Chapter Text
Steve tried to keep his hands steady on the controls, scanning the horizon in an attempt to gauge how far they were from land. He barely spared a glance when Bucky came clattering back into the control room, panting breathlessly as he made his way to stand beside him.
“Bombs… are advanced… beyond basic training. I can’t disarm them…”
Picking up on his tone, Steve turned his head to look at him properly. Frowning at the self-deprecating grimace he’d heard in his friend's voice.
“It’s fine Buck, we’ll find another way-”
“There is no other way!”
Steve stiffened at the implication, hands clenching on the yoke. Bucky noticed, softening slightly. Though his face remained pinched in a way that made Steve’s gut twist.
“Stevie… New York is coming up. All those people…”
“Will be fine.”
Redirecting his eyes to the horizon, Steve reached out blindly to meet his friend’s hand. Bucky reciprocated, moving slowly due to the strain in his arm. Yanked too harshly when he was pulled back onto the train. Neither of them thought that day would ever feel so far away…
“Ste- Steve… Can you hear me?”
“Peggy!”
Relief flooded through him. He leaned forward to speak more clearly into the radio propped up above the controls, only to be nudged out of the way just as he opened his mouth.
“Carter! Schmidt’s dead!”
Steve pouted, pretending to be offended he couldn’t share the news. Bucky simply squeezed his fingers playfully, smirking in a way that lightened the air around them.
“What about the plane?”
The smirk dropped. Steve scooted forwards, carefully pushing Bucky back so he could be heard.
“That’s a little bit tougher to explain.”
“Give me your coordinates. I’ll find you a safe landing site.”
The two friends faced each other once more. Staring in silence as if waiting for a brilliant, last second idea. When none came, Bucky gave a small, grim nod. Steve’s heart dropped with the finality of it. Though he knew they’d both made up their minds the second their first plan had failed.
“There’s not going to be a safe landing. But we can try to force it down.”
They waited for her to dispute them, to try and discourage them with words that would rip out their already screaming hearts. Instead, she did something far worse.
“Howard!”
Her voice was choked, emotional in a way she would deny it ever being. It must have relayed her urgency, as, not even ten seconds later, another voice joined her over the crackling waves.
“What are you two idiots doing?”
They both laughed. Faint and tired, but real. Bucky seemed to recover himself slightly, speaking with a fraction of the wit that had been scared off him that day in the Alps.
“Evidently, saving New York.”
“Not like this you’re not!”
“Howard…”
Steve took over once more, trying to keep his voice level as his friend broke apart beside him.
“There’s not enough time, Stark…”
He swallowed, trying to ignore the frantic clacking coming from the speaker. No doubt Howard running some desperate equations.
“…Peggy. We’ve got to put her in the water.”
“No! Please don’t do this, we can work it out!”
“Right now, we’re in the middle of nowhere, if we wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die.”
He winced slightly, hating the bluntness of his own statement. However, one glance at the resolve on Bucky’s face told him that was the mindset they both had to be in right now. For everyone’s sakes.
Still, he let his face crumble, gripping Bucky’s hand like a lifeline as he spoke his next words.
“This is our choice.”
…
No rebuttal.
Steve shuffled to the side wordlessly. Allowing Bucky to squeeze in beside him on the pilot’s seat, squishing their sides together the same way they did on Ma Barnes’ rocking chair a million lifetimes ago.
Steve took the left handle. Bucky took the right. Together, they pushed downwards.
It was a slow tip at first, a switch so calm their bodies barely felt the change in altitude.
Their hearts did.
After an eternity of silence amongst the roaring engines, Bucky burst into life. A forced smile on his face as he spoke to the radio as though actually face to face with the friends on the other side of the line.
“So, Howard. How long until you get that car flying?”
A moment passed before a bright, charming voice broke from the speaker. The same stage voice reporters claimed could sell a used spatula to the Queen of England.
“Any time now, Buckaroo! You shall be the first to test it!”
“Wouldn’t miss it!”
Though sweet, the interaction did nothing but make Steve feel deeply sick. The strange glint in his friend's eyes was horribly, awfully wrong and was making his head swirl. Feeling himself beginning to shake, he cracked a smile and hoped the tremors wouldn’t show in his voice.
“Peggy…”
The clouds parted. A field of ice grew closer.
“…I’m gonna need a rain check on that dance…”
The glint in Bucky’s eyes finally spilled over. He chuckled. He’d always wanted to see his puny, punk of a friend land a dance.
“Alright… A week next Saturday at The Stork Club.”
“You’ve got it.”
“8 o’clock on the dot. Don’t you dare be late!”
The ice grew closer.
Bucky spoke louder.
“I’ll keep him in check Miss Carter!”
“I don’t doubt it. Thank you, Bucky.”
The ice grew closer.
“You know… I still don’t know how to dance…”
“I’ll show you how…”
“I’ll help!”
Howard and his clacking had grown distant, clearly using different machines to try and change what was happening.
“And Stark will help, just be there…”
The ice grew closer.
“Hey! Am I invited?”
Bucky’s whine lacked its usual lilt. Stunted by his careful steadiness.
“Of course, Pal.”
Howard was clear again.
The ice grew closer.
“I’d hate to third wheel on my own.”
They laughed together, connected over distance.
The ice grew closer.
“We’ll have the band play something slow! I’d hate to step on your-”
…
…
“…Boys?”