#I NEVER NOTICED THE ZOLA PART

[shackleton2]

Also!! Why tf didn't Steve think it was unusual that Bucky could walk right away and keep up with him then and later with the Commandos during the war? My headcanon/personal theory answer is basically that Steve is still new to his Cap body and while he might be able to absorb how strong he is compared to people he's just met, I don't think that really computed for him with Bucky. Because Steve spent his whole life being Bucky's friend, getting rescued from alleys by him, literally looking up to him....

So in Steve's head Bucky's always been a bit of a superhero. So he never stops to wonder if it's weird he can keep up with Cap...of course he can. He's Bucky.

Ok, I’m probably the last one to notice this, but even if I am, I’m bringing it up again bc it’s very important and very sad and I need to cry about it.

I’ve seen this scene about 50 times now and not once did I bother to take a closer look at Bucky. Specifically, his eyes. I always thought he was looking at Schmidt or in the general direction of the two while I focused on Steve’s face and what was happening. Now, obv, Steve is looking at Schmidt bc he’s being confronted and all that. But look at Bucky. Compare his gaze in the 4th gif to Steve’s. It’s not trained on Schmidt. He’s looking directly at Zola and his face looks like a mixture of fear, anger and like he’s gonna puke. All of which would make sense after you imagine the shit Zola put him through on that table before Steve showed up. Just try to imagine one scenario that could be happening in his head here. Like reliving the parts where they tortured him and experimented on him, slowly took away the control of his own mind, tried to take his memories so he had to keep reminding himself who he was and began the process of turning him into god only knew what. When Steve found Bucky, he looked like he had no idea what was going on around him. No awareness that the alarm went off, soldiers abandoning their posts, the doctors scurrying off to safety. He didn’t realize he was alone in the room and no one was looking after him anymore. He just repeated his name and number over and over again and if Steve hadn’t found him, he’d have went down with the building while completely lost to his surroundings. After Steve got him out I imagine he didn’t have much time to dwell on the things they did to him. Until now. Until he saw Zola’s face and it hit him like a truck and the result was that face above. Little did he know that even if they do get out of here alive, he was eventually gonna end up right back where he was and Zola would get to finish what he started and if that doesn’t fuck you up…i don’t even. fuck this movie and fuck these characters i did not sign up for this pain

[bestfriend491]

"Why would you do that?"

Headcannons / Drabbles

How she makes you reckless.

Ramonda

Though the two of you are very prim and proper now, if you asked anyone about your behaviour when you were younger, there would never be a good answer.

You were childhood friends before you were lovers so recklessness was bound to appear in any case, but it was far worse once you actually got together. 

When your puppy love stage was at its peak, you became quite reckless. 

Both you and Ramonda lost track of where your minds were supposed to be when you were around each other.

It was twice as worse when you weren’t together. Your minds were always on each other and not on the tasks at hand.

You became more reckless on missions that involved her safety being compromised. 

She became more reckless in her public persona when she was worried about your safety. 

Everyone around you two thought that it was just a phase that you were going to grow out of quickly.

They were wrong. 

It lasted longer than anyone could have thought it would. 

“They did what?!” your mother’s voice rang through the palace walls, as she sat in her throne and  listened to what Captain Zola of the Dora Milaje told her about what you'd done.

Captain Zola repeated herself, describing the day's events to her. 

She sighed, having run out of ways to fix the situation that she had gotten in when she allowed you and Ramonda to start formally dating. 

“Bring them in.” she said, her head in her hands. 

Not even a few minutes later, Zola walked back in with you and Ramonda slowly approaching your mothers throne. 

You were still in your black panther suit, while Ramonda wore her now completely wrecked Dora Milaje uniform. 

“Y/n. Ramonda.” 

You looked down with a smirk at your mothers beckoning call. Ramonda did the same, though she looked far more frightened. “My Queen.” she said.

“Mother” you followed, crossing your arms in respect. 

“Oh, don’t remember your manners now, Y/n. Captain Zola already told me what you spent the weekend doing. ” 

You took a slight glance up at the Dora Milaje’s captain. She looked quite content knowing that she had found the two of you after your 2 day disappearance. 

You sneered at her, looking down again. 

"Look up at me when I talk to you!" Your mother demanded it. 

Both your and Ramonda's heads shot up, looking at the queen. 

Your mother took a look at the two of you, taking a breath to calm herself down. 

“Are any of you hurt?” she said with her eyes closed. 

Ramonda hesitated, but you were quick to stop her from lying. “Ramonda’s arm was struck in the fight.” 

That got Captain Zola’s attention, as she noticed that Ramonda’s arms were being hidden behind her back. 

She approached Ramonda, taking both of her arms from behind to see the clear pain that Ramonda had on her face when the left one was touched. 

“It’s probably broken.” she rolled her eyes at the girl. 

“Zola. Take Ramonda to the infirmary while I talk to my daughter.” 

She nodded, taking Ramonda’s good hand, and practically dragging her out of the room. 

After seeing her off, you turned back to your mother, deciding to walk closer to her. 

As you stood at the foot of the throne, you looked at her with guilt in your eyes. 

“So let me get this right. You decided that at your ripe age of 18 years old, you were going to get married without informing anyone, and then also interfere with a mission that took 2 years of planning, just to showcase your skills?” 

Suddenly, your throat closed up. Probably from embarrassment. 

It definitely wasn’t a good look for your first few months as the Black Panther.

 “Mama. I’m sorry.” 

Standing up, the queen approached you. You braced yourself for a lecture. 

Instead, you felt strong arms engulf you in a hug. 

“I’ve been worried for 2 days straight, Y/n. Why would you do that?”

You stayed silent, not sure which part of the story she wanted you to explain. 

Stepping into the mission would be easy for her to understand. 

You were just trying to prove that you were a worthy hero to your nation. You had made a quick and thoughtless decision to involve yourself where you were not needed. And Ramonda had only stepped in when she saw you needed assistance. It was your regular routine with each other. Surely she’d have to understand that. 

Explaining why you’d tried to elope, however, was a different task altogether. 

That had just been a spur of the moment decision that you had both made in the height of an intense moment filled with love. 

A moment where waiting for official royal marital traditions to take place was not an option. It was hard for you to feel like anyone could comprehend the kind of moment that it was. 

“The two of you need to pace yourselves. If your love is true then nothing will dwindle its intensity and no one will separate you. Waiting a few years won’t hurt you.” 

It felt like words that you’d heard before, and to your mother it felt like words that she had been repeating since your relationship had started. 

But for once you were more willing to listen. 

“Okay.”

[whatiswhump]

Bucky Barnes, What am I Now

Part I

July 4, 2024.

After CAWS, Bucky is free and receives help from the character "The Nurse" (who is from this fic) to set up a quiet life in the English countryside. For years I've had this vision that Bucky is alone and at peace with his own little corner in the world. It is bitterly sweet for a short time though only to be tracked down by SHIELD... (I love a capture sorry!)

---

It hadn’t felt real for the first few months. That there were no masters…. 

…And what the Nurse had arranged for him. The cottage with a bit of land well out of the way in the English countryside. 

She said no would bother him here. She was devastatingly effective at everything she endeavored.

For the first few months the Soldier slept on the floor and often starved himself for days or weeks before going out for food. She had arranged an account with a modest income, a passport too. The kind of things easily sorted if you were in the right business. He could purchase the necessities with his trained ghost-like anonymity with ease if he chose to.

But when hunger made him too weak to think straight, he only went out to dig for roots or dandelion greens to eat raw. And when his coat and boots sprung holes and left him to the elements, he did nothing to remedy them, preferring inaction.

The first year he never even bothered to build a fire in the bricked hearth which the tired cottage was built around. No amount of cold or damp was sufficient cause to motivate him.

Self punishment might have played a role but so did sheer lack of inertia, if it was not strictly necessary to not perish, he could not bring himself to. He told himself it was to keep off the radar but logically knew that if Hydra was looking for him, fires in a cottage wouldn’t make a difference.

With logic aside however and fear held on fastly, that first year was spent mostly shivering on the damp floor of the old cottage, waiting for them to come, because they certainly would.

But after a year, the oddest thing happened. They didn't.

One day, in late spring when the wild and long overgrown brush around his dwelling was well on its way into greening and tangling itself for another year, he stepped outside and realized it was time to purchase a new pair of boots and jacket. 

He didn’t need the jacket that day, nor it would seem, for another week or two after, but it hung on a hook by the door for when he did. It was a comfort, he realized.

The next week he recognized there were roses along the garden wall that were being smothered by vines. He uncovered and trimmed the bushes and then some of the pervading fear in his chest loosened a bit too.

He didn’t notice right away but he started to build a routine.

He began sweeping out the cottage every morning with the windows open. He had seen attendants doing it in the lab around the scientists often. Then a walk through the fields, listening to the bird calls, taking mental notes on the flora and the weather.

In the afternoons, he began to cultivate the plants in his garden. Some vegetables and herbs planted from seeds, but mostly flowers. He found purpose in finding the existing flowers and then coaxing their ailing or overgrown plants back to life and bloom.

He had a “green thumb” as Murray, an old handler, had called it. The Soldier still remembered following his keeper around the base fence as the man pointed out the various wild flowers. He also remembered Murray’s bloodied skull after he was forcibly removed from office. 

None of those flowers he had seen here yet. That base must have been in a different country. How long now had Murray been dead? It was anyone's guess. A few handlers before Pierce, but definitely after Zola’s experiments had ended. He had a notebook now that he had begun writing these things down in, trying, often in vain it seemed like, to get his memories organized.

One afternoon, he was working on the bluebells under a gnarled pear tree in the corner of the garden when his mind regurgitated Murray’s voice as clear as day, “Most people go wrong with sunshine, they think all flowers like full sun. It’s much easier to kill than to grow though, but of course you’d know that Lazarus.”

The Soldier had paused where he was kneeled above the ground, glitching. Stuck in the memory with his handler convinced that in the next moment that one of the Strike boys would call out from their baseball game or Murray would tell him it was time to go back into base for another wipe.

But neither ever came. The Soldier just stayed there until it grew dark and the warm garden hummed with the residual heat of the day. When he at least moved and the plates on his arm clicked and whirred with him, he reminded himself with rounded shoulders, he was just broken.

But even though he was broken, he no longer wished he was dead every time he closed his eyes. 

He had diversions now. He could move so silently as to observe foxes with their cubs in the field, or sit and watch the blooms develop on a plant for an entire day if he chose. He didn’t have to kill anyone anymore. No more missions.

He also appreciated the solitude, no more fear or dread of the actions of others. He liked it so much he couldn’t imagine any situation in which he would be happier with someone else.

Until he was surprised.

It came up to him as he was washing his hands in the outside tap. He jumped, surprised by how quietly it approached, so unused to contact with anything living of its size.

It was emaciated and gray and wanted a drink of water. And most importantly it was decidedly unimpressed and unafraid of the Soldier.

He quickly understood what she was asking for and poured water into the trough. When she had her fill, she looked up to him as if to ask, now what is for dinner?

After that day, Cat never left. Soldier never thought to give her another name because he didn’t realize it was within his purview to name another living thing, he didn’t have a name himself after all. 

So she was Cat.

One day on his trip into town, he inexplicably stopped at the art supply shop. He wasn’t sure why. He had never tried to draw that he remembered, nor did he feel any keen desire to.

But when he saw the water color palette in the window, he felt certain it was important, that maybe he had bought one before. On a mission perhaps? He couldn’t imagine a situation where it could serve a tactical purpose. He felt like he needed to buy it however.

He did, along with some paper, two brushes and an HB pencil all of which were recommended by the patient lady. 

When he sat down with them all at home, they did not feel like his, which he was not surprised by. It wasn’t like when they’d give him a new gun and he could disassemble and reassemble it in seconds from innate muscle memory even if he had no actual memories of it.

So he wrapped the supplies up with a string and placed them in the pie cupboard. Unsettled by the unknown connection.

He didn’t exactly gain weight but he was no longer as gaunt as he had been and his days spent outdoors gave him a color he didn’t ever remember having. In the evenings if he didn’t write, he read books mostly. Cat’s favorite place was on his chest. 

The first time she settled there he had felt pinned and claustrophobic, quickly veering on panic. But not wanting to disturb his newfound friend and with the surprisingly pacifying effect of her purr, he soon grew to welcome her when she came to curl up.

It was the presence of his new friend that encouraged him to light the first fire on a chilly night.

***

He didn’t hear them. He still doesn’t know how. One moment it was him, Cat, and the dying embers of their evening fire, and the next moment, the door was flung open and there were twelve more people in the cottage.

His first thought was of Cat, they would surely put her down if she made a fuss. She yowled in annoyance at the sudden disturbance and, to his relief, took quick cover under the bed.

Their sight lasers were trained on him. Voices yelling while he remained frozen.

They were speaking english. All in tactical gear, night goggles, red lasers on their rifles. He had been on their side hundreds of times. He already knew he was not going to win.

Not that he was going to fight.

He had been found, they were going to catch him. Like they always did. Every time.

One in particular was speaking after the yelling died down, Head of Command. But the Soldier wasn’t able to listen. All of his senses other than touch were dulled as they grabbed him, tore him to the ground and then cuffed his wrists and ankles with something that were not regular bonds. They had read his file then.

On the ground he could see Cat cowering furiously in her hiding place. He wondered if she would be able to get into the crate of cat food on her own tomorrow when he was gone. He hoped they would leave the door open.

“Sergeant Barnes, Sergeant Barnes-”

“Forget it- maybe they messed up his programming and he doesn’t understand English anymore.”

“Alright, he’s cleared for transport then.”

Someone swiped his neck with something wet and cold. Then a prick. The Russians had liked sedating him for travel too. Keep him untethered and unable to pinpoint base locations. He kept watching Cat until he could feel his body betraying him and then the Soldier closed his eyes, only hoping he wouldn’t be there for whatever came next.

—

Steve stopped at the garden gate. It was old but someone had re-oiled the hinges. Beyond it was a tidy garden. Late summer blooms were dying and needed to be dead-headed soon. Had Bucky really been taking care of this place?

Shield agents were milling around the cottage when he stepped in.

“What’d he do, kill someone’s grandma to get this place?”

The other agent snorted, “All he needed were some doilies.”

The both became aware of Captain Rogers and went silent, likely silently cursing themselves for their comments.

“Captain Rogers… We are just finishing up here.”

“Did you find any weapons in your sweep?” Steve hated to ask but…

“Not unless you count garden shears sir, no.”

Steve nodded and left them in silence to gather their things and high tail it out. It was only when they were gone did he feel more free to look as well.

There wasn’t much. Tidy. One plate, one bowl, one set of silverware. No whiskey, no television, no things a normal man would have.

A few books… The Hobbit, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, White Fang. Interesting. 

Does he remember Brooklyn? Steve felt a twist in his chest at the thought.

He hesitated in front of the cabinet, already unlatched, already searched, his tactical side informed. There was not going to be anything of note, there was no reason to feel odd about looking a little more closely.

He wouldn't have even needed to if they had brought him in on the mission to begin with. The hell he raised when he found out what had happened.

... And the tears he dry sobbed when he got alone after they confirmed they captured him alive.

One finger pulled the old tin door open. Again, it didn't have much. Some dry goods, linens, cat food, and... was that an un touched set of art supplies?

Steve thought for the first time since he was a skinny kid in Brooklyn, he might be sick.

