Armistice
Steve and Bucky sat calmly on park bench in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn, admiring the very tops of the Brooklyn Bridge caissons to their left on the uncharacteristically pleasant and sunny Veterans Day. The hiss of traffic heading for the bridge was punctuated by honks of cars and trucks, easily heard as the trees lining the park had already dropped their leaves. The large rectangular limestone Brooklyn War Memorial flanked by two tall statues rested stoically to their right and up the lawn from where they sat. The kind sun cast warm rays down on them, making both men feel at ease.
James swirled his Coke in the plastic bottle using his metallic hand then took a swig, "I liked the old Coke better."
"Yeah. Real sugar." Steve agreed eyeballing his empty bottle, "They don't know what they are missing."
A group of grade school children with their teacher were rambling their way on the opposite walkway across the large lawn, towards the memorial. Steve and Bucky could hear their cheerful voices talking excitedly and their teacher with chaperones keeping the group together. Both men found themselves smiling cheerfully at the group of children as a gentle breeze threw a few leaves in their direction.
"Seems like a lifetime ago." Steve mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Sure does." Barnes agreed, "Me scraping your ass of the playground. Good times."
Steve cut him a look, "I wasn't always getting saved by you."
"Let's be honest, Rogers. We both know the truth." Bucky chuckled at him, nudging him with the Coke bottle.
Rogers ignored the dig and looked toward the group of children, now at the memorial and entering the interior hall.
"You know, I've never been inside." Bucky commented easily.
"Me neither." Steve replied.
"That's because you were a Capcicle." Barnes smiled in his dark humored way.
"Well, you were killed in action." Rogers returned, feeling his throat tighten slightly recalling that day with an unexpected upwelling of emotion. Seventy years and a bloody reunion later, it still hurt remembering James falling from that train.
Bucky saw Cap's distress and gave his shoulder a brotherly push with his, "Well, then we are two dead men looking at our own memorial."
Steve blinked the haze of tears from his eyes and smiled, shoving Bucky back with his own shoulder, "I guess we are. Shall we go check it out? See if they did a proper job?"
"I think we should." Barnes replied and stood up from the bench.
The air was cool inside and smelled of history the way buildings do when filled with solemnity. The two men filed in behind the grade school class and saw the 11,000 bronze plaques filling the wall with the World War II dead. The moment was rather sobering to see the names inscribed there. Both men held their breath and then bowed their heads, feeling immeasurably lucky.
The school children were hushed despite their youth as the teacher explained how each plaque represented a soldier from Brooklyn. Their wide eyes scanned the wall for any family names. A few hushed whispers and not so discrete pointing marked a few names whom the children knew; great-grandfathers, great-grandmothers or related kin.
A small voice piped up pointing at the wall and said, "There's Captain America, Steven Rogers!" The child was smaller than her classmates and Steve could see the derisive looks she received from her contemporaries. Rogers felt his skin prickle in annoyance.
"Well that stupid. We all know he's alive now." A boy chimed in sarcastically.
"Yeah, dumbass." Another child muttered.
The teacher intervened, " Thomas! If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. We're not here criticize. We are here to honor those who sacrificed their life so you can have free speech and all the things that make this country great." The boy looked somewhat contrite, "I am sure it is an oversight that Captain Rogers's name was not removed from the wall after his rediscovery."
Bucky felt Steve's temper burning slowly like a fuse. "Do you want to leave?" he whispered.
"No." Cap replied evenly and stepped forward, closer to the children.
The teacher noticed the tall, muscular man approach his class. He stepped between Rogers and the children, not knowing who he was, "Can I help you sir?"
Rogers looked at the teacher, a man of about similar age, and smiled, "Steve Rogers. Pleased to meet you." Rogers held out a hand. A collective gasp rose from the children as their eyes flew open in wonder. Bucky rolled his in response, stepping up to the side of his best friend, "And this is Sergeant Barnes."
