Imagine If You Assembled the Avengers: Volume 1

Historically, Not Awesome (Barnes x reader)

No matter how tightly that you held the phone to your ear, cradling it in your hand and leaning into it with closed eyes and a sadness in your voice, it wouldn't bring you any closer to him. There were nights when all you wanted was him at your side, with his arms around you, even when he resisted allowing the left one to touch you; the metal shouldn't be allowed to touch your soft and gentle skin, he would insist.

You were kindred souls, you and Bucky, finding each other with your share of damages and loneliness when neither of you wanted or expected anyone to care. He was on the run from HYDRA and anyone who thought that he was still the Winter Soldier, and you were on your own with people you called friends but were nothing of the sort, trapping you in a life of pain and self-loathing. Just when the darkness had taken over and you thought you would never know any other life, he ran right into you. And now, after a year together, the lives you had both known were nothing but distant memories.

"We should be back at the tower late tonight, so I'll just stay there so I don't wake you."

"But I miss you," you tried not to whine. "It's been two weeks, Buck."

He let out a long sigh, and you could only imagine the look on his face at the thought of making you unhappy. "Tell you what, let's meet at that little café down the block from your place, maybe like 8 o'clock? Then you've got me for the whole day. I've already cleared it with Steve."

"Well be sure to tell him I said thanks," you chuckled softly. "It's a date, Mr. Barnes. Don't you dare stand me up."

When he paused for just a bit too long, you worried that he thought you were being serious. Bucky would never stand you up; he was the most honorable and thoughtful man you had ever known, even after everything he had been through. One thing they hadn't taken from him were his values as a gentleman. "Doll, I wouldn't think of it. Now, get some sleep. Dream of me."

"I always do."

"I love you," he replied quietly, as if to keep the team from hearing him. Keeping anything personal as a part of the Avengers was a virtual impossibility; if Tony or Clint got wind of something, it was public knowledge within seconds. Bucky wanted to keep you for himself.

"I love you, too. I'll see you in the morning." You closed the line and stared at the phone for a moment as his picture faded to black. You set the phone on the table next to you and turned to make your way to bed for the night, but a hand shot out over your mouth and an arm wrapped around your chest, holding you so that you couldn't move. As the room around you darkened, Bucky's face was still all that you could see.

~~~

"I'm telling you, Steve. Something's wrong," Bucky panted into the phone, taking the stairs to your apartment two and three at a time. "There's no way in hell that she'd stand me up. I'm at her door, hold on."

"(Y/N)?!" he yelled into the old wooden frame, pounding his metal hand against it. "(Y/N) are you in there?" When there was no reply, he began pacing frantically. "Steve, I need to get in there."

"Buck, maybe she just isn't home-"

Steve's words were cut off by the sound of wood being cracked and falling to the ground as the door shattered into your apartment. Bucky kicked away the few remaining planks so that he could enter, but found nothing immediately wrong. Everything was in its place and the apartment looked clean. He hurried from room to room, opening closets and drawers, desperately searching for anything that would tell him where you were.

"Dammit, there's nothing here."

"I'm on the way, stay there," Steve commanded. "At least let me help you."