A Feeling Of Normality [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

Part 6. Berlin.

She would have expected to be in a cell after being handcuffed and locked in a car that was thought to have arrived in another country several hours later. Instead, she sits in a kind of office, the door is, of course, locked and the room has no windows. The handcuffs had already been removed but it is obvious that she is still a prisoner.

When they got here, Bucky was locked in a heavily armored cell and Steve Rogers had given him a worried look. [Y/N] was the last to get out of the car and when Bucky saw her, his eyes widened barely noticeably. He averted his gaze and [Y/N] was sure that her being here had officially ended their friendship. Not that this was their biggest problem.

[Y/N] doesn't know how long she sits in the office before the door opens. If there's nothing to do but getting lost in your own thoughts, you lose track of time. Especially when there isn't even a clock on the wall. "A visit from Captain America in person. How honorable" she says sarcastically.

Steve Rogers closes the door behind him and [Y/N] can hear the door lock again and can only snort in amusement. If she would really be a danger in the eyes of the government, she wouldn't be here without handcuffs. "Who are you?" Steve asks the unknown woman, not a single emotion can be heard in his voice.

"I think that's none of your business."

"What was that in Bucharest?" Steve continues, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't act stupid. Why were you in Bucks apartment?"

"Why were you in his apartment? To warn him?" [Y/N] snorts contemptuously.

"To help."

"How did that go?" [Y/N] grins cheekily at Steve. If it had gone well, they wouldn't be here now.

"I'll ask you again: why were you in Bucks apartment?" Steve asks her more sternly, growing impatient.

"I'm sorry but I can't take you serious. You're not a good threat right now, as a traitor and a criminal."

"I'm not here to threaten you. I am here to help."

Once again, [Y/N] snorts contemptuously. "I don't need any help."

Steve Rogers sighs and takes a few steps towards [Y/N]. She's pretty much the stubbornest woman he has ever met. And that's coming from the man whose best friend is Natasha Romanoff. "Bucky needs help! My help. And I can't shake the feeling that we're fighting for the same team."

[Y/N] leans forward, elbows resting on her knees. "And which team would that be?"

"I want to help Bucky. These people... don't. That's why I want to know: Why were you in his apartment?"

[Y/N] sighs. He's right. Unfortunately, she also has the feeling that they both just want to help Bucky. If she had never met him, she wouldn't be sitting here now. But she's seen the pain and suffering in Bucky's eyes too often to let him down now. It's not that she has to help him. She wants to. "We're friends" [Y/N] replies.

"Friends?" Steve repeats with a raised eyebrow. He's not entirely sure he can believe her. After everything that has happened, he can't believe that Bucky has any friends. But if she would be lying, what other reason would she have to help him? "And in Bucharest... What was that?"

"Listen... I don't know what you think that you saw but that never happened. Nothing has ever happened. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time!"

That's the moment Steve begins to understand. Her voice, her facial expressions, her posture are all well rehearsed but she can't hide the fear in her eyes whenever he mentions the powers he saw. He gets that she's just trying to protect herself. Almost immediately, he forgives her stubborn and cheeky manner and kneels down in front of her to be at eye level.
"I know what I saw. You don't have to be afraid that someone is overhearing. I shouldn't be here at all. But I have to know that you are not a danger to Bucky."

"I would never do anything to him!" [Y/N] defends herself immediately. "I feel guilty that he's here."

"Me too" admits Steve. "But you were a good help." Steve smiles carefully at her.

[Y/N] also has to smile slightly now. "Thanks."

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Shortly after, Steve leaves [Y/N] in the room and she's all alone again. It seems like Steve Rogers is the actual reason that she's not in a cell but she doesn't know if she should be thankful for that as she doesn't know what's going to happen to her next.
Deciding that there's nothing better to do, [Y/N] makes herself comfortable and stares at the ceiling. That is, until all lights turn off and she sits in a dark room. What feels like only seconds later, the door to her room gets broken up and falls to the ground with a loud noise. No one else than Steve Rogers is standing there, looking at her all worriedly and [Y/N] knows that something's wrong with Bucky. She's on her feet immediately and follows Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson down the long hallways to where Bucky seems to be at.
"What happened?" she asks while running.

"We don't know yet!" Steve answers. They all come to a halt when a passed out guard leans against a wall. "Careful" he whispers to Sam and [Y/N] whilst slowly walking further.

Except for the emergency lighting, everything is dark and they discover more and more unconscious guards. At least [Y/N] hopes they're just passed out. Steve seems to have the same thought because he kneels down in front of a security guard and feels his pulse. Relieved, he looks at her and nods. She understands this gesture and breathes a sigh of relief.

"Help me. Help" they hear a weak voice from the next room. Steve immediately runs to the person. A man lies in front of the cell where Bucky was imprisoned. "Get up!" Without waiting, Steve grabs the man by the jacket and presses him against the nearest wall. A little puzzled why Steve sees him as a threat, [Y/N] trusts his judgment and examines the room more closely. The panes of Bucky's cell are smashed, but not from the outside but from the inside. As if Bucky had hit it himself. [Y/N] wonders why he should have done that.

"To see an empire fall" the stranger answers Steve, unimpressed, when suddenly loud noises can be heard from the other room and Sam is thrown against the cell just seconds after, landing right next to [Y/N]. If things weren't so serious, [Y/N] would clearly enjoy the sight of the Falcon laying to her feet. Instead, she helps him up and Steve turns around just in time for Bucky to attack him.

The way he attacks his friend reveals to [Y/N] that he is no longer Bucky but all back to being the Winter Soldier. Angrily, she turns to the unknown man. "What have you done?!" she hisses, but there's only a satisfied grin on his lips. [Y/N] closes the distance between them and wipes away his stupid grin with a punch in his face, leaving it bleeding.