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“I don’t like anything about his plan, especially not the part where you’re arm candy to a goddamn criminal.”
Bucky’s voice came from behind you, his eyes following your every move in the mirror you were facing, getting ready for the undercover mission in a bar in Madripoor.
Getting ready on a private jet was definitely a first, especially with the outfits Zemo had picked for you. Being a baron, Zemo had picked out an expensive designer dress, with cut-outs strategically placed over the midriff section, showing just the right amount of skin for a night out in one of the many bars in Madripoor. It had long beautiful sleeves and the colours meshed perfectly together on your skin. For a criminal that had killed way too many people, he did have good taste.
“I’ll be fine, Bucky, I’m more worried about you,” you replied, finishing off the mascara before turning towards Bucky. His eyes scanned your body from your legs to the parts of skin that were showing, ending up at your face, lingering on your lips for a second before snapping up to the dark make-up around your eyes.
“Nothing I haven’t done before,” he grunted, rubbing his eyes with his right hand, trying to shake the vision of you wrapped around him in a busy club as you bit the inside of your cheek.
“It’s different, Bucky, we both know it.”
In Zemo’s ideal plan everyone would be undercover, playing a certain part in this stupid quest for the Super Soldier Serum, if it even was in Madripoor at all. In this little act, Sam was the Smiling Tiger, a gangster that often frequented Madripoor with a very particular taste in clothes.
Bucky on the other hand, had to play his own archnemesis, the Winter Soldier. After all those years of suffering, Zemo could just so easily mess up the whole situation by forcing Bucky’s hand.
That left you. Even though Bucky and you were threading the fine line between friendship and something more, the Winter Soldier did not have a significant other. The Smiling Tiger was a figure notorious for sleeping around with anyone that looked a certain way at him. That left the Sokovian baron and you. Zemo was a little too happy to propose that you would play his significant other in the club - the fact that it annoyed the living shit out of Bucky was just an added bonus for him.
The plan wasn’t water tight to your standards, far from actually, but everything had been decided on in no time, leaving no time to map out escape routes or make plan B and C’s.
“I’ll be fine, pickle. I just have to bite my tongue for one night,” Bucky sighed, his vibranium hand rubbing over the leather jacket he was wearing. Zemo had provided him with a kind of replica of his Winter Soldier days, dark leather jacket with his vibranium arm on show, a strappy harness around his broad frame for a possible weapon, a few knives hidden without a doubt.
“I honestly don’t believe that, Bucky,” you said, worry clear in your voice as you scanned his face for any doubts he could have. It was a risky plan. So much could go wrong in so little time and Zemo being the mastermind behind this plan worried you even more.
“Pickle,” he sighed, the pet name rolling off his tongue with so much ease that it felt natural. His vibranium hand landed on one of your forearms and he lightly tapped with his fingers in a beat, trying to get you to look up at him.
“I’ll be alright,” he said, looking between your eyes to emphasize his feelings, “and besides, if anything goes wrong, I’ve got you there.”
You scoffed and rolled your eyes, but you didn’t move as Bucky let his hand slide down to entwine your fingers loosely together, only watched as the flesh colour of your skin meshed with the black and gold of his hand. It was a collision between fixed and intact, the golden streaks signifying that even though it had been broken once, he came out much stronger than before.
“I don’t think an assassin can handle the Winter Soldier, but thanks for your confidence.”
Bucky just squeezed your hand, trying to convey that he did have confidence in you. You had always been able to pull him out of episodes, when his nightmares got to him and you had his back when the topic of his pardon was back on the table. You’d defend Bucky until your last breath.
Someone rapped their knuckles against the small wooden door that led back to the main part of the plane, and Sam stuck his head out when he opened the door a bit, “we’re landing in 15, might wanna buckle up.”
His eyes zeroed in on your interwoven digits for a second, a small smile on his face before he pulled his head back and closed the door, leaving you and Bucky in silence once more.
For a small moment, just one second, when you heard the rap on the door, you wanted to let go of Bucky’s hand, avoid the inevitable conversation with Sam about the little dance around the truth you and Bucky were having - it was more of a slow, to be honest.
You were glad you didn’t, his hand encompassed yours in a way that just made everything click between the two of you as if Bucky was made to be with you, just as you were made to be with him.
It hadn’t reached that point yet, though. The touches were still fleeting, kisses were still inches away from your lips and every evening Bucky dutifully went back to his room, leaving you cold and disoriented in his wake.
The clicking of heels mixed together with the sound of heavy boots was suppressed by the revving of expensive cars in the neon-lighted streets of Madripoor as you got closer to the club where Selby was supposed to be.
