Blood Debt - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Bucky x Zemo)

Chapter 6

"Put your shirt on," said Bucky to Zemo, who stood with his gun trained on Gita.

The woman was naked in her bed, her crown of dark curls half-pinned up. She held a blanket up to her chest. "Helmut," she said in an irritated, half-snarled way. "Put that weapon down this instant. How dare you. I welcomed you into my home, and you pull a gun on me!"

"Old friend, huh?" drawled Bucky. "Just...look, give me the gun and get dressed so we can get out of here?" He was very aware that it looked like a sudden movement would drop the other man's trousers to the floor.

"I suspected she was going to turn on me, so I reached for the weapon. I did not realize she had a silent alarm," said Zemo as he used one hand to do up his pants.

"Well, your instincts were right. I just had to take down four of her goons who jumped me in the street," said Bucky as he stepped towards the Sokovian, hand extended for the gun. Zemo hesitated, but Bucky twitched his robotic fingers. The Sokovian relented and Bucky took up the position of keeping the gun trained on Gita while the other dressed.

Gita looked even more affronted and wrinkled her nose as she glared at Bucky. "That was unrelated," she said in a way that was almost a pout. "There are many people who would pay a high price for your capture, White Wolf. Not personal. Just business."

"And she does not think that turning on my ally constitutes a betrayal," drawled Zemo. "You see now why we fell out to begin with." He did up the last few buttons of his shirt and slipped his shoes on.

Bucky was trying very hard to shove down a stomach-deep ping of jealousy about just what Zemo was doing with his clothes off with the admittedly very attractive Gita.

There was another thump from the barricaded door and shouting. The noise drew both Bucky's attention and Zemo's. He nearly missed the smooth motion from Gita.

A bullet burst over their heads, then Bucky shifted in front of Zemo, metal arm raising to block the bullet that whizzed for his head. He felt the small ting of sensation as the bullet bounced off the vibranium. She must have had a gun concealed behind the headboard.

Winter Soldier instincts told him to squeeze the trigger and fire two shots to the sternum and one to the head and end Gita's threat. But he was Captain America's partner, the White Wolf, James Buchanan Barnes - not the Winter Soldier. And the man he was now didn't kill unless it was absolutely necessary.

Every single time he was in a fight, it took all of his self-control to stop the killer instincts from kicking in. Every single time.

So rather than using deadly force, Bucky charged forward, metal arm raising in fluid motions to deflect another set of bullets. Then he applied just the right amount of force to loosen Gita's grip. He caught the weapon before it hit the floor and flipped it back to Zemo. He heard the sound of the weapon being caught, but he didn't take his eyes off the woman.

"If you kill her, you won't have an ally anymore," Bucky said to Zemo. He backed up, keeping the weapon trained on the woman.

"Wouldn't dream of it. I am still hopeful that one day we will reignite our friendship."

Bucky backed up until he felt Zemo beside him. "Right."

"You sound skeptical, James. But you and I started off in far worse circumstances. And look how far we've come." Zemo sounded way too pleased and a bit smug.

The door thumped again.

The two men exchanged glances.

Then, they backed up towards the fire escape and clambered out.