HEARTBEAT
BUCKY BARNES Ć READER
Summary: Bucky enters in the reader's void and realizes that breaking up with you was the worst decision he ever made.
warnings: bad writing, english not my first language! maybe angst. reader daughter of tony stark. memories of his death.
part two of Heart shot
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The next morning, you put on your comfortable uniformāthe one you hadnāt worn in a long timeākissed Alpineās white fur, and followed the group⦠the Thunderbolts, as Alexei insisted on calling them.
You stopped in front of the tower that had watched you grow up, then crossed the street with the team and entered the small convenience store. Leaning over the counter, you smiled at the old man whoād been working there for years.
āWhat are you up to this time? Havenāt seen you in years,ā he said.
āI left some of my dadās stuff in there, but those people wonāt let me in. Can you believe that, Mr. Wilbury?ā
Your voice softened into that toneāthe one Bucky knew too well. You always used it when you wanted something. He remembered it vividly⦠how much it turned him on when you used that pleading voice while grinding on his lap and whispering, "Please, soldier.ā You were the only one who could call him any nickname and get away with it, because he knew you never meant it in a bad way. Soldier. Old Manāokay, that one he didnāt like so much, and it usually earned you a good smack on the ass, but thatās another story. Sergeant Barnes. Or the classic: "Oh my God, the Winter Soldier wants to fuck me. Someone stop meāactually, no. Donāt. Let me be happy." Youād screamed that once, and he had forgotten all about his tragic past.
āShe gets what she wants just by asking. Didnāt break a single thing. How the hell is she the most stable one here when she looks like sheās eighteen?ā Ava grumbled. John shook his head, watching you disappear behind the counter and go down the hidden stairsāonly to get shoved by Bucky a second later, making him stumble.
āFuck man...ā John muttered.
āDonāt stare too long,ā Bucky warned without even looking at him, his eyes fixed only on you as he moved forward.
āUh, Friday? Can you deactivate the cameras in Elevator A, please?ā you asked, stopping in front of the rusty old elevator at the end of the hallway. You pressed your finger lightly to the bridge of your nose, lost in thought. Bucky noticed. That little habit hadnāt changed.
āShe still has that thing with her?ā Alexei asked. You laughed. If anyone else had referred to Friday as that thing, youād have told them to go to hell. But Alexei got a pass.
āYes. Sheās linked to all my gear.ā
āYour girlfriendās got expensive taste too, Soldier. Fancy couple.ā
Silence fell as the elevator doors opened. You sighed and turned slightly to glance at them before stepping inside, leaning lazily on the railing. One by one, they followed. You ended up sandwiched between Bucky and John, with Yelena in front, next to Alexei and Ava. The elevator felt tighter than it was. Everyone stood stiff. You and Bucky kept shifting, uncomfortable. It sucked to be there. None of you knew Valentina was already waiting.
āYou didnāt expect the fight to be here, did you? What a surprise. This place wasnāt cheap, but at least the viewās great,ā she said, pouring herself some champagne. āI knew youād show up. But with Yelena and Ava in the mix, I thought it would be more⦠violent. Congressman Barnes. Never thought your political career would end here. Captain America that didnāt quite make it.ā
John went for his weapon, but Bucky stopped him with just one word:
āWalker.ā And you thought it sounded sexy as fuck. He looked sexy too. But that wasnāt the point right now.
āY/N Stark. Well, that explains how you all slipped in so easily.ā
āCut the crap, Valentina,ā you snapped.
āItās cute, really. I sent you all to kill each other, and now here you areāteaming up against me. With Santa Claus and her.ā
āWhereās Mel?ā Bucky asked. Your brow furrowed. Jealousy hit your chest hard. It made you want to gag.
āMelās having some⦠trust issues,ā Valentina said. That was all she managed before Bucky lunged with his vibranium arm. She laughed as he failed miserably. āIām not alone. Robert?ā
Bob came down the stairs in a ridiculous suit, with ridiculous hair, looking like a completely different man from the one you knew. Youād been in college together a few years agoābefore you were taken by Hydra, tortured, and had your biological development frozen. Bone growth and all.
āWaitāis that Bob? Dude. You really went there? Oh my God. Did you dye your hair?ā
you asked, breaking the tension. Bob smiled shyly. You meant something to him once. You protected him, believed in him. You even got him a full scholarship. But then you were kidnapped, and⦠yeah.
Fifteen minutes later, you were all exiting the same elevator. Bucky was slumped over Alexeiās shoulder, missing an arm, dazed. The streets outside were chaos, filled with screams. You stood there, your head aching, your chest tight.
āYou knew him?ā Bucky asked, adjusting what was left of his arm. You shrugged, watching the road like you were sensing something strange.
āFrom college.ā
āFrom college?ā
āWhoās Mel?ā you asked back, changing the subject. Bucky let out a bitter laugh.
