Afire Love (Steve/Reader)

A pounding in his head and ringing in his ears woke him. He could hear steps pacing in front of him and a mumbled conversation. He slowly opened his eyes, the harsh light causing him to squint. His vision was blurry, but he could make out a figure in front of him and two off in the corner. He let his eyes adjust and slowly raised his head to meet a man dressed in a black trench coat.  

The man turned his attention away from the two silhouettes in the back. He looked the Captain up and down before scoffing. “Who knew your weakness would be a girl.” Something sounded in his earpiece and he revered his attention back to one of the figures. “Clark.” The boy stood to attention. “Go and receive them, they’re here.” With a quick nod the boy disappeared behind the door, leaving only one hooded figure left in the corner.

Steve strained his eyes, but the figure was sitting on a table, face hidden by the shadow of the hood and lack of lighting. He tested his bonds and looked around the room. Solid walls, one door, guards outside.

The man watched the supersoldier with an amused eye. “This room was built for someone much stronger and... more unstable than you. So whatever you are thinking, I would stop. It’s a waste of time. My time.”

“What with Hydra’s plan and entire operation virtually destroy-by me-I figured you’d have all the time in the world.”  He smiled up at man who retaliated with a quick punch. Steve groaned and noticed that the figure in the corner had turned their face away slightly so as not watch. The silhouette lit up as a flame emitted from its palm. As the man punched the Captain again, he watched her flinch and ignore the groan that came from him. He looked back up at the man. “That all you got?”

The man smirked, grabbing Steve’s shirt and pulling his fist back. The door opened and the boy re-entered, 2 prisoners in tow. The guards pushed them in and added their restraints.

“Sam? Sharon?” Steve looked over at the two as they inspected the room.

Sam nodded slightly at his friend. “Why is it every time I help you, something like this happens?”

Sharon rubbed the back of her head where she had been hit. “Comes with the job...and the Avenger.”

“Shut them up.” A low voice echoed through the room as a large man entered. Guards immediately  placed tape over their mouths as he turned to the man hovering over Steve. “Donovan, let the Captain go. Show our guest some courtesy.” Donovan reluctantly complied and stepped back. “I’ve got it from here, go get Zola ready.” He nodded and left the room just as another man walked in.

Steve jerked forward only to have his restraints pull him back. “Bucky!”

The Winter Soldier gave him a quick glance before looking about the room and spotting the figure in the corner. His face relaxed and he strolled over to her, silently taking a place at her  side. She was playing with the flame when a metal hand was placed on top of hers. They both shared a sad glance before looking to their superior.

Steve’s eyes didn’t leave the two. “Bucky, I thought...(y/n)...”

The leader stepped in front of Steve’s view. “You thought what? You had finally found your friend and a girl you could confide in?” He scoffed.

Steve growled. “He knew me, he remembered!”

He turned to look at the pair. “Of course he remembered, we made him. How else would we get you to trust him?”

Steve jerked at his restraints to no avail. “You bastard!”

“Language!” Both agents in the back said in unison. They gave each other a sad look when they saw Steve’s face.

“My name is Sterling, Thomas Sterling and I’m the head of Hydra.”

“Well, what’s left of it.” Steve smirked up at Sterling, who just smiled and nodded to a guard. The guard ran up and pulled out a stick.

(y/n) jumped off the table, but Bucky threw his hand out to stop her advances. “Don’t!” Sterling gave her a strange look before nodding again at the guard. He stepped up and the stick electrified. He held it against Steve’s skin and a scream rang out. “Stop! You’re hurting him!”

Sterling held a hand up and the guard ceased. He turned to the girl and stepped toward her. “Romanov, You should mind your tongue, unless you wish to join Donovan. He is getting the Zola room ready.” His eye’s threatened her and it was clear to both Bucky and Steve she was crossing a line

Steve watched as (y/n) stepped to challenge him, but Bucky held her back.

“Buck-“ She eyed her partner who shook his head slightly, turning to Sterling.

“Sorry, sir. I’ll keep her in line.” He pulled her back and Steve watched as they began to talk in hushed tones.

“Why?” Steve kept his head down as he talked.

“Well, we needed to find the remainder of SHIELD and what better way to do that than use your best friend and Black Widow's sister.”

“Not you. Her. Why?” He slowly raised his head, anger engulfing his features.

She gave him a sad smile. “Sorry, Pendragon. I had to.” She looked at Bucky a second.

“Is that why you gave the helicarriers 30 more seconds?” She nodded slowly, hoping he would see there was more in her eyes.

