Stucky One Shots

Time Travel

Bucky paces around his machine, muttering to himself and scratching the back of his head. He glances at his broken time machine and sighs, dropping his hands to his hips as he studies the disaster.

He was a time traveler from the future. He knew how generic that was, how many times the story had been told. But it was true.

Somehow, he'd crashed in the 1940's. Dim lights flickered up and down the side of the streets and cars puttered up and down the roads. People milled about, ladies linked arms as they sauntered down the streets. The war was in full rage, but for now, the skies were quiet. Everything just seemed retro, and Bucky liked it.

He makes his way towards a local diner and steps inside, glancing around the small area. There weren't many people about and there was rare chatter. He eyes a swivel stool and sits there quietly, twisting around when he hears the door chime.

A tall man dressed in an army uniform steps inside and takes a stool with a tired sigh. Bucky looks at him quietly, taking in his features. Bucky was great at memorizing faces. Then it hits him; this soldier was going to be a hero one day. He just had to remember what his name was.

The brunet drops his gaze when the blond looks up and orders a coffee from the shop keeper. He leans back in his seat and quietly doodles on a scrap of paper. Bucky watches for a minute.

"I'm sorry, have we met before? You look awfully familiar," Bucky speaks up and the blond glances his way and smiles politely.

"I don't think so. Captain Steve Rogers, at your service," Steve says and Bucky smiles. He'd heard that name many times before. Captain Steve Rogers was going to be a hero in the future. Then Bucky looks down as his smile fades.

"Pleasure to meet you," he hums while he looks back up. Steve swore he noticed a flash of pain in the brunet's eyes, but it was gone in an instant. "So, off duty for the night?"

"Yes, it's my last night out on the town. I'm being shipped out tomorrow," Steve explains and Bucky listens, nodding quietly.

"Where to?"

Steve looks down with a shy smile. "I'm, uh, not supposed to say."

Bucky nods again and leans back in his seat. Steve takes a sip of coffee and something occurs to Bucky.

"So, if I may... How difficult is it?" Bucky asks semi-quietly and Steve looks at him.

"I'm sorry?"

"In the war," Bucky says in hushed tones. Steve purses his lips briefly and leans back, folding his arms as he studies Bucky carefully.

"What unit are you with? I'm assuming you know what you're talking about," Steve speaks.

"I was a Sergeant in the 107th," Bucky speaks, and it was true. Once, he had fought in a war, around this time actually, and had decided to do something useful; thus, became a soldier. Steve nods in understanding.

"I see. Retired?" he adds and Bucky nods, glancing down briefly.

"You could say that," he agrees, folding his hands together. Steve nods absent-mindedly as he doodles on his napkin some more. It looked like a monkey on a tightrope, barely balancing.

They were quiet, and Bucky thought that maybe he'd pushed too much, when Steve responded.

"You know what it's like in the war, right?" he speaks, concentrating hard on his drawing. Bucky looks over and nods.

"Yeah."

"I don't think I could do the action justice by explaining it then," Steve sighs and pauses, studying his drawing. "But it's about as tough as one would expect, you know? It's killing people, of course it's gonna be hard."

Bucky nods quietly, watching him. "I'm sorry." He glances down at Steve's sketch again. "Y'know," he adds, making eye contact with the blond, "betcha you're gonna do some great things that people are gonna talk about for years."

Steve smiles faintly. "Yeah? Will I get all famous or something?"

Bucky smiles. "You never know. I'm glad I got the chance to meet you."

Steve smiles at him then, folding his arms across his chest. "Likewise, Mr..?"

"Barnes," Bucky fills in and Steve nods.

"Mr. Barnes. It's been a pleasure," he speaks before glancing up at the clock and sighing softly. "As it is, I've got to head out and pack some stuff up."

"Alright. You be careful out there," Bucky muses. Steve salutes casually as he gets up off his seat, leaves a couple bills on the counter for his coffee, and wanders out.

Bucky watches him go then sighs, his shoulders slumping a little.

Captain Steve Rogers was going to go down in history. He would save hundreds of soldiers, but at the cost of his own life. And Bucky could do nothing about it.

////

He hovers, then, for years, after fixing his machine of course -- a silent guardian angel to make sure Steve can complete his mission. Silently cheering for him, complaining over his mistakes, holding his breath when danger looms ahead.

Then finally, the fateful moment arrives. Steve leaps onto the wheel of a plane and climbs aboard, and Bucky watches.

He fights against a man with a red skull for a head, and Bucky chews his lip, anxious over every missed attack, proud every landed hit.

Steve is left alone in the plane -- or so he thought. Bucky was there, in spirit he supposed -- he couldn't be there, but he was granted abilities to watch the parts of history he wanted.

Steve angles the plane down towards the ice and Bucky swallows heavily, looking away. It was hard to watch someone he knew so much about throw his life away. History would never know the full story.

Bucky watches as Steve lays himself down. He watches as the plane steadily sinks into the ice. He watches as Steve slowly freezes to the floor, and mourns.

Bucky mourns with him.

Captain America went down as a hero of World War Two, remembered in history books for centuries after.

Bucky would always remember the soldier he met, and who he became.

////

This is another old one that's been up for ages.