The yelling, the gunshots, the blood and explosions -- and Steve and Bucky trapped amongst it all.

Steve doesn't see him through the splashes of red, and strains to keep a better eye on him as he guns down another soldier before they reach him. That's when he hears him yell his name, and time seems to stop as he watches Bucky fall to the ground.

He hits the dirt and everything comes roaring back to him, louder and more persistant than ever. Steve runs to him, dodging around soldiers and tripping through muddy holes and dips.

"No, no, no, s***," Steve curses as he runs over to Bucky, struggling to breathe. Men sprint past them, yelling from either fear or bravery, ignoring the fallen ones. There was nothing to be done for them.

"You can't -- stop here -- " Bucky gasps, eyes tearing up as his lungs flood with fluids. He clutches Steve's fumbling hands and squeezes him tightly, locking eyes with him.

Steve's desperate, his dirtied face now streaked with tears. "I can't leave you," he chokes and tries to get a hold of himself. "Come on, you're not allowed to die here."

"Steve -- " Bucky cries out as Steve applies pressure to his wound, and he struggles in the mud, pain enveloping his chest, flaming and stabbing, enveloping his mind.

The screaming gets louder, and Steve presses himself over him as soldiers come stampeding over them, kicking their heads, trampling their legs and backs. Steve trembles as he pushes himself off of him. Bucky looks terrified.

"You can't stay here, Steve -- " He coughs and spits up blood, his vision twists and tilts -- " They're gonna kill you if you stay."

"I don't care," he pants. "You're gonna be fine, okay, you're gonna be okay."

"Can't promise that," Bucky utters, double vision making his head spin. Another flash of searing pain and he grits his teeth, more tears leaking down his cheeks. "Steve -- "

"I'm right here, I'm not goin' anywhere, okay?" Steve pushes Bucky's hair off of his forehead; any movement to try and calm him. Bucky looks past him and grunts as he pushes himself up onto his elbows, nearly blacking out from the movement.

"Look out--!"

Someone grabs Steve and pulls him off of Bucky. Scrambling in the mud, Steve tries to free himself, grunting as the muzzle of a gun is shoved in his face. Pushing the soldier away from him, the gun fires beside his ear and Steve falls backwards, hearing a painful ringing. Bucky was screaming for him.

Steve pushes himself up and is face to face with the soldier from before, looking grim. Pinned to the ground, inches away from Bucky, Steve fights for all he's worth.

He locks eyes with Bucky. A fearful look, and adrenaline wills him to fight harder, thrashing to free himself, breathing frantically. The soldier eyes the two of them.

Steve, with a burst of energy, flips the bigger soldier over, and as they roll around in the mud, he notices the discarded gun.

Pulling himself through the mud, he grabs it and whips around to aim at the soldier. In the tussle, the soldier grabs a rock.

"Steve!" Bucky screams as the rock smashes into the side of his head. Steve sags into the ground, momentarily out of commission.

"N-no... " Bucky crawls towards him, desperation knawing at him. This was it, it dawned on him. He wasn't making it out of this alive. "Steve," he chokes, grasping his wrist.

The soldier, now on his feet, stands over him, and shoots him in the stomach, drops the rock, and takes off running again.

Bucky, shaking with the effort, crawls over to Steve and collapses beside him, his vision flickering black for a second too long. This is it.

"Told you I wasn't... goin' anywhere," Steve breathes, barely able to keep his eyes open. Bucky looks at him one more time before he pulls him closer and closes his eyes.

"I love you, Steve," he wavers, holding him as tightly as he can against him. Tears slide down Steve's face as his breathing gets shallower. With a final move, he grabs Bucky's hand and squeezes it.

"I love you, Buck," he murmurs. Bucky fades away minutes before Steve does, and then, it's quiet.

////

Bucky throws his arms around Steve and holds him close, and presses a kiss against his cheek. Laughing, Steve pulls him closer and presses his face against his neck, closing his eyes.

"Guess the afterlife ain't so bad after all," he muses and Bucky grins at him, cupping his cheek.

"We're together. That's all that matters," he answers, smiling at him. Steve smiles back and kisses him, lifting him up into the air and spinning him around.

"C'mon," Steve says softly once they pull away. They look out towards the sunset, and Bucky sighs quietly.

"'Til the end of the line, right?"

Steve smiles and they walk into the light, hand in hand.

"Until the end of the line."