Winter's Weakness

Waking Up

Bucky's eyes fluttered open, the dark room helping with the pounding in his head. For a moment he panicked, thinking he was still trapped within the Winter Soldier. He had no idea where he was, it was unsettling.

The door creaked open, a slither of light illuminating the room. He could tell he was in a room at the compound, he just wasn't sure which one. His senses heightening as Nat walked in. She could see the panic in his eyes, guilt coursing through her. It had been a week since Steve left with Y/N. He took the red book with him, a back up just in case. For that entire week Nat had been too consumed by her guilt to let it go on any longer.

It took a few days after confining Bucky, but she'd finally managed to rid him of the programming that Steve had activated.

"What happened?" Bucky croaked out.

When he realised his words had came out of his mouth, he relaxed slightly. He was back in control once again. 'For now.' The soldier's words echoed in the back of his mind.

"You won't like the answer." Nat told him as she turned the lights up slightly.

He sighed. "I knew this would happen."

Nat placed her hand on his leg, pulling away when he flinched at her touch.

"This isn't your fault Bucky. I should've stopped him."

"All he had to do was say the goddamn words." Bucky growled.

He stood up, raking his hands through his hair as he began to pace the room. The betrayal of his best friend weighed heavy on his heart. The man that had always held a special place in his heart had betrayed him in the worst way possible. There was no coming back from this. The end of an era.

"You remember who it was?" Nat asked shocked.

Steve told her that he wouldn't remember who used the words, the soldier would keep that information from him.

"It was different this time. I was awake, but trapped."

Just admitting what had happened was hard enough. The heartbreak, the anger, the pain. All of it threatening to consume him as he remembered the words the Soldier had spoken to Y/N. The lies that had split from his lips, the way the light left her eyes, the agony as she left his life. It was almost too much to bear.

"This was all for him to have her." He growled out, his vibranium fist creating a hole in the wall.

Nat flinched at his anger. "W-why would he go this far?" She asked.

Even Bucky wasn't aware at just how passionately Steve felt for Y/N, he should've seen the signs sooner. Done something to help his friend, now it was too late. Steve had gone too far.

"He's never dealt with jealousy well. Even worse since the serum. He knew I'd always come between them, so he took me off the board."

"You seem rather calm about it all."

Bucky nodded, he was calm. Hurt, but calm. Even if he was raging, shouting and out for blood he still wouldn't be Steve's biggest problem when the truth comes out.

"Because I'm not the one he needs to worry about."

Y/N had a darkness, one that Bucky knew was still simmering under the surface. It was that darkness that had brought this side of Steve out. While it was intoxicating, it was deadly too. When she found out the truth there would be nowhere on this Earth that Steve could hide. If there was one thing that Y/N wouldn't tolerate was lies. Steve had betrayed her in the worst way possible, when she found out she would be out for blood.

Nat knew Bucky was right. Her part in this selfish endeavour was not going to go unnoticed by anyone. Even Bucky wouldn't be able to stop Y/N from coming for her.