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ultimateissuessimp · 3 months

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"I love you" is not enough

One shot

Word count: 2,207

Warnings: Mentions of losing loved ones

Y/N never thought he'd ever get reunited with his childhood bestfriend. Not after their country got destroyed by Stark's cursed toy, his best friend going mad with getting his revenge, then getting imprisoned for over 7 years and himself dissappearing for five of them during the blip. He was so lost when he came back, he didn't know how to fit back in, but he knew that the first thing he desperately wanted to do was to see him, see Helmut.

What he didn't expect is that when he finally hyped himself up to go to Berlin, is the fact that Zemo wasn't there anymore. That's when the prison guards told him that the man had simply dissappeared. He grew anxious, the whole drive to one of his flats in Berlin was filled with overthinking. Was he okay? Did something happened? Where was he? That's why when he got to his flat, he immediately bee-lined to a compartment in his desk that stored a phone Helmut has given him before bombing the UN to communicate with him if he needed to do so. He dialed the only number on the phone he had in the contacts, praying during the connection that he would pick up and his breath hitched in his throat when he heard the other side answer.

-Y/N… - Zemo breathed out, voice quiet as if he was trying to keep his voice down so no one else heard him. Y/N could almost see the worried look Helmut's face with his imagination. - Is everything alright? Are you okay? - he asked after a moment of silence and Y/N almost let out a laugh at his words. Even after all this time, he cared more about the man's well being ove his own, but he understood since he had given him this phone to call during emergencies. In Y/N's mind that was an emergency.

-Am I okay? Are YOU okay? I'm in Berlin right now, I wanted to see you but they told me that you just disappeared, where the hell are you, Hel? - Y/N asked, his voice slightly stern, but also filled with worry for his best friend. A best friend that he had pined after since they met, but couldn't have him due to him being in an arranged marriage with his late wife.

-I'm sorry, I really am, it was not my plan to make you worry, I hadn't thought you'd even want to see me after all these years and what I've had done - Zemo explained, Y/N could almost hear him running a hand down his face in guilt.

-"I wouldn't want to see you"? Have you completely gone mad, Hel? I'd cross the universe just to see you, where are you? - he explained, once again asking the man about his whereabouts.

-You say I'm mad, yet you continue with saying that you'd go so far just to see someone like me… Are you sure you're not the one that's going insane?… - Zemo asked with a tired, yet appreciative chuckle. - I'm in Ryga right now, in my apartment, but-… - he started explaining where he was at that moment, but was interrupted by Y/N.

-Don't you dare move and inch, I'm coming to you, I'll be there in a couple of hours - he said quickly, springing up from the couch he had sat on for the call, snatching his car keys from the drawer near the entry doors.

-Wait, Schatz, let me finish. I'm not alone here… The Winter Soldier and the Falcon are here with me. In a way they broke me out of prison and we're trying to stop the Flag Smashers from producing more Super Soldiers and destroying everything on their path - Zemo explained, trying to get Y/N to calm down and to not make rush decisions, but the man was already dead set on going there and he knew it too.

-They broke you out? Now that's a sentence I'd never thought I'd ever hear in my life - Y/N said with a humorless chuckle before swiftly putting on his jacket and getting out of his flat, locking it behind himself and almost sprinting to his car. He got inside, powering it up while still on the call before speeding off towards Ryga.

-Yes and I'd never even dared to think something like this could ever happen, yet it did. Just… Drive here carefully, alright? I don't want to see your car crashed on the news, I know how heavy your leg can get - Helmut said, running a hand through his hair, mussing it up a bit. They talked for a while longer before Zemo had to hang up when he heard one of the men he was with approaching, telling Y/N once again to be careful.

Couple of hours later and there he was, crossing Ryga's city line, now driving slower towards Zemo's apartment that he had been a couple of times at when they had their small vacations away from everyone, just a best friends bonding time. He got out of the car when he reached the place and jogged up to the doors, eagerly knocking on them and waiting for Helmut to open up.

At that time when Zemo finally heard the knocks, he could see Sam and Bucky reach for their guns and he immediately calmed them down, saying that he knew who it was and that it was a friend, not someone they had to worry about. Which didn't really make them less weary of Y/N on the other side of the doors, but they lowered their guns nonetheless, deciding to give Zemo their trust on this.

When the doors finally swung open, their eyes meeting after so long, Y/N couldn't help but throw his arms around Zemo's neck, pulling him into a bone crushing hug. He breathed heavily, trying to stop himself from tearing up. He was okay, they were both okay, they were together again, that's all that mattered.

-Okay, Zemo, who the hell is that? - they could hear Bucky ask from the inside of the apartment, making them pull away from each other and Zemo letting him inside, closing the doors after him.

-I'm Y/N. Helmut's best friend. You don't have to introduce yourself, I already know the both of you. While I know you didn't do it with a happy smile, I still feel the need to thank you for getting him out of prison - he said, taking a few steps towards the two men. Sam scoffed and put his hands up.

