bucky barnes imagines

lvii. MUTE (two)

Since that day, you'd started spending almost all of your free time with Bucky. At first, you were slightly hesitant; he seemed like a pretty independent person and you didn't want to overcrowd him at all. However, he was quick to assure you that he needed you just as much as you needed him.

Everyone began to notice a change in you. You no longer panicked when one of your teammates spoke to you, you were able to eat meals with them instead of alone in your room, you even managed to have a few lengthy conversations.

Bucky was proud of you, and he wasn't afraid to show it. Whenever you stepped outside of your comfort zone, he would encourage you and offer to help if you needed it. And even better – he always made sure to smother you with hugs if he thought you were unhappy or anxious.

He was easily the best person in your life.

After a while, Tony had decided that you'd gained enough confidence to finally be a proper part of the team. You'd be embarking on your first official mission – nothing big, just retrieving a file from a possible enemy, but it was a mission all the same.

The day before you were due to leave, you found yourself curled up in a ball on the couch, rocking back and forth, thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong. Usually, you would just find Bucky and he would calm you down, but he was currently out with Steve.

As soon as the pair returned, Bucky rushed to your side and scooped you up in his arms, taking you to your own room. He gave you a few minutes to compose yourself, gently playing with your hair as you caught your breath, before he finally tilted your chin up until your eyes met his.

"Is this about the mission?" he murmured. You nodded, knowing that you'd likely burst out sobbing if you even tried to speak.

"Hey, listen. I know this is all new, and it's okay to be scared about it. But I promise you're going to be absolutely fine. Your powers are amazing and hey, remember when we trained together a few days ago? You were strong enough to pin me to the ground. You deserve to be a part of this team just as much as the others do. And if anything goes wrong – it won't, but just in case – I'll be right by your side to get you out of there, okay? I won't let anything happen to you."

Those words meant the world to you and you replayed them in your head as you shakily boarded the quinjet the following morning. Nat approached you, asking if you were ready; you didn't feel like replying, but Bucky set a hand on your shoulder and you reminded yourself to push through your doubts.

"Yes... I'm excited," you spoke. It wasn't entirely untrue – the feeling actually reminded you of the day you'd first met Bucky. Beneath the constant anxiety was a buzz, a sense of exhilaration, because you were going to do something good.

A niggling voice in your head told you that one good deed could never offset everything you'd done for HYDRA in the past. But, as Bucky sat down next to you and tucked his hand into yours reassuringly, you forced yourself to think positively.

Before long, the jet had landed and everyone separated into teams – Steve and Nat, Sam and Wanda, and you and Bucky. Each pair had a different job; yours was to break into an underground laboratory to retrieve vital data from a flash drive.

So far, everything was going smoothly and you were gaining confidence, even managing to talk to your teammates through an earpiece. It barely took a few seconds to find what you needed and escape the building undetected.

With the jet in sight again, Bucky opened his mouth to congratulate you on your first successful mission. You turned to him with a smile, when you saw something behind him that made your blood run cold.

Three men dressed entirely in black, their outfits complete with bulletproof vests and huge assault rifles that could definitely kill you with a single bullet.

While Bucky was armed too, his gun was fully secured in a holster, and he hadn't seen the operatives, one of whom was now aiming directly at the two of you, his finger daring to squeeze the trigger.

It was up to you.

Before that moment, you'd never truly understood why people insisted that time slowed down during crucial moments – time was constant, how could that be possible? But then, as you watched a bullet soar through the air, heading directly for Bucky's heart, you finally got it. It was like slow motion, when really, it was nothing. You had a split second to react.

So you took a risk. You tried something that you'd been attempting ever since you were a child – and thank God it worked.

A force field, a violet bubble of electricity surrounding you, protecting you. It was draining, standing with your arms outstretched as energy poured out of every cell in your body, but you managed it. White hot lightning bolts flew at the agents, stunning them, giving you just enough time to snap out of your trance-like state without being injured.

And then you were in Bucky's arms as he carried you towards the jet, yelling for whoever was piloting to take off as soon as he got you both safely onboard. After using so much power, you were a little hazy, but you were alive, you were all alive.

The first thing you remembered was opening your eyes to see Bucky gazing at you, awestruck, his eyes practically shining with happiness, which was strange given the situation.

"Hm?" you croaked, still feeling quite weak.

"Do you need anything? Water, food, more sleep?" Bucky rambled. "We checked your vitals and you're doing fine, doll, so don't worry... God, you're amazing—"

"I'm sorry," you interrupted, your eyes glossing over with tears. "I got too cocky and messed up the mission and y-you almost didn't make it because of me."

"Hey, hey, listen," Bucky soothed, cradling you in his lap as you set your head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I told you that I would look after you, and I got distracted, that's on me. You were perfect, sweetheart, you saved my life, y'know that?"

Slowly, you nodded, opting to believe him. After a while, his words sunk in and, with some friendly input from the rest of the team, you began to accept that maybe he was right.

"Thank you," you murmured, after a short while of silence.

"What?" Bucky replied, confused. "No, thank you, you saved me—"

"Not for that," you clarified. "Thank you for accepting me."

Everybody heard you, prompting various praises to echo around you, bringing a tiny smile to your ashen face. Bucky simply wrapped his arms tightly around your waist, placing a soft, almost protective kiss to your cheek.

After that, you didn't speak for the rest of the journey. Because, for maybe the first time ever, you didn't feel the need to say a single word.