The Red Soldier: Origins of the Red Soldier

ISSUE #8

'No, it's not that,' (Y/N) told him, his eyes flicking between Bucky's half-naked body and his eyes, 'I can't stay mad at you for that.'

'Then what is it?' Bucky smirked, he couldn't deny he was enjoying the attention.

'I... I can't swim.'

'You don't need to swim,' he assured him, 'we won't go too deep.'

'Promise?'

'I won't let you drown, (Y/N).'

It was Bucky admiring (Y/N) now, as he took off his shirt and trousers, leaving him only in a pair of stripy underpants. Bruises and healed-over scars scattered his torso and arms, reminders that they were still at war. 'Do they hurt?' Bucky asked, every scratch and scrape he had received seemed to heel within a day.

'Not really,' (Y/N) shrugged, 'ugly aren't they.'

'No,' he disagreed, his head shaking, 'I think you're beautiful no matter what. They're reminders of how strong you are.'

'You talk some right bullshit sometimes, Barnes,' (Y/N) laughed.

'Bullshit, is it?' Bucky chuckled, resting his hands on (Y/N) (L/N)'s waist, 'I'd never lie to you – ever.' Then he planted a soft kiss on (Y/N)'s forehead, before throwing him over his shoulder and sprinting into the waves.

(Y/N) was in hysterics, laughing loudly and slamming his fists into Bucky's back relentlessly, 'this is attempted murder!' he yelled between fits of laughter, 'if I drown my mam'll kill you!'

Before the water reached his collarbones, Bucky put him down. (Y/N) gasped for air, his arms flailing around until his feet reached the floor. 'Too – deep,' he managed to choke out, his lips only just above the surface of the water.

'Here,' said Bucky, taking hold of (Y/N)'s backside and pulling him up so he could sit comfortably in his arms. 'Better?'

'Better,' he breathed out, although shivering slightly as his arms rested atop Bucky's shoulders. 'You could've killed me!' he then exclaimed once he'd caught his breath.

'I wouldn't have let you drown,' Bucky Barnes laughed, 'where would I be without my best man?'

'Back in a HYDRA research base probably,' the doctor replied bluntly.

'It was a rhetorical question,' Bucky shook his head. (Y/N) had gone to argue, but Bucky silenced him with a kiss. He firmly believed he'd never get bored of kissing (Y/N). Every single time their lips touched it was different - exciting. He mentally slapped himself for spending so much time trying to impress the girls in Brooklyn. All he'd ever needed had been right under his nose.

When (Y/N) pulled away from the kiss, he was shivering. 'It's really cold,' he stammered, 'can we get out?'

'Course we can,' nodded Bucky, walking out of the water and setting (Y/N) down on his feet gently. 'Here,' he said, draping both shirts over (Y/N)'s quivering shoulders.

When they returned to the cottage and dried off, Bucky changed into some fresh clothes: a shirt which had once belonged to (Y/N)'s father and a pair of trousers from his brother's chest of drawers. 'He'd have liked you,' (Y/N) said, out of the blue, as they enjoyed a glass of wine on the back patio. They'd found a couple bottles in the back of the pantry.

'Who?'

'My father.'

'Why's that?' Bucky asked. He didn't know a whole lot about Mr (L/N), except that he'd fought in the Great War, that he'd been a miner, and that he'd died fighting the current war. (Y/N) spoke very highly of him though; he spoke very highly of all his family.

'You're brave, and strong, and loyal,' (Y/N) listed, 'and you're good, Bucky; you're so good.'

'I'm only good because of you, (Y/N),' he said, his arms reaching across the table which separated them, his hands gripping (Y/N)'s tightly, 'I'm good because I have you. I'm good because you make me good. I'm good because I love you.'

He saw the shock in (Y/N)'s eyes as the words left his mouth, and his heart sank in his chest; perhaps he wasn't as brave as (Y/N) believed him to be.

'You love me?'

'I love you.'

'That's a strong word Buck,' (Y/N) almost choked.

'I know.'

(A/N): some nice Bucky x (Y/N) to distract from all the deep shit from the past couple chapters. Hope you're enjoying it so far; I'm enjoying writing it :-)