Blue || Bucky Barnes

48. A Time Machine?

Leia walks up to the door of the second floor apartment. Her hands shake by her sides and her breathing is unsteady. It had been a couple weeks since Loki and Leia separated. It was for the best. Truthfully she didn't want him to go. She values Loki's friendship tremendously, he means a lot to her. But from what she gathers he went to New Asgard, wherever that resides. As for Leia she thought she'd pay Steve a visit.

She spent weeks trying to track him down. He sure is a hard man to find when he wants to be. Leia's nerves are through the roof as this isn't the first house or apartment she's been too looking for him. The first time she had a horrible run in with a grumpy middle aged man who chased her away with a rolled up newspaper. The second time Leia was slightly luckier but still no sign of Steve. It had been a lovely old lady living there. She offered her to come in and have something to eat and drink which of course she politely declined.

And today is her latest address. She'd caved and finally ventured back to the compound, asking Nat where she might find him. She wasn't quite sure but pieced some things together from what the man had told her. Everything is crossed for luck as she approaches the door. She lets out a deep breath and raises her fist, knocking hard. There's silence for a few moments. Leia looks around the doorway trying to see through the window but it's frosted.

The jangling of the lock startles her and she jumps back slightly. The door opens to reveal her old friend. She can't help but let out a relieved sigh as she looks at him. His eyes settle on her. "Leia?"
"Steve." She smiles and they engulf one another in a hug.
"How'd you find me?" Steve asks her.
"Trial and error." Leia lets out a light chuckle.
Steve steps aside and lets her in, shutting the door quickly and refastening the locks.
"And what happened with Thor and Loki? Weren't you with them?" He asks.
"We decided to part ways." She says with a simple smile though it doesn't reach her eyes.
Steve just nods his head feeling there's not much more to say.

"So how've you been?" Leia asks him.
"Alright I suppose. Getting there." He shrugs slightly.
"Me too." Leia agrees.

The pair got back onto great terms quickly. Leia always found it easy with Steve. No matter the amount of time they spent apart it was always easy to come back too. He'd generously let her stay with him. Steve wouldn't let one of his best friends live day by day. And over time they grow together. Developing thick skin and using their references for good.

New York represented that of a ghost town five years after Thanos' snap. Boats crowd the docks, all abandoned. The Yankee Stadium appears to have no life present at all. The aftermath of Thanos' decimation is very much evident. Earth did not cope well at all, no matter their trials.

Steve, with Leia's help, develops a support group. It's small, but it's all the people that were willing to come. Most people after the snap were alright for the first couple of months. But then supplies started thinning and most people fell into a state of depression, not leaving their homes in fear of new possibilities and threats.

The therapy sessions helped both Steve and Leia. She's reminded him that leaving the superheroics behind wasn't in their nature. That it was their duty to do everything in their power to help. And that's exactly what they did. And also in a way Steve draws from his friends. Sam used to hold similar meetings for retired vets and he's happy he's able to do the same, to some degree.

"So I uh... I went on a date the other day. It's the first time in five years, you know? I'm sitting there at dinner... I didn't even know what to talk about." Bobby one of the attendees tells the group.

Leia and Steve sit beside seven other people as they talk about their troubles.
"What did you talk about?" Leia asks him.
"Same old crap, you know? How things have changed, and my job... his job... How much we miss the Mets. And then things get quiet... He cried as they were serving the salads." Bobby tells everyone.
"What about you?" Jim asks Bobby.
"I cried just before dessert." He nods. "But I'm seeing him again tomorrow, so..."
"That's great." Steve nods his head. "You did the hardest part. You took the jump. You didn't know where you were gonna come down. And that's it. That's those little brave baby steps we gotta take... to try and become whole again, try and find purpose."