Zemo had a gloved hand wrapped around yours as you stretched out your legs, trying your best to avoid tripping on the ends of the delicate dress he had provided you with. He held your hand just a little too tight, a little too possessive, not the way Bucky did. Bucky’s thumb always caressed the back of your hand. Zemo just held yours in an emotionless grip and it made you wish Bucky was the one holding your hand.
Sam and Bucky were walking behind the two of you, closely following on your heels like a true bodyguard would. In this instance he wasn’t a bodyguard, Sam wasn’t some shady businessman and you and Zemo sure as hell weren’t a couple.
“I don’t think the Winter Soldier has a murderous look on his face when he’s looking at his boss, Buck,” Sam commented as he watched Bucky’s eyes flit between your entwined hands and the back of Zemo’s head.
Inside his mind he was slowly losing it. Your delicate fingers were entwined with his grubby, disgusting hands, tainting your skin, marking it almost as his. Zemo knew what he was doing to Bucky, he had seen the fleeting touches and soft looks between the two of you. The bastard revelled in the fact that Bucky couldn’t do anything about it.
“Shut up,” he muttered, a nick in his jaw as Zemo stopped in front of the bar and held out his hand for you - making you do a twirl to show off the dress and show you off in front of all the people waiting to get in.
The fact that you played the part of the gorgeous girlfriend so well didn’t help one bit. Your teeth were on display as you threw a laugh Zemo’s way when he was boasting about you to the bouncer and the dress was flowing around your frame, leaving little to the imagination.
Bucky was really trying his best to have a blank, emotionless look on his face, but when Zemo wrapped his arm around your waist, he had to lock his jaw and grit his teeth. His fists were clenched too, the whirring of his vibranium hand lowly buzzing in his and Sam’s ears.
“Cut it out, man,” Sam said under his breath, before stepping up to where the bouncer had opened the cord to let all of you in.
Bucky took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down to not mess up this mission that was way too important to lose it over a little acting on your part.
Bucky followed suit into the dark nightclub, music booming in his ears as the neon lights made pretty patterns on your exposed skin. The crowd immediately dimmed down a bit, not expecting the Winter Soldier to just walk behind his master as a pet dog that had no agency of its own.
Zemo uttered some Russian activation words, trying to intimidate the crowd as he pulled you forward, almost making you trip as someone bumped into you. You lightly cursed, but plastered a love sick smile on your face either way, all the gun power that was present in the club making you slightly nervous.
Bucky wanted to reach out his arms to steady you in this stupid nightclub that was already working on his nerves. The small look of panic that flashed on your face wasn’t noticed by anyone in the club, but the way your eyebrows scrunched together made it clear to him that you were worried someone had. Bucky couldn’t do anything though. The Winter Soldier didn’t act if his handler didn’t ask him to.
Zemo finally reached the bar, multiple people still staring with wide eyes at Zemo and you as Bucky stepped up behind you, his right arm lightly skimming your back and you sharply inhaled a breath, not expecting the light touch of his soft fingertips.
Zemo said something to the bartender, but the conversation flowed around you as you watched Bucky, eyes silently asking if everything was still okay.
Bucky remained stoic as he leaned against the bar, but he looked at you in such an intense way that it made your cheeks burn under the neon lights, the room feeling stuffy all of a sudden. One of his brows raised just a tad, asking you the same question in a completely silent way.
A small smile made its way on your face, but it was quickly wiped off as Zemo’s arm snaked around your waist once again, raising your attention to the bartender who had put a red drink in front of you.
“It’s on the house for the lady,” the guy said, watching intently to check if you’d actually take his offer.
The first mistake you made was hesitating just a little too long to accept the drink, as the bartender just watched you with calculating eyes. The second mistake is that instead of looking up at your supposed lover for confirmation, you looked the other way. Bucky’s way.
Bucky tried to ignore the helpless look in your eyes. He really tried. This drink could easily be some sort of trap, some sort of ploy to see through the little facade you had built up so easily.
So he did what he did best and he ignored the tight feeling in his chest and ignored your call for help. Instead he looked around the club and scanned everyone’s faces like a true bodyguard would, daring anyone to come closer.
When Bucky looked away, you swallowed harshly in response, reminded of why you were there and you grabbed the small shot glass between your fingers, quickly downing the bitter liquid that stuck to your throat in an unpleasant way. Whatever the hell this drink was supposed to be, it wasn’t something you were keen on to try again - ever.
The bartender nodded in affirmation, apparently buying your little act, even after messing up big time and he moved over to Sam, another round to test your intentions.
