bracchium | Leaves are on the ground; (for @americassed)

[Bucky feels the snap deep in his core. Like having his heart ripped out and the rest of him begins to fall apart. His fingers tingle and turn to dust in front of his eyes.]

Steve?

[He's not sure what's happening, but Steve can help, Steve will do everything to--

Bucky's eyes roll back into his head as he takes one step forward and collapses into a pile of dust. He's hardly the only one. T'Challa, Sam Wilson, the number of dusted goes into the billions and the entire world goes quiet for five years.

Until Banner has a plan to retrieve the stones from the past. Their newfound gauntlet is snapped and the dusted come back one by one. It seems those who died last emerge first from the ground or in their cars. Those who fought Thanos in the grove return after Thanos is defeated. Groot, Sam, and T'Challa. However, Bucky isn't one of them. His pile of dust remains as thus and there's no sign of a life form even as they plan to return the stones to the past.

Banner promises Steve that they're still watching for any sign of him even as he prepares Steve to go back in time once more. It's just as Steve steps onto the platform that Banner holds out a gargantuan hand.]

Wait, we've got something in the grove.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Bucky's right. This hug won't be taking place if Thanos is still at large somewhere. He doesn't let go, at least not until he's sure Bucky's not going to turn into dust again, solid and firm in his arms.

When Steve does let go, his hands are still on Bucky's shoulders, almost afraid that if he retracts them, his friend will disappear. ]

We've defeated him. It's over.

[ The relief in his voice is palpable, if not the victorious, yet evidently wistful, smile he wields. It has been an exhausting and heartbreaking journey to reach the point where they are now. ]

[Bucky sighs in relief as well and takes a moment to scan his body. He feels a bit scrambled, a bit uncertain of how solid he is. Steve’s hold keeps him grounded as the memory of collapsing surfaces.

He remembers looking down at his fingers as they turn to dust before his eyes, he remembers being unable to feel his legs. He remembers calling out to Steve and then a vast nothing.]

Did I…? [Did he die?]

[ Steve doesn't even have the heart to continue that line of questioning. Doesn't want to even acknowledge the very real word that begins with the letter D.

So with hands staying firm on his friend's shoulders, he just nods solemnly. There's no easy way to even accept what happened. ]

You were gone for years. I- [ His hands squeeze Bucky's shoulders gently, as he swallows a non-existent lump in his throat. ]

It's good to see you again. [ Good might even be an understatement right now. ]

[Years hits Bucky like a freight train. His brows furrow as he wonders just how long he’s been gone. It can’t have been another seventy years because Steve looks the same as before. He doesn’t realize he’s been staring in silence.]

You okay? [He knows Steve, knows that whatever happened likely left a mark.]

[ What a loaded question. The answer to that million dollar question depends on many factors that he won't get into right now. This is a reunion worth celebrating. And while Steve knows spending those years not knowing if he'll be able to bring Bucky back has truly left an indelible mark, he pushes through. Doesn't give way of how much it truly affected him, even when he knows Bucky can see the breadth of how much Steve missed him reflected in his blue eyes. ]

I am now. [ His smile widens, squeezing Bucky's shoulders again one last time before letting go. ]

Come on, let's get inside. We have a lot to catch up on.

[Bucky accepts that answer for now and nods. He’s starting to get up from the ground when a sudden worry about his legs working slices through him. He eases himself up onto his feet and for a moment they feel weak and unsteady beneath him, as if they’re dissolving into dust all over again.

He reaches out to Steve’s shoulder for balance, fear pulsing through him until the temporary tingling passes.

He presses his lips into a thin line, but there’s no disguising the alarm in his eyes.]

[ Quick to act, Steve catches Bucky once the man reaches out to his shoulder for balance. He's also quick to see the alarm in his friend's eyes, so much so that Steve's also swift to capture Bucky in another hug, almost as if in reassurance. Both for Bucky and for him.

He knows that look, knows what it entails, and he's not going to pretend he's not actually still reeling from going through literal years not knowing if Bucky's ever coming back to having him right now. At the back of his mind, there's a tiny voice telling him this is all a dream and he'd wake up, but Steve keeps shutting it up stubbornly. Not the first time this scenario played in his head, to be fair.

So, he holds Bucky in his arms again, this time probably a bit tighter, closer, and despite himself, Steve nearly buries his face on Bucky's shoulder, taking in his scent he missed for years. ]

Don't worry, I'm here, Buck. You're not going anywhere.

[ If he has to go, Steve will follow. Always has been the way for them. ]

[Bucky welcomes Steve’s embrace. The tight hold grounds him, reminds him that he’s not turning to dust again. He clutches at Steve’s shoulders in return, waiting for the tingling to pass. It takes a few moments, but soon enough Bucky feels steady on his feet again. Then he steps back s little, just enough to be able to walk, albeit tucked into Steve’s side.

He takes his first steps in five years and it’s weird. His body still feels unstable, unwilling to work with him.]

[ Steve has all the patience in the world when it comes to Bucky so he lets his friend take his time figuring out how to walk again after five years. He makes sure he's careful while he ushers Bucky in. ]

Feeling better?

Yeah, thanks. [Bucky continues to lean on Steve as they move. He’s still puzzling over what exactly happened, but he’s focusing entirely on putting one foot in front of the other.

It doesn’t take long for Bucky to be sat on the edge of a bed in Wakanda’s infirmary as they run a few tests on him. Only then does Bucky ask,] What the hell happened?

Leaves are on the ground; (for @americassed)

dusts myself off kjsdgk

all good!

♡

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