Excerpts from when Bucky met Steve in the various lives:

First time:

"So that's Steve Rogers. Jeepers Creepers, he's tiny."

"…He's a little strange. Does he have to be so clean? Well his ma's a nurse but…"

"Woah, he actually stood up to that big lump! He's practically half his size! Ohhhh HEY! You can't hit a kid like that! He might actually die!"

"Shit! He's dead. Fuck you Morson, you son of a bitch. Shitshitshit."

Barnes later picks a fight with Morson and breaks his leg. When he is drafted into the army, he doesn't try to evade the recruitment. The captain who lead his platoon once asked him what he was fighting for, and he said, "I just don't want to stand around and watch someone get killed again."

He never did elaborate.

xXXx

"So that's Steve Rogers. Jeepers Creepers, he's tiny!"

"He's really smart though. He gets all the questions right and he reads really good. He draws good too!"

"…Why doesn't anybody notice how great this guy is? He's so clever and witty!"

"Woah woah woah, Stevie, you really shouldn't pick a fight with Morson, he's twice your size and—well crap. DON'T FUCK WITH MY BUDDY YA BLOODY BASTARD!"

Bucky joins the fray, both him and his best buddy emerge looking and feeling like the crappiest crap to ever been crapped in a dark alley. He tows the little shit to his house to get nursed by his four sisters while he gets scolded instead and even when nobody is looking, he tries to hide the big grin on his face.

"…Did he just look at my ass? He better be careful someone else doesn't catch him."

"…He better not be looking at someone else's ass…Oh, it's the crow beside him. Stevie really likes drawing birds…"

"…God, he's sooooo obvious. He's lucky it's me and not—shit Miles saw that!"

(A big fight occurs, Steve was not involved. He only found out when Bucky limped into the wrong house triumphantly. The two of them stay over at each other's they don't see any difference anymore. Miles Terryson avoids them like the plague, to Bucky's eternal satisfaction.)

However, Steve hasn't corrected his stupid inability to keep his mouth shut and his head down, so one cold winter's day, he's punched in the rib too hard and he can't breathe and Bucky feels like he can't breathe either.

At the funeral, Bucky cries as loud as Steve's ma.

Five years later, Bucky Barnes is just James Barnes. He's a private in the 106th Battalion and his team lead says he fights like a devil. He does things others wouldn't dare to. However he's considered too reckless to be promoted.

James Barnes is killed on the battlefield. He tackled a grenadier in the midst of throwing and was blown into so many little pieces they couldn't recover enough to send him back. His family was presented with his uniform and medal and a post-mortem promotion to Captain. They also received several letters from fellow soldiers whose lives he had saved.

On receiving the black envelope, James' little sister, Rebecca, actually sighed a little and said, "At least he's with Stevie now."

xXXx

"I wish Stevie were a girl. Well, not really, that'd be weird, but it'd also be easier. But I don't really want him to change either…"

xXXx

"I think…nah."

"Maybe…nah."

xXXx

"Steve, stop looking at me like that damnit!"

"…At least stop getting caught looking!"

xXXx

"…Was he staring at me…?"

"Was it just my imagination? His face didn't really change…"

xXXx

"Sorry lady, if you don't like Stevie then we won't work out. He's my best man."

xXXx

"…I wish Steve could put on a dress and pretend to be a dame and then we could get married without so much fuss."

xXXx

(During the life when Steve tried to avoid Bucky)

"That kid's so strange. He keeps staring at me but he doesn't say a thing. Huh…maybe if I go over…woah! He's a quick little thing, eh? …now I'm curious."

"He-llo the—woah! He's really fast!"

"Ex-cuse—OI!"

"OI I'M TRYNA TALK TO YOU YA PUNK!"

"WAITWAITWAIT THAT'S THE FROZEN LAKE—CRAP!"

"Ohmygod, SteveSteveSteve say something. Shit, he's not breathing right! What do I do, what do I do?! C'mon punk, say something, you can't just do this to me—we haven't even talked yet!"

(Steve survives and Bucky doesn't let him run away. When Bucky gets drafted, Steve tries to enlist but gets rejected.)

xXXx

"…So I'm going tomorrow."

"…"

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then."

"…"

"Hey Steve?"

"Yeah, Buck?"

"…nothing. Just take care of Becky for me, alright?"

"Of course, Buck."

"…"

"…"

xXXx

"Goodbye."

xXXx

"That's Steve Rogers? Jeepers Creepers, he's tiny!"

"…Wow, he's really good at drawing. That's amazing."

"I'll just peek a little over his shoulder…oh hey, yeah, hi I'm Bucky Barnes! Nice to meetcha! No, I'm not doing anything suspicious! I'm just looking…"

xXXx

"You're really good at that."

xXXx

"Hey Stevie…I just got the letter! Isn't that great? I'm joining the army!"

