To The Bitter End (Bucky Barnes/ Winter Soldier x reader)

Chapter three

1950\

With the lights out

It's less dangerous

Here we are now

Entertain us

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

"Soldier, come with me."

Bucky stood up and walked towards the door, not looking back at you.

You tried to muffle the sharp pang of sadness you felt at his lack of affection. If they knew how close you two had grown, you would be viewed as a weakness, something to be gotten rid of.

He was just keeping you safe.

"Bring her too."

Your eyes went wide and Bucky looked like he was about to protest.

"Of course," General Karpov examined his filthy fingernails in fake boredom. "I could always get one of them to escort her." He waved towards the eight guards flanking him.

Bucky hesitated for a second, but then turned to you and gripped your upper arm – his grip was gentle but impossible to shake off – then followed Karpov and his men out of the room.

It was the first time you'd left the room in years and the lights of the hallway seemed dazzling compared to the dimness of the cell that you and Bucky had shared for the last six years. 

The walk seemed to stretch out as you wondered what they could want with you. 

Had they found out about you and Bucky? What would they do to you for it?

"Stop."

The procession halted at a locked door, which Karpov unlocked and entered with you, Bucky and the rest of the guards close behind. You shivered as the icy air inside the room hit you like an ocean wave.

Bucky's hold on your arm tightened and he pulled you slightly closer to him, he couldn't be too obvious but you knew what he meant; I'm right here, I won't let them hurt you.

The general directed you to the centre of the room while telling Bucky to stay on the edge next to him, and one of his men approached you and dealt you a sharp blow across the face.

You saw Bucky's eyes flash, but he kept his expression neutral.

"You've proven yourself to be strong, fast and smart," Karpov began, looking up at Bucky, who was almost a full head taller than him. "But you seem to have a weakness."

The guard struck you again, this time hitting your shoulder and causing you to stagger.

Bucky didn't speak, but you could see the muscles in his jaw working, he was grinding his teeth.

The general gestured towards you. "Her."

Another blow, pain exploded in your jaw.

"She means no more to me than anyone else here." You knew he didn't mean it, but it hurt all the same.

"Then kill her," Karpov smirked.

Your blood ran cold and you took an involuntary step back at the man in front of you moved and Bucky took his place.

Your e/c eyes met his ice-blue ones, and you noticed the spark of fear there. He didn't want to hurt you.

"You know what will happen if you disobey."

Bucky's jaw locked and a low growl rumbled in his throat as he took a step towards you. You felt that your heart had stopped working.

You could hear the plates clicking and whirring in his metal arm as his fist clenched. Everything came into sharp focus, the sounds, the sights, the smells of what could very well be your last moments.

"Sir, I don't think he'll do it," One of Karpov's men came a few steps closer, within punching range, you noted.

The general looked like he was about to respond, but he didn't get that far.

Faster than a striking snake, Bucky disarmed the guard and sent him back several paces with a brutal punch to the gut. General Karpov now had a gun pointed at his head.

"If you want to hurt her," Bucky's voice was a low growl. "You'll have to kill me first."

"That could be arranged." Karpov moved his hand in a signal.

All hell broke loose.

The only thing you registered was a blade that slashed down the side of your face. Blood leaked into your eye and all you could see was red. Screams that you assumed were your own rang in your ears as you fell to the ground, only just managing to catch yourself.

Something wet dripped down your face and neck and pooled around your hands as you tried to get to your feet but to no avail.

By the time the sound had stopped, you realized they hadn't been your screams.

You raised a shaky hand to wipe the blood from your eyes and found that only your right eye could see clearly. You took in the scene; Five, motionless bodies, weapons strewn across the ground, blood everywhere.

Karpov was on the other side of the room, surrounded by the three remaining guards, who all had their weapons aimed at Bucky again and were shouting commands in Russian. You could only assume they were telling him to back down.

"Sdelay yey bol'no snova, i ya ub'yu vsekh zdes." Bucky spat back, you had no idea what he was saying but from his harsh tone, you assumed it was a threat.

The three guards exchanged glances, clearly thinking twice about making the same mistake their comrades did.

Sending them one last hateful glare, Bucky gently took your hand and helped you to your feet, making sure to stay on your right side so you could see him the whole time.

"Permission to leave, sir." The way he spat out the last word took all the respect from the title.

No one objected, so you both took it as your queue and Bucky led you from the room. You felt his hand on your waist and his other arm wrap around your shoulders, both supporting and steering you as you made you way down the dull, stone hallway.

As soon as you reached the cell you'd been in that morning, Bucky helped you sit down on the bed, still staying in your field of vision.

As he began to gently wipe the blood off your face, the sight in your left eye became slightly clearer.

The slash ran from just about your left eyebrow down to the edge of your jaw, it seemed to have just missed your eye, thank goodness.

"Can you see?" Bucky asked softly.

"Yeah, it's a little blurry in my left eye but I think it'll be fine." You assure him. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me."

"You saved my life."

Bucky looked away. "It's the least I could do."

You reached out to place your hand over his. "Thank you, Bucky."

You felt like you should have said more, should you have added something on the end? Should you have said something else? 

Should you have told him how you really feel?

No. You concluded. Not yet.

But without even realizing it, you'd been growing closer and closer to Hydra's soon-to-be greatest weapon.

And you would be the beginning of their undoing.