Disclaimer: I do not own Captain America. I make no profit from this. Captain America created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.
Author's Note: Plot bunnies seem not to care if you haven't finished watching the movie featuring the characters about which they want you to write.
It was sunset. The sky had turned that kind of half-pink, half-orange color one often sees that time of day. Steve doesn't really remember what city he's in. He is pretty sure that he's in Italy. He likes Italy. At least, he likes seeing Italy, seeing what's improved and what's worsened since the war. He checks up on all the countries that were in the war, but Italy he visits the most, because it looks the nicest.
He's sitting on a rooftop. He hasn't done that in a while, like an eighty years kind of while, but then, neither has Bucky. When they were kids, they liked to climb onto the rooftops of their apartment buildings and watch the sky, swinging their legs over the ledge and kicking them back and forth.
They're both dressed like tourists, in tourist-y sandals and cheap sunglasses. But Bucky has never worn sandals, has never had vacations, has always been a serious boy, and struggles to keep the straps in between his toes. He looks uncomfortable.
"Bucky, if they fall, they fall."
"I thought your parents taught you better than that, Steve. Waste not, want not."
"You can get them back."
Bucky leans back further, resting more of his weight on his outstretched arms.
"They're cheap sandals, Bucky, just let 'em drop."
Bucky breathes in. He relaxes his toes and the sandals fall.
"I guess I can get some more."
"You could use mine."
Bucky glances at Steve.
"You brought more than one pair, didn't you?"
"Maybe."
Steve takes Bucky's hand and kisses it. Bucky blushes.
Later, when they've said goodbye and kissed the way people who haven't seen each other in eighty years do, Steve thinks that he was probably meant to arrest his old friend. He thinks that he's not done his job, that this is something very important to S.H.I.E.L.D.
But Bucky is important to him. Bucky is his responsibility. And for now, he'll pretend that he's nowhere to be found, that he doesn't want to be found, and that he's not spending time with his best friend in the world.
