The Viper || BUCKY BARNES [2]

02 ― M.I.A.

2014 ― Washington, D.C.

The museum was quiet that morning, the usual hum of visitors muffled by the reverent stillness that always seemed to settle over Captain America's exhibit. Holland stood in front of one of the screens, arms loosely folded as she watched the looped footage play. The narrator's voice carried softly through the room, telling stories she already knew by heart.

"How did I know I'd find you here?" Steve's voice broke the silence, warm and familiar.

Holland didn't turn around right away. She merely shrugged, eyes still focused on the screen in front of her. She came here often. Always had. Especially in the years when Steve was still under ice, when this exhibit had been all she had left of him and Bucky. The only place where she could still see their faces, hear their laughter, and feel close to the life they'd once lived together.

"I come here a lot, actually," she replied quietly, the flicker of their younger selves lighting up the screen. Steve's voice played from the old footage, followed by Bucky's, both of them smiling and laughing. It had always been her favorite part. The one that brought her solace, even on the worst days. Her voice dropped a little as she finally asked, "Are you still mad at me?"

Steve stepped up beside her, his hands in his pockets. On the way back from the mission, he'd barely spoken. Once they got home, he said nothing at all. She'd felt the weight of it in every moment since. "It wasn't you I was mad at," he said, his voice softer now. "I just didn't want to take my anger out on you. You were following orders, Holly. Me, of all people, understands that."

She nodded, finally glancing over at him. For a moment, their eyes held, something unspoken passing between them—understanding, forgiveness, a bond that had withstood too much to break now. The narrator's voice continued in the background as the video moved forward. "Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission: taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division."

Holland slowly turned toward another part of the exhibit—the section that housed Cap's original uniform and the famous photo of the Howling Commandos. She always paused here. Her eyes went straight to Bucky's face. She would never forget what he looked like, but there was something about having him there in front of her, even in a photograph, that made it a little easier to breathe.

She didn't say anything as they moved toward the part of the exhibit dedicated entirely to Bucky. The first time she saw that section, she had been surprised it even existed. But now, it was the place she visited most.

"I take it... You come to this part of it... a lot," Steve said gently.

Holland nodded without looking at him. Her voice cracked slightly when she asked, "How pathetic does that make me?" Steve wrapped an arm around her shoulders without hesitation, grounding her in that quiet, familiar way only he could.

"Not pathetic at all, Holly. The way you two loved each other... it was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love," he said. Her eyes welled as she stared at the display, tears silently gathering as the narrator continued.

"Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both the schoolyard and the battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country."

Then came the video—the one she always stayed for. Steve and Bucky, side by side, laughing together like the war didn't exist. Holland smiled through her tears, her chest tightening at the sight of them. It was just a moment, a flicker of joy preserved in time, but it was enough. Enough to remind her of what they had. Enough to remember why she still came here.