Bucky Barnes/ Winter Soldier One Shots

Within The Smoke

Summary: After rescuing a girl from a terrible fire, she insists on rescuing her cat from among the flames. Bucky cannot resist her tear-filled eyes.

Pairing: Firefighter!Bucky x reader

Word Count: 1637

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It was merely two minutes into the distress call that everybody had boarded the truck, pulling on equipment while the driver stepped on the accelerator and sped down the road. The sirens emitted by the truck rang in Bucky's ears as he pulled on the thick rubber gloves. The scent of smoke still lingered over the gear from all the previous fires they had been used in. Bucky paid it no heed. He was too used to it.

Steve sat opposite to him, already dressed appropriately, pulling and tugging various bags and tanks, getting the equipment ready for use. There was commotion on the deck above where they sat, and he knew his colleagues were moving around to make sure they could jump into action as soon as the truck arrived to its destination.

The shouting, noises, and the unbearable smell of smoke entered the truck even before they took their last turn onto the street where the fire was. Bucky stood at the open door, staring at the huge apartment building. His eyes caught the area where the fire was, he counted it to be the fifth floor. There was a crowd of people surrounding the base of the building, looking upwards at the clouds of smoke erupting from the windows. Various police cars were already there, officers escorting people out of the building. Bucky quickly took in the intensity of the fire above and the relatively harmless people that were exiting the building. He knew, instantly, that the residents of the affected apartment were still in there.

He was running towards the building before the truck had even stopped, hearing Steve's heavy boots right behind him. Police immediately cleared way for them, while the rest of his colleagues moved the truck near the wall of the building, setting the ladder up higher to shoot water in through the one access point they had; a lone window on that floor.

Bucky knew what his assigned duty was; getting people out. He felt the adrenaline starting to pump through his veins as he and Steve rushed up, staircase after staircase. People moved in the opposite direction, flattening themselves against the wall as Bucky and Steve zipped past them. It was a quick trip there, and the door was still fast closed by the time they were there.

Bucky could feel how hot the steel door knob was even through the rubber of his gloves. As soon as he and Steve barreled into the room, his vision was lost completely. His face mask effectively kept the smoke out of his eyes and lungs, but did nothing to improve his sight. But, to Bucky's luck, he stumbled over a lump and fell to the ground barely two feet from the door.

The resulting yelp startled him, and he turned to the source of the noise. The lump against the wall turned out to be a girl, mid twenties, visibly panicked and sweating from the intense heat and breathing hard. The noise in the apartment was incredible, wood crackling loud in his ears. In the distance, there was creaking of doors and items falling to the floor. He immediately wrapped his rubber clad arms around the girl's petite frame, pushing to get her on her feet. She struggled a bit, and Bucky leaned forward to be heard through his mask.

"It's okay!" He shouted. "We're firemen!"

Her eyes met his through the clear plastic of his mask as her struggles stilled. Half holding her up while Steve held up her other arm, they pulled her the short distance to the door and out of it, to the relatively clear air. She was taking large gasps of air, but didn't move to the staircase. Instead, she turned back to the apartment.

"My-" She coughed, unable to speak.

Bucky held onto her upper arms, turning her to face him. "Who? Who else is in there?" He shouted, knowing he had to be loud to catch her attention. She was lightheaded as it was.