Today’s mission was not going well.
After the events of Madripoor went catastrophically balls up, both Sam and Bucky had to resort to other means of gathering intel on the Flag Smashers, a task that was seemingly ten times harder now that both their names were brandished in flashing lights with a nice juicy bounty that would attract god knows how many desperate scumbags wanting to get their piece of revenge with an added reward.
An ambush had caught both of them off guard by a gang of hit-men with a point to prove; which was how Sam found himself currently tied to a chair within the dingiest interrogation room he’d ever seen, and Bucky quietly observing his surroundings and brooding in the corner; metal arm currently wedged tight within a vice.
“Well, well well.. what a catch we got today boys – not only did we snag the Falcon, but the infamous Winter Soldier too?” The one which Sam presumed was the leader sneered, gleaming down upon Bucky like the cat that got the cream. Sam’s fists immediately clenched in defence within his restraints at the sight, the way in which the bastard was just looking at his counterpart made his blood boil and his stomach churn.
Bucky wasn’t a toy to be played with, not anymore and especially if Sam had anything to say about it.
“I was all well and ready to just turn you in for the bounty, but now I’m beginning to reconsider… Imagine the power we’d have with the Winter Soldier at our disposal. We’d rule this underground, so I’ll give you a wager- give us the code words to summon the Soldier and we’ll go easy.”
“Sorry to disappoint, the Winter Soldier doesn’t exist anymore, I’m not a killer and I never will be again.” Bucky’s drawl was laced with sarcasm, tilting his head up to shoot his captor a smug smirk despite the split in his lip that still blossomed with blood at the strain.
A cold slap echoed throughout the small space, Sam barely just seeing Bucky’s head snapping to the side as the goon’s fist connected with his Jaw in retaliation, clearly not happy with the cheek his prisoner was showing – or at the news the Winter Soldier was defective – or both.
Sam got himself riled, lurching forward as far as his restraints would take him and practically snarling. “Get the fuck off him man!”
Gleaming eyes then turned to him, the hitman pacing slowly over towards Sam and towering over him, clearly what Sam had said amused him, for he stifled a small chuckle. “Or what? What are you gonna’ do little birdy? “
“I’ll hand your ass to you if you keep on running your mouth and treating him like shit.”
Pain consumed him as the hitman’s knee met his stomach, all breath leaving him instantly as he grunted in pain and folded in on himself; Sam’s vision swam as the next sensation he felt was the hot breath of the hitman on his neck as he mocked down his ear. “You’re nothing compared to him- you won’t do shit, just a fancy man with his gadgets and a couple fake wings, strip all that off and you’re nothing.”
To emphasise the point another kick was placed into his ribs with so much force that the chair Sam was tied to toppled over; the sound of Sam’s cry of pain along with the wood clattering against the brick surface was enough to set Bucky off.
“Touch him again and see what happens.”
“Oh.. now that’s interesting.” The hitman crooned, turning to smirk down at the soldier who was struggling against his own restraints with his teeth bared in a snarl. “Who’d have thought the Winter Soldier would have some emotional leverage?”
The heavy sound of boots drifted closer towards Bucky’s periphery; fingers digging into his jaw and forcing his head upwards, but all Bucky could look at was Sam’s figure sprawled upon the floor. “Give us the code words to own you, final chance.”
“I told you, they don’t work.”
“I’m getting tired of your shit, ‘Soldat’.” The goon spat, the pet name visibly making Bucky flinch within his hold, but still continued to hold his ground. “If you won’t give us the codes nicely, we’ll force them out of you-“ turning to address the other guards in the room that were watching the interrogation silently, the next sentence made Bucky’s blood run cold. “Clip the bird’s wings.”
Bucky was forced to watch as Sam’s body was lifted – still conjoined to the chair – by the group of thugs, rendered helpless as they began to lay their fists onto any piece of him they could find purchase, with Sam unable to fight back to any capacity.
Fight back. Bucky urged, eyes widening with every blow he both saw and heard land on Sam’s precious skin.
Nothing.
The Falcon’s lip split; nose broke; bruises blossoming upon every inch of his skin and yet Sam still didn’t fight back. The goggles that rest upon his head had long been smashed, glass shards digging into the surface of his skull and forehead.
