I Can Do This All Day

The Winter—James, Bucky—the Winter Soldier is still strapped to the chair when the explosions start. Not in the vault itself, but close enough to bring operations to a screeching halt. They’ve wiped him twice and still stubborn bits of memory remain, like meat on a bone, crying out for his teammates and mother alike between screams of agony. The technicians make their adjustments, administer more drugs, enough to kill a horse, wipe him again.

The abandoned bank rocks with the force of the blast to its upper floor, and the techs start to get nervous. The Soldier—Bucky, I’m Bucky—remains limp and listless in his restraints, watching the techs and guards bolt around the room in a panic before the vault doors swing open. The cavalry has arrived.

At first he doesn’t realize they’re here for him. He strains against the steel band across his chest, letting out a frustrated little whine for help as the newcomers tangle with the guards and techs. Then one of them peels away from the group, a tall blonde man. Is it Pierce? No, no, Pierce isn’t that young anymore, he’s an old man. A dead man. This is a dead man, too. He is a dead man, too. The Soldier struggles to break free from the restraints while the blonde dead man speaks, says something to him in a soft reassuring voice, but his head is still buzzing from the wipes, can’t make it out.

Maybe those rumors were true, after all? Maybe they really were back? There was no other explanation. Bucky wouldn't just disappear without a word or trace. That was why the team had started looking for leads and the ones they did find were horrifying. As was the scene they walked into when raiding that old, supposedly abandoned, bank they'd most recently discovered.

It was devastating. The stuff Steve's worst nightmares were made off and yet he was wide awake. Not even caring about what was happening around him, trusting Natasha or Sam to watch his back. All he cared about was the fact that Bucky was still strapped to that horrible torture device and still in obviously agony. Steve couldn't be sure how much his best friend even remember as he approached him and he didn't care. Steve knew he was still in there, just like last time. They'd have to go through it all again, sure, but this time, Steve was there to help his best friend along the way. For the moment, he was just relieved they'd manage to find him alive.

"Hey, Buck..." Steve uttered a soft response to the Russian words he didn't understand. Already focused on removing those damned restraints holding Bucky down and in place - unable to hide a hint of a smile when they finally begin to give way. "It's gonna be all right. I promise. No one's gonna hurt you anymore. We just need to get you the hell out of here." He tried to reassure, hoping he'd even understand a word he was saying. "Think you can walk, pal?"

Wanna RP together? Let’s do it.

Wanna jump into my inbox randomly? Do it.

Send me a starter? Do it.

Wanna plot? Do it. IMs are a thing now. Let’s go.

Wanna- Just do it.

Peggy Carter.

It took him days to find civilisation. He didn’t want to risk taking a car incase they were able to track him, so he walked. He walked for days and days until he found the first signs of life. A small village that had internet connection and a diner that he could eat at without being recognised. He stole clothes from clotheslines, pulling sweatpants and a hoodie over his gear. He didn’t want to lose the armour that HYDRA had given him, so he buried it under the normal clothes he dawned now.

It took him another week or so to find information on Peggy. Her address, her number, her husband. Steve Rogers. Captain America. The name and face had him confused. Why did he seem so familiar but such a stranger too? It was enough to make him travel to their home, knocking on their door and waiting patiently.

When they didn’t open it, he understood that Peggy might have been warned that he was coming. So he waited. And waited. And waited.

He waited until it was dark outside, hiding in the forest nearby until he knew they were asleep. Waiting for that bedroom light to turn off. He then made his way up the side of the house, using the metal arm to rip the window off as quietly as he could. It didn’t take him long, walking towards the bedroom quietly until he was standing at the end of their bed. A hand reaching out slowly to grab at her throat, metal curling around skin. He didn’t know what he felt. Anger? Hatred? Fear?

All he knew was that she knew about him. She knew the things that HYDRA had done, so she had to pay.

But more importantly, it also meant he couldn't be in as much pain while Steve worked to remove the bullet. Taking a little longer than he'd thought, Steve finally managed to remove the piece of metal from his side and proceeded to bandage the wound so it wouldn't cause any more damage than it already had.

Once he was done taking care of his best friend's injury, he then sat back in a chair and watched him sleep. Really looking at that once so familiar face for the first time in decades, Steve felt his heart shatter in his chest all over again and, god, he wanted to reach out and hold his hand in his. In a desperate, and maybe pointless, gesture to show him that he was there now. But somehow deep down, he figured that Bucky probably wouldn't have wanted that. So he didnt.

Peggy Carter.

It took him days to find civilisation. He didn’t want to risk taking a car incase they were able to track him, so he walked. He walked for days and days until he found the first signs of life. A small village that had internet connection and a diner that he could eat at without being recognised. He stole clothes from clotheslines, pulling sweatpants and a hoodie over his gear. He didn’t want to lose the armour that HYDRA had given him, so he buried it under the normal clothes he dawned now.

