In Another Universe

NINE

Bucky storms inside the sparsely lit compound, Not a single car aside from the travel vans were in the parking lot which bought him the faintest bit of peace.

The entire drive here went by in a blur, Bucky's mind racing with scenarios of how Anastasia could possibly be telling the truth of Steve's return — And what that would mean for their family.

When he bursts through the double doors to the compound's living room, Finding it so silent you could hear a pin drop and it's usual level of untouched cleanliness, He's relieved.

Huffing a breath as he sinks down onto the lush couch, His head falling into his hands.

"I'm going to have to call her fucking therapist tomorrow, I can't believe she actually had me beli-" Bucky's tangent is interrupted by the feeling of his cell phone vibrating against his thigh.

He adjusts his leg to pull the phone free from his pocket, His heart sinking as he reads the name illuminated on the screen.

Incoming Call Steve Rogers.

He slides the screen to answer, Heart pounding as the deep Brooklyn accent he never expected to hear again comes through the speaker.

"Hey, Pal." Steve's sharpened tone strikes through Bucky like lightning as he huffs "Holy shit..." beneath his breath.

"I think we need to have a talk."

"Are you at the compound?" Bucky ask, Standing to his feet as his head turns in each direction.

"No, I'm at my house in Brooklyn."

"I'll be there in an hour..." Bucky swallows thickly, Making his way hastily through the hall.

"Good."

~

Brooklyn.

Steve ends the call, Sighing an excruciatingly painful breath as tears prick his already bloodshot eyes.

He taps the voicemail icon and stares down at the obnoxiously large number of unlistened to messages, Mostly from Anastasia but there's also a good hundred or so mixed in from Bucky as well.

And even a few dozen from Sam, Bruce and Tony way down at the bottom.

He hasn't been able to bring himself to listen to one yet, How would a person even go about preparing to hear a voicemail your loved one left for you when they believed you to be dead?

But now that Bucky is on his way here, He wants — No, He needs to understand how they felt the night they believed he died.

It's the only way he'll manage not to snap Bucky's neck when he walks through the door.

He scrolls all the way down to the first unheard voicemail from the day he left to return the stones six years ago, His finger hovers over the speaker icon for a moment as he inhale and exhales a series of breaths.

"Just fucking do it." He mutters to himself, tapping the icon.

"No... No he can't be..." His heart shatters, Hearing the love of his life sob on the other end.