Together Again (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Just... A Paradise

The big battle is over yet he still hasn't found her amidst all the chaos.

"Natasha, where's Y/N?" he asks his closest team mate.

"Bucky..." she sighs almost sorrowfully? "She-" Nat cuts herself off, something else has gotten her attention. "No," she whispers.

Bucky turns to follow her gaze and sees Tony Stark. The cause of their victory. The two slowly approach, observing his interaction with Pepper and then Peter, he knows that Tony considered him a son. Bucky feels... guilt. He never got to apologise for what he did as the Winter Soldier and now he never will. He, as well as the other Avengers, kneels to honour the brave man, hoping he finally knows peace.

Steve spots Bucky and walks toward his best friend. "Buck..." he whispers as he hugs him tightly.

"Steve... have you seen Y/N? I've been lookin' for her everywhere," he asks desperately.

Steve's eyes shift to Natasha's. She shakes her head subtly.

"I," Steve starts. "I'm sorry, Buck. We-we didn't know. We-"

"Didn't know what?"

"On our mission to get the-the stones," he sniffs. "she went to get the soul stone-"

"What does this have to do with right now? Steve, just tell me."

"There was a price," Natasha adds, her eyes tearing up all over again. "And she... she was willing to pay it. I tried. I tried so hard to stop her. To be the one but she-she didn't let me."

Bucky begins to pant. "What are saying?"

"She's gone, Bucky. She made a sacrifice, for us, for all of us and... I'm so sorry."

Bucky just stands there, staring at nothing. Processing. He barely registers that Steve's arms are wrapped around him again but they're not enough to hold him up as his legs give way beneath him. The one person that kept him going, that gave him life again, that he believed would always be there was gone.

Bucky wakes with a start, sweating and panting. He hasn't had a nightmare since being in Westview – no, that wasn't a nightmare. It was a memory. All his memories are nightmares.

"Sweetheart, what is it?" Y/N asks groggily as she turns to face him.

"Nothing, I'm sorry for waking you, doll." He kisses her softly, passionately as if she's going to disappear if he stops. His hand travels to the back of her head and he feels... a wetness. Bucky frowns, pulling away. "Doll?" He nears his hand to his face to see what it is. Even in the pale moonlight, he knows what it is. Something so familiar from his past life. Blood. "Y/N –"

"What is it, honey?"

He looks back at her but her face is different. It's pasty, almost grey. Her eyes are cloudy and blood seeps from between her lips.

She feels cold.

"No."

He opens his eyes once again but it's day time now, the sun peaking through the closed curtains.

"Wakey, wakey, sleepy head," Y/N smiles as she lifts the duvet from him. She is already dressed for Jazzercise her hair purposefully frizzed and curly and she sports a flashy oversized purple sweater and lilac shorts and yellow sneakers, ready to start the day.

"Wh-what?" he asks, disoriented.

"Are you alright? Are you hot? You've slept in till," she checks her pink and white Strücker watch. "Almost noon!"

He looks down at the sweat dripping from his chest. "Y-yeah, sorry."

"No worries. I think..." she crawls over the bed. "it's..." she finally reaches him. "sexy," she smirks and leans over to kiss him.