—

The Soldier doesn’t know what they gave him but it’s different from Zola’s finely tuned formulas. When he comes to on a plane, locked into a box, he feels muddled and confused. It’s freezing, he realizes he must be in the cargo hold. He is used to cold, he thinks.

It’s only when the door to the container he is in is open and there is someone with a syringe kneeling over him that he realizes just how out of it he is.

“Shhh- it’s alright.” The smell of antiseptic alcohol, “Yeah. This dose will keep him out until we reach the destination. His metabolism’s faster than I expected.”

The Soldier isn’t sure why he tried to reach up at the man to steady himself. He couldn’t anyway, his wrists and ankles were still restrained.

The man just pressed him back to the floor gently, “Don’t worry, you’re going to a good place. They will take care of you.”

—

He was no longer in a plane, he knew this. Everything else was unclear. The concrete room he was in was bare and similar to his Hydra holding cells except this one had a mirror. He was surprised they hadn’t wiped him yet. Why hadn’t they wiped him yet? Or more to the point, punished him?

They had changed him into a gown before he was conscious and done away with the ankle restraints. They didn’t think he was that dangerous then. Maybe they hadn’t gotten Pierce’s files then.

Pierce insisted on full restraints the first few decades while the Soldier was being wiped and reprogrammed to his standards. They were necessary for how many times the Soldier had tried to rip his throat out.

They were right though, he wouldn't try that now though. Pierce was dead, at least he thought. And he was tired. If he had to kill again he just hoped they wouldn’t make him be there for it.

The door to his cell opened then. First an armed guard filed in, then a man in a white coat with a second guard behind. The scientist. He appreciated the cruel familiarity.

“Sergeant Barnes, glad you’re finally with us. Trust me, Shield Agent Hall got a stern talking to from me for that dosing.”

The Soldier stared back blankly, he only responded when ordered and he did not remember the “Sergeant Barnes” alias.

“You were out for the first day and a half once you arrived. We’ll have to get some fluids in you now that you’re awake.”

The Soldier just stared from where he sat on the ground, his cuffed wrists limp in his lap.

“James, do you remember English? The team that rescued you weren’t sure if you understood them.”

Rescue?

The Soldier understood the question was directed at him but he was confused by the names and the direct questions.

“James?”

“How soon can we get a Russian interpreter in here?” The man looked at the mirror.

“I speak English.” The Soldier whispered. He didn’t want to make the new handlers mad. He didn’t want it to be hard anymore.

The scientist looked back at the Soldier, clearly a little surprised, “Oh well, well done,” He said genially, “Just a little slow to start it seems,” He smiled a bit at one of the guards, “James, do you know where you are?”

James… but he looked at him. Perhaps it's an alias from a forgotten mission the Americans had known him from. The scientist had mentioned Shield.

He shook his head, preferring that to his voice.

“You are in the United States of America at a special institution for those most unwell. A maximum security psychiatric hospital, the Redford Institute. You will be taken care of here.”

Another front? What was the purpose? Why didn’t they just wipe him already?

“Do you understand?”

“There was a cat… She will be hungry.” The Soldier looked at their feet.

“A cat?”

“Back-” He trailed off… his home? No he was foolish to ever think he could have that. He couldn’t call it that.

“Where you were found? Oh. Did you hurt it? Yeah, I can ask someone about that. They’ll take care of it.”

The Soldier wasn’t convinced. The man was speaking like one did to a child when you say a quick fib to get something bigger accomplished like bathtime or a meal finished.

“It's okay. I can tell you need some more time to settle in so perhaps we can discuss this again tomorrow. For now, I want you to go with the nice nurses for a shower.”

He must have still been groggy because there were two men in green lifting him by the arms rather suddenly before he even registered they had entered the room.

The Soldier was familiar with this. He let them drag him stumbling to a gleaming tiled room where they asked him to undress. When he didn’t, he allowed them to remove the gown and guide him underneath the showerhead.

The spray was freezing and only when one nurse tested it with his hand and recoiled in surprise, immediately guiding the Soldier back too, did he realize they didn’t mean to use it as a punishment.

“God! That’s freezing! He didn’t even react! Let’s wait till it warms up some more. I’m sorry, normally it doesn’t come out like that-”

The Soldier just stared straight ahead. Bad things came from interacting with techs.

He remained the same when they cut his hair off, shearing off the inches in dramatic sheafs.

“I feel like it’s those videos you see of groomers shaving matted dogs-”

“Cut it out- he’s not matted- Anyway, he can hear you.”

And when they put him back in the cell, he swallowed their cupful of pills and turned away from the food that came soon after. Unable to entertain anything that wasn't a direct command or action.

Hopefully they would wipe him soon.

---

To be continued.

[fandomfail]

Ten songs I've been listening to!

I was tagged by my good friend @puzzle-paradigm and I must answer the call 1. Rabbit Hole" by Deco*27, covered by Rachie

"My my my, you’re just a little freak (Like I thought!) / Why why why, you’re just the same as me (Oh my god!) / Right right right, it’s time to start the show / Once more, deeper into this rabbit hole we go."

2. "Born to Run" by American Authors

"I'm gonna live my life like I'm gonna die young / Like it's never enough / like I'm born to run / I'm gonna spend my time like tomorrow won't come / Do whatever I want / like I'm born to run."

3. "Honey, I'm Home" by GHOST sung by Dex.

"A vivisection of me / Done by God, for all to see / Say, "Hello! Honey, I'm home!" / Three voices come all alone."

4. "World's Smallest Violin" by AJR

"I'll blow up into smithereens / And spew my tiny symphony / All up and down a city street / While tryna put my mind at ease / Like finishing this melody / This feels like a necessity / So this could be the death of me / Or maybe just a better me."

5. "Love is the Strangest Game" by Minyt

"Cause love / is the strangest game / And you / You’re so fun to play."

6. "Hair Lockets" by Nicole Dollanganger

"When you're old, grey, and diseased / I'll still have parts of your young body / The one you lived in when you loved me / The rest of you now decomposing."

7. "Kiss the Girl" by Ashley Tisdale

"Ooh, ooh / Kiss the girl, ah / Kiss the girl / La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la / Go on and kiss the girl (kiss the girl) / La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la / Go on and kiss the girl."

8. "Ruru's Suicide Show on Livestream" by Shinsei Kamattechan

"Jumping into the Chūō Line / Being called a nuisance all her life / She was always there / The girl went ahead and died / Even if you ask the FBI/ You'll never know her message / She was always shouting."

9. "Animal in Me" by Solence

"When I look in the mirror / I know what I see / The animal in me / One with the demon / One with the beast / The animal in me."

10. "Cure" by Alien Stage | STUDIO LICO

"Even if your cold words / Carve scars beneath my eyes / May they linger on your tongue / You can break me apart / Notice my pain / And mend me right now / To quiet my fears / I'll drown in you."

Challenging @zola-no-kanojou, @sacrificialkittie, and @bobsquatley to do this! If you guys want to!! no pressure!!!

[mrs-johansson]

Chapter 4: Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Partners in crime

Part 5:

We pulled up outside an abandoned military base where the signal led us. “The file came from these coordinates,” said Natasha as she pocketed the device. “So did I,” Steve spoke.

As we were walking further into the camp it became more interesting. “This camp is where I was trained,” he said. “Changed much?” I questioned thee-soldier. “A little.”

“This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off,” Natasha said as she was trying to find the signal pinpoint.

Then I noticed a building that was odd at this specific place. “I don’t think that’s allowed to be here, is it?” I pointed at it and Steve frowned. “Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place.”

Rogers opened the lock with his shield and we were in in no time. Turning on the lights there was a huge SHIELD logo on the wall and the room filled with desks that seemed like an office.

“This is SHIELD.” “Maybe where it started.”

Then I noticed three pictures on the wall. “I don’t think it’s a maybe,” I said as I recognized all three. Howard Stark, Peggy Carter, and Col. Chester Phillips. “There’s your grandfather,” Nat poked my side with her elbow. “Howard.” “Who's the girl?” Natasha asked with a slight smirk. “Peggy Carter, one of the founders of SHIELD.”

Steve kept his eyes on the picture before turning away without a word. Nat looked at me with a confused look but I just mouthed a ‘later’ to her.

After we found an elevator we quickly realized that there was more to this place.

It took us to a room full of old computers, it was like a Time Machine.

“This can't be the data point, this technology is ancient,” Nat spoke out loud before noticing a flash drive port. We locked eyes and I nodded toward it. She put the driver in it and activated the computer.

“Initiate system?” Spoke the computer. “Y-E-S, spells yes,” Nat typed in then started smiling. “Shall we play a game?” She turned around. “It's from a movie that…” “Yeah, I saw it,” but Steve was quick to shut her down. “Next time,” I smiled at her but then the computer started talking.

“Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984. Stark, Y/n. Born, 1989.” The voice clearly had an accent, I just didn’t know what type of. But the biggest concern was how does a hundred million years old computer know us.

“It's some kind of a recording,” I think she was trying to stay calm with this sentence.

“I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am,” the computer screen showed an old photo of Dr. Arnim Zola. “Do you know this thing?” Asked Nat.

“Arnim Zola, a German scientist. I studied a couple of his theories,” I said as his face burned into my mind from the dozens of sleepless nights of studying.

“He worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years,” Steve added while rounding the main computer.

“First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain.” “That doesn’t sound disgusting at all,” I murmured and Natasha just squeezed her elbow into my side and I just frowned at her.

“How did you get here?” Steve asked more aggressively. “Invited.” “It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic value,” I said.

“They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own,” said then I guess Dr. Zola.

“HYDRA died with the Red Skull.” “No, I didn’t,” I looked at him with a weird look, doesn’t he know? “Cut off one head, two more shall take its place.” “Prove it,” ordered Steve.

“Accessing archive.” The computer screen showed them old footage of Johann Schmidt/Red Skull, of the original SHIELD founders. And he spoke about the history of HYDRA.

“That's impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you,” Natasha pressed. “Accidents will happen.”

The computer screen showed us HYDRA had killed Howard and Maria Stark making it look like a car accident along with the recent death of Fury.

“HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your Life; a zero sum.” With anger, Steve suddenly smashed the computer screen. “What's on this drive?” I asked.

“Project Insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm.” “What kind of algorithm? What does it do?” Natasha jumped to action. “The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it.” Suddenly the doors started to close, Steve tried to stop them by throwing his shield in between them but it was too late.

“We got a bogey. Short-range ballistic. 30 seconds tops.” “Who fired it?” I asked. “SHIELD.”

“I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain. Admit it, it's better this way. We're both of us...out of time.” Steve noticed a small opening on the ground, he threw the metal door aside and just as the place exploded he threw all three of us into the hole and protected us with his shield, then we managed to get out from under the building rubble just as some agents arrived to roam the area for us.

***

“I think I know a place to lay low,” Stev said as we were driving away from the camp. “You have friends? That are alive?” I asked from the backseat. “I just met him, don’t be rude,” he said. “I’m just surprised.” “Thanks.”

We got there in the morning. It was already bright and all three of us had some sleep, taking turns in driving.

When I saw the smaller family house, I was very curious about Steve's friend. I bet it’s a grandpa.

Steve knocked on the door and in a couple of seconds, a guy opened the door with a very surprised look on his face. “Hey, man.” “I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low,” Steve said. “Everyone we know is trying to kill us,” Natasha added the important detail. “He’s not a grandpa?” I looked at Steve and he just sighed. “Not everyone.”

“I’m Y/n Stark, by the way, we haven’t met,” I introduced myself to the man as we entered the house. “Sam Wilson. Stark, huh?” “Yup.” “Does he know that you’re a fugitive?” Asked Sam. “Am I really a fugitive if I’m fighting for the good? I guess I am though, but no, he doesn’t know.”

***

“So, the question is: who in SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?” She leaned against the counter. “Pierce.” “Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world,” I added. “But he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star.” “So was Jasper Sitwell.” “So, the real question is: how do the two most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?” Steve asked and Sam jumped in. “The answer is: you don't.” He dropped a file on the table. “What’s this?” I asked. “Call it a resume.” Natasha picked up a photo of Sam with his team. “Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you,” she looked up. “You didn't say he was a pararescue.”

“I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?” I asked. “No. These.” He handed Steve the file, and heopened it and read it. “I thought you said you were a pilot.” “I never said pilot,” he shook his head with a smile.

“I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason,” Steve argued. “Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in,” Sam said. “Oh no another fanboy,” I sat down. “Where can we get our hands on one of these things?” Asked THE captain. “The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall.” Steve shared a look between Nat and I and with a nod, it was done. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

[buckets-and-trees]

Idle Hands

Characters/Pairings: Stucky x female!Reader Word Count: 900 Summary: Actions speak louder than words, and Bucky takes note of Steve’s actions as your relationship naturally grows.

Content Warnings: all floof and softness here

Additional Notes: THE BROOKLYN BOYS HOLIDAY SPECIAL (but theoretically could be read on its own). Just a little drabble-y something for my 2022 Holiday Extravaganza! I have a lot of feelings for this trio in my heart.

James Buchanan Barnes was a fittingly pretentious name for an overly enthusiastic nerd.

“Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield.”

The truth was, when they were little, Steve wasn’t that much smaller than everyone else. Steve picked up his hatred for bullies when Bucky hadn’t figured out that obviously being the smartest kid in the room and obliviously enjoying the process of acquiring more knowledge earned him a target as a nerd. Steve defended him, befriended him, and helped him mellow out. He never suggested that Bucky change who he was, just helped him navigate the early years of school social dynamics and learn how not to come off as an insufferable know it all in every situation. It was later, when Steve was left behind as the one who was too short and too scrawny that Bucky got to finally pay him back in the battle against bullies – not that Steve would let him, but that’s friendship, with each other ‘til the end of the line whichever way the train’s heading.

Still, Bucky’s always been too intelligent, too observant, too curious. It’s what made him stand out in the 107th, which was good in the field, but bad when it got him on Zola’s table the first time. For better and worse it put him on the top of the list of HYDRA’s assets during his purgatory as the Winter Soldier. He wasn’t perfect, but his margin of error was next to zero.

These days living his life in Brooklyn, he doesn’t catch everything every hour of every day, but he still loves learning, his mind is still ever observant, ever curious, and after enough years of coming to terms with who he is now again – James Buchanan Barnes and only sometimes the White Wolf – he enjoys that part of himself again.

He is an unapologetic Ravenclaw now that he’s read Harry Potter.

One morning over breakfast as he’s over at the counter pouring himself another cup of coffee, he looks over to see Steve holding your hand casually on the corner of the table. Steve is scrolling through his phone; you’re eating cereal and watching the morning news. It’s beautifully mundane, almost nothing noteworthy, except Bucky notices that as Steve holds your left hand, he’s absentmindedly running his thumb over your ring finger precisely where a ring would be. Bucky smiles to himself but doesn’t say anything.

A few days later he sees Steve doing it again when you’re all in a car on your way upstate. Steve’s driving, you’re in the passenger seat, and Bucky volunteered to sit in the back so he could read over the long haul, but he notices this even though neither you nor Steve seem to register it happening here either.

The next time Bucky sees it happen again, you’re on the phone, so you don’t hear the soft and single laugh that rumbles out of his chest, but Steve does, and gives him a quizzical look. Bucky shakes his head ever so slightly and mouths a later to Steve.

When Steve corners him later, Bucky tells him exactly what he saw. Steve opens and closes his mouth wordlessly a couple of times, and Bucky laughs. “You want to put a ring on that finger.”

“But there’s no rush,” Steve is quick to say.

