Moving Forward: Green Series 10 (Pre-Serum Omega!Steve x Alpha!Bucky AU)

Epilogue

It appeared that as quickly as the first eighteen years flew by, the past month and a half followed suit all the same. And Steve wasn't ready for this. Then again, he wasn't sure if any parent was.

Still, Steve couldn't help but feel an uncomfortable tug at his heart at the thought of Oliver not being there. Of him not being grumpy at the breakfast bar every morning. His room not being constantly, completely messy with them telling him to clean it. No arguments with his siblings that only ever ended with one of them caving, sighing, and rolling their eyes before watching a movie together. No more comments under his breath about Bucky and his dorky interests while still engaging in those dorky interests.

Perhaps that was what led Steve to pause at Oliver's bedroom. It was clean, for once. Probably the cleanest Steve had ever seen it. The bed was made with the linen that was staying home. No clothes were building into mountains in the corners of the room. Some posters were taken down along with the polaroids of him and his friends. All of it packed up and in the van, ready to go.

The longer he stood there, the more memories flooded his mind. Ollie as a toddler in his nursery playing with the toddler blocks, and needing his Sesame Street nightlight on and his closet checked for, "monsers," before being able to sleep. Ollie and Finn sharing a room with Oliver constantly complaining about his younger brother getting slobber on everything. Tucking them in beneath hand-me-down comforters, sharing kisses and scent marking.

Softly, Steve sniffled. How had this happened? Where did that little guy playing in his kiddie kitchen go? The one who had wanted to name his unborn brother, "Ernie," because that was his favorite character on the children's program. The one who fingerpainted happy little bumblebees. Or the one who had such a big heart that he didn't want his first baby sister to be lonely or scared as her undeveloped body peacefully rested beside their mimi's.

And while Steve knew that Oliver was still that compassionate boy that he had always been, his growth over the years was enough for Steve to miss him. Knowing that as soon as he was officially moved into his dorm, it would never be the same. Sure, Ollie would always be their little guy, but he was on his way to adulthood.

"Stevie?"

Turning away from the room, he found his husband leaning over the stair railing to see if he was in the basement. When he found him, Bucky asked, "What're ya doin' down here?"

"Just making sure that we had everything," Steve lied, wiping his tears as he crossed the lounge room. Making sure to pet the fluffy white cat sleeping on the back of the sofa. Telling her, "Be good, Duchess."

She purred in reply while Steve followed Bucky back up to the main floor. Because he could, Steve swatted Bucky's still-taut bum, and joked, "Where're you gonna be later, good lookin'?"

"Wherever you are, hot stuff," Bucky reached the landing and turned back to wink at him. Holding his arm out, he asked, "'You okay?"

"As much as I can be," Steve assured.

After studying him for a moment, Bucky just nodded, "Me too."

"Are we missing anything?" Steve asked, allowing his husband to lead him outside where the minivan was packed with Ollie's things and their children.

Nothing was going to be the same, Steve realized. Once he situated himself in the passenger seat and Bucky backed down their driveway, they knew that nothing was going to be the same. And while they weren't prepared for the changes, they had to be okay with them. After all, this was just a part of life.

Something that would never change though was how Steve's hand fit in Bucky's. No matter how old they got or how empty their house grew, their fingers would still lace together just like this. Like everything else, they had each other.