Taking The Midnight train
“They’re not friendship bracelets, Wilson,”
Sam and Ren were still arguing. There had been a brief pause when they all separated to get a few hours of sleep, but as soon as they boarded the train the conversation had restarted.
“Then why do they look the same?”
“Because I got them from the same shop,”
It was way too early for this. Steve might’ve been a morning person, but waking up at 5am after only a few hours of sleep, being chased through the woods, and being experimented on was pushing his limits. Sitting across from him, his old friend who looked just as tired. He could only imagine what the last few days had been like for Buck.
“And why did you buy The Winter Soldier a bracelet?” Sam asked.
Ren looked exasperated, “Because I thought he might like it, ok? They were cute,”
“Oh I’m sure you thought something was cute,”
Bucky almost choked on his drink and Ren looked like she wanted to choke Sam. Wilson was almost certainly pressing her buttons. She was smart enough to know that, but Steve figured they were just arguing to ignore the nerves. Even though they were safely on the train, the threat of Hydra coming after them was lingering in everyone's mind.
But the main thing on his mind was the man in front of him. Once upon a time Steve would’ve been able to read him like a book, now he almost felt like a stranger. The long hair threw him. Bucky never would’ve worn it like that. But this version of him was so different. Quieter, less joking, much less flirting. Had this been pre-war he would’ve asked Ren out already.
He might not be able to read Barnes as well as he used to but some things hadn’t changed. Yet they both seemed oblivious to the growing tension between them. It was hardly there, granted. Maybe he was imagining things. Projecting what the old Buck would’ve thought onto this one. Like Wright had told him; they’d both changed a lot and would need time to figure each other out.
Yet he couldn’t help searching for his best friend.
At some point the pair in the seats across the aisle had changed topics.
“Inferno sounds like a pretty badass codename,” Sam told her.
“It sounds like a shitty comic book superhero,” She retorted.
“What, and ‘Captain America’ doesn’t”
“Oh please,” Steve cut in, “like ‘The Falcon’ is any better,”
That earned a small laugh from Bucky.
“Oh that’s how it is? You think of a better name for her then,”
Steve paused to think. Coming up with a catchy name was harder than it looked, usually someone else gave them to you, “What about… The Human Torch?”
“That’s awful,” Bucky said quietly.
The three of them all chuckled at his attempt and he laughed with them. That’s how it continued for the next few hours. The four of them joking around to distract from their situation, occasionally dozing off or getting food. When Wright fell asleep in her seat Wilson tried to take advantage of the opportunity.
Her lips were slightly parted and her head was against the window. He grabbed a plastic spoon from their breakfast and reached over to stick it in her mouth. Steve caught Bucky glaring at him. Ultimately it backfired. The second the spoon tapped one of her lips she jumped awake. Her hand wrapped around Sam's wrist and twisted it to the side. Only a second later she released him. He rubbed his wrist and looked at her, throwing his hands up in mock surrender.
She gave him a patronizing look and Barnes shook his head, smiling a little. “Next time you do that you could lose a hand,”
“Oh what, are you gonna burn it off?”
She smiled, “Don’t have to. There’s only 27 bones in each hand, and most of them are very fragile,”
Sam only looked a little shaken by her comment. After a minute of false animosity the two were laughing with each other again. He felt a spike of jealousy.
…
In Stuttgart, Germany the train stopped and they had to move to the next one. It was a big station and their next train was on the other side. Even if it looked different, being back in Germany brought back a lot of memories. It appeared he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
“It looks different,” Barnes said.
Steve tried to conceal his surprise at the comment, “It’s not a warzone anymore,”
His old friend sighed, “But we’re still fighting,”
“Not for long Buck,” He clapped him on the shoulder, “Once we make it back to New York we’re done,”
He nodded, then paused, “Do you think that diner is still open?”
Rogers knew exactly which diner he meant, “God I hope not, that place was awful,”
They laughed. Lenny’s Diner had been frequently visited by the two kids from Brooklyn. It was cheap, and you could tell. But they could afford it. He remembered so many times, going there after Bucky had pulled him away from yet another fight. They would share a basket of fries while his friend berated him for being such a punk. Before agreeing that the guy deserved it.
After all this time, Bucky was still rescuing him from fights he couldn’t win.
…
It was sunrise the next day by the time they pulled into the Paris station. They were all exhausted and desperate to get home. So instead of checking into another hotel they headed straight for the airport. A cab would’ve been faster, but their limited resources were quickly running out and the international plane tickets wouldn’t be cheap. So they walked.
The streets of Paris weren’t a bad place to be at night. It was beautiful. Steve wished he could take the time to sit down and draw some of the sights. He hadn’t had much time to draw lately. But that would have to wait for another trip. He felt an itch between his shoulder blades. Looking around he didn’t see anything out of the norm. The rest of the team was being just as vigilant. If Hydra hadn’t caught up with them yet, the odds of being found here were slim. Still, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.
Because nothing was ever this easy.
Sam was walking beside him, Bucky and Ren were only a few paces behind. Bucky was the first to notice. He whispered something to Ren that he couldn’t make out. A few minutes later she whispered something back.
“Steve, we’re being followed,” Barnes said, only loud enough for them to hear.
He didn’t bother searching for the tail, he trusted his friends senses, “Shit,”
He tightened his grip on the large black bag he was carrying, the one hiding his shield and suit. “We split up. Wilson, you and Wright go together, I’ll stick with Barnes,” He wasn’t letting him out of his sight again, “We meet back at the Eiffel Tower once we’re sure we’ve lost them. If anyone gets caught… then we come back with the rest of the team,”
As the city woke, the group silently split in half and disappeared down the side streets of Paris.