“Of course not.”

Steve turns away, then turns back. “You do, too, right?”

Bucky gives him an emphatic nod, an easy smile on his face. He has no question over wanting to spend the rest of his life with the two of you.

When it happens idly a couple more times, Bucky catches Steve’s eye each time and looks pointedly down at your hands, and Steve will stop without trying to be too abrupt or draw your attention in any way. Bucky and Steve have known each other a lifetime, but they’ve never wanted to rush you.

A few months later, as you stand back from putting the last ornament on the tree, Steve takes your left hand and kisses the back of it sweetly as you comment on how the decorations look and Bucky and Steve respond. As he lowers your hands, he locks eyes with Bucky, then drops his eyes down to where his thumb is brushing over your ring finger, and back up to meet Bucky’s gaze. Bucky arches his brow, and Steve inclines his chin just a fraction, the corner of his mouth lifting in a confident statement of his intentions. Bucky beams back at him.

“What are you grinning at?” you ask when neither of them has answered the question you just asked.

“Nothing,” Bucky responds, “we just finished decorating our first Christmas tree with you, of course we’re grinning.”

You look suspiciously between them for half a second. “Okay. I’m ordering Indian for dinner since the question you both completely missed was what you’re in the mood for. But for the record, I know you two are scheming.”

“Us? Never, sweetheart,” Steve says in an exaggeratedly innocent voice, and you roll your eyes.

But Bucky and Steve are discreet and although you do catch them in some of their other plots and schemes over the following weeks, you don’t suspect this is brewing between them. There’s a reason they’ve been unstoppable since childhood, after all.

Day two of the Holiday Extravaganza in the books! I'll be back again tomorrow...

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[baroquebucky]

reach

soulmate au where when you touch your soulmate you see glimpses of your future with them; the winter soldier touches you and realizes there’s so much more out there

series masterlist // previous // next

part two

word count: 3.3k (worth it me thinks)

masterlist

a/n: hi bffs !! here is part two to touch !! i hope u guys enjoy !! might make a part 3 if you guys want ?!? let me know what u guys think !!

You stared at the clunky metal cuffs on your hands, silent as the four of you were squished together along with two agents. Tears staining your cheeks, you had stopped crying as soon as the agents had cuffed you, turning on a steely exterior.

“i knew him” Steve spoke, you were all silent as he stared at the floor, “he looked right at me like he didn’t even know me” his voice distant.

“that was over 70 years ago how is that possible?” Sam spoke, looking at you and then at Steve.

“Zola, Buckys whole unit was captured in 43” Steve explained, his gaze hardening, “Zola experimented on him, whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall” his voice softening.

“they must have found him and-” Steve’s voice was tender as he trailed off.

“none of that’s your fault steve” Natasha groaned, bleeding through the bandage you had put on her.

You looked over at her and frowned, “we need to get a doctor in here, she’s lost a lot of blood if we don’t put pressure on that wound” you turned, looking at one of guards next to you.

You flinched as they turned on the taser, scooting back closer to steve. Your eyes widened as they knocked out the other agent, taking off their helmet only to reveal Maria Hill. You smiled softly.

“that thing was squeezing my brain- who’s this guy?” She spoke, staring at sam.

After breaking out of the cuffs and escaping the truck the five of you headed to some secret base, you were quiet as they chatted among each other, thoughts of bucky clouding your mind.

“y/n, why- what happened?” Steve spoke gently, falling into step with you.

You looked at him, slowing down a little bit. “It was him steve” you whispered, voice shaking. Steve stopped completely, grabbing your wrist and pulling you away from the group.

“what- i thought- are you sure?” He rushed out, breathless.

“i saw us, together” you managed out, a tears falling from your eyes, “it was our future,” you looked at Steve, wiping your eyes before continuing to walk forward.

“y/n we have to talk about this” Steve rushed next to you and you nodded, he opened his mouth but you stopped him as you approached sam, Maria and natasha.

“not now, please” you pleaded and he nodded, holding your hand and squeezing it softly.

“She’ll want to see him first” Maria spoke, a smirk on her face as you all looked at each other in confusion, following her as she pushed some plastic curtains out of the way.

Your stomach fell and a smile found it’s way onto your face, “son of a bitch” you chuckled.

“about damn time” fury mumbled you couldn’t help but smile.

As they attended natasha the rest of you listened to fury rattle off his list of injuries, explaining why he had to stay hidden and why no one was told of him still being alive. You nodded along in understanding, your eyes trained on the floor before looking at him with a smile.

“does this mean i still have to turn in that report?”

Buckys mind was racing. The smell of freshly baked cookies and visions of you in his head. Even flashes of the blonde who was with you.

He could hear his scream after he fell, he saw flashes of them turning him into who he was now. He memorized your face, the way your hair looked and the smile you had on your face for the few seconds you had together. He focused on the future, the picnics and the singing.

Bucky mourned for himself, for who he was and who he wish he could become.

The sound of an argument and multiple footsteps brought him to reality, his eyes still red and nose pink from crying when he saw you. Alexander Pierce walked in and bucky felt sick to his stomach, watching as the agents lowered their weapons on his command.

“Mission report” he spoke coldly, angry when he had to repeat himself once more. Pierce crinkled his nose, hitting bucky in frustration.

Bucky hesitated, he shouldn’t tell them about you, he couldn’t. He needed you safe, he didn’t want you hurt.

“the man on the bridge, who was he” he mumbled, voice fragile as he spoke. Buckys eyes met Pierces, worry flickering in his eyes before pushing it away.

“i knew him” he mumbled, Pierce sitting in front of him. His words were fuzzy as he thought of you and the blonde man, he wanted you, he was meant to be with you. “but i knew him” bucky mumbled once more when Pierce finished talking, his lips pressing into a smal tight smile for a second.

“prep him” Pierce spoke, bucky wanted to cry, his stomach was in knots as Pierce told them to wipe him. Panic rose in his chest, he couldn’t forget you, he couldn’t lose his only hope in 70 years. He leaned back as they pushed him into his seat, his breathing ragged and heavier. He had to hold onto you, the smell on baking cookies in his mind as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“I never liked him” you spoke, turning to Natasha, “i told you remember! You brushed me off” you huffed, turning your attention to Maria and some suitcase.

Maria explained insights plan, telling the four of you how to stop the carriers. Making sure to emphasize the need to link all three carriers.

“- we can salvage what’s left” Nick spoke, you furrowed your brows and shook your head, anger bubbling in your chest.

“we aren’t salvaging anything!” You spoke angrily, Nick staring at you in shock. Steve nodded his head.

“we’re taking down SHIELD” Steve spoke and Nick tried to defend himself, “SHIELD had nothing to do with this!” The man grumbled.

“You gave me this mission, this is how it ends” Steve spoke firmly, “SHIELDS been compromised you said so yourself, HYDRA grew under your nose and you didn’t even notice” his brows furrowed and eyes cold.

“why do you think we’re meeting in a cave, i noticed” Nick shot back, you shook your head in disbelief.

“how many paid the price before you did?” You quipped, thinking about your soulmate, where was he? what would happen to him?

“I didn’t know about barnes” Nick softened, looking at Steve, the blonde rolled his eyes.

“even if you did would you have told me about it? Or would you compartmentalize that too” he scoffed, you bit your bottom lip in frustration.

“HYDRA, SHIELD, it all goes” you stated firmly, eyes set on fury, he looked around at the others.

“they’re right” Maria sighed.

You stood atop the dam, the sound of the wind rustling the trees calmed you down, you focused on one of the flashes you had seen when you touched bucky.

“You set this all up for little ol’ me?” You teased, bucky rolling his eyes with a smile on his face, taking your hand in his and leading you to the middle of the meadow he had found.

“only the best for my sweets” he replied, shooting a wink at you and you blushed slightly, the cool wind hitting your flushed skin.

“oh wow you even got us a little cake? went all out did you barnes” you teased and he smiled, letting a soft groan out.

“can you please stop laughing at me for five minutes” he pouted, and you smiled at him softly, sitting on the blanket and pulling his down with you, kissing the pout on his lips.

“i love it angel” you mumbled, kissing his lips softly before pulling away and reaching into the basket, pulling out the sandwiches and handing one to bucky along with a drink.

“found it the other day, thought you would like to watch the sunset from here instead of that old park” he spoke, taking a sip from the water bottle you handed him and your heart fluttered in your chest.

“i love you so much James” you mumbled, leaning over and peppering kisses all over his face, a smile on his lips as he soaked in all your loving.

You giggled as he moved over, picking you up with ease and spinning you around. Bucky set you down gently, you rested your head on his shoulder as you marveled at the sun setting, pinks and reds painting the sky, golden rays hitting the two of you.

“you know I’m yours forever, right doll?” Bucky mumbled, his head in your lap as you played with his hair. You smiled sweetly at him, nodding your head.

“and I’m yours forever and more lovebug” you replied.

“He’s gonna be there, you know” Sam spoke, causing you to jump slightly. Steve walked next to him, the two men approaching you.

“I know” you nodded.

“whoever he used to be, the guy he is now, he’s not the kind you save, he’s the kind you stop” Sam spoke, Steve standing next to you as Sam looked at the two of you.

“i don’t know if we can do that” Steve spoke for the two of you, Sam looked at you softly. Your eyes meeting and you gave him a small smile.

“he might not give you a choice” he whispered, you shook your head as he continued, “he doesn’t know you.”

“he has to, he has to remember me, I’m his soulmate” you spoke, eyes welling up with tears once more.

“gear up, it’s time” Steve spoke gently.

Your hands shook softly as you changed, taking in a deep breath as you fell into line with Maria, Sam and Steve, walking towards SHIELD.

“excuse us” you smiled as the man opened the door to the control center, moving out of your way quickly when he saw Maria and Sams guns, “alrighty star spangled man, your time to shine” you smiled, patting him on the back.

Steve began his speech, a proud smile on your face as he spoke, feeling the shift in the air, your heart thumping against your rib cage.

“did you write that down first? Or was it off the top of you head” Sam smiled and you laughed softly.

The sirens blared and you heard the echoes of gunshots, “they’re initiating launch” Maria spoke in your ear, you jogged next to Sam and Steve.

“how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?” Sam questioned.

“if they’re shooting at you they’re bad” you replied, Steve smiling before the two of you hopped down and fought the men on the airstrips.

You were in a whirl of punches and gunshots, throwing your knives and taking down men to help Steve get to the helicarriers.

Steve ran from behind you, the two of you running to put in the cartridge, “alpha lock!” You spoke, you and Steve running to leave the carrier. Sam calling out “bravo lock!” Not long after.

You took down a couple guards, hitching a ride with a pilot and Steve counting on sam to get him to the other helicarrier.

You ran out as soon as you could, blood running cold as you recognized the metal arm grabbing sams wing.

You froze as he tore the wing off, kicking him off the side, eyes wide you ran out, “Sam!” You cried out, panic filling your chest.

“I’m fine, I’m just grounded, I’m sorry guys” he apologized and you let out a sigh of relief.

“I’m still on the helicarrier, i got it” Steve spoke and you felt relief knowing he was safe.

“I’ll come down and help you” you spoke, turning around and coming face to face with three men. You groaned in annoyance as they approached you, moving quickly to take one of their guns, knocking them out with the butt. Using another one as a shield before kicking him off you and into the other man.

“Y/n no! Wait on my signal, he’s here and- we just need to wait for the right moment” Steve spoke, out of breath as he spoke. You hesitated, watching bucky run to beat Steve.

“okay” you spoke softly, doing what you could to make sure it was only steve and bucky in the helicarrier.

It felt like an eternity until Steve finally called for you, breathless. “Y/n get down here!” You ran quickly, maneuvering your way down and seeing the two men fighting.

“take it!” Steve yelled, bucky laying on the floor next to him, you nodded, running up to him as his tossed it to you, catching it before taking off again.

You felt the bullet whirl next to your head, he was shooting at you. Your stomach fell as you realized, running faster. You heard Steve groan, falling next to you.

“Steve!” You cried out, stopping before realizing you had mere seconds left. You saw the blood through his suit, biting your lip before taking off, hurrying to put in the cartridge, rushing to help Steve up.

“Charlie lock!” You cried out, putting his weight on your shoulder, struggling to carry him.

“get out of there!” Maria called, you looked at Steve, his eyes telling you all you needed to know, you nodded softly.

“fire now” Steve spoke, Maria began to argue but you cut her off, “do it!” You commanded, losing your balance as the helicarriers shot at each other.

Bucky’s groan caught your attention, your heart breaking as you saw he was trapped under a piece of metal. Without hesitation you and Steve jumped down, lifting the metal between the two of you.

“it’s gonna be okay” you whispered, moving to reach out only for the helicarrier to decline sharply, causing you to slip away, inches from his hand.

You grasped onto a ledge, steadying yourself and attempting to get back to the two super soldiers, the constant explosions making it difficult.

Bucky punched Steve, fear in his eyes as they spoke, you ran to them, continuously getting knocked over by the crashes.

“I’m not gonna fight you, you’re my friend” you heard Steve say, dropping the shield as bucky tackled him.

“you’re my mission!” Bucky spoke, anger in his eyes.

You leaped, tackling Bucky off of Steve, flashes of your future in both of your eyes.

“y/n!” Steve cried out.

“no wait pull over!” You cried out, eyes focusing on a box you had passed on the highway, bucky furrowed his brows in confusion.

“doll it’s raining it’s just a box” he slowed down, pulling over anyway.

“no there were cats!” you squealed, unlocking your door quickly and running out of the car, the rain immediately drenching you to the bone. Bucky cursed softly as you ran out without your jacket, following you quickly. His eyes landing on the two cats in your arms.

“told you so” you teased, motioning for him to grab the other two from the box. Bucky grabbed them quickly, running to your car and setting them on your lap, wrapping them in your jacket and trying to warm them up.

You arrived at the shelter quickly, heart aching as they took the four kittens from you. The small white one mewling and sinking his claws into your shirt, you smiled softly before taking his claws out of the fabric, handing him to a vet.

“We’ll call you when we’re done with all the tests and diagnostics” the woman smiled kindly and you nodded, bucky slipping his hand into your easily and you leaned into his warmth.

You were cuddled up next to bucky on the couch, head on his chest and watching one of your favorite shows.

“doll?” Bucky called out, moving you gently and you got up from his chest.

“sorry, I’m just worried about the kittens is all” you sighed, chewing on your bottom lip, bucky let out a breath before pulling you into his lap.

“that white one really liked you” he chuckled and you nodded, a smile on your face as you remembered the way he didn’t want to leave you.

“almost as much as you do huh” you teased and bucky laughed, shaking his head at your statement.

“no one can love you as much as i do dollface” he replied, his face serious before breaking into a smile as you rolled your eyes. You moved to get off his lap but he stopped you.

“why don’t we keep him” he smiled, nervous as he proposed the idea to you, “you could use some company when i go away for missions and I’ve always wanted a cat, and plus statistics say people are happier with pets-” bucky rambled.

“yes! oh my god finally! I’m so excited” you cheered, jumping of the couch and hopping around, a smile on your face as you turned to look at bucky.

Bucky smiled as you sat back down, leaning in to kiss him softly, a smile on both of your faces. “Should name him alpine” Bucky suggested a smile on his face as you nodded.

Bucky went overboard on toys and treats, his arms full as he set the bags down, a smile on his face as you finished kitten proofing the apartment.

“James! You didn’t need to get that much” you spoke shocked at the amount of things he got for your new kitten.

