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A Flash of Something Human

Summary:

On a mission to investigate a possible Super Soldier, Sam and Bucky encounter a middle-aged Steve Rogers chasing down a Winter Soldier. In the course of a day, Sam and Bucky help Steve figure out how he can get out of his frustrating cycle of missions, everyone has some good talks, and Bucky gets to compete with his past self for Sam's affection. It's a good time, except for the parts that are absolutely horrible.

Notes:

This is a hard to tag warnings for, because most of it is non-explicit and in the past, but the implied past is horrible. A lot is implied about how Bucky was used and abused as the Winter Soldier. There are some vague references to Bucky having wanted to die, but nothing super specific. Non-specific references to Sam experiencing racism. Minor violence. Steve is pining for Sam and Bucky in different ways but he's not here to start trouble, he understands he is in a SamBucky story. Let me know if you see other things that should be tagged.

(See the end of the work for other works inspired by this one.)

Chapter 1: My Favorite Sam

Chapter Text

Sam sees a flash of something human in the distance.

 

"This way!" He yells as he starts running down the hall of an abandoned industrial building.

 

They are two blocks from the townhouse Sam shares with Bucky. He has no idea what they are looking for, but Torres had been adamant that Sam needed to get there quickly and in uniform.  That Bucky would also be there seemed to be a given.  

 

As he runs, Sam hears one set of footsteps echoing down the hall, his own.  He intentionally changes his cadence for a moment and briefly hears Bucky's footfalls before the soldier falls back into Sam's rhythm.  Bucky gets annoyed when Sam compliments him on what Bucky sees as basic competence, but Sam has spent almost two decades trying to be the perfect wingman, both literally and figuratively, and he appreciates Bucky's skill at taking a support position.  He may be grumbling and glaring, but Bucky is always right where Sam needs him to be.

 

"He's moving up!" Bucky yells from behind.  "Jumping up.  Looks like another fucking Super Soldier."

 

Sam engages his goggles for a better view but the man is barely more than a blur as he leaps up the stairwell in the distance.  Given the speed and ease of his jumps, Sam has to agree it is either a humanoid with superhuman strength or a video game character come to life.

 

When Sam hits the stairwell, he uses his thrusters to shoot straight up to the top floor, but his query is already nearly out of sight and the corridors are not wide enough for Sam to fly.  He'll never catch up on foot.  

 

"He's most likely heading to one of the two stairwells that lead to the roof. I'll take the short cut and see if I can cut him off," Sam says into his comm before using his shield to break through the nearest window. 

 

Before Sam is out the window, he can hear Bucky's footfalls in the corridor.  He is now running at full speed rather than at Sam's very human pace.

 

Sam lands on the roof between two stairwell doors that are about twenty feet apart and facing each other.    He can clearly hear Bucky loudly taking about five steps at a time in one stairwell, while the stealthy footsteps in the other are only audible with the help of Redwing. Sam focuses on the stairwell with the quiet footsteps as Bucky loudly kicks open what must have been a heavily (based on the sound of grinding metal) pad-locked stairwell door and steps onto the roof behind Sam.  

 

Later, he would be able to identify that something had sounded Wrong, but in the moment, Sam responds by instinct before there is a clear thought.  He gets his shield up in time to block the first knife Bucky hurls at his back and blocks the second more by luck than anything. When Sam turns around, Bucky's face is the stuff of nightmares.  There is no sign of humanity in his nearly covered face as he stomps his way towards Sam.  

 

Sam yells, "Bucky!" as the door behind him opens and a shield identical to his own goes flying past him.  The shield hits the wall behind Bucky, ricocheting and hitting the Super soldier in the back with enough force to knock over a normal human; it causes Bucky to stumble forward slightly.  Sam throws his own shield for a similar ricochet off the back of Bucky's legs.  Bucky can and will catch anything thrown in his direction. Sam has seen Bucky catch and throw back a bullet.  Hitting him on a ricochet is the best bet to actually do damage.  As Bucky staggers at the impact on his calves, Sam again yells, "Bucky", hoping to trigger some recognition.  

 

Bucky's in full Winter Soldier gear.  Something has gone terribly wrong, but there is precious little time for thinking as Bucky is in full murderous cyborg mode.  Sam jumps in the air, engaging his wings, as Bucky hurls the shield back at him at an alarming speed.  The shield hits Sam square in the chest and the force knocks him several feet backwards but physics is on his side in the air, protecting him from the full impact of the hit.  Sam is grateful Bucky doesn't hold back in their training sessions. Sam has had plenty of experience having the shield whipped at him with the speed and strength of a locomotive.

 

Sam hears the words "Who the hell is Bucky?" coming from two different directions, from Bucky and a second voice behind him.  Sam doesn't dare take his eyes off Bucky to look back, but his heart pounds at the familiar voice.

 

"You say it every time, Buck.  Every goddamn time."

