Pairing: Stucky aka, Steve x Bucky
WARNINGS: Psychological Torture, Panic Attacks and Anxiety, Nightmares, some dark content, some fluff
Authors note: I apologize for this being a bit dark at first. I hope you enjoy it anyway!
There was a certain poetry to the way he moved; every muscle flexing, tensing just in time to execute the movement his mind commanded. Most people wouldn't look at Bucky Barnes and see an assassin. Most people would just see the well-tailored suit and bow-tie, the pleasant smile, and flawless physique. He wove through the crowd with ease, men stepping aside out of respect; given only because of the way he carried himself, like a king. Women couldn't help but step out of the way, since it would be rude not to after they all noticed him so undeniably. But Bucky Barnes wasn't at the party for them, he had eyes for only one person.
She stood across the room by the drink table, sipping her champagne elegantly. She was wearing a stunning maroon gown and almost matched his beauty. She wasn't watching him come towards her, as she was too busy instructing one of the many guards on how to act. The guard informed her of Bucky’s approach with a simple nod of his head, causing her to turn around. Bucky hesitated for a slight second, before stepping up and taking her hand to kiss it gently. “"Ma'am.” He said quietly, meeting her cold grey eyes as he stood back up. “"Mr. Havenshor. Thank you for coming.” Her words were colder than her expression, despite her smile. “"It was my honor.” He said, carefully releasing her hand and folding his hands behind his back. It was hard to tell if she had noticed the coolness of his metal hand through his gloves.
“"I was wondering if we could discuss that matter I called you about earlier.” He said. It wasn't a question. Despite the fact that she could have her guards throw him out at any moment, Bucky seemed to hold all the power. She bowed her head in agreement, whispering to the guard before she held out her arm to Bucky. He let her rest her arm on his as she led the way through a side hallway. They weaved through the hallways in silence, getting further and further away from the other party-goers. Finally they stopped in front of an intimidating wooden door with a digit passcode and a finger scanner. She gave him a sickly sweet smile before stepping away from him to administer the codes. He returned her smile politely, watching as one of the doors clicked open. She led the way inside a roomy office that seemed normal enough. He followed her, easily hiding any misgivings he might be having. The door shut, clicking loudly in the sound-proofed room.
“"To business.” She said, taking a seat behind the desk as she motioned to the opposite chair. Bucky crossed the room slowly, sitting on the edge of the plush armchair. “"To business.” He agreed, reaching into his suit jacket to remove a single, folded piece of paper. He leaned forward slightly to slide the paper onto her desk. She visibly tensed and reached for it gingerly. She gave him another forced smile as she unfolded the paper, then began reading. It didn't take her long since there were only a few lines on the page, but her skin turned deathly pale as she looked back up at him with wide eyes. “"You see now why my coming here was so urgent.” He said with a smirk, seeming to gain confidence from her reaction.
As if a switch had flipped, color suddenly returned to her cheeks and a feline, almost evil smile spread across her face. “"Mr. Barnes,” this time it was Bucky who flinched, “ah, yes, I know your true name. As I was saying, Mr. Barnes, unfortunately your assumption that I hold your friend here is completely grounded in rumor. However, since you have uncovered this rumor I must conclude that you have done quite a bit of research on me and thus, know much more about me than I can allow.” By this point, Bucky had stood up, torn between fighting or trying to escape. “Therefore, I will have my fun with you, then send you down to the Under-realm.” She smiled wickedly, standing up and unsheathing two long swords with runes on them. Bucky quickly drew the gun that had been hidden in his waistband, firing off three shots before she could even move. All he was rewarded with was three empty clicks. He frowned in confusion, moving backwards as he checked the clip. “"Mr. Barnes, please. Your advanced weapons have no place here. With a determined glare, Bucky drew his knife, which had also been concealed at the small of his back. She sighed, flicking one hand which caused his weapons to fly out of his hand and into the wall. “"I suppose a close-up fight would be more fun anyway.” She sneered, flicking her wrists to make her own weapons vanish.
A look of confusion crossed Bucky’s face, but he wasn't about to let this opportunity go to waste. “"Come fight me then.” He growled, pulling off his gloves and neck-tie quickly. She laughed, jumping over the desk in one leap. Bucky reacted instantly, lashing out with his left hand in an attempt to catch her off guard. She blocked his punch, immediately going into a flurry of blows that he fought to return. They were evenly matched at hand-to-hand combat, which led to an endless blur of attacks and parries that lasted far too long. Each of them got a few heavy blows in, but she was too powerful and Bucky too stubborn to slack off or yield. Eventually, she managed to move in, wrapping herself around him and taking him to the ground. Bucky struggled desperately against her, trying to find some opening or weakness to exploit. She laughed, tightening her hands around his wrists as she straddled him and pressed her body against his. “"I haven't had this much fun in ages.” She purred, nuzzling his ear. Bucky grunted with the effort of trying to throw her off, but it was almost as if the floor itself was holding him down. “"What do you want with Steve?” Bucky asked suddenly, trying to distract her by holding her gaze. Her grey eyes widened, almost surprised.
