Title: Still Waters

Author: scyllaya

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Comics, The Avengers

Rating: M

Pairing(s): James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Warning(s): graphic violence

Spoiler(s): Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Age of Ultron – AU version

Word Count: WIP

Series: Part 2 of the Til the Sun Goes Down series – Sequel to Dead Memories

Summary: Since theSerpent took up permanent residence on the sky, causing widespread panic and awe all across the globe, Bucky has been convinced that Loki would return, in one way or another. Steve had no reason to doubt him. However, this was really not how he pictured it at all.

Title song is the 'Through the Valley' cover by Ashley Johnson (Song Originally by Shawn James)

x-x-x

Steve always felt a certain amount of trepidation when his phone rang with one specific ringtone. It was one of the default tones, nothing special, even a little annoying, but the tone was the one he selected for unknown numbers. The number of people – or agencies – that could get a hold of his personal number was very low, thus the nervous little flip in his stomach.

Bucky recognised the ringtone as well, because he was frowning at the phone as Steve reached for it to pick up. He was still in bed, because he never wanted to take the shower first in the morning. His sleep-tousled hair ruined the darkness of his frown and made him look more cute than dangerous… at least in Steve's eyes.

'Hello?' he asked with an even tone when he picked up the phone. There was always a chance it was just Natasha with a new number.

'Steve? Steve Rogers?' the other person on the line asked. It was a woman and she sounded… old. He immediately felt a little confused, but some of the tension left his body as well.

'Uhm… yes, who is this?'

'It's Rebecca,' she said. 'Rebecca Proctor… oh well, Barnes-Proctor if you will. Sharon was kind enough to give me your number. I hope this is not a bad time.'

Steve froze for one moment and he immediately stared at Bucky.

'Becca, no… hi, I mean, it's not a bad time at all,' Steve said and watched as Bucky's eyes widened after a moment, realising who was on the phone. His face went carefully blank after that. Steve wanted to reach out to touch him. He looked like he might bolt in a second.

'I didn't know you and Sharon knew each other,' Steve added.

'I knew Peggy,' Becca said, sounding like she was smiling. 'We met when they were making that documentary about you. Not that I had much to say, I was so young back then, but I did have a few good stories about you,' she laughed. 'I'm sure you saw it.'

He did see it, in the Smithsonian, back when Peggy was… his heart always clenched painfully whenever he thought of her. He should visit her grave again; he could take the time for it.

'Yeah, that makes sense,' Steve said. 'I guess I just never really thought about it.'

He did feel a little warm thinking about it, Peggy meeting Bucky's family. He was sure she and Becca got along swimmingly.

'So what can I do for you?' he asked. Bucky was still staring at him, but at least he didn't leave the room.

'Well, my 85th Birthday is coming up… oh just saying that… time flies by so quickly.'

'Oh yeah, of course,' Steve said right away. He couldn't remember when her birthday was, maybe early next year. Late in the spring or summer, yeah, that sounded right.

'And next March would have been Bucky's 100th… well… I suppose that must be very strange for you.'

'Yeah,' Steve agreed. He's been thinking about what to do for Bucky's birthday for a while now. On good days, he even teased Bucky about hitting three digits. It was hard to pin down his biological age, because of the constant cryostasis he was put through. They mostly just agreed that he was two years older than Steve, like he's always been, and they just stuck with that.

'Anyway, my sisters and the rest of the family got it in their heads to make a very big deal about this,' Becca continued. 'So we will have a big family reunion in May.'

Okay, May was her birthday then.

'And I know this might be a little out of the blue,' she said. 'And you might not think that way, but I would be really glad if you could come. You were always family, as far as Bucky was concerned, and who could argue with that really.'

'Oh, wow… I don't know what to say. Uhm, thank you.'

'Oh, and all the kids would be delighted,' Becca added. 'Kids, I say, but probably a lot of the grown-ups too,' she chuckled.

'Yes, I… I can probably make it,' Steve said. 'Unless something gets in the way.'

'Well, let's hope the world won't be ending then,' Becca said, sounding very pleased. 'I'll have my granddaughter Jamie e-mail you all the details… I wouldn't know which buttons to push on that thing tablet-thing she got me. Louise doesn't either, but she keeps insisting she knows all the new technology, so I won't even ask her. She might end up sending you one of those viruses.'