“this is our son we are talking about, he deserves the world” bucky scoffed, fixing the bags and putting everything away, the two of you excited to pick up your new child.

The two of you played with alpine for hours when he got home, giggles filling the apartment as you observed his antics. The three of you curled up on the couch, alpine asleep in your lap as bucky had his arm around you, some documentary playing.

“i love our family” you smiled, looking at bucky and kissing his jaw softly. He smiled at you as you pulled away, laying your head on his chest again.

“i love it too sweets” his heart was melting at the sight of you, cozy in his arms with the kitten in your lap.

“I’m yours forever bucky” you whispered, eyes closing as exhausting took over, his heart fluttered.

“I’m yours forever y/n” he replied, a smile on his face as the words left his lips.

Buckys eyes widened as the scenario played out in his eyes, you looked at him, a small smile on your face.

“it’s you” he whispered, a small smile forming on his face.

“it’s me, forever” you mumbled, moving to sit up and hug him.

Before you could, debris broke the glass you were laying on, your reflexes not quick enough to hold onto something, causing you to fall into the water, fear in Buckys eyes.

Both him and Steve dove in after you, bucky reaching you before his friend and pulling you out frantically. Steve helped drag you to shore, shaking you before giving you CPR.

You coughed up water, rolling around before your vision cleared, a smile on your face as you saw Steve, wrapping your arms around him.

“wheres bucky?” You questioned, heart sinking as you searched for the metal armed man.

“i- he was just here” Steve spoke, looking around, panic in his eyes.

Within moments Maria, Natasha and Sam found the two of you, rushing you to a hospital, treating all your wounds and any broken bones. Falling asleep moments after with Sam watching over both you and Steve.

It had been close to a month since SHIELD fell, since you last saw bucky. You woke up to knocking on your door, your eyes bleary as you checked the time, 7:34 am.

You groaned and forced yourself out of bed, “who needs something at 7 am on a Saturday!” You called out, angrily opening the door. Your anger sizzled away within seconds, you eyes meeting the baby blue ones you had only seen for moments at a time.

“Bucky” you whispered, your wind had been knocked out of you as you saw your soulmate on the other side of the door.

“hi doll” he smiled softly, his eyes brighter as he looked at you.

-

tag list !

@felicityofbakerstreet @newyork47 @classygirlything @ebxny27 @hhaydenn @miaangel24 @shawnie--jo @quinnmaddie @mugscraps

[windsfavored]

❝  can't  blame  him  for  that. ❞  the  wanderer  mutters.  the  frowning,  that  is  —  part  of  his  motivation  for  wanting  to  restore  the  set  back  to  an  echo  of  its  former  glory  is  pure  indignation.  ❝  even  the  most  meticulous  repairs  will  never  be  perfect ...  but  i  suppose  we  could  get  away  with  patting  ourselves  on  the  backs  if  we  manage  to  get  the  clock  working  at  all. ❞  it's  a  bit  IRKSOME,  but  it  can't  be  helped.  he's  always  found  the  idea  of  leaving  one's  signature  on  a  restored  piece  of  art  rather  tacky,  although  that's  not  too  terribly  different  from  what  they  would  be  doing.  their  own  personal  touch;  a  mark  of  their  efforts.  after  all  the  trouble  they've  gone  through,  he  supposes  they've  EARNED  IT.

attention  flicks  back  to  the  stringless  —  only  for  a  moment.  tracing  its  delicate  patterns,  making  note  of  any  miniscule  damages  that  may  need  to  be  taken  care  of.  scratches,  dents,  faded  pigment.  all  things  considered,  it's  in  remarkably  good  condition  —  and  ren  then  looks  up,  lips  parting  to  share  as  much,  yet  the  sight  that  greets  him  is  enough  to  bid  him  to  FREEZE.

❝  ... ❞  ah.  right.  zola  is  crying.  has  she  been  crying  this  ENTIRE  TIME?  he's  been  so  preoccupied  with  the  bow  that  it  escaped  his  notice,  thoughts  too  entangled  with  the  task  at  hand  to  even  consider  anything  BEYOND  IT.  for  a  moment,  the  wanderer  can  only  stare  —  eyes  wide  and  mouth  still  hanging  open  like  a  fool.  mentally,  he  shuffles  through  possible  explanations  for  the  display.  is  she  sick?  is  she  hurt  —  scared?  she  says  that  she's  HAPPY,  yet  ren  has  always  associated  tears  as  a  symbol  of  negativity  and  weakness.  (  understandable,  considering  all  that  they've  cost  him.  )  it's  difficult  for  him  to  wrap  his  mind  around  why  one  would  cry  for  any  other  reason.  ❝  uh ... ❞  jaw  works  as  if  he's  CHEWING  on  his  own  words.  awkward,  awkward,  awkward.  for  a  moment,  he  feels  comparable  to  a  human  infant,  trying  clumsily  to  walk  on  legs  too-weak  to  support  him.  softness  doesn't  come  to  him  as  naturally  as  it  used  to.  ❝  are  you  alright? ❞

That was good to hear, the Stringless' had better chances of repair like the Flute then the Bell and Widsith.. more then the Bell if anything. The acid on the claymore damaged the clockwork from long back then it caused the magi to give a shaky sigh. "I.. I passed it along to my father and told him the story of it. T-that's actually the first time I saw him frown the.. the most he could do was carefully open the clock to see the gears to change.."

Before she could even grab the clockwork meka gears from her pocket, Zola felt herself blink and she covered her eyes before hearing herself speak in a broken voice, mentally cursing even for it. "I.. I can make a new clock for the Bell.. T-that can work right.. i-it can e-even if w-we don't know what the sound was.." A shaky smile between happiness and a near ready turn of an all out cry was so close to her lips. "I.. I know I-I'm crying b-but I'm just happy.. I-it's weird to start crying first.."

[smaptain-smerica]

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: {Y/n} Was at the top of her class at the Red Room Academy. Sought after for her expertise in the field by Dr. Zola, who purchased the widow for his Hydra Program. {y/n} Excelled quickly, and began teaching the new recruits using her previously taught skills. All was well until a James Barnes entered the program. His presence turned the entirety of the Hydra program on its head. Rules, hearts and trust broken time and time again.

Maturity: This book is rated mature for graphic descriptions of violence, foul language, and sexual content that may be sensitive to readers under the age of 18.

a/n: This story was originally posted on wattpad and will be updated there first. Follow there for quicker updates! https://www.wattpad.com/user/smaptin-smerica

Master List

Chapter 3

January, 1945

I think what the Hydra program liked the most about me is the fact that they didn't have to erase my memories. It would have been a complete waste of time to erase what little memories I had before going to the Red Room. It would be too much of a hassle to try and retrain everything that I had learned there.

It's been a little over a year since I was first purchased by Hydra. I excelled quickly in my program, becoming fully equipped in all aspects they needed in as little as 6 months into my program. Every test I passed with ease, proving more and more I would be a useful asset to the Super Solider program. Dr. Zola was obsessed with me, saying time and time again I would become the most lethal soldier in the facility. I played the part well, I was obedient and willing which is what I think he liked the most. Because almost all others were anything but willing and obedient. My

I had noticed quite a few things being here. The major one being, I was the only woman. Men were eliminated as quickly as they had been brainwashed. Their screamed filled and echoed the hallways at night, making it impossible to sleep at night. The blood curdling screams echoed in my head constantly. Souls so tormented as they begged for their mothers, brothers and loved ones. They begged for the pain to stop, yanking my heart to pieces having to listen to their cries and pleas. Then their life was reduced to nothing, never again being able to remember their families. They were given new memories to enhance the brainwashing hydra had done. In all honesty, I was thankful that hadn't happened to me.

One man in particular stood out to me. A soldier who fell from a train into a mountain. He had lost his arm in the process, which was replaced with a completely mechanical one. The technology was beyond impressive. I insisted being there for every operation and every test they put this man through. Honestly I was jealous, having an advantage such as an indestructible metal arm. He was extremely handsome, dark brown hair, chiseled features and piercing blue eyes. He was obviously physically fit as I had seen him without a shirt many times while they operated. One day he snapped, strangling a doctor with his new found weaponized appendage. I widened my eyes, anticipating what was going to happen next. He was injected with a sedative and then immediately moved to the brainwashing room. This was the first time I had seen it in person.

They placed the machine on top of his head, two large plates that covered the sides of his head and the left half of his face. I could see the fear in his eyes as he frantically looked around. Finally, the process started. The pain in his voice as he screamed broke my heart. Instinctively, I covered my mouth with my hand, scrunching my face together in pure terror. He called out for his friend Steve, apologizing to him. And to his mother.

"First time?" Dr. Zola's voice snapped me out of my trance. I turned around and watched as he walked up next to me. "Why do you do this?" I muttered hardly sure if he was going to be able to hear me.

"We cannot have any weak links. Past lives and trauma can interfere with the training process. Having no name makes people less personable, more objectified and expendable for our program. Surely you understand that." I felt guilt turn in my stomach. My head snapped back around to the man in the chair. I did understand unfortunately. Dreykov worked the same way. "What about him? Who is he?"

"That is James Buchanan Barnes. Known by his comrades as Bucky. Soldier in the 107th infantry in the second great war. He was here for a short while, we ran tests on him which is why we think he survived the drop that he did." My heart was torn, I would be one of the only people to remember him. He wouldn't even remember himself after this was over. "Don't get too attached to him X. He is your next project."

I looked over at Dr. Zola, confused for a moment. He looked up at me with a small smile. He took something out from his satule, a long object wrapped in a cloth. He raised it for me to take, which I suspiciously and tenderly did. "For your final task." I knew exactly what that meant, the time was coming soon where I would prove myself by murdering the man who had trained me. As Dr. Zola said, people were expendable and there should be no weak links. The realization set it that it was quite literally life or death for me. If I didn't kill my trainer, Dr. Zola would have spent all that money for nothing. I knew it wouldn't be difficult, I have beaten him multiple times before. This time it felt different, I felt the weight of guilt on me like rocks piling into my stomach.

I tenderly unwrapped the cloth to reveal a dagger. The craftsmanship on it was simply stunning. The entire material was a matte black with a handle that seemed to be perfectly crafted to fit my hand. Of course, it had to be in order for me to succeed. The blade was long and slender, coming to a fine point at the end of the eight inch blade. I took it into my hands, observing the small present. It did not take me long to become accustomed to my favorite weapons. The precision and control that was required to be successful and skillful with a dagger are what attracted me to it. I would spend hours on end mastering the technique and skill in order to become the most lethal. One might say, it was my weapon of choice.

