7Previously on It only took 70 years,
"As we stepped back on the elevator, Bucky's phone rang."
Now on It only took 70 years
Steve's POV
"Rogers." Bucky answered as we headed down to our floor. "Hey man, what's up?" He asked stretching out on the sofa in front of our TV. I looked down at my watch and grinned. The perfect time, to take him on a tour of my NYC. I got his attention and said I was heading back up to Gabe and Jacques. He nodded. "Who is it?" I mouthed sitting in the easy chair perpendicular to the sofa. "Dum." I chuckled and rose heading back over to the elevator. I hit the up button and turned. I blew a kiss to Bucky and he caught it placing it on his heart. I smiled and stepped into the elevator. I headed upstairs. When I stepped out of the elevator, I saw Dernier and Gabe coming out of their room. "Hey guys. I was planning on taking Bucky out on a tour of my New York. You two interested?" They looked at each other and nodded. "Awesome. I'll meet you downstairs. The button on the elevator says L." They nodded and I headed back down to my husband.
"Hun?" I asked stepping off the elevator on my main floor. "In here, handsome." I heard Bucky call from my studio. I followed his voice to see him staring at the sketch I did of us over my fireplace in the room, I like to use as my studio because it has a balcony and a lot of natural light. "I guess you found my studio." I said leaning against the door jamb. He turned away from the picture over my fireplace. He nodded and wiped away the tears in his eyes. I pushed off the door and met him in the middle. I wrapped my arms around his waist. "I'm taking Dernier and Gabe on a tour of my New York. You interested in joining us?" He nodded and rested his head on my chest. "Dum Dum called and said he is coming into New York by train. He'll be at Grand Central around 6:00." "Okay. We'll all be there." "Well, I told Gabe and Dernier we will meet them in the lobby." Bucky nodded and let go of me. We headed into our room and changed our clothes. Because it's September in New York City, it's cold. So we bundled up. I pulled on a button down with a sweater over it. I topped it off with my gray pea coat and gloves with a plaid scarf. Bucky was no where to be found. I headed out into the living room.
"Darling?" I called. "I'm coming." I heard him call. I noticed a bag over his shoulder. "Sorry I was getting my camera." I nodded. He whistled when he saw me. I smiled and spun around. I didn't blush anymore. It was a relief. He chuckled. I laced our fingers together. "Well we should go." I said grabbing my phone from Bucky's hand. "I added all of our numbers." He said pulling me into the elevator. I smiled and followed him. We met Jacques and Gabe in the lobby of Stark Tower. "Alright fellas, I'm going to show the way I've viewed New York since I woke up." They all nodded. "We're going to head in to the city by the SUV, I picked you all up in." They nodded and I led them to the stairs that would take us down the garage. I grabbed the keys from the rack next to the door. Tony was tired of everyone losing their keys, he installed this. Before I could grab my keys, I would have to type in my Avengers ID card number. Then I grabbed the keys, I wanted. The only keys I didn't leave done here are the keys to my bike. Which I kept under a tarp around the corner. I clicked the unlock button and we all climbed in. "Where should I start?" I asked as I pulled out onto the street.
"The beginning?" Gabe asked. I looked at Bucky to my right and nodded. "Well we are in route to Brooklyn then. I'm warning you at this time of day traffic is terrible." They all nodded. "We can stop for breakfast at my favorite place." Bucky smiled. "Alright well right now we are in Manhattan, New York. It was like this when I was younger." We drove on Del Sol. "Alright come on in guys." They nodded Bucky snapped a picture of the sign. Before dropping the camera bag back in front seat. "Santiago and Paulie! We're back and we brought friends." They both came in from the kitchen. "Hey Steve!" Santi chirped. "Hi Bucky." Paulie said. "Now who are you?" He asked looking at Jacques and Gabe. "Jacques Dernier and my husband Gabe." said Jacques introducing him and Gabe. "Well hello and welcome to New York." said Paulie practically swooning. I chuckled. Santi picked up French when he was Europe studying French cuisine. He fell in love with the accent. But when Santi quit his job as a head chef at one of the best French restaurant in New York things changed. They went to Barcelona on their honeymoon and then they fell in love with food. So they opened a Spanish bistro. It was a happy medium between the Spanish and American culture. Their bistro is my new favorite place since I ducked in to hide from the paparazzi.
