I Thought You Were Different

Family

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Some language

"Guys, I just want you to know, that if we don't make it out of this-"

"That's about enough of that," Bucky hissed, strapping his final gun to his back. "I'm not listening to this shit." He stormed from the back of the jet without another word, stopping at the door's edge to look back and wait for you and Sam to follow.

"He's a little on edge," Sam shrugged. "He doesn't mean to be an asshole!" he shouted out towards Barnes.

"Yes I do!"

You looked at Sam, the both of you now completely confused as to Bucky's shift in attitude, turning to walk down the jet door to meet him at the bottom. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I can't let emotions into this," he replied, avoiding your eyes. "I have to maintain my focus on finding Steve. I can't let my worry for the two of you cloud my judgment or my actions. I need to keep in check." Bucky looked at Sam with a firm nod, then to you with a glance of both affection and sadness before running towards the expansive compound. Sam was quickly at your side, the two of you following close behind.

"Aw, did he just say that he's worried about me too?" Sam smiled, though it was quickly chased away when he met your disapproving look. "Cuz you know, I'm good. Yeah...I don't need anyone looking out for me."

"When I told him that we could use a little soldier mentality, I didn't think he'd take it so seriously."

"You told him that?"

"Yeah?" you scoffed. "Is that bad?"

Sam took a deep breath and stared straight ahead as he ran, merely shaking his head, but barely enough for you to notice. He wasn't sure of how to answer, and you weren't sure if you had made a mistake that would cost you more than would help. Bucky wasn't the same without Steve; he was less the man you knew when he didn't know if his best friend was alive or dead, or worse, not knowing what they were doing to him. Not knowing what you would find of Steve made Bucky's soldier persona that much easier for him to play.

~~~

"I can't believe that I have to take one of my private jets to this party," Tony whined, firing up the engine as his team began to board. "I swear that if this thing sees even one bullet hole, (Y/N) will be working for me for the rest of her life to pay it back."

"Calm down, Stark. You know this is all we have with FRIDAY blocked from the quinjets. Maybe you shouldn't have taught her how to program and then give her unlimited access. I bet you never thought that would backfire so extravagantly, did you?"

"Ah, so nice to hear your lovely voice again, Red. Sorry you can't make the flight but I hear you need a little more beauty rest."

Natasha leaned back in her chair at the command desk, smiling faintly and swiveling the chair with her foot as she spoke over the comms. "True, there's definitely nothing quite like an explosion in the face to get you a few days off work. But I'm back now, so get your ass in the air."

"Now there's a visual."

Without missing a beat, she skirted over his comment and kept the conversation focused on the job at hand, despite her desire to enter a round of verbal sparring with Stark again. "Has everyone arrived?"

"All but one, so we're gonna swing by on the way and pick him up."

~~~

Sam stood at the first door that you had come to, scanning the inside of the building for numbers of guards and conditions on the other side. He was just about at a completed head count when he suddenly stopped with an audible gasp.