“FIGHT BACK!” Bucky roared, thrashing against the hitman’s hold with more vigour than before; right before his eyes he was taken back to the 40’s, seeing a tiny Steve Rogers being beaten to a pulp by punks twice his size, yet still refusing to fight back in defence until Bucky himself stepped in. Then, he was flooded with memories more recent, through the eyes of the soldier as he was the one tearing Steve to ribbons, yet once again Steve refused to lash out and took everything Bucky threw at him.
“How far you’ve fallen, Winter Soldier. You’ve become weak, you’ve allowed yourself to care and now he’ll pay the price – this is the consequence of befriending a monster.”
Removing his grip from Bucky’s cheek at last, the hitman stalked towards Sam’s almost limp figure and grabbed a fistful of his suit, Sam’s eyes looked lucid, barely conscious, yet he still remained loyal and defiant to Bucky and refused to give the codes.
Loyal till the end.
Till the end of the line.
Bucky’s heart turned to stone and dropped into the pit of his stomach like lead; heartbeat hammering in his ears as he squeezed his eyes shut to dull out the overwhelming stimulus. The way in which Bucky’s body began to seize and tremble before his eyes rolled into the back of his head remained unnoticed by the other members of the room, however. As soon as his world plunged into temporary darkness the hallucinations heightened:
Longing… You long for Sam, we yearn for him. Must protect.
Rusted… Failure to comply and see mission through, like a flower to wilt, our metal will rust.
Furnace… The inner flame of the soldier.. we burn brighter together. Soldier and Barnes.
Daybreak… When the wrath of the night is over for us, where would we return to when the day broke? Where is our safe haven… Sam. Sam is our safehaven.
Seventeen… The years in which Bucky Barnes began are but a distant memory. Bucky is dead, Winter Soldier is reborn.
Benign... Bucky is benign, weak, the Soldier is more superior, Bucky isn’t needed.
Nine… The nine heads of the hydra, the ones that made us.
Homecoming… Sam. Sam is our home.
One… The only one that matters to us, Sam.
Freight Car… The fall, Bucky fell and died that day, we were reborn, there is no you anymore, we coexist.
“Soldat?” The name consumed him, setting every nerve aflame.
Eyes snapping open to reveal cold steel, Bucky’s body ceased its seizure as the words dripped from his tongue like poison, causing everyone in the room to fall still in horror and amazement. “Я готов отвечить.”
Mission report? New mission: Protect handler
Deathly blue flickered over towards Sam, who was suddenly more aware than ever at the Russian words spilling from Bucky’s lips, despite the pain hazed in his warm brown eyes, the most prominent emotion was fear.
Fear was an emotion the soldier latched onto like a shark, though the emotion was misinterpreted- for it wasn’t the hitmen that Sam was fearful for, it was Bucky.
With an animalistic growl, Bucky no – the Winter Soldier locked all his muscles and surged forward, metal arm scraping harshly against the vice tomb until the machine itself began to creak and groan in protest. Sam could only watch mesmerised as the yellow-orange hues of his metal arm pulsed like flames at the sheer energy surging through it.
“You’re gonna damage yourself man! Stop!” Sam croaked.
Protect handler.
Handler: Sam Wilson.
“So the Winter Soldier still lives. Perfect.” The hitman grinned maliciously, letting Sam go for now as he stood to the soldier’s attention; however, his pleasure was soon short lived as the vice holding Bucky captive was torn apart with an almost inhuman noise escaping Bucky’s lungs. With speed that could have been considered inhuman the hulking figure of the Winter Soldier was on the lead man, thighs constricting his body as a shard from the metal vice was plunged into the man’s neck without any hesitation.
In the moments it had taken for Bucky to slay the head man, the followers had only just had time to comprehend the Soldier’s escape and had withdrawn their weapons, though all the bullets they fired merely landed into the corpse Bucky had erected as a human meat shield; metal arm hauling the pistol from the hitman’s pockets and dispatching of them with three clean, single shots.
All Sam could do was stare like an idiot. It was like meeting Bucky all over again that fateful day on the highway.
“Bucky I-“
“’Bucky’ no longer exists. The Asset is superior in protecting it’s handler, it shall prove that the asset doesn’t contain any malfunctions.” The Soldier cut Sam off as he nimbly removed the restraints; voice gravelled and cut somewhere between Russian and English that caught Sam off guard.