Steve laughed quietly at the humour in her voice.

'It took me a while too, to figure it out,' Steve told her.

'Now that must be a big fat lie, Steve Rogers, you've always been a smart one,' Becca said, making Steve smile again.

'So, here in New York?' Steve asked.

'Yes, Evelyn insisted,' Becca said. 'The only true New Yorker in the family, she says. I think she would go mad without all that noise.'

'I would too probably,' Steve said. 'I'm back in Brooklyn now.'

'So I've heard from Sharon,' Becca said. Steve wondered for a moment what else Sharon told her. She knew Bucky was alive and back, but she obviously didn't tell that to Becca. It was kind of confidential information after all.

'Well, I won't keep you,' Becca said then. 'I'm sure you have much to do.'

'I don't mind talking to you, don't worry,' Steve said. 'And thank you for the invitation.'

He looked back up at Bucky again, and wondered how much he heard from the whole conversation. His hearing was as good as Steve's, so probably most of it.

'Oh, don't mention it at all. It will be so good to see you again.'

'You too Becca,' Steve said. 'And everyone else too… sorry I didn't really try…'

'No, no, Steve… you had things to deal with,' she said. 'I can't even imagine what it must've been like, to wake up again the way you did. Don't feel guilty about it.'

'Yeah… thanks, Becca.'

'Goodbye then, Steve. I'll see you in May… oh, God willing.'

'Don't even say that,' Steve chided. 'I'll see you then.'

Becca just chuckled again and said a soft bye before hanging up.

Steve stared at his phone for a bit, then glanced up at Bucky again. His face must've been very descriptive, because Bucky made a face and got out of the bed.

'Don't say it,' he warned. Yeah, that was not likely to happen.

'I really think you should come,' Steve told him. 'Or better yet, contact them now, we can go whenever.'

'No, and I told you why,' Bucky argued. He marched over to the dresser, turning his back on Steve while he got some clean clothes out.

'Her 85th Birthday, Buck,' Steve reminded him. 'How many more do you think she'll have? You know you will regret it if you don't see her at least once.'

'It's not about me, it's better for them.'

'That's bullshit, and you know it.'

Bucky was quiet for long moments, just staring down at the drawer in front of him.

'Becca was eleven when I last saw her… Louise was seven, and Evelyn just a tiny little thing, barely started to walk. They probably only remember me from history books.'

'That doesn't mean they wouldn't want to know you're alive,' Steve told him softly.

'Steve…'

'You said it yourself that you won't be able to stay under the radar forever,' Steve reminded him. 'Hell, it's a miracle some paparazzi didn't snap a good picture of you yet. Would you rather they found out from you or some news channel?'

Bucky didn't say anything to that, he just swiftly turned and walked towards the bathroom.

'Buck…'

'I'll think about it,' he bit out curtly before closing the door very firmly.

Steve was not about to give up, and Bucky probably also didn't expect him to drop this entirely. Nevertheless, he also knew when Bucky needed some space to think things through, so he let him be for now.

x-x-x

Just like every time a conversation was shelved, during the day they pretended it didn't happen in the first place. It was probably not the best way to deal with things, but Steve found it hard to find a better way. There was some tension lingering between them even still, like Bucky expected him to bring the discussion back on the table any second. So, to be honest, he was glad for the distraction when Tony texted him.

32 interview/comment requests pending. Not your secretary, Rogers.

He smiled down at his phone, then pointedly waited ten minutes before answering.

Yet you're still giving me these updates.

Things between him and Tony were significantly better now, which sometimes felt like a small miracle. It was impossible for them to exist without snappy remarks, but at least the comments lacked the bite of their old arguments.

Get your genetically enhanced ass over here.

Steve laughed at the response. Bucky sat on the couch, head bent over a book. It was probably some fantasy thing. He despised Steve's historical books, all books about real life events in general. The further from reality a story was the better. Their lives were plenty fantastical, but Bucky said there were more than enough old cheesy sci-fi books that got everything wrong. Those were his favourites.

'I'm going over to the Tower, wanna come?'

Bucky huffed and gave Steve an amused look. 'I'm gonna have to pass.'

Shocking response, Bucky still hated being watched by an AI.

