the team doctor || bucky barnes

68.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴏɴɢ - ᴄᴀꜱᴛʟᴇꜱ ᴄʀᴜᴍʙʟɪɴɢ ʙʏ ᴛᴀʏʟᴏʀ ꜱᴡɪꜰᴛ ꜰᴛ. ʜᴀʏʟᴇʏ ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍꜱ

~

"ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE OKAY?" 

Valerie asked him for what felt like the thirtieth time that morning. He only raised the coffee mug to his lips, nodding silently. She didn't believe him for a second. She had grown familiar of all his quirks--and when something was wrong, he clenched his jaw. His eyebrows tightened. 

Today held another team meeting, but this time, Valerie was called upon to join. 

"Valerie, happy to have you here with us today," Tony spoke as she walked in, Bucky close at her side. She smiled, looking to Bucky, who donned a serious face. Her smile faltered, always subconsciously matching his mood. 

She took a seat across from Steve, whom she noticed averted her gaze. Next to him was Sam, who only looked at her with sadness. She looked again to Bucky, and he immediately took her hand underneath the table. He was so attuned to her, he could sense her heart begin to race. Her mind went a million miles a minute, thinking of every possible scenario that was about to unfold. Bucky was being sent on another mission. MONA had planned an attack. They threatened to take Bucky once and for all. 

"I'll just get right to it," Tony cleared his throat. 

Oh, God, MONA was on the way as they speak. 

"Valerie, we've put it to a vote, and you're going to the facility upstate. Vision will be with you as a safeguard, but Bucky will need to stay here. We can't risk having both of you in the same place. He can visit once a week for the time being, but only for a few hours." 

Her mouth went dry. She was not expecting that. 

"W-What?" 

"A vote?" Bucky's voice was eerily calm. 

"This is what we decided would be best for your safety," Steve dared to speak. 

"When the fuck was this decided? You voted without me--without her?" Bucky roared. 

"The vote was at the end of the meeting that you left early." Natasha replied. "We had every intention of having your say," 

"But not mine?" Valerie's voice carried shakily. 

"As a technical employee of this team, that decision wasn't necessarily yours to make," Tony said regretfully. "We had to do what was best for you,"

"Sorry," Valerie humorlessly laughed. "A 'technical employee of the team'?" 

"That is technically your title," Bruce sheepishly said. 

"No one wants this, but it has to be done," 

"Steve," Bucky growled. 

"Was this why you left the meeting early?" Valerie turned to Bucky now. "Because they were talking about locking me up?" 

He sighed, nodding. "I-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her eyes welled with tears. 

"Because I wasn't going to let it happen," 

"Nothing is happening to her except what's best for her safety," 

"Why have you been training me all this time?" She looked at Tony. "If, when it mattered most, you never planned on letting me use it?" 

"It's too big a risk, Val."

Her head snapped to Sam, who already looked regretful of his words. Her eyes squinted at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe this conversation was happening. Locked away, without even Bucky to be there for her? Among her were friends, family, who all voted against her will. It became glaringly obvious to her that these weren't family members. Tony was right, these were her bosses. Not her teammates.