Shared suffering (Bucky x Zemo) -> (Winterbaron)

Chapter 2

Timeskip 20 minutes:

Sam groans: "Finally! I'm just gonna get inside and in my room and sleep after all this driving."
Sam quickly got out of the car and got inside to check in.

The baron and Bucky got out of the car too but they weren't as much in a hurry as Sam was.

Zemo speaks up: "Thank you for choosing me to assist you with this mission and even getting me out of the Raft. It's important to me that we stop them. Thank you for the freedom, James. Even if it is only temporary."
Bucky shrugs: "I couldn't imagine a person more determined to get this mission done than you."

They both stepped in the lobby. Bucky walked up to the reception. No sight of Sam. He probably already finished checking in and went into his room.

So Bucky started talking to the receptionist: "Hello, I booked three rooms here. You should find the booking under the name Barnes. My friend arrived a few minutes ago already going into his room, correct?"

The receptionist replied: "Indeed. But there's only one room left. Your friend took the other single room. But instead of two more single rooms, we only have a double room booked for you. Is that alright?"
Bucky glared: "It is NOT. I explicitly said THREE DIFFERENT SINGLE ROOMS IN TOTAL."

The receptionist put on a forced smile: "Sir, we are currently overbooked and have no other vacant rooms left. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Zemo: "I wouldn't mind sharing a room with you, James."
Bucky glared at him too: "Well but I do!"
Zemo then quickly looked on the floor, avoiding eye contact.

Bucky then faced the receptionist again, still glaring: "Fine! Give me the key."
She hands him the key without saying a word. Bucky and Zemo then walked to their room in silence awkwardly. Room B20.

After a few minutes, they finally found the room. Before opening the door, Bucky turned to face his ally yet enemy at the same time: "If we are gonna share a room, Zemo. There have to be some rules."
He paused.

Zemo whispered: "I'm all ears."
Bucky continued: "First of all, give me as much space as possible. Secondly, always knock before entering the bathroom. Thirdly, don't watch me while I'm changing. Basically just don't violate my privacy. Got it, baron?"

He nods in agreement: "Yes, soldat."
Bucky groans: "Also, I would appreciate if you don't call me that."
He simply replies: "Noted. Can we go in now?"

Bucky doesn't answer verbally. He just opens the door with the key. First, there was a bit of a floor. At the right side of the floor, there was another door, presumably leading to the bathroom. And at the end of the floor, there was the huge bedroom. With a nicely-sized king bed. The sheets and pillows etc. were all different shades of purple. Behind the bed, there was a big balcony where one had a very nice view of the city underneath. Their room was a few stories high in the building. Like not super high but enough for a very nice view.

Zemo hummed in a satisfied tone: "I can see myself getting used to this place."
Bucky pouted: "I would too if I didn't have to share it with you."
Zemo sighed: "Come on... I agreed on your rules. I'll behave."

Bucky groaned: "It's pretty late already. I'm saying that we should get some sleep now and tomorrow morning, we work on the case. Unless you are hungry or anything?"

Zemo replied: "Actually... there is something I would like before getting sleep. Do you happen to know whether one can buy any Turkish Delight here?"
Bucky shakes his head: "I doubt they sell Turkish Delight here, sorry. Is there nothing else you would like instead?"

Zemo hummed in thought: "Say James, would you mind if we talked for a bit? There isn't anyone to properly talk to in prison so after all this time, ... I do miss some social interaction."
Hesistating, Bucky replied: "Mmh alright. Let's get this over with. So what do you want to talk about?"

Zemo hummed: "Back then when I was researching about you, I was only researching about the Winter Soldier. I would like knowing more about the real you."

So Bucky sighes and tells Zemo about his childhood, about his long-lasting and close friendship with Steve, about the war, about being a soldier before the serum, about Zola injecting the serum in him with Bucky having no say in it at all, about what it felt like being controlled, being controlled to kill, to kill dozens of people, about trying to fight the brainwashing but in the end, the repeated brain washing always won. About how he has more regrets and nightmares than anything else.

While Bucky was telling him a lot of his life story, Zemo listened to him captivated, moved by what happened to him. For the first time, Zemo could properly imagine the approximate amount of suffering and regret Bucky must be facing each day. Zemo felt terrible as he realised how much Bucky had suffered and that he himself has contributed to that large amount of suffering.

In a sincerely sorry tone, Zemo suddenly bursted out: "My own grief has made me numb and careless towards other people's suffering. I used my grief as a way to legimate all the pain and hurt I've caused others on my way to revenge on the Avengers. It won't mean anything to you but for what it's worth, I'm truly sorry for all the experiments and brainwashing that had been done on you. I'm truly sorry I even furthered your suffering by using you too. By using the codewords on you. Controlling you. Framing you for murder you didn't commit. I'm so sorry. I'm aware my actions can never be undone but I hope you will forgive me someday."

Before Bucky could say anything, Zemo pulled in Bucky for a tight hug. To Bucky's surprise, he let it happen. Bucky supposed he actually is in need of a hug. Both of them had needed a hug.

Bucky slowly pulled away from the hug again after a few minutes. He noticed how he already missed the other man's warmth but he let go of the hug anyway.

He whispers: "Now I would like to hear your story, Helmut."
Zemo blushed upon hearing Bucky calling him by his first name for the first time.

He then sighed and told him about his wife and how wonderful she was and about his son and how much he missed him. He tells Bucky about the attack on Sokovia in great detail. How it felt looking for his wife's and son's bodies for days just to find the parts of their bodies brutally shred apart by destroyed buildings. How overwhelming his grief and anger felt and what that unbearable amount of grief and anger made him do.

Bucky looks at his former enemy with a look of understanding tho he can't forgive him. Yet. But he feels sorry for Zemo's losses.
Bucky inhales deeply and pulls in Zemo for a hug again: "Thank you for opening up to me about it. I'm also really sorry what happened to you, Helmut."

For the first time in a while, Zemo felt a positive emotion. Possibly hope. Even tho he would have to go back to prison sooner or later, for now... he seemed to share a genuine connection with another person. One gets so unbelieveably loney if one doesn't have any emotional connection to anyone for years. So Zemo takes this moment all in, embracing and enjoying every second of being close to Bucky.

Zemo sighed, still enjoying the hug: "I wish we met under different circumstances, James."
Bucky whispers: "Yeah me too."