𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 - 𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙑𝙀𝙇

twelve

- Captain America : Civil War -

┏━━━━━━━━━ ━━━━━━━━━┓

[Quinjet]

Alexei stood motionless by the expansive window, his gaze fixed on some distant point as his mind wandered. 

He desperately wished he knew that Wanda was okay after everything that had happened.

Though he tried to exude a calm exterior, inside his stomach was in knots thinking about what might be happening to his sister.

Hearing nearly silent footsteps approach, Alexei snapped out of his brooding thoughts. He glanced to the side to see Bucky standing there awkwardly, shifting his weight between his feet.

Alexei noted the conflicted look on Bucky's face and the way he seemed to be struggling with what to say.

"Umm...I'm sorry," Bucky finally said after a lengthy pause, the words sounding insufficient even to his own ears.

Alexei's brow furrowed in confusion as he turned to fully face the other man. "For what exactly?" he asked, though he had a sinking feeling he already knew the answer.

"I'm the reason you're in this mess and your sister..." Bucky trailed off, unable to meet Alexei's piercing gaze.

Alexei let out a slow breath, reminding himself that Bucky was as much a victim in all this as anyone. "My sister is strong. She will be fine," he stated, willing it to be true. "And you are not to blame for the actions of others," he added.

Bucky shifted uncomfortably, still looking guilty. "What's gonna happen to your friends?" he asked quietly.

At the question, Alexei turned back to the window, a shadow passing over his face. He stared ahead into the darkness, suddenly looking years older. 

After a long pause, he sighed heavily and shook his head. "Whatever it is...we will find a way to deal with it," he said, weariness creeping into his voice despite his resolve. They had to believe that, after everything, the future still held hope.

Bucky looks thoughtful, scuffing his boot along the floor. "I don't know if I'm worth all this," he says quietly.

Alexei pauses for a moment, considering his words. He looks over at Bucky, meeting his uncertain gaze. "What you did all those years...it wasn't you," Alexei says firmly. "Not the real you."

Bucky sighs, a flicker of anguish in his eyes as past deeds weigh heavily on him. "I know," he acknowledges. "But I still did it."

Alexei shakes his head. "You didn't have a choice. They controlled you - your mind, your actions," he points out. 

Bucky falls silent, still wrestling with the demons of his past. Alexei studies him for a few moments, seeing the inner turmoil etched on his face. 

In many ways Bucky reminds him of himself - pulled from his life against his will, forced to do unspeakable things that still haunt him.

"You know," Alexei says gently, "I never had the chance to know the man you were before all this." He gestures vaguely, encompassing Hydra and the decades of manipulation. "I would like to meet that man, the real Bucky."

Bucky lifts his gaze, a bit surprised at the offer of friendship after all that's happened. But he sees only sincerity on Alexei's face. 

"I don't know if he's still in here," Bucky admits quietly, tapping his temple. "But he was a pretty decent guy I think. Before..."