āWhy are you doing this?ā
āDoing what? Iām just concerned, okay? Bobās powerful. People like that donāt stay in the hands of anyone trying to control them.ā
āAnd how the hell do you know that about him?ā
āOh, come on. We were friends,ā you said, rubbing your temple.
āFriends,ā he repeated with venom. You laughed dryly.
āWhy were you talking to that Mel girl with such a soft voice? You like her?ā you snapped, sounding genuinely pissed. Bucky narrowed his eyes.
āMaybe I do. And what if I do?ā
He was provoking you, and you took the bait, even though you knew better. Being away from him so long was screwing with your head.
āYeah? Then go to her, James.ā
You turned on your heel, walking away from the building.
āMaybe I will. You said it yourselfāwe donāt know each other anymore!ā he shouted.You looked back with a fake, sugary smile.
āWell, go fuck yourself too, James.ā
āHey! Stop!ā he shoutedābut before you could react, you stepped into a void.You dropped into a scene you hadnāt seen in years. You kept walking, starting to recognize the pattern. It didnāt make it hurt any less. Watching it all over again still burned.On the other side, Bucky looked back at the others just as a giant Sentinel flew across the sky, carrying New York with it.
Without thinking, Bucky leapt into the void. If it meant death, so be itāhe had to find you.Yelena followed, and soon Bucky was trapped inside his own worst memories. Hydra. Torture. Screaming. But thenāhe saw you.
He found a memory with you, and he stayed there.
You were nine years old, watching your mother get stabbed to death. You screamed, helpless.Another portal openedāand Yelena, John, Alexei, and Ava followed.
āHow the hell did you get here?ā Bucky asked.
āSheāll know how to reach Bob,ā Yelena said, watching the scene unfold.
The memory was full of guilt. You looked twelve, curled up in a hallway while Tony screamed at Pepper behind a door.
āSheās just some silly little opportunist!ā
āTony, thatās your daughter. Have you looked at her? The only difference between you two is that sheās alone. Her eyes are exactly like yours.ā
āWell, you take care of her! I donāt want to!ā
He stormed off, and the scene reset.Bucky hadnāt known about Tony rejecting you. Youād always said good things about your dad. His chest ached seeing that small, unwanted version of you.Another paradox shattered, and a worse memory appearedāyou strapped to a machine, like an animal. Screaming. Begging them to stop. Crying until you passed out. And then it restarted. Again. And again.Thatās when Bucky found youāyour eyes hollow, expression nearly identical to his. From that moment, he swore heād protect you.But then he failed.
āI didnāt know,ā someone whispered.Bucky just nodded, jaw clenched tight. He didnāt trust himself to speak.Then another portal openedāand jealousy burned in his gut. You and Bob. In bed. Naked. Tangled up like more than friends. His head on your chestāthe same chest Bucky had once claimed as his.
Thatās mine, he thought, seething.
āwhat...ā Yelena muttered.
āWow,ā John added, earning immediate glares.
āThis is my last week here,ā you whispered, fingers in Bobās hair.
āWhat?ā he asked, raising his headāhis head. Not Buckyās.
Mine, Bucky thought again. And this time, it hurt.Bob lifted his head from her chest ā the same chest Bucky used to rest on ā but the touch was different, the warmth wasnāt the same. That wasnāt him.Thatās mine.Bucky screamed inside his own head.
" okay. I didnāt know that" Yelena murmured beside him, uncomfortable.
āYouāre leaving me?ā
āBobā¦ā
āYouāre giving up after telling me not to?ā
āBob, I⦠I canāt do this. My head is literally so fucked up rigth now. ā
He stood up, got dressed, and walked out the door, leaving behind a crushing weight on your chest. When the scene reset, Bucky looked for the exit, muttering
" Letās get out of here. "
Another scenario appeared. Now, Bucky saw you rolling your eyes at Tony and letting out a loud sigh.
āI hate you. More than anything in this life.ā
You shouted as you stormed down the hallway.Like a time break, the scenery shifted. You were in space. That moment when everything had gone right with Thanos. You laughed, happyāuntil you saw him.Tony.Lying lifeless on the ground.You ran to him, stumbling like a madwoman and collapsed at his feet.
āDad?ā You called out, and Tony looked up at you with one last soft smile, took your hand, and pressed it to his right cheek.
āHey⦠we won.ā Your voice cracked with despair.
Peter was crying behind you, Pepper too, and thatās when it hit youāand you started to cry for real.
āHey, hey⦠Iām sorry.ā
You repeated, shaking.
āIām sorry. You canāt leave yet, Dad. I dont hate you, i need you.ā
A sob escaped your lips as you hugged him tight.
āI need you. You canāt do this to me, please.ā
Your desperate pleas echoed through the battlefield like a prayer no one would answer.
Bucky hated seeing it. But when the portal scene came, it was worseābecause then, he saw himself.
You were getting up from the couch sweetly that night. Your hair down, curls falling softly over your shoulders, wearing the pajamas you knew he loved. He had just gotten the paperwork and signaturesāit was official. He was the new congressman of Brooklyn, New York.It was supposed to be a good night. But he ruined it.He kept wondering why that memory was so vivid in your mind, as if the guilt belonged to you.