"Thank you Dr. Zola, truly."

~~~

Bucky's POV

Dr. Zola and two other guards walked me down long corridors of hallways. His little legs were working fast to keep up with mine and the guards. It had been about a week after my surgery to fix my arm. The metal contraption now attached to my body was confusing, I had no idea how they were able to connect my nerves to internal wires. Possibly, directly to my brain. My accident resulted from a training session failure, setting back my training significantly. Hydra worked hard to build me the arm and put me back together so I could get back into a strict schedule.

"As you know, you have fallen quite behind in your training program. No worries, we are not upset with you Winter Soldier. We have the perfect person to get you up to speed." Dr. Zola explained to me as we came up on two metal doors. He seemed to get giddy, looking up at me with excitement in his eyes. "Subject X is my pride and joy, I am sure you two will get along famously."

The curiosity was beginning to get the better of me, I wanted to know who this Soldier was that Dr. Zola was so fond of, what made him so valuable? The doors opened, I was confused by the sight before me. A large almost warehouse like room with equipment and weapons on either side of the room. What caught my attention the most, was the two individuals inside of a large glass barriered cage. One large and extremely intimidating man, and another smaller woman. She was sitting on the floor in the corner, hunched over while she sharpened a long, black dagger. Her attention was drawn to us, looking up through her brow with stunning {e/c} eyes. Her hair was {h/c}, falling in thick locks in front of her eyebrow. She sat up straight with a face colder than stone, not a single emotion spread on her rather intimidating features. She looked directly at me with a stare so intense I thought she was about to burn a hole straight through me. I looked over at the man, knelt with his hands folded together mumbling words that was impossible to hear through the soundproof glass.

"Which one is Subject X?" I questioned, confused by the situation presented in front of me. The man looked like he could throw her farther than he could throw a baseball. He would surely crush her with one single blow to the head. Dr. Zola seemed to find my question humorous as he began to laugh. "Which one is it, funny Soldier."

"I was being serious." I mumbled under my breath.

Dr. Zola walked over to a control panel, pressing a button and then talking into a small microphone. "I am sure you two know what is going to happen next. Let us begin, shall we?"

I watched the girls reaction, her brows knitted together for a brief moment as she stood up, gripping the dagger tighter in her dominant hand. She put herself in a fighting stance, flipping the dagger over her hand and catching it again before sheathing it in a small scabbard on her thigh. The larger man was on his feet, a weapon of his own at his hip. A long sword with twisted and jagged edges. I felt concern bubble up in my stomach, giving me a sick feeling.

I could see the man scream as he launched his attack towards the girl, mouth open wide and face scrunched together. She was quick to react, stepping back into the corner and jumping up, using the two edges of the wall to fly over the top of the attacker. In the air, she kicked her foot down into the back of his head, causing him to stumble forward even harder and run smack into the corner. I could only imagine what it sounded like from the outside. From out here, It was like watching a silent movie. A silence blanketed the training area that was so loud it could make your ears ring. She landed on the ground gracefully, using a downward motion to disburse her body weight and lessen the impact of the fall. She went for the back of him, only to be caught by a flying arm which sent her hurtling towards the glass right in front of me. This time, I heard the thud as she hit the glass. The larger man picked her up by the throat, dangling her in the air and laying punches into her face. I cringed watching, something about this didn't settle right with me. The larger man only got in about four good punches before she had finally reached the dagger that had been sheathed in her pants. She held it up right as he threw the punch, the knife digging hilt deep into his knuckles. His face widened to a scream and he dropped her. I watched as she thudded to the ground, grabbing her neck desperately trying to catch her breath. I felt worried for her, wanting to jump in there and help her, get her the hell out of there. Quickly, she rose to her feet, blood dripping from the dagger and onto the floor in small dots. She did multiple martial arts moves, a combination of kicks right to this guys head. He rolled away, but she was quick. She watched him move, readying herself for the next advancement. I finally saw her face, nose bloody and running down her mouth to drip onto the floor. The man unsheathed his sword, swinging it with a silent scream at the woman. She jumped and rolled out of the way just in time to escape the advances. A dagger in a knife fight seemed hardly fair. if she had a choice why not a gun, or a sword to make it equal? She had to get close to his body in order to disarm him, and that is exactly what she did next. Dodging swings left and right until she was right up against him, slicing his wrist. which made him drop the sword. From there, he held her in a chokehold quickly. Here I thought she would lose, her face turning bright red as she clawed at him, desperately trying to escape the grasp of the larger man.

I saw a look in her eyes of unrest. She let out a loud muted scream, flinging her arm up and plunging her dagger directly into his forehead between the eyes. I watched as the life left his face, blood moving down the bridge of his nose. Finally, the tall mountain fell in a heap onto the floor. His eyes wide open as a molasses waterfall of hot and thick blood overtook his appearance. I looked over at the girl, standing over him while breathing hard. For the first time I saw an emotion on her face. It was tiny, hardly noticeable, but it was regret. She licked her lips, moving her hand to her mouth and then bringing it away, discovering her face was covered in blood. She looked over at the two of us, her eyes completely empty. Her beautiful face decorated with constellations of blood. We made eye contact; long, hard, and intimidating eye contact.

"Winter Soldier, meet Subject X."

Next Chapter

[captainwans]

DANGEROUS LIAISONS — BUCKY BARNES

pairing: bucky barnes x nurse! fem! reader

summary: in which, one of the prominent nurses of hydra gets introduced to their new deadly asset.

warning: mentions of anxiety disorders, ptsd, angst, traumatized reader, bucky in pain, memory loss, slight misogyny, don’t read it if you feel uncomfortable. 

word count: 1,6k

main masterlist!

 

  A LOUD PIERCING SCREAM IS WHAT PULLED [Y/N] OUT OF HER THOUGHTS. The pain in their voices and the roaring cries of help made the young nurse's hand tremble with fear as she treated one of the subjects from H.Y.D.R.A's upcoming project. She could feel the ground vibrate from the blaring screech echoing in the halls and diving towards the nurse room. She could feel her heart thumping loudly inside her chest, and her stomach churned.

            [Y/N]’s patient, who was mindlessly sitting onto a broken chair, snapped his fingers in front of her face, snapping her out of her daze. She looked at the subject, a frown forming into her features as she went back to work. Adding gentle touches to his wounds, she skillfully treated his arm and put one of her homemade ointments onto his gash.

            When she was finished, the soldier gave her a quick nod and was left alone with the other nurses who were bustling around her. She anxiously bit her fingernails, darting her gaze across the room as she tried to tone out their screams.

            Janet, her co-worker, and a close friend, looked at her with concern. Her eyes were clouding with worry as she gazed down at the petite woman who was fiddling with her hands, her dark locks hiding her face.

            "Sweetie, are you alright?" [Y/N] could feel a warm hand being placed on her shoulder and she flinched, her posture rigid and tense. Her hand immediately left her shoulder, the warm touch quickly disappearing and were replaced with a rush of coldness instead. "I'm fine, Jane." she reluctantly said, her voice barely above a whisper.

            Janet's eyes softened. She opened her mouth but closed it, not wanting to pry into her business. She went back to her subject, measuring their blood pressure while her worry for the young woman still lingered at the back of her mind.

            The young nurse sighed tiredly, slowly standing up from her chair and stretched her body. She could feel her bones crack which made her grimace in disgust. Sauntering towards the door, she shifted her body around, softly mumbling that she was going for a walk.

            She wandered off into the dark alley with an uneasy look on her face. She could feel goosebumps break into her skin and she shuddered, feeling a cold sensation down her spine. As she neared closer to the main facility, she could hear their screams more, making her clench her jaw. She walked towards the entrance of Arnim's lab and almost gasped at the sight in front of her.

            A young man was strapped into what looked like an electro machine, and he was screaming in agony. [Y/N] pushed her body behind the door, her eyes never leaving his state. Tears threatened to fall and she let out a small gasp as she watched them pulling the electro helmet around his head, as well as putting a gum inside his mouth to make it less painful, but by the looks of it, the gum was no use.

            The machine activated and fastened its pace, making the man cry out in pain. He sobbed and cried from the torment, vigorously shaking in his seat. He tightly shut his eyes, his screams increasing with every stimulation he received.

            Arnim Zola, who stood not too far behind the spectacle in front of him, took a look around the lab before landing his gaze on the young nurse with a soft smile on his face. "Ah, Miss [Y/L/N]. You came right in time." the Swiss scientist beamed in happiness, walking over to her with a smile, his eyes clouding with excitement.

            [Y/N], who was still hiding behind the door, tightly gripped the door handle. A small pout formed into her mouth and she looked at him, her eyes painted with fear and horror.

            Arnim brought his hand out, giving her a reassuring smile. "There's no need to be scared, my Liebling. C'mon, the others are waiting," he told her, inching his hand closer to the nurse.

            With hesitation, she carefully took his hand and released her tight grip on the door handle, leaving the door behind her as he brought her closer inside the lab. She took cautious steps and approached the others, who were impatiently waiting for the man's results.

            To her surprise, they seemed pretty used to his cries and seemed to enjoy his suffering, making her blood boil. She gave the Soviet soldiers a glare as she approached them, a look of disdain etched onto her face.

            Arnim gently brought her to the table filled with a variety of tools and equipment delicately placed on the cold steel counter. She looked down at them, frowning.

            "Sir, he won't give in. What is our next step?" a soldier asked the scientist, their glare hardening once he noticed the nurse's presence. She scowled, giving him a disapproving look.

            Arnim sighed, bringing a finger across his lips with a thoughtful look. "Chain him up, start over, and increase the levels of stimulation." was the last thing he said before leaving the lab.

            The soldiers obeyed and did as they were told and increased the volume, making an ear-piercing scream emit from the man’s lips. He gripped the chair tightly, making his knuckles white as snow. The veins in his throat bulged and his screams got louder, making her close her eyes. "You're hurting him."

            A soldier scoffed, averting his gaze away from the subject towards the female. His glowering face pierced through her like a knife was held over a fire, and she could feel her heart inside her throat. "If you can't handle it, princess, then why are you working here?" he asked, a smirk plastered onto his features making shivers down her spine as her mouth went dry, being unable to let out a word.

            [Y/N] squeezed her hands into fists and put her gaze on the table, watching the tools vibrating from the screams erupting in the room. She closed her eyes and counted, trying to block the painful noise. She clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut, vigorously shaking her head.

            It felt like hours when it only took a few minutes when the torture ended. The nurse opened her eyes and worriedly looked at the man. His bloodshot eyes were glimmering in the light and sweat was slowly sliding down his rough skin as soft gasps emitted from his pink lips. His wide eyes darted across the room, panting heavily.

           The Soviet soldiers released him, removing the tools that were hatched into his body, causing the man to whimper in pain. The needles that were pierced through him were harshly pulled out. Soft hiccups erupted from his lips as he watched them detaching the helmet from his head, as well as the gum that was still inside his mouth.

            [Y/N]’s eyes were welling up with tears and she quickly blinked, avoiding any tears to fall by looking at the side, covering her face with her hair. She quietly sniffed and held her trembling hands to her face, trying to regain her breathing.

            "[Y/L/N], he's yours now." one of the soldiers said, their strict voice pulling her out of her state. She cleared her throat and nodded, muttering a quick thanks. A painful silence occurred, but she didn't dare to say anything, not wanting to act or say the wrong thing.

            She carefully landed her gaze on the man again, who instinctively looked at her, his face filled with fear and she wanted nothing more than to wrap him into a hug and whisper sweet and comforting words into his ears. The look he gave her made her stomach knot. He looked like a kicked puppy.

            The man watched her, his eyebrows were knotting tightly while his lips were parted as his breathing became more shallow and heavy when he noticed her nearing closer. His hands found their way behind him, gripping onto the chair for dear life.

            With hesitant steps, she took small steps as she slowly approached the scared man. His eyes followed her every move, afraid if she could disappear, or worse, find another way to torture him. His body relaxed slightly once he saw her putting both of her hands up, signaling that she meant no harm. His posture was still stiff and tense and she noticed his eyes were welling up with tears.

            [Y/N] kneeled down onto his level and looked into his eyes, her eyes softening. She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it, debating if she was even allowed to talk to the poor man. Ignoring her thoughts, she gave him a gentle smile. "I'm not gonna hurt you," she said in a whisper, scared to increase her voice. She brought her hand out and looked at him with another sweet smile.

            He shakily exhaled and looked at her, his eyes studying her every movement, trying to detect a lie. It took a little while for him to snap back to reality and when he did, he reluctantly brought his hand, making her smile gratefully as she gently brushed a hand over his scars, making him jerk back with a hiss. She frowned and brought her hand back, not wanting to pry any further.

            "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." her sweet-honey voice filled inside his ears, making his tears slowly slid down his rosy cheeks as he looked down. He noticed his metal arm, gleamed ever so slightly in the dark. He watched it with knitted eyebrows, feeling the salty liquid entering inside his mouth.

             Her stomach clenched, feeling sympathy wash over her. She sighed and cleared her throat, "What's your name, sweetheart?" she softly asked, her voice lacing with genuine curiosity and kindness.

             He pondered at the question, a look of confusion plastered onto his face as his mind went into melancholia. His heart soared inside his chest, feeling panic wash over him. The man finally looked up, a dreadful look painting his face. "I-,I don't know."

[official-arnimzola]

// super duper long sorry it took me a bit

Ahhh, I knew you couldn’t resist.

Zola’s voice oozes satisfaction, the triumph of a puppeteer who’s just caught his prey in the web.

You want the truth, Barnes? Very well… but I warn you, once you hear what I have to say, there will be no going back.

The screen glitches slightly, as if Zola is accessing long-hidden files, tapping into the digital archives of HYDRA’s secrets.

Let us begin with your new friend, Sam Wilson. Ah, the one who wears the shield now, calls himself Captain America.

Zola’s voice hums with a cruel amusement.

You’ve fought alongside him. He’s trusted you with his life. But tell me, Barnes… haven’t you noticed? Haven’t you seen it?

The screen zooms in on Zola’s face, his tone conspiratorial, as if he’s sharing the most intimate of secrets.

When Sam looks at you, there’s always a shadow, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. He may not say it out loud, but it’s there, buried deep within him—the question he refuses to ask himself. He wonders, quietly, when you’ll slip. When the Winter Soldier will re-emerge.You’ve seen it, haven’t you?

A hesitation in his movements, a subtle tension in the air. Zola’s voice takes on an almost mocking quality, twisting the knife.

Oh, Sam Wilson may carry the shield, but he knows what it’s like to see a friend turn against him. He saw it with John Walker, didn’t he? The sudden turn of a hero into a monster. And now, deep down, he wonders… will you be next?

Zola’s digital grin widens, his voice dripping with venom.

How long before the conditioning resurfaces, before you become the weapon HYDRA forged once again?

The screen crackles as Zola presses on.

You think he’d hesitate to stop you, Barnes? He won’t. He’s been through enough to know that if you slip—if the Winter Soldier returns—he’ll do what needs to be done. Just like he did with Walker.

The screen flickers again, and Zola’s voice grows darker, more insidious.

But that’s not all, is it? No, no… there’s someone else, isn’t there? Your precious Steve Rogers. The man who swore he’d be with you until the end of the line.

Zola’s laughter rings cold, distorted by the digital interface.

He was your rock, your constant. And yet… he left you.

The image of Zola's face lingers for a moment, letting the words seep in.

He left you, Barnes. Think about it. Steve Rogers, the man who fought so hard to bring you back, the man who refused to give up on you—he abandoned you in this broken world. He chose to disappear into time, to live out a quiet life, instead of standing by your side. He didn’t even tell you.

Zola’s voice cuts like a knife.

He made his choice, Barnes. And it wasn’t you.

The screen glitches again, the tension rising with every word.

And what of his promise, hmm? That he would never give up on you? That he would stand by you through thick and thin?

Zola chuckles coldly.

Empty words. He went back in time to live his life while leaving you to clean up the mess of your past. Some friend, ja?

Zola’s face leans in closer, his eyes narrowing as he twists the knife even deeper.

You were never his priority, Barnes. You were never the reason he fought so hard. It was always the dream—the mission. You were just part of it. And now, with Steve gone, you’re left here, stuck in a world that doesn’t quite know what to do with you. A relic, a soldier without a war.

