#mateship

 “How’s it goin’?” he drawled in a thick accent that Bucky couldn’t quite place.

 “Good…” Bucky replied, unsure if this was the correct response.

 “Durry?” the man asked, offering out one of his cigarettes.

 Bucky wasn’t much of a smoker but an occasional one or two when he was out in social events. He took the offered cig and lit it up.

 “You’re not from around here, are you?” Bucky asked.

 “Me? A pom? Nah,” he scoffed. “I’m from Australia. I’m a stretcher-bearer. Gimme a sec, mate… Dazza, if you slip in your spew, I’m not taking you back to the barracks like that!”

 Bucky looked to see him yelling at another man who had stumbled out of the bar to lean on a nearby wall to throw up. He only gave the middle finger in response. Bucky was used to rowdy soldiers but this was different.

 “Look at ‘im. Pissed off his face yet still responsive,” the man chuckled to himself before giving Bucky a formal introduction to which Bucky also introduced himself.

 “So, Jimbo, you got someone waiting for you back home?”

 “Nah. Maybe one day I’ll meet the right one but for now, I’m still single,” Bucky casually shrugged.

 “It’s alright, mate. Sometimes it takes a while, sometimes it’ll catch you by surprise. Take my sheila for instance. Never thought I’d ever get married but then, there she was,” he smiled, taking out a picture for Bucky to look at.

 Bucky smiled softly at the portrait of a young woman standing with this goofball beside him. They seemed to be very much in love. The conversation was cut short by a crash as ‘Dazza’ fell over. The Australian rolled his eyes.

 “Come on, Daz. Let’s get you back,” he sighed.

 “Need a hand?” Bucky offered.

 “I’ve got it, mate. Daz might be a pain in the arse but he’s my mate and I’ll get him back alright,” he reassured him with a smile.

 Bucky watched as the hauled the drunk soldier over his shoulder and carried him away.

 “Hope to see you again sometime, Jimbo!” he called as he headed off.

 Bucky hoped so too. This guy may have been a little rough but he seemed like an overall good guy.

…

 For the rest of Bucky’s stay in London, he ran into the soldier a few times. He got to know the Aussie better and learnt a little bit about life in Australia. Whenever someone would have a bit too much to drink, Bucky would help him carry them back to where ever they were staying. As the stretcher-bearer said, ‘they might be a pain in the arse sometimes but you always have your mate’s back’. The pair of them even promised to exchange letters once the war was over. Unfortunately, Bucky never got to keep his end of the promise.

…

 London, present day

 The Avengers had taken up a mission in England and with it complete, they had some time to have a look around. Bucky and Steve took an opportunity to have a look around the old places they went to back during the war. To their surprise, the Whip and Fiddle pub was still a functioning establishment. The interior had changed a little but it was still like they remembered it. Bucky ordered a drink and sat down at the bar. Memories began to play out in his mind. He barely noticed when someone sat next to him. After a while, he could feel somebody was staring at him.

 “Can I help you?”

 The person jumped at suddenly being spoken to.

 “Sorry for staring. You just look like a guy in one of my grandpa’s pictures,” they sheepishly smiled.

 Wait, Bucky recognised that accent.

 “You wouldn’t happen to be Australian, would you?” Bucky pried.

 “Yep! Born and raised! I’m taking a tour of the places my grandpa went during the war. He passed away recently and I just wanted to find some way to honour him…”

 Bucky’s heart started to beat a little faster.

 “Do you have a picture of him?”

 “Sure do!”

 You handed him a picture that you had taken with your phone. The man was much older but he still recognised that same goofy smile with the cigarette dangling from his lips.

 “I knew him,” he breathed.

 “You did?”

 “Back during the war…”

 Bucky went on to explain his situation, how he had stayed so young and how he knew your grandfather during the war.

 You were in awe of his story. Your grandfather had told you stories about Jimbo Barnes over the years but now here you were actually talking to the man himself. Bucky told you stories about what antics your grandpa got up to in the pub and you told him what life was like for him once he had returned. You both laughed at the stories until the laughter died down.

 “I miss the old bugger,” you sadly smiled.

 “He was a good… mate,” he smiled back, using your own lingo.

 “He was… I’ve really enjoyed talking with you, Bucky.”

 “I’ve enjoyed talking with you too. Could I have your number so we could keep in touch?”

 “I’d like that,” you smiled.