His ashes felt lighter than they did before. Steve assumed this was because Bucky was back with him again, and the ashes were no longer the only piece of his best friend he had left. He no longer had to worry that half of the universe―including a portion of his family―were never coming home again.
But at what cost?
He remembered Bruce, and he realised now that he owed him an unpayable debt. They all did. He had sacrificed his arm and been through unbearable pain to bring back their loved ones. He hoped the world would never fear him again. But most importantly, he hoped he would never fear himself. Not anymore.
Steve remembered Natasha, with her sarcastic quips and her determination. He remembered her pain, and he promised to always keep a part of her inside his heart. He promised her that he would protect what she had left behind, and he would honour her sacrifice.
He remembered Tony Stark. They had always fought, but Tony surprised him on the battlefield. Maybe he wasn’t as selfless as Steve originally thought he was. He promised him silently that he would take care of the family he’d left behind.
“Hey,” Bucky said quietly behind him. He rested a firm hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Are you going to be alright?”
Steve opened the lid of the urn and watched Bucky’s ashes float into the air like lanterns. He turned towards the other man with tears in his eyes.
“No. But maybe one day I will be.”
“I’m with you till the end of the line,” Bucky uttered, pulling him into a hug.
“I wish they could’ve been, too.”
The ashes floated higher and higher before they were lost behind a cluster of oak trees.
Steve didn’t think he had ever felt more alone.