 

Sam would know that voice anywhere, but it sounds older, rougher.  Sure enough, Steve Rogers leaps out from somewhere behind Sam, straight at Bucky, and the two are a whirl of color and movement.  Sam watches for his moments when he can get in a hit without risking permanent damage to Bucky.  It was impossible to fight the Winter Soldier back when he was a terrifying stranger, but it's even worse when he is inhabiting the body of a friend.  The soldier is relentless and so very skilled; he leaves no room for punches to be pulled.  The soldier can clearly see Steve and Sam are holding back and he takes full advantage.  While Steve grapples in close with the Soldier, the Soldier takes every opportunity to attack Sam, forcing Steve to try and protect his more breakable friend rather than remaining focused on bringing the Soldier down.  Sam hates that it works, but is impressed by the strategy, and how quickly the Soldier identifies and plays on Steve's weakness.

 

Sam flies off, giving Steve a moment to properly focus on the fight, before dive-bombing Bucky from behind, knocking him to the ground.  There is a flash of blue from Steve and the Soldier is unconscious on the ground, with Steve quickly restraining him with vibranium cuffs.

 

Bucky's hair is long.  His arm is shiny metal. This is definitely not Sam's Bucky, at least not the same one who followed Sam into the building.  Steve has lines on his pretty boy face and strands of white in his blond hair.  

 

But the smile is just as Sam remembered.

 

"Sam!  Look at you!  You look amazing!  You have the wings and the shield!  I always hoped you would, but I have never gotten to see it.  I only get to see you...  It's so good to see you, Sam." 

 

Steve is walking towards Sam with his arms extended but he stops a few steps away.

 

"It's me, Sam.  The me that you know... Well.  It's me from this timeline.  I didn't know if I would be able to tell you were the real Sam... They were all the 'real Sam' but you're my Sam.  God, I've missed you so much."

 

Sam half expects an attack, but Steve simply gives him one of those big hugs that make you feel warm for the next half hour.

 

"You look so cool!" Steve gushes as he holds Sam tight.  "I told Bucky that if anyone could make Captain America cool, it was you.  This tech has Wakanda all over it.  How did that happen?"

 

The best Sam can manage is, "Bucky."

 

Steve cringes.  "I think I knocked out our Bucky in the stairwell.  Your Bucky.  Apparently, they are all my Bucky now.  It's complicated."

 

Sam looks at the Bucky lying on the ground.  

 

"When you mess with time, it tends to mess back," Steve offers like an explanation. 

 

"Is it really you?" Sam asks, his tongue feeling unnaturally large and cumbersome in his mouth.  

 

"Yes.  I think.  It's all gotten pretty confusing," Steve admits before giving Sam a second, far more gentle hug. "Every Sam in every timeline is a friend, but you are still my favorite Sam."

 

Sam is still trying to wrap his brain around what is happening when Bucky comes leaping out of the same stairwell Steve had come from.  He yells Sam's name and has two knives ready to throw as he takes in the scene. 

 

"Sorry, Buck," Steve yells in a congenial tone.  "Thought you were..."

 

Steve gestures to the unconscious Bucky on the ground.  

 

Bucky looks wary, but he allows Steve to hug him, never taking his eyes off of Sam. Bucky is still holding his knives but Steve seems unconcerned.    

 

"Look at you, Buck.  You look..." Steve tries and fails to find a word before weakly settling on, "Great."

 

"How long has it been since they scrambled his brain?" Bucky asks as he effortlessly flicks his knives back into their hiding places.  He still looks ready to fight as his eyes keep scanning the scene and returning to Sam, as though Sam could possibly have answers as to why there are currently two Captain Americas and two Bucky Barnes sharing a rooftop.

 

"I'm not sure.  I just got..." Steve winces.  "I was recently made aware there was a Winter Soldier here.  I have only been in this timeline for two days, and I haven't been able to get close enough to try and jog some memories.  I have no idea how long he has been here."

 

"What are you going to do with him?" Bucky asks with an unnatural detachment, like he has no connection to the unconscious man on the floor.

 

"I'll need to keep him somewhere until he..." Steve trails off awkwardly, looking suddenly very tired, and Sam wishes he had fought harder to help Steve with returning the stones.  It had seemed smarter at the time to only have one person fucking with time, but it was clear time had been fucking back pretty damn hard.  Steve looks exhausted and drained.

 

"Is more cooperative," Bucky offers.

 

"More himself," Steve corrects.

 

Bucky grabs the unconscious soldier by the harness strap across his chest and heaves him into the air and over his shoulder in one effortless movement, treating his unconscious double like a sack of potatoes.  Sam sees his own discomfort reflected in Steve's eyes.  They are hardly in a position to tell Bucky how to treat... himself?  No wonder Steve finally has fine lines on his face.

 

"We have a place," Bucky says with no emotion.  "It's Winter Soldier proof".