The Finale
Ever since they were little Rebecca had always viewed their existence as winner, and loser.
She was always the loser.
Her parents always favored Bucky, always praised their little Omega son for every little thing. When he won the spelling bee in third grade, brought them out for pizza to celebrate. When he went to his first high school dance, took endless pictures of him and Steve, showering him with complements on how absolutely beautiful he was in his suit.
Rebecca was never good enough to get their praise. She never won things at school, her grades were always average and never exceeding anything worth mentioning. She didn’t go to that school dance because Bruce Banner had turned her down (She was pretty sure it was because he had a crush on Bucky), and everyone knows it’s lame to go to homecoming alone.
When he got his drivers license on his first try they congratulated him, their father telling him all about his first year of driving and how much fun Bucky would have.
It took Rebecca three tries to get her license. They didn’t celebrate, only made jokes, “Third times a charm, ay?”.
Since forever Rebecca had always lost.
Since they could walk,
Talk.
Play,
Fight.
Since forever.
So when Steve made that move Rebecca Barnes told herself it was her turn to be a winner, because she’s lost so many times that it was finally her turn for victory.
Sometimes a persons mind can be clouded by adolescence and unkind thinking. Sometimes it will take over a persons being so much that they’re convinced it’s right, everything they do is justified and in no way their fault.
Rebecca Barnes had been misguided, and now it’s time to face the consequences of her actions.
If you asked Bucky what his childhood with Rebecca as his twin was spent like, he’d tell a much different story than his sisters.
He remembered that spelling bee, how Rebecca was too self conscious to participate. When he won their parents took them both out for pizza, they let him and Rebecca split a giant cookie and play claw machine until they got that little tiger stuffed animal they thought was so cool.
When Bruce Banner turned down Rebecca she came home crying, Bucky asked what was wrong and she told him.
Said the Beta told her he just wasn’t interested, and Bucky could understand why. Rebecca was loud and fun whereas Bruce was quite and observant. They wouldn’t mesh and his sister couldn’t see that. He was sure Bruce never meant to hurt her feelings, he was probably just factual about his refusal.
“You can go with me and Steve.” Bucky suggested, patting her back as she cried on her bed.
“What and be the lame third wheel to my brother and his boyfriend? No thanks.”
“No one would judge you, I’m sure Steve wouldn’t mind. Come on, we’ll have fun-“
“I said no!” She shouted, pushing him out of her room and slamming the door.
Bucky understood why, she was hurting and taking it out on him. He wouldn’t hold that against his sister.
When Bucky got his drivers license first he was excited, not because he was beating his sister but because that meant he could drive to see Steve whenever instead of riding his bike or hanging out at school. Steve still wasn’t old enough for his license yet, so the Alpha was just as happy when Bucky would come over and hang out.
Rebecca got hers on the third try, and instead of being excited about it she just grumbled.
“You know dad’s just teasing right?” Bucky asked her, it was pretty obvious why she was upset. Having your parents make silly jokes about something you worked hard for must be frustrating. Not that their dad could tell it pissed her off, she only put on smiles for their parents.
“Well not all of us are perfect.” She said, the attitude clear.
He sighed. “Whatever Becks, it’s okay to be excited about your own accomplishments you know.” He said before leaving the room.
Bucky never knew what his sister really thought of their lives as twins, all he knew was his own opinion and memory.
And Bucky remembers how stern his sister was, how determined.
If you compared the twos stories, you’d think it was a completely different childhood, with different parents and different siblings.
It makes one think... which ones the truth?
.•O•.
Three weeks after the “Wedding”
“How ya holding up pal?” Clint asked, patting the blond on the back.
Steve took a sip of his lemonade, because he didn’t feel like drowning his life in alcohol right now.
“Well let’s see.” Steve started, looking around at the people sat at the table. “My fiancée- well, my ex-fiancée is actually bat shit crazy, I’m not kidding don’t laugh Wade! It was confirmed by a fucking doctor she’s actually mentally insane. But anyway, she’s crazy. Bucky’s left back to LA with his Alpha to go have a family and be happy, which is great.” He paused for another sip of lemonade, it was pink. “Um, my mom won’t stop cornering me to talk about my feelings, and my dad doesn’t know what to do so he just kind of offers me food and then puts on the game. So yeah! I’m doing great.”
His friends chuckled in a very uncomfortable way.
“Well at least your mental health hadn’t suffered.” Natasha said sarcastically.
“I think the real thing we should be toasting here is the fact that you’re not shackled to Rebecca Barnes.” Tony said, raising his glass.
Everybody said “Ay!” And clinked glasses.
“To bad Bucky had to go back home, it was nice seeing him.” Sam said.
“I thought you two never really were that close?” Steve asked, tilting his head.
“Nah, mostly because every time I saw him you had your face glued to his, but now getting to talk to him, as grown ups was nice. I liked his Alpha too, although he was a bit intimidating.”
“Well he is the head of a big company.” Clint said.
“Yeah I’m still trying to get Bucky to get me a meeting with him.” Tony said, a growl leaving his lips.
Everybody laughed, almost certain Bucky wouldn’t try that hard to convince his Alpha, and T’Challa would most likely decline, just to fuck with Tony.
They all had some nice conversation after that, until the night grew darker, and the time later as everyone finished up the last of their meals.
“So what’s next for you Steve?” Nat asked. “Got any post break up plans. You’re a free man now, what are you gonna do?”
Steve sighed, he’d been thinking through his options, scratching the scruff growing out on his chin he looked up to the waiting eyes of his friends.
“I’ve been looking into renting this beach house about an hours drive from here, I’ll probably settle there for awhile, maybe write a novel about my twisted relationships. Probably paint, or get a dog or something.” He shrugged.