"Hey, don't look at me like that…it's not like I had plans for the future or something…"

"…C'mon Steve. At the very least, I wanna see you smile before I go. Yeah, I'm making you feel guilty. You oughta feel bad for making me feel sad. That face makes me sad just by looking at it!"

xXXx

"Hey Steve…should anything happen to me…"

"Don't say it Buck."

"Shut up for a tick punk! I'm being serious here—"

"No."

"But—"

"NO."

"I just wanna—"

"Bucky, I'm telling you right now that whatever you gonna say ain't gonna happen. You and me? There's never gonna be one without the other."

"But howddaya know? I mean, you can't just say something like that!"

"…I just know, Buck. So you don't needta say anything."

"…"

"…"

"…So it's like that then? You and me, to the end of the line?"

"End of the line?"

"Well I heard someone say 'life is like a race', so I guess we're both running together."

"Just like time is a one-way street? Heh."

"Hey, don't make fun of me when I'm being smart here! Not everyone can just open their mouth and say something embarrassing like you!"

"…Alright, Buck. To infinity and beyond."

"That just sounds weird."

*Mumbles* "Say that to Buzz."

"What did ya just say?"

*Louder* "Okay, I'm with you…to the end of the line."

"Cheers, punk."

xXXx

Various other lifetimes:

"Hey Buck, I'm with you to the end of the line."

"C'mon Buck, we're in this together—to the end of the line."

"Bucky! Let's go! We're gonna run to the end of the line!"

"…"

xXXx

With the rest of the HC:

"Hey Bucky, what does 'to the end of the line' mean?" (Gabe)

"Yeah, Cap's always saying that!" (Dum Dum)

"…I admit to a little curiosity myself." (Falsworth)

"Oui, it is very intriguing." (Dernier)

Bucky, "Uhhh…uhmmm…it's something like…uhhhh… *mumbles* we're gonna stick together forever…til we die."

"That's so sweet!"

"…Oui."

"I am jealous of your close relationship. I have seen many relationships fail due to distrust and disloyalty, but you do not have this problem." (Morita)

"We're not like that…" (Bucky stares at the campfire…probably needs more wood soon…)

"Don't worry. Don't ask, don't tell."

"Yep."

"Understood."

"Oui."

"Hai."

xXXx

"Hey, it looks like the area's clear…why do y'all look like that? Buck?"

"Shut up, Steve!"

"Did you get a nightmare? I thought it was getting better…C'mon, we're going t'sleep early. Night guys."

"P-PUT ME DOWN PUNK! WHY I OUGHTA…!"

"Night Captain!"

xXXx

"…Not like that, huh?"

"Hush you."

xXXx

"Steve…"

"Yeah?"

"How did you think up that phrase?"

"Which phrase?"

"You know which! 'To the end of the line'!"

"Well…"

"Well?"

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"Well…no…"

"So?"

"It's just…it feels like I heard it somewhere before…"

"Probably me."

"No…before that…"

"Still me."

"…"

xXXx

"Hey Stevie?"

"Go to sleep, Buck."

"I'm with you to the end of the line too…got it?"

"I get it."

"No, I mean I'm with you."

"…"

"…Steve…?"

"…"

"…Steve…?"

"Oh don't mind me, I'm just savouring the moment."

"What the hell, you scared me!"

"It's the first time you said it back, after all this time."

"Well, not everyone can just open their mouth and say something embarrassing like you!"

*Snickers*

"What are…you…laughing?"

*Snorts*

"Why you…!"

xXXx

"Goddamnit, it's the middle of the night for crying out loud! We got a raid tomorrow and the Captain and his 'buddy's' pillowfighting."

xXXx

"So that's Steve Rogers. Jeepers Creepers he's tiny."

xXXx

"…He looks sad."

xXXx

"Hi, my name's James Barnes, but you can call me Bucky."

And that's how Bucky met Steve Rogers. Over and over and over.

The deepest secret that Bucky has never told Steve, of why he approached him in every life (no, he does notand will never remember)...

...is a secret. But isn't that why you enjoy these things? Just put whatever 'thing' in there that attracted Bucky's eyes at first, because it's what he discovers after becoming buddies that matters. :) (No, it doesn't have to be deep. Bucky could just have been friendly.)

In any case, this is probably nearly as tough to read as the first chapter, or worse. It's pretty disjointed. There's several different lives in there and you'll probably get confused getting things straight. I wanted to label them clearly at first (hence 'first:') but after that they kinda blended together because Bucky repeats.

I initially wanted to add Winter Soldier's perspective...but it was too big a change. I'll probably have to do another chapter on it. This chapter was surprisingly light. Steve wears the pants when she wants to, Bucky is surprisingly sensitive. (Or is it really surprising?) Also: he folds like wet paper a lot. Bah. Unfortunately, if anyone points it out, he goes, "Just because he got...big all of a sudden!" (curses and swears until Steve goes over and coaxes him.)

No, don't point out that he folded even when she was tiny. Or especially when she was tiny. (Coughcoughcough)

Oh, and I wrote this up in one go so please tell me if there are awkward bits or grammar/spelling mistakes~

Enjoy~

Memory25