It's Always Been You

Chapter 11

When everything seems to be back in motion, Bucky is hunched over Steve, with Loki staring at the pair, eye wide at whatever just happened.

"Steve, hey," Bucky says, desperately trying to keep Steve somewhat alive, as the growing patch of dark red on his stomach doesn't exactly make it an easy task. "You're okay. We'll get help."

"Guards!" Loki shouts out, and a group of armored men comes barricading through the palace gates. "Tell the people in the medical wing to make sure he's alive."

Two men hold Steve by the arms, making him groan in pain.

"Don't die on me, punk," Bucky tells him, his voice wavering at the end. He tries to follow the guard to the medical wing in the castle but is stopped by a cold hand on his arm.

"They do best uninterrupted," Loki says sadly. "I'm sorry about all this. If I'd known..."

"I just wish it was me," Bucky whispers, taking in a shaky breath. "He doesn't deserve that."

"None of you do," Loki reminds him. He's caught on to Bucky's usual self-loathing comments and how Steve always tells him that it's not true. Maybe it's because he once felt so hopeless that he couldn't imagine himself doing anything to make things right,  and he knows damn well how much it hurt. "None of us do."

Bucky nods, sniffling. "How long do we have to wait?"

"A few hours at most."

He curses under his breath. "We might miss the timeframe." He mentally slaps himself for even thinking about the stupid timeframe at a time like this, when the love of his life could be dying on the operating table. If they even operate on people in Asgard. "I just..."

Loki doesn't cut him off.

"I can't lose him. Not now. Not when we were just so happy," he confesses, tears pooling in his eyes.

"You won't lose him, I swear to you. I have a feeling that the gods favor him."

That doesn't cheer Bucky up even in the slightest bit. He knows Loki means well and that he's supposed to feel better, but he's too far in his feelings to be happy at the moment. Either way, he gives Loki a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Thanks, Loki."

Loki just smiles. Maybe helping people should be his new purpose in life.

They walk to the castle and sit in silence in the waiting room of the medical wing for what feels like hours. Perhaps it has been hours since they last spoke when Loki stands up to get a drink.

"Mr. Rogers?" a nurse calls out.

Bucky scrambles to his feet after verifying that he's the only one int the waiting room and that the nurse is calling him.

"Um," he sniffles, noting to himself that he should definitely wash his face, "that should be me." His heart swells with happiness, yet a pang of sadness when he hears her calling him Rogers instead of Barnes.

"Mr. Rogers is doing well. You may see him, although we require you to put on this protective suit and disinfect yourself in the room next to the changing room."

"Thank you," he says politely, a glimmer of hope amidst his sadness. "Thank you so much." He almost trips on his feet running towards the changing room. "Please be okay for me, Steve," he murmurs under his breath.

The nurse lets him in once he's done the required safety procedures. "He will be a bit sore, so be gentle with him, alright?"

"Got it," Bucky replies, smiling. "Thank you so much."

"It's not a problem at all, Mr. Rogers," she replies with a kind smile, walking out of the room.

The room is filled with the sound of Steve's breathing. No tubes are coming out of him, not even a breathing tube is on his nose. He looks perfectly healthy. Hell, Bucky notices that he looks the healthiest he's ever seen him.

"Holy shit, what kinda magic do they use out here?" Bucky mutters to himself, taking a seat next to Steve's bed and taking his hand.

"Language, Bucky," Steve whispers, a small smile on his face. "Probably the best kinda magic."

"You scared the shit out of me," Bucky tells him. "I thought... God knows what I thought..."

"I'm here, Buck. I'm here to stay, okay?" Steve says without a hint of anesthesia in his voice. "'M fine, see?"

Bucky smiles fondly, a tear escaping his eye. "I'm glad."

Steve opens his eyes to the sight of Bucky's bloodshot eyes. "Hey, now," he sits up slowly, taking Bucky's metal hand in his, "I'm okay. You don't have to worry anymore."

"I know," Bucky replies, choking on his words. "I want us to go back to the real timeline as fast as possible, okay? I don't want any more surprises." He pauses, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I want you to be safe, 's all," he almost pleads.

"As soon as we're done, we go back to the real timeline, okay?" Steve promises. "I'm sorry I dragged you into all this."

"Don't you dare blame yourself, Rogers."

"'S a habit, sorry."

Bucky shakes his head, even when a smile creeps upon his face. "You know, the nurse called me 'Mr. Rogers'. Do you happen to be any part of that?"

"What? Pfft, no," Steve lies through his teeth.

"You're a really bad liar, ya know that?"

"I know," Steve states simply, a stupid grin on his face. "Let's get outta here."

"We gotta call the nurse first, dumbass," Bucky tells him.

"No. Gimme a kiss first," Steve says, making Bucky roll his eyes, but obliges all the same.

It doesn't take long for Steve to be released from the medical wing.

Asgardian technology, Bucky thinks to himself. When they're both in the garden where the attack happened, Loki is already waiting for them. 

"Sync up, guys," Steve says, taking his position as captain. "Let's return these stones."

***

The Power Stone is the easiest to return. All they have to do is place it back to where it was taken from—'the weird-and-shady-looking temple', according to Bucky.

"You go in," Bucky tells Steve.

"No, you go in," Steve argues. "Besides, did you forget that I literally got shot today?"

"That's low, Rogers," Bucky comments.

"I'll go in," Loki volunteers, eager to explore new adventures... or maybe new extremely-short journeys? He walks towards the stand without any hesitation.

"Oh," Steve and Bucky say in unison.

"Cowards!" Loki exclaims jokingly. "Let's return the last stone."
------------------------------------------
This was more of a filler chapter since I just wanted to update. Sorry for the lack of updates, by the way! School's been an absolute ass :')