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Steve looked around the apartment curiously as present-day Steve (apparently him in about 70 years) recounted his life story. Or at least part of it. Mostly he was focused on Bucky. The only other person in the room was some brunet guy eating chips.
He shortly greeted Steve and then went right back to staring at the TV in the corner and stuffing his face. Steve couldn't help but notice how tightly his shirt was stretched over his sides. Every roll was visible. When he leaned back Steve could even see a sliver of belly peeking out.
"And, you know, despite everything Bucky is alive and here. So it wasn't all bad in the end." present Steve explained.
"That's Bucky?!" past Steve asked incredulously.
He hadn't even realised that the fat guy on the sofa looked anything like Bucky. Now, that he was looking for it, it was undeniable though. His eyes in particular looked exactly like his Bucky's. Steve had never thought Bucky would ever let himself go like this. The guy had been snacking pretty much the whole time since Steve had gotten to the apartment.
"But— How?"
Present Steve almost instantly blushed red and stammered around as he tried to find a good answer.
"Lots of good food," Bucky said. The first thing he had said since Steve had arrived, outside of general greetings. He patted his belly. "Plus, this guy was a big help."
Bucky pointedly looked at present-day Steve and suddenly something clicked for past Steve. He'd sometimes had these thoughts about— when Bucky had a particularly big meal. What could happen if— if he—
"You actually told him about that?" Steve asked in disbelieve. Then to Bucky, "were you always, uh, interested in… this?"
Present Steve was still trying to regain his composure, so Bucky answered. "Back then? No. We didn't really have excess food, did we?"
Steve breathed a quiet "no", enraptured by Bucky's retelling.
"It only really started in recovery. I was supposed to put on some weight anyway and then when I actually gained some for the first time I was hooked. As an added bonus Steve seemed very into it too. You know same-sex relationships are legal now, right?"
In addition to the revelation that not only was Bucky into the weight gain stuff Steve had occasionally fantasised about but homosexual relationships are legal now.
"So, you're— we're—"
"Dating. Yes." Present-day Steve interjected.
Despite his mom's best efforts Steve had always grown up leaning towards pessimism when it came to his own life. This revelation was mind-blowing. All the late night anxiety, lying awake, wondering whether maybe there really was something wrong with him. And now he gets to see his future self this happy with Bucky.
It stings in a way. As irrational as it is, Steve envies his future self.
"Any more questions? If not, you could help Stevie in the kitchen," Bucky suggested.
"What do you think we should make?" Present-day Steve asked as they were looking at the contents of the fridge. "Our guy's got a big appetite. Maybe lasagna? I got two of these casserole dishes that are the perfect amount for me and him."
"Our…?" Past Steve asked tentatively as he watched present-day Steve confidently move around the kitchen.
"Come on," Steve looked over his shoulder, "you can't tell me you're gonna say 'no' to the opportunity to feed him. It's gonna take a while for Tony to figure out how to send you back to your time. Why not enjoy it while you're here?"
Steve hesitated for a moment. Was this really a good idea? Then he thought about how wonderfully big Bucky already looked.
"Ok, how can I help?"