oh captain! my captain! | barnes

poem

2:23 am

Bucky took her on. She punched him good and hard, she kneed his side and made him yell. But all the while, he didn't hit her back.

"Audrey, please. Don't do this. I know you're not like them." He said to her, calmly. She punched his lower jaw and he grunted, taking the pain. She continued to hit him, trying to force him to the ground. He stood with his arms up, to block the hits. There was pounding at the door.

"Open up, Bucky! Come on, it's not safe!" Clint yelled, trying to open the locked door.

"I know what I'm doing, Barton, butt out." He said. The soldier grabbed a surgical knife and advanced towards him. "Audrey put the knife down."

"Cut off the head and two more grow in its place." She recited a part of the HYDRA oath.

"Audrey I fought with you. We fought them, HYDRA." She cut his side and he grunted in pain. "Audrey we stormed them, on your first battle. We took down at least fifty men together!" He threw the truth at her, hoping she'd accept it.

"Hail HYDRA!" She yelled, cutting the upper part of his flesh arm.

"Audrey they captured us together, they experimented on us together. I was freed and you were left behind-"

"Immortal HYDRA!" She went for his stomach and missed. He took her arm, her hand gripping the knife tightly. Her knuckles went white. She struggled under his strength. "I serve none but the Master." She said tightly. He looked her in her big brown eyes, knowing she was screaming for release inside.

"I'm sorry I left you behind. But I love you Audrey Rolf. I always have. I always will. I should have told you that when I had the chance." He paused, recalling the line from the letter. "Oh Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is almost done." He said.

"Bucky?" She released the tension in her arms, she dropped the knife and looked at his side and shoulder. "Did I do that to you?" He let her go and wiped some blood away from his busted lip.

"Yeah." He nodded. She covered her mouth. He was exhausted, but glad she was back.

"I'm a monster then, aren't I? What you said, about HYDRA and them taking us in and brainwashing us, it's true?" The man nodded. "And y-you love me?"

"Always have darlin'. Since the day I met you." He said kindly, something hit her:

"Welcoming party."

"Hm?"

"Welcoming party. You knocked on my door and I asked who you were. You said you were Bucky Barnes, my welcoming party. When was that?" She asked, holding her temple and trying to think.

"September, 1941. When you first came to my military camp." He smiled, pain shooting throughout his jaw. She noticed his discomfort.

"Let's get you stitched up, then." She sat him on the bed and found a curved needle and thread and sewed his shoulder up. He rose his shirt up to his chest and she studied the wound, it was longer and deeper than the shoulder. "There's nerve damage." She said finally.

"Sew it up, would you? I'll bleed to death before I can tell you the rest of our story." He said roughly. She glared teasingly at him and worked on the cut, taking small pleasure in the small uncomfortable shifting he had with each poke and pull through. She tied off the string and cut it. He wrapped a bandage around his side and left his shoulder. He caught her arm and looked at the tattoo of the octopus.

She pulled her arm away.

"That's new. I think that's how they found you." He said. She froze in front of the door.