The next day Steve was in a 1945 looking room looking paler, thinner but alive when his eyes flickered open to see an old glass light fixture on a white ceiling. He sat up and found himself on a bed in a quiet, 1940s room. The sun shown through white curtains as the Dodgers game played on an old vacuum tube radio on a wooden dresser.

"Workman up for the Phillies, now. Holding that big club down at the end. He sets, Chipman pitches. Curveball, outside. Ball one." the radio announcer said and Steve slid his bare feet to the worn, wooden floor.

"Finally awake huh punk?" someone said and he turned to see a familiar brunette sitting in a chair reading a book. "You were always a late sleeper." he said smiling amused.

"Bucky?" Steve said quietly in shock.

"Hey Steve." Bucky said and Steve rubbed his face as the radio played.

"So the Dodgers are ahead eight to five. And Chipman knows one swing of the bat and this fella's capable of making it a brand new game." the radio announcer said and Steve eyed the radio taking a long look at Bucky.

"Didn't we go to that game years ago?"

"I tried to tell them it wouldn't work but they didn't listen." Bucky said with his arms crossed.

"How long have I been out?"

"Outfield deep, round toward left, the infield over shifted." the radio announcer said.

"It's uh, it's hard to explain pal." Bucky said.

"Bucky, please." Steve said and Bucky took a deep breath.

"Just, give me a minute to call someone, OK?" Bucky said and Steve nodded.

Then Bucky got up and left the room while Steve tried to process the fact that he was alive and Bucky was right there.

A few minutes later Bucky came back with Fury next to him.

"Steve, this is Colonel Nick Fury. Director of SHIELD but prefers to be called Fury." Bucky said.

"SHIELD?" Steve said confused.

"Shortly after the war, Howard, Peggy and Colonel Phillips renamed SSR to SHIELD." Bucky said and Steve nodded.

"Sorry about that little show. See, there's no precedent for what you've been through. We couldn't tell how delicate your mental state might be. We thought it best to break it to you slowly." Fury said and Bucky snorted.

"Oh yeah, great plan." Bucky said and Fury glared at him. "Oh come on, if you had agreed to my plan it would've gone much better."

"Break what?" Steve asked.

"You've been asleep, Captain. For almost seventy years." Fury said and Steve looked at them, stunned.

"Seventy…" Steve said and it hit him. "The World of the Future."

"Yeah, pretty much." Bucky said amused.

"Well, thanks to you, there is one." Fury said and Steve looked at him.

"What about the war? Did we win?" Steve asked.

"Clearly." Bucky said.

"Hell, yes. Unconditional surrender, baby. And taking down HYDRA was a big part of that." Fury said and Steve reeled.

"How am I... not dead?" Steve asked and looked at Bucky. "And why the hell do you look twenty eight?!"

"Uh, I'd rather not say." Bucky said.

"To be perfectly honest, we're not sure yet. My docs day it's some kind of suspended animation. Dr. Erskine's formula, the extreme cold... I can't break it down for you on a cellular level, but you haven't aged a day since that plane went down. Barnes is the same from Zola's formula." Fury said and Bucky glared at him.

"Thanks Nick." Bucky said and Fury shrugged.

"He needed to know." Fury said and Bucky sighed while Steve looked at them, overwhelmed. "You don't mind my asking, what gave us away back there?"

"What? Oh. Bob Chipman was traded for Eddie Stanky during the '44 season. He's with the Cubs now." Steve said. "Or… was." he said troubled.

"I know it's a lot to swallow. But the world's not as different as it looks. There's still work to be done…" Fury said and Bucky looked at him while he pointed. "Soldier's work." he said and Steve met Fury's eyes and then Bucky's while Fury brought forward a case and opened it, revealing Steve's battered shield. "The world could still use a man like you, Cap." he said and Steve touched the shield, remembering. "Take your time. God knows if anybody's earned it, you have. All the same…" he said, offered his hand and Steve took it. "There's a place for you on the team." he said and Steve rubbed his head. "You sure you're all right?"

"Yeah. Just a lot to process." Steve said and Fury nodded.

"I'll just leave so you and Barnes can have some time together." Fury said and left.

When Fury left Steve finally started having a panic attack and Bucky got close to him.

"Steve, Steve, Steve!" Bucky said and put his hands on Steve's shoulders. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I'm right here. Alive just like you." he said gently and Steve looked at him. "And you know what?" he asked.

"What?" Steve asked.

"Gay relationships, are legal now." Bucky said and Steve looked at him in shock and a little hope.

"Does that mean-" Steve started but was kissed for a minute.

"We can date each other in public and no one can put us in jail." Bucky said smiling and nodding.

Steve stood there silently thinking.

"I, I don't know if I can Buck." Steve said and Bucky looked at him.

"Steve?"

"I just found out I've been sleeping for almost seventy years, we can legally date each other now, our friends are just about all dead and more. I'm sorry but, I need some time to adapt to this." Steve said and Bucky looked at him fighting tears.

"I've been waiting for this since the day I lost you."

"Bucky-"

"No, I get." Bucky said and kissed him one last time. "Take as much as you need. When you're ready, I'll be there." he said and Steve nodded.

"Thank you."

"Do you want me to stay or go?" Bucky whispered.

"Stay, please?"

"OK. I said it at your ma's funeral, I'm with you until the end of the line pal." Bucky said and Steve couldn't help but smiled.

At least he still had Bucky.