Sam nodded, "Are you gonna stay with her tonight? She probably shouldn't be alone," He questioned.

"I'll keep an eye on her. I promised him that I'd look out for her and I meant it," Bucky stated.

"You're a good guy, Bucky. I'm glad she has you," Sam said.

....

Bucky drove down the road, the car was quiet besides the soft chatter of the radio. Y/N stared down at her lap, picking away at her cuticles as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

Bucky glanced over at her, "Are you okay?" He asked.

"I don't know. I just-," Y/N huffed, "I really need a drink," She stated.

"I can definitely help you out with that," Bucky assured.

He pulled into the parking lot of the first dive bar he saw, leading her inside and finding them a set of stools at the bar. Y/N set her purse on the bartop, hopping up into the stool.

"Get whatever you want, doll, it's on me," Bucky said, sitting down beside her.

"What can I get you two?" The bartender asked.

"Can we get four shots of whiskey, please?" Y/N questioned.

The man nodded, lining up the shot glasses on the bartop and filling them from the bottle. Bucky handed him a few bills when he finished pouring the drinks.

"Keep the change," He said, the bartender nodded and stepped away.

Y/N picked up one of the shot glasses, downing the liquor with a grimace before setting it down on the bartop. Y/N moved onto the second shot glass, then the third and finally the fourth. Y/N set the last shot glass down on the bartop with a thud, letting out a disgusted shiver at the taste in her mouth.

Bucky stared at her in shock, "Wow... That was impressive," He said.

"I just really need to get drunk right now. I know it's not cute or responsible but it's necessary," Y/N stated.

"You're not gonna get any judgement from me, sweetheart. I'm here for you, no matter what," Bucky said, waving over the bartender for another round.

He sat with Y/N at the bar for hours, drinks turned her sadness into anger and back into sadness again. She leaned into his side, sobbing as she used a bar napkin to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"I loved him and I thought he loved me back... He left me the second he had the chance and didn't even care," Y/N rambled, her words slurring together as she spoke.

"He loved you, Y/N, I know that for a fact. If time travel wasn't possible, he would have married you and lived a happy life here. But as soon as it was an option, he felt like going back to Peggy was an option and it blinded him," Bucky said, hand rubbing over her bicep as she sniffled.

"He's an asshole and I never want to see his old face again," She muttered.

Bucky smiled slightly, "You almost ready to go home, sweetheart?" He questioned.

"I'm hungry," Y/N said.

"I can pick something up for you on the way home. Whatever you want," Bucky offered, Y/N nodded.

She straightened up on her barstool, grabbing her bag from the bartop before sliding off the stool. Bucky wrapped his arm around her waist as she swayed on her feet.

"Whoa, take it easy there, doll," Bucky said, leading her out of the bar.

"You're such a nice guy. Why don't I ever pick the nice guys?" Y/N questioned softly.

Bucky felt his cheeks flush, "Steve was a nice guy," Bucky offered.

Y/N scoffed, "Maybe, but he still dumped me for his ex-girlfriend from like sixty years ago," She grumbled.

Bucky walked her over to her car, opening the door and helping her get inside before leaning in to buckle her seat belt.

"Bucky," Y/N said, he hesitated in front of her.

He could smell her perfume and the alcohol on her breath as she stared at him. Y/N leaned in suddenly, eyes fluttering shut as she pressed her lips to his in a drunken kiss. Bucky cupped her cheek gently in his palm as he moved his lips against hers, eyes drifting closed at the gentle contact.

Bucky pulled away after a moment, eyes fluttering open and gaze flickering over her face uncertainly when he realized what had just happened. Y/N was drunk and vulnerable, he took advantage of her in an altered state and he refused to be that kind of guy.

"I'm sorry, that was stupid," Y/N said shakily, "God, I'm such a mess right now," She muttered, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it, doll," Bucky assured, pulling away and closing the car door gently.

He took a steadying breath as he walked around the car before getting into the driver's seat, "Let's get you some food, huh?" Bucky said.

"You're the best," Y/N smiled.

...

It had been almost a year since Steve had abandoned them to return to the past. The first few months had been horrible for Y/N, returning to their shared apartment was like having her heart broken all over again.

Bucky stayed with her on the first night, sleeping on the couch in the living room and pretending that he couldn't hear her crying herself to sleep. He helped her clean out the apartment the next morning, packing all of Steve's belongings into boxes for Sam to pick up.

