chapter 8
“Ok, I’m Bucky, as i’m sure you know alre-“
Bucky abruptly stopped his introduction as he looked over at Peter again. This is it, Bucky was going to tell everyone where he was really from, Bucky might even attack him, so much could happen it was impossible to plan for. But none of that happened, Bucky just awkwardly said
“ah, young man, it appears you’ve got your shoulder in a bit of a situation there.”
Peter looked to his right and saw Flash there grinning, Peter didn’t even know when he’d gotten there.
“If you’re not careful that sorta move could break your arm.” Bucky warned.
Red hot anger suddenly coursed through Peter. How long had Bucky been free? He didn’t seem to be mind controlled anymore, why hadn’t he come back for him? He was clearly in with the Avengers, why didn’t he tell them to save him? And now, after Peter had escaped Hydra after six years, Bucky didn’t even remember him. And he was warning him about the possibly of his arm getting a little boo-boo? Fuck that, fuck him, fuck this.
Peter maintained eye contact as he wrenched his arm from Flash’s clammy grip, the satisfying ‘pop’ of his shoulder being ripped from its socket made Bucky cringe. Good.
“Oh my, what’s your name?”
There was a long, awkward pause as Peter gathered enough venom to throw into the next two words, “Peter, Peter Parker.”
Peter stared desperately at Bucky, silently begging for some form of recognition. He thought he had it when Bucky scowled and brought a hand to rub at his face, but all he got was,
“I’ll call Dr Banner down to take a look at that, is your arm ok?”
Is his arm ok? He just dislocated it, what kind of question was that? That’s what Peter thought, but all he said was “it’s fine, don’t call him, I’ll fix it myself.”
Bucky’s protests were cut off by the crunch of Peters arm as he violently pushed it back into place. The pain pricked down his veins but it was worth it for the look of horror of Bucky’s face.
There was a very long stretch of silence before Bucky decided to teach the class the ‘correct’ way of getting out of that move and he invited Peter up to help him demonstrate. Peter anxiously touched his ring, he had enough reservations about getting back into that ring after he’d nearly killed Steve just yesterday, but getting in a ring with The Winter Soldier? Last time that’d happened he’d had half his ribs broken before he beat Bucky to a pulp. But he couldn’t look weak, not right now, so he confidently walked into the ring and climbed in.
As Bucky explained in excruciating detail how to escape, Peter already knew how to do it properly. After what felt like centuries, Bucky told him to get him into the same position Flash had him in so he could demonstrate how to escape. This is how Peter could get his revenge, he would break Зима’s arm. He wouldn’t see it coming.
“Alright,” Peter feigned reluctance, “but I think my method worked just fine.”
So Peter grabbed The Winter Soldiers arm and went to shatter it immediately, but Bucky must have sensed something was wrong as he flipped Peter onto the floor with a heavy ‘thump’ and went to punch where his head was. The Hydra training was coming back to both of them. No mercy, it’s not over until the other leaves in a body bag. The Winter Solider’s fist left a dent in the floor and sent
a crack across to the wooden floor. Peter had rolled the second he hit the floor and he was now behind his opponent, holding him in a headlock. He heard yelling in the background but it was muffled by the roaring in his own head. Bucky threw him over his head and caught the fist heading for his face. That’s when it went in a direction Peter wasn’t ready for.
At some point in the fight Peters face had been bashed, knocking one of his coloured contacts out. So when Bucky turned to look at him, perhaps to ask what the fuck he was playing at, he stared into one brown eye and one bright red eye, bright red eyes are fairly memory. Peter knew the memory had surfaced when Bucky turned his head so fast he must have gotten whiplash from it to look at the fist he’d just caught. And there it was, the damming proof that Peter was who he was, sitting on his middle finger on his left hand. The stupid ring.
Bucky dropped Peter’s fist and took several steps back.
“Паук?” Bucky’s voice broke as he said that, as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying.
Peter steeled his voice, “Steve, get everyone out.” Peter didn’t wait to see if Steve had complied with his request before he responded.
“Зима.” Peters voice trembled with rage. There was silence until Peter spat out one of his burning questions. “How long have you been out?”
Bucky at least had the decency to look ashamed before he answered, “about four years.”
Tears pricked to Peter’s eyes as he stared to the ceiling, begging they wouldn’t fall. “And I see you’re nice and cosy with the Avengers.” Bucky silently nodded. “And in all that time, with all those powerful people to help you, not once did you consider coming back for me? That’s cold Barnes.”
Peter had meant for the last comment to sound dry and detached. He reckoned the effect was probably slightly ruined by him bursting into tea trees immediately after.
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Bucky had never felt more guilty, more like a shit person than he did right now. He’d forgotten about Peter. Poor, innocent Peter. The memory’s were hazy, suggesting they’d been tampered with to make him forget, but still. Peter had been the main component in his life for two years. For two years his every thought, his every move, was to protect Peter from as much of Hydra’s cruelty as possible. And then he’d left him alone for four fucking years, Peter still had the same defiant look as he did before, Hydra hadn’t managed to break him yet. The familiar way Peter stared him down and jutted out his chin, even as he cried, it was so familiar Bucky felt his heart ache because of it.
“I’m sorry Peter.”
That’s all it took. Peter launched himself into Bucky’s arms and hugged him so tightly Bucky could feel his organs shifting in his body.
“It’s alright, it’s ok. I know Hydra did something to you to make you forget me, last time I saw you, well you didn’t even know who I was.”
The bitter tone in Peter’s voice when he talked about last time they’d seen eachother filled Bucky with concern. What’d he done?
That was important anymore. Bucky had failed to protect Peter from Hydra. The least he could do was protect him from Tony’s anger. And from any consequences he may face from being an ex-Hydra agent.