Bucky Barnes/ Winter Soldier Imagines

Left Behind

 You knew from the second you saw Bucky Barnes that he was going to be the death of you. You were just another face in a crowd at one of Stark's galas, dragged there by your friend Steve. You usually never showed up to Tony's parties, not enjoying the constant pressure and attention brought by being close to one of the world's favorite superheroes, but Steve had promised that this event in particular would be fun. Like a fool, you had believed him, and reluctantly gotten dressed and ready for that night.

The first half hour had been tedious at best- too many politicians with their false promises, too many men winking at you who had already gotten drunk despite the fact that the party had barely started. Steve had disappeared into the crowd, and you were standing on the outskirts of the group, doing your best to pretend you were having a good time. Then, you'd heard your name shouted above the din of the music and chatter, and turned to see the blonde soldier leading another man towards you, someone who looked just about as happy as you were to be there.

The man's name was James Buchanan Barnes, although by the end of the party it was Bucky to you and you knew everything about him. The two of you never left each other's side that entire night, even after Steve left to go talk to some S.H.I.E.L.D. higher-up. The clink of the ice against your glass, the shine of his eyes in the darkened room, it all added to the sensation of being caught up in the most fascinating man you had ever met.

He had asked for your number that night, and you had given it all too willingly. When you walked home that night, you wondered if you had made a mistake by getting so close to Bucky. You knew how Steve and his friends lived- mission to mission, always the risk of disappearing overnight. Would you ever see Bucky again? Would you feel the same giddy rush if you did?

Yet, the next night, you're distracted on a walk through the city by your phone ringing. He sounds glad to hear you when you pick up, and you feel the same. Soon, his phone calls are an everyday occurrence, and you're meeting up once every week, "just to talk". You're not sure when you fell in love with him, or he with you, but you do know the exact date when he had asked you to dinner for the first time. You were so nervous that first date- what if you were just fooling yourself and he really just wanted to be friends? Your fears were silenced when he had left you with a blush on your cheeks and a kiss goodnight after he had walked you home.

At first, you and Bucky had been too afraid to tell Steve- you were worried he wouldn't approve, or that he'd say it was better to be separate because of the risk that Bucky might not come home after a mission. You'd laid out all these fears in front of him one late night, when your conscience had overwhelmed you and you felt you couldn't keep hiding things from your friend. Steve had just laughed, and said that he'd suspected it for a while. "Bucky's happier when he's with you than I've seen him in a long time. Trust me, the two of you together is the best thing that could happen."

With that, your relationship is officially in the open, and you and Bucky become even closer because of it. You share secrets, you share a bed, and you fall even more in love with him.

When Banner showed up, telling everyone about the threat of Thanos and his army, you had run to Bucky immediately. He had held you in his arms soothingly, and you did your best to hold yourself together. Bucky had left with the others to go fight, and you had been sent on a jet away from the battle, just in case.

As the plane took off, you watched Bucky's silhouette fade away into the distance. You can still hear his words in your head, promising that he'd return. Silently, you let the tears you'd been holding back flow freely. Whenever he has to fight some massive threat like this, you're always worried, but this time is different. Hearing about Thanos and his army has made you more afraid than you've been in a while, both for yourself and for the love of your life, who you've just left on the battlefield.