Loki x Reader: Into the MCU

Chapter 28: James Buchanan Barnes

"Hey! I didn't fall!" you cheered as the colors disappeared to reveal the compound in front of you.

"Yeah, because you're clinging to me for dear life," Sam snorted, lifting your hand from his shoulder.

"Using you for a bit of balance isn't clinging for dear life."

"Especially compared to how she catapulted through the bifrost the first time up to Asgard, I'd say it's an improvement," Clint interjected.

"I wouldn't say I catapulted necessarily, but thanks for the half-compliment, Clint."

"Half-compliments are the best you'll get from him," Nat said over her shoulder, as she was leading the way to the compound.

"I'm just honest," he defended.

"If the ride to Bucharest is going to be more of this," Sam said, gesturing to the three of you, "I'll fly solo."

"Go right ahead," Clint said, "We wouldn't be missing much."

"Ok guys," Steve stepped in, despite them only jokingly arguing, "At least wait until we're on our way before you kill each other? I'd like to get going with as few setbacks as possible."

"Just breathe, Cap," you said, noticing his eager tone and worried expression, "This should be a piece of cake."

Everyone paused to turn and look at you, the unspoken jibe about the Knowhere fiasco plain to see on their faces.

"Yeesh," you chuckled, "Ok, point taken. I said 'should' though, ok? No promises."

"Yeah, you'll make sure to cover your ass with that every time now won't you?" Sam said, continuing to walk with the others.

"Seeing as you guys expect me to predict the outcome of everything, yes I will."

"As long as you do your part and tell us what you know, we won't expect anything from you," Nat noted.

"Yeah, any secret collecting hobbies this man has that could potentially kill us?" Clint asked.

"Not that I know of, unless you count plums as a threat."

"Plums?" Clint snickered.

"When we first see Bucky again after Winter Soldier, he's trying to buy some plums. Don't ask me why, but it's become a thing with the fans. Everyone jokes about wanting to see Bucky get his plums, or how all he wanted were his plums, etc etc. Fans are weird, but it's just a thing now. You'll never separate Buck from his plums. Not sure if this is why he was really buying the plums, but people have pointed out that plums are supposed to help improve brain function and aid in countering memory loss. Which makes it kind of sweet and sad that he was buying them if that's the case, but we still love to joke about it."

By this point you were all in the room where they talk about Thanos using the stones again in the beginning of Endgame.

"Why are fans so weird?" Clint asked.

"I don't know, I kind of think it's funny that the Winter Soldier is doing his daily dose of shopping," Sam smiled.

Steve seemed zoned out, so you tapped his arm.

"It's nothing," he said in response to your look, "Just...Bucky did like plums, you know, back before everything. He's still in there."

He seemed so relieved to say that out loud.

"Of course he is!" you said reassuringly, "I told you, he's fine by the time you all fight Thanos. You guys are reunited and everything."

"I know, it's just nice to hear things like that. Every bit of the real Bucky that I saw in him while we were fighting was like getting my best friend back a little bit at a time."