Battle Scars (A Bucky Barnes Fanfic)

Twenty-Eight

Steve flies the Quinjet towards the mountains, Bucky sits behind him. I've been in and out of sleep during our flight. I open my eyes, watching them.

"What's gonna happen to your friends?" Bucky asks Steve.

Steve stares ahead, heavyhearted. He sighs and shakes his head. "Whatever it is... I'll deal with it," he tells him.

Bucky looks thoughtful. "I don't know if I'm worth all this, Steve."

I lift my head, Bucky glances at me "You are Buck, you're worth all of it. They forced you and me to do terrible things but that doesn't define who we truly are"

Steve glances around at Bucky. "What you did all those years..." He says, "it wasn't you. You didn't have a choice."

"I know. But I did it." I can tell he feels really guilty and I grab his hand.

"It'll be ok."

"I hope so."

"I'm sorry for not telling you about my issues earlier"

Bucky squeezes my hand "Hey, we never really talked about the future or kids so it makes sense that it wasn't brought up"

"But I still should have told you before." I sigh looking down "if you want to change your mind about me that's fine, I get it."

Bucky makes me look at him "Hey, I'm in this for the long haul, no matter what the future holds for us."

I smile "I love you."

"I love you too."

......................................................

Steve brings his Quinjet into land besides Zemo's caterpillar truck on the remote icy mountain top. The jet's wings fold up beside the fuselage.

Bucky pulls out a rack of guns labeled 'Romanoff'. He takes a light machine gun.

"Stealing one of Nat's guns are you," I tease as I strap several daggers onto me in various places.

Bucky smirks at me "She won't miss it."

I strap dual blades to my back, Bucky looks at me again.

"Even though you have abilities, you still like blades, don't you," he says with a teasing smile.

"Of course."

"Are you sure you're ok to do this?" Bucky asks, cupping my face, looking at the cut then glancing down at my body.

"I'll be fine," I reassure him.

"Good, but stay close to me, you're no good to me dead" he smirks and I pull him in for a kiss, he gently holds onto my hips as my hands go to his hair for a moment, we break the kiss and he rests our foreheads together, our breath mingling.

"I love you," he says sincerely, his steel-blue eyes searching mine.

"I love you too," I answer before we join Steve.

......................................................

Bucky, Steve, and I stand together, waiting for the exit ramp to descend.

"You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?" Steve asks Bucky.

"Was that the time we used our train money to buy hot dogs?" Bucky asks.