The Kind You Save (Winter Soldier x Reader)

I Didn't Mean to... I Didn't Want to

 Although they needed your help, they didn't seem to trust you very much. With S.H.I.E.L.D being corrupted by it's own virus, you would assume they would have adopted trust issues.

"Wait here." Sam said pointing to the wet ground outside of a strange looking tunnel system.

You put your hands up in defeat and leaned against a stone wall as the two men walked down the tunnel system. You closed your eyes as the footsteps of the men echoed through the walls. The air was thick and wet, as it had just rained a few moments ago. This was your favorite kind of weather, the world seemed to be at a stand still, it made you feel like you could stop and breathe.

"Here, take these. It could be a bit dangerous, but the way you handle yourself with a gun, I'd say you'll do just fine." Steve said with a smile, holding out a change of clothes with a small handgun placed on top.

"Thanks, but, I can't exactly change here," you said, taking the possessions from Steve's hands.

"Go change over there then," Sam said, holding the gun for you.

"Sam, she's a lady she needs a more-" You interrupted Steve by holding your hand up.

"It's fine, I need to get out of this uniform anyways," you admitted, walking over to a walled off area a little ways away from the tunnel entrance.

It was a pretty basic uniform, but that didn't stop you from feeling a little bad-ass, alongside the fact that superheros gave it to you. You quickly changed, dumping your previous clothes in a nearby trashcan.

"Don't think there's anyway I can keep these?" You asked walking back to the group with a grin.

"I don't know, we'll see how you handle yourself out there," Sam said, handing you back the small gun, which you tucked in the back of your jeans.

Once you all were gathered and ready to go, the three of you got into a black van, Sam driving, Steve in shotgun, and you in the back.

"So, how have you guys been?" You asked awkwardly trying to break the silence.

"Um, fine I guess," Steve said, looking at you with a funny smile.

You guessed that being a national hero and celebrity, he wasn't used to simply being asked how he was. But you thought it was a polite gesture. As the ride continued, you shifted in your seat, you weren't too comfortable with silence, it felt like people could hear your every move.

"So why did you have a gun on you at the museum exactly?" Sam asked, glancing at you in the rearview mirror.

"Oh, well my dad was a cop and I lived in a not so safe neighborhood growing up. So, he had me be very prepared and I guess it stuck," you said, inspecting your new handgun.

"Seems like a good enough reason to me," Sam said, parking the car next to a curb.

"Where are we exactly?" You asked, stepping out of the car.

"A not so safe neighborhood," Steve said, looking back at you with a smirk.

The three of you walked through a older looking area of Brooklyn, the kind where there were laundry on clothes lines and air conditioning units peeking through windows. Steve led you and Falcon, a look of relief on his face. He must be excited to be somewhere familiar for once.

"What are we doing here?" You asked, looking around, inspecting your new environment.

"We think that if Bucky's starting to remember his past, he'll try to come to places from his memories," Steve stated, looking around for any sign of his former ally.

You nodded as you all continued through the neighborhood. As Steve and Sam took the lead walking forward, something caught your eye. You spotted a small area between two buildings, there was no area to sleep that you could see but the beer bottles and small tin box suggested a resting area for the soldier. Taking the tin box in hand you opened it to reveal its limited contents, a few photos, a dog tag, and a some newspaper clippings. As you lifted up the dog tags by their chain, Sam and Steve walked over.

"No mattress, he never could get used to the comfort either," Steve said, looking through the photos.

Sam took the newspaper clippings and read them to be articles about Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D, dated to be a little over a month old. The photos were of random places around Brooklyn, which Steve claimed were places he and Bucky frequently visited, as well as some photos of Captain America and the Avengers.

"This is a little out of place, a family? It looks like they're leaving a funeral. Why would he have this?" Sam asked as he handed it to Steve.

"I don't know. After the last few weeks, there must have been a few funerals. There are a few work and clean up trucks around the picture so it must be more recent," Steve said, inspecting the photo closer.

"We should leave these, it wouldn't be right to take his only belongings," Sam said, placing the newspapers back into the tin box.

"Right," you said as you slipped the dog tags into your pocket as Steve placed the photos into the box, closing it.

You knew that the tags would come in handy, that is if you actually could find Bucky. As the three of you placed everything back the way you found it, you walked further into the neighborhood. Separated, the three of you looked for any sign of the lost soldier. You walked further when you came to an alleyway, where you stood frozen. There a few feet in front of you stood the Winter Soldier, and he looked exhausted. His eyes were dull, his shoulders were slouched and his clothes were filthy.

"Bucky...it's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," you said holding your hands out where he could see them.

He looked at you with a different face this time, it wasn't full of rage and frustration, it was more vailed with relief.

"You... I didn't mean to, I didn't want to..." He said, panic glossing over his face.

He was in a lot of pain, not all physical that you could tell. And he needed help, whether it be from you or not, he needed it. You thought back to what you would usually do when a child was lost at the museum. The most important thing was to keep them calm until they are back where they belonged, you guessed that was the best you could do in this sort of situation.

"I know, I know, but look I'm fine..." You didn't know why he would care about your well being, but you were willing to say anything to calm him down.

His lips pressed together as he looked you dead in the eye, making sure you weren't going to try to make any stupid moves. And honestly, you were sure you were going to make some eventually. You kept your hands up and slowly walked closer to him, which he immediately stepped back to.

"I want to help you Barnes, but you're going to have to meet me halfway. Can you do that for me?" You asked holding your hand out to him.

He looked at you for several seconds, contemplating whether to trust you or not. With you being smaller than him, you weren't sure what he was so afraid of. After many moments of the soldier inspecting your body language and eyes, making sure you weren't lying, he loosened his stature a bit.

"We just want to get you the answers you need, we want to help you. So, we're going to take you to-WAIT!" You yelled as the soldier sprinted away. And you stupidly sprinted after him.