“I’d pay good money for that book,” Clint said. “You plan on putting in anything graphic? Just curious.” The Beta said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Steve laughed, shaking his head at his friends.
Yeah, he knows he’s been a fuck up, for a long time now. He’s messed up peoples lives, hurt them willingly. What he’s done to Bucky is something he’ll never forgive himself for, but he’s trying to remember what his mother told him.
“Just because you’ve done bad things doesn’t mean you have to suffer.” She’d said, holding his cheek in her small hand as she smiled up at him. “I know you’ve done things you regret, and I know you’re gonna suffer for some of them. But having a guilty conscience doesn’t mean you have to put your life on hold. Because I promise you, no matter how much you think Bucky hates you, he’d never tell you to stop living your life.”
So that’s what he’s doing, getting on with his life. He wasn’t sure if the feeling of guilt and regret would ever fade or leave him, but his mother was right, he couldn’t just stop.
Stopping wouldn’t help Bucky any, the Omega probably never thinks about what Steve does anyway, so he might as well get on with it.
Start living his life, away from the Barnes family.
He felt ready, and maybe a little excited.
Time for a new adventure.
.•O•.
Rebecca Barnes was questioned.
By a lot of people, many times now.
To sum up a boring two weeks for her, the final questioning was held with a doctor, they didn’t tell her what kind of doctor but she assumed he was the kind you talk too.
She liked him, he made things make sense.
He was honest and in turn so was she.
Rebecca Barnes is a very hard story to tell, she’s explosive and all over the place. Her ending is- complex.
Perhaps it’s not the final ending, just a speed bump, maybe.
They diagnosed her, she remembers words like bipolar getting thrown around, scarier words like schizophrenia were spoken.
In conclusion she never wanted the final answer, and willing excepted the medicine they gave her. The special doctor told her if she listened to instructions, if she followed the rules and was able to improve her mental state she had hope of a normal life.
When months had passed and the medicine began to work, the therapy, the doctors, everything, she found her breakthrough moment the doctor had promised.
The only thing she hadn’t expected with her breakthrough was the fact it would only be feelings breaking down her walls.
One feeling in particular.
Guilt.
So, so much guilt.
She didn’t know if she could ever find forgiveness from those she hurt, she was pretty sure she didn’t deserve it.
.•O•.
Four months later
“-Oh my god! Let me see that little face!” Winnie shouted over the laptops screen.
They were on Skype, and Bucky moved to the end of the couch, closer to where the laptop rests on the coffee table, bringing his little month old bundle into view.
“Mom you literally Skyped me yesterday to see him.”
She waved a hand as if to say ‘oh hush you’.
“But he’s just so handsome I wanna see him always!” His mother gushed.
Bucky watched as George popped his head into the scream, a grin plastering his face immediately. “Is that my little grandson! Hi buddy, it’s grandpa!”
“I can’t wait until our flight next week!” Winnie squealed.
“Me neither mom, he’s grown some since you guys were last here.” Bucky said, smiling down at his little baby.
“Well I should hope so, he was just a newborn when we saw him. Now he’s a big boy!” She said, holding her cheeks as if she was phantom pinching her grandsons.
“He’s only a month old, I wouldn’t classify him as ‘big’.” Bucky said, laughing as his little boy sighed. “No you’re still my sweet little one aren’t you? My handsome little Azzuri!” Bucky cooed down to his sweetie.
“Why Azzuri though?” His dad asked, still butthurt that they didn’t name the baby George.
“Because that’s T’Challa’s grandfathers name, he’s a very important member of the family, it was special to T’Challa.” Bucky explained for the eightieth time to his father, an exasperated sigh accompanying it.
“Yes, Yes.” His father said, nodding along before becoming distracted with baby talk again.
After awhile Bucky had to tell them bye. “Alright, I have to let you go now, I’ve gotta start dinner.” At his parents groan he laughed. “You guys will see him in a week.”
“That’s so far away!” They complained at the same time.
Bucky said his goodbyes, it always made him happy talking to his parents.
He smiled when the door to their large apartment opened, T’Challa walking through, dropping his bag and immediately coming to give Bucky and their son a kiss.
“How was your day, my love?” He asked, taking Azzuri from Bucky’s arms to cradle the baby himself.
T’Challa got lost in their sons eyes, and Bucky could understand why. Azzuri was a beautiful child, his skin tone taking only a slight shade lighter than T’Challas, and his beautiful hazel eyes had the sweetest little flecks of green in them. He had that cute button nose infants tended to share, and his lips were identical to Bucky’s.
He was a perfect mix of the two, a beautiful tea steeped in the most complementary of flavors.
He was everything to them.
Bucky just smiled, leaning into kiss his Alpha’s cheek.
“Just two more months.” Bucky whispered, making T’Challa grin.
To more months until Bucky would finally have his heat, two more months until him and T’Challa would participate in a mating bond, leaving bites on each other’s neck in the most intimate of ways.
Usually Omega’s wouldn’t give their Alpha’s a mark, but when Bucky brought up the topic months ago T’Challa had said, “Of course I want you to bite me, it would feel incomplete to leave my mark on you without holding yours on me. I want the world to know I’m loved by a beautiful man, and I want to have the strongest connection I could possibly have with you.”
And damnit Bucky had started sobbing at that, granted he was only four months pregnant at the time of this conversation, but none the less he was with the sweetest man and he never felt more loved.
“Can’t wait to have that with you.” T’Challa whispered back, kissing Bucky before returning his gaze to Azzuri.
Bucky just stroked both of their heads.
This was only the beginning.
He smiled.