Every picture, every trinket, every clothing item and every gift was packed away. Y/N couldn't bear to look at anything that he had left behind without crying, she just needed it all to be gone.

Bucky stayed at her apartment again that night, sleeping on the couch and doing his part to make the place feel less empty. Y/N truly valued his friendship, but there had always been something buried underneath.

That night at the bar, Bucky and Y/N shared a kiss that neither of them would ever forget. It took about six months before Y/N asked Bucky to move in with her.

Things moved quickly between them after Bucky moved into the apartment. They settled in easily, the domesticity taking them by surprise. They both needed someone reliable at their side, someone who they could trust to remain consistent even when things got hard.

They began to see each other romantically almost a year after Y/N's engagement was called off. Bucky was clear about not wanting to rush her, but Y/N knew exactly what she wanted.

Bucky sat on the couch, flipping through the channels as he searched for something to watch. His cellphone rang on the cushion beside him, pulling his focus away from the screen.

Bucky picked up his phone, smiling at Y/N's contact photo before sliding his thumb across the screen. Bucky lifted the phone up to his ear, lowering the volume of the television.

"Hey, sweetheart, you on your way home?" Bucky questioned.

"Just leaving work now. I'm going to stop at the store on my way home and just wanted to see if you needed me to pick up anything," Y/N said.

"No, I'm all good," Bucky replied.

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit," Y/N said.

"See you soon, sweetheart," Bucky replied, pulling the phone away from his ear and hanging it up.

Bucky set his phone on the cushion beside him, resuming his search through the various channels on the TV. Bucky settled on a baseball game, watching silently for a few minutes.

He looked up when someone knocked on the door, Bucky stood up and slowly made his way over. Bucky unlocked the door, opening it to find Sam standing in the hallway.

"Bucky? What the hell are you doing here?" Sam questioned.

"I live here," Bucky stated.

"Since when?" Sam asked.

"Can I help you with something, Sam?" Bucky questioned.

"Steve called me. Said he was missing a leather jacket in his stuff," Sam said.

"I'll take a look," Bucky stated, stepping out of the way.

Sam moved into the apartment, looking around and quickly spotting the framed photographs of Y/N and Bucky on the mantle.

"Wow, you guys didn't waste any time, did you?" Sam questioned.

"None of what happened makes much sense, alright? Steve left her and I was here," Bucky said, walking off into the bedroom.

Sam followed closely behind him, lingering in the doorway as Bucky opened the closet door and began to search through the clothing.

"So, you two are a couple, then?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah, we are," Bucky stated.

"Have you talked to Steve about this?" Sam asked.

"He left her behind, I shouldn't have to ask for his permission," Bucky said.

"I thought he was your best friend," Sam replied.

"So did I," Bucky stated.

He looked over when he heard the front door open, "Baby, you here?" Y/N called.

"Baby? She seriously calls you baby?" Sam asked.

"Shut up," Bucky muttered, stepping back from the closet, "In here, doll," Bucky called.

Y/N appeared around the corner, smile falling briefly when she spotted Sam, "Hey, what are you doing here?" Y/N questioned.

"He wanted to pick up a jacket for Steve," Bucky stated.

"Oh, okay," Y/N nodded.

She stepped around Sam before approaching the closet, "Can you grab the black box on the top shelf?" She asked, Bucky nodded.

He pulled down the box before passing it to her, Y/N moved over to Sam and held the box out to him.

"That should be it," Y/N said.

Sam lifted the lid slightly, "Yeah... Thanks," He nodded.

"I'll walk you out," Bucky offered.

Y/N lingered in the bedroom as Bucky led Sam to the door to their apartment. Bucky opened the door, allowing Sam to step out into the hallway.

"Bucky, you and Y/N are really good together. I'm sure Steve would be happy if you told him," Sam said.

"I'm sorry, but he lost the right to know about her life when he broke off their engagement. She is the best thing that's ever happened to me and I know that I am the luckiest guy around. Steve screwed up by dumping her and I'm sure that he'll figure it out someday soon," Bucky said.

"Alright... I wish you the best," Sam replied.

"Have a good one, Sam," Bucky said, closing the door carefully behind him.

"Did you mean that?" Y/N asked, Bucky turned around to find her peering around the corner at him.

"I did," Bucky stated.

Y/N smiled, stepping out from behind the corner and making her way over to him. Y/N wrapped her arms around his neck, standing up on her toes to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

"I love you," Y/N said softly.