Work Text:
It was Clint who finally spilled the beans. Maybe that was why he hadn’t been roped into the top-secret meetings in the first place. If he hadn’t been so good at his job, he wouldn’t have known anything at all.
Lucky for the former Winter Soldier, Clint was almost as good as gathering intel as his red-headed best friend.
“Heard you’re gonna win over the new girl today, Barnes. Good luck!” Clint had casually called as he passed Bucky in the hallway while munching on a handful of popcorn.
Bucky’s head had whipped around and before Clint knew what had hit him, Bucky had him pinned to the wall, his metal arm against the spies neck. “What did you just say?” He demanded angrily.
Clint swallowed hard. “Heard the team came up with a way to help you confess your feelings for the new girl. Good . . . good luck, man.”
Bucky dropped Clint and backed away slowly, panic filling him. He shook his head slowly while Clint massaged his bruised neck.
“You don’t have a plan with the team?” Clint surmised.
Bucky shook his head harder and glanced at Clint with pure panic burning in his eyes.
Clint nodded sympathetically. “Then you better get a move on. I think they’re planning on telling her for you then.”
Bucky bolted down the hall, desperate to get to you first.
Bucky had been in love with you for almost as long as he had known you. When Steve had first convinced Tony to let him come stay in the tower, you were the one who’d taken it upon yourself to smooth over the transition. At first, Bucky thought it was because you and Steve had a thing and his friend had asked you to but when Bucky had admitted this to Steve; Steve had merely laughed and said he didn’t see you that way. No, you’d become Bucky’s friend because YOU’D wanted to.
Bucky hadn’t felt that warm since he’d first shipped off to war seventy years ago.
He was like a moth to a flame after that. Not that you’d ever seemed to mind. And he was constantly vigilant to make sure you were okay with his constant presence. He lived in fear of the day you’d realize that he was constantly trailing after you like a lost puppy and kick him to the curb.
He was afraid that day had come.
Bucky sprinted through the common room, stopping long enough to grab a night-night gun from under the couch before he slowed his pace and turned on his training. He wasn’t Bucky Barnes terrified of losing the one thing in this new life that made him feel at home. No. Now he was the Winter Soldier and he was on the hunt.
Bucky crouched against the wall and peered around the corner. A few doors down, you were walking down the hall towards your room, laughing at something Sam had said. “Anyway . . . that’s when I told her; ‘you couldn’t handle me’ and popped the wings out and flew off. The look on her face . . .”
You laughed again.
Bucky took aim.
You wiped away the tears in your eyes and reached out to open the door to your room when Sam interrupted. “Listen . . . rejection can be hard . . .” He started.
Bucky’s finger twitched on the trigger.
You looked at Sam like he was crazy. “Yeah . . .” You agreed.
Sam rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s why sometimes you need a wingman to help you out, right?”
You nodded slowly and Bucky’s finger started pulling the trigger.
Sam opened his mouth to finish his thought when a sharp ringing sound filled the hallway making all three of it’s occupants jump.
You fished your phone out of your pocket and glanced at it. “Sorry, I gotta take this. Just . . . wait right here.” You said hurriedly as you slipped into your room to take the call.
“Yeah, I’ll just . . .” Sam never finished his sentence.
The second your door slid shut, Bucky fired his shot. Sam dropped to the ground, unconscious.
With grim determination, Bucky stalked down the hall, gripped the unconscious man by the ankle and pulled him into an abandoned room. He slid the door shut behind the two of them just as he heard your door opening.
“Sam?” You called. “Huh.”
Bucky listened intently as the sounds of your footsteps faded away and then he turned back to Sam’s prone body. “Rookie.” He grunted, before he rolled the man over and started hogtying him.
“Mr. Grumpypuss.” FRIDAY intoned above him.
Bucky’s expression grew even darker at Tony’s name for him. He hadn’t had time to hack that part of the system.
“I’m afraid she’s headed towards the lab.”
Bucky’s blood ran cold and he synched the final knot extra tight before he jumped to his feet. “Options.” He grit out.
“Knock out gas?” FRIDAY suggested.
“Do it.”
Bucky opened the door and peeked out, making sure no one was around, before he slid the door shut. “Make sure no one finds him, FRIDAY.”
Bucky arrived at the labs only minutes before you would. He’d had FRIDAY slow the elevator down, but he knew he had to act fast.
He skid to a stop in front of the glass doors, his jaw ticking. Knock-out gas wasn’t going to be enough for THIS.
Bruce was standing on the ground while Tony was in a suit, hanging a very bold and badly painted banner that said ‘I may be frozen, but my heart isn’t. Go out with me?’. There was no way you were going to miss that.
