Chapter Text
Before you were an Avenger, you were part of Hydra, doing missions and taking orders without question. They were pretty clear that your main purpose was to kill Iron Man, the man who had destroyed all their plans. You’re an enhanced who can control anything, as long as it’s made from metal and within your range. It’s a strong power that has earned you a bit of a bad reputation. Fortunately, the Avengers came to save the day.
‘Kill Iron Man’
That was the only thing that repeated in your head. You recited it as if it was a prayer; as if they were the only words you knew. However, before you could approach Iron Man, Captain America had intervened and made a pretty big impact, physically and mentally on you. All you knew was that man had a way with words.
It was not easy trusting and adjusting to this new life but everyone was supportive of you. Tony didn’t mind that you had once tried to kill him and welcomed you to his tower. Clint showed you around the compound, Natasha went with you on missions, and Steve made sure you could fully enjoy your new life; not as a weapon for killing but for saving lives.
After the events at Socovia, many lives were lost. Bruce and Thor were nowhere to be found and Clint finally retired, so there were new additions to the team; Wanda, Sam, and Vision. Even though the Avengers stand to protect the earth, there’s no way they could stop all kinds of crime all over the world. Mission after mission was all you guys did, so Tony decided to divide the work. While the others dealt with a more serious mission, you were sent alone to Bucharest, Romania.
The mission was a simple undercover mission. Infiltrate a certain group, get the intel, then get out without being seen. But it was easier said than done. The syndicate you were following had really impressive security and you couldn’t get near without being questioned.
Silently, on the busy streets of Bucharest, you blend with the crowd, head lowered but still keeping your eyes on the target as you try to move in the shadows as much as you can. You stop behind the crowd on the sidewalk as the sign turns green for the cars. Your target is clueless in front of the crowd, waiting for the signal to change color.
After a while, the crowd begins to move again and you follow after them. Your eyes are still glued to the target, so you don’t notice the person directly in front of you. The large body you collide with causes you to stumble back a step.
“Scuze (Sorry)”
The man in front of you says in Romanian, and for some reason, you decide to glance at his face. His head is lowered and he has a hat almost covering his face as if he's afraid people will recognize him. For a brief moment he looks up and your eyes meet.
It’s then that you recognize the man in front of you. You take a sharp breath, eyes wide as you feel your heart skip a beat. What are the odds of seeing him here?
The man obviously recognizes you too. Just a year ago you stood beside Captain America and the red-haired woman. How could he forget the woman who almost tore his metal arm away from his body?
“Sergeant Barnes” you breathe in surprise. The two of you just stand in front of each other, time seems to pass slowly as the surrounding area disappears. It’s just you and him and no one else. Both of you continue to quietly watch each other, seeing if the other will make the first move. It doesn’t take long before you two hear the loud honk of cars. You snap back to reality as you remember the two of you had stopped in the middle of the road. Cars are now angrily honking for you guys to move.
You quickly lift your head to look around you, searching for the target you had spent weeks looking for. , You can’t afford to lose him now! You attempt to run towards the last direction you saw him but Barnes grasps your arm and literally drags you across the street, towards an empty alley.
“How did you find me?” he coldly asks, pressing you against the brick wall, completely trapping you between his body and the hard surface.
He slams his metal palm on the wall beside your head but you remain calm and stand your ground, showing no fear as you glare back at him. “Found you? Buddy, I’m far from looking for you” you frown.
“I’m here on a separate mission”
Bucky narrows his eyes at you, debating whether to trust you or not. A flood of emotions pass over his face, something you quickly catch. The last time you saw him, his eyes held nothing but emptiness. They were cold and unforgiving, but the person in front of you now seems like nothing but a very broken man.
“...are you really not here for me?” he quietly asks, gradually dropping his hand from beside your head. He slowly steps back to give you some space.
Your eyes stay glued to his. The right thing to do is to turn him into the government, but the logical thing to do is to call Steve, who treats you like his sister and who you look up to as a brother. But deep down, something tells you there's always a third choice.
Before you can answer him back, you hear several footsteps followed by a few men dressed in suits who surround you and Bucky; guns in their hands. A look of betrayal passes over Bucky’s face as he tenses up and looks at you.
For some reason, you felt the need to defend yourself from him. “They’re not with me!” you shout, already assuming a fighting stance.
Another similarly dressed man steps up behind the group of armed men, and you realize it’s the same man you were following earlier. “Miss (L/N), I suggest you give up now” he sneers.
You gulp nervously as you unconsciously step next to Bucky, who has his head down and his fists clenched. “I thought I was being subtle” you bravely chuckle.
“Believe me, we’ve known about everything since your arrival” the man confidently mumbles before raising one hand “and it’s the last mistake you’ll ever make ” he adds as he gestures to the armed men to shoot.
Then all hell breaks loose!
Gunshots echo in the alley as Bucky attempts to cover both of you with his metal arm, but you all know it’s futile. Luckily, your enhancement allows you to bring your hands up, stopping the bullets in the air as your fingers tremble from controlling so much metal at the same time. Even Bucky feels a slight tingle go up on his metal arm.
“Seriously, you know I can control metal but you still chose to use a gun” you grunt as you wave your hands again, the bullets fall to the ground and the guns the men were holding are sent flying away.
Bucky takes this chance to retaliate, punch after punch, he easily dominates everyone. Even with his super strength, you can see him pulling his punches, in order not to hurt anyone. This man in front of you is definitely not the same man you fought years ago.
Your mission couldn’t have ended any easier. Those idiots had the intel you needed; all you had to do was to copy it and make sure you leave no trace behind.
“Mission accomplished!” you grin at Bucky as you practically shove the flash drive in his face. He just blankly stares back at you. Though his memory is kind of blurry, it’s been a long time since someone didn’t look at him with pity, as if one word or one touch and he’d crumble.
“What are you gonna do now?” Bucky asks, stuffing his hands inside his jacket pockets and glancing away from the pile of unconscious bodies on the ground.
Your adrenaline finally calming down, you secure the flash drive in your pocket. You’re contemplating your next move. But deep down you already know what you’re going to do.
Taking a step towards Bucky as you casually place your hands in your pockets, copying his earlier action, as you smile at him.
“Actually, I think it’s time I deserve some vacation don’t you think?” you playfully giggle. He frowns in confusion. “Do you think you can show me around Bucharest?” you say sweetly.
Silence only follows after. He’s not sure what to say or whether it’s safe to trust you. After all, he’s only met you twice. Seeing his hesitation, you put your hands up in surrender “I mean you don’t have to. I can just go back to the compound. I promise I won’t tell them about you. You did help me with them after all”
Bucky clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck, his eyes focused on the ground. “I...I guess I can show you around” he finally lets out. When he does glance at your face, you give him the brightest smile you can.
“Don’t worry your secret’s safe with me! It’s just been a really long time since I've had time for myself” you explain; following after Bucky who is already walking out of the alley. “And just so you know, I was part of HYDRA... once...so if you need to talk... you can talk to me, Sergeant Barnes”
You don’t know which words make him stop in his tracks and tense but one thing is sure, he didn’t like hearing them.
“...Bucky is fine”
“Y/n”