Bucky Barnes Imagines Vol. 2

I Don't Want You Pt. 3

"Jesus Christ, Bucky! Are you kidding me? You're seriously going to help Zemo?" Steve groaned.

"I don't have a choice, Steve! If I don't, he'll kill her. I thought I was protecting her by pushing her away, but it doesn't matter to Zemo if I'm with her or not. He knows I'm in love with her. If I fail, she's dead!" Bucky yelled.

"Then why did you push her away in the first place? If he would hurt her either way, you broke her heart for nothing."

Steve was seriously baffled by Bucky's thought process. Anyone could see how Bucky looked at you. Hear how he spoke to you. Pushing you away only made you more vulnerable.

"I panicked, Steve. I thought I could make him believe that I didn't care about her, but he knew I was lying."

"I told her you were lying. That you were doing it to protect her."

"Did she believe you?"

Steve saw a spark of hope in Bucky's eyes, but he couldn't lie to him. Bucky was going to have an uphill battle trying to win you back. Even if you believed he had the best intentions, he still chose to leave you instead of telling you the truth.

"I think she did, or at least she wants to."

"So, I still have a chance to get her back?"

Bucky thought he was ready to let you go, but seeing you with Steve had snapped something inside him. The thought of you moving on hurt. Seeing you smiling and laughing with Steve thrust his worst nightmares into reality. You would have a life filled with all the things Bucky had planned to have with you, but he wouldn't be part of the picture. He wouldn't be the man taking you on dates and whispering sweet nothings in your ear. He wouldn't be the man waiting for you at the end of the aisle on your wedding day. He wouldn't be the man who got to hold you in his arms for the rest of his life.

"I honestly don't know, Buck." Steve's words stole the little piece of hope he had.

"B-but, I did it for a reason. I'd never say those things to her if I didn't one hundred percent believe it was the right thing to do." Bucky was panicking for a different reason now. He believed Steve would be able to help him and that, when Zemo was dealt with, you would be safe. Now he was facing the possibility that he had really lost you forever.

"I know that, and I think she does, too..." Steve trailed off.

"But?" Bucky pressed.

"But—you still lied to her. She said she didn't know if she could be with someone who would rather break her heart than give her the truth."

Bucky's breath quickened as he took in what Steve said. Even knowing Bucky lied to you because he thought it was necessary, you still wouldn't forgive him. He was a fucking idiot for ever thinking that his plan was a good idea. If he had told you the truth from the start you wouldn't be suffering and he wouldn't be dealing with the guilt of having to murder a man.

"You gotta help me, Steve. I need to figure this shit out with Zemo and then I need to get her back. I made a mistake. I realize that now."

"I'll help you with the Zemo situation and I'll do everything I can to at least get Y/n to talk to you."

That was the best Bucky was going to get, so he had to accept it. Steve spent the rest of the afternoon coming up with a way to get Bucky free and clear of Zemo. The plan was solid and Steve saw a little weight lift from Bucky's shoulders. As long as he didn't deviate from the plan, everything would be fine.

~

Thursday morning was relatively peaceful. You were sitting on the balcony off the common room of the compound enjoying your morning coffee. It was a morning ritual for you, one that you hadn't indulged in since your break up with Bucky, but this morning you woke up in better spirits. You enjoyed the calm of the early morning and the way the sky streaked with the most vibrant colors as the sun rose across the lake.