Tony’s faceplate flipped up and he turned to ask Bruce something, but caught Bucky’s murderous glare instead.
Tony’s face paled as he fell out of the sky in terror.
“It’s not what you think!” He called placatingly, raising his hands up in front of him. “Just trying to help!”
Bucky reached behind him and pulled his good knife, the really big one, out of nowhere.
Tony somehow paled even further.
Bucky took a terrifying step forward before Tony shouted something.
“FRIDAY! Hulk-buster protocols!”
Instantly, reinforced Vibranium shutters slid down over the glass, completely entombing the two scientists inside an impenetrable prison of their own making.
Bucky stumbled to a stop, looking at it with a critical eye before he shrugged his shoulder and put his knife away.
The sound of an elevator dinging behind him startled him from his thoughts. He quickly dove for cover as you stepped off the elevator and glanced at the lab. “Tony? Bruce?” You called, walking up to it and knocking on it gently.
Bucky smiled as he heard the faintest echoes of terrified screams coming from inside.
“What’s is going on today?” You muttered to yourself before you turned and headed back to the elevator.
Bucky watched and waited until you were completely enclosed inside before he spoke.
“Keep them in there, FRIDAY.” He mumbled.
“Yessir.” The AI responded.
Three down, four to go.
Bucky peered through one of the vents, watching as you puttered around the kitchen, making yourself lunch. You were doing that thing again. The thing that made him smile softly to himself. You were gesturing with your arms wildly as you spoke to yourself, half out loud, half in your own head. From the few things that WERE crossing your lips, it seemed like you were reliving yesterday’s mission.
“Yeah just GO attack them bare handed. SUCH a good idea.” You practiced a few kickboxing moves, knocking the salad bowl clean off the counter. You froze. “Oh thank Heimdall no one saw that.” You murmured as you started cleaning it up. “Hear that, Heimdall? You DIDN’T see that!” You called up to the ceiling.
Bucky had to press his hand against his lips to keep from laughing.
“Who are you talking to sestra?” Wanda asked, stepping into the kitchen, Vision right behind her.
And just like that, Winter’s face was back.
You shook your head. “No one, Wanda. Just talking to myself. Do you guys want some lunch? I made plenty but I can’t seem to find anyone else . . .”
Wanda smiled brightly. “Oh! Yes. That would be lovely, thank you.”
She took a seat at the bar and gestured with her head for Vision to follow her before she turned back to you.
You were busy dishing up their plates so you didn’t notice the calculating look the two of them shared but Bucky sure did.
“Listen . . . sestra . . . I was actually hoping to talk to you about something.” Wanda started.
Bucky reached into his pocket and pulled out an EMP device.
“Oh?” You asked, looking up at her. “You know, you’re not the first person to tell me that today, but they keep disappearing before they actually say anything.” Your brow furrowed in confusion and frustration.
Wanda opened her mouth to answer when Bucky pressed the button on the EMP in his hand. The entire kitchen went dark.
Vision groaned in pain.
“Vision?!” You and Wanda called out simultaneously.
The lights flickered back on as the emergency generators kicked in. You were leaning over Vision, rubbing his back soothingly as he clutched at his head.
Wanda was staring right into Bucky’s eyes.
He narrowed his at her and broadcast his thoughts loud and clear.
The witch gasped as she heard them and spun back around to face Vision with new panic on her face. “Viz? You okay? Maybe we should go the infirmary.”
Vision glanced at her and they seemed to have a silent conversation before he nodded slowly. “Yes. Yes, perhaps that’s wise.”
He let the witch help him out of his chair while you stood helplessly nearby. “Do you want me to come . . .”
“No.” Wanda shot out in a panic
You jumped at her tone and she immediately looked contrite. “No, sestra. Finish your lunch. We’ll be okay.”
Her eyes strayed nervously to the vent that Bucky was hiding in, but you didn’t seem to notice.
“Okay . . .” You trailed off. “We’ll just finish our conversation later?!” You called after her.
“Yeah . . . uh, yeah. Later.” Wanda shot you one last nervous smile before she disappeared from view.
“Is it me?” You wondered out loud, turning back to your lunch. “Can’t be me, right? Someone would say SOMETHING if it was me.”
It was technically you, but Bucky didn’t dare say anything as he slowly backed his way out of the vent and headed for his next target.
Bucky dropped from the ceiling and into his room, taking stock of everything. He pulled the night-night gun out of his pants and looked at it for a moment before he shook his head and set it back on the bed. He doubted it would even work on Steve what with the serum and all. But even if it would, Bucky felt a need to have a more hands on approach with the great Captain America.
His betrayal couldn’t stand.
