Captain America Bucky Barnes Winter Soldier Steve Rogers Fan Fic - The Constant

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Steve & Freya - Recollections

Now here they were two days later, knowing nothing new. No trace of anything had been found. It is as if James Barnes has disappeared of the face of the earth.

"I did it again pal, I let you fall," Steve mutters to himself. He doesn't know what to do but wait.

Bayer has already had restrictions placed on their movements, although they will ignore them if they have to. He is furious and believes it has been arranged by Rogers and Bowman with the help of their Avenger friends. But he is wrong. They truly do not know where he is. Nobody does.

*

Steve sits and remembers.

"So you gonna keep the outfit?" Bucky had asked him, and Steve felt himself blush.

He looked at Bucky. "It's kind of grown on me," he says, and this time it is Bucky that colours.

The next night Bucky asks him to wear it. "Why? Do you need rescuing?" Steve had asked.

"You've already rescued me several times over," Bucky had replied, looking at Steve with that look that makes Steve feel he is worth a million dollars.

Steve wears the outfit, all but the face mask. Bucky walks around him, tracing lines of the suit with his fingers. Then he stops in front of him, and his eyes are so blue, dark, full of want and Steve swallows. He bends forward and kisses him and Bucky's hands come up and run through Steve's hair pulling him even closer.

Then the next thing he knows he's being pulled onto the bed and Bucky is hastily peeling of the material. "Hey I thought you wanted me to keep it on," Steve laughs.

Bucky looks at him. "Just shut up and help will you!"

Steve had ended up stark-naked; Bucky had barely taken anything off and when someone had knocked at the door calling Steve's name Bucky just needed to do his zipper up. Steve had bolted upright off the bed, trying to put the uniform back on - it was the only thing to hand. Bucky had answered the door just as Steve, hopping on one foot, had fallen to the floor on the other side of the bed and lay still and out of sight, because he was still more or less naked - even if his ardour was now cooling!

"Sergeant Barnes, you seen Captain Rogers?" Steve recognised Colonel Chester Phillips's voice.

"Shit no," Steve had whispered to himself.

"Seen him?" he heard Bucky ask.

"Yes son...as in, have you seen Captain Rogers? This is his room isn't it?" the colonel's voice doesn't sound very amused and he hears Bucky clear his throat.

"Yes sir but no sir, I mean, yes its his room, but no I haven't seen him. I was just waiting for him myself, shouldn't be too long...."

"Well then, I'll just come in and wait with you." The Colonel moves to walk past but finds Bucky blocking the way.

"Um, well when I say shouldn't be long I mean, he's um, well you know he's..." and then Bucky lowers his voice as if sharing a secret: "He's with Peggy Carter, so he may be longer than I thought, if you know what I mean, sir."

The thing with Bucky is he can make most people believe him: he has this smile, one of pure wide-eyed innocence, and he uses it now.

There is a moment's silence and Steve is praying. Whilst the Commandos know about him and Bucky, other personnel do not and it is not something that people would be happy about back in the day....especially not a commanding officer.

"I see. Well, tell him to come and see me at headquarters...when he can spare the time. Peggy Carter huh?"

"Yes, sir I think he said it was something to do with British-American relations...you know, sharing of ideas and....such like." And Steve can see in his mind Bucky's smile because he can hear it in Bucky's voice.