aflashofsilver:

castithann:

seriously though

bucky says you can’t die if you’re wearing the wrong dog tags (“it’s just not allowed”), and it’s part-joke, part-superstition, part-something else he can’t name

they start trading dog tags before missions as a silent promise to each other that they’ll both make it back in one piece, and eventually, they just stop trading back. something about carrying bucky’s name against his skin makes steve feel safer, braver

when bucky falls he takes steve’s name with him into the abyss instead of his own 

steve still has bucky’s name around his neck when they pull him out of the ice

#(see? bucky says—years later; after the ice. after the torture. after the ruin and the war.) #(what did i tell you kid. my name around your neck—i’m not gonna let you die.) #(yeah? steve asks. his palm pressed over the place where bucky’s heart is beating.) #(and what about my name around yours?) #(bucky considers. touches the metal; metal fingertips.) #(your name? he says. slowly.) #(your name will bring me back from the dead.) (from srgebarnes)