Battlefield ★ Bucky Barnes

XIX. The Last Thing I Do

Connie zipped up her catsuit that Maria had fetched for her and let out a sigh. She, along with Steve and Sam, were getting ready to head to the Triskelion to stop the Insight helicarriers from taking off. She was more than prepared for it, but what she wasn't prepared for was the possibility of having to fight against Bucky. She knew that he wouldn't know her, and she knew that he would do whatever he could in order to get rid of her. She would be forced to defend herself, of course, but hurting him was something she didn't want to do, regardless of whether or not he was hurting her.

As Connie walked over to the table containing her weapons, Natasha approached her with a small smile on her face. She had been waiting to talk to her friend about Bucky since they had all been arrested, but there just hadn't been that much time. Everyone was everywhere trying to prepare for the impending battle they knew there would be, so there was no room for conversation.

"Hey, Con," the redhead greeted her friend.

Connie smiled at her and placed one of her guns in their holsters. "Hi, Nat."

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"Make it quick," Connie instructed her as she placed her second gun in its holster. "Steve wants to head out as soon as we're all ready."

"I was talking with Steve yesterday on the way to Lehigh, and he told me the reason why you wouldn't date," Natasha said to her.

Connie placed the electroshock baton she had in her hand back onto the table and looked at Natasha. "Did he now?"

Natasha nodded. "Apparently you had a boyfriend back in the day."

"I did," Connie breathed out as she continued placing her weapons in their respective places on her uniform. "And yes, that boyfriend is the reason I refuse to date, even to this day."

"Would that boyfriend happen to be Bucky?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Connie questioned her with a shaky voice.

"Because when I talked to Steve about this he seemed pretty torn up," Natasha told her. "I assumed he was close to this boyfriend as well, and when you two discovered that Bucky was the Winter Soldier and that he was alive. . .well, I just put two and two together."

Connie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, yes. Bucky is that boyfriend; Bucky is the reason why I refuse to date."

"Because you're still so in love with him that you can't bear the thought of being with anyone else but him," Natasha stated.

"Yes," Connie nodded.

"Even if he isn't anything but a brainwashed Hydra soldier."

Connie snapped her head over to look at Natasha. "He won't be for long."

"Connie—"

"No," Connie cut her off. "I will not let them continue to hurt him."

"He doesn't know you, Connie," Natasha told her quietly.

"He will," Connie assured her. "I will get him back if it's the last thing I do."