Bucky grabbed a few things from his desk and then he slipped out of his room and headed for Steve’s. Steve should be in there changing. You and Steve had a regular training session just after lunch. It was the perfect time for Steve to tell you about Bucky’s feelings.
Naturally, Bucky would have to make sure Steve called in sick today.
He stepped lightly just outside of Steve’s door and placed his back against the wall just to the right. Then, he reached out and lightly knocked on the door, imitating your knock exactly.
He tried not to think about how in tuned he was with you that he was able to do that.
“Just a second!” Steve called out.
Bucky’s fists clenched at his side as he waited, keeping an pressed to the wall as he listened for Steve to get close.
Steve opened the door. “Hey, sorry about that, I . . .” Steve trailed off with only a second to be confused when you weren't standing on the other side of the door like he’d expected, and then he was being tackled backwards into his apartment.
Steve’s instinct kicked in as he wrestled against his attacker but for perhaps the first time in their lives, Bucky wasn’t holding back. Within seconds, Bucky had his metal arm against Steve’s neck, crushing the symbol of liberty in a brutal choke hold.
Steve slapped against Bucky’s arm. “Wasn’t . . . gonna . . . do . . . it.” He choked out.
“Not what I heard.” Bucky grumbled in Steve’s ear.
Steve struggled to gasp for breath and Bucky cursed as he heard footsteps in the hall. Footsteps that sounded too familiar.
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the syringe he’d stashed there. He used his teeth to bite off the cap before he jammed the needle into Steve’s neck, none too gently.
Steve almost immediately went slack in Bucky’s arms.
Your footsteps were growing closer though, and Bucky knew he didn’t have time to hide Steve’s body. He cursed as he rounded the corner of the room, keeping himself hidden from view right as you knocked on the still open door.
“Steve? Steve, you ready?” You called into the room.
Bucky knew the second you found Steve’s unconscious body because you gasped. Bucky risked a peek around the corner and watched as you fell to your knees and tried to turn the fallen Captain America onto his back.
You huffed and puffed as you struggled against his weight. “Geez, Steve. Lay off the doritos will you? This gets harder every time you pass out on your floor.”
Bucky’s eyes narrowed in confusion. Every time? How often had you found Steve like this?
“And for Odin’s sake, would you STOP trying to show off to Bucky and Sam? Geez, grandpa. It’s not like going easier on those two would make them hang out with you any less.”
Bucky smiled as you rolled your eyes but you finally did manage to get Steve rolled over into a more comfortable position. You sighed and brushed the hair out of his eyes before you stood and shrugged a shoulder as though saying ‘Can’t do anything more for you.’
“Guess training’s off.” You turned to leave, shutting the door behind you. “Unless Nat would be willing.” You thought out loud just as the door clicked shut.
Bucky glared at Steve’s prone body as he raced to the door and peeked it open, watching as you turned a corner and headed in search of Nat.
“We’re not done here, punk.” He murmured, kicking Steve’s leg before he snuck out of the room. “Keep him in there if he wakes up, FRIDAY. I’m not done with him yet.”
The AI hummed.
Bucky scaled down the side of the building, metal fingers leaving spiderweb cracks in the concrete when he gripped too hard. Tony would yell at him later, if the billionaire ever came out of hiding that was.
For now though, Bucky didn’t care. He just had to get to Nat first and he knew where she would be at this time of day. Especially since he had a feeling she was waiting for him.
Bucky landed hard on the balcony below him that led into the large library Stark had added to the compound. No one knew it, but Nat spent a lot of her time here. She liked the solitude it brough. It didn’t hurt that the library had a few of the largest windows in the compound and they faced the only road that led in. All the better to watch who was entering.
Bucky slid open the balcony doors and stepped into the dark library.
He moved on silent feet as he cleared the rows of books one by one. Just before he got to the last, his senses kicked into overdrive. He reached down and pulled his knife from his thigh and held it up just as he turned the last corner.
A light clicked on and Nat peered up at him, her legs tugged in underneath her lazily. A book open on her lap.
“Figured you’d be looking for me next.” She greeted.
“We gonna have a problem here?” Bucky asked, knife still poised to be thrown.
Nat smiled slightly and shrugged her shoulder. “I never thought it was a good idea to tell her in the first place.”
Bucky nodded and finally lowered his weapon. “Because I’m dangerous.”
Nat scoffed. “Because you should man up and tell her yourself.”
Bucky gave her a double take.
Nat rolled her eyes. “Won’t mean a damn unless it comes from you, Barnes. Remember that. Now can I go back to my book? Enrique was about to confess HIS love to Isabella.”
Bucky looked from the steamy romance novel to Natasha and back again. Of all the things he’d been expecting to find her with in the library . . .
“Hello? Nat? You in here?”
