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Bucky hadn’t really thought much about heights before plummeting to his death. He hadn’t been scared of them when he was younger. He hadn’t really been excited to jump off a high dive into a pool or go on a rollercoaster either, so Bucky couldn’t say that he was particularly fond of the idea of heights before this.
Now that he was faced with a fall that would definitely kill him, Bucky decided that he would put himself staunchly in the “I hate heights” category. Maybe that was just gallows humor. Not that he had much else left now. He couldn’t see himself surviving this, even with the serum pumping through his veins.
He wondered if the sacrifice was worth it. Were all his actions enough to stop the Nazi threat? Would Stevie be able to do all this on his own? Not that Bucky couldn’t believe in Stevie, of course he did. How could he not? Man was the size of a mountain now and definitely had the better serum of the two. And Stevies had people to back him up. Stevie… Stevie could do this. Bucky had never been the symbol of hope here, anyways. That had been Stevie. It was probably for the best that he fell off the train rather than Stevie.
Bucky closed his eyes, waiting for his back to break once it hit the icy Danube River below. He wondered if it would be a quick death. Would the broken back kill him first? Or drowning?
Bucky felt… arms under him? He felt a change in the angle that he was falling, though, was he falling?
Bucky opened one curious eye, wondering if he was losing his mind in the last few moments of his life because above him… was a man.
He was a fucking dreamboat. Captivating eyes like Rocco dahlias, like Reckless Abandon irises, like Odessa Calla Lilies, like Queen of the Night tulips. Cheekbones that could ruin a man. Sure, the hunk of heartbreak was wearing a ridiculous red cloak, but that didn’t take away from how khaki wacky the fella was making Bucky feel right at this moment. The glad lad had a confidence that made Bucky want to melt. Bucky could feel how toned this man’s arms were. How they held him tightly like they would never let Bucky go, which made Bucky accidentally whimper out loud.
The heaven-sent he-pal just grinned at that whimper, blinding Bucky with a gap-toothed smile that could be the one Helen of Troy gave the world before she launched a thousand ships.
“Are you an angel?” blurted Bucky at the swoony, because Bucky had to be making this rare dish up.
There was no way anyone could fly, let alone for that person to happen upon Bucky falling and save him. Though, with what Bucky had seen recently, maybe he could believe some drooly Casanova might literally sweep him off his feet.
The cookie laughed, and Bucky needed to hear that laugh forever.
“Not an angel, but good guess,” said the most killer-diller doll to have ever graced Bucky with his presence.
The lulu fella lightly landed on the ground and set Bucky down. For a very embarrassing moment, Bucky clung to the man. Because he didn’t want it to end yet. He didn’t want to be out of those strong arms just yet.
Bucky felt blush spread as he realized how desperate he was coming off. He couldn’t help but keep at least one hand on this dashing pistol before him though – Bucky had to know this fella was real.
“My name is Bucky Barnes,” said Bucky, the words coming out a little too quickly and blending together, “Thank you for saving my life.”
Bucky felt his blush deepen as he took in the rest of this mystery fella. The more he saw of this swell fella, the more gorgeous he was. Spivvy with a suit that seemed to change colors and patterns as the fella moved, that fit him perfectly, that made Bucky want to reach out to those buttons, ask the man how he could thank him as he went to unbutton that first one…
No.
Bucky pushed down that dangerous thought and turned his gaze back up to those eyes, which was a mistake.
The humdinger fella took Bucky’s hand, bringing it up to his lips as he kissed it.
He kissed the back of Bucky’s hand.
And as Bucky’s brain tried to comprehend that, he heard the gorgeous fella say, “Of course I was going to save you. How could I not when I have the power to do so now?”
“I could paint you,” blurted Bucky, unable to stop the words from spilling out, “I went to college for it. I drew flowers mostly. Your eyes remind me of True Love hellebore; of Dominic reblooming daylilies; of Velvet ‘N Lace Dianthus. People aren’t my forte. But let me paint you.”
The captivating fella smiled, something sad and longing there.
“One day,” said the fella as he pulled out a flare gun, “We’ll meet again. But right now, you’re needed. Finish the mission. Go down with the plane. I’ll see you on the other side.”
Bucky felt lost. He didn’t know what that meant. He couldn’t stop the mesmerizing man from using the flare gun.
“How will I find you?” asked Bucky desperately as he saw a portal open behind this stunning fella, “Can I please at least have your name?”
“Sam,” said the man as he stepped back into a room of some sort, the portal closing quickly, “My name is Sam Wilson. And I am the Sorcerer Supreme. Find me in the future.”
“Sorcerer Supreme?” echoed Bucky, and he had so many questions, but there wasn’t time.
The portal before him already closed.
Bucky didn’t know what a Sorcerer Supreme was. He didn’t know what plane he was supposed to stay on or how he would get to the future. But he was going to do it. He was going to stay on whatever plane Sam needed him on. He was going to figure out what the hell a Sorcerer Supreme was. He was going find Sam Wilson. He had to.
But for now, he could wait until Stevie and the rest of them found him in the woods near the Danube River.
*****
Bucky was getting used to it all. Phones. Cars. Twenty-first century fashion. Much quicker than he had expected himself to, if he was being honest. Maybe because he had always belonged here. He always knew that someday, the future would be his home. He wondered how long he had instinctually known that. As a child, he remembered yearning for the stars above. As a teenager, he scraped whatever money he had to spare to go to movies about space and read books about distant times in the far-flung future. Something in him had sensed it. The future had lived in him even before he met Sam Wilson in what felt like weeks ago but Bucky knew now was decades ago.
Now, he was in Delacroix. He didn’t even know how he knew to search here. He didn’t even know Delacroix was a place before he woke up in that SHIELD facility fully defrosted. But something was calling to him there. Something beautiful and strong. Bucky was unable to ignore it. He didn’t want to ignore it. Because he was sure. He was sure it was Sam.
He felt the song thrumming louder in him, in his muscles and bones, telling him to come here, over here, you’re almost there, just a few more steps, you’re almost where you belong. He let the voice guide him to a door to a shop – Wilson Family Seafood. Closed. The song was so loud, it just took over. Before Bucky knew it, he reached out and… knocked.
The door flung open the moment Bucky’s knuckles touched the wood of the door. A flurry of Sam filled Bucky’s vision, his smile, his eyes, his everything.
“You made it,” breathed Sam, as if he was surprised his own plan worked.
“I’m home,” said Bucky, because this had to be home, right?
It felt like home. Sam felt like home. Sam looked older than he was when he had met Bucky, but this was him. This was Sam.
Sam placed his hands on Bucky.
“I had seen you in my dreams. All my life, I saw you. I knew I could save you,” said Sam as he framed Bucky’s face with his hands, “I did it. You’re okay. You’re here.”
“I am,” said Bucky, “I heard it. Heard you calling me. I’ll always come when you call.”
“I’ve been waiting for you my whole life,” said Sam, his voice cracking.
Bucky’s arms wrapped around Sam, pulling him close.
“I think I’ve been waiting for you all my life too,” whispered Bucky, kissing Sam.
And it felt like magic. Like they were sealing their fate with one another in that kiss. Bucky wanted more of that. He wanted to do so much that there was no way to break whatever this connection was with Sam. Sam seemed to feel that way too as Bucky felt Sam deepening the kiss.