-Nah, don't pull me into this shit, I had nothing to do with this, it was all him - the Falcon said, pointing almost accusingly towards Bucky which made the other man roll his eyes and turn away from everyone, deciding on taking a seat on the couch.

-Either way, thank you. What you did got me my best friend back - Y/N continued, looking back at Helmut who stood about two meters behind him, something warm hidden inside his eyes, something that Y/N could only recognise as longing and he couldn't help sending the baron a big, happy grin.

-Not for long, Dora Milaje is after his ass, not sure when they're going to get him, but I don't doubt the fact that they will - Bucky said, huffing out and crossing his arms over his chest as he closely observed the interaction between both men. To him they looked a lot closer than just best friends, but who was he to say anything about that when his and Steve's friendship was almost similar?

That made Y/N frown in concern and Zemo wince as he saw his dearest friend's eyebrows knit in worry. He took the man's arm into his hand, pulling him towards one of the rooms where they could freely talk.

-Hey! No scheming behind our backs when you're in there! - Sam said, pointing his fingers and doing a little circle with it towards the two men as they walked away which only granted him a dry chuckle from Zemo and another frown from Y/N.

When they got inside, Zemo immediately wrapped his arms tightly around Y/N's waist, keeping him close to himself as his head rested against his shoulder. Y/N without a second thought wrapped his arms around Helmut, one hand running up and down his back in comforting motions.

-I've missed you… I was so worried when you stopped visiting me for those five years. I could only imagine that you grew tired of me, that you've finally realised what a horrible human being I am… And when I've found out about the blip, I only thought of the worst… That I won't ever see you again, that I wouldn't be able to see those sharp E/C eyes, that I wouldn't be able to hear that booming laugh as I tell you one of my horrible dad jokes - Zemo explained, voice strained with heavy emotions as he clung onto Y/N. His words made the frown on Y/N's face only deepen and put his hands on the baron's cheeks to lift his head up and make him look at him.

-I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Shit, if the Dora Milaje really comes for you, I'm coming with you, I don't care, they won't separate us again - Y/N said, his voice serious as he looked deeply into Zemo's worried eyes.

-I can't let you do that, you know I can't let you just destroy the rest of your life for me, I could never… - Zemo said, shaking his head before leaning into the soothing touch of Y/N's hands on his cheeks and closing his eyes.

-Oh shut up, Hel! You don't get to decide what I do with my life. If I decide on staying with the man dearest to my heart then I sure as hell will fucking do so - Y/N hissed out, one of his hands going to the back of Zemo's head to tug sharply on a few hair strands, making him wince and tilt his head backwards before looking back at Y/N with a raised eyebrow.

-You… What? - he asked, utterly confused about Y/N's words. Surely he didn't mean…

-For fuck's sake, Helmut. For a man so god damn intelligent you can be so fucking stupid and blind sometimes… - Y/N said quietly, going back to holding the baron's cheeks with his hands and stroking them with his thumbs affectionately.

-Now you're insulting me just to insult me… - Zemo replied with a momentary scowl that soon changed into an anxious look. - I… After Heike… Shit… What I want to say is that, I closed my heart off for so long after losing my family, I became distant, I was cold and yet you stayed… You always did, it didn't matter if I did something utterly stupid during our younger days or even after bombing the UN… You simply stayed and I couldn't be more thankful for that, but at the same time it had awakened something in me that I managed to bury for the sake of my arranged marriage. Something that I can't and don't want to keep hidden anymore. I'm so deeply in love with you that it hurts me to even think about losing you again when the Dora Milaje come to take me away - Helmut confessed, his heart beating a thousand times a minute as he spoke, completely avoiding eye contact just to not see what he imagined could be visible on Y/N's face. The man holding his face didn't let him to do that for long tho, redirecting his gaze to be back on him.

-Helmut, even if the world says no, I'll go through all of it's challenges just to prove that what we have is worth a chance… You're not getting rid of me this easily, hell no - Y/N whispered, his eyes switching from looking into Zemo's of warm brown ones to his lips and back, noticing that the man before him was doing the same. He leaned in slowly, carefully, not wanting to spook him with sudden movements as if he was a wild animal he was observing.

When the baron started leaning in to, he lost all of his thoughts he had at that moment just so his mind could fill up with him. His baron. His best friend. Someone that his heart longed for almost his whole life. When their lips finally met, it was as if everything clicked into it's rightful place. He couldn't quite believe this was actually happening and that it wasn't just a figment of his wild imagination like he had done so many times back. Their lips moved slowly, tenderly against one another, fighting against the need for breath. When they finally pulled away, unable to resist breathing any longer, their foreheads pressed against each other, their breathing heavy as they tried to calm down their racing hearts. They felt content, even if just for a moment and it was exactly that moment that set in stone the fact that they'd rather help Hell freeze than let anything separate them again.

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