Sam’s acting wasn’t the best, even worse after seeing the snake being cut open and put into another shot glass. Even he hesitated a few times as well, but he finally downed the putrid drink and put his thumb up.
The bartender was less inclined to believe his story this time round, but your attention quickly shifted to another man who challenged Zemo, a threatening aura around him as he urged you to leave the club.
Zemo didn’t give in though, his eyes moving towards the deadly assassin next to you and the men left just as quickly as he came.
“A power broker, really,” Bucky muttered, a bored look on his face as you tried to contain the laugh that wanted to escape you. Bucky really knew how to make a tense situation just a bit lighter, even if he was just being himself.
“Every kingdom needs its king,” Zemo sighed, his hand coming up to rest your forearm, “let’s just pray we stay under his radar.”
“Do you know him?”
“Only by reputation,” Zemo shook his head at Sam, his grip tightening on your forearm as he watched more men come up to him, “in Madripoor he is judge, jury and executioner.”
Bucky didn’t notice the men at first. He was too busy shooting daggers at Zemo for the harsh grip he had on your arm. But once Zemo said those damn Russian words, he shook himself free of the jealous green feeling that was swerving in his stomach and he grabbed the man’s arm that was now on Zemo’s shoulder.
Bucky looked back at Zemo for confirmation, but his azure eyes quickly flitted towards your worried ones to confirm everything was okay on his part. That he was okay with acting out his violent persona that had taken him so long to get rid of.
The slight nod in your head was the okay for Bucky to proceed with hurting the man, even though Zemo had ordered him to do it. Bucky efficiently made the guy’s arm crack, and he looked around the room, daring for anyone to fight him.
Another man ran up, his fist ready to attack, but Bucky was too strong for him, kicking him hard in the chest and sending him flying through the room. The small knife that was hidden along the side of your bra was itching for you to take it out and help Bucky defeat these mad men. The whole plan was crazy, totally bonkers and you regretted dragging Bucky into this mess, as it was just supposed to be you and Sam.
From all the men that tried to take on Bucky, not one was even close to defeating him.
Zemo said something to Sam, but you were so focussed on the fluid way Bucky was moving through the bar, dodging attacks left and right that you didn’t even try to understand what they were saying.
The short skirmish ended with Bucky closing his vibranium hand around a man’s throat who was now laying on the bar, just next to where you were standing with bated breath.
Heavy breaths left Bucky’s nose as he stared in front of him, and Sam’s hand came up to stop him from choking the man to death.
“Stay in character or the whole bar turns on us,” Zemo warned Sam, then looking over to you as you tried your best to contain the emotions on your face. Seeing Bucky back in action as the Winter Soldier was hard after all what you had been through together.
Bucky slowly uncurled his hand from the man's throat at Zemo’s command, ignoring Sam’s worried question if he was alright. He just looked straight ahead, as the bartender gave you the go-ahead to finally see Selby.
Zemo left without a look to spare at you, completely disregarding the plan and Sam followed suit to get out of this adrenaline filled bar.
Bucky noticed the hesitation in your movements and he pressed a hand against the back of your waist to hurry you on, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible to not blow the cover that was just unravelling as fast as you could think.
The sheer fabric of the dress did nothing against the cold feeling of Bucky’s hand, snapping you out of your thoughts about why Zemo decided to not play his part anymore.
“Move along, pickle,” he whispered under his breath, his lips barely moving as he pressed a little more urgently against your back.
Just when you reached back to touch his hand with yours, to feel the steely plates of his hand under the skin of your fingertips, he pulled back as if the skin on your back was scalding hot.
It hurt for some reason. You knew that these stolen looks and forbidden touches could be lethal, but still the way he instantly retracted his digits made it feel like he never wanted to touch you in the first place.
Quickly catching up to Zemo and Sam, you sped past Sam to be right behind Zemo who stretched out his hand when he noticed you coming up behind him, apparently reminded that he still had a role to play.
Selby was sitting comfortably on a couch, men with big guns surrounding her as she smirked at the lot of you.
Her accent flowed through the room as Zemo sat down on the couch, Sam and Bucky each stood on another side and you sat down next to Zemo, crossing your legs and leaning a little into Zemo.
Zemo wasn’t one for small talk and he stood back up again, circled around Bucky and pulled Bucky’s chin between his gloved fingers, taunting Bucky and showing him off to Selby. Bucky wasn’t the only one that had a dark look on his face. Zemo really was going too far with this plan, willing to sacrifice the safety of Bucky for the serum. It was going against everything you believed in. Against the fact that you would always keep Bucky safe.
