Steve's Prayer:
For Jesuslovesmarina-We collaborated ideas on this one ;)
The lyrical part of this story is a parody of the original lyrics to Bring Him Home from Les Miserables. There is no commercial intent from the parodical representation of these lyrics. No other pejorative intent is meant. Only entertainment.
As he fell from the Hellicarrier, Steve's eyes twisted closed. So many thoughts were flying through his mind. He had a rather long life to be flashing before him, despite the fact that he'd slept through most of it.
Yet for all the things he'd like to remember and all the prayers he felt he needed to pray, only one rose up from the dying embers of his mind. It was only in his mind. But it sounded almost like a song.
Oh God on High,
Can you hear?
I have need,
If you're still there,
He's not wrong,
It's not his sin,
But the will,
Of evil men,
Lead him home,
Lead him home,
Lead him home, ...
Steve wasn't sure how long he could hang on to this shaky consciousness. He seemed to be falling forever. Yet eventually, his shoulders hit the water.
He's my brother and would have known,
If you'd granted him his mind,
We soldiers die,
One after one,
We rise to fall,
Forever on,
Now we are old,
And should have gone...
Steve was submerged now. The ice-cold waters washed the tears out of his eyes.
He was running out of air already. The wind was knocked straight out of him during the battle above.
Find his peace,
My only joy,
He died for me,
He was a boy...
As Steve sank forever, the image of Bucky falling from the train in 1945 flashed through his mind. Strangely poetic how their lives mirrored one another. It was only fitting that he should fall through Bucky's hands now. He should never have let him slip away. If he'd had to go like that, why didn't Steve look for his body?! What kind of friend was he?!
Will you take?
Or could you give?
Set him free,
So he can live,
Now I die, so let me die,
Please forgive and-
Lead him home,
Just lead him home...
Steve felt a strong hand close around his shoulder. His last conscious thought was realizing that Bucky had defied the orders of Hydra and the odds of survival to save him. Never mind the fact that he had left him for dead at the bottom of a ravine. At the end of the line, Bucky Barnes' heart was the same.
God, why couldn't he just be taken home?