Red, White & Blue | Bucky x Reader

Chapter Three

We dash through the front doors of our building, climbing the stairs two at a time until we reach our floor. As I reach for the doorknob, Bucky grabs my arm, pulling me back before pointing at the door. In my hurry to get out of the city, I didn't notice that the front door is ajar. Someone is in our apartment.

Pushing the door open, Bucky silently enters, shielding me with his right arm as I follow, closing the door behind us. Bucky's footsteps don't make a sound as he pads his way further into the apartment, avoiding all the creaky floorboards. His skills surprise me for a moment, HYDRA really did turn him into the perfect assassin.

Bucky comes to a stop and I peer around him to see the figure standing in our kitchen, his back to us. The man is tall, and wearing a dark blue Kevlar tactical suit, which hugs his athletic form. A blue helmet covers the blond hair I know he has, and on his back is the red and silver shield of Captain America, Steve's shield.

"Heads up, Cap," Sam's voice says through Steve's earpiece. "German Special Forces, approaching from the south."

"Understood," Steve replies, his head down as he looks at something in his hands.

Sensing our presence, Steve slowly turns to face us, his blue eyes finally finding ours, and I see that he's holding the notebook Bucky had his morning.

"Y/n," Steve greets me, putting the notebook down on the kitchen counter.

"Hey, Steve," I greet in turn, taking a step toward my friend. However, Bucky steps in front of me, trying to protect me from the man he still can't quite remember.

Steve notices, and he turns to Bucky. "Do you know me?"

Bucky hesitates for a moment, unsure of what to say. "You're Steve. I read about you in a museum."

Sam's voice returns through the earpiece. "They've set the perimeter."

"I know you're nervous," Steve sympathizes. "And you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying."

"He wasn't in Vienna, Steve," I say, trying to change the subject as I step around Bucky.

"They're entering the building," Sam's voice states.

Steve's words become urgent as he turns back to Bucky. "Well, the people who think you were are coming here now. And they're not planning on taking you alive."

"That's smart," Bucky says, gently grabbing my arm to pull me protectively behind him once again. "Good strategy."

"They're on the roof," Sam informs us as we hear a few thumps from above. "I'm compromised."

"This doesn't have to end in a fight," Steve tells us.

On the other side of the door, I hear the hurried thumping of boots as they march up the stairs, and I glance at Bucky as he turns to me, knowing the fight we were trying to avoid is coming.

"It always ends in a fight," Bucky says to Steve, removing his gloves. His metal hand gleams in the ray of light coming from the window.

"Five seconds," Sam warns.

"You chose to trust Y/n," Steve states. "Why?"

"I don't know," Bucky replies.

"Three seconds!" Sam counts down.

"Yes, you do," Steve presses.

"Steve, now is really not the best time to talk about this!" I scold.

"Breach! Breach! Breach!" Sam yells as a grenade comes crashing through the window.