SteveBucky Oneshots

ANGST | What About Us?

We are searchlights, we can see in the dark
We are rockets, pointed up at the stars
We are billions of beautiful hearts
And you sold us down the river too far

Steve and Bucky listen tentatively to the radio in Steve's apartment as the announcement of America joining the war in Germany ensues; the broadcaster asking, once again after decades, for men and women to enlist and join the war.

What about us?
What about all the times
You said you had the answers?

As much as Bucky hated hearing this, he knew he had no choice but to follow if ever he were to be called to go.

What about us?
What about all the broken
Happy ever afters?

He thought about the stories his mother had told him as a child; how the first world war caused casualties beyond control and all the families displaced and divided.

What about us?
What about all the plans that
Ended in disaster?

He then remembers the story Sarah had told him and Steve years back; how Joseph had wanted to be the first to hold Steve in his arms after being born.

Suddenly feeling sad more at the thought of Steve never actually getting the chance to meet his father.

What about love?
What about trust?
What about us?

His mind then proceeds to his family. How would they feel? How would they react? Would they be apart of those activists who oppose the idea of the US joining a battle they were clearly not a part of?

We are problems that
Want to be solved
We are children that
Need to be loved

Steve visits his parents' graves the next day to talk to them.

He wanted to let them know how he was going to try his hardest to join the war and avenge the both of them.

We were willing,
We came when you called
But many fooled us,
Enough is enough

He enlists one time.

One then turns to three.

And three turns to five.

What about us?
What about all the times
You said you had the answers?

He sees those young men walk in and out of enlistment booths with success as they are given instructions to a training camp.

Half his mind blaming the government for having to sacrifice their own men instead of sending refugees to the country for a temporary time.

What about us?
What about all the broken
Happy ever afters?

He sees those young men torn apart from their families, loved ones, and even significant others as they proceed to embark on a journey some of them may not even return from.

What about us?
What about all the plans that
Ended in disaster?

He then thinks of all the plans his parents wanted to accomplish before they turned old.

Taken away by the calling of his country, Joseph had to leave Sarah and his unborn child left behind; no objections needed.

It was a story Steve had heard countless times growing up. Nevertheless, it always made him feel like he has to finish those plans for them.

For his parents.

What about love?
What about trust?
What about us?

But now that the calling of war and need shouts his name, it made it harder for him to focus on finishing those tasks when people halfway across the globe needed assistance.

What about us?
What about all the plans that
Ended in disaster?

He thinks about the families in those situations. He thinks about the children whose parents had been killed and taken away from them just as his had been taken from him.

What about love?
What about trust?
What about us?

And this drives him to more motivation to get into the army.

Sticks and stones they may
Break these bones
But then I'll be ready,
Are you ready?

Steve ends up in a fight in the alley of a movie theatre after his another failed enlistment application.

"I could do this all day." He says as blood trickles from his left inner cheek.

It's the start of us,
Waking up, come on
Are you ready? I'll be ready

Before the bully could even get another punch in, a hand grabs him from behind and kicks him on his ass; forcing him to run away.

I don't want control,
I want to let go
Are you ready?
I'll be ready

"Sargeant James Barnes. 107th"

Cause now it's time to
Let them know
We are ready

Bucky wraps his arm around Steve as he pulls him in closer for a side hug.

Steve accepts this despite the confusion in his features.

Bucky tells him that they are going to go to the future: Stark Expo.

What about...
What about us?

While walking there, Steve asks about Bucky's family and how they took the news.

What about all the times
You said you had the answers?

He doesn't answer and just continues walking; changing the topic into the double date he has planned during the Expo.

So what about us?
What about all the broken
Happy ever afters?

Steve thinks back to when they both promised they'd be together 'till the end of the line.'

And with Bucky being in the military, he was now not so sure about that promise.

But, as his stubborn nature, refused to accept a life without his best friend and believed they would both make it out the war unscathed.

What about us?
What about all the plans that
Ended in disaster?

The double date wasn't going too well as the girl who was supposedly Steve's date ignored him for most of the night.

So, once he caught sight of an enlistment booth, his instincts immediately told him to go there and try his luck.

Again.

What about love?
What about trust?
What about us?

Bucky finds him in the small area where soldiers' posters were up on the walls and pulls him out; telling him that they were supposed to take the girls dancing.

Make Bucky's night worth it before he gets shipped tomorrow.

"You go on ahead, I'll catch up." Steve sighs.

What about us?
What about us?
What about us?

"Don't do anything stupid till I get back."

"How can I? I'm taking all the stupid with you."

Bucky walks closer to Steve and gives him a hug.

"Punk."

"Jerk."

And walks off into the night.

What about us?

Steve doesn't tell Bucky about him being accepted into the military and instead chose to just be there for him before his plane takes flight.

They sat and talked to each other for what seemed like hours before Bucky had to be escorted towards the plane that carried more men, weapons, and supplies.

What about us?

He watched the plane that carried his best friend inside fly away into the clouds, to London.

What about us?

To war.