Not Without You: Book 1 (Canon-Divergence Stucky Fix-it-Fic)

Twenty-Eight

"Now, remember," Bruce started, intently watching Steve, "You have to return the stones to the exact moment you got them. Or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities."

As Steve fixed his gloves, he couldn't help but internally roll his eyes at that. Considering what they had done, he had a feeling that there were going to be alternative realities no matter what they did to rectify their previous decisions. Especially when he thought about his fight with 2012. More specifically, what he had told him to win. And if he knew anything about himself and his love for Bucky, he knew that 2012 was definitely looking under every unturned rock to find the handsome brunette.

"Don't worry, Bruce," Steve assured, "Clip all the branches."

Stretching his right arm out, he marveled at his own body's healing and the Wakandan technology. They had done wonders in such a short time. Even managed to heal Bruce's arm, too.

With Bucky's hand in his, Steve gave it a squeeze of reassurance. Of course, that didn't do much to keep Bucky's teeth from remaining in his lower lip. Worried was an understatement. Not that Steve could blame him. After all, Steve hadn't stopped touching Bucky from the moment they were reunited a week ago.

Bruce was messing with the control panel of the new, smaller, Quantum tunnel that Shuri had perfected in a day and a half. Seeing that the pair wanted alone time, Sam crossed the area to Bruce, trying to learn about the machine and how it worked. Also believing that changing something in the past would change the future. Which prompted Bruce into a good-natured rant about how, "That's not how time travel works!"

Turning to face Bucky, Steve reached his hand up to tuck the long brown strands behind his ear. His hand lingering as he took a step closer, he promised, "I'll be back in no time."

"You're still leaving," Bucky sighed, purposely not looking at him.

Pressing his forehead against Bucky's, Steve reassured, "I'll only be gone for five seconds."

"Five seconds too long," Bucky frowned, wrapping his arms around Steve's trim waist. Chewing on his own lower lip, Bucky suggested, "Maybe I should go with you."

Steve shook his head, "I'll be fine."

"I'm holding you to that," Bucky said, tilting his face up to press a sweet kiss to Steve's lips.

"You can hold me to anything," Steve teased around Bucky's lips, earning a sweet chuckle from his lover.

Playfully shoving at Steve's broad shoulder, Bucky agreed, "Get to it then. And don't do anything stupid."

"I won't, I promise," Steve confirmed, climbing onto the platform with the stones, the scepter, and Mjolnir.

"I swear to fucking god, Steven Grant, I mean it," Bucky threatened. And really, Steve couldn't blame him. He did have a good reason to worry, what with Steve's lack of impulse control and everything.

Turning to face the handsome brunet, Steve winked while Bruce counted, "Going Quantum in three, two, one."

Being shrunken and shot through space in time, Steve kept his eyes closed to stave off nausea. Not that it really did much as the dizziness still got to him. One would think that Tony and Bruce could come up with something to help with that. If only his cells would let the motion sickness medicine do its job.

When Steve opened his eyes again, he was in the Avengers' Tower. With scepter in hand, Steve looked at the destruction that he and 2012 managed to make. Wincing for his younger self and the probable lecture that he was getting from Tony. Not that 2012 was probably even listening to begin with after learning about Bucky's survival.

"Captain Rogers."

Startled, Steve whipped around to find --

No one.

He could've sworn that he heard Vis--

"Captain Rogers, is there a reason why there are two of you? And that there were two Sirs?"

"Jarvis?" Steve asked, looking up at the ceiling. It had been years since Steve had thought of Jarvis as only a bodiless entity of artificial intelligence. Then, remembering that he was asked a question, Steve answered, "Um..."

Sheepishly, Steve glanced upward and asked, "How surprised would you be if I told you Tony helped create Time Travel?"

"I wouldn't be surprised at all," Jarvis answered, "Sir is one of the most intelligent individuals on the planet."

Steve rolled his eyes at that, but decided not to say anything. The man had perfected Time Travel, after all. Before Shuri, at least. Instead, he decided to use the eyes and ears of the tower to his benefit, "Any way that you can keep everyone distracted, while I slip this --" Steve gestured towards the scepter "-- back into its case?"

"It'd be no difficulty at all, Captain."

"Thanks, Jarvis," Steve sighed in relief as he tried to sneak across the messy, shattered glass covered floor.

When he heard other footsteps crunching the glass, he paused. Crouching to duck behind a staircase and glancing around as he looked for the person. Spotting the familiar red boots, Steve's eyes snapped up, finding 2012.

"I came to return this," Steve assured, "Then, I'll be on my way."

"Your remorse kicked in quicker than I thought," 2012 commented, crossing his arms.

Rolling his eyes, Steve righted himself and kept one key on him as he crossed the room to the metal case. While he flipped it over, 2012 asked, "So, why'd you take it if you were just going to turn back around and return it?"

"I've had this for a week and a half," Steve answered, placing it in the case.

2012 narrowed his eyes as he studied Steve. But Steve wasn't a good liar, 2012 should know that. Bucky used to tell them that all the damn time, after all. "Why'd you take it?"

"To get Bucky back," Steve fiddled with the Time GPS.

"Where is Bucky?" 2012 questioned, his emotions and true motives written all over his face. No wonder why everyone was always calling him out.

"At this exact moment?" Steve blew a puff of air out, "Haven't a clue. But he's with HYDRA."

"HYDRA?!" 2012 exclaimed, eyes widening as he took a step closer to Steve, "That's not possible."

Steve scoffed, "Yes it is. And I know that you know it is, too. Especially after finding what we found on that ship today. You know." Making sure that his GPS was set to the right time, he said, "Now I have to go. But trust me, keep an eye on S.H.I.E.L.D. and you'll eventually find Bucky."

Before his younger self could ask any more questions, Steve pressed the button, closing his eyes as he was spit back into the Quantum realm. Hoping that 2012 would find Bucky sooner than he had. Even if it created an alternate timeline, Bucky didn't deserve to be under that conditioning for another second, let alone two years.

And Steve wished his younger self good luck on his journey, wherever it led him.