Peter Parker's Family

Same Eyes

A/N

Summary:

Trapped in the Soul Stone, Bucky finds himself surprised by just how much Peter reminds him of Steve. He can't stand to see the kid hurt, and Bucky learns that even though time has changed, heroes haven't.

(Post Infinity War)

Credit: The amazing unknown writer who created this amazing one shot that I read in a one shot book by @d-a-m-n

Please message me if you are the original writer and would like me to take it down.

Without further ado, here is today's one shot! Enjoy!!

-

"Steve?" Bucky can feel himself there, solid earth beneath him, the wind on his skin. He feels himself grounded. If he can just get closer, he can touch him, reach Steve again, grab him by the shoulders and keep him safe, like when they were kids.

"Steve..." he tries again, only this time, he doesn't feel anything. The word evaporates on his tongue. He feels light, breathless, and then suddenly, he feels nothing at all.

Things go black, like the time he was nine and he threw himself between Steve and Joey DeAngelo's fist in the schoolyard. Only this time, when he comes to there's no split lip. There is, however, a tiny Steve, except he's not missing his front tooth, and he's not rattling on about how much of a dumb punk Bucky is, he could've taken Joey just fine, thank you very much. No, this Steve is taller, though not by much, and his sandy blonde hair has turned to a dark curly mess.

"Mr. Barnes?" He hears as his mind comes back into focus. He furrows his brow. Mr. Barnes? Is his father here? Why's Steve's voice so different? "Mr. Winter Soldier, sir?" Oh.

"Spider Kid?" Bucky leans up on his elbow, surveying the kid leaning over him. He's skinny, still growing into himself with big, expressive eyes and a worried frown that lands a blow somewhere in Bucky's gut. He knows that frown, and he can read those eyes. Those same eyes were in another skinny kid seventy years ago.

"Spider-- Spider-Man," the kid grumbles, almost to himself, and Bucky feels himself stifling a grin.

"Spider-Man," Bucky repeats.

"Peter," he offers. "My, uh, my name is Peter. I didn't get to speak to you much, and I'm sorry about the time I had to fight you, that wasn't a very good first impression, but, um..." The kid is stuttering. Bucky hasn't stopped staring. "I just-- Do you know where we are?"

Huh. For a second, Bucky had just assumed they'd gone back in time, if the tiny kid fussing over him was any indication. He looks around, gauging their surroundings. There's...nothing. There's nothing around them, nothing to go by that gives any indication of where, or when, or what they are.

Bucky thinks back, trying to remember the moment it happened. He remembers fighting, he remembers Steve, and then he remembers the stone. He'd read about it, after they'd told him what Thanos was after. He'd read about the myths of the stones, ancient ones, what people believed they could do, what powers they held.

He remembers the soul stone in particular, remembers how it was said that the stone could trap you inside, like a holding chamber. Like purgatory, Bucky's deep Catholic roots remind him. Time doesn't exist wherever they are. Wherever they are right now is limbo, and all they have to do is wait.

Bucky looks up at Peter, looking in his frightened eyes, the eyes of a kid trying to convince himself to be brave. He sits up, places himself next to the kid.