What Fades Away

epilogue: free

One Year Later

Washington, D.C.

“I bet I can beat you to the front, Cap.” 

An icy blast of air rushes through Peter as he takes off past Yelena, almost knocking Kate and Mara over where they walk beside Bucky. With a loud laugh, Sam starts jogging after the kid, slowly at first until he realizes that Peter is actually serious and he picks up speed. Kate snickers and leans into Mara, murmuring as her black hair whips around her face. 

“Do you think anyone finds it weird that four known Avengers are traveling with a seemingly random college guy?” 

Bucky twitches his lips and squints, shoving his hand into his pocket, watching Sam attempt to run down the secretly enhanced student. Mara walks to his left, black and gold fingers intertwined with his own. She huddles a little closer, seeking heat in the frigid Washington winter. 

“Nah,” he replies softly. “Before Stark died, he kinda took care of Pete. Only makes sense that we would keep that up. No matter how much of a little asshole he is.” 

“Hey!” Mara exclaims, slapping his chest softly. “There are children here.” 

“Oh, like they’ve never heard a curse word before, doll. You know they are all on that clock app.”

“He means TikTok,” Yelena smirks, waving at a little girl with a blond braid similar to her own.

A small group of elementary school students walk nearby, the ones closest to the group looking up at Bucky with a bit of awe. Mara feels warmth in her chest as they approach the impressive facade of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. She’s been working there for the past month, taking the train back and forth to New York to see Bucky. There was a lot of anxiety on her end being away from him for that long, but it had been a year and her life needed to go on. 

“Is there a reason that you are keeping this a secret, Mara?” Bucky leans down to ask her, his lips brushing her ear and sending tingles down to her toes. 

“What?” She says, feigning confusion. “I thought it would be fun to keep you in the dark and it’s my last exhibit after all.  At least, until after the wedding.” 

“Which is going to be fucking amazing, considering this huge rock on your finger,” Kate nearly squeals, reaching over to grab Mara’s left hand and hold it up in the sunlight. “Stuff like this is ridiculous, but I still can’t get over it.” 

"It is a really nice ring, Barnes, surprisingly," Yelena deadpans before giving Bucky a little grin. 

A mom nearby with her two children sends Kate a dirty look and shuffles her kids further into the fray. Kate at least looks apologetic, but Mara is the one who mutters a “sorry”. She spins the gold band with her finger once her sister lets go, the diamonds and sapphires set there bumpy against her fingertips. There’s a squeeze of Mara’s hand and then a kiss on the head that snaps her out of her own thoughts. She looks up at Bucky and smiles as he turns with a grin of his own. 

“Settin’ a real good example there, Bishop,” Bucky laughs, bumping Kate with his shoulder gently. 

“You started it,” Kate accuses, eyes going wide and mouth dropping open in indignation as Bucky emits a giggle that makes Mara smile. 

Before Kate is able to double down and provide the evidence, the group approaches the front of the museum, where a slightly winded Peter and Sam await them. 

“I thought you were gonna hold back,” Sam huffs out, wiping a little bit of sweat off his brow. 

“And miss a chance to beat Captain America in front of all these people? No way, man.”