The Kind You Save (Winter Soldier x Reader)

Who Is He Really?

It was all over the news. 'The Battle of DC' they were calling it.

The corruption of the government organization, S.H.I.E.L.D, plastered the TV screens as you rushed passed. You ran into various strangers as you shifted through the street, pushing through the glass doors of the museum, blazer in arm. You were never late, but it was one of those days where life just wants to see you struggle. Pulling your bag from over your head and placing it on a chair behind the front desk, you pulled the navy blazer over your shoulders and clipped on your name tag. The opening crowd's chatter filled the entrance as you stood, allowing yourself your first deep breath since that morning.

The Captain America exhibit was on its last day and you were exhausted. Sure, you respected the man greatly and all he's done for this country, but after four weeks of repeating the story of the Brooklyn boy turned hero, it began to lose it's luster. You paced through the exhibit glancing at the faces of young children, eyes wide with wonder at the amazing story, and at the dull eyes of the bored adults. Such a pity of how the more life you seem to have the more you seem to loose, eyes full of hope will soon fade to eyes of disappointment. But even being in your mid twenties, you seemed to keep your imagination or your thick head, you never knew the difference.

A tour group passed, and you couldn't help but to follow. Although you were an employee at the museum and should be used to this by now, hearing the questions of the visitors never seemed to grow dull. As you followed, the group had entered the room of the Howling Commandos, your personal favorite. You looked up at the mural of the group and took a deep breath. A perfect reminder of how one man can't win a war, even the mighty Captain America needs help sometimes. All the positivity made your chest grow light.

You glanced around the room when a man caught your attention. Occasionally you would have homeless men and women wander into the museum, and you were usually told by your boss to ask them to leave. But you never did, unless they found to be a disturbance that is. You worked at this museum for a particular reason, to share knowledge with the masses, the people, and what would it mean if you asked the people to leave? You made your way over to a certain glass display, the familiar voice over filling your ears. There was a long moment of silence as you stood beside the man, both of you admiring the display. He smelled as if he just came in from the rain, although, there had not been a cloud in the sky for several days, it was unpleasant to say the least. But, you knew all too well how looking into someone else's past helps you forget your own, so you didn't judge.

"James Buchanan Barnes, the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country." You read aloud.

The air around you seemed to tense, it felt as if it were pushing you into the ground. You glanced over to the man, and he was looking you dead in the eye, his face blank, but also accompanied with a certain intensity. Needles felt as if they forced their way into your skin as you quickly looked away. The dead glare felt like you were just stabbed in the chest, and you definitely didn't ask for another. Just as you turned to walk away, the man grabbed your arm with tremendous force.

"Tell me who he is..." He said in a raspy tone, giving you the impression it wasn't used very often. The grip around you arm tightened, causing you to winch.

"Sir, the display will tell you everything we have on-" Your sentence was cut short by a sharp blade being held at your throat.

"No, who is he really?" He asked, his voice a lot more intense than before, if that was even possible.

You weren't used to these kinds of situations, but that didn't mean you weren't prepared. With your free arm, you pulled out a small handgun from behind your back and held it to his stomach, out of sight.

"Now, I suggest you let me go or I will have to shoot" you said, forcing the barrel of the gun into his stomach.

His eyes grew dark, his eyebrows were knit as he glared into yours. You responded with the same look, just yours had a lot more fear behind it.

"James Buchanan Barnes! We know you are inside! Come out with your hands up!" You heard an unfamiliar voice yell from outside the exhibit room.

Your stomach dropped as you came to the realization of who the stranger was, how could you not have seen it? The Winter Soldier, the man who terrorized DC just a week ago, the man whose face was plastered all across the city. And now his knife was pressed across your throat, stopping you from swallowing your fear. As you both stood there, the room being clearing out, you spotted two defined figures enter the room, followed by three men dressed in swat gear. Before you had a chance to look back, the man, the Winter Soldier, had your own gun pointed at your head, facing the men.

"Bucky, you don't have to this. Let the woman go and we'll take you somewhere safe," said the voice of Steve Rogers himself.

You wondered how strange it must be to stand in your own exhibit, but then you remembered about the whole "gun to your head" thing. The Winter Soldier didn't move, he just glared at Captain America and the man known as Falcon who stood besides his enemy. Your breath began to grow shallow as you saw the men grow impatient from behind the two heroes.

"We aren't going to hurt you Buck. We want to help," Captain America said as he put down his shield, hands up in surrender.

"Speak for yourself, Cap." Falcon said, crossing his arms in disapproval, he was clearly in no mood for games.

As Bucky readjusted his footing, he held you closer and you felt his heart beating a million miles an hour. The man holding a gun to your head was terrified and that made him all the more dangerous. He was in a new timeline, he clearly had no idea who his best friend was, he didn't even know who he was. He just wanted to know the truth, but all he was getting was guns pointed at him, and you were the only thing between being arrested and his freedom. It was clear he favored one much more.

You couldn't stay there any longer, you had to do something. So, when you felt his arms loosen you flung yourself forward. A gunshot cut through the thick air, you were sure the soldier had put a bullet through your brain, but you felt him use both arms hold you tightly back. A sharp pain entered your abdomen, as you heard yelling from across you.

"I thought he was gonna shoot! She moved too quick!" Said one of the agents, defending his actions.

You began to feel weak, perhaps it was the shock or maybe that was the feeling of dying, but you grew heavy in the man's arms. The Winter Soldier's face filled with panic, as if he didn't want any harm to come to you, the man that threatened to kill you. He gently lay you down on the ground, holding his gun to the men. You held your hand to your stomach, and felt the warm blood trickle between your fingers. Bucky looked down at you before quickly darting out the side exit.

"Ma'am! Please stay awake, we will get you help!" Said Falcon as the group of men rushed to you as you lay on the ground.

You swallowed hard and nodded, panic filled your lungs as you took shaky breaths. Captain America looked down at you, face full of regret, before darting out after the Winter Soldier. As the men called for help, you felt something stiff under your back. With the last of your strength, you pulled it out from under you and lifted it to your view.

Your gun cartridge, he unloaded the gun.