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“You’re suing us? Seriously?” Bucky yelled into the phone, Sam on the other line.
“Yeah, I am. I was told to restart the Avengers by Ross, Buck. I need to honor that. And if you’re the ‘Avengers’ then my team isn’t,” Sam yelled back.
“Yeah? Who’s even on your team? Basically everyone’s dead!” That stung a little, and Bucky regretted saying it. Steve was still a sore subject, Natasha as well.
“Well I would have me, you, Scott, Thor, Jouquain, and Banner-”
“You don’t have me though, and I don’t think Banner would want to do this anymore-” Bucky started, but Sam cut him off.
“I’d also have Shuri’s Black Panther hopefully, and… Buck I'd need you too. Didn’t you say you don’t want to be on the team either?” Sam asked. Bucky sighed in defeat. He didn’t really want to be on the Avengers/Thunderbolts, but he was.
They were becoming more of a team every day, with Bob really being the one holding them all together. Walker and Bucky still hated each other, but it was becoming less and less every day.
Bucky saw a lot of Natasha in Yelena. They grew closer than anyone else had quickly, since they could lean on each other with their HYDRA/Red Room trauma since a lot of it was very similar.
But Bucky couldn’t talk to anyone else the way he was able to talk to Sam. Sam just understood what he’d been through better. Sam had always been there for him these past few years with Steve gone.
After Sam really became Captain America, they were basically inseparable. Whenever Bucky had a nightmare, or just needed someone to talk to, Sam was there. Not the Thunderbolts, not his stupid therapist, Sam.
There was no one else that Bucky knew the way he knew Sam. Whenever the latter was feeling off, or like he didn’t deserve the shield, Bucky would tell Sam some story of Steve pre-serum, or just talk to him to help him out.
Over the time of them getting closer, as much as Bucky hated to admit it, he was slowly falling for Sam. Hard. He wasn’t used to liking a guy like this, or anyone like this.
He’d gone on dates with girls in the 40’s, but he realized he never truly liked them. Not how he liked Sam.
And yet, here he was screaming at Sam over the Avenger’s name issue. It hurt his heart more than anything, but every time Sam yelled something at him, he yelled back.
This fight wasn’t like their normal bickering. This was true and pure hatred for the other, unlike their hatred/tolerance/liking for each other they’d had for the past years.
“Why don’t we just combine teams?” Bucky asked.
“I’m not being on a team with Walker.” Sam replied coldly.
“What are we meant to do then? Hm?” Bucky said, trying (and failing) to keep all his emotions in check.
“Just go through with the lawsuit. Or you guys find a new name,” Sam sighed, “I’m done talking about this, I'm just… I’m done talking. Bye Buck.” The call ended.
“Wait, Sam, wait. Sam, wait! Just let me- FUCK YOU!” Bucky screamed at no one into his phone. He ran a hand through his hair, and threw his phone onto his bed.
***
“But we are the Avengers. The government said so. How does Sam Wilson not understand that?” Yelena asked as their group exited the elevator. They had received the lawsuit papers in the mail a few minutes before, and she had called a ‘team meeting’ to discuss it.
“Well, he does have the shield.” Bucky reminded her. Steve’s shield. Basically the symbol for the Avengers.
“Well, I got a shield too.” Walker butted in, annoying Bucky more than he already was, with the team bringing up Sam.
“It’s not a shield.” Bucky sighed, looking pointedly at the bent… shield?
“Yeah, it is a shield.” John retorted.
“It’s a shitty shield.” Bucky spat back.
“It’s a great shield, Bucky.” Walker said in a way that said ‘it’s the better shield’ which was a lie. Bucky was going to say “It’s not the shield” or “You’ll never be Sam or Steve” but Yelena beat him to it.
“Okay, if he puts together a team, and then the team is called the Avengers, who are the real Avengers?” She asked
“Well, that’s the question the Internet has been asking, and judging by the very nasty memes that I’ve read, they don’t think that it’s us.” John answered, sitting down like Bucky already was.
“Weren’t you going to talk to him?” Yelena asked, and the memory hit like a knife to the chest.
“I already did.” Bucky said, his mood immediately ruined by the memory of the phone call and how he was now blocked.
“And?” Yelena said, implying that she wanted to know more.
“It went poorly.” Bucky spat out, trying not to feel all the feelings about that call.
“I don’t know what any of these buttons do. It’s unbelievable they didn’t mark any of them.” John commented, pressing random buttons on the chair he was sitting on.
“You know he’s filed for copyright of the name?” Yelena noted.
“Did he?” Bucky half-heartedly asked, too busy holding back screaming at someone in place of Sam.
“We’re losing credibility.” Yelena sighed.
“Which we had very little to begin with.” Ava added in quickly.
“And now there’s this huge space crisis, and no one’s telling us about it.” Yelena said, looking over at the computer that was showing multiple screens, etc.
“We’re running out of space? It’s impossible. This building is enormous.” John, ever out-of-the-loop, commented. “What?” he asked.
“Outer space.” Yelena (for some reason) had to clarify.
“Outer space.” John repeated.
