Alchemy Jones → Bucky Barnes [1]

12|SEVEN SECONDS

By four o'clock in the morning, soldiers were packing their bags and tucking photos of loved ones in their pockets. By dawn, the sun was above the horizon, painted yellow and orange. A mist hung over the camp, following the marching soldiers until the dreary camp of Invicta Base was far behind. The brisk morning itself woke the soldiers up and coffee was distributed as they walked towards a town that had been seized by enemy forces.

When Ally was asked why she was coming along, she had to say she was just coming for medical support. That wasn't completely a lie as Ally definitely would stop her research to help a wounded man. Ruthie decided to go back to Brooklyn that day, unable to risk her life for a serum she didn't have high hopes in. The plan was simple, if things got too dangerous, Ally would be sent back to base. Jojo demanded that if they do happen to hear one gun go off that isn't their own, she be sent back right away. Colonel Austin Moriarty knew why Ally was coming along and he knew why the research was so important but he had a daughter of his own, and felt the need to make sure Ally didn't get hurt.

Bucky and Ally didn't have much time to talk about what had happened the night before. Although, that didn't seem to bother either of them. It was your typical but beautiful tale of skinny love all along but now, it was no longer skinny love. The remainder of their night was spent dancing and laughing, talking about the past and what the future could be like. In the dangerous but awaited morning, neither one of them had to pretend like it didn't happen and that made them equally happy. 

As they entered the destroyed courtyard of the small town, they halted suddenly. Dust swirled in the early morning sky and the air smelt of smoke. Quaker stooped low to tug at a piece of brown fabric under some rubble as he waited for the Colonel to give his orders.

Ally's heart dropped to her feet. It was a child's teddy bear, coated with ash. She felt her breathing hitch as she watched him carefully put it back down.

Bucky noticed immediately, reaching out to touch her fingers, letting her know he was there. The Colonel would definitely yell at him if he saw that he was out of place.

Colonel Moriarty turned to his soldiers. "I want a full check of every single one of these buildings, no area is left unchecked. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!"

Almost too quickly, the clinking sound of a bouncing object silenced the American soldiers. As everyone squinted their eyes at it, Bucky was the first to notice. "Grenade!"

Ally felt Bucky's hands wrap around her waist and bring her behind a broken wall. She heard the explosion that echoed throughout the town and the screaming of the men who weren't quick enough. Her mouth was agape as she felt the ringing in her ears and Bucky yelling at her to move. Everything felt numb, except the warm blood trickling down her ear from her blasted eardrum.

Quaker, Peter, Ally and Bucky immediately got to their feet and took off sprinting down an abandoned alley, gunshots firing after them. Bucky raised his knee to his chest and then kicked down a door, rushing everyone inside before covering the entrance. The four ran up the stairs, falling to their knees as they made it to a sheltered room, adrenaline coursing through their veins.

Ally's numbed fingers felt for the brim of her pocketbook and pulled it out, touching the tip of the pen against her tongue before writing.

"It takes a grenade 7 seconds to explode and an average soldier 6.8 seconds to realize it's about to go off."

She wiped the dripping blood off her ear and smeared it against her trousers. She then proceeded to hug her knees, rocking herself back and forth as the gun firing continued.

"You're bleeding," Bucky whispered, concern clearly painted on his face. "What happened?"

The ringing in her ears didn't stop as she spoke in a low, shaky voice. "When the grenade went off, it blasted my eardrum. I'm okay Buck, I'll deal with it after."

A few more gunshots silenced Bucky from saying anymore. The building shook and dust fell from the ceiling, causing the four to fear for the worst. "It's not safe for you here anymore," Quaker informed Ally, pulling on her sleeve. "I have orders to return you to the base."

Ally watched Bucky as he spun around to gun down incoming Nazi's through the window. The sound of more guns being fired caused her to jump out of her skin and her stomach to twist with fear. "I can't leave you, not now!"

Bucky ducked behind the window, reloading the clip of his gun. His blue eyes gazed up at Ally, watching her tremble. "You heard Quaker, it's not safe. I can't put you at risk Ally, I can't."

"No, no! I finally have you–" her hands shook as she crawled towards him, dust and ruins scraping her knees. More nearby grenades went off and she felt the sudden urge to cry. "How can I leave you when I know it isn't safe?"

"Ally we need to go now or we'll be compromised."

"I'll come back," he promised, lowering his gun. "I'll come back– and I'll marry you Ally, when I come home, we'll get married." He cupped Ally's cheeks, pressing his forehead against hers.

Ally nodded her head against his hands, warm tears blurring her vision. "You promise?"

He kissed her desperately, knowing that if he waited a second more, she could be dead or a bomb could go off. "I promise."

"Ally!"

She kissed his forehead, wiping away her tears as she scrambled to her feet, following Quaker out of the destroyed building and out towards the tanks. In terrified but appealed belief, Peter turned to Bucky. "You must really love her, huh?"

Bucky touched his lips, not willing to admit that he was afraid that that would be the last time he may ever kiss her. He quickly got ahold of his thoughts and turned to Peter. "I guess I really do."

Peter looked down at his hand, pressing his wedding ring to his lips. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, getting ahold of himself as well. "We got this."

Bucky bent over, hands on his knees, struggling to regulate his breathing. The only thing going through his mind is that he can't die, he can't die during this ambush, he can't, he won't. He can't die because he finally got the girl, he can't die because he's supposed to win the war with Steve.

He can't, he can't, he won't.

—

Bucky touched his lips, not willing to admit that he was afraid that that would be the last time he may ever kiss her. He quickly got ahold of his thoughts and turned to Peter. "I guess I really do."