mcu imagines + requests

in spirit | bucky barnes

[ REQUEST ]
cw: death (i think that's it)

The mission was supposed to be simple. Just run in, grab the files, and run right back out. No casualties. However, things sometimes tend to go very wrong, very fast.

There were three warehouses on the lot. Steve, Bucky, and Y/n splitting up to make the mission quicker.

Y/n had one room in her bunker left. She figured if the files weren't in there, that they were in Steve or Bucky's bunker.

She placed her hand on the doorknob. All the other doors had been locked, all except this one. It was easy, too easy. Nonetheless, she made her way inside.

Everything seemed normal. Empty room, slightly messy. Nothing seemed out of place. For a moment, it was quiet. The only sound was the buzzing from the LED lights overhead.

Y/n walked to the back of the room, inspecting all of the files and papers as she did so. Her eyes lit up as she reached a locked file cabinets.

"Guys, I think I found something." Y/n whispered into her mic. "Good. Can you make it out safely?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, this should be a piece of cake." Y/n replied, unlocking the cabinet.

The drawer to the cabinet unlocked, Y/n's mouth going dry as she looked inside.

"I may have lied." Y/n spoke into the comm again.

Inside of the drawer, on top of the files, was a bomb. A bomb that was counting down from 4.
"Y/l/n, is everything okay?!" Bucky questioned worriedly.

2... 1

"I love yo-" Y/n was cut off by an explosion. Bucky and Steve immediately dropped what they were doing and ran to Y/n's bunker. Or rather, what was left of it.

In a matter of seconds, the warehouse had collapsed, presumably with Y/n under the rubble.

Bucky looked at Steve, his eyes blown wide with fear. Without saying another word, Bucky was digging through the pile of rubble, trying to find any sign of Y/n.

And then he saw it, a bloody hand sticking out from under the debris. Bucky quickly pulls Y/n's limp body out from the ruins and onto his lap.

"Steve, we've gotta get her to the quinjet." Bucky said through clenched teeth.

Steve frowned as he looked down at his grief-stricken friend. "Anybody, hello? We need help. Now!" Steve yelled. "On it." Nat replied quickly.

The sound of the jets engine could be heard from above. As soon as it was on the ground, Bucky and Steve were inside. Laying Y/n's body on a stretcher.

"She said everything was okay, and then– and then all of a sudden it wasn't." Bucky explained to the rest of the team.

"It's okay, Barnes. Nobody could've predicted this was gonna happen." Nat assured.

"Yeah, except we could've!" Bucky yelled. "Buck, calm down. It's all right." Steve exclaimed, trying to remain calm.

"How can you say that to me? How can you look at her, and tell me everything's gonna be okay. You... You should know more than anyone what it's like to lose someone you love." Bucky scolded.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Look, Buck, you know that she would want you to move on. She wouldn't want you to get all worked up over this." Steve sighed.

Bucky dragged a hand over his face, taking another glance at the stretcher. He frowned, Steve was right. He knew it.

"Did she– Y'know, did she... Was it painless?" Bucky took a deep breath. "Definitely. Quick, and painless." Nat replied, a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Good. That's good. I think I need to sit down. Take a nap, maybe." Bucky croaked as he sat down on a bench. "Take all the time you need, Buck. Fury already knows about what happened and he's gonna get it handled." Steve explained.

"Thanks." Bucky replied monotonously as his eyes drifted back to Y/n.

There were very few people in his life that Bucky truly loved. Y/n was one of them. Things would be different now that she was gone. But deep down, Bucky knew Steve was right.

It would be hard, but Bucky knew that Y/n wouldn't want him to mope around. She'd want him to be brave, be a hero. She always saw the best in him.

Bucky quietly cried as he drifted to sleep. He may never see Y/n again in the flesh, but she'd be there in spirit. And that's all he could really ask for.