“Run a threat analysis. I want a full report.” Yelena said into the pad in her hand
“Running threat analysis.” it answered
“Hello, team.” Alexi announced walking into the room in a weird-looking onesie. Making everyone look at him like he’d grown 3 heads.
“What the hell are you wearing?” Bucky asked, asking the question for everyone in the room.
“I heard about Sam Wilson. He’s dumb, litigious man, but I am smart. I am smart man. I have smart solve. Avengerzzz. Avengerzz. With a ‘Z,’ there is no copyright.” Alexi pointed to the badly added ‘Z’ to the word ‘Avengers’ on the onesie.
“No.” Yelena shook her head at the idea.
“So soft too. Feel like bottom of baby seal. You want to… you want to savor that?” Alexi tried to get Yelena to look at the onesie’s fabric with no avail.
“I don’t want to touch your baby seal butt.” She said, looking back at her tablet to work on the outer space problem.
“I have one for you.” Alexi pointed at Bucky.
“I don’t want it.” He replied much too quickly, the name reminding him all too much of Sam.
“I have one for you. I got you one. I got you one. And for you, Bob, in the corner hiding, pretending to read the book. We’re all matching. All part of super team!” Alexi pointed at everyone on the team in turn, and they all looked mortified at the idea of wearing one of those things.
“Unidentified craft entering orbit.” The AI voice alerted them. Bucky moved to sit beside Yelena.
“You should get a satellite image.” Bucky suggested.
“Uh. Get a satellite image.” Yelena said into the pad.
“And fire up-” Bucky began, but Yelena was quicker.
“And fire… I was gonna say that. And fire up the jets.” She said, and the pad heard getting the jets started up.
“We wouldn’t need to fire up the jets if we had a Sentry who could fly.” Alexi commented.
“I know… Sorry. Sorry, guys. Can’t be the Sentry without the, you know, other side. I did the dishes though.” Bob suggested, trying to seem like he was doing something for their team.
“And what are we gonna do, just ride Bob into the sky?” John Walker asked, turning to look at Alexi and Bob in turn.
“Yes. Can you imagine Red Guardian riding on top of Sentry, cresting over the clouds?” Alexi looked very happy with his fantasy that would never be reality.
“This is why we are Avengers with a ‘Z.’” Yelena commented to Bucky, which reminded him of Sam’s proposal for Bucky to join Sam’s avengers.
“Satellite image populating. Extradimensional ship entering atmosphere.” The AI voice warned everyone. They all walked over to the big screen, where the image of a long nosed spaceship appeared.
“Extradimensional? What does that mean?” Alexi asked, not knowing too much english still.
“It’s a… it’s a cool ship.” Walked commented, as a blue circular logo with the number ‘4’ on the side appeared visible to them.
***
That night Bucky struggled to sleep. Once he finally drifted away, he wished he hadn’t.
He was falling. Sam was falling. He knew Sam would just deploy his wings and-
The wings were broken.
On Bucky’s back was a parachute, but Sam had nothing. Bucky reached for him, but they were too far apart. The ground was getting closer and closer until he forced himself to pull his parachute. He shot back up into the sky, his fall slowing significantly.
“BUCKY!” Sam screamed as the ground got closer and closer.
“SAM! NO!” Bucky yelled back as Sam got closer, closer-
Sam hit the ground.
Dead.
“SAM! SAM NO! SAM-” He awoke with a scream of the other man’s voice. He suddenly wished the walls were soundproof, and that their rooms were farther apart.
“Bucky? You okay?” Yelena asked, leaning against his door, “I heard you scream something,”
“I’m fine, it was just a stupid… game…” Bucky didn’t want to tell Yelena or the others about his nightmares yet, that was something he was only comfortable sharing with Sam.
“Yeah it was just a game and I lost…” Yelena didn’t believe Bucky for one second, but he was obviously bluffing for something else, so she just left and went back to her room.
Bucky wasn’t able to fall asleep quickly again, and he tossed and turned until exhaustion washed him into another nightmare.
Captain America was flying down with the falcon wings with a body in his arms. Bucky took a closer look and saw that it was Steve carrying Sam. Bucky was confused, what had happened to Karly? Were the flag smashers done for?
Bucky didn’t have time to think before Sam was on a stretcher. Steve told him Karly had shot him badly, then Sam had shot her dead quickly, hoping to stop the Flag Smashers for good.
Somehow Bucky was in the ambulance with Sam, since Steve got swept away by the crowd of reporters and media people.
Sam was dying. Anyone could see it. The doctors did all they could, but the 3 bullet wounds were bleeding with no stopping.
“Sam… please don’t leave me…” Bucky whispered, more sincere than he expected.
“It’s okay. Ima be fine…” His words were beginning to slur together, “It’s fine, I…” Sam’s words faded into nothingness as the light behind his eyes faded.
“Sam… hey buddy, talk to me please…” Bucky’s hand gripped Sam’s limp one trying to hold the life back into his friend.
Bucky sat bolt upright, and vigorously wiped away the tears on his face. He reached for his phone and was about to call Sam when he remembered… he can’t.
Any message he would send, Sam wouldn’t see. Sam blocked him, the message would never go through to the other’s phone. If he called he’d be met with a dial tone, and nothing more. No voicemail, no chance. Nothing.
