Lessons In Love: Chapter Thirty-Two: Magic (Part 1)

"HE LIED?"

Lied? Why in the actual hell did he lie? Bucky lied to him. He lied. The younger Steve was just beyond himself. He paced around the mirror dimension, (which he hadn't acknowledged at that point) and he mentally chewed on everything that Bucky said and did.

HE. LIED.

What was the reason?! The blonde felt like he was in a giant mess. His older self just stood there, and he witnessed the struggle. He watched his younger self drown in a glass of water.

The older blonde absolutely had to smile. He knew exactly what he was going through, because it was easy for him to imagine himself in those shoes.

The older Steve Rogers even had a similar pair. He looked at them, and he smiled.

"I think that means the Bucky that exists in my dimension lied to me as well. Even after all this time."

Big Steve wondered about it. They both experienced the same drunken kiss. They both physically confessed what they felt to Bucky, and the two of them experienced the same exact rejection.

So, it technically meant that they both experienced the same exact lie told by Bucky.

Interesting. Big Steve brought his hand up to his chin, and he pondered why any version of Bucky Barnes would choose to live like that.

"He lied to you as well? How is this happening by the way, I forgot to ask."

Baby Steve sorta tuned into the actual situation around him. He finally acknowledged his older self. The younger blonde was processing way too much, and his young mind was overloaded.

He was still trying to process all of his sinful behavior with Tony. The brunette filled his mind, and a hefty load of guilt crashed down on his innocent conscious.

"TONY, SHOOT I AM REALLY MESSING EVERYTHING UP."

He did not want to cuss, and gather up anymore transgressions. Big Steve raised an eyebrow at himself, and he walked closer to his younger self. He was what, eighteen?

Oh yeah, that version of Steve was still volunteering his free time at the local church. Every Sunday.

"It will be fine. Tony can handle you debating your feelings. You just need to figure them out first."

Steve considered himself to be an expert on Tony Stark. Well, his version of Tony Stark was at his side almost everyday.

They had an unorthodox relationship, but he knew that his younger self would survive the fall. Bucky being part of the mix interested him, but everything would come out in the wash.

The soldier looked directly at his younger self. He gave him a warm smile, and he made sure that he was listening.

"Would you like some additional advice?"

Yes please. He saw those golden ears perk up. Baby Steve was very eager to be advised. The young one was strangely at ease with his older self. It oddly felt right for him to be in his presence.

"You should just focus on what you have been brought here to learn. Those two will work out whatever mess they have going on... over there."

Big Steve slowly waved his hand off in some other direction. Over there. Tony and Bucky needed to keep that mess OVER THERE. Far away.

"The same rules should also apply to your version of Stephen Strange. He's probably already developed his mess as well. They all need to stay, over there."

The older Steve kept waving his hand in one direction. Baby Steve slowly started to smile. He really didn't understand what he was doing. I mean, all of a sudden he was approached and taken somewhere else.

"I don't know what everyone wants from me. Tony mentioned that I'd be doing someone's bidding? Why am I here? It doesn't make sense."

Baby Steve started to sulk a little. He looked down at his altered body, and he wondered what it all meant. He kept thinking, why me? But his older self could not respond to that.

He could not tell Steve why he was there. The soldier did not believe in defining the journey of someone else. He needed to figure that out on his own.

"You'll only be doing your own bidding around here. I'm here to ensure that. Just, think about my advice as they work things out."

Steve didn't want his younger self getting stressed out over relationship stuff. He began to notice something about his younger self, and it made him cast the mirror dimension away.

"Are you hungry?"

YES. Steve was starving. He mentioned something about scrubbing the floors before getting to eat. Big Steve almost laughed, but then he told his younger self to follow him.

He intended to find Bucky as well. Big Steve's jurisdictional line encircled baby Steve and baby Bucky. Dr. Strange was not allowed to starve them, or basically go near them any longer.

And TONY was in the same exact boat. He didn't want any version of Tony Stark distracting his younger self. They'd get there, when they got there.

The two versions of Steve walked away from the tree. They gathered Bucky Barnes, and the older Steve introduced himself.

That introduction was witnessed by Stephen and Victor. They mindlessly scrubbed the floor until they saw that they were the only people doing it.

What the shit. Stephen threw the sponge in the bucket and he held an irritated glare.

"Forget this."

Stephen stood up, and he turned away from the bucket. Victor followed after his brother, and the two of them started hunting around.

Where the hell was the exit? Stephen wanted to leave. He held that thought, until something seemed to flutter around to his left. Stephen saw some glowing thing, and it caused him to blink several times.

Victor did not see what he was staring at. He kept looking where his brother was focused, and he thought that Stephen was going crazy.

Victor followed the leader. His brother walked after the glowing "thing" and the fifteen year old tried to keep up.

Chapter: END

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