The small smirk on Selby’s face was more than enough for Zemo to realize she was willing to give up some information in return for the Winter Soldier as her personal lap dog.
“I’m glad I decided not to kill you immediately,” she tilted her head. “But now tell me, baron, why is your girl seeing red when you’re talking about giving your muscle away?” Selby mused, a dangerous twinkle in her eye as she looked at your face, trying to get a rise out of you.
Zemo was about to open his mouth to say something, but you quickly interrupted him.
“He’s the best bodyguard anyone can imagine, of course, I don’t understand why my love doesn’t want the best protection for me.”
The word love associated with Zemo felt like bile in your mouth, but this mission was already on thin ice and you needed to make sure Selby trusted you - enough to give all the information she had about the serum.
But Selby was a dangerous figure, she didn’t trust people easily and that’s why you slowly sizzled up next to Zemo and pressed a quick kiss against his lips whilst your hand softly caressed his stubbly cheek.
It was awkward and neither you nor Zemo expected it to happen, but it made Selby more relaxed and she backed off when she saw the small smile on Zemo’s face when you pulled back.
In that moment, when Selby moved on to taunt Zemo some more, the only thing Bucky could do was watch in defeat as you pressed your soft lips against one of the people he hated the most.
In his rational mind it all made sense, you had to make sure the mission would succeed, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
Selby however, was happy and shared the information about a certain dr. Nagel who had recreated the serum.
But of course, what was a mission without one piece of the puzzle not fitting right? Sam’s phone went off, loud, and Selby forced him to put it on speaker.
Granted, Sam tried his best, trying to act all tough, but just as his little scheme would succeed, Sarah said Sam’s real name and everything went to shit.
A shot was fired, instantly killing Selby, which also mobilized the armed men to shoot into action.
Bucky knocked out a few men, his vibranium arm the perfect weapon to take people out and Sam took on a guy barehanded, fighting his way towards the exit.
The small knife hidden next to your bra finally had its moment to shine as you launched it at a man, straight into his shoulder and he fell down.
The others were quickly taken down, and the four of you started running out of the building into the dark streets of Madripoor.
Once shots were fired in the streets, the group was split into two as you, Bucky and Sam started running for your life.
“Fuck! This dress is too long,” you exclaimed, hunching up the delicate ends of the dress and trying to run in the stiletto’s that were now digging in your heels. You prayed that your ankles would survive this little run on the streets of Madripoor.
It took only a second for Bucky to pull out a knife and he quickly slit off the long parts that you were holding, turning the maxi dress into a cocktail dress in an instant.
“I can’t run in these heels!” Sam now yelled, awkwardly catching up to you and Bucky.
“Can’t do anything ‘bout that Sammy,” you breathed out heavily, coming up to a dead end, multiple bikes hot on your heels.
This was probably the end. Your head was worth a thousand bitcoins by now, making every criminal in Madripoor on high alert for a gang of four murderers. You silently wondered what would happen to you now, where they would take you and what would happen to Bucky.
Multiple shots were launched from a window two stories above and the bikers fell down to the streets as Zemo said something along the lines of having a ‘guardian angel’.
When the hooded figure finally pulled their hood down, their face illuminated under the neon lights, you let out a shaky sigh of relief.
“Sharon,” you breathed, happy to see a face you know in this ridiculous city that wanted you dead.
“Thank you, Shar, for the clothes,” you said, fresh new clothes on after a shower at Sharon’s place. The once beautiful dress was hanging over a chair in the corner of the room, the ends ragged and uneven after Bucky quickly cut it off during the chase.
“Of course, I bet that dress looked beautiful though, but this is way better for my party,” Sharon let her finger slide over your exposed collarbone, the black low-cut top fitting perfectly in the black pants she seemingly had 50 pairs of.
You went to sit close next to Bucky on the mustard couch, his hand coming up to rest on your thigh as he and Sharon kept bickering.
“Wow, she’s kind of awful now,” he scoffed and you tapped his hand, warning him that Sharon was a friend and not a foe in this situation.
Eventually Sharon left to go attend her party, “try to stay out of trouble.”
“Trouble,” Zemo raised his brow, giving you and Bucky a mischievous look, “if only you guys didn’t mess up we wouldn’t have to do this.”
That was the final straw for you. After Zemo had quite literally forced the different roles onto the three of you, ignoring his own part for a hot minute and now this? It was too much.
You shot up faster than anyone in the room could react and closed in on Zemo quickly, getting right up in his personal space as you bent down a bit to face him head on.
