Last Kiss
A cough echoed through the room and she looked up to see her boyfriend staring at her.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.”
She gave him a skeptical look, rarely ever was it nothing with him, but turned her attention back to the book she held. The bed shifted as the man beside her moved and as she was tackled onto the bed she wished she had paid it more mind.
“James!” She exclaimed as he stared down at her before burying his face in the crook of her neck.
“This has got to be the place.” Tony’s voice said over the earpiece.
“No doubt about that.” Clint confirmed.
“Are you two ready for this?” Natasha asked with no question as to who she was talking to.
Steve and [Y/N] shared a look, an expression of agony on both their faces.
“We’re ready to go.” Steve answered for the both of them.
Silence fell over them like a gentle veil as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through his chocolate locks and he adjusted himself into a position that was comfortable for them both.
“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” She asked in a soft voice.
He remained silent and she took his lack of an answer as a no. They remained like that, him laying on her as she ran her fingers soothingly through his hair. She knew there was something wrong and as much as his continuing silence worried her she knew better than to push the subject for that only made him close himself off further. So she would wait patiently, giving him his time while letting him know she was there when he was ready to let her in.
“Keep your head in the game [Y/N]!” Tony shouted into her ear.
They were off, running through the city with one goal in mind. To find him.
“Try not to think about it until we find him.” Steve suggested from beside her.
“Easier said than done Stevie.” She whispered weakly.
She wasn’t even supposed to be on this mission, Fury would be pissed when he found out she snuck onto the jet, but she wasn’t about let everyone else handle this. They were forced to split up when they came under too much fire but it didn’t bother her, she actually welcomed the solitude as she continued to run through the city looking for any sign of him.
Her eyes fluttered open when the bed moved around her. It was night and the bedside lamp was still on. She immediately caught sight of Bucky quickly moving around the room, freezing when he caught sight of her watching him.
“Go back to sleep.” He said, his voice coming out gently so as to calm her but he was unable to hide his anxiety from her well trained ears.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, climbing out of bed and taking hold of his hand as he reached into one of the drawers.
“I have to go.”
“When will you be back?”
There was nothing but silence as his blue eyes lifted to stare into her [e/c] eyes.
“I don’t know.” He finally said after another moment, taking his hand from hers and continuing to shove clothes into a duffle bag.
“James please.” She said as she grabbed his hand once again, “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
“I don’t want you to worry about me.” He whispered, turning his head from her.
“This is worrying me!”
He turned to look at her again, a pained expression on his face as he lifted his hand to cup her cheek.
“I’m sorry doll.” He said softly, pulling her into a tight embrace and burying his face into her hair.
“James.” She whispered, grabbing ahold of his shirt and clinging to it as if her life depended on it, “I’m scared.”
“There’s no reason to be scared doll. I’m going to make everything better. I’m going to protect you.” He said as he lifted her up and carried her back to their bed and laid down with her.
He held tight to her, rubbing circles into her back until she finally began to fall asleep. He kissed her forehead and crawled out of bed once more, grabbing his duffle bag and whispering his good-bye to her before leaving.
She turned down an alleyway, hoping to avoid the small squad that entered the street she was running along, and froze. Neither of them moved as blue burned into [e/c].
“I….I f-found him.” She whispered.
“It would be you.” Clint snapped.
“Where are you?” Steve asked hurriedly.
“The alley off of Caspian.”
“On our way.” Tony stated, “Don’t do anything stupid.”
They continued to stare at one another and she struggled to remember that this was the Winter Solider not James. As he took a step towards her she stepped back, knowing that if it came down to a fight she wouldn’t be able to attack him. He continued walking forward, his eyes flickering back to the blue she knew so well.
“What are you looking at?” She asked uncertainly.
“Nothing.” The Winter Solider answered in his voice.
He drew his weapon and [Y/N] gripped her knives tighter, she really had brought a knife to a gun fight in more ways than one.
“You shouldn’t be here.” He said, cocking the gun.
“Stop talking.” She begged, feeling the betrayal of tears stinging at her eyes.
He raised the gun to her. The shadow of the man she loved she had seen only moments ago was now gone, replaced by the puppet HYDRA had created.
“[Y/N]!” Steve screamed her name as the sound of a gunshot filled the air.
She threw her knives with closed eyes, having no intention of actually hitting him. The bullet tore through the flesh below her collarbone as the sound of a gun clattering to the ground forced her eyes open.
“No!” She cried out.
Before her the Winter Solider lay on the ground holding his right armpit as blood poured from his brachial artery. He looked up at her, his complexion already paler.
“James.” She breathed, quickly hurrying to him and putting her hands over his in attempt to stop the flow of blood.
“[Y/N] get the hell away from him!” Tony shouted from behind her.
“Super solider or not, I’m pretty sure he can still bleed to death Anthony.” She yelled back, guiding Bucky to lay on the ground, “I can’t lose him.”
“Bruce?” Natasha said an unasked question.
“It’s unlikely he’ll survive, she cut through his brachial artery.” Bruce answered grimly.
“No.” It was Steve who protested, “There’s got to be something we can do.”
“[Y/N] you’re wasting your time.” Tony sighed, “It’d be kinder to just put him out of his suffering.”
[E/C] eyes blazed with an unspoken threat as she looked over her shoulder at the billionaire before returning her full attention to Bucky.
“I’m not going to let you die.” She muttered.
Bloodied hands were then over hers and her attention was pulled to his face where she found him staring at her intently.
“You’re bleeding.” He said weakly.
“That doesn’t matter.” She said briskly, watching as more and more blood flowed from beneath her hands.
“[Y/N].”
The sound of her name on his lips for what was bound to be the last time did something to her and she was suddenly leaning forward and pressing her lips into his as tears rapidly rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t take her lips from his until she felt his hand slip from hers and she knew it was the end.
“I love you [Y/N].”