'Want me to pick up anything on my way back?' Steve asked then.

'Fruit,' Bucky shrugged. 'Chocolate.'

Another shocking response. Steve smiled and walked over to the couch, probably smiling like a loon.

'Wow, colour me surprised,' he teased and leaned on the back to ask for a kiss. Bucky shook his head, but obliged anyway, hooking two fingers into the neck of Steve's t-shirt to pull his head down.

The tension Steve felt between them almost all day drained away immediately. Sometimes all they needed was a little connection and immediately the world righted itself. He should've done this hours ago.

'Now get out,' Bucky said after a final loud peck on his lips. 'You interrupted the best part.'

'Robots or wizards?' Steve asked.

'Aliens,' Bucky replied.

'Like we don't get enough of those,' Steve told him drily.

'Magical aliens.'

'We definitely had plenty of those,' Steve grinned.

'Go bother your avenging buddies, punk,' Bucky told him firmly, but he was smiling, so the dismissal just warmed Steve's chest to no end.

x-x-x

The Tower felt oddly empty when Steve drove across the public garage to get to the private entrance that Tony reserved for The Avengers. He didn't put much thought into why this might be. The inner workings of Stark Industries were really none of his business and Tony would probably not appreciate it if Steve tried to put his nose where it didn't belong. Avengers-related matters was one thing, Tony's company was something completely different. Steve was happy to keep his distance with the latter.

'Hi HELEN,' Steve greeted the AI as soon as he elevator opened for him.

'I was willing to bet that you would keep him waiting,' HELEN's voice responded. Steve was sometimes still thrown by how much more human-like she was compared to what JARVIS used to be like. It even felt strange to not refer to her as a well… a "she". Steve figured Tony wanted an AI that was as different from JARVIS as possible, for a great many reasons.

'Now when have I ever done that?' Steve asked with a smile.

'I can transfer the list to your phone,' HELEN said, making Steve huff in amusement. He really wanted to know who the inspiration was for HELEN. Sometimes she reminded Steve of Pepper, but only very rarely.

HELEN started the elevator without Steve's input and unsurprisingly, the doors opened again at Tony's lab level.

'Do I want to know what he's working on?'

'I doubt I will be able to explain in simple terms,' HELEN told him.

'Now you're just being mean,' Steve said in return. He didn't know why, but he found himself chatting with this AI a lot more than he ever did with JARVIS.

'In here!' Tony called from… somewhere. Steve started walking in his vague direction, but it took him a few moments to spot him crouching next to… something. Steve was not completely ignorant when it came to technology, but there was a pretty significant difference between your everyday gadgets and a Stark prototype.

'I hope this is not one of your caffeine-induced building-marathons,' Steve commented.

'He did sleep last night,' HELEN reported dutifully.

'See? I've been good,' Tony added. 'Messages are where they usually are, but help me lift this first, would you?'

'Oh, now I see, this isn't about the interview requests at all, you just lured me here for manual labour.'

He still shrugged off his jacket and dropped it in the general direction of some crates that were lined up not that far away, containing God knew what.

'Now would I do something like that?' Tony asked with a cheeky grin.

Steve didn't dignify that with an answer.

'Where can I grab where it won't break?' he asked instead.

Tony tapped the metal top of the thing with his screwdriver.

'It will part in the middle, you don't need to lift the whole thing. It won't take long, I just need to put something in.'

'You do have all kinds of robots for this,' Steve said. 'I know you do.'

'And deprive myself of your unnecessary commentary?'

'Tell me when.'

'Now would be good.'

Steve grabbed the metal where Tony indicated and lifted. It was as heavy as it looked, but not a significant weight for Steve. Tony knelt up and Steve saw him insert some sort of computer panel into the thing, then quickly connecting wires everywhere.

'At least tell me I'm not holding something explosive.'

'Anything's explosive with the right motivation,' Tony commented.

Steve sighed dramatically, that was the best comment he had for that. Tony hummed, sounding way too amused, as he continued to work for another minute.

'Okay, lower it back down, just… centre it, yep right there.'

'I really don't think you needed me for this,' Steve said. 'And what is this thing anyway?'

'Oh… a power bank of sorts, a bit more… advanced version anyway. Not for domestic use, as you can probably guess.'

