Red Star ✴️ Bucky Barnes X Reader

8: Really Barnes?

Bucky was pacing his room in a panic. 

Why the HELL did I think that was a good idea? You KNOW she was showering! But what if she was hurt? Wait, why do you even care, she's Hydra! Idiot, YOU'RE Hydra!

"Fuck!" Bucky growled, his fist colliding against the wall. "How could I be so stupid?"

"Bucky?"

Barnes' eyes turned to the wall he had just hit. 

"Steve?"

"Yeah. You okay in there bud?"

Bucky chuckled. "I should be asking you that after that horrible singing performance."

He could hear Steve's laugh through the wall. 

"You wanna talk about it?"

Cut to the duo sitting on couch cushions on the floor of Steve's room, with Steve holding the bridge of his nose and Bucky looking embarrassed. 

"Really, Barnes?"

"I wasn't thinking!"

"Obviously!" 

Bucky put his head in his hands, his fingers taking root in his hair. 

Steve sighed, removing his hand from his face. "Look, this isn't horrible." 

"Not like that's saying much--"

"Shush. Look--" Steve continued. "She's probably going to piece together you were trying to help her. I mean, that's literally what you said."

"She's gonna hate me."

"That's not what I said--"

"She's gonna want to rip my guts out."

"Bucky, stop it--"

"She'd be good at it too--"

"BUCKY." 

He turned to see Steve's face twisted in frustration. 

"Look, can you not hate yourself for five seconds?"

Bucky smirked. 

"One--"

"That's not what I meant and you know it. "

Bucky just started laughing. "Look, you're right. In the grand scheme of things, everything is going to be okay. I just hope I didn't make her feel uncomfortable."

"Well, at least she knows you tried," Steve joked, slapping his hand against Bucky's shoulder.

Steve stopped for a second. 

"Speaking of her, actually..."

Bucky looked at Steve curiously. "What's up?"

"Bowman mentioned that... Well..." Steve stammered, trying to find the right words. 

"She knows Hawkeye."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, and she knew his real name too."

Silence. The two stared at each other as their brains started to piece it together. 

"The program started in 1991." Bucky stated. "When did Barton join the Avengers?"

"2011." Cap responded. "But he was a SHIELD agent much earlier than that. Not sure how early."

"We might just have to ask Barton once we break him out," Bucky smirked.

Just the thought of rescuing his friends made Steve smile. "Yeah, soon enough."

The two laid on the couch cushions, staring at the ceiling and taking this new information in.

"You know something?" Steve smiled. "I can still remember the last day you and I curled up on couch cushions on the floor."

Bucky smiled. "Yeah... Things were simpler back then."

The two smiled, basking in the warmth of their childhood memories.

"Bucky?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna stay here for the night? Like when we were kids?"

Bucky let out a breathy laugh, a smile creeping on his face. "Just like old times."