“"You still think I have your friend? You innocent little infant. It's almost a shame to kill you.” She mused, leaning down to whisper in his ear. “Almost.” Bucky pulled away, straining against her impossibly tight grip. “"Are you going to kill me or not?” He asked, eyes full of frustration. She laughed mockingly. “"My kind likes to play with our food, pretty one. If you don't like that, the first thing to go will be your tongue.” Bucky clenched his jaw defiantly, trying not to cringe when she pressed down against him again. “"That's better. I had heard that you're good at taking orders. Isn't that right, Winter Soldier?” His brow furrowed in anger, but his face went white. She hummed softly in pleasure, seeming to enjoy toying with him. Her hum turned into a moan as she breathed the smell of his hair. “"I was right,” she licked his neck slowly, “"you are almost too good to kill.” Bucky pulled away, disgust etched all over his face, until she bit his jaw.
Pain filled Bucky’s eyes. Not physical pain. It was the pain of knowing what was about to happen. The pain of knowing that he had failed Steve ...again. It was almost as if she could sense that pain and it only made her more hungry.
She bit the tender part of his neck, sucking a little before moving towards his mouth. He whimpered and turned his head, trying to pull out of her reach. She laughed and grabbed his jaw to turn his face back to her. He fought desperately against her, but even his ‘freed’ wrist still seemed to be tied down. “Silly boy. Nothing you try will work. You are destined to suffer now.” She cooed, taking a moment to enjoy the torment in his eyes before she crushed her lips against his, savoring the sounds of his objecting cries. She pulled away, keeping her body tightly pressed against him. “"Oh, curses, you are solid, aren't you?” She asked, hands roaming over his body. His face tightened in agony as she raked her nails down his chest, causing a burning feeling spread to over his whole body; it felt like her hands were made of poison. He shut his eyes tightly, refusing to give her the scream she was waiting for.
The door to the office suddenly swung open with a loud bang, but she was too preoccupied to pay it any attention. “"Ma'am, there’s a disturbance on the grounds. It's....something very powerful.” The burly bodyguard sounded scared. She froze, lifting herself off of Bucky just enough to look at the man. She snarled, seeing that he wasn't lying. “"Fine. Wait here, pet.” She whispered to Bucky, ignoring his whimpers as she pressed another heavy kiss to his swollen, chapped lips. She stood up and stalked to the door, leaving Bucky on the floor, still unable to move. Just as she reached the door, a bright yellow beam of power hit her, sending her flying across the room. She crumpled to the floor, unconscious or dead.
Bucky could hardly move, eyes pinned to where she was lying against the wall. He knew better than to think this was a rescue of some sort, yet somehow, he found his eyes straying to the door hopefully. There was a slight scuffling noise from the hallway before someone entered the room. “Mr. Barnes.” Bucky’s brow furrowed as he tried to recognize the voice. “"Vision?” He asked, eyes widening when Vision’ shadow fell over him. “"Yes, sir. You seem to need my help.” Bucky tried to suppress his instant feeling of relief. “"Something invisible is holding me down.” He explained, trying to breathe deeply, despite the increasing pressure in his chest. “"Hold still.” Vision instructed calmly, hovering his hand over Bucky’s chest. Bucky started to flinch away and the panic grew in his chest when he was still stuck. “"Hold still.” Vision repeated, seemingly oblivious to his anxiety. Bucky took as deep a breath as he could and was filled with relief again when he could actually move. “"Did the demon harm you?” Vision asked, stepping back as Bucky scrambled to his feet. “"Demon? She was a demon? And won't Stark kill you for being anywhere near me?” Bucky asked, too confused and shaken to know which question was more important. “"Yes, a demon from another realm. And I am here on Mr. Stark’s orders, although he is unaware that you are here.” Bucky shook his head slightly, as if trying to figure out how all this had happened in such a short amount of time. “"Okay...” He went over to retrieve his gun and knife from the ground, keeping his eyes on the still form of the ..demon. “"Is she dead?” He asked, holding his knife in a defensive position. “"Yes...well, no. Her form in this realm is dead, but in her realm she is still alive.” Vision answered, walking over to her body and examining it thoughtfully. “"Oh... Would you mind--scanning for life forms?” “"I do not understand. What exactly are you asking, sir?” Bucky sighed shakily, trying to refocus. “"I came here looking for Steve. Can you detect him somehow? I don't know where she is keeping him.” Bucky said, knowing it was a desperate chance to bet on Stark’s creation to find Steve. “"Of course. Mr. Rogers is..behind that wall.” Vision answered, pointing to one of the wood-paneled walls. “"Um, thank you.” Bucky said, before running over to the large panel to search its edges for any hidden latches.
