Winter Sun •Soldiers Series• [Bucky Barnes/Avengers] *Sequel to Soldiers*

Chapter 17: Split

Bucky:

I never thought I'd fight my best friend. But it's about Lottie this time. He knows how much she means to me. He should have known better than keeping her disappearance in the dark from me.

"We didn't want to worry you." Steve's face is twisted into a sulk. He too is frustrated, of course. Matron is gone with Lottie. Of course, he's worried too. "Because we know this is exactly how you'd react."

I can barely catch my breaths. Heaving, I ball my fists and glare at my best friend. "Come on, Bucky," Bruce tries but I push his hand off me. "We don't mean to upset you like this."

"You don't understand!" I howl and shove the scientist away from me. Growling, I point at Steve and dig my pointed finger at his chest. He glowers at me. "You wouldn't even tell me if Matron wasn't involved!"

"That's ridiculous," Steve mutters darkly. "I care greatly about Lottie too."

Bruce's face pales. "You're not thinking straight, Bucky-"

"Shut up!"

An agent's arrival has caused the three of us to pause. Catching himself amid our fight, Finn jaw drops open as he glances between us with frank fear. "Should I come back in a while?"

I storm towards him hurriedly and without thinking twice, I let the Winter Soldier's instinct take over. He gives a small yelp when I hold him against the wall by the collar of his uniform. "Got any leads about them?"

He swallows loudly. "We have found an abandoned Hydra's quarter that seems pretty suspicious, Sarge. Fury's prepared to send out a team-"

I release him at once. "I'm going."

Steve frowns and glances at Bruce, who shakes his head and watches me closely. "I'll come with," Steve remarks gravely at last. I give him one last glance before leaving to gear up.

-----

The tunnel stinks like piss. Our squad is creeping along behind us silently but the soft echo of our footsteps still bounce off the metallic wall. Besides me, Steve tightens his hand on his shield. I peer at him, catching his blue eyese doing the same too. "We'll find them," he whispers just so I'm the only one to pick up his words. I ignore him and continue with the mission. It doesn't harm no one to let him know I am still pretty pissed about him keeping me in the dark all these time.

It took Lottie and I about a month to finally settle and begin to build something between us. After barely surviving Hydra, I am not prepared to lose Lottie again. But then, I begin to wonder if it has all started because of me. Would Lottie lead a safer life if she's never met me? Am I really the one to blame for everything, just as the Winter Soldier is?

Steve's hand snaps up to indicate all of us to stop. I don't have to wait for his signal to realise something's off. 

The pin falls with a soft ring.

"Grenade!"

All my breaths are stolen away when I am thrown ahead by a heat rush.  Chaos break around us in a blink. An average soldier might describe everything as blurs, but I am no ordinary man. I am the Winter Soldier. I'm trained for this.

Steve's gone from my side. I assume he's able to take care of himself. The glare of fire stares back at me as I watch my squad attempts to reform. Bullets fly as I try to aim in the direction where the grenade has been thrown. Among the licks of flames, a man in thick pads emerged.

He's fast. I dodge his first blow and pull out my knives. Do I want him dead or live?

I slash and dive for him. He falls with a grunt. Holding a knife against his neck, I hiss, "Where's she?"

The dirty scowl in his face turns foul. "I don't know what you're talking about!" He reaches down and I hear the soft tug of metallic pins again. Cursing, I leap back just as my attacker blows himself up.

A hand falls on my shoulder as I sit heaving on the ground. Instinctively, I grab the hand and twists it, pulling its owner to tumble before me. But the person's skilled. He roll with the motion and push against me. "Bucky," Steve pants and narrows his eyes on me. I loosen my grip slowly. "We're clear."

Nodding, I let go of him and walk ahead.

Charlotte:

My legs dangledover the counter as Bucky busiedaway at the sink. He was g to unclog the filled coffee filter. "Any lucky, Sarge?" I couldn't keep the smile off my face. He grunted and dropped the container.

"Let's do something else," he turned and tried to smile innocently me. I knew exactly what he was trying to do.

"Tony wouldn't be happy if he knew we broke the coffee brewer again?" I remarked in amusement. Nearing me with a smirk that was growing wider by seconds, he scooped me off the counter in one swift movement, stealing a yelp from me.

"I'm not scared of the metal man."

He carries me over to the sofa, where we had built a nest of blankets. His metal hand trailed down my body and I gasped. "I'd rather do something else with you." I sneaked my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I could never imagine a life without him. He was my life. He was my everything.

"Fine, Barnes." I bit my lips when he began dropping kisses along my jaw. "But it better be fun."

"Anything for you, ma'am."