Warnings: tiniest bit of smut at the start (18+), fluff, violence, swearing
You stretched your sore body out along Bucky's. You feel Bucky stirring besides you from your movements, so you roll on top of him as he lets out a soft 'oof'. You laugh quietly enjoying the feel of your naked bodies flush together.
He opens his eyes squinting at you in mock annoyance. You push strands of his hair out of his face and you run your thumb along his cheekbone. He closes his eyes again as he says, "morning doll". You smile as you litter his chest in feather light kisses.
He brings his hands up to your back, stroking patterns that sends shivers down your spine. You sigh, content, as you say, "I love you Bucky". Bucky's eyes shoot open as you carry on, "and you don't have to say it back, but I can't hold the words back any longer. I've never felt like this with anyone before. So loved, and safe, like I've found my home. And I know you'll protect me with every fibre in your body, but anything can happen, especially now and I can't die without saying those words to you."
Bucky brings his hands up to cup your face. You close your eyes as he brings his mouth to yours, kissing deeply. He pulls away slightly, your lips still brushing as he whispers, "I love you too Y/N". You smile against his lips as he pulls you in for another kiss.
When you finally break away you glance at the time and groan. It was 8:45am and you were meant to meet the team in the training room at 9am. You roll off Bucky, walking to the bathroom naked. "Where do you think you're going?", his voice sounds rough and thick.
You turn around and he's watching your every move with hungry eyes, "don't even think about it Bucky, we have to meet the team in 15 minutes and I'm the one they're gonna be waiting for. Now I'm having a quick shower and then getting dressed and you should do the same". You turn back and start to make your way to the bathroom again.
You hear movement behind you and before you know it you feel arms spinning you around and picking you up. Bucky throws you over his shoulder and starts carrying you to the bathroom. You squeal and shout his name, you hear the smirk in his voice as he says, "what? I'm showering with you, you did tell me to do the same thing as you". Needless to say, you were late getting to the training room.
You had just knocked Steve down for the third time. It was only you, Bucky and Steve left in the training room. You had given a low down about how the assassins like to work and sparred with everyone. All that took about two hours, but everyone had other things they needed to do. You told them all to be careful and to watch out for someone wearing uniform similar to yours and anyone suspicious as they will be disguised if necessary.
You could see that Steve was getting slightly frustrated. His efforts with the shield wasn't working and every time he left himself exposed thinking the shield would work. You give him a hand and he takes it as you say, "you need to fight dirty Steve. You're being too nice", he frowns at you as he goes to pick up his shield.
He walks back towards you as he says, "maybe I'm being too nice because it's you".
You shake your head at him, "its not that Steve, I could feel you pulling your punches when I first attacked you guys. I know you don't like or want to kill Steve, but these people are killers. They won't hesitate, killing doesn't bother them, in fact, some of them enjoy it. Every time you fight with these people its life or death. You also need to get up off the floor faster. They're fast and like I said they won't hesitate. Ideally you won't go down at all and if you're finding it hard to get back up then roll or something, but you need to move faster", Steve is nodding his head during all this trying to absorb all the information, "you rely on your shield quite heavily too, now you need to think outside the box to use it to your advantage instead of it being the reason you keep losing against me. We're trained to look for your moves so do something that throws them off. Something like throwing your shield at them, they'll see it coming and dodge, but have it bounce off a wall and come back to hit them without expecting it".
Steve nods the last time before getting ready to fight you again. Just as we were about to start F.R.I.D.A.Y. chimes in, "Mr Fury requests the three of you at a quinjet as soon as possible, fully suited". There was an urgency in the way she said it that made us run to suit up and meet him at the quinjet.
As soon as the three of us are there Fury doesn't waste time, "You're going to a location in a forest that is about an hour away. You'll find a safe house, there are 2 agents that have been captured by Hydra. I can't be clear on numbers, you're going in blind and there are only you 3 available but if we don't act now they'll move and we may never find them again".
He hands us a picture of the 2 agents we need to get, a woman with a blonde pixie cut and a bald man with glasses. Without another word we get on the jet and leave. Bucky flies us to the location shown on GPS while you put your weapons into place.
Steve studies the photos before setting them down, he hands out the coms and before we know it we're at the location. Bucky lands out of site and we make our way through the forest silently. We stay in the cover of the trees as we take in what is essentially a house in the middle of the forest.
Made from red brick most of the windows are boarded up to some degree. None of us can see anyone outside and we spot no movement from inside. Steve looks at us as he says, "I think we should come at them hard and fast. They're not expecting us, go straight through the front door and take out the Hydra agents as we go. As soon as the agents are dispatched we search the property thoroughly". You and Bucky nod your agreement.