You had poured two glasses of wine for when he arrived. He saw you waiting, glancing at the door, a bit embarrassed, curling into the couch until the sound of the keys finally reached your ears. āFriday?ā
āItās him now, Y/n,ā the AI answered.Your gaze dropped to Bucky, and forcing a smile ā fake but warm ā you walked toward him gently, always so delicate.
āI was expecting you earlier,ā you said in your soft voice, too soft for him.
He didnāt even look at you. Not once. And you felt the rejection, the same one youād felt once before.
āI guess this is how things are now,ā he said, voice cold and empty.
It broke him, knowing those were his last words to you that night.You gave a nervous chuckle, tried to brush it off, then walked up to him, took off his jacket, and gently placed it over the chair.
āI hope not. I was hoping to spend the night with my fiancĆ©.ā
Bucky closed his eyesāhe knew what was coming.ā We shouldn't be watching this.Bucky tried to pull the group away, but it was too late.
āIf you still have a fiancĆ©,ā he said.
" Oh shit. " Ava muttered, and Yelena nodded in agreement.
" You bastard. You broke up with her. "
Bucky rubbed his face with both hands, then looked back at the scene, seeing how pale he lookedālike heād seen a ghost.
āHa⦠silly,ā you laughed awkwardly, but Bucky didnāt smile.
āWhatās wrong?ā
āWhat is it?ā
Bucky saw what he hadnāt noticed beforeāhow you stepped back, slowly, as if giving him space.
āBucky?ā
āLook, I donāt think we should do this anymore.ā
āDo what?ā
āThis⦠fake little domestic game.ā
āWhat the hell does that mean? Is that what this is to you?ā
Your voice was hurt, offendedābut now, from a different point of view, he saw you breaking.Your eyes welled up with tears, and you wiped them away before he turned around.
āWhat are we doing then?ā
You opened your mouth but closed it again, shaking your head in disbelief.
āAre you serious?ā
āWeāre not getting married, Y/n. Weāre not having kids. Weāre not living until we grow old, because guess what? We donāt get old. So if this isnāt a game, I donāt know what is.ā
His words hit you, and a sob escaped your lips.Watching the scene, Bucky felt his own lip tremble, his hands ball into fists, his mind screaming at himself.He ruined it.He shattered youāthe most important person in his lifeāinto pieces.
" Letās get the hell out of here too. " Bucky smashed the mirror on the table and saw you through it. He stepped through the other side of the portal, leaving the scene behindāleaving you in a storm of tears and brokenness. When the group found you with Bob, all Bucky could do was stare at you, full of regret.He needed you like airāand yet, he had treated himself like a toxin, pushing you away from your pure oxygen.When Valentina announced you as the new Avengers, all you wanted was to crawl under your blankets and cry yourself to sleep.The memories burned.The wounds hadnāt healed.They were raw.
Alive.Haunting.Shifting uncomfortably in bed, you let out a sigh, rubbed your face, and collapsed between the sheets.You wanted to disappear.
To punish yourself for helping with something that wasnāt even your job.You drifted off for a moment, only to jolt awake from a nightmare.Without thinking, you grabbed your phoneāyour fingers dialing before your brain could stop them.
" Doll? "
" Shit, I⦠I called without thinking. Iām sorry. "
" What are you doing up? "
" Just⦠tired. "
" Then you should be asleep."
" I canāt. But Iām okay. Sorry. Bye. "
You hung up on him.Bucky tried to call again, but you didnāt pick up
.So he came to you.
Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Your heart almost stopped.
You walked slowly to the door, breathing uneven, eyes still burning. And there he wasāBucky, in a hoodie, hair tousled from the wind, eyes locked on you.
" You hung up on me. "He wasnāt angryājust⦠broken.
" I didnāt want to bother you. "
" I care about you. Way more than I ever said. " His eyes were red. Bucky had been crying. " I fucked everything up. I fucked you up. I ruined what we had because I was scared. I messed it all upāhow I left you, how I left myself, because I canāt sleep without you."
" Buckā¦"
" I care about you like hell, and it kills me knowing Iām the reason youāre hurting. "
" No. Youāre not. Youāre not, Buck. " Now you were both crying on your doorstep.
" Itās ridiculous⦠I thought I was the problem. That maybe I wasnāt enough for you. That you deserved someone with more experience. But then I realizedāI just want you. In my bed. Every night. And you werenāt there. "
You broke down, and Bucky pulled you to his chest, wrapping you in the kind of hug you desperately needed.
" Today⦠I needed you more than anything. And you werenāt here and... its just so bad not having you here "
" Iām sorry. Iām so sorry. I love you. More than my own life, doll. Iām sorry. "
You didnāt know if this was your happy ending.But you knew, somehowāyou were going to be okay.
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soooo fucking clingy. Hate that but I spent too much time here.
