A slow 'whoa' rippled across the class. The smallest girl who had noticed Cap's star shoved her way forward like a feisty puppy and took Barnes' metal hand in hers. Bucky was shocked at her touch and looked down at her uncertainly. Flash backs of orphans in Europe echoed in the back of his eyes like a black and white newsreel. Blinking, James remembered to smile at the waifish girl.
"I'm sorry if you heard that, Captain. Children these days..." The teacher apologized while shaking Steve's hand.
"No. None needed. We were all young once. But let me tell you kiddos something." Steve answered the teacher then looked over the collective heads of the children, "This is a place of respect. Respect for the soldiers who died and for each other. No matter how 'dumb' something they say or do is, it's not your place to judge."
The kids nodded singularly in agreement like they were hazed by hero-worship. The bullied girl, holding Bucky's hand, looked back at her classmate tormentor and smiled.
"So who wants to hear some real history about what these brave souls did?" Steve asked, his face animated.
"We do! Me! Me!" chorused the children as they gathered around the two soldiers, sitting at their feet.
Bucky and Steve wove a narrative better than the greatest documentary as the children were rapt in their attention. A few adults also paused to witness the two best friends and comrades in arms tell their tales of triumph against the evils of Nazi Germany, but omitting the more gruesome details. Finally, it was time for the class field trip to depart to the dismay of the children. Out popped numerous cell phones to take selfies and a class picture with Barnes and Rogers. The teacher with his chaperones gathered the class up to depart.
"Remember, respect those who fought for your freedom and respect each other. That way, the world will be a more peaceful place for the future." Steve reminded them as they turned to wave goodbye.
Before departing, the teacher leaned over and said, "Thank you for your service. We all owe you so much."
Steve took his hand, shaking it firmly, "No, thank you for reminding the young not to repeat history because they didn't learn it the first time." The teacher sheepishly glanced at the floor then back to Rogers. Nodding goodbye, he caught up with the kids.
Cap waved to the last child out the door, the scrawny girl and saw shadows of himself in her, which were bittersweet. Turning, he noticed Bucky looking up the wall. There was his name on a bronze plaque, high up the wall in the 'B's. His eyes were locked onto the sign like he could melt the name off with his stare. "You ok?" Steve asked carefully.
James blinked finally, "Yeah. Sure."
"I'm not." Cap replied, "Wanna talk about it?"
"Not really." James moved toward the door. Steve followed feeling guilty.
"Did I stir up something?" he pressed, following behind Barnes into the sunlight.
"No. I'm fine." Bucky replied, "Just thinking about … things. Time. Lost." The afternoon sun was angling down toward the west, casting long shadows across the lawn.
"But it all turned out ok in the end." Steve replied, trying to be a bit more optimistic.
Bucky flexed his left hand then stuffed his fists in his jacket pockets, "For the world, yes."
Steve caught his meaning, "Bucky, I'm sorry."
"No. It's ok. We both swore oaths. We knew what we were getting ourselves into." Bucky smiled a lopsided, bitter grin, "And in the end, the sacrifices of the few led to the safety of the many."
"The burden never gets lighter." Rogers agreed as they walked down the rows of trees, naked braches reaching to the sky.
"No. It does not." Bucky returned, taking his hand out and nudging Cap with a loose fist, "Happy Veterans Day, Steve."
"You too, punk." Rogers returned, "Let's get some pastrami sandwiches."
"Oh now you're talking… and buying!" James smiled genuinely noticing Steve's change in expression.
"You haven't changed one bit, Barnes." Steve scowled good-naturedly,
"And neither have you." Bucky replied, "Just they way I like you. Stay that way."
A/N While researching this fic, I discovered the Brooklyn War Memorial building is actually in very sad shape and visitors are not allowed indoors, unless direct family of the deceased. Several veterans are trying to raise money to fix it. So, if you live in the NYC area, you may want to consider looking into this memorial, which honors the fallen of Brooklyn.