'Yeah, it would be a bit troublesome to carry it around just to charge your phone.'

Steve was relieved that it was not another one of Tony's "defence" inventions. They all knew that someday something would happen. That war would be coming to their front step and Tony was obsessed with being prepared, he's been for years, even before Leah and Loki basically spelled it out for them.

'Generators are easy to sabotage, but if I make this baby as sturdy as a black box, and probably bury it underground, I can store enough energy to run the tower or the compound for a while. Good for an emergency.'

'I thought your arc reactor could run the tower for at least a year at a time or more.'

'Yes, well… it never hurts to have a backup… and arc reactors can be used, well… misused for other things. That's a lesson Loki taught me at the very beginning with that portal. The worst thing you can do with this thing is drop it on someone.'

Something safe that couldn't be used against them, something that couldn't be turned into a weapon… something that wouldn't cause destruction on its own. Steve understood perfectly.

'By the way, you're not going to believe how many messages you got from all kinds of churches.'

Steve blinked at the sudden change in topic.

'What?'

'The Serpent,' Tony said. 'You're like the only confirmed "real" Christian in the Avengers.' Steve wasn't sure what he meant by the quotation marks he made with his fingers. 'And somehow that means that people want to hear your version of the story.'

'Please tell me you're joking.'

'Nope.'

The Serpent was… a giant mess. The team briefed everyone, and that really meant literally everyone they could, about what they knew about it. Thor being absent didn't help matters, because he would've been the biggest expert they could've thrown at people. Still, Tony and Jane were handling the science community, while Natasha fed information to the intelligence community. The rest of the Avengers were all trying their best to handle the public, because there was shock and panic and just… a mess.

They also didn't have an answer to all the questions that popped up, because even they didn't know the full meaning behind the Serpent taking up permanent residence around the globe. It had something to do with Loki, Bucky was sure of that, and they all remembered what the Serpent looked like in Chthon's world. That piece of information was kept a bit more under wraps, since Loki did lead an invasion at one point. Bringing up his name might've caused some concern with some agencies.

After the initial panic and confusion, the whole thing turned into a spiritual/religious matter, which was not unexpected according to Tony. When science failed the masses, they looked for other sources to get answers. Some were convinced that the end of the world was coming, while others that it meant quite the opposite. Some even claimed that it was actually a Chinese Dragon and not a Serpent. Churches and religious groups were quick to give their opinion to their followers, and there was something about it in the news almost every day, but Steve still didn't get where he fit into that.

'I was there for a lot of press conferences,' Steve pointed out. 'I already gave my side of the story, along with the rest of you. And why do they think I know more than what we already told them?'

'If you ask me, you should ignore most of them,' Tony advised. 'Some of those people are no better than sensationalist journalists.'

'Believe me, I know,' Steve said. He met his fair share of so-called "Christians" since he woke up in this century. They didn't really share Steve ideas about what America was supposed to be like.

Tony walked over to his digital displays and pulled one to the side for Steve, while he went to work on some of the others nearby. Steve saw some blueprints on one of them, while a lot of numbers and equations on another.

'Oh, you were really not joking,' Steve said as he looked at the first few messages.

'Not even a little bit.'

Steve sighed, but dutifully when over them all.

x-x-x

'So, how's Robocop?' Tony asked after more than half an hour of silence. He actually turned away from his screens to look at Steve.

'Pretty good, all things considered,' Steve answered honestly. Yes, considering what Bucky's been through, he's been doing amazingly well. It might not look like it sometimes, but it was still true.

'Hmm, still rocking the honeymoon phase?' came the suggestive question next.

'I am not answering that question.'

'Prude.'

Steve shot him a look. 'Do you honestly want a detailed answer, or are you trying to embarrass me?'

'On second thought, forget I said anything. You've got that stubborn look on your face. You're gonna answer me out of spite, if I'm not careful.'

'Bucky and I are doing fine,' Steve said lightly. 'There are good days and bad days for us both, you know. Life. We're taking one day at a time, focusing on the now.'

It was slightly surreal to talk to Tony about this, but they've been both trying to build up a real friendship. Sometimes they had to move out of their comfort zone for that.

'Yeah,' Tony agreed quietly.

'So… I'm not trying to be a jerk…'

'Oh boy.'

