Winter Soldier x Reader: Oblivion: (7)

Bucky POV

The sunrise grew brighter with each passing minute, Bucky noted with dull interest. A knife lay in his grip, and though he knew he didn't need it, it was instinctual for him to have a weapon at all times. Years upon years of being on the defense and taking violent action had trained him always be on guard. 

What it had not prepared him for, however, was this. 

He never meant to be a savior, but yet you treated him like one. You put what little faith you had in him, and for once, Bucky was disarmed by it. He wasn't used to being trusted, being believed in. It made him uncomfortable, knowing there was another who had confidence in him. 

He still remembered the way your bare skin had felt underneath his fingers, the feel of goosebumps along your flesh. You didn't face him, but he could still tell how uncomfortable you were simply by observing the way you held yourself. And still, you let him touch the wound without so much as a murmur. Because you trusted him not to hurt you.

Dark eyes cast a sidelong glance at your form, still leaned over the table, head laid lazily in your arms. Your breath came in soft, almost silent exhales, and a few stray strands of hair covered your brow. Bucky noted the way your face was relaxed, the way your lips were slightly parted with your breaths. 

He tried to brush any thoughts of you from his mind as he trained his eyes once again on the forest behind the house. Instead of relaxation, his muscles were taut and stiff with anticipation. Dark hair framed his face, brow furrowed as he stared at the line of trees that served as the barrier between him and your pursuers. 

Yet even as he gazed blankly at the forest line, his thoughts couldn't help but wander....


He remembered the way the soldier's face had felt under his metal fist, blood gushing from his nose. He remembered how willingly the blonde had allowed him to deliver punch after punch, laying limp on the floor of the heli-carrier. 

"You're my mission!" He screamed, each word enunciated with a strike to the face. Yet even as he said that, he remembered the terrible confusion that washed over him, sending his mind into a panicked flurry because suddenly, he didn't know what to think. He didn't know where he was, who he was. 

And yet, the name rang clear in his mind:

"You are James Buchanan Barnes"

He screamed again, delivering another strike to the soldier's face. The soldier's eyes were half lidded, his voice slurred as he spoke:

"Then finish it"

He faltered, feeling the unfamiliar feeling of hesitation wash over him. And suddenly, he was no longer looking at a soldier, dressed in the colors of freedom, but a friend.

"Steve" His mind whispered.

"Finish it" He spoke, blood dribbling from his mouth and down his chin. "Because I'm with you...'till the end of the line."

It was as if he had been struck. The winter soldier recoiled, and before he could speak, a heavy groan echoed from the ship. Instinctively He held on to the nearest thing he could reach, and suddenly, Steve was gone, falling.

But it wasn't just him. He could see another, falling in his place. Chopped brown hair, stubble lining his jaw, his face an expression of agony and grief, contorted into a scream. It took him a split second to recognize the face, his own.

"Bucky" A voice whispered.

"Steve" He answered.

Steve was still falling, his body limp in the air, limbs flailing upwards as gravity took hold. 

"Steve!!" He screamed. "STEVE!!!"


Bucky startled from his seat, his body jolting forwards so that he almost lost his balance. It took him a moment to gather himself, notice the perspiration on his forehead and the shaking in his hands. And he looks at his watch, noting that it has indeed been a few hours. 

You were still sleeping peacefully, unaware of the tumultuous thoughts racing through the soldier's mind. 

He instantly seeks the line of trees outside the house, but they are completely still. He relaxed a bit, not enough to let his muscles go loose, and let out an almost silent sigh. 

Before he knew what he was doing, his head was cradled in his hands, and another, shuddering sigh let loose from his lips. 

You shifted slightly in your chair, enough for him to notice. The soldier looked up, but your eyes were still closed in peaceful slumber.

Bucky let his gaze linger on you for a moment, allowing himself to observe the gentleness of you face as you slept. And for once, he felt a sense of serenity, calmness. It was a small wonder to him. 

HYDRA was close on your tails, no doubt. But Bucky wasn't ready to give in, for he knew it also meant giving you up. And he wasn't ready to do that.

He wasn't ready to be alone again.