It took him another week or so to find information on Peggy. Her address, her number, her husband. Steve Rogers. Captain America. The name and face had him confused. Why did he seem so familiar but such a stranger too? It was enough to make him travel to their home, knocking on their door and waiting patiently.

When they didn’t open it, he understood that Peggy might have been warned that he was coming. So he waited. And waited. And waited.

He waited until it was dark outside, hiding in the forest nearby until he knew they were asleep. Waiting for that bedroom light to turn off. He then made his way up the side of the house, using the metal arm to rip the window off as quietly as he could. It didn’t take him long, walking towards the bedroom quietly until he was standing at the end of their bed. A hand reaching out slowly to grab at her throat, metal curling around skin. He didn’t know what he felt. Anger? Hatred? Fear?

All he knew was that she knew about him. She knew the things that HYDRA had done, so she had to pay.

Steve knew how to nurse a gunshot wound. He'd spent enough times during the war removing bullets and cleaning and bandanging wounds to know what he was doing. That was why he told her exactly what they needed and, much to his surprise, she returned with the supplies only a shortly later.

Uttering a brief 'thank you ', he turned to Bucky. Taking a step closer to him, he made sure not to get too close too and decided to tell him what he was going to do before going through with it. That way, Bucky could still protest or push him away.

Peggy Carter.

It took him days to find civilisation. He didn’t want to risk taking a car incase they were able to track him, so he walked. He walked for days and days until he found the first signs of life. A small village that had internet connection and a diner that he could eat at without being recognised. He stole clothes from clotheslines, pulling sweatpants and a hoodie over his gear. He didn’t want to lose the armour that HYDRA had given him, so he buried it under the normal clothes he dawned now.

It took him another week or so to find information on Peggy. Her address, her number, her husband. Steve Rogers. Captain America. The name and face had him confused. Why did he seem so familiar but such a stranger too? It was enough to make him travel to their home, knocking on their door and waiting patiently.

When they didn’t open it, he understood that Peggy might have been warned that he was coming. So he waited. And waited. And waited.

He waited until it was dark outside, hiding in the forest nearby until he knew they were asleep. Waiting for that bedroom light to turn off. He then made his way up the side of the house, using the metal arm to rip the window off as quietly as he could. It didn’t take him long, walking towards the bedroom quietly until he was standing at the end of their bed. A hand reaching out slowly to grab at her throat, metal curling around skin. He didn’t know what he felt. Anger? Hatred? Fear?

All he knew was that she knew about him. She knew the things that HYDRA had done, so she had to pay.

And Steve realized that this was it. His second chance to make things right. The chance he'd wanted to save the person who meant the most to him in the world. He wasn't going to let that slip through his fingers again.

Glancing between Peggy and Bucky, he didn't fail to notice that he was injured. Weakened by the bullet that must have hit his side and leaning against a wall of their bedroom. He needed help and Steve wanted to rush to his side, but would he let him? And what about Peggy anyway? Would she go and call for backup, or worse, try to kill him again? Steve wasn't sure, but didn't want to risk Bucky getting hurt any further.

"They're not gonna get him back. I won't let that happen." Steve decided, knowing he'd fight as many Hydra agents as it would take to keep Bucky out of harm's way. But for now, there was a more urgent matter at hand that he knew he had to take care of first: Bucky's injury. He needed his help and that was his top priority for now.

Peggy Carter.

It took him days to find civilisation. He didn’t want to risk taking a car incase they were able to track him, so he walked. He walked for days and days until he found the first signs of life. A small village that had internet connection and a diner that he could eat at without being recognised. He stole clothes from clotheslines, pulling sweatpants and a hoodie over his gear. He didn’t want to lose the armour that HYDRA had given him, so he buried it under the normal clothes he dawned now.

It took him another week or so to find information on Peggy. Her address, her number, her husband. Steve Rogers. Captain America. The name and face had him confused. Why did he seem so familiar but such a stranger too? It was enough to make him travel to their home, knocking on their door and waiting patiently.

When they didn’t open it, he understood that Peggy might have been warned that he was coming. So he waited. And waited. And waited.

He waited until it was dark outside, hiding in the forest nearby until he knew they were asleep. Waiting for that bedroom light to turn off. He then made his way up the side of the house, using the metal arm to rip the window off as quietly as he could. It didn’t take him long, walking towards the bedroom quietly until he was standing at the end of their bed. A hand reaching out slowly to grab at her throat, metal curling around skin. He didn’t know what he felt. Anger? Hatred? Fear?

All he knew was that she knew about him. She knew the things that HYDRA had done, so she had to pay.

The truth was that he had wanted to go and find him so he could at least give his best friend's family a body to bury, but the higher ups had refused to listen to him. All they did was tell him it was pointless when there was no chance for him to have survived an accident such as that anyway.

Guilt had been Steve's constant companion ever since that day and it only felt a million times worse now that Bucky was actually standing right in front of him. Not a ghost of his past that would vanish when he woke, but very much alive and apparently back from hell.

