Captain America and Bucky Barnes Imagines

46. STEVE: Stalked Pt. 2

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Requested by isobellllxo! Hope you like it :)

"You've gotta keep working on keeping your casualties down, Buck." Steve walks beside his best friend dressed in all leather and black as they lug their mission packs down the hall. Headed towards their neighboring rooms, Steve keeps lecturing Bucky on his tactical methods. "We never want to kill anyone—good or bad. If there's a way to avoid death, we do it that way." His light blue eyes move away from the carpeting. "Got it?"

"Yeah, sure." Bucky refrains from rolling his eyes at the repeated lecture he's heard about a dozen times. But he knows it's no use arguing with Steve—he's too damn honorable for his own good. If Steve could trap the fly rather than smash it, he would. He regrets all the lives he's taken, even the terrible ones. Bucky does too—but for different reasons.

The two super soldiers pass a closed bedroom door with the smell of burnt out balsam candles coming out of it. Steve can't help but shuffle slower as he walks by your room. His eyes linger on the door for a moment before forcibly dragging away.

"Any updates on the stalker?" Bucky asks, even though he knows that if there was any news he'd have heard it already.

Steve shakes his head. The taut skin around his sharp jaw is splattered red—not from blood, but an angry blush. "No. Stark even stayed behind on this last mission so that he could keep digging. But it's been a week and we haven't found a single thing." Again Steve's brain is shot with the images of all those letters and your tears that night he'd found you on the hallway floor. Not a moment has gone by that he hasn't worried about you or how he's supposed to keep you, the woman he secretly loves, safe from something he can't track down.

Bucky's soft slap to Steve's shoulder shakes him from his thoughts. He looks over at his friend who tries reassuring him with a nod. "She's going to be okay."

Steve lets out a long breath but says nothing.

"Why don't you stop by and see her." Bucky stops them in the hall and reaches for Steve's things. "Tell her you're home or whatever it is that a man in love is supposed to do."

Steve scowls and blushes all the same. "Shut up, jerk."

Bucky's chuckle is low. "Whatever, asshole." He grabs their things and turns to finish the walk down the hall. "You know I'm right," is the last thing he calls out over his shoulder before Steve looks away.

Steve takes the few steps towards your door before softly knocking. There's no noise inside but a small tabletop fan. He tries again before daring to push it open just a hair—calling out your name. When you still don't reply he ventures farther inside.

"Y/N? You in here?" The room is dark—curtains closed and not even a lamp clicked on. He flicks the light switch and watches as the space is illuminated. Your dresser drawers are all cockeyed and messy as if they'd been raided. His heart picks up speed as he sees the chaos your things have been left in.

"Looking for something, Rogers?"

Steve startles and turns. Standing behind him in the hall is Nat. She's leaning on the doorframe across yours with a small smile on her face. She, just like everyone else in this damn compound, is acutely aware of Steve's big ole crush on you.

Not waiting for Steve to reply, Nat says, "She went back to the campus for the weekend. One of her friend's was having a big party or something." The redhead gives a half-shrug before pushing off of the wall and sauntering closer. "She'll be back tomorrow."

Steve's brow gnarls up. His fists clench at his sides. "And Tony just let her go? When we still haven't found that sick freak?"

"He sent the twins with her. I offered to go, but she said I wouldn't blend in." Nat shrugs and smirks. "I think that was her way of telling me I'm getting old or something, the little brat."