He was so alone.
He had no one.
No Steve.
No family.
No Sam.
No one.
The Thunderbolts aren’t his true family. They were good, but they can’t replace Steve, or Sam, or even the Avengers, though he barely knew them.
Bucky’s breathing became more shallow as he thought more and more about the fact. The fantastic 4 were currently on their guest floor, and apparently more people would be coming. He hoped that didn’t include Sam.
He knew it would. He was afraid of what he’d be met with. He needed Sam to smile at him, and that they would move on from their stupid fight.
Bucky wanted to text or call him to explain and make up, but he couldn’t.
He realized he hadn’t breathed in a while, and he tried to breathe but he couldn’t. His body felt too small, and was his room shrinking? He heard only static and black blurred his vision.
That’s when Yelena came into the room and noticed his state. She came over to sit beside him and tried to help him.
“Bucky? Look at me,” Bucky turned his head and focused in on her.
“Good, okay just breathe like me. In and out. Like that,” Bucky followed her breaths, the fear and claustrophobia ebbing away slowly.
“You want to talk about it?” Yelena asked after about a minute passed. Bucky shook his head. He’d find a way to tell Sam, especially if he was at their tower.
Yelena nodded and left the room, where Bucky stayed awake staring at the wall, not daring to have another nightmare again.
***
The Fantastic 4, the Thunderbolts + Bob, Thor, Sam, Jouquain, and Scott were all in the tower after Thor had given his ‘Doctor Doom is evil and will kill us’ speech.
Halfway through, Bucky was tired of pretending and crossed the room to stand by Sam, signaling to him that he wanted to be on Sam’s team, not the Thunderbolts. Sam gave him a confused look, then went back to listening to Thor.
Afterwards, the two somehow ended up alone in Bucky’s room. Neither was sure how it’d ended up happening, but it was like a punch to the gut to Bucky.
“I wanted to call you last night,” Bucky said, almost a whisper.
“Yeah? Why, to yell at me again?” Sam scoffed.
“No, I just… this is so stupid… I had another nightmare and I just… I can’t tell anyone else. I don’t know why,” Bucky finally admitted.
“What about?” Sam gave in, hearing the sincerity in Bucky’s voice.
“In both, you…I lost you.” Bucky said. Sam turned to look at him. Bucky wouldn’t meet his gaze and just looked down at the floor.
“What happened?” Sam pressed as he’d done many times before.
“In one we were falling out of a plane, but your wings were broken and you didn’t have a parachute… but I did, of course. Stupid dream,” Bucky explained.
“And let me guess, I didn’t make it,” Sam asked, Bucky nodding, “What about the other one?”
“You remember when Karly died? And you became Cap?” Bucky finally met Sam’s gaze.
“Yeah? A good night, may I say,” Sam answered.
“That happened, but it was Steve carrying your body, not you carrying Karly. Then you couldn’t be saved and you died. Again. It’s a stupid dream cause you’re right here,” Bucky began rambling in the way he did on call a lot, muting himself before he let something slip.
But here he had no mute button.
“And I don’t know why I dream them either, because I hadn’t seen you that day either, you know, and I think I know why I had them, but it still doesn’t make sense because I know I like you, actually I know I love- uh, nevermind” Bucky caught himself before he made a mistake.
“Love what, Buck?” Sam probed. He still hated the man a little bit, but their routine set in faster than he expected. Also the few days of no contact had hurt him more than he expected.
“Nothing,” Bucky said sharply, unexpectedly. He hated Sam for all the things he said on the call, and he had to remind himself that Sam hated him as well most likely.
“Buck, I can tell when you’re not telling me something by now,” Sam said softly, a completely different way than what Bucky had said before. Bucky didn’t answer, so they both just sat silently.
“Buck…” Sam slid his hand to cover Bucky’s, making Bucky look over. They made eye contact, and that made Bucky break.
“I’m sure this is stupid since we’re gonna die tomorrow or whatever but… Sam I just, I really do like you, and I hated when we weren’t talking. That was the worst ever and-” Sam cut Bucky off by kissing him.
Bucky was shocked for a second, then leaned into it. Sam’s hand went to the back of Bucky’s neck, pulling him closer. Bucky’s real hand came up to hold Sam’s cheek, while his metal hand stayed back holding him up.
They pulled apart, both shocked at the action.
“Well,” Sam said, “That was better than all the times I pictured it,”
“What?” Bucky asked, still in shock at Sam’s impulsive move, “You… what?” Sam barked out a laugh at how flustered he’d made Bucky by one thing.
“It’s go time.” Thor’s voice echoed over the loudspeakers, signaling it was time to go stop Doom.
“We’d better go,” Sam said, grabbing Bucky’s hand and leading him out of the room toward the Jet they were leaving on.
Bucky never would have guessed that that would happen, but if Sam was fine with this, then whatever. He couldn’t help but think about the way Sam was still holding his hand after they were on the jet with everyone around.
Yelena gave Bucky a knowing look, and Bucky just rolled his eyes at her. His life was finally looking up, ironically right as he was flying to his doom.
The End!