Zola lets the words linger in the air, the silence oppressive.

You see, Barnes, your friends—they want to believe in you, yes. They want to believe that you’re more than the Winter Soldier. But deep down… they’re just waiting for the day when the mask slips. When you reveal that, despite it all, the conditioning, the violence—it’s still there. The weapon HYDRA created still lurks beneath the surface.

The screen pulses with a menacing energy, Zola’s voice now a low, chilling whisper.

How long do you think they’ll trust you, Barnes? How long before they start to see the cracks? The moments where the Winter Soldier resurfaces, even if just for a second? Do you think they’ll hesitate when that time comes? When they realize they can’t truly trust you?

Zola’s digital form flickers, his tone turning even colder, more calculating.

So, tell me, Barnes. How long will you let them deceive you? How long will you let them hold onto this fragile belief that you’ve changed? That you’re somehow… redeemed ?

Zola leans back, his face still flickering on the screen, but the smugness in his tone is unmistakable.

You don’t have to live in their shadows, Barnes. You don’t have to be the man they expect you to be. You can take control. You can finally be free of their doubts, their judgments, their constant whispers behind your back.

The screen glitches once more, Zola’s final words hanging heavy in the air.

The truth, Barnes, is that you’ll never be free while they’re holding onto their vision of who you should be. But you— you could make them see who you truly are. Wouldn’t that be... liberating?

James. Buchanan Barnesss

@official-arnimzola

"... Zola.", Bucky mumbles in shock. No, that couldn't be.

[oreosmilkshakes]

Mine; Part 2

Summary: A continuation of the first one.  Pairing: The Winter Soldier!Bucky Barnes x Reader Word Count: 1.9K Warnings: Mention of torture A/N: Well, as requested, here is part 2! Enjoy and comment on how it is! Edited and checked by @thebestdecoder​  ED/N: Apologies for any mistakes made in editing, RedBull doesn’t work on me anymore. Taglist: @tastingcevans @missingartist96 @generationallyfluid @paniniirae @felicityofbakerstreet @roguesthetic​ @igothroughphasesalot​

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When the team came to be, Strike Team, led by Rumlow, had them surrounded with guns pointing at them. In no time, they cuffed Steve, Sam, and Natasha and threw them in the back of an armored truck.

“It was him,” Steve began, eyes on the cuffs. He felt a massive sense of guilt especially since finding out Bucky was alive and that he didn’t bother to find him after his fall. “He looked right at me like he didn’t even know me. Instead, he looked right at Y/N,” Steve was still in disbelief that Y/N’s soulmate was Bucky. Sam looked up at Steve. “How is that even possible? It was like 70 years ago? What’s worse is that that killing machine is Y/N’s soulmate,” Steve squeezed his eyes shut, choosing to avoid answering the second question. “Zola. Bucky’s whole unit was captured in ‘43. Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and--,” Natasha shook her head slightly, weak from her untreated wound. “None of that’s your fault, Steve,”

Steve sighed lowly. “Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky,” Natasha leaned back. “None of it is your fault, Steve. Even losing Y/N. I just hoped she did manage to escape from..from Bucky,” She was weakening and Sam took notice fast. He turned to the two soldiers. “We need to get a doctor here. If we don’t put pressure on that wound, she’s gonna bleed out here in the truck,” The first soldier ignited his stun rod, Sam leaned back a little. What he didn’t expect was for said soldier to attack the second, knocking him out effectively. Maria sighed, removing the helmet. “Ah, that thing was squeezing my brain,” The team was surprised to find an ally among the Strike Team. Time to make their big escape.

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Slowly, Y/N came to be. However, it only came in short bursts. The first time she came to be shortly, bright light penetrated her eyes. She couldn’t see well, only blur filled her vision and in no time, she passed out again. The second time Y/N came to be, it was dark and the air smells stale. She tried to move but she couldn’t. She gave up and drifted back into the darkness. The third time Y/N came to be, she was fully conscious now. Her eyes fluttered open, accustoming her eyes to the dimly lit room. It seems like she was held hostage in an abandoned building but Y/N didn’t know for sure. The only giveaways were the newspaper-covered windows and the fact that the room she was in looked like a bedroom. Her eyes focused on the silhouette and almost instantly, fear sprouted in her chest. Y/N tugged hard on the binds, panting softly as she tried to get her hands and feet out of the bonds. 

(gif credited to the owner)

The Soldier turned to Y/N, his movements silent and intimidating as he moved closer to the woman. His metal hand reached out to touch Y/N’s cheek. He could not bring his soulmate back to HYDRA or else they would kill her. He knows HYDRA was ruthless in this sort of thing. So, to protect his soulmate, he took her to a safe place.

Y/N whimpered, scooting backwards until her back hit the wall. She shuddered when she felt the cool metal touch her cheek.

“Stop..get away from me,” Y/N begged quietly. All her training as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was failing, the terror growing in her was overwhelming. The Soldier could easily kill her with a flick of his wrist if she wasn’t his soulmate, of course. 

“When I first saw colours, I never imagined my soulmate to look as gorgeous as you,” The Soldier’s voice was low, his metal thumb stroked her delicate cheekbone. 

“Don’t touch me,” Y/N attempted to sound strong, moving her face away from The Soldier’s touch. A low growl escaped the assassin’s lips, a metal hand gripped Y/N’s face lightly. “You are mine, doll. You belong to me because you are my soulmate. Even if you don’t like it, I don’t care. You will learn to love me,” The Soldier leaned in, the tip of his nose brushed against Y/N’s. The agent gulped, avoiding eye contact with the monster.

A soft beeping caught Y/N’s attention. It came from The Soldier. The assassin growled, annoyed by the sudden interruption but he had work to do. Without saying another word, The Soldier left, leaving Y/N all alone in the abandoned building.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Turns out, Fury was alive and on a long journey to a full recovery. It was apparently better for S.H.I.E.L.D. to believe that he was dead so HYDRA could work at a full scale and risk exposure.

Natasha was patched up and the team was gathered around a table for a briefing. Fury picked up a photo of Alexander Pierce, looking at it with his one eye. “This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said peace wasn’t an achievement, it was a responsibility,” Fury threw the photo on the table, leaning forward. “See, it’s stuff like this that gives me trust issues,” Natasha sighed softly. “We have to stop the launch and find Y/N,”

Fury sighed. “I don’t think the Council’s accepting my calls anymore and as for Y/N, we will find her. It’s only a matter of time until we do so,” The director opened a case, revealing three chips.

“What’s that?” Sam looked down at it. “Once the helicarriers reach 3,000 feet, they’ll triangulate with Insight satellites, becoming fully weaponized,” Maria turned the laptop around. “We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own,” Fury added.

“One or two won’t cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this work because if even one of those ships remain operational, a whole lot of people are gonna die,” Maria sighed softly.

“We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We have to get past them, insert these server blades. And maybe, just maybe we can salvage what’s left-,” “We’re not salvaging anything,” Steve cut off.

“We’re not just taking down the carriers, Nick. We’re taking down S.H.I.E.L.D. ,” “S.H.I.E.L.D. had nothing to do with this,” Fury fought.

“You gave me this mission. This is how it ends. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s been compromised. You said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed. And we still have no way of knowing how to locate Y/N. For all we know, she’s either dead or taken by Bucky,” Steve heaved out a heavy sigh of anger. “Why do you think we’re meeting in this cave? I noticed,”

“How many paid the price before you did?” Steve growled lowly.

Fury looked down and sighed. “Look, I didn’t know about Barnes,” “Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, it all goes,” Fury sighed, deciding it was best to give in. He leaned back on his seat, eye on Steve. “Well, it looks like you’re giving the orders now, Captain. As for Y/N, Hill and I will work on that. We still have some tricks up our sleeves,” Fury nodded to Hill.

Steve looked at Sam and Natasha, nodding. “Then we’ll suit up,”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The Soldier stood on the edge of the building, mind fuzzy and hand twitching. HYDRA electrocuted him, giving him another mind wipe. But this time, it wasn’t easy for a clean wipe. The Soldier had begun his resistance a long time ago. His cerulean eyes took in the colored view of the city. That was something those scientists could never wipe or know and that is The Soldier’s discovery of his soulmate.

The Soldier disappeared from the roof, making his way into the abandoned building. Y/N gulped, eyes widening as she heard heavy footsteps getting closer and closer. She worked her hands quickly, dragging a sharp edge of a broken wood against the rope. She silently cheered when the rope snapped free. The footsteps were close now and Y/N kept her hands to her back.

The Soldier stepped into the room, towering over her seated form. Y/N gripped onto her little weapon, glaring up at The Soldier. He approached her, eyes dark and expression was even darker. “What do you wa--,” Y/N was cut off with a metal arm gripping her arm. The Soldier pulled the agent to her feet, pinning her against the wall. His dark eyes examined Y/N’s features. He needed comfort after what HYDRA did to him again. The torture never stops. It never does. If The Soldier showed signs of disobedience, he’ll get shocked. Any signs The Soldier showed to HYDRA that was related to him being disobedient would get him punished.

The Soldier sought comfort in his soulmate, his nose brushed against the exposed skin on Y/N’s neck. ‘No, this wasn’t supposed to happen!’ Y/N mentally scolded herself. The Soldier felt warm though. But nothing about him smelled good. The Soldier smelled like smoke and gunpowder. Nevertheless, Y/N leaned into The Soldier’s shoulder. ‘What are you doing? You’re free, he’s vulnerable, attack him and run!’ Y/N’s mind reminded her. Shit, it was right. “I’m sorry,” Y/N whispered. She gathered all her strength and shoved The Soldier off her, the assassin grunted in shock as Y/N made a run for it. “Блядь! (Fuck!),” The Soldier growled,  immediately taking off to chase the woman. Y/N looked over her shoulder, eyes widening as the gap between them was closing and it was closing really fast. Y/N turned a corner, almost slipping. She had to find a way out fast. The Soldier was fast on her tail.

Y/N has never felt so much fear in her life. Not even when the Earth was invaded by the Chitauris. She dug into her sleeve, slipping out a small metal ball, and threw it at The Soldier. A bright flash and a deep groan indicated that the assassin was disabled. For now. The route down to the first floor was blocked and it seems like the only way is up. So up did Y/N went. “Soulmate!” The Winter Soldier roared in anger, his thunderous voice echoed throughout the stairwell.

Y/N’s hairs stood on end, looking down to see that The Soldier was climbing up the stairs twice as fast as her. “No, no!”Y/N cried out, trying to reach the upper levels of the building as fast as she could because The Winter Soldier was just a level below her. The frantic woman burst through the roof door, looking over her shoulder. However, when she looked to the front, it was too late. Y/N skidded to a halt, missing the edge of the roof and slipped. She screamed in fear, her hand grabbing the ledge.

(gif credited to the owner. Just The Soldier running)

The building was old, almost crumbling down. The edge of concrete Y/N held broke under her weight, the woman screamed in terror, flailing her arms to try and reach something to save her from the freefall.

Was this the end for Y/N?

[americancowgirl19]

Acceptance

Summary: You find the love of your life in the middle of a highway.

Warnings: violence, soulmate, fluff, angst?, implied smut

Reader: Female Reader

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Word Count: 3,680

A/n: This was requested by @fyeahtaylorp​ : Could you please do a Bucky Barnes x plus size female reader imagine where you see black and white until you meet your soulmate and they meet during the winter solider when he’s not really him and he’s protective of her and she works along side Steve and she has weather manipulation powers and they meet again and he’s still protective and there is smut please. - I am so freaking sorry that it took me forever to get this written and published and I didn’t get to the smut, so sorry. I also changed it just a little bit so I hope you still like it! 

Masterlist

“Hey, are you Sam Wilson?” You question, standing on the man's front doorstep. He frowns his eyebrows, crosses his arms, and sizes you up. You know you don’t look like much, but your mother always said that looks were deceiving. “Can I come in?”

“And who are you?” He asks, standing tall in the doorway.

“She’s backup,” Natasha states, coming into view. You instantly send a smile her way. “We can trust her,” She reassures him. Sam presses his lips together but nods and moves to let you in.

“You look good... All things considered,” You compliment her. She looked like her naturally beautiful self with only a couple of scratches and bruises on her skin.

“It’s been a rough few days,” Natasha tells you. “We could use your help,” You smirk and cock your head to the side.

“That’s what I’m here for. Where’s Cap?” Once the question leaves your lips, the golden boy comes into the room. “Heard you were in a tight spot,” You state when he looks at you with arched eyebrows. His eyes move from you to Natasha, who gives an innocent shrug.

“We could use her help,” Natasha states. “We can trust her,” She vouches. Steve looks hesitant but nods before giving you a polite smile.

“Rough few days, huh?” You mutter, looking at Natasha, sensing that her words were a bit of an understatement. “What exactly are we up against?”

Natasha and Steve both begin to fill you and Sam in on what’s been going on. You weren’t surprised Shield had been compromised. You didn’t trust anybody outside your small group. You preferred being on your own in a secluded area.

However, Natasha is one of the select few that has your complete trust. Therefore, when she called, saying she needed help, you came without hesitation.

“So, the question is: who in Shield could launch a domestic missile strike?” Natasha questions.

“Pierce,” Steve realizes.

“Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world,” Natasha sighs.

“But he’s not working alone. Zola’s algorithm was on the Lemurian Star,”

“So was Jasper Sitwell,”

“So, the real question is: how do the two most wanted people in Washington kidnap a Shield officer in broad daylight?”

“The answer is: you don’t,” Sam states, dropping a military file on the table. Natasha pulls it toward her.

“What’s this?”

“Call it a resume,”

“Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you,” Natasha states. “You didn’t say he was a para-rescue,” She mumbles, looking at Steve.

“Is this Riley?” He asks, and Sam nods.

“I heard they couldn’t bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?”

“No. These,” Sam corrects Natasha. Steve flips through the file.

“I thought you said you were a pilot,”

“I never said pilot,” Sam smirks with a hint of smugness. It’s enough to get you grinning. You decide that you like him.

“I can’t ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason,”

“Dude, Captain America needs my help. There’s no better reason to get back in,”

“So, where can we get one of those?” You wonder, peaking at the pictures. “I don’t think Walmart has those in stock,”

“The last one is at Fort Meade,” Sam answers, an amused grin on his lips. “Behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall,”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Steve assures him.

“I’m assuming you have a plan?” You ask, Steve. “Or is this a wing-it kind of mission?” Natasha grins a bit before they start laying out the plan.

Your part of the plan was to keep them from dying, basically. Nobody knew that you were involved. You were to stay in the background and only intervene if needed. Knowing Natasha, you would need to step in sooner rather than later.

You watched them from a distance. You smirked when you saw Sam flying around with his wings. They were a cool contraption; you weren’t going to lie.

Borrowing someone’s car, you followed them from a distance. You watched for anyone suspicious. Everything seemed normal until someone caught your eye.

This, someone, was dressed in black, but he stood out from everything around you. Like everyone else who had yet to meet the one they’re destined to be with, the world is dull and colorless. Only after meeting and accepting your soulmate could you see the world the way it’s supposed to be seen, full of color.

So, while his attire is completely black, his pale skin and silver arm stand out. You knew this was the man, The Winter Soldier, that Natasha and Steve had warned you about. You knew you should have warned them, but you were frozen by the revelation.

When he leaped from the car he was on and onto the one with your friends, you snapped out of your daze. Cursing, you sped up to try and get to them, but by the time you were able to weave around traffic and catch up, their car had crashed.

“Some backup you are, Y/n,” You mutter to yourself. You slam on the breaks and put the car in park before climbing out. You race down the highway and toward the men shooting at Natasha and Sam.

You stop a few paces away from the shooters and begin to conjure fog to cover their escape. Before long, Natasha can get away, and the attention is on you instead of Sam.

Able to see through your fog clearly, your search for your soulmate. When you find him, you send a powerful gust of wind in his direction. The force sends him flying back and through a car. You wince, but at least he’s not within the fog’s grasp any longer.

You move around as bullets come flying your way. You had given up your position, but it had been necessary. Once you find a safer place to stand, you begin to manipulate the fog once more. Your breath is now visible as the air around you drops rapidly in temperature.

To add to the cold, you begin to make the air thinner in their area. You see them shivering, and some drop to the ground due to the lack of oxygen.

In the corner of your eye, you notice one of the men had escaped the fog’s perimeter. He aims his gun at you but forces the fog to become thicker as you slip into its protective cover. Within the fog, you notice that more than one man has escaped.

You huff in annoyance, but at least you have eliminated a couple of the problem people. You see a few people standing at the edge of the highway shooting down where you assume Natasha, Steve, and Sam are.

Before you deal with them, you turn to the one that continues to hunt you just outside of the fog. Giving him an annoyed glare, one he doesn’t see, you point your hand at him. Like Palpatine, you release streams of lightning from your fingertips.