You follow through with the plan, crashing through the front door and surprising the men inside. It didn't take you long to take the agents down. "Good work guys", Steve says like a proud parent. You offer to take the upstairs floor to search while the boys search downstairs.
You make your way up the wooden stairs, they creak beneath your weight. There were 3 rooms on this floor and you thought your luck must be getting better when you pick the first one and find the man you were sent to save. He's tied to a chair, a rag in his mouth and looking a little worse for wear.
His eyes widen seeing you and you tell him you're here to help him. You make your way over to him. You take the gag out first, but he doesn't speak, he looks quite traumatised. You untie his hands and start on his legs when you hear him gasp. You look up at him and his eyes are wide again, you turn around expecting to see Bucky or Steve, but you're met with a fist.
You fall to the side dazed, but you roll in time to miss a kick. You get up quickly and you focus on a figure in black. You can see his chest rising and falling, fists clenched but still can't see his face, the hood obscuring his features. You're both still, watching each other, the only movement is the guy untying himself from the chair as he quickly runs out the room.
You hear a crash downstairs but ignore it as you send a silent prayer that the boys are okay. "I didn't break the oath. I wouldn't betray the Emperor like that", you say this watching him get into a fighting stance.
He comes at you like a tornado. Fists swinging in a wild flurry. You manage to keep up, blocking them, but it feels like his punches are getting stronger not weaker. You block a punch with your left arm as you shake free your blade into your right hand. You swipe the blade causing a cut to his arm. He doesn't make a sound, jumping back slightly to pull out a long blade. Shorter than a sword but longer than a knife. You notice a blue gem at the top of the handle. You can't stifle the gasp that escapes your mouth.
You sit next to Julian as he cleans his weapons. You watch him for awhile and then decide to ask him a question that catches him off guard, "did you ever know your mother?". His hand stops, and he doesn't speak for a long time.
He sighs as he says, "I did".
His words are clipped and strained but you continue with the line of questioning, "where is she now?".
You see him swallow, watching his Adams apple go up and down as he says with no emotion, "she left".
You don't apologise, its not like it would bring her back and it wasn't your fault, instead you ask him, "what was she like?".
You watch as he closes his eyes and clenches his jaw, he says through his teeth, "why do you want to know?".
You stare at him for a couple minutes, seeing him struggle with keeping emotions from his face and voice, "I want to understand you, or try to at least".
He looks at you then, scrutinising your face before saying, "I don't really remember her that much. But the things I do remember are all happy, she was a good mother. That is until she left".
You see his eyes are slightly glassy, you nod your head as you say, "it makes a lot of sense".
He frowns at you, studying your face again as he says, "What makes sense exactly?". You give him a sad look, wondering if you should say or not, you weren't sure how he would react.
You decide to say it anyway, "the way you are. All your anger and hatred that you exhibit towards everyone. You've put up walls to protect yourself from being hurt again like the way your mother hurt you".
He looks at you with an expression you can't decipher so you change the subject quickly, "why does your blade have a blue gem in it?".
His gaze lingers on yours before sliding to the gem, he clears his throat, "umm it was given to me as heir and as the blue knight. It represents the blue you see in a flame, the hottest and most dangerous part". You nod your head looking at the gem to avoid his intense stare. You stammer and stutter a bit saying that you'd leave him to it but before you're out of reach he grabs your wrist and pulls you back, meeting you with a kiss.
You stare at the blue gem and then slide your eyes up to his hooded face. He's seen your expression, realisation clearly evident on your face. He pulls the hood back exposing a vicious smirk. "Hey sweetheart", Julian says the term of endearment with nothing but malice and you flinch slightly.
You can feel panic starting to rise in your chest. It takes everything you have to push it down. From all the years you spent at the assassins of the sun you never beat Julian. Not once. Your eyes were flicking to the door, but it was hopeless as he was standing closer.
Panic was rising again when you hear another crash downstairs and Bucky in the coms, "we could do with some help Y/N". You don't answer him, not wanting to give anything away to Julian.
You know they'll need your help though if they're fighting some assassins of the sun but you don't know how you're going to get out of this one alive. You ask Julian, "how many of you are there?", his smirk just gets wider, he knows you're panicking, you forget that he trained you himself.
"Here right now? Me and my 2 knights", you heave an internal sigh, knowing the boys can't keep up with the assassins too much longer. You act without thinking, hoping that way you won't give anything away. You throw a knife at him which he catches with ease but then you grab the chair and throw that at him too. He can't catch that and so it crashes into him, knocking him into the wall.