"Well can I get you the usual?" Santi asked from behind the counter as we took off our layers. We all looked at each other. "You guys can go ahead and order." I said gesturing to the three men in front of me. They all ordered a black coffee. Then Gabe and Dernier both got a muffin. Bucky ordered a breakfast sandwich on a croissant. "Of course, you both know me so well." I said smiling at the guys behind the counter. They chuckled. I hung everyone's coat on the rack by the door and joined them at the largest booth in the window. "Well this is my favorite place. I've only ever brought Tony here." I looked at all the three men with me. "Now I've brought you here." They all smiled. We sat talking until Santi and Paul set our food in front of us. "Thanks guys!" I said with a grin. "I suppose I'll come in and play for the crowd tonight?" Paulie grinned and nodded. "We close early tonight. But you're usual nights this night will be lovely." I smiled and nodded. "I'll bring the gang with me."
Paulie and Santi grinned and went to serve their next customer. We ate in silence just simply enjoying the company we provided for each other. Now we are only missing three members. One is in route. Bucky hadn't gotten in touch with the others yet. "Any word from Falsworth? Morita?" Dernier asked. We simply called them by their last names because their first names were both James. "I've got a line with Morita. He said he only needs to confirm his flight and he'll be here hours after." Gabe replied. Bucky sipped on his coffee. He was thinking. "What cha thinking about?" I asked looking at him out of the corner of my eye. "I think I know how I can find Falsworth." "How?" I asked in reply. "He said he left you a note somewhere amongst your books?" He said with a quirked eyebrow. I thought back to when I got boxes of my belongings from SHIELD. I didn't completely go through the box labeled Commandoes. "I haven't completely gone through those boxes yet. But I can see what I pull up with SHIELD." They all nodded. They were there when SHIELD came to be minus Bucky and I. Both missing and presumed dead. I sometimes wished I had gotten to see Howard and watch Tony grow.
But I was someone in the Arctic frozen in ice. We sat for a hour and a half eating and talking about the last 70 years. I was commenting on things, they've done. All I did was sleep. Then I looked at the clock and grinned. "Well if everyone is set, I'm going to leave a tip for those two. Then we can head out." They nodded and rose as I went up to the counter. "Hey fellas. We're heading out. I'm only giving a donation okay? And I'll text you my nights I'm coming in to play later. Unless I'm saving the world or something of course." That earned chuckles. "Thanks man." Paulie said taking the money from me to drop in the jar behind the counter. I shrugged into my coat when I returned to the table and wrapped my scarf around my neck. "Well we're going in Bucky and I upbringing. Brooklyn." I said as we headed out of the bistro, turned coffee shop at night.\
Bucky was taking pictures of different things as we headed toward Brooklyn. My boxing gym was in Brooklyn. Then I was going to head in Manhattan then shoot up to LaGuardia. "Alright we lived together in an apartment building that is actual here still. I said as I pulled over to the side of the street. Then slid out of the car. I found the right key and headed up to the door. I let us into the building. "No elevator." Bucky smiled. "Third floor walk up." I called over my shoulder heading up the stairs. I had purchased our old apartment about ten months ago. I used it as a place to get away from the chaos of the Tower. I kept me grounded to the kid from Brooklyn with his husband. "Welcome to la casa de Rogers-Barnes." I said swinging open the door to 3A.
Bucky went in first and spun in awe. "It is the exact same?" I smiled and nodded. "It's exact down to the last scorch marks." Bucky ran over to the dining room and checked under the rug that was under the table. He grinned and his eyes watered. I nodded. "From the candles on our anniversary before we got separated." He nodded and enfolded me in his arms. I smiled and hugged tighter to me. "This is the first we've been together in this apartment is 72 years." I said to the others over Bucky's head. They weren't looking at us. They were looking at the sketch over the fireplace. It was a gas fire place of course. I put it myself. The sketch was Bucky in his dress blues. I did it after he died and had it framed. Then of course when I got my apartment back, I returned to its rightful place. Then the wall behind in my living room, was all sketches of Bucky and I. They walked through my apartment in awe. I filled the apartment with various sketches of Bucky and I. I smiled and released Bucky when he noticed the picture of himself over the fireplace. He looked at me confused. "It was after I lost you." He flinched and nodded.
