Okay, I write a ton of fanfiction on my computer just for me, but I’ve never published or shared anything.
So I’m going to take a leap of faith and hope that you guys like this!
Premise: Dr. Eleni Barnes is married to Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier makes an appearance in their marriage.
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Eleni and Bucky had been married three months the first time it happened.
She was sitting on the couch, laptop on her lap, submitting her marriage license to the medial board so she could officially be “Dr. Eleni Barnes, Emergency Medicine Physician” instead of Dr. Eleni Milovich.
Bucky was on the other end of the couch tinkering with a toaster that had decided to start smoking when he made some toast for his snack of jam on toast with milk. Some comfort thing from Bucky’s era before the war that he’d just recently found again.
“You know you don’t have to fix that. We live in the avengers compound, we can get a new one, we just have to submit the request to Tony. Or we can just buy a new one. Amazon delivers” Eleni said with a teasing smile.
“I know, doll, but I can fix it” he said.
“I know you can, honey, but you don’t have to” Eleni said.
“I like being useful.” He said finally.
“You are useful. You’re charming and you take care of me and! you know that ticklish spot on my hip” Eleni smiled, teasingly.
“Doll, you’re too good for me” Bucky smiled that boyish, lopsided grin that made her knees buckle.
“I’m just the right amount of good for you” she said, kissing his cheek.
She stood up and stretched, setting her laptop on the coffee table. “I’m going to go get started on dinner. Your favorite: steaks, baked potatoes and green beans”
“Let me know if you need help on the kitchen. Until then… I’m going to fix this toaster.” Bucky said returning the toaster with the determination of a dog with a bone.
Eleni laughed and headed to the kitchen.
One minute she was making dinner, listening to Bucky lecture the toaster, and the next minute she heard silence.
Something on the back of her neck stood up. Her heart rate increased in response. She tried to stay calm, everything was probably fine. She breathed deeply, in. Out.
“Honey?” She asked, rounding the corner to the living room.
What she saw made her drop the spatula to the floor.
Bucky was there. But it wasn’t quite Bucky. He stood there, still as a statue, unnervingly so. His posture was diiferent - stiff, rigid.
His eyes locked on hers. What was behind those eyes wasn’t Bucky. It was as if Bucky had been sucked out and now he was empty.
“Bucky?” She asked- her throat dry so her voice came out in a raspy whisper.
“Who the hell is Bucky?” He asked. His voice different. Cold. Focused.
Eleni knew immediately this wasn’t Bucky. This was whatever Hydra had tried to stuff inside.
“Bucky is my husband. He was just here, in the living room.” Eleni said, trying to keep her voice calm. “You haven’t seen him, have you?”
He said nothing, his eyes cataloging her every movement. She was very aware of this.
“I’m… just going to find him. You can stay… I’ll be right back” Eleni said, slowly. Very slowly, moving toward the office where Tony had installed a panick button - a feature in every apartment on the avengers compound.
She turned to go to the office. She made it to the threshold when he was there, blocking her from entering the office.
Her breath hitched despite herself. Bucky was fast. She’d seen him a training and at summer field trainings - week long simulation events for the avengers and shield agents here at the compound. She knew Bucky could move.
The Winter Soldier was faster. He looked at her, eyes focused. Eleni wracked her brain at what Bucky told her they called him… asset. Soldat. Soldier. Those felt like ash in her mouth.
“Soldat?” She asked. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. I just really want my husband back.”
“I am your husband.” He said. “You’re mine” his voice rasped out, a gravelly quality she didn’t know Bucky’s voice could even make.
“Okay. Okay. I’m yours. But, honey… you’re making me a little nervous… you don’t want that, right?” She asked softly, her hand going to his cheek, slowly.
He stiffened at the touch and then relaxed into it. He’d finally started to move when:
“Dr. Barnes- my life alert systems are flagging inconsistencies in your vitals and the vitals of sergeant Barnes. Would you like me to call for assistance?” FRIDAY asked.
The Winter Soldier stiffened, a growl came from deep in his voice.
“No. No Friday. We’re fine. Everything is okay. My husband is not feeling well” Eleni said smoothly, her gaze meeting the Winter Soldiers gaze as she spoke.
“Affirmative, Dr. Barnes” FRIDAY pinged.
She didn’t want to alert anyone to this. Steve would be disappointed, not at Bucky, never at him, but Bucky would take it as personal anyway.
Tony would rage, and try to built some kind of containment unit - which Eleni realized would make the Winter Soldier worse.
The others would all be various levels of concerned or horrified. For Bucky and for Eleni.
Eleni slowly, took the Winter Soldier’s hand. “Come on, my love. Let’s go sit down.. okay? Just you and me.. I promise.” She said, soothingly.
She led him to the couch. She sat. He sat. For a long time. Anytime she moved, his eyes tracked her. If she left the room, he went with her. If she attempted any kind of communication device - cellphone, laptop, etc, he took it from her- not aggressively, but gently for what Eleni knew he was capable of.
So she sat there. With him. Saying nothing. Watching the way he sat still and rigid.
Eventually she fell asleep on the couch, her nervous system burned out.
She awoke to movement beside her on the couch.
Eleni looked up. Bucky was back. She knew that instantly.
“Bucky?” She asked, testing. He looked at her.
“I thought you were making dinner?” He asked.
She met his eyes. He didn’t remember. The hours the Winter Soldier had come out.
“You don’t remember?” She clarified.
“Remember what?” He asked- his blood started to go cold. “Eleni what time is it?”
“Bucky, it’s 2 am. The Winter Soldier… he… he was here…” Eleni said.
Bucky was on his knees in front of her before she could blink. He slowly put his hands on her face, looking her over for any harm. “Did he hurt you? Did that bastard hurt you?” He asked, desperate.
“No, Bucky, he didn’t hurt me. He wouldn’t let me leave or call for assistance, but he didn’t hurt me” she said.
He pressed his forehead to hers, and then started to cry. “I’m so sorry, Eleni. I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t mean it, I swear”
She cupped his face. “I know Bucky. I know. It wasn’t your fault. I love you. Always. Forever” she said, pressing a kiss to his lips.
She laid in bed with Bucky at 3 am, his head on her chest, stroking his hair. He was asleep after apologizing endlessly, fluctuating between crying, horror and guilt, and he’d exhausted himself.
She wondered if she did the right thing shutting Friday down. Wondered if she should have alerted the team.
That would be a conversation to have with Bucky in the morning