Bucky was soon rewarded with a click and the panel swung open. Inside was a small, closet-sized space and Steve, curled up in the corner. “"Steve!” Bucky gasped, fresh panic flooding him when he got no response. “I didn't come all this way to have you be dead, Steve.” He growled, but his voice didn't hold any actual anger. He hesitated a moment before reaching in and grabbing Steve’s arm. He pulled the motionless soldier out with ease, laying him on the floor carefully. He didn't even notice that Vision had stepped outside to guard the door. “"Steve.” His voice shook and a lump filled his throat until he could barely breathe. “"Come on....” He cradled Steve’s head in his lap and brushed damp hair out of his face, swallowing thickly when he couldn't feel a pulse. Suddenly Steve moved, gasping in air as if he hadn't had any for a long time. Bucky let out a noise that was partly relief and partly a sob. “"I thought you were dead, you bastard.” Bucky said, crushing Steve against his chest. Steve smiled weakly, one arm already wrapped around Bucky’s waist. “"How did you find me?” Steve asked, his face mirroring Bucky’s expression of relief even though he was wincing. “"It's a long story. We should get out of here.” Bucky said, glancing over his shoulder at the unmoving form of the demon. “"You killed her?” Steve asked, following Bucky’s gaze. Bucky shook his head wordlessly and helped Steve to his feet. Steve paused and took in Bucky’s ruffled and bloody appearance. “"What did she do to you?” He asked in concern, reaching out to turn Bucky’s face towards him to get his attention. Bucky flinched away, feeling his chest tighten in panic. “"Nothing.” He answered too quickly. He hurried them both towards the door, not quite ready to deal with Steve’s concern.
“"Vision?” Bucky frowned slightly when the hallway was empty. “"He was just here...” He tried to ignore Steve’s somewhat disbelieving expression. “"Stark probably summoned him. Let's just go.” He said quickly to cover his own confusion.
Bucky was surprised that he could remember how to get outside through the maze of hallways, and somehow he even managed to get them out close to the parking lot. He directed Steve towards a blue convertible and sat him carefully in the passenger seat. “"We have to get you to a hospital.” Bucky said, taking in Steve’s many wounds. “"I don't want to go to a hospital. Let's just find an airport and go--” Steve seemed to realize that there wasn't really any place for them to go. “"I know of a cabin not too far from here. It's safe and it has medical supplies.” Bucky said, trying to be reassuring. It certainly wasn't his strong suit, but with how spooked Steve looked, he needed someone else to be the strong one for once. Steve nodded, leaning back in the leather seat. “"Hey Buck?” “"Yeah.” “Thank you...for coming for me.”
Steve slept the whole way to the cabin, and Bucky was almost relieved to have silence the whole time. He fully intended to make Steve tell him the whole story about what had happened, but not now. Right now he was too preoccupied with what story he could tell Steve that he would believe. Somehow he pulled into the long driveway of the cabin without having come up with any solid stories. “"Steve, we’re here.” He said, getting out and walking around the car to get Steve’s door. He had to half-carry Steve all the way inside, then lower him onto the couch. “"I'll be back.” He said, returning moments later with a well-supplied medical kit. “What is this place?” Steve asked quietly, eyeing the medical kit. Bucky shrugged and motioned for him to take off his tattered shirt. “"I came across it while looking for you.” Bucky answered after Steve had complied. Bucky quickly set to work patching Steve up and by the time he was done, he was practically covered in bandages. “"She really did a number on you.” Bucky said softly, interrupting the silence. Steve opened his eyes and looked thoughtfully at Bucky for a minute. “If I didn't know any better I would say that was concern in your eyes, Buck.” If Steve had been more awake, it might have been a teasing comment. As it was, Bucky just shrugged. “Let's get you to bed.” He said, hoisting Steve off the couch and practically carrying him to the bedroom. “"Goodnight Rogers.” But Steve was already asleep.
