Soulmate AU
He was having the time of his life. Of course he was. He was James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes! He was a newly recruited soldier in the US Army. He had the best friend in the whole world. And he was surrounded by dames.
He could spend every night with a different girl if he wanted to (and he probably would). He was just trying to have fun until he got tied down.
At least that's what he told people. That's what he tried to tell himself.
Every time he would find himself hoping he'd hear the words written on his wrist he remembered the advice his father would give him growing up, "Never get tied down son. They're all the same. They just suck away all the life outta ya. Screw your damn wrist that shit isn't real. Just a bunch of bullshit lonely people tell themselves so they don't feel bad. But you're not lonely son so go be free and don't worry about whoever the hell your supposed 'soulmate' is."
So Bucky didn't worry. He danced and kissed and wooed every girl that came within ten feet of him.
Bucky didn't worry. Until he did.
~~~
He was tied to a chair in some old dusty building in God knows where. He couldn't remember what exactly went wrong, just that it went very very wrong indeed. One minute his battalion was storming the building and taking down Nazi's, the next he was being injected with all kinds of stuff as the doctors injecting him muttered things about something called a HYDRA.
Bucky spent days, or maybe it was weeks, drifting in and out of consciousness. He thought about his family, he thought about Steve, he thought about the words written on his wrist. The phrase "Wait! I think I know you!" playing on a constant repeat in his mind as he thought of all the ways someone could say it.
He had just made up his mind that his dad had been wrong when Steve (a very buff very tall Steve) came and rescued him. His dad was wrong and he was going to find her as soon as this war was over. He would find the girl made just for him and he would live happily ever after because he was James Buchanan Barnes and damn it he deserved to.
~~~
A few weeks later he fell off the train, and as he laid in the snow about to die he wondered if she would ever forgive him for never finding her.
~~~
He doesn't remember much from his Winter Soldier days. He remembers swimming into consciousness every so often and asking questions, most of which he can't recall getting answers too, but he does remember one instance very clearly and he doesn't know if he'll ever forget.
"Would you make me kill her?" His voice was hoarse and scratchy from months of not being used.
"What?" The scientist in the room with him was filling up a syringe when Bucky had spoken.
"If I ever found my soulmate would you make me kill her?"
"Don't ask stupid questions," the obvious misdirection made Bucky nervous and he fidgeted under his restraints.
"I'll know who she is. I won't kill her! I WON'T KILL HER!" Then the doctor stuck the syringe into Bucky's neck effectively sedating the angry assassin. But before he was completely out Bucky heard another man enter the room.
"What the hell happened? Is everything under control?"
"Yeah everything's fine. He just started asking questions again. I just wish the words on his wrist had been on the left arm like everybody else's. It's like fate fucking knew what was going to happen."
~~~
Bucky thought about that a lot now a days. Now that he was safe and free and no longer under HYDRA's control. He wonders if he would have killed her.
Steve promises Bucky he didn't. Steve had managed to find a complete list of all the people Bucky had taken down, and though he never shared the numbers or the names Steve did share that no one on the list had been targeted because of their relationship status to Bucky.
While this did provide answers to some questions and eased Bucky's mind to an extent he still had so many things he needed to know. Did she forgive him? Did she move on? Was she married? Did she ever have kids?
He knew it was selfish but he hoped she didn't. Not saying he didn't want her to be happy, but the idea of her loving another man while he was being held prisoner made Bucky sick at his stomach.
Then Bucky thought about the fact that she could be dead.
He would rather she moved on.
~~~
"Do you remember how we met?" Usually it was Steve asking Bucky if he remembered the old days, but sitting around listening to an old stack of records must have gotten Bucky thinking.
"We were at the doctors right?"
"Yeah," Bucky's voice was soft and his gaze was focused on the pristine white rug but Steve just thought he was trying really hard to remember so he carried on.
"I had pneumonia again, probably the third time that year, and you... Buck I don't think you ever told me why you were there." Steve quickly caught on when Bucky looked up with a sort of grief haunting his usually clear blue eyes.
"My mom dragged me there. She dragged me to a lot of doctors. I wasn't sick. At least not in the way you always were. But she was convinced something was wrong with me. She thought I was defective. Thought there was something wrong with me because of my wrist." Bucky took a swig from the beer on the coffee table beside his chair. "So she took me to every doctor in New York City and asked why I was different. Of course they all answered the same thing about how all sorts of weird things happen with our wrists and no one can explain it." A humorless smile tugged at the corners of Bucky's lips as he looked Steve square in the eyes "I wish I could go back and tell my mom why I was so messed up. Tell her how fate just wanted to make sure I never forgot the words I'll never get to hear."