The man screams in pain and drops to the floor. You continue your ministrations until his screams stop. By then, however, the fog has dissipated, allowing the others to see you. Their guns turn to you, but before you can defend yourself, a stream of bullets lodge into their heads.

Your eyes snap to the source and notice the Soldier standing there. You both stare at each other before he stalks to the edge of the bridge and jobs down to the lower level. You race to the edge to watch him stomp off a crushed car and continue onward as nothing happened.

“Oh, no, you’re not getting away that easily,” You mutter. Lifting your hands, you manipulate the air around yourself. It lifts you off the ground and gently sets you down beside the car the Soldier had crushed when he landed.

You run in the direction the Soldier had gone. You see him locked in a fight with Steve. It looks like Cap finally met his match.

A groan catches your attention. Your breath catches in your throat. You jog over to Natasha and inspect her bullet wound.

“This is gonna hurt,” You warn her. She looks at you before closing her eyes. When she nods, you place your hands on either side of her wounded shoulder. You conjure enough heat to cauterize the wound.

“I hate it when you do that,” She mumbles. You smile at her.

“Well, stop getting shot, and I won’t have to do it,” You wink at her. “You’ll be alright,” You assure her before standing up. You turn back toward the Soldier and Steve. For the first time, you see him without his mask.

“Who the hell is Bucky?” He asks Steve before aiming a pistol at Steve. Your breath hitches again when Sam comes in and kicks the Soldier away from Steve. When he regains his footing, you notice Natasha aiming a grenade launcher at him.

“No!” You shout, shoving Natasha, forcing her to miss her target. When you look back, you notice the Soldier is gone. Before you can react, a collar is locked around your neck, preventing your mutation from working.

“It was him... He looked right at me like he didn’t even know me,” Steve mutters.

“How’s that even possible? It was like 70 years ago,” Sam states as Natasha stares at you intently. You avoid her gaze and continue to stare at Steve, wanting to know as much about him as possible.

“Zola. Bucky’s whole unit was captured n ‘43, Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and...”

“None of that's your fault, Steve,” Natasha assures him.

“Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky,” Steve whispers.

Great, my soulmate is a ninety-something supersoldier that’s in Hydra. You think sarcastically. Although, if he doesn’t even know who he is, how can he willingly work for Hydra? He protected me from his own men. Hydra soldiers don’t do that. There’s hope for him.

“Oh, you’re on our side?” You ask when one of the masked persons beats the sit out of the other two. “Oh, hey Maria,” You greet when she takes her helmet off.

“Ah, that thing was squeezing my brain... Who’s this guy?”

After making the grand escape, you’re all lead towards a hideout. There you find Nick Fury, who’s apparently not dead. After an argument on how to go about things, you prepare to take on Shield/Hydra once again.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on, or am I going to have to start guessing?” Natasha questions. You glance up at her before looking back down at your feet.

“You’re smart, Nat... I’m sure you’ve already figured it out,” You whispers. Natasha doesn’t say anything for a minute. She then comes toward you and sits down.

“Can you stop him?” Nat asks. You meet her look.

“If I can... You won’t be seeing me for a while,” You tell her. She sends you a small smile.

“Do what you have to do... Just be careful,” She advises. You smile, bumping your shoulder with hers.

“You’re the one who should be careful... Once I find him, I’m going to get him to leave with me. You’ll be in the fight the whole time,” You remind her.

“I’ll be fine,’ Natasha whispers. “Just get him and go,” You smile and slowly nod.

With those words said, the two of you leave the room. You approach Shield with Steve and Sam. The two of them go their separate ways while you start your search for the Solider... For Bucky.

During your search, you take down as many Hydra agents as possible. You wanted to help the cause, but finding Bucky was more important.

It wasn’t long before you were officially labeled a major threat. This meant that their focus shifted toward you. Things were slowly getting out of hand, but you continue to literally take the air from their lungs and the warmth from their bodies until they died. You offered a foggy cover for the Shield agents that were your allies while shooting your enemies down with bolts of lightning.

When you began to get surrounded, someone came to your aid. He had found you before you found him. He didn’t waste ammo—a single bullet to the head of those around you.

You two shared another look. Instead of looking into sunglasses, this time, you were looking in his eyes. Everything around him would continue to be black and white until he accepted you. You wondered if he could see in color. Despite not knowing him and him working for Hydra, you accepted him. You wanted him. You hoped that he would trust you.

You got lost in the beautiful color of his eyes that you forgot what was happening around you. When he moved to leave you and continue with his mission, you shouted his name. He froze, and you moved a few steps closer.

“Look at me... please,” You whisper to him. He remains motionless. “Your name is Bucky. You were friends with Steve Rogers,” His head turns slightly to you. “I don’t know what’s happened to you, nor do I know what you’ve been through, but I can tell you that things don’t have to be like this. You don’t have to be their weapon, their machine,” You risk a few steps closer to him. “I’m your soulmate. I will never hurt you. I only want you to be happy... To keep you safe,”

He stays still for a moment. He’s so still it’s as if he’s a statue. Then, he moves forward as if the words you just said didn’t matter to him. They probably didn’t. You weren’t going to give up that easily.

“Bucky,” You say again, latching your hand around his wrist. He whips around and wraps your throat in his metallic hand. You tense but don’t move. He’s not cutting off your air; it’s a warning. Your free hand lifts and covers his metal wrist. I won’t hurt you... and I won’t ever let them hurt you again,” You promise him. “Who cares about what’s going on here? It’s not our fight,” You tell him. “Come with me,”

“They’ll find us,” He whispers. You smile brightly.

“They’ve been looking for me for over a decade and haven’t come close,” You tell him. “They couldn’t find me then, and they certainly won’t find us now,” You assure him. “Please, come with me,”

Miraculously, he listens. The two of your leave the battle fairly easily. Anybody who gets in your way ends up dead. You switch your methods between sucking the air from his lungs to overheating or sudden frostbite. Bucky, while amazed by your abilities, settles for a simple bullet to the head. You two work with each other fluently.

You both stay away from populated areas. It’s harder within the city, but once you borrow another car and head into the countryside, it gets easier. You tell Bucky to stay in the car while you quickly buy him some comfortable clothes. Then, you drive him to your home. With your abilities, it’s impossible for anybody else to find, let alone get into, your home.

There’s an intense fog almost a mile thick around your property. Within the fog are intense temperatures. Some temperatures are too high or too low for a human to survive. Outside the fog, everything is normal and up to mother nature.

“Welcome to my home,” You say before climbing out of the car. He hesitantly follows you. “Nobody can come in without my consent,” You tell him. You walk to the house before slowing and turning back to him. “If you really want to leave, let me know... You may be a super soldier, but I’d be surprised if you could survive out there,” Bucky looks at the woods. “Come on; you must be hungry,”

You and Bucky live in silence for a long time. He doesn’t want to talk, and you don’t make him. You try to fill the silence with your ramblings, but it doesn’t always work to make him relax. He has nightmares at night, during the day as well. You want to help, but it’s a complicated situation.

It doesn’t help that he continues to be the only thing in color. He hasn’t accepted you yet. It hurts, but you don’t give up on him.

It takes a month for him to start conversations. It takes him even longer to hold those conversations for more than a few seconds. At this point, he’s knows everything about you while he’s still a mystery. To be fair, he’s still a mystery to himself.

You introduce him to the internet. There he can research himself and Steve. He learns a lot, and you find him behind the screen more often than not.

Around the end of the second month, Bucky seems to be relaxing even more. He still has his nightmares, he still is trying to find himself, but at the same time, it’s like he knows he’s safe. He knows nothing can’t get to him while he’s here. Yet he still won’t let you in.

In an attempt to get him to accept you, you try to do more for him. The meals you cook get more complicated, and you try to be more romantic and supportive. He entertains you but still keeps his distance.

It isn’t until the fourth month you begin to lose hope. You’ve done everything you can to get him to accept you. You’ve given him space, you’ve set him free, you’ve protected him and supported him. You have given him clothes and home, yet still, you get nothing.

You sit on the front porch. You’re thinking through everything. You know, four months, in retrospect, isn’t that long. It’ll take years for Bucky to recover. You had just hoped that he would want you. He’s taken your help, but you wanted him to want you.

When he comes back from his midafternoon run, he pauses right before the porch. He can tell something is bothering you but hasn’t a clue what to do.

“Do you know what soulmates are?” You wonder. Bucky stares at you for a moment before slowly nodding his head. You get a bit frustrated. “Do you trust me?” He hesitates again but ultimately nods. “Do you not want me then?” You whisper. It’s subtle, but Bucky tenses. You read his posture wrong. “Alright,” You whisper, standing up.

“Wait,” He says, jumping up onto the porch. His hand grabs your wrist. You stop, look at his hand, and then up into his eyes. “You’re beautiful. You’re strong. You’re everything I could ever want,”

“Then why haven’t you accepted me?” You whisper. He sighs slowly. As if giving into a desire, he caresses your cheek with his hand.

“For decades, all I’ve known is fighting. I went from one to another. Before that, I never thought I’d see in color. Then you come out of nowhere and turn my world upside-down. As perfect as you are, that doesn’t change who I am. I’m haunted every day, and I know Hydra is hunting me. Just being here will endanger you, but I can’t find it in myself to leave. I don’t want to get to the point of no return. I don’t want you to get attached to me because one day I’ll have to leave, and I don’t know if I’ll come back,”

“That just won’t do for me,” You shake your head. “You see, Buck, I’m in this for life whether you accept me or not. If you leave, I’m just going to follow. Whether you go to Steve or Hydra or even Hell, I will follow you,” You tell him. “You distancing yourself is hurting us more than the potential of you leaving. I’m not going to let you go, Buck... You’ll realize that eventually.”

Things continued the same for a while as Bucky digested your words. Eventually, however, there was a change. It was a slow change, but it was progress nonetheless.

Bucky began to open up to you more. There were subtle touches and lingering gazes. He sat closer and spent more time with you. As the weeks passed, everything began to amplify. The subtle touches turned into handholding that eventually turned into cuddle sessions. The words exchanged turned into flirtatious whispers.

The day you could see everything in color was the day you pulled him into a kiss. You both were the happiest you’ve ever been. The kiss made you both feel as if you had been touch-starved. Neither of you could get enough of each other.

The kiss had started in the kitchen. You were making breakfast when everything turned from black and white to various vibrant colors. You whipped around to him. He had this lopsided grin on his face as he stared at you.

You marched up to him and kissed him without a second thought. He had been leaning on the wall the separated the kitchen from the living room, but he switched positions so that you were pressed between that wall and him.

“I love you,” Bucky whispers. You begin to smile even wider, your heart hammering in your chest. “You’re-”

“I love you too,” You whisper back to him before kissing him once more. Bucky smiles into the kiss and leans into you even more.

You breathe in deeply when he picks you up. He doesn’t hesitate to take you back to your room. The room he’s spent the last few nights cuddling you in. He lays you down on the bed with a tenderness that has your heart fluttering.

“I love you,” He whispers again. He would tell you that all night. He didn’t want to stop kissing you, stop touching, nor stop telling you how much you meant to him. You changed his world, and you became his world.

[cjsinkythoughts]

FATWS One Shot #6 - No One Said Anything About a Metal Arm

Word Count: 2011

Warnings: Explosions, Gunshots, The Winter Soldier, Implied Death, Stevie Almost Crying

Setting/Characters: Towards the End of Captain America: The Winter Soldier; Reader, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanoff, Maria Hill, Nick Fury, Bucky Barnes; Mentions of Alexander Pierce, Arnim Zola

A/N: This one took me a while to write and I’ll tell you why. Rewatching this movie made me want to do a complete rewrite of it. I had so many ideas of where the reader could be and why and what she was doing then and all that. But…I told myself this is a One Shot of her unofficially meeting Bucky for the first time. Which is why it seems incomplete - because it kinda is - it’s just that scene picked from the movie. Am I happy with it? Eh. Am I holding back from writing more parts and just saying “forget this piece, it never happened”? Maybe. But, I can’t. I wish I could. But if I were to rewrite this movie, I’d rewrite the next one. And the next one. And it would take me months to finish these. So…this is what you’re getting.

Also, NO ONE MENTION WHAT’S ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN A COUPLE HOURS! I’M THIS CLOSE TO FREAKING OUT!

Thanks! As always, it’s not beta’d, so please excuse mistakes! Enjoy reading, be kind to yourselves and others, and stay tuned!

FATWS Masterlist

cjsinkythoughts Masterlist

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Sitting on the edge of the old dam was calming. Peaceful, even. The constant sound of the flowing water, the trees swaying in the slight breeze. It was nice to take a breath after everything that had gone down the past week.

To say you were worried was an understatement. The last time you saw Steve was the evening after you met Sam. He dropped you off at your place, refusing your invitation to stay saying that he should probably check on his apartment since he hadn’t been there in a while.

A lot had changed since then.

Steve was wanted by SHIELD, along with Natasha. Fury was considered dead, but was actually still kicking in the structure beneath your feet with the help of you and Hill. You had tried to go after Steve, but it was too risky. Pierce - who you were almost 100% certain was behind this whole thing - had been keeping a close eye on you since Steve ran away, knowing you’d be behind him. You tried to catch the blonde at the hospital, but you were seconds too late, meeting up with Natasha who told you STRIKE already took him away for questioning.

You had been called by Hill and she told you what had happened. Fury had asked for your help specifically, considering the amount of times you’d had to fake your own death while being undercover. And you’d been dealing with that ever since.

You had wanted to go get the three of them - you learned Sam joined Steve and Natasha, which somehow didn’t surprise you - but Hill refused, saying you needed to stay there just in case.

But Fury was fine, no one was coming, which is how you found yourself swinging your legs above a hundred feet of rushing water.

It didn’t last long. A car pulling up to the side entrance caught your eye and you immediately swung your legs around to rush towards the stairs. It’s not like you haven’t gone longer without seeing Steve before. You’d gone months without seeing him. It was your job. But this was different. Whether it was because for the first time he was the one who left or because he was on the run from the organization you worked for, you didn’t know and didn’t care. All you knew was you needed to see him. Make sure he was okay.

It took you a while to get there, all the stairs and corners and twist and turns. You got there just as Fury ended his explanation, hearing him tell the trio, “can’t kill you if you’re already dead. Besides…I wasn’t sure who to trust.”

Your footsteps were echoing and you were sure Steve heard you but when you entered the room, his eyebrows shot up, his eyes widening. “Honey?”

“Oh thank fucking God.” You breathed out, jogging over to squeeze him tightly. 

“Y/N…” He murmured in your hair, hugging you tightly back. “What happened? Why are you here?”

Pulling back, you jerked your thumb over your shoulder to the director. “I’m saving his ass.” Your finger then jabbed into his firm chest, your lips falling into a frown. “And worrying about yours. Are you okay?”

“I am. Natasha got shot, but she’ll live.”

You looked over at Natasha, who nodded in confirmation, before looking back into those azure eyes of Steve’s. “What happened? Pierce is keeping a tight lid on everything. I was gonna come find you, but I couldn’t because he was watching me. It’s a miracle I got away from them to help Nicky boy. I haven’t gone out since. But, honest, I was gonna-”

“Honey, honey. You’re rambling again.” Steve chuckled, hand resting on the back of your head, fingers tangling in your hair. “It’s okay. I’m glad you’ve been safe here. Pierce is behind this whole thing-”

“Yeah, I figured that-”

“-It’s HYDRA, Y/N.”

You froze. “What? HYDRA? Whaddya mean?”

Steve nodded. “HYDRA’s what’s been infiltrating SHIELD. It’s a long story, but Zola continued it when he was hired for-”

“Operation Paperclip. Yeah, I remember learning about that.” You ran a hand over your face. “Okay…” You hummed, looking at the three of them. “Let’s…talk about it more in a little bit. I know we gotta act soon, but Natasha and Fury need to heal a little bit longer and you should get some rest. You look tired.”

Everyone seemed to agree with your statement, starting to disperse from the room. You started walking out, too, when Steve grabbed your bicep and pulled you aside, down the hall a ways away. You opened your mouth, only for him to pull you into his chest.

“I’m really glad you’re okay.”

You nodded, lightly scratching his back, your arms around his slim waist. “I’m glad you are too.” You could feel how tense he was, which was understandable considering what he’d gone through the past couple days. But there was something else. Something in the grip he had on your shirt. The way his heart was hammering against your chest. His erratic breathing and his ducked head. You pulled away to catch his jaw between your fingers, eyes scanning the anguish in his own. “Bubba? What’s wrong?”

It took a moment for him to answer, his eyes growing sadder with every second that passed. “It was Bucky.”

“What?” You felt like the air was knocked out of you. “What do you mean?”

“The Winter Soldier. The assassin who shot Fury. The one who tried killing us on the bridge. It was Bucky. It is Bucky. I saw him, Y/N. I saw his face. It’s him. He survived. When they experimented on him, it must’ve…God, I’m so…I didn’t even notice…I didn’t even check…I left him…” he shook his head, which fell to your shoulder. “Stupid. I’m so stupid.”