His stomach twisted in both guilt and disgust; of course, he’d heard everything that was said between him and the hitman- mocking Bucky for being a free man, independent and choosing to make attachments. Whatever had triggered the Winter Soldier’s return, he was back with a vengeance to prove that he wasn’t defective and running on pure survival instincts.
If he hadn’t have dragged them into this mess none of this would have happened, they wouldn’t have been incapacitated, Bucky… fuck, Bucky wouldn’t have become this deeply wrapped up within his own triggers to unravel all of his hard work that everyone had fought so hard to give him.
His thoughts were cut off as more footsteps and gunshots sounded in the distance, clearly the executions the Winter Soldier had made had finally aroused suspicion from the rest of the den. Hackles visibly raised, Bucky wasted no time in shielding Sam’s body with his own; metal arm brandished in front of him like a makeshift shield as the door was kicked down and bullets ricocheted off of the limb. This then granting him the time to hurl one of the previous corpses like it was nothing into the oncoming crowd.
Lifting Sam as if he were a feather, Bucky then proceeded to embrace Sam’s form close against his body and took off on his escape. “Must protect Sam Wilson. That is my mission.”
Sam had been perversely privileged to have seen the Winter Soldier in action and lived to tell the tale; however, he had never seen anything like this. Blood was shed in all angles, the Soldier ploughing through multiple reinforcements like something out of a videogame the boys used to constantly play back at his and Sarah’s shared home; yet not so much as a flinch came from Bucky- not one look of remorse, not one hesitation – every execution and call to defence was picture perfect.
Sam zoned out through the violence eventually, left to wonder just what had allowed the Winter Soldier to resurface in a state so feral that he finally began to realise that the old clothing Hydra had forced upon him wasn’t for an intimidating effect at all, but to actually highlight how much of a wild animal the Winter Soldier truly was when let off the leash.
It proved a great distraction to the growing pain in his body; shifting his focus onto Bucky’s steady, controlled breathing despite all the violence he was currently unloading to facilitate their escape attempt, and the feeling of his arm cradling him protectively close against his chest. It was such a gentle albeit desperate display compared to how he so carelessly murdered those in their way, and suddenly it all made sense.
The Winter Soldier had awakened for him, because he was in imminent danger and that combined with the triggering conditions was enough to allow the Soldier’s instincts to take over to keep Sam alive – no matter the cost.
It was just a theory, but one Sam was pretty confident on.
He’d have to ask Bucky later… if he could get him back.
Glancing upwards towards the soldier’s face, Sam allowed himself to become numb to everything bar the man risking everything to save him, put before him like a fallen angel out of stories Sam were told as a kid. A particular jostle caused him to groan in discomfort, which prompted Bucky’s eyes to flicker protectively down to his charge and in that moment, Sam could quite have happily drowned in those cold, determined eyes.
But they weren’t his Bucky’s…
Nevertheless, Sam let himself drift.
Seeing that his handler was now unconscious in his hold, rage surged through the Soldier like a hurricane; lighting every nerve on fire like the furnace Hydra had coaxed into him from the beginning. His wolf like eyes blazed with blue currents. No one hurt his handler.
He would make them fucking pay.
Sam later roused out of unconsciousness to the feeling of cold concrete instead of warmth; eyes flickering open to see the figure of Bucky – no, the Winter Soldier looming over him like a stone guardian, awaiting his next directions now that his first mission was seemingly completed for now.
“Where are we..?” Sam groaned, placing a hand to his head as he slowly got himself back up on his own two feet.
“The Asset has brought the handler to a temporary safe point – all obstacles eliminated, the Asset is awaiting further instructions.”
Sam couldn’t help but cringe at that, heart aching at the thought of being anything but Bucky’s friend, partner. “Bucky.. come on man you’ve saved me, you got us out so snap out of it. You’re not the Winter Soldier anymore you said it yourself!”
“’Bucky’ was defective, he is benign, the Asset is ready to comply.”
