A/N - So here we are at the end... Thank you so much for reading this story and for all of your feedback! I hope you enjoy this brief epilogue :)


It takes a surprisingly long time for them to return to Wakanda together.

To be fair, the long wait isn't done on purpose. Their roles as Avengers seem to dictate their presence in the United States especially in the harsh aftermath of Thanos's invasion, when most of their efforts are concentrated on rebuilding cities from the ground up and eventually undergoing countless inquiries into the role their team plays in a post-Civil War, post-Thanos world. It takes years for Sam to even let himself dream of travelling or having time which is entirely his own, but he can't complain too much when he always has his friends nearby and he's able to watch the world slowly heal from its wounds.

The invitation to return to their old haven was extended by T'Challa the day he returned to his country to serve as king once more, and it's remained open all these years. Their old friend seems quite amused that it has taken them so long to take him up on the offer, but his kindness and hospitality don't seem to have changed much over his years of leadership and they've been informed that they're free to stay as long as they want.

T'Challa's not the only one who hasn't changed.

"You two are the biggest assholes I know," Sam says between pants, as he trails behind Steve and Bucky on their ascent through the wild forests. At his words, they at least have the decency to stop and wait, but he notices the amused glint in their eyes as he approaches them and shakes his head in mock disapproval. "Whatever happened to respecting your elders?"

Steve laughs, before extending a hand out to him and helping him up a particularly steep portion of the hill. Sam tries to hide his slight breathlessness; he's still reasonably fit considering he's made it to his early seventies, but that doesn't mean he makes a habit out of scaling muddy slopes. "We're older than you Sam, remember?"

"I'll believe that when you start to look like it," Sam says with a wink, before they set off again towards the clearing which rests upon the hilltop; a thin strip of sunlight through the trees acting as a guide. He notices that his friends seem to be making an effort to keep pace with him, and he quietly smiles in gratitude.

It's unnerving sometimes, how little Steve and Bucky have changed over the years. Sam had started to notice when jokes about them being a married trio - otherwise known as 'The Golden Trio' in Stark's words or 'The Three Caps' in Nat's - had slowly started to turn into jokes about him being the adoptive father of two unruly children, and now their seemingly endless youth strikes a vast contrast to his own lined face and greying hair. They're not ageless of course – Sam had quite a lot of fun on the day Bucky started to notice his own grey hairs coming through – but it's undeniable that they're ageing far slower than he is.

Not that he minds. Outliving his friends has never been an option he wants to face again, and besides, he's healthy enough that he likely has a couple more decades left in him. Perhaps he'll live to see permanent laughter-lines adorn his friends' faces yet.

"Y'know, we could carry you up if your legs are getting tired," Bucky jokes, and his only response to Sam throwing him a rude hand gesture is a hearty laugh. The exchange reminds Sam of the first time they ventured through these forests, back when they were still finding their feet in getting to know each other, and nostalgia washes over him like a warm hug.

The rest of their trek passes in near-silence. Sam ignores the mild aches in his legs and focusses on the beauty surrounding him; the twisted tree roots beneath his feet and the unearthly shadows the green leaves above cast against the ground, while thin trunks seem to stretch for miles into the sky. There's the occasional rustle of leaves or howls in the distance that suggests nearby wildlife, and while the sounds should probably be creepy in the darkness of the forest, Sam finds he cannot be afraid with two super-soldiers in his company.

The leaves above act as a protective shield against the scorching sun, but Sam finds himself wiping the sweat from his face anyway as humidity and the effort of climbing catches up with him. He's looking forward to being able to sit and drink a bottle of water as he takes in Wakanda's unrivalled landscapes. He misses the sight of them more than he'd expected to.

As they emerge into the sunlight, Sam realises that the view has barely changed in all these years. There's the occasional glint of solar panels among the tiny villages and Sam thinks he sees a couple more farms than was present in his memories, but aside from that the image remains timeless; the picturesque fields being hugged by the surrounding mountains while the sun shines warmly overhead. He takes a seat on the dry, brown grass of the clearing and closes his eyes, soaking in the sun and pretending for a moment that he's a young man in his thirties again.

"You two weren't lying," Steve says, breathless, as he sits on Sam's left with his eyes darting across the world in front of them. "It's beautiful up here."

"Yeah it is," Bucky agrees, taking a seat of his own and leaning back as the warm breeze blows across their faces. "You remember when we said we'd live out our days as hermits up here, Sam?"

He has to take a moment to think about that before the conversation comes back to him, and he lets out a short laugh. That was back when he'd never wanted to leave the safety of Wakanda; wanted to be surrounded by the forests and the mountains and the fields forever as he lived out his life in peace.

Considering all that he experienced as soon as he left the country, it's not a sentiment he can blame himself for having.

"Yeah, I remember. Though I'm pretty sure when I imagined it, we both had long beards."

"Hey, there's still time for that," Bucky says with a smirk. Sam chooses not to admit that staying here forever remains an attractive prospect even now. "Hey, you remember the present I gave you the day after?"

Of course he does. The useless plastic medal still lives in a box somewhere back in his apartment. In all these years, he hasn't had the heart to throw it away.

"Yeah I do, asshole," he says, punching Bucky lightly on the arm when the man starts to snigger. He realises it's a mistake when his hand collides with metal and Steve starts to join in with their laughter. Sam turns and sees a knowing expression on Steve's face and realises that his forty-year-old theory that Steve had as much say in that present as Bucky did has finally been confirmed. It's too late to be annoyed by that however, and it isn't long before he's joining in with their uncontrollable giggles.

Forty years. Time's passed them by so quickly.

It's strange to look back on his life and realise how truly extraordinary it's been; how he's battled corrupt government agencies and aliens and even his friends; how he's adorned the mantle of Captain America – a title much older than he is – before eventually sharing it with both men sitting with him today.

It's been a while since he hung up the shield for good, but Bucky and Steve will still pick it up now and again when the occasion calls for it.

More clearly however, he remembers the lighter moments he's been able to share with his strange band of friends. Remembers countless movie nights where he would fight over popcorn with Natasha and Clint; remembers the pride he'd felt when he witnessed a little girl in a Scarlet Witch outfit approach Wanda in the park and call her a hero, and how Wanda had finally been able to believe that she was no longer something to be feared; remembers countless hours spent in the lab with Tony, Rhodey and Bucky, picking up more information about science and engineering than he'd ever learned in school. He remembers the whole group of them showing up to the graduation of Scott's daughter, Cassie, and seeing T'Challa become revered worldwide as the strong king they all knew him to be.

There are many more treasures in his past than he ever expected to have, enough to vanquish his trauma when ghosts try to haunt him on bad days, but more than anything he appreciates that after all this time he still has his best friends by his side.

He looks to Steve and Bucky before following their gazes out to the miles of countryside before them, losing himself in the heat and the beauty of the haven where their long friendship as three brothers in arms started.

It's nice to be home.