It was silent for a few tense moments before Steve spoke up, "Bucky you can't honestly think your words were put on your right wrist because fate knew you were going to lose your left arm. If fate knew you weren't going to find your soulmate I don't think it would have mattered what wrist it had been on. Besides you never wanted to find her before, why the sudden interest?"
Bucky finished his beer before answering and walking off to his room, "I just thought it was ironic is all. And I'm not interested. They just tie you down and take away your freedom. I've had enough of that for one lifetime. And hey, at least my dad would've be happy for me."
~~~
Eventually Bucky convinced himself of those words. He stopped thinking about the life he missed out on and started being thankful for the one he got to live now. It wasn't easy at first but Steve and the rest of the team really helped out.
Tony knew all the right clubs and bars to take Bucky to and show him a good time. Clint was always up for shenanigans. Natasha helped him stay fluent in Russian (and gossip about people right in front of them). Bruce taught him how to meditate and stay calm. Thor was a great spotter for weight training, and always brought Bucky his own bottle of Asgardian Meade whenever he visited. And Steve was just Steve- his best friend and partner in crime.
So life was good. He had friends. He had a phone full of girls numbers. He loved his job. Life was normal and everything was great.
For about 7 months.
~~~
It started randomly about two months ago. Bucky's wrist would start heating up and itching llke crazy for a few hours a day and then just stop. Sometimes it would be fine for days at a time and then some times it would be on and off for days.
"Do you think you might need to go see a doctor?" Steve asked on the fifth straight day in a row a few weeks into the phenomenon of Bucky's wrist acting up.
Bucky gave a hearty laugh as he grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer. "I am not going to a doctor for my wrist. I already know what they're going to say so there's no point."
"I still think you need to go see someone, especially before that big mission you have with Nat in Wakanda next week." Bucky gave a high pitched whine and stomped his foot, but Steve just gave him a playful glare before continuing, "Whine all you want too Buck, but you're going to see a doctor before your mission and that's final. I'll have Stark's new assistant schedule you an appointment."
Bucky stuck out his tongue as Steve left the kitchen and went back to eating his breakfast. He was trying to read through the plans for his upcoming mission when he wrist flared up again and he ended up knocking his bowl of cereal off of the counter.
"Damn," he got off the stool and started picking up the pieces of broken glass when he heard the door to the kitchen swing open with the accompaniment of heels clicking against the hardwood floor.
"Damn you Rogers!" The person was muttering to themselves, "Stop sending me SOS's and not telling me where you are!"
"He's probably at the gym," Bucky answered the woman as he stood up from behind the kitchen island that had previously been hiding him from her view.
The women jumped in fright and spun around to face Bucky. Her (E/C) were wide like a deer in headlights and her mouth was parted slightly. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and a (F/C) button up shirt. Her hair was in a high pony tail but a few wisps had started coming out and flying around. She was gorgeous. Bucky's heart leapt up into his throat, effectively stopping all air from entering his lungs.
The woman only took a few more seconds before composing herself. She gave Bucky a small smile and a nod of thanks and started to scurry off in embarrassment. She was almost to the door of the kitchen and out of sight when it hit her, "Wait! I think I know you!"
"What?" The question was barely a whisper but somehow she managed to hear it.
"Yeah! You're Steve's friend Bucky right? I'm Stark's new assistant (Y/N). I started a couple of months ago, and Steve keeps sending me these distressed sounding messages and... And you just said my words!"
The shards of glass from the broken cereal bowl once again clattered to the floor as Bucky ran around the kitchen island and pulled (Y/N) into a tight hug. There were tears in his eyes as he stroked her hair and buried his face into the crook of her neck. "I've been waiting so long for you (Y/N). I'm so sorry I took so long and strayed so far."
(Y/N) pulled back to look Bucky in the eyes. Her own eyes had misted up a bit and she could barely whisper out the words from the lump in her throat, "Bucky you're perfect. Don't worry about any of that. All that's important now is that we're here and together and nothing is going to tie us up from being together ever again."
~~~
Big thanks to everyone who requested for this I hope you liked it and it was everything you wanted! I know (Y/N) said things before she said the words on Bucky's wrist but she didn't say it too him so I'm going to let it slide.