“Like shit Bucky was defective, you just think you are because of what was said back there- they got in your head Buck, but this isn’t you. You’re more than enough to me, better than the Winter Soldier. Bucky please… I know you’re in there, please come back.” Sam pleaded, voice cracking just a notch within the middle of the sentence, it died on his tongue, but the true ending echoed within his mind. Come back to me.
All that met him in response was a blank, cold stare; those ice blue eyes piercing right through him like they were from the barrel of the sniper’s the Winter Soldier so notoriously carried. Bucky’s posture was rigid, a puppet on strings drawn back to attention so tight that it was obvious the assassin was waiting for an order to set him into motion.
“The asset requires a new mission.”
“ENOUGH.” Sam found himself snapping, tears brimming as he strode forwards; usually that would get a reaction out of Bucky, his Bucky would have recoiled back at the sound and thought of making Sam mad, his Bucky wouldn’t just stand there like stone. Now facing the Soldier off, faces so close together it was almost suffocating, Sam swore he could almost drown in those hazed, controlled blue pools searching for something – anything that provide a glimmer of the old Buck. Pain, fear, a small flicker of annoyance at Sam’s stubborn behaviour.
“No missions, I’m not giving you any missions because you’re free from all of that Buck- fuck man, you’ve come so far and worked so hard to free yourself from your autonomy and for what?! Don’t let any of those bastards win, you’re so much stronger than that. You’re James Bucky Barnes, you’ve battled through so much and you’ve come out the other side every time – yeah you’re tired, you feel a little fucked and damn right you deserve to feel beaten down by the world, because the world so far has dealt you the worst hand… but you deserve a normal life, Buck.”
The Soldier merely stared down at Sam as Falcon’s hands cupped his cheeks; tender palms brushing against his stubble and keeping his attention in a vice, yet a vice that was so tender in comparison to the vices Hydra had clamped his head into time and time again. It felt.. comforting, like coming home.
Homecoming.
“You are so close, so close to getting there, Buck and I’m so proud of you. I know you wish Steve didn’t abandon you- abandon us, but if he could see you now, he’d be so proud of you. But no one can be as proud of you as I am. I look up to you so much, man. I don’t say it often enough, yeah sure we annoy the hell out of each other and piss each other off but deep down I look up to you and everything you’ve been through, you’re the strongest man I’ve ever met.”
Tears poured down Sam’s cheeks, they’d come too far for him to even try and stop them and save some dignity; dignity be damned when Bucky was concerned. Brushing the pads of his thumbs lightly against Bucky’s cheeks, Sam rested his forehead against the soldier’s and closed his eyes in prayer. “I want to give you that normal life, Buck. Let me give you that, let me make you happy- remember the boat? How happy you felt? Let me give you happiness like that for years because that’s all I want. Just please.. please come back to me!”
I love you.
Crashing his lips against the assassin’s, Sam prayed to every god there was – hell, even Asgard if anyone up there was listening (surely Thor had to put a good word in right?) that his efforts wouldn’t go to waste. The touch was tender but carried passion in ways he’d never bared to another soul before; for a moment the other set of lips against his remained stoic, however after a slow start they eventually began to reciprocate. In contrast the soldier’s kiss was desperate, rough and longing, yet matched Sam’s passion like a mirror.
In the moment Sam briefly pulled away for air, the sound that filled the silence bar their heavy breathing caused his heart to stutter in hope.
“Sam..?” The word sounded broken, fearful and confused.
But god did it sound so beautiful.
Glancing upwards into Bucky’s eyes, Sam finally saw what he was searching for at last- twinkles of fear and raw emotion in the depth of blue that screamed that Bucky was home; he’d heard his call and came home to him. “I’m here Buck, and I’m never letting go of you again. Fuck.” Sam choked, the grip on Bucky’s cheeks tightening somewhat as he grounded their foreheads back together.
“W-What happened…?” Bucky breathed, voice hitching to a dangerous level of panic; both metal and flesh hand tightening his grip onto Sam’s waist as if he was an anchor, keeping him from drifting away to Hydra’s den again.
“Hey hey hey, come on. It’s okay Buck, you’re safe – let’s get us out of here and we can talk about it okay? You trust me, right?”
“Always…”
“Good, now let’s get you home.” With that, Sam’s hand slipped its way into Bucky’s own and clutched tight, warmth radiating as he began to gently pull the soldier back towards home.