'No, I mean it. Pepper?'

Tony sighed and turned back to his screens.

'Same old,' he said after a moment of silence. 'It's not like anything changed just because I almost died… again. It probably just made it worse.'

'This break seems…'

'Permanent?' Tony asked, glancing back at Steve. 'Seems like it right now. She didn't put the last nail in that particular coffin, but sometimes I get the feeling she's just trying to… I don't know… be gentle about it. I don't really know anymore.'

'I'm sorry, Tony.'

'Yeah, me too.'

Steve awkwardly looked around the lab, trying to figure out what to say next. He went through his messages and it didn't seem like Tony needed more help, but still…

'Hey, you're hungry? I'm hungry. When was the last time you ate?'

'Too long,' HELEN answered before Tony could open his mouth.

'Okay, food then,' Steve decided, grabbing Tony's shoulder to pull him away from his screens. To Tony's credit, he didn't put up much of a fight.

x-x-x

Steve stayed at the Tower much longer than he planned, but he still managed to get some shopping done. Bucky might be grumpy about not getting his fruit and chocolate in time, but he was probably not worried that Steve was out longer than expected. Steve liked it when he was grumpy about such trivial things. It showed how much he healed since he came back.

'Hey, Buck, I'm back!' He called out as he shut the door. He put down his shopping bag to unlace his boots. He was only greeted with silence.

'Buck?' he called again as he made his way towards the kitchen. Still silence.

Right.

There was no note. No text either. Maybe he just got tired of waiting for Steve and went out to buy some stuff himself. A note would've been nice, but still, it was not the end of the world.

An hour later Steve was a bit more miffed about the lack of note. It was already getting dark and it would've been nice to know whether Bucky wanted to have dinner at home or not. Steve settled for making food for two and putting Bucky's aside for when he got back. He sent a quick text to Bucky to let him know about the food, and that he got him the fruit and chocolate he asked for.

Two hours later Steve sent another text, telling him that he's going to eat all the chocolate himself, but he still got no answer. He firmly told himself that there was nothing to worry about.

At the three hour mark Steve tried to give him a ring, but it went straight to voicemail. Maybe his battery was dead… not that it ever happened before, Bucky was meticulous about being able to reach Steve at any time. He wondered if he was just being paranoid as it started drizzling outside.

He kept looking around in the apartment to find some clues, anything that would tell him what Bucky did before he left. His book was abandoned on the couch, no bookmark between the pages. An empty cup was left in the sink, but that was normal. Bucky took his jacket, his phone and keys, but nothing else. It gave Steve the feeling that he left in a hurry, which was concerning.

Steve's been home for more than four hours when the rain got worse. It was late at night now and he had to admit to himself that he was more than a little worried. Bucky did take off sometimes on his own, but he usually left a note or sent a text, and he never ignored Steve's phone calls. He wasn't worried about Bucky's physical safety per se, more his state of mind. Steve initially doubted that anything could've happened in the apartment to trigger him, but now he wasn't so sure.

He wondered if it was too soon to call someone. Even in his head it almost sounded foolish. A man like Bucky could very well take care of himself, especially for just a few hours, and he's been gone longer before, especially after waking up from a bad dream in the middle of the night. But this was unlike him, it didn't fit his habits. Maybe Steve just worried too much, or maybe something was very wrong. In their lives, it was usually the latter, and Steve was never much for just sitting around.

The front door banged open just when Steve decided to grab his coat and head out himself. All his muscles tensed up immediately as he jumped up from the sofa.

'Steve!' Bucky called. It was a relief to hear his voice, but his tone was anything but reassuring.

He was drenched from the rain when Steve finally came face-to-face with him and he had his jacket wrapped around someone in his arms, someone small.

'Is that a kid?' Steve asked, immediately alarmed.

'Get me the first aid kit,' Bucky asked as he marched into the living room. Steve didn't need to be told twice.

'Should I call an ambulance?' he called while he grabbed the nearest kit, which was the one in the bedroom.

'No, just bruises and a few cuts,' Bucky said, only raising his voice enough for Steve to hear him.

Steve's mind was running a mile a minute, but he shoved aside his questions for now. He opened the kit before putting it down on the floor next to Bucky. He also knelt down on the carpet.

