Chapter 10
“Don't want them to know the secrets
I don't want them to know the way I loved you
I don't think they'd understand it
I don't think they would accept me
I loved
And I loved
And I lost you
And it hurts like hell”
“I don't know how long we have” Echos in Bucky’s mind and his hand drops from Steve’s face.
“Don't…” Bucky starts. “Don't say that.”
“I don’t know, Buck.” Steve says again and Bucky looks down. He scrunches his nose, sniffling. But then he feels Steve’s hand on his chin, lifting his face up. “And I want nothing more than to wrap you in my arms and lay in bed with you all day.” Steve smiles and Bucky does too. “I’d prefer it to be our own place but I’m sure Clint’s place will do.”
Bucky smiles further but then it drops. “We can’t,” he says.
Steve looks at him confused. “Why not?”
And damn those beautiful, sad eyes.
“We have to call Tony. Let him know whatever he did worked.”
Steve sighs. “Yeah. You’re right.”
3 hours later after checking Steve over several times, including multiple tests Tony comes to the conclusion that his hail mary worked, now as far as protecting Steve from it ever happening again he’s not sure. He’d have to know the details on how it worked and that was easier said than done.
“Everything checks out,” Tony announces to the room, which only includes him, Rogers, and Barnes (he told Clint they’d meet back at his place). He also thought about getting the word out to Romanoff and Wilson but isn’t sure if Hydra had a way of interfering with their communications. Best make the enemy think they’re winning for now.
He sees Barnes give a huge sigh of relief and he’s grateful he could help them.
“But,” He starts and he can see both men tense up again. “We have to do something about the small elephant in the room…or rather the enormous serpent in the basement.”
They nod.
“You should head back to Clints. He should be home by now and I’ll meet with all of you in an hour or 2.”
They nod again and get up from their seats.
“And...you should probably leave separately,” Tony suggests.
They give him questioned glances.
“To not raise suspicion,” he clarifies.
Bucky and Steve look at each other, not wanting to leave just when they got each other back, and especially not with the danger ahead of them.
“Don’t worry,” Tony breaks into their thought. He hits a few buttons on what seems like an invisible keypad and reveals and few dozen screens in front of him. “I’ll make sure you get there safely.”
“What about ...transportation?” Bucky asks.
“You brought a car?”
“Yes.”
Tony nods. “Barnes, you should drive back to Clints. You’ll know the way better. Just make sure you take a lot of wrong turns… just in case.”
Bucky nods, accepting this task. “And Steve…”
Tony hits a few more buttons somewhere to his right side.
“I’ll get Happy to pick him up about a half hour after you leave.”
Bucky looks to Steve and nods. “Sounds like a plan.”
“And you?” Steve asks.
Tony laughs. “Just because Happy drives me around everywhere doesn’t mean I don’t know how.”
“No suit though,” Steve says. It sounds more like an order but Tony rolls his eyes and smiles. Agents would be on them in 2 seconds if they saw Tony fly out in one of his armors.
“No suit,” Tony says back.
“Well,” Bucky clears his throat awkwardly. “Guess we should…” he breathes in and looks away from them, “...get going…”
“Yeah,” Steve says softly and moves over to his boyfriend. “It’s gonna be okay, Buck.”
“Yeah I know,” Bucky says. “It’s just that I just got you back...kinda wanted to not let you out of my sight.” He gives a small smile and Steve returns the look.
“C’mere,” Steve says as he grabs Bucky’s head gently and kisses his lips, tenderly. “I’ll see you in an hour,” he assures Bucky.
Bucky nods and backs away. “See you…” He nods towards Tony as well “Thank you.” He says.
Tony shakes his apology away. Bucky closes the door and Steve’s eyes stay glued to the wooden slab until Tony’s voice breaks his drifting mind.
“Leave a little later then I said,” Tony says as he sits back down at his desk. “Just to throw them off more. Or…” He looks up at Steve then quickly back to his screen. “If they get ahold of him…”
“You don’t think-”
“No I don’t but I also didn’t think Hydra was back and inside SHIELD again so anything can happen really. Plus we really don’t know who is on our side.”
Steve swallows, he walks over to Tony’s desk and looks at the monitors. He stands there and watches as Bucky gets into the car, watches him drive away, makes sure no one else pulls out of their parking spot the same time.
Tony hits a few more keys on his keypad and it shows the car driving down the road, stopping at the first light near the building. “Hacked a few traffic cameras too,” Tony says nonchalantly.
They watch him make the first wrong turn then another after.
“That’s as far as it will go,” Tony says as they watch Bucky disappear down the last road.
Steve sighs and sits on the chair next to Tony’s desk.
“So now we wait?”
“Now we wait,” Tony says.
Few hours later they’re all together again at Clint’s place, Clint included. It doesn’t take long till the small room grows loud with each man trying to say what the better idea was. Bucky stays silent.
Steve notices after a while and he stops talking. The rest follow suit as the room gets quieter.
Bucky clears his throat. “I umm… thought of something on the way here.” It’s what made him get lost and actually come to Clint’s place well after Steve got there. “I thought of a plan but it’s going to require something… not desirable to, well, most of us.” Notably two people in particular.
“What is it, Bucky?” Steve asks cautiously.
“We have to give them what they want,” Bucky looks down.
“And what’s that?” Clint asks.
Bucky swallows hard, he looks back up. “Me.”