we're only getting older || Bucky Barnes || ✔️

Part 2

"Rose Bloom Memory Care and Assisted Living," Steve said. "That's where they are. You can, uh, I can take you to see them before we..."

Before they travelled to Wakanda to put Bucky into cryostasis one last time. This time, however, it was Bucky's choice and Steve would always support him.

"Do they..." Bucky cleared his throat. "Are they..."

"I think they are," Steve finished. He knew Bucky like the back of his hand and knew what he wanted to ask. "They seem to be doing just fine in Assisted Living. I tried to visit them one time. Beth and Becca were there and I got to talk to her, uh, them, for a little bit, but I got recognized by a couple of folks in the home, so I had to get out of there pretty quick."

"Were they surprised?" Bucky asked.

"I think I was more surprised than them. Beth heard about me on the news, but seeing the girls after all these years... it was quite the experience."

Bucky was silent for a moment as he thought through his words. It was moments like this where Steve would feel the hollow pang in his chest as he longed for his friend who would blurt out whatever was on his mind whenever he wanted.

Finally, Bucky gathered up what he wanted to say. "Beth is my younger sister?"

"Yes," Steve agreed. "Well, technically they are all your younger sisters, but Beth is the youngest out of all of you. You and Bella are apart by a couple of months and you and Becca are apart by about a year and a half. Beth is younger than you by around ten years, but you and Bella are basically twins, although sometimes it felt like Bella was the eldest the way you and Becca would always argue like little kids."

"Bella..." Bucky muttered softly, "Bella loves yellow roses." He seemed to be talking more to himself than Steve. "She used to make dinner for us all the time and I would always get yellow roses on the way back from school for the centerpiece at the table. It would make her so happy."

"Yeah," Steve said. "That's right."

Moments of clarity came out of nowhere, in which Bucky would recall something from the past that might have been a tiny detail not normally remembered. He still had trouble remembering major events and people, but when those snapshots of his life from before came back to him, Steve knew there was still hope.

"Do you want to visit them?" Steve asked once more.

"We might get caught," Bucky said. They were currently in the plane with T'Challa and he was preparing the flight to take them directly from the Raft to Wakanda.

"That's never stopped us before."

"I think I've put enough people in danger, Steve."

"This might be your last chance, Buck."

"I didn't even know I had a chance till you told me. I don't even know what I would say. I don't know what they would think of me." Bucky swallowed roughly, his Adam's apple going up and down. "It would be better if they just thought I was dead."

"They are your family. They would love you regardless because that's what family does. That's what sisters do." He put a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "That's what brothers do."

The Winter Soldier kept looking forward, his jaw clenched. "I'm not going back."