Later, Howard retired, and this matter was handed over to Tony.
Tony arranged a place for him to live and provided basic living support.
Mavuika had also visited a few times; Bucky was a man of few words, not talkative, but he would nod in greeting every time he saw her.
She knew where he lived.
"I know," she said.
Steve's eyes lit up.
"Can you take me to see him?" His voice was a bit tight; seventy years of longing weighed on his heart, almost overflowing.
Mavuika did not answer immediately.
She looked at Tony.
Tony sighed.
"He is on Long Island," he said.
"The house Howard arranged for him back then is in a small town on the North Shore of Long Island; it's very quiet and very suitable for retirement."
He stood up and took the car keys out of his pocket.
"I'll take you."
Steve also stood up, looking at Tony, his lips trembling slightly.
"Thank you."
Tony waved his hand, "Don't thank me, thank my dad; he was the one who saved him."
He looked at Mavuika.
"Coming along?"
Mavuika thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay."
Thor also stood up, "I'm going too!"
Loki put down his phone and said lazily, "I won't go; it'll be too crowded."
Mavuika glanced at him, "Then you stay and watch the house."
Loki smiled, "Of course, Big Sister."
The group went downstairs.
Tony's car was a black Audi parked on the side of the road. He opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat.
Steve sat in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt—his movements were a bit unfamiliar, clearly not yet fully accustomed to the cars of this era.
Mavuika and Thor sat in the back. Thor looked around curiously, asking about every single button in the car.
Fury had his own car and followed behind them.
Tony looked at him through the rearview mirror, "Thor, in the few days you've been on Earth, haven't you ridden in a car before?"
Thor scratched his head, "I have, but never one this nice."
Tony's mouth curled up slightly, "Ha, I'll get you one someday."
Thor's eyes lit up, "Really? You're such a good person!"
That sounded a bit weird, and Tony's mouth twitched.
The car drove out of Manhattan, passed through Queens, and headed toward Long Island.
On the way, Steve silently watched out the window.
Those skyscrapers, those neon lights, those flowing streams of traffic—everything was different from seventy years ago.
He remembered when he left Brooklyn to join the army, the tallest building in Manhattan was still the Chrysler Building.
Now, there were buildings much taller than that everywhere.
He remembered the clanging sound of streetcars on the street.
Now, there was only the honking of car horns and the roar of engines.
He remembered people wearing hats and coats, walking slowly in the snow.
Now, people wore clothes he didn't understand, looking down at the little squares in their hands.
Everything had changed.
But he hadn't.
He was still wearing clothes from seventy years ago—although Fury had changed him into new ones, he knew his heart was still left in that era.
Left in the era when he and Bucky fought in the streets of Brooklyn.
Left in the era when he and the Howling Commandos charged into the HYDRA Base.
Left in the era when Bucky fell from the train, and he reached out but couldn't catch him.
"We're almost there," Tony's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Steve raised his head and looked out the window.
The car turned onto a quiet road lined with tall oak trees, their crowns weaving together overhead into a green dome.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light and shadows on the ground.
At the end of the road was a white house.
Not big, but very tidy.
There was a small garden in front of the door, planted with roses and daisies.
The garden fence was painted dark green and looked new—clearly, someone took care of it often.
Tony parked the car on the side of the road.
"This is it," he said.
Steve looked at the house, his hand on the door handle, but he didn't move.
His breathing was a bit rapid, his chest heaving violently.
Seventy years of longing, seventy years of guilt, seventy years of "If only I had caught him back then"—were all behind this door.
He took a deep breath and pushed open the car door.
Steve walked to the door, raised his hand, and prepared to knock.
But his hand hung in mid-air, not falling.
He stood there like a statue.
Tony leaned against the car, arms crossed over his chest, watching quietly.
Mavuika stood next to him, also not speaking. Thor was uncharacteristically quiet, as if he too felt the heavy atmosphere in the air.
After a long while, Steve finally knocked on the door.
There was no response.
He knocked again.
Footsteps came from inside, slow and steady.
The door opened.
A man stood in the doorway.
He was a little shorter than Steve, his shoulders still broad, but his frame was thinner than when he was young.
His dark brown hair was streaked with a few strands of silver, and the lines on his face were much softer than seventy years ago, but those eyes—those gray-blue eyes—were still exactly the same as in Steve's memory.
Bucky Barnes.
He looked at the person in the doorway and froze.
His lips parted slightly, closed, then parted again.
"Steve?" His voice was hoarse, carrying an incredulous tremor.
Steve stood there, looking at this face he thought he would never see again in his life.
"Bucky," he said, his voice also trembling.
The two stared at each other.
Seventy years of time flowed between them.
Bucky's eyes turned red.
Steve's eyes also turned red.
Then, Steve stepped forward and hugged Bucky tightly.
Bucky froze for a second, then reached out and hugged him back.
The two 'old men' stood in front of that little white house, hugging each other, unable to say a word.
Tony turned his face away, looking at the distant sky.
Thor scratched his head, not knowing where to look.
Mavuika stood there quietly, watching this scene, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
After a long while, Bucky let go and took a step back, looking at Steve.
"How are you..." he started, his voice still hoarse, "How are you still alive?"
Steve took a deep breath, "I was frozen in the North Pole, and S.H.I.E.L.D. dug me out."
Bucky was silent for a moment, then smiled softly.
Steve said with some emotion.
"I thought you were dead; everyone said you were dead."
Bucky also smiled; there was bitterness in that smile, as well as relief.
"I thought you were dead too."
The two were silent for a while longer.
Then Bucky stepped aside, "Come in."
Steve nodded and walked through the door.
He looked back at Tony.
Tony waved his hand, "You guys talk. We'll wait outside."
Steve nodded and followed Bucky into the house.
The door closed.
Tony leaned against the car, looking up at the sky.
Mavuika stood to the side, quietly watching that door.
She remembered long ago, in Asgard, the days when she and Hela fought side by side.
Back then, they were just like Steve and Bucky—charging together, fighting for their lives together, and entrusting their backs to each other.
Later, Hela went to the Underworld.
They hadn't fought side by side for a long time.
But soon.
Mavuika looked at the sky, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
Very soon.
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