“I trusted you, (y/n). I-...”

“I know, I didn’t deserve it.” (y/n) sighed and let Bucky walk her to the back of the room again.

The guard put the stick up to him again earning a string of groans and screams. Sterling put his hand up and he stopped. “Where is Nick Fury?”

His head hung low. “Dead.”

Sterling smirked. “I’m not that idiotic. Now where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

The leader forced his head up and looked at him. “Hm, unfortunately for you I believe you.” He looked over to the two guards. “Take care of him and his friends. Try not to stain the walls, I don’t want to have to clean it up.” The room watched as the guards pulled out two guns.
(y/n) ran forward and stepped in front of Steve. “The mission was to capture him, not kill him!”

He sighed. “No, Romanov, that was your mission. My mission is to get rid of SHIELD, which your beloved Captain is apart of.” He nodded to the two guards who pushed her out of the way. As Sterling raised the gun to Steve’s head as (y/n) fought against the men. He tilted his head and words rung in his earpiece. He lowered his gun and sighed. “Looks like today is your lucky day.” He looked over to Sam and Sharon. “Lock them up, let’s see if we can get information from them.” He turned, stopping when he saw Bucky. “Take him to Donavan. It’s time for a wiping.”

(y/n)’s eyes widened as she fought hard against the men, knocking them unconscious. “You said he was done, that he wouldn’t have to be wiped again.”

“Did I? Well I lied. He has too many memories floating around.”

She looked at Bucky. He was staring at her desperately. “(y/n)-“ New guards had entered and they had him at gunpoint as he stepped toward her.

“Bucky!” Steve continued to tear at his restraints.

(y/n) glared at Sterling. “If you touch him-“

“What? You’ll kill me? Take him to Donavan.”

As he slowly made his way out with guards surrounding him. (y/n) lunged forward, but a guard was quicker and stabbed her with a needle. She stopped as the world around her went blurry and she fell to the ground.

Bucky saw this and tried to go to her. “(y/n)!” The guards held up their guns and pushed him out of the door.

Sterling shook his head. “I knew they should have never made you two partners. Take her to the waiting room, she’ll be after Barnes.”

One of the men picked her up and followed the group. Sterling looked at Steve for a moment.

He was watching the door. “What are you going to do to them?”

“They seem to care about you too much, we have to change that.”

“So, (y/n)...She’s been...”

“Wiped? Yes, almost as much as Barnes.” Steve’s face turned into a glare. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you care about her Rogers. Too bad she’s a trader.”

“You made her into that.”

Sterling shrugged. He nodded to the guard that had knocked (y/n) out. He walked up to Steve and issued the same treatment.
--------
“Ve? –Teve?- Rogers!” Steve groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He noticed the floor was different from the last. His head was heavy, and it took him a minute to recognize the voice.

“(y/n)?”

He felt hands on his cheeks as he head was lifted so his eyes could meet hers. A familiar (e/c) making him smile slightly, but it dissipated quickly when he saw the blood on her face and knuckles. Bruises had already started to form and the cut on her lip was still bleeding.

He reached up with his hand and cupped her face. “(y/n), What did you did?”

“Kicked some ass....and also got my ass kicked. The room might be on fire a little, but the guards are knocked out. One of them even had a key, which was awful nice of him.”

“Wha-what is happening?” He looked over to his arm slightly and saw a needle in it. Blood was being drawn into a large vile.

She slowly took it out and tried to stand him up, but settled for sitting him up instead. “They are taking your blood to try and revive the Zola program. They are comparing it to Buck’s.”

“Your partner.”

She sighed. “Listen Rogers, I know you hate me, I know I lied. But Bucky isn’t the only reason  I took down those helicarriers. I couldn’t let them kill that many people; children, couples, old people. Me and Buck...we have to do what they say, but we try. We try so hard to be good.”

“Why don’t you leave?”

She laughed a little. “Leave Hydra? Even if I could, I can’t leave Bucky, I won’t. They have him on lock down 24/7.”

“You really care about him.”

“Yeah well, spending years with that idiot kinda got me attached. He’s all I have.”

“Your sister?”

“She doesn’t need me.”

“Me?”

She looked at him, her eyes wide. “Rogers...”

He grabbed her hand. “It’s Steve, (y/n).”

She pulled her hand away slowly and shook her head. “We have to save Bucky. They are about to wipe him.” He nodded and stood up, almost falling down. She caught him as well as she can, her arm wrapped around his stomach. “Whoa, Rogers, abs for days.” She smiled up at him as she got him to the door way.