It was a kid, a boy to be exact, small and slender, pale white and obviously too cold from the rain, because his lips were almost blue. His black hair was sticking to his head. He also had a big bruise on his forehead that was probably going to look worse in an hour.

'I'll get a towel,' he offered. He also grabbed his smallest t-shirt and some shorts, because he was sure they shouldn't keep the kid in his water-logged clothes for too long.

Bucky cut the t-shirt the boy was wearing at the shoulder and bandaged the wound that was on his collar bone on the right side.

'What in the hell happened?' Steve finally asked.

'Some shady characters,' Bucky said as he looked at the kid's face. 'Okay, this actually might be a concussion. He got knocked about a bit before I got there.'

Right… later. It was best to focus on the boy for now. Bucky leaned closer and touched his face, then moved his hand to his uninjured shoulder to shake him a little.

'Hey, can you hear me? Wake up.'

The boy didn't respond at first and Steve opened his mouth to suggest an ambulance again… and possibly the police, when the kid shook violently, his eyes popping open.

'Hey, easy… easy, you're fine,' Bucky said right away, putting his hands up in front of him. 'Remember me?'

The boy stared at him, his chest rising and falling rapidly, like a panicking little bird. He was shaking too, but that might have been just his cold wet clothes. The boy moved to pull further away, but he abruptly slumped back down on the couch, putting a hand on his side. Damn, they needed to check his ribs.

'You're safe,' Bucky told him. The boy kept staring at him with widened eyes, probably not even noticing that Steve was just a few feet away from the couch, towel and clothes still in his hands.

'So… remember me?' Bucky asked again.

The boy frowned, hesitating.

'You stopped them…' he said then. Steve was thrown immediately, because the kid did not sound like he was from around here. The accent was not quite British, but definitely something European.

'No, before that,' Bucky asked the he wiggled his metal fingers to pull the boy's attention to them. He got a big frown again and the boy's blue lips thinned as he stared at Bucky's metal arm. Steve was concerned about the shaking, but they couldn't really help him while the boy was this scared.

'James?' he said then, but it sounded like a question, like he wasn't really sure.

Bucky gave him a quick smile, but Steve was just confused. He had so many questions right now.

'That's right,' he said. The boy didn't look too reassured though, if anything, he looked more confused and cautious.

'I… I want to go,' he said then.

'You're hurt, pal,' Bucky told him. The boy looked down at himself, considering it.

'We only want to help, promise,' Steve said, finally drawing attention to himself. The boy startled badly, jolting his hurt shoulder and hissing in pain. 'Sorry, sorry,' Steve apologised quickly. 'I brought you a towel.'

The kid grumbled something under his nose, but it was too quiet to make out what, then he looked up with a glare on his face. His green eyes were basically spitting fire at him, and Steve was struck with an odd impression of familiarity. Did he meet this kid before? The boy glared at him for a second, then his eyes widened again, this time in surprise.

'Are you Captain America?' he asked. 'I saw you on TV once.'

Okay, that was good. Maybe this would put his mind at ease, make him feel a bit safer.

'Yes, I am,' Steve nodded with a smile and held out the towel for him. The boy took it, still staring at his face. 'You got hit on the head, from what I gathered.'

'This is very strange,' the kid said.

'I don't think you actually realise how much,' Bucky said. 'Let me look at your ribs, all right?'

The kid wiped his face then leaned back down on the couch.

'Fine,' he agreed, sounding very reluctant. Steve just noticed that his clothes seen better days. Everything was worn and scruffy and a little too big. There was also a small backpack half under Bucky's leather jacket, stuffed full with too many things.

Bucky gently probed at the kid's ribs, making sure nothing was cracked. The boy did hiss at one point, but Bucky didn't look too concerned, so it was probably just a bruise.

'You remember your name?' Bucky asked then.

The kid hesitated again, staring up at the ceiling for a moment or two.

'Some call me Luke,' came the odd answer.

Bucky huffed as he pulled the towel from his hand, unfolding it.

'Eh, close enough, I suppose,' he said. He dropped the towel over the kid's head then took the dry clothes from Steve.

It took Steve a moment, it just didn't click right away, but then that odd familiarity struck him again… No… friggin'… way…

'You have got to be kidding me,' he said.

x-x-x

To be continued...