Winter Is Coming (A Bucky Barnes Fanfic)

Chapter 14: Freezing Point

"Melancholy were the sounds on a winter's night." -Virginia Woolf

***

Bucky groans and rolls over in bed, picking up his buzzing phone. He checks the time before picking it up. 5: 52 A.M.

"Hello?" he answers quietly so as not to wake Harley, who finally fell asleep after almost burning the apartment down in a sudden flash of anger.

"Barnes? It's Tony," Stark answers. "I have a lead on where Rogers is."

Bucky sits up in bed too fast, his head spinning and eyes blurring. "Really?"

"Really. I assume you want to be the first to know, so come on over, and I'll give you the layout."

"Okay, great! I'll be right there," Bucky says. "What floor are you on?"

"I'm not sure; just tell Jarvis to bring you to me."

Bucky agrees and hangs up. Dressing quietly, he leaves a note for Harley and tries to restrain himself from skipping down the hall to the elevator.

Stark found Steve. Bucky ponders this as the elevator groans to life and descends. This means we can find him, bring him home, and kill Hydra in the process.

Bucky tries to stop a grin from spreading on his face in case it looks suspicious to the early morning workers.

Stark tower is too far a walk, so Bucky takes his motorcycle. The morning rush hour hasn't started, so traffic is slim, and Bucky makes it to his destination in twenty minutes or less, jittering with nerves and anxiousness.

"Jarvis?" Bucky asks, not sure how the AI functions.

"Yes, Mr. Barnes?"

"Um, can you take me to Tony?" Bucky asks, getting inside the elevator.

"Of course, sir." The elevator doors close and it shoots upward. Bucky shoves his hands in his pockets and waits, the mirrors for walls making him slightly uncomfortable. The ride seems to go on forever, up and up past the mysterious floors of Stark's playground.

The doors ding open and Bucky walks out into a room with a window for a wall and another wall of pure alcohol. Tony stands behind the bar, pouring himself a drink and also wearing his Iron Man suit.

"Drink?" Tony offers, flipping up his face piece and holding up a bottle.

Bucky shakes his head. "No, thanks. Why are you wearing your suit?" Is he planning on getting Steve right after he shows Bucky where he is?

Tony shrugs. "Makes me feel better."

"About what?" Bucky's instincts kick in and he can't help but notice the way Stark is standing like he's ready for any sudden moves.

Tony shrugs again. "Makes me feel like I have a chance against a Super Soldier like you."

Bucky narrows his eyes and feels his metal hand clench into a fist.

"Or, not a Super Soldier, I meant a murderer." Tony's eyes are ablaze with anguish and rage now. "You killed my parents, Barnes. I don't take that lightly."

Bucky's once narrowed eyes widen. Memories of assassinating Howard and Maria Stark flood back to him, and he instantly feels regret and sorrow for doing something so terrible. He hadn't thought about it since that night in the park.

"Tony, that wasn't me," Bucky says cautiously, holding up his hands as a gesture of peace. "That was him and I am truly, genuinely sorry for it." Bucky knew that this day would come eventually, he'd just hoped that when it did they could be adults about it and maybe not be...alone.