Home is where the heart is - A Bucky x Reader Story

Chapter 9: Gotcha!

My face brightened. „Admit it, you liked it!"

„Maybe a little."

„Ha! I knew you'd like it!" I exclaimed and hugged him out of joy, but quickly pulled back as I realized how close we were.

„You should go get ready now, or my dad will fly back from DC and kill you. Or he will kill me because I am, to quote him: The stark in charge"

„That's what he... Never mind, you're right. See you!"

„Good luck!"

THREE DAYS LATER

„Fuck, Dad I'm telling you, something must have happened! You told him to get a bunch of files from an empty base and he is still gone?! It's been too long since he left! Something must be wrong!" I yelled at my dad who was sitting at his desk, avoiding my face.

„Y/n, squirt. Nothing happened, I'm sure he's fine!"

„What if he isn't dad? What if we're here talking while they manipulated him back into being the winter soldier?" I said with a sad voice.

„He is ok, I'm sure of it! But if he won't return by tomorrow, me and Cap will go looking for him, ok? Why do you care so much anyway? You're not even friends"

„I... I don't know dad. I'm sorry I bothered you." I whispered and left his office. I went to my room to grab a hoodie and then I made my way up to the roof where I sat down and pulled my knees close to my face.

I had been so worried about Bucky ever since he left two days ago. What if they hurt him? What if they killed him? What if they turned him back into the winter soldier? I knew he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if that happened, even though it wouldn't even be his fault. He never really talked to me about it much, but Steve told me that Bucky was never able to forgive himself for all the crimes the Winter Soldier had committed and apparently he was really hard on himself. Who knew if he could recover from going through all of this again?

After a while of thinking, I heard footsteps on the gravel. I was about to turn around and check who it was, but the person was faster and plopped down right beside me.

„Hey Y/n, Tony told me you're worried about Buck" Steve said.

„Hey Stevie. Yeah, I guess I am... Aren't you? He's been gone far longer than what he should be... and you know better than anyone here how hard Bucky is on himself because of his past... what if it repeated himself?" I whispered and started my eyes getting a little teary, but I managed not to start crying. Steve wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him.

„Of course I'm worried y/n, he's my best friend. But I can't go walking around there and tell everyone. We can't just give up hope, you know? And besides, Bucky is a fighter. Even if they got him, I'm sure he would find a way out. But you have to explain something to me."

„I'll try my best, depending on what it is." I replied.

„Why are you so worried about him? I though you didn't like each other." Steve asked. I fell silent for a while, thinking of how I could possibly answer. I didn't even really know the answer myself...

„I don't know... I think we started getting along better, we might actually become friends eventually..." I started, bending the truth a little. I'd like to say that we actually already kind of were friends. Or well, maybe something similar like this. Colleagues who get along really well and who want nothing more than to stick their tongues in each other's throats, but there was no way I was going to tell Steve that. „I think we both realised that there is no actual reason to hate each other I guess, so we're... civil I'd say." And with every minute passing, I actually missed him more and more.