“No, no.” You shook your head quickly, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as you twisted to kiss the hinge of his tense jaw. “It wasn’t your fault, Steve.” You mumbled softly, lips brushing over the shell of his ear. “It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known. He fell thousands of feet, Stevie. You wouldn’t have found him even if you did.”

HIs grip on your hips tightened. “But I didn’t even try.” His voice broke on that last word. “And how could I not notice something going on with him? There were two years between being experimented on and falling. How-?” Voice catching in his throat, he stopped talking to stop himself from crying. You knew he hated crying.

“You can’t do anything about past Bucky.” You reminded him gently. “But you can help him now.”

“He didn’t even remember me.”

“Then make him.”

********************

To say you were pissed was an understatement. “I’ve been doing undercover stuff for years! This is a piece of cake!”

Steve shook his head. “You’ll be more helpful with Hill. You know more about Project Insight than me, Sam, and Natasha.”

“Bullshit, Steven! You just don’t want-”

“Honey, please.”

You clenched your jaw, glaring at him as he gave you those fucking puppy eyes, his dumb pink lips stuck in a pout. Letting out a rather aggressive puff of air, you looked away. “Fine. But I hate you.”

He beamed and nodded. “I can live with that.”

“Okay.” You glanced at the others. “You all ready?”

“Let’s get these sons of bitches.” Sam stated, making the final adjustments to the wings.

Natasha gave a smirk. “As long as you are.”

Turning back to Steve, you raised an eyebrow, waiting for the captain’s orders. He nodded. “Let’s head out.”

****************

“There’s a problem on the flight deck.” Hill informed you, looking at the alert. 

“Alright. I’ll-”

“Stay with Hill!”

You rolled your eyes at Steve’s voice through the comms. “Sorry, Cap. You’re breaking up.”

“I know I’m not, Y/N! I’m serious! Stay there!”

But you were already moving towards the flight deck. “I’m not gonna sit on my ass here, Rogers! Hill’s got it covered! I’m just gonna go check it out!”

“Honey-!”

“Bubba!”

The line went quiet and for a moment you thought you lost connection. “Please stay safe.”

You let out a sigh at his quiet pleads, nodding even though he couldn’t see you. “That goes for you, too, Steve.”

By the time you got out there, most of the jets were in flames, pilots and crew members scattered around the deck. You scanned the wreckage, trying to find the source-

A gunshot made your head whip to the side. Found it. Or, more accurately, him.

He was standing on top of one of the jets, gun pointed down at the pilot that was sitting in it. Before he could slip in the cockpit, though, you took out your gun and fired at him. Even though you knew who he was, when he looked at you it made your blood run cold. It was confirmation - not that you didn’t trust Steve - but still. Seeing is believing. yet seeing the same eyes you’d seen sparkling up at you from pictures now staring you down, void of any emotion? It was hard to believe it was the same person.

“Oh shit. Bubs?”

“What?! What’s wrong?! Are you okay?!”

You took a couple steps back as the Winter Soldier, no. Bucky - Steve’s Bucky - strode towards you. “Uh…nothing, nothing. I just I, uh, found your Bucky.”

“Y/N, get outta there now! I told you to stay with Hill!”

“Fuck!” You dove out of the way as the assassin started shooting at you. “Now’s not the time for reprimanding, Steven!”

You tuned out his cursings so as to not get distracted when you became engaged in a hand-to-hand fight with the fucking Winter Soldier.

“Hi.” You grunted, ducking under his arm and throwing a kick at him, faking it at the last second. Except, he’d already grabbed your ankle. But you did kick him with your other foot. But…he didn’t really move and it made you fall back, so…fail. You let out a grimace when the wind was knocked out of you, but you couldn’t lay there for long as he moved to slam his foot down. You rolled out of the way, swinging your legs up to hit him in the back of the knee. “Nice to finally meet you.”

He growled as Sam exclaimed, “are you seriously chatting with him?”

“It’s mostly one sided - dammit!” The both of you had gotten on your feet again, and you tried hooking your left knee around his left shoulder to tug him down, but he had slammed you against a jet, your leg stretched in a very uncomfortable position as your free foot stood on your toes. He had his metal arm - which no one had informed you about and you were kinda salty about it - against your throat, his other hand coming up in a fist.

Bouncing on your toes a bit, you finally lifted your free leg up to knee him in the side of his face, making you wince slightly at the stretch and the burn in your left thigh, which was the only thing besides his metallic limb holding you up against the jet.

He stumbled to the side, throwing you by the leg on his shoulder. You went sprawling against the pavement, a hiss leaving your lips at the serious roadburn you no doubt just got. Sitting up quickly, not wanting him to get the upper hand, you let out a breath seeing him swiftly moving into the cockpit of the jet he just had you pinned against.

“Guys…he’s…heading your way…just a…heads up. Also…thank you. It was nice…to fucking know…about the metal arm…beforehand. I’m just gonna…rest here for a minute…”

“You’re not hurt too bad, are you?”

“No, Cap. No, just…gonna be aching for a while. Ugh…” Begrudgingly, you got up to your feet. “I think I’m gonna…go back and chill with Maria.”

“Told you so.”

“Shut up, finish your job, and don’t die, Rogers! And next time, please, for the love of God, mention the metal arm!”

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[majac08]

Can't Do This Again Part 1

Top Gun:Maverick x Grey's Anatomy Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x OC!Grey

Summary: Victoria Grey is Lexie Grey's younger sister, she is a naval aviator, who was part of the Dagger Team who took out the uranium plant. After the mission, they were ordered to stay in North Island to continue to train to be the best squadron the US Navy had. After hearing a conversation she wasn't supposed, Rhea begins to question her place in the team, and a tragedy in her personal life makes her question her place in not only the navy, but family too.

A/N: this is as if Grey's is set in San Diego and I don't follow the years that Grey's take place in. Also talks about major character deaths in Grey's. Spoilers for Top Gun Maverick and Grey's Anatomy.

"God Hangman, I don't know how you put up with her on the carrier waiting for us to come back." Phoenix told him, "I mean she's so annoying." "It's not like she even really cares either," Coyote piped up, "You remember back at Top Gun how she just left for like a week, no explanation, and she's been completely distracted the past year, not to mention her disappearing for a few days 2 months ago. It's fucking weird." The group nodded in agreement, a series of yeahs being spoken. "I hope she doesn't turn up tonight, I just want to have a drink with people I actually like." Payback added. They were all unaware that outside of the locker room was the very person who they were talking about. Victoria Grey had never had a place that felt like home. It sounded stupid, considering as she'd been so warmly welcomed into her older sister Meredith's life alongside Lexie so many years before. Everyone at the hospital saw her as family, except she could never shake the feeling they only kept her around because of her sister. The resemblance between Lexie and Rhea was remarkable, so when she was brought back to Top Gun with the old class, she finally felt like maybe this was her home. But hearing them all talk about how annoying she was to them and the fact she didn't like them, that was like a dagger to the heart.

After that, Lieutenant Grey stopped talking to any of them, and for them it was blissful. No more of her jokes when up in the air, or her desperate attempts to try and make friends. and sure it was a bit out of the blue, but no one wanted to ruin it. Rhea became isolated, they'd all talk with each other, and she'd just stay quiet, only speaking over comms when absolutely necessary. She hated herself for the fact she didn't see it before, they always called her Vic if using her first name and maybe if she'd paid closer attention to their remarks about her she would have noticed that they weren't really joking.

Maverick was running through a training exercise, when she noticed them. Alex running behind a social worker who had Ellis in her arms, with Zola and Bailey beside her. "Fuck." Everyone's attention was now drawn to her, "Excuse me Lieutenant Grey?" Maverick questioned, then he looked at her line of sight, "You are dismissed." This caused the rest of the pilots to protest, as she ran out of the doors, taking Ellis into her arms, while crouching down to the kids level. "If you want to know why Grey gets to leave early look out the god damn door." He yelled at them, causing them to turn and see Alex with his arm around the shoulders, baby in arms, with two kids clinging onto her. "Didn't know Grey was married or had kids." Bob said, "When did she have a baby?" He wasn't the only one who was confused about this and Maverick simply couldn't stand their arrogance regarding Grey, so he continued the exercise. A drunken Lieutenant had confessed everything to him a few weeks ago, and he was horrified, she wasn't only a good pilot, but a good person also. He'd read her file and notice she turned down most offers from squadrons and it didn't take a genius to figure out why: family. He'd stop by the house tonight, certain that Penny wouldn't mind them skipping their date to make sure everything was alright.

"She was attacked in the hospital, patient with a brain injury, we... we don't know if she's gonna make it." Alex choked out. She looked down at the infant in her arms, and over at the kids with the social worker, they'd just lost their dad, now their mom. "I- I can't do this again Alex." She stammered out, he put his arm around her, "They need you at the hospital, let's get you there, the social worker can watch the kids." She stayed with her eyes on Zola, remembering the last time this happened. "I know what you're thinking, but it's not the same." He was right, it wasn't because Meredith wasn't dead and neither Maggie or Amelia were missing alongside her. But she couldn't be the person three small children were dependent on, not again.

[mahbonesmccoy]

What's the worse that could happen? Fem!(Y/N) x Zemo Chap. 4

A/N: I know I update so so late hnngg sorry. Anyways, please do enjoy this fic I made. Thank you for reading!

Summary: Now that Zemo has taken you under his wing, would you trust your safety to him?

word count: 1.6k

part 3: https://thehalfbloodboi.tumblr.com/post/662498111207424000/whats-the-worse-that-could-happen-femyn-x

You remember distinctly how you parents were not that kind as you expect them to be. They were always at work when you were young while acing up your scores at school. The only time they cared is your interest and intellect of sciences was noticed and they decided to hone your skills, in the hopes that you will continue their work. So deprived with attention and love, you gave all your best to impress your parents. You got into a prestigious school, earning your degree with flying colours and unaware that it was Hydra paying for your education instead of your parents. You never knew they already sold you to Hydra to be their next pawn in a huge war you don’t have knowledge of. You thought you were working for something good, for the development of humanity but it turns out you were only there solely to develop the super soldier serum. Hydra wanted to get the best of minds just for the winter soldier program to be developed and you… are a perfect candidate.

You were always under surveillance for a month since you have shown hesitance to accept their offer to be one of their scientists and your parents made it clear that there’s no way out except if you are willing to take a bullet in your head. You are a risk Hydra was willing to take thanks to your brilliant mind and they have no plans to let you go… ever. When your parents died from an assassination, you knew you have to get out, but your fighting spirit became dormant when they made it clear to you that there’s no way out. You were considered one of the brightest that Arnim Zola, the German talking machine as you called him in your mind, praised you. You were permitted to stay in Camp Lehigh and was given a fake identity just to work on the serum under Arnim Zola’s watch.

“I still find it odd to see a woman so fascinated with science instead of-“

“Marriage? Children? Husband? Kitchen to organize?” There will never be a day he will stop talking about your gender related to your chosen field of work and you have to remind yourself now and then that he once lived in an era where women have no such privilege like you do. You became numb as time passes by for you while entertaining this talking computer during your working hours. You weren’t permitted to leave the camp but badly wanted to get out for once in a while just to escape Zola. You managed to sneak out during the night and the air has never been this fresh for you and it feels good to be alone. You weren’t supposed to leave but your feet acted upon itself, walking towards your temporary freedom. You were so distracted that you didn’t notice the time. Dread started to fill in your being and you started running silently back inside without being caught. Unaware, Arnim Zola knew you sneaked out but didn’t say anything yet.

The next morning during your experimentations with an axolotl, you were suddenly interrupted with one of the scientists around and told you were called by Zola. Convinced that this is going to be another tiring conversation, you silently make your way to the room where he was hidden.

“I know you went out, Engel.”

Engel… German for Angel. The use of endearment suddenly terrifies you. “I’m not a child anymore. My parents are dead and am I not allowed to have some fresh air during night-time?”

“Did you know why you have the strictest rule in here?”

“… No.”

“Because you have experienced normal life when you were just a little girl. Life isn’t always like that in Hydra… Do you want to be always in the run, mein Engel?”

“I didn’t ask to be in here!!”

“Oh, there’s the little girl… Your parents promised us you will always give your utmost service to Hydra. Even you brain, it was promised to us.”

Now that sounded evidently a threat to you. You stepped away from Zola, feeling your eyes welled up in tears out of fear. You knew your parents are cruel, but they stooped so low at this point even if they’re dead years ago.

“I did not consent to it!!”

“Who gave you the privilege of education, my dear? Hm? It was us… Is that how you repay us for being so generous?”

Out of instinct, you didn’t heed his words anymore and just dashed out of the room. With Zola being in control of the room, he sounded the alarm. You couldn’t stop shaking but you couldn’t also stop from running. You knew so well you couldn’t get pass the guards here with zero skills of fighting, so you did the unthinkable. You inject yourself some unfinished super soldier serum.

You gasps for air when you felt a pair of hands holding your shoulders, softly shaking you out of your slumber and Zemo slowly came into your view.

“It seems you’re having the cliché dream.”

Frowning, you push his hands away from you and avoided his gaze. Both of you were still in the jet but Oeznik had announced to Zemo that you are all close to the destination. Zemo decided to not bother you much for now and prepared himself before the jet could land.

“I basically grew up in Hydra…”

You suddenly confessed, interrupting Zemo’s moment of silence while he’s packing some of his things up and his silence compelled you to continue as you feel his eyes burning with curiosity behind you. You didn’t notice you are holding Zemo’s coat and brings It close to your face that you could smell the slight musk of his expensive cologne.

“My parents are assholes, handing their child to those people just because she’s a science prodigy. I don’t want to blame them for the sake of my peace, but they plague my dreams every night. Arnim Zola plagues my mind.”

Zemo melancholy observed you from behind. It’s safe to show a little emotions behind you for him, not wanting you to give the idea he’s gone softer for you. Zemo decided to not respond anything to your confession instead and gives you the time to grieve a little before setting your mind to the present again.

“We’re heading Germany. I have a place there.”

“Isn’t where you were incarcerated before?”

He smirked a little at you before turning his attention back to his duffle bag.

“Always let the enemy think you are far away. But don’t get too cocky from that either.”

“Is this your subtle way of telling me I am bad at hiding?”

That earned you a chuckle from the Baron.

“Well, technically, you are really bad at hiding if I’m the one hunting you. You just couldn’t resist on trying to make your life normal.”

It’s been so long since you went to Germany. You clearly don’t entirely remember that memory, but you were happy to be back in here. Despite the awful circumstances in life, you only remember that you were once happy here when your parents took you to Munich. After the plane was landed, you and Zemo went for another car ride before finally arriving at this place. Then it occurred to you that you don’t have a single possession with you but your phone, a couple of dollars in our wallet and your discarded coat.

“Don’t worry, you will have your clothes later. For now, I will have to brief you everything on what I’m trying to do here. Please do take a seat at the countertop while I make you some cherry blossom tea.”

Zemo eloquently makes his way to the kitchen while you are following him like a tail of a puppy from behind, taking in the beautiful architecture of his home. Or hideout… While waiting for the tea, Zemo did not waste any time to talk about pressing matters at hand. “I have files of every Identity from Hydra that I am trying to find, including yours. But since you are here being so generously kind to join me in this fiasco, I would like to take this advantage if you can tell me who these people are.”

“No I did not particularly join you because I want to hunt down some Hydra operatives, Baron. I am here with you because…”

You hesitated to tell him. You hesitated to be so vulnerable in front of him again but when you looked at him in the eye, you know that you have nothing in life but him. Helmut Zemo, Baron of Sokovia as your ticket to Freedom.

“Because I wanted to be safe, and I think you’re my best shot.”

You slowly avoid his gaze, feeling a little embarrassed. Zemo smiled at you faintly from your honesty. It gave him a little sense of pride that he was trusted instead of being feared. But he disliked the way you are so trusting… he will fix that in time. After all, he’s much willing to help you now.

“You will be safe when I’m done with this work. So, I need your knowledge so I could be steps ahead from them.”

“You told me if you cut one of Hydra’s head, it will multiply.”

“There’s no harm in trying, Schatzi. People like them do not deserve to live… You could have the normal life you wanted but they snatched it away. Sometimes, you do need a bit of revenge in your tea.”

“I can’t fight, Baron…”

“Yes… But you have me now.”

You snap your eyes back to him, but he already turned his back prepare the hot Cherry Blossom tea he promised for you. Your fingers starts to fidget, feeling a little bit embarrassed but you quickly snap yourself out when he finally serves the tea with biscuits and Turkish delights.

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t@sapphiredreamer2