“Don’t you even dare to pin this on us, you twisted fuck,” you seethed, the only thing you saw was his face, the rest of the room was blurry, “If it weren’t for your quite frankly ridiculous plan, we never would have been in this situation anyway.”
Your pointer finger was now pressing against his chest, your eyes shooting daggers as Zemo just stared back at you, not expecting you of all people to go off. Your once soft and mysterious persona had warped into one where harsh words left your mouth, revealing just how you felt about the criminal that was sitting in front of you.
“Having me as your little love sick puppy was okay, but dressing Sam up as the Smiling Tiger and making Bucky relive his Winter Soldier days crossed the line, Zemo.”
“I just did what I had to do to help you,” he shrugged, his lips pulled down in a frown, “without me, you were still stuck without any leads.”
“Fuck you Zemo, you disgust me,” you spat out, the angry feeling that had a hold on your stomach coming to a high as you tried not to lose yourself in it.
After a final threatening look at Zemo, you stormed off towards Sharon’s bedroom, seeking refuge away from the disgusting man that had no problems with committing multiple crimes to get whatever he wanted.
It didn’t take Bucky long to follow you, his knuckles gently rapping on the dark hardwood door, “pickle, it’s me.”
A small click could be heard as you turned over the lock, but Bucky had to push open the door himself after you made no effort to open the door.
You were sitting on the windowsill, your back pressed against the wall as you were watching the cars pass by on the street in High-Town.
Bucky came to sit next to you on the windowsill, facing you as you kept staring down at the streets, the lighting making beautiful reflections in the small rain puddles that were forming.
“Pickle, you didn’t have to-”, he started, both his hands itching to touch you as you were curled into yourself, shutting the world and him out.
“Please, look at me,” he pleaded silently, his hand coming up to softly grip your chin and turn your face towards him.
When your sight finally aligned with his, he saw the toll this whole mission had taken on you so far. It had been a whole whirlwind, starting in the States to Czech Republic to Madripoor. Then this small mission which had been totally derailed because of a few mistakes, to be saved by Sharon in the end.
“I’m sorry,” you whispered, eyes pleading for forgiveness, “you deserve better than this. Better than me.”
“No- no pickle what are you saying,” his voice dropped a few bars as his face came a bit closer to yours.
“If it wasn’t for me asking you to come on this mission, Zemo never would’ve made you act in his stupid charade as him.”
“I hate Zemo,” you added, a small pout on your face as Bucky squeezed your thigh.
“Tell me about it,” he now grinned, “it was… hard for me too, to see you- with him.”
“In that way, I meant,” he added as he saw your confused look.
It quickly changed though, it went from confusion to knowing in mere seconds as you turned a bit, facing him fully as you grabbed both his hands in yours.
“It was hard for me to act that way, too.”
It was the first time in months that neither of you were carefully threading around the subject of what you were - what you could be.
“I’m sorry about the kiss,” you rubbed your thumb over the hard metal plates of his hand, trying to convey how sorry you felt.
“Don’t apologize,” he said, lifting your hands to place a gentle kiss against the back of your hand, his eyes never leaving yours.
“You did whatever was necessary to save the mission.”
“I did wish it were someone else’s lips, though,” you softly said as you slowly intertwined your fingers again. It still felt new, unusual even though your fingers had been laced with his for what felt like a million times, too.
“I did too.”
Those words confirmed what both of you already knew deep inside. But to hear them out loud, uttered by the person you trusted most, the person those words were about, made everything set in stone. It felt like Bucky and you had found each other again, after searching for each other in a different life, time and time again.
You didn’t waste any time and leaned forward, softly pressing your lips against his.
It was strange to finally be in this moment, to have his lips slated against yours. It reminded you of the summer vacations, the moments where everything was just alright, the feeling of how it was to be free without any worries weighing you down.
It was Bucky. It always had been him and it will always be him.
His lips rolled against yours, asking permission to take it a step further - which you gladly accepted. His right hand disentangled from yours and came up to cup your jaw, his thumb softly rubbing your cheek as you lost yourself in his kiss, his scent, his everything.
When you started to smile, he couldn’t resist smiling too and he pulled back to see your face in all its smiling glory, wrinkles around your eyes and your mouth, glassy eyes because the puzzle piece that was Bucky finally fit right into your life.
You never looked more beautiful to him.
The moment was broken as someone knocked on the door, Sam’s voice sounding muffled as he reminded you of the party that was going on downstairs.
“Guess we’ll have to postpone our little moment for another mission,” Bucky softly grinned, his teeth on display as he quickly pressed a kiss against your temple.
“As long as I can hold your hand, I’ll be alright.”