Altruism // Helmut Zemo x Reader x Bucky Barnes

2

Sokovia - 2015

Y/n struggled through the rubble, each step sending searing pain throughout her body as she struggled to get to the next survivor. Her clothing had been torn and bloodied, the sticky red blood of her wounds seeping through it viciously as she touched another person, causing another wound to show up on her skin, creating another red spot on her clothing, each making her more lightheaded than the last. 

With a heaving breath she collapsed against the remains of a concrete wall, her hand leaving a streak of red as she tried to prop herself up again but to no avail. Y/n slumped down against the wall pulling her knees to her chest, the grey dust and ash settling on top of her and sticking to her wounds like snow as each breath made her body heave and she waited to be found among the rubble and the broken bodies of the deceased and the survivors.

Madripoor - 2024

Y/n's finger softly traced the abundant scars on her body, looking at herself in the mirror. With a sigh she turned away and to the dress Zemo had given her. It was form fitting and black with a shimmer to it underneath the light. It looked as if it would end at her upper mid thigh, and on each side was a small cut out at the bottom going to her upper thigh, making it even more revealing.

"Y/n, you okay in there?" A knock sounded on the door as Bucky checked in with her.

"Yeah Bucky, I'll be out in a second!" She replied, grabbing the dress and slipping it on, followed by the platform stilettos Zemo had for her. She wondered why Zemo, an unmarried man to her knowledge, had such skimpy women's clothing but she decided not to question it, fluffing out her hair and fixing her eye makeup before stepping out of the plane bathroom the boys decided she could change in.

"Zemo did you dirty!" Sam chuckled as he noticed Y/n's revealing outfit. "Not that you don't look good, because you really do, It's just unnecessarily revealing. I remember my sister complaining about how uncomfortable clothing like that is. At least I'm not the only one wearing heels though."

Y/n let out a laugh, trying to pull down the dress to show less but to no avail, it was too tight to go any lower. She shot Zemo a glance, but he didn't notice, too busy speaking with Oeznik. She looked good and she knew it, but she wasn't used to wearing clothes like this. Every bit of air on her made her feel as if she was showing too much, only for her to try and pull the dress down more and realize she wasn't.

"You okay Y/n?" asked Bucky, noticing her discomfort. He placed a hand on her hip, a gesture she assumed he meant to be friendly, but it made her mind go somewhere else. She had to admit he looked attractive as always, but she knew he would never be interested in her. Despite his protective nature over her Y/n assumed he saw her as just a friend.

Sometimes Y/n would swear he had feelings for her. She was one of the only two people he called other than his therapist and Bucky was always there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on after a bad date or after a hard shift at the hospital he would bring Y/n her favourite ice cream. Y/n would always reassure herself that he wasn't into her, that the look in his eyes as he helped her out was just her imagination, that everything he did was just him trying to make it even with her after she took on his wounds during the civil war. However, those thoughts just made her sad, so she tried not to dwell on them. After all an unrequited crush was painful and something she didn't want to go through.

"I'm fine it's just not the most comfortable. I should be the one asking if you're fine, I mean you're going to have to pretend to be someone who you aren't anymore and it must be so hard." She put her hand on Bucky's normal one, unaware of how his breath hitched slightly at the skin to skin contact.

"It's only for one night, I'll be able to manage." Bucky reassured, although she could tell he wasn't too confident about it. Y/n decided to stay quiet, not wanting to force him to get his feelings out. Instead she gave his hand a small squeeze, feeling the warmth of his larger hand seep into her own before turning to Zemo who had finished speaking with Oeznik.