He leaned on it and looked down the hallway. “How do we do this?”

“I hack into the system, open his door and restraints and you two hightail it out of here.”

He turned to her. “What about you?”

“I’ll be behind you, don’t worry. You just focus on Bucky. The Zola room is down this call, only door with no handle.” He nodded and looked at her a moment. “Like the view, Soldier?” He blushed causing her to laugh. “I’ll miss this...and I still didn’t get you to cuss, damn.”

He furrowed his brow. “You said you would be right behind us.”

She tilted her head and winked. “Let’s go, we have an idiot to save.” She ran down the hall and Steve went the opposite way. 

He found the door and waited for it to unlock. The red light turned green and he suspected that (y/n) had made it to the control room. He ran inside and began to knock guards out. When Bucky’s restraints unlocked, he fell to the ground.

“Bucky!” Steve went to go to him, but a hydra member got in his way. The hydra member had managed to get him on his knees before a metal arm grabbed him and threw him across the room.

“Just like old days, always having to clean up your messes.” Bucky smiled and held out his hand. Steve gratefully took it and stood up. James looked around, “Where’s (y/n).”

Steve sighed. “She’ll be right behind us.”

Bucky’s face fell. “Damn it! That means she’s going to do something stupid, why are all my friends morons?”

Steve smiled a bit. “Seems to be your type, Barnes. Listen, you get Sharon and Sam, I’ll get (y/n).”

“Steve no-“

“Bucky, go.” He saw his friends stubbornness and nodded, running out of the door. Steve ran down the hall in search of the control room. He found what he believed to be it and noticed it too had no handle. He looked around for a key card and could find one. “(y/n)?” He banged on the door.

“Don’t come in, I’m not decent.” She chuckled from the other side of the door.

“(y/n), what are you doing? I’ve got Bucky, lets go.”

“Awe, sweetheart, did you really think I was coming with you? See there’s only way this ends. You and Buck get out, I shut down Hydra for good.”

Steve’s eyes widened and he banged harder. “(y/n), please!”

She squinted at one of the screens. “Rogers, Bucky needs you, He can’t carry two unconscious bodies.”

“(y/n)-“

“Steven Grant Rogers don’t make me turn this car around. Go be Arthur and save Guinevere.”

He slammed his fist against the door and reluctantly went and found Bucky. He helped carry Sharon out of the building as Bucky carried Sam. When they determined they were far enough away, Steve gently set her down and turned to go back. A cold hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to see Bucky shaking his head. He took the ear piece out of his ear and handed it to Steve. He slowly held it up to his ear.

“(y/n)?”

“Hey, there’s pretty boy. Made it out?”

“Yeah, you?”

“Uhh...about that.”

He could hear banging coming from her earpiece along with the shots of a gun. “What’s happening.”

“I’m doing secret agent stuff. Did you know that this is Hydra’s last base?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It means-Jesus, guess cute guys can’t have it all-it means that this is the last depot of their information. All the others were shut down or blown out of the sky-you’re are welcome for that.”

He chuckled slightly. “I think I’m the one that did that.”

“Hey, I gave you 30 extra seconds. Anywho-hey watch where you’re shooting!-If I get rid of this system, no more Hydra.”

“So turn it off and get out of there.” The line on the other line went silent for a minute. “(y/n)?”

“I can’t.”

“What?”

“If I just shut it down, it will rewire to another system. I have to get rid of the server.”

“Ok, so...”

They both stayed silent as Steve watched the building and (y/n) leaned back in her seat.
She looked around her and found a gas pipe. She sighed and looked back down at her hands.

“Hey, promise me you’ll look after Buck.”

“What?”

“And don’t let him and Sharon kiss or date or mate or get married, you know what don’t let him talk to her at all.”

“(y/n)...”

“I really started to fall for you, you know that? Damn.”

“Please, whatever you’re about to do, don’t.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” She heard him chuckle in the earpiece and smiled. “I’m trying to be good, Steve.”

He put his hand on his face and stood silently for a moment. “(y/n), Merlin. 6 o’clock tomorrow at the Avengers tower, be there.”

She shot the pipe and smiled. “Aye, aye Captain.” She threw the earpiece across the ground and neared the gas. She lifted her hand and let the flame slowly rise.

Steve watched in horror as the building was engulfed in flames and explosions emitted from various sections. He fell to his knees as Bucky ran forward a bit stopping when another explosion shook him. The boys stared at the flames as the earpiece went dead and nothing could be heard but the crackling of embers.

Steve whimpered as he stared at the inferno. “I really started to fall for you, too.”