You don't waste time looking at him as you run. Luckily the stairs are right in front of you as you come out of the room. Halfway down you jump and run into the empty room that would be the living room. Without pausing you tackle the assassin who was fighting Steve.
You and the assassin hit the floor causing his hood to fall and you see its Cayman. So, Julian wasn't lying when he said the other Knights of the flame were here with him. You punch him in the face multiple times and slam his head into the floor. You see the lights go out in his eyes as he goes unconscious.
You get up seeing Steve and Bucky holding their own with the other assassin, who by process of elimination must be Ayo. You shake your knife loose into your left hand and throw it. It sinks into his thigh and he falls to his knee, whipping his head your way. Bucky uses the moment to hit him full force with his metal fist. Ayo crumples to the floor.
You look to the boys with barely concealed panic in your face, "we have to leave now. I thought we'd be able to win against them but not these. I can't take these ones on". They exchange a glance, but you run up to them and start pushing them along. You get halfway across the room when Julian steps into the doorway.
You pull the boys up short and step in front of them. Julian watches you do this with a scowl as he says, "you forgot this when you left me upstairs", he throws your knife back to you and you catch it. It was aimed at your heart.
You give him a sharp glance as you feel Bucky and Steve tense. Julian carries on speaking, "imagine my surprise Y/N when I get here and track you down that you not only failed in your mission in killing the Winter Soldier but that you've shacked up with him as well". He spits the last few words out, looking at you with nothing but hate in his eyes.
He takes a step into the room and you feel the boys step closer to you. You say, "I didn't break my oath Julian".
He barks out a laugh as he says, "so you still remember my name then?", he stares at you with emotions you can't make out as he continues, "I'm not here because of the oath. I know you didn't break it".
You look at him shocked and confused. He sees the question of 'why?' all over your face, so he answers it, "you left", he shows slight vulnerability in those two words, but he smothers the emotion as he carries on, "I didn't think you would leave. Not after everything we went through, and I told you I loved you".
You feel Bucky's gaze on you and your heart starts beating faster, you can't help wishing this was all just a bad dream. You whisper to Julian, "one of the reasons I left was because of some of the things 'we went through'", you spit the last few words out to him as you see his expression turn to rage.
His voice is eerily calm as he says, "you were mine- ".
You cut him off angry at his words, "I was never yours you fucking jackass. That attitude was part of the problem, you saw me as someone to conquer and possess. Thinking you could take whatever you wanted. I never said I loved you. We barely had anything. It was just sex". You say those last words and he loses it.
He comes at you faster than lightening but Steve throws his shield, and though it would never work in normal circumstances, Julian was so blinded by rage that the shield caught him right in the middle. You could hear the wind being knocked out of him and the crack of his head and spine as he hits the wall.
None of you wait to see what becomes of him as you sprint out of the house. You make sure the boys are in front of you again as you run towards the jet. You're nearly there when you feel a tug on your arm. The tug spins you around and you feel the metal slide into your skin with ease.
Shock radiates through your body as you look up to meet Julian's dark eyes. He leans down and whispers into your ear, "I won't let them have you. Especially him." You hear Bucky yelling in the background, but it sounds muffled as Julian places a kiss on your cheek.
Then shots ring out and he's gone. You fall to your knees clutching your hands to the wound leaking blood just left of your stomach. You try to stop the flow, but it just keeps oozing out between your fingers.
You feel hands on you then. Warm hands. Safe hands. Bucky comes into view as he cups your face. His eyes are glassy and red as he says, "doll, I need you to focus on me okay?", you look down at your wound and reality starts to set in along with the pain, he lifts your chin up as he carries on slightly panicked, "doll, focus, please. I need you to keep pressure on the wound for me because I need to pick you up." He quickly picks you up bridal style and you scream in pain.
You notice Bucky crying now and it breaks your heart. You never want to see him cry. He sets you down on a cold table as you feel the jet rumbling to life. Bucky opens your leather jacket and lifts your top. The wound is still oozing, and you hear Bucky swear.
He turns to Steve as he says, "Steve, this is fucking deep, I don't know what to do, you need to get Banner on the line or something". You start groaning in pain and your vision is getting darker around the edges.
You hear Bucky's voice again, "Steve, can't this thing go any fucking faster. She's loosing too much blood". Bucky applies more pressure to your wound and you barely stifle a scream. You can see Bucky is still crying as he says, "I can't lose her Steve". Your vision is only getting darker as you feel yourself grow weaker. You want to comfort Bucky, but you're scared that if you open your mouth the screams will come out. Just as you close your eyes you hear Bucky's voice crack as he says, "stay with me doll. Please."