The End

Darkness surrounds Bucky as he opens his eyes. His knees are hurting, something cuts into his flesh arm. He hasn't moved in hours, still hoping that this is just a bad dream. One of those where he finds himself on his bed in his little apartment, covered in sweat. It surely feels like a nightmare. 

He tries to move his arms, just a little shifting so his muscles won't cramp anymore. How many hours have passed since the Hydra agents showed up in his hideout? Was it yesterday? The day before yesterday? How long has it been that he opened those secret files with Steves name on it? Telling a whole different story about his best friend from the one he knew. 

Not for the first time he tries to move his legs from under his body but the ties are too strong. The collar, attached to both walls on his sides, doesn't ease the situation either for the former Winter Soldier.

He knows Hydras methods to instill terror in somebody. How they break their captives. But no matter what they did before he escaped them, it doesn't compare to the pain he is feeling right now. It's not the sore wrist, the stiff neck, the empty stomach or his hurting knees. It's his heart.

Steve Rogers, the man he protected since they've met, even though it's no longer necessary, Steve Rogers who shared a bed with him back in the days, the one man he would give his life for, he sat there next to his tormentor while he was being tortured. 

There are no tears left for him to cry and he starts to feel the dehydration, but he doesn't care. How could he? He just wants the pain to stop. The pain of being betrayed by the one person he gave his heart to.

He never would have thought that there was a place for his heart that's safer than Steve's hands. Not only the hero of a nation. Buckys hero.

And there he was, still silently sobbing, although there were no more tears that could fall.

At first he called for Steve, begged him to explain. To tell him that it's not true. Then he proceed to insult him, with everything he had. And then he begged again. But no one showed up since they chained him up in this dark room. 

There is a whispering voice inside Buckys head, still trying to convince him this is just a trick, that the documents he stole from the hydra basis were fake. They could have laid them out for him to find, so he would believe he was betrayed. But if they knew he intruded their basis, why would they let him leave again? Why bothering to follow him to his apartment a few days later?

For that matter he originally planed to steal those files to find out more about the Winter Soldier programming, but it all became void the second he held Steves files in his hands.

Steve.

One last time, he decides. One last time he breathes in deeply, his chest growing bigger and he screams: "Rogers! Move your damn ass over here or I swear to all the frigging gods that I will rip your treacherous heart out!" 

It hurt Bucky to say those words. It felt so unbelievable wrong that he could not conquer himself to say Steves name in this sentence. His whole body strived against it.

He didn't expect it anymore but he heard the door behind him move. The light is turned on and a whirring sound appears. The person who just stepped into this room however does not move into Buckys field of view.

"Goddamn coward! Don't you have the guts to look me in the face?!"

His voice is raspy, rough, dry. He has no more saliva to nervously lick his lips for the hundredth time.

"Show yourself, Steve!"

There is no doubt for Bucky that the person behind him is his best friend. He could almost feel his presence, his burning glance on his back. Soon enough heavy boots started to move and someone with Steve Rogers face shoved himself in front of Bucky. He's so close Bucky has to lay his head back as much as the collar allows so he can look in the blonds face.