Bucky didn’t have a chance to finish his thought. In two quick strides he was standing behind Nat’s chair, his metal hand clamped tightly over her lips.
“Hello?!” You called again. “Dammit! Where the HELL is everyone?!”
Your footsteps faded away.
The second she was sure you were gone, Natasha reached out and hit Bucky upside the head. He immediately released her.
“What the hell?!” He demanded.
“Go tell her, Barnes. Or maybe I WILL.” Natasha glared before she bent down to pick up her book that had fallen on the floor.
Bucky glared at her another minute. She didn’t pay him any attention.
Finally, Bucky gave up and wandered out of the room.
Bucky finally let the tension bleed out of his shoulders as he glanced at the tablet he’d swiped from Sam’s room. The members of the team that he’d knocked out were starting to wake up and he didn’t want to miss the fun. His eyes were glued to the tablet as he wandered into the kitchen, looking for a snack to go with the show.
He hadn’t been expecting you to be there.
“Bucky?”
He glanced up, wide-eyed, the tablet nearly falling from his fingers before he was able to clutch it again.
“Heyyyyyy . . . what’s up?” He asked, trying to act nonchalant and failing.
You were giving him a weird look. “Nothing . . . just . . . have you seen anyone today? They keep disappearing but I don’t think they’re avoiding me. They keep saying they want to talk to me and then POOF! Gone.”
Bucky nodded. “That’s . . . that sure is weird. I dunno where they could be, though.”
You bit your lip and glanced at something over his shoulder. “Huh. Well, maybe they went on a mission?” You suggested.
“They were sure on SOME kind of mission.” Bucky bit out under his breath.
“What was that?” You asked.
“Uh. I said, yeah. Maybe. Seems weird they didn’t tell you something though, right?”
You nodded your head. “Yeah. Huh. Well . . . in the meantime, do you mind if we hang out? I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been kinda lonely today.”
“Uh . . . sure, doll. Whatever you want.” Bucky stammered, hiding the tablet behind his back. He’d just have to catch the show later. FRIDAY was already recording.
Your bright smile made his heart skip a beat. “Awesome!” You chuckled. “So what do you wanna do? Or do you have something to tell me too?” You teased.
Bucky smiled and opened his mouth to deny it but another voice cut in.
“Haha. That’s a good one, kid. Course he does. He’s in love with you.”
You and Bucky both froze before Bucky slowly turned a full ninety degrees to penetrate Clint with a murderous glare that promise retribution.
Clint was standing a few feet away, still busily munching on popcorn but one look at Bucky’s face and he knew he needed to run.
He bolted for the nearest airduct, popcorn flying in his wake.
Bucky took one step towards the soon-to-be-dead archer but froze in his tracks when you caught his arm.
“Bucky?” You asked, glancing up at him.
Bucky couldn’t meet your eyes as he slowly turned back to face you.
“Bucky, is there something YOU want to tell me?” You asked gently, tipping your fingers under his chin and willing him to look at you.
Bucky said nothing for a long minute as he searched your expression but he knew that it was too late to hide it now. The cat was out of the bag, for better or for worse. He steeled himself for the inevitable rejection and nodded slowly. “Uh . . . yeah, doll. I do. The thing is . . . I love . . .” He didn’t get a chance to finish.
Before he knew what was happening, you’d thrown yourself into his arms and pressed your lips firmly against his.
There was a lot he didn’t remember about his old life.
Kissing wasn’t one of them.
He kissed you back like a man on a mission and damn, if you didn’t love every minute of it.
He was the first to pull back and he leaned his head against yours, breathing heavily. “You don’t . . .” He started.
You pressed your lips against his again, quickly, to shut him up. “Don’t even start, Barnes. I want this. I want YOU.” You chuckled. “I have for awhile now.”
Bucky’s smile was big enough to light an entire city as he swooped in for another kiss.
This time, it was you who pulled away first. “Is that what the rest of the team’s been trying to tell me all day?” You asked.
Bucky nodded slowly, gauging your reaction.
“And that’s why they kept disappearing?” You pressed again.
He nodded with a small satisfied smirk on his lips.
You chuckled and reached behind him, gripping the tablet he’d shoved in his waistband when you’d thrown yourself into his arms.
You pulled it up and glanced at the cameras still showing Tony, Bruce, Sam and Steve pounding on doors, trying to get out.
You chuckled and set the tablet on the bar next to you before you slid down Bucky’s body and took him by the hand. “Come on, soldier. I think they’ll be fine for another hour or two. I got a different kind of talking I want to do with you.”
Bucky’s smirk grew even bigger as you led him out of the kitchen and back to your room.
He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve you, but he’d be grateful for the rest of eternity he’d done it.