His eyes were focused on Bucky as he tried to find an appropriate response other than 'you're right. I fucked up. I'm sorry' and it wasn't before the sudden gunshot that he looked over at Peggy who stood in the doorway with a gun aimed at Bucky.

Without hesitation and before he knew what he was doing, he moved to stand between Bucky and the gun held in his direction, facing Peggy without fear in his eyes. He wasn't afraid of her and if she shot him, he'd probably survive it.

Peggy Carter.

It took him days to find civilisation. He didn’t want to risk taking a car incase they were able to track him, so he walked. He walked for days and days until he found the first signs of life. A small village that had internet connection and a diner that he could eat at without being recognised. He stole clothes from clotheslines, pulling sweatpants and a hoodie over his gear. He didn’t want to lose the armour that HYDRA had given him, so he buried it under the normal clothes he dawned now.

It took him another week or so to find information on Peggy. Her address, her number, her husband. Steve Rogers. Captain America. The name and face had him confused. Why did he seem so familiar but such a stranger too? It was enough to make him travel to their home, knocking on their door and waiting patiently.

When they didn’t open it, he understood that Peggy might have been warned that he was coming. So he waited. And waited. And waited.

He waited until it was dark outside, hiding in the forest nearby until he knew they were asleep. Waiting for that bedroom light to turn off. He then made his way up the side of the house, using the metal arm to rip the window off as quietly as he could. It didn’t take him long, walking towards the bedroom quietly until he was standing at the end of their bed. A hand reaching out slowly to grab at her throat, metal curling around skin. He didn’t know what he felt. Anger? Hatred? Fear?

All he knew was that she knew about him. She knew the things that HYDRA had done, so she had to pay.

One moment Steve noticed Bucky approaching him again, then next things he knew, he was being shoved into the wall behind him again. Enough to get the wind knocked out of his lungs by the sheer force of it. And he wordlessly glanced down as Bucky shoved something into his, a gasp caught in his throat as he did. The idea of fighting back or getting away from Bucky and to Peggy's aid, as every loving husband probably should have wanted, didn't cross his mind for even a fraction of a second.

"What? No, I wasn't there." Steve assured as his fingers fumbled to unfold the piece of paper in his hand and his brows furrowed the moment he saw what it was. A visitor list for some kind of Hydra base, by the looks of it. And Peggy had signed them several times. No, there had to be some kind of misunderstanding. He knew Peggy. She didn't have links to Hydra. Or did she?! A horrified expression crossed his face and he felt every bit as horrified as he looked. He even wished it was all just a nightmare he'd wake from.

"I thought you were dead..." Steve managed eventually, ignoring the slight trembling of his hand holding the paper and the fact that his voice slightly shook with anger and disbelief. Then, his blue eyes found Bucky's as he continued and he was almost sure there were tears welling up in them.

Peggy Carter.

It took him days to find civilisation. He didn’t want to risk taking a car incase they were able to track him, so he walked. He walked for days and days until he found the first signs of life. A small village that had internet connection and a diner that he could eat at without being recognised. He stole clothes from clotheslines, pulling sweatpants and a hoodie over his gear. He didn’t want to lose the armour that HYDRA had given him, so he buried it under the normal clothes he dawned now.

It took him another week or so to find information on Peggy. Her address, her number, her husband. Steve Rogers. Captain America. The name and face had him confused. Why did he seem so familiar but such a stranger too? It was enough to make him travel to their home, knocking on their door and waiting patiently.

When they didn’t open it, he understood that Peggy might have been warned that he was coming. So he waited. And waited. And waited.

He waited until it was dark outside, hiding in the forest nearby until he knew they were asleep. Waiting for that bedroom light to turn off. He then made his way up the side of the house, using the metal arm to rip the window off as quietly as he could. It didn’t take him long, walking towards the bedroom quietly until he was standing at the end of their bed. A hand reaching out slowly to grab at her throat, metal curling around skin. He didn’t know what he felt. Anger? Hatred? Fear?

All he knew was that she knew about him. She knew the things that HYDRA had done, so she had to pay.

Steve couldn't help the gasp that slipped past his throat as he was being pushed aside and before he knew what was happening, he found himself on the floor. Eyes following Bucky on instinct even as he struggled to get back to his feet. There were a million questions already running through his mind but his next words only added about a million questions more.

What the hell did he mean Peggy had to die for what she did to him? As far as he knew, she had nothing to do with what had gone wrong on that mission on that train. How could she have? She wasn't even there when it all went south.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, carefully, as he kept his eyes on him. His best friend stood with his back turned on him and Steve did notice the metal arm where his left arm should be, only it didn't fully register in his mind. It didn't seem important when Bucky had just returned from the dead. Instead, his eyes remained on him trying to anticipate and possibly stop whatever his next move might be. Deep down, he hoped he wouldn't attack him again to try and knock him out. The last thing Steve wanted was to fight him again.