𝔹𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕋𝕠 𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕝𝕪𝕟 | Bucky Barnes⁽¹⁾

20 | End of the Line

Every time he saw snow, he thought of his home.

The ice would layer the sidewalks, and Ella would cling to his arm as they walked through the dimly lit streets, afraid of slipping and falling. And he loved it. He loved it, not just because he had an excuse to hold her, but because he adored the feeling of being the person protecting her, being the one she relied on when she needed support.

Of course, that feeling of adoring pride came with a smidge of worry. Worry that if he were to fall, Ella would too. The way she clung to him, practically hanging off his side, he had to be doubly careful with his footing on the ice. Knowing that if he tripped, he'd be dragging her down too.

All of that fear came from something as simple as walking home on an icy path.

So imagine the kind of fear he felt standing on the precipice of a cliff, overlooking the snowy mountains, waiting for a train to chug across the tracks between the crumbling rocks.

The only thing keeping him grounded was knowing she was safe. Back at the army base, Ella was tucked into the comfiest cot Bucky could find, as she rested, letting her wound heal. There was an argument, of course. A long-winded back and forth between the couple as she pleaded to be allowed to come with them. She put up a fight, but in the end, Bucky convinced her to stay put. Tears had lined his eyes as he begged her to stay where he knew she'd be safe – where he knew she'd be waiting for him when he returned.

"El, baby, please," he whispered, his voice hoarse from where it had been raised in the heat of the row. "I need you to stay here and get better. Please, I-I need you to stay here."

Though she was ready to argue back once again, Ella paused. Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched a tear roll down his cheek, his head bowing as if trying to hide his face. "James..."

"Two days ago, I watched you fall out of the sky," he rasped. His hands were clasped together, trembling in his lap as he poured his heart out. "You were bleeding, you were in pain, your eyes were closing, and I couldn't do anything. I can't let that happen again, Ella. I can't. So, please. Please just stay here, be safe, let me do this for us, so I can-"

"Shh, okay," Ella whimpered, reaching out to cup his face in her warm palms, gently lifting his head until their eyes met. Her heart broke at how tired he looked, finally noticing how desperate his pleas for her to stay truly were. "Okay, I'll stay. I'll stay right here, I promise. I'm sorry."

Bucky sighed, a heavy off his shoulders at her words, at her touch. He reached up, holding her hands against his face, not allowing her to let go as he looked into her eyes through the mist clouding his own.

"Don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for. I get why you think you need to be there, but I promise, I'm gonna bring that asshole back, and he's gonna pay. You'll get your shot. Just not today."

"I know I will," she said softly. "After everything, he's gonna pay. They all are." Gently lifting his chin, she brought his eyes up to meet hers again. "Just be careful. Don't let those monsters take anything else from us."

"Now, future-Mrs-Barnes," he whispered with a small, tearful smile that made Ella giggle quietly. "That's not gonna happen. Just a few more weeks, and this will be over. We can go back home, I promise. I promise.

It was a promise he swore to himself he'd keep. Whether this mission went smoothly or with problems, he'd make it back to her by nightfall.

As the snow continued to fall, tiny flakes caught on his eyelashes. Blinking away the mist, he walked forward, keeping a safe distance from the edge of the cliff as he looked across the mountains. Beside him, Steve looked out at the same view, eyebrows furrowed as he prepared himself for what was to come.