(I know I posted something very similar to this. Shut up.)
"If anything happens, you'll let us know," Bucky orders, brushing dust off the shoulders of my disguise. It's... a little old.
"Of course, honey." Sam makes a disgusted face across the room. I chuckle and kiss Bucky on the cheek.
Sam groans. "Get a room!"
I roll my eyes and put my comms in.
"Alright. Go in, stay safe. We'll head in if you press this button," Sam tells me. He hands me a bracelet with a small, flat button. I nod and clip it to my wrist.
I creep into the dark building, sticking to walls and controlling my breathing. I spend most of my time heading down halls that all look the same as I search for the file room. Who even keeps physical files anymore? Honestly...
I turn the corner to hide from passing guards. While I wait for them to get further, a hand clamps on my mouth from behind.
Shit.
I try to wrestle out of the grip, but whoever has me is strong. Like crazy strong. Almost... super soldier strong... As I reach the realization, I panic. This is probably some Flag Smashers crap.
Before I know it, I'm tied to a thin pole in a slightly brighter room. It takes my eyes a second to adjust.
The man who captured me chuckles when he gets a good look at my face. "Seems I've got the pet..."
"I'm nobody's pet," I sternly correct.
"Oh, yeah? Then why are you so obedient?"
"I'm obedient on my own accord."
"Alright, then... tell me, where are they?" my captor whispers.
I stay silent, staring him directly in the eyes.
"Where the hell are they?" He shouts. He's not even inches away from me and his saliva gets on my face.
"I'll never tell you." I spit in his eyes.
He wipes his eyes and punches me hard. My head collides with the pole he tied me to, and my vision blurs for a few seconds. When I turn my head back, he's walking over with a knife.
"What are you gonna do? Kill me?" I laugh darkly. "If you kill me, they're just gonna kill you."
"I'm not gonna kill you now, I know better. I'm gonna make you beg for mercy. You'll beg for me to stop, and just when they get here, I'll kill them slowly and intimately. And then I'll kill you."
"There's one flaw in your plan."
"Oh, yeah? What is that?"
"They're not coming for me."
He squints at me suspiciously. "What do you mean?"
"They don't know where I am."
"I don't believe you."
"This is the only room in the building without cameras. They can't find me here. And you knew that."
He looks at me oddly. He looks like he's trying to find out if I'm lying.
I laugh. "You actually didn't know?" He's clearly upset about this, because he digs his knife into my arm. I cry out and clench my jaw, trying not to show too much vulnerability. Or at least too much more. I use some of my diminishing arm strength to press the button.
Tears flow down my face as he continues to dig his knife into different parts of my body. My legs; my torso; he even drags it across my face and leaves a long, shallow gash from my cheekbone to my chin. He punches me a few more times and leaves my general area, the knife clattering just out of my reach.
I've stopped crying and I stare blankly at the wall when I hear the door snap off its hinges. My ears are still ringing from his punches, so I just hear parts of words. My eyes blur as tears come flowing again. Someone comes near me, and I let out a weak protest.
Bucky's voice pierces through the ringing and commotion like a light in the darkness. "Hey, it's just me. It's Bucky," he assures me. He cuts the ropes that bind me and my arms just fall against the concrete floor because I don't know what to do with them. He picks me up and carries me out of the building into an alley, Sam following close behind.
Bucky gently snaps his fingers in my face. "Hey, look at me."
"I'm- I'm bleeding..."
"You'll be okay. Just keep looking at me, okay?"
I nod, staring at his eyes. Sam is wrapping my wounds... I think... Everything - sounds, feeling, sight - starts to go fuzzy, but Bucky brings my attention back again. "Hey, stay awake. Just a little longer, doll..."
I hear sirens, but they're far. My eyes flutter. Bucky's voice gets sterner and a little desperate. "Stay awake, I mean it." He holds my chin up so I make eye contact with him. "Look at me, look at me..."
"Looking, I'm looking," I mutter. I lift my hand to grab his arm that's holding my face. "Love you..."
"I love you too."
Things start to fade, and my grip on his arm starts to loosen. He uses both hands to hold my head up. "No, hey. Just- please- stay with me, doll, please..."
The sirens reach the alley and more people come to jostle me around. Bucky doesn't try to keep me awake this time. Is everything okay...?
I wake up in a hospital bed. I don't know what time it is, but it's dark out. Sam is sleeping in a recliner. I didn't even know hospitals had recliners. I hear shuffling outside, and Bucky walks in with a cup and a... a juice box?
He smiles and puts the the two drinks on my little rolling desk thing. "Hey there, sleepyhead. Feelin' better?"
I clear my throat. "Mhm." My voice is raspy.
"Here, have some." He hands me the cup he brought, and it has ice water.
I take a small sip and my throat immediately feels better. He takes my hand and squeezes it gently.
I look at him, and he has that 'kicked puppy' look in his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just-" he starts.
I stop him. "Don't bullshit me, Buck. You're worried."
"Wouldn't you be? I- I almost lost you. I almost lost... I almost lost the love of my life."
"Please," I scoff, "I'm sure you say that to every-"
He's fine one to interrupt me this time. "No, I don't. I've never said it to anyone. Not until now. Not until you, doll."
My brow furrows confusedly for a second. "Never? Not anyone, ever?"
"No. I was saving the title for the right person."
"So..."
He kisses me on the forehead and pulls something out of his pocket. A navy blue velvet box. It's too small for... well, a lot of things.
"This is for you. If you want it." He flips open the box to reveal a ring.
A ring. A ring. Oh my god. He's proposing? Is he proposing? "Are you proposing?"
He chuckles softly. "Yes, doll, I'm proposing. Marriage, specifically. I want to marry you."
"Buck... I wanna marry you too." Tears start spilling from my eyes as he leans down to hug me.
When he pulls away, he hands me the juice box. "I know you have a sweet tooth, so I got you this."
"My favorite! I can't believe you remembered..."
He gives me a soft kiss and sits down. Sam stirs awake, smiling when he sees me up.
"Did you do it?" he asks Bucky.
"Yep. They said yes."
"Man, I can't believe I missed it!"
