he was the one • winterwidow

⊱ fourteen ⊰

- the one that got away / katy perry -

"We'll have our agents back in the next two days, Rogers," Fury stated, eyes fixated on the soldier as he spoke. "Will the team be prepared?"

For once, Steve didn't care about the team. He cared about Sharon and how he had messed things up with her so dearly that she took her two friends and took a trip to Europe. All he wanted to do was fix what he had done, or at least talk things out with her.

Instead, he gave a single nod. "Yes, sir."

"And training will take place like before? No delays, no changes in schedule?"

"None at all, Fury."

Nick pursed his lips, nodding simply as his palms pushed away his dark jacket to access his hips for them to rest on. "Good. I'll see you tomorrow morning for briefing."

Once out of the office, Steve felt a repeated vibration against his thigh, under his pocket. He pulled out his ringing phone, heart sinking ever so slightly when he saw it wasn't who he had originally thought it would be, and answered.

"It's a bit late for you isn't it, Clint?"

"Yeah, yeah, you should know by now that I don't sleep," Something about his tone seemed different. Unsure, nervous, worried-Steve couldn't exactly put his finger on what or why it could be. "So... have you spoken to Sharon recently? Haven't really seen her on her phone much to be honest-"

"Cut the small talk, Barton, you're shit at it."

There was a slightly line-distorted laugh from the other end. "Steven? Saying a bad language word?"

Steve sighed. They'd never let him live that down. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, they're all great. I, uh, just needed to speak with you about someone." He had returned back to the uncharacteristic serious tone once more.

Steve stopped in his tracks, making sure the hallway was completely empty before resting against a clear table, which previously had leaflets on it for a S.H.I.E.L.D recruitment day, and responding lowly. "Who?"

The answer he got made him feel fortunate that he had supported himself on the table, gripping the edge just that bit harder to the point the wood was now chipping.

"James Barnes."

"Bucky?" Steve sighed, a feeling of both relief and apprehension flooding him. "I haven't heard that name in a long, long time."

✧★✧

The war was the second most difficult thing Bucky had ever had to go through. Losing Natalia had to be the first. The worst part was that he had finally got her back, being able to forget about the Winter Soldier for as long as he was with her, alike every time he was ever with her.

Natalia Romanova made him feel like a real man again, not the shell of a man he once was before it was stripped from him.

She had been his absolute everything. Being so close to her to the point their hands brushed every time he passed her a drink had sent chills through his spine.

So close, yet so far.

It felt like he was fifteen again. Finding out that the Steve Rogers actually had a mantle as Captain America where he'd go around dressed flashy trying to recruit new soldiers.

It was silly, really. The two most important people in his life he had met by mistake and gotten close two by breaking into where they were staying.

For his Natalia, it was breaking into her room even though it was strictly forbidden at the Red Room. For Steve, it was the tent in which he had snuck into, which had then led to him joining his mission.

It's like his whole life was one big mistake. James had always wondered that.

Natalia brought the light to his darkness. Even at times when James thought it was impossible, she did just that.

He was sat at the edge of his bed in the room, elbows resting on his knees as his palms kept his head up. The room was small, not too clean either but it was better than most places he had stayed in.

Whether he considered it fortunate or not, the door opening brought him out of his hell train of thoughts and instead brought him to his possible attack mindset, which was quickly distinguished when he saw the face of his 'boss'.

"What?" His tone sounded annoyed (angry, even) but, if anything, James was grateful for the distraction.

"You've got a call," The man spoke. He wasn't as kind as the other middle aged Greek man he had gotten used to working with. Really, Bucky preferred that. Felt more natural to him. Specifically the blunt, almost rude voice he spoke in. Today, however, it seemed more... on edge? Like he knew something important, which was a worrying sight. "America."

That was even more confusing. James should be getting yelled at: calls that far cost far too much money for the hotel to allow. In the moment, James thought back to his plan from oh-so long ago, wondering if he would need to go back to just Bucky from Brooklyn, not James from Indiana.

Then he looked back to the manager's expression. Far too sympathetic type confusion for it to be about his past and or identity.

As if being able to tell his thoughts of what the call may be, the man gave another factor to help him realise. "Says he's an old friend?"

James almost smiled before he realised where he was and who he was with. He had Natalia in his sight, so close, and had let her slip away from him once again. But he was going home, finally. After all this time. "An old friend, huh?"

Because he would always find her.

And he would always go back to her.

First, he had a friendship from a completely different lifetime to repair.