I settled on the sofa with my StarkPad I left at the apartment. "I've got more sketches, I wanted to show you. But these ones are the ones I want to keep private. These of us during the war, and our married life. They are private. You are the only person who has seen these." To tell you the truth, I've got StarkPads like I've got sketchbooks. I only use my sketchbook for pictures of Bucky and I. The other drawing I do is right on the tablet. Its not the same as paper. But I'm growing used to it. I really own use the sketchbooks in my studio at the Tower. Bucky and I were snuggled together as I explained each sketch then I came to my favorite. It was the first time, I saw Bucky in a tux. The sketch after it, was when I thought he was gone. It wasn't a good sketch. But it helped me grieve. That was when I took up boxing. Because I had nothing to do at night but sketch or guard our camp.
"Well you guys ready?" I asked looking up to Dernier and Gabe as they came back into the living room. Bucky had gone to explore the apartment himself. They nodded. "This is an amazing apartment Steve." Gabe said perching on the arm of the chair that Dernier was sitting in. "Thanks guys. This was our safe place. To the outside world, Bucky was my brother staying with me, after he escaped the blitz but his wife died. Then mine went over as a nurse and was killed. Then I was injured. Then of course we both came back over." They nodded. I heard Bucky call for me. "I'm coming." I called back trotting to where I heard his voice. I saw our bedroom door open. Bucky was sitting on the bed staring at the picture; I had hanging over the headboard. It was a portrait, I drew myself of us. He smiled brightly at the picture. "My favorite." He whispered. I nodded. "I've got one in the works in my studio at the Tower. I'll show it to you tonight." He nodded. Then I helped him off the bed and led him out to join the others.
"Let's head out guys." I said as Bucky and I came out in the living room. They rose from the chair, they were snuggled in. "I'll make you a key Bucky." I whispered as I locked the door. He nodded into my back. I bent down when we hit the front of the building. "We can walk to the gym from here." They all nodded. I led the way. I felt an arm wrap around my waist. I wrapped an arm around Bucky's shoulder. We were finally at peace. In this time, we were allowed to be together openly. I kissed the top of his head. Bucky and I were pointing buildings that meant something to us, but had changed. The gym was about five blocks from our apartment. "Here we are." I said gesturing to the building in front of me. "Its still here?" Bucky looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "The very same. It's looks it did on the inside." Bucky smiled. "I'll take inside when we have more time. There is one more place for me to show you before we go pick up Dum Dum." They nodded and headed back to the car.
"Where are we headed?" Bucky asked sliding into the front. "Well we are headed to Time's Square. It was where I first learned I had been a sleep 70 years." He nodded but didn't continue on the subject. We know how it was for the both of us. Being together in a time where we would be shunned.
We climbed out of the car in Times Square. I looked at my watch, then swallowed. I moved to the stop where I thought I was going to be alone forever. I walked in a circle just looking at the buildings. I felt arms around my waist. I looked down to see Bucky's head on my chest. I smiled sadly and pulled him into me tighter. "Come on guys." I murmured releasing Bucky. "Dum Dum is going to be here soon. Then we are short two." They nodded and we went back to the SUV. "We need to go back to the tower and get another car." Bucky said looking at his phone. "I'm going to LaGuardia to pick up Morita." He nodded. "Gabe go with him." He nodded. We kissed our spouses and they caught a cab back.
"Let's head to Grand Central then Jacques." He nodded and took Bucky's place in the front seat. We were standing under the clock in the Grand Central Terminal about a half hour earlier. Then we saw that familiar bowler hat. "Dum!" I called over the crowd. "Dum!" I called again. Then he turned his head. He smiled and came in our direction. "Captain!" He said with a wave his hat. "Don't be stupid." I said quirking my eyebrow. He chuckled and pulled me into his signature hug. I chuckled. "I missed you too man!" Then he released me and hugged Dernier.