Bucky woke up the next morning drenched in sweat with a crick in his neck from sleeping on the couch. He sat on the edge of the couch for a minute, waiting for his body to stop shaking. He couldn't remember his dream, but he had a feeling it was anything but good. “"Hey.” He jumped at the sound of Steve’s greeting. “"Oh, hey.” He said, clearing his throat to get rid of the morning huskiness. “"You okay?” Steve asked, coming around to perch on the coffee table. “"Fine.” Bucky said quickly, jumping up and going into the kitchen. “"You're up early. With how tired you were last night, I figured you would be out for days.” Bucky’s words sounded forced even to him. “"I guess you have a healing touch.” Bucky snorted, but didn't say anything. He had enough on his mind without an early-morning pep talk from Captain Positivity.
“"I want to talk about yesterday.” Steve said as soon as Bucky came back to the living room with his coffee. He hesitated, but nodded and sat down. “"I just want you to know that I was only her prisoner for a couple days. I know I've been missing for a while, but most of it was because I was trying to avoid catching her attention. Obviously that didn't work,” he motioned to his bruised face, “"but honestly it looks worse than it feels. Heck, it will probably be gone in a few days anyway. I mean, they just roughed me up a little the first day, then left me in that closet where you found me.” Steve said, giving Bucky a surprisingly convincing smile. “"Okay,” was all Bucky said. Steve cleared his throat nervously. “"If you don't want to talk, I understand. You've just been a little more jumpy than usual and I thought if it was something she did--” “"It wasn't. You're probably just imagining things.” Bucky said sternly, although he instantly regretted it when he saw the hurt look on Steve’s face. “"Oh, okay. Well, you know if you ever need me, I'm right here.” Bucky closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “"She didn't do much, but....she had me pinned on the floor, I don't know how. I should have been able to get out of it, but--” He stopped for a moment, glancing nervously at Steve. He nodded gently. “"It shouldn't have affected me so much, but she was all over me and I couldn't do anything. I felt so powerless again and I just--” His voice cracked and he looked away, trying desperately to regain control of himself. The last thing he wanted to do was lose it in front of Steve. He felt Steve’s weight settle on the couch next to him and he tried to keep himself from moving away. “"Bucky...” Steve’s voice was painfully gentle and understanding. Bucky choked on the lump in his throat as he tried to say something, anything, to get Steve to go away. He wasn't sure if he actually wanted to be alone or not, but he couldn't stand the sympathy. “No one would blame you for being rattled or even messed up because of what she did, okay? No one could have expected you to do anything differently.” “"Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?” Bucky asked, letting out a ragged laugh. He flinched when Steve touched his hand, but he didn't pull away. “"Buck.” There was a different edge to Steve’s voice that made Bucky turn to face him, despite the fact that his eyes were still full of tears. Steve smiled gently and carefully wiped Bucky’s eyes with his other hand. “"You okay?” He asked quietly. Bucky closed his eyes and shook his head, letting the tension melt out of him as Steve pulled him closer. Without knowing exactly how it happened, Bucky’s head was resting on Steve’s shoulder and they were holding each other tightly. Bucky’s shoulders shook from barely repressed sobs as he let all the emotions from the last few days wash over him. He didn't even realize that Steve was crying too until he leaned back and their eyes met. “Aren't we a pathetic pair of old men.” Bucky said, smiling slightly as he brushed the wet streaks off of Steve's face. Steve chuckled and returned the gesture by wiping Bucky’s face. Steve’s hand stilled and they both seemed to realize how close they were sitting at the same time.
Before the thought had even consciously crossed his mind, Bucky curled his hands over Steve’s shoulders and kissed him. Steve stiffened for the briefest moment before he leaned in and cupped Bucky’s face to return the kiss. It deepened slowly and grew more heated until they laid back and Steve was practically on top of Bucky. Bucky stilled, his chest tightening reflexively as he struggled to keep from drowning in the flood of nightmarish memories. “"Bucky, stay with me.” Steve whispered breathlessly, pressing their foreheads together. Bucky blinked a few times until all he saw was Steve’s blue eyes right above him. “I'm here.” He whispered huskily, pleased to realize that he was completely here, in the moment. Steve nuzzled his neck gently, placing careful kisses along his jawline. Bucky moaned softly, feeling himself relax again as he ran his hands through Steve’s hair. Steve relaxed back on top of him, carefully letting his full weight rest on Bucky. “Is this okay?” Steve asked, concern filling his eyes. Bucky looked up at him and smiled. “"With you...of course.” Steve grinned and leaned up to meet his lips. The next kiss was slow and gentle; everything they both needed. They might have never imagined ending up like this, but somehow, as the world faded out around them, it was their perfect ending.
