Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes Imagines

22. Bucky - 00 : 00 : 00 : 00 Part Four (Final)

A/N: Here it is, the final part! Again, so sorry for the wait and that this is so short, and please don't hate me for this ending, okay? *cringes* Maybe I'll add to this, but I don't really plan on it. 

Also, I'm going to be starting a Peter Parker Imagine book, so feel free to send me requests for that if you wish! Anyone seen Spider-Man: Homecoming yet? I'm hopefully seeing it tomorrow and I'm super excited :D

You woke up gasping, one hand gripping at the sheets around you and the other tight around another strong, slightly calloused hand.

"Hey, hey, relax, doll," a voice said softly, causing you to instantly let your tense and panicked form settle down. Your eyes met blue ones and you realized Bucky was sitting next to you, while you appeared to be in a hospital bed. 

"What-what happened?" You croaked, almost cringing at the sound of your voice. Bucky frowned, his thumb rubbing circles in your hand comfortingly.

"You don't remember?" He asked carefully, his eyes glancing down at your stomach. 

It was like his words reminded you, and you winced instantly, your free arm going around your waist as you felt the extreme soreness in your abdomen. 

"You alright?" He asked quickly, worry in his eyes, but you nodded, grimacing.

"I've had worse," you admitted, your voice cracking slightly still. "Could you get me a glass of water?" You asked, wanting your throat to feel normal again.

"Of course, sweetheart," he murmured, pressing a kiss to your forehead and leaving the room. You watched his back as he opened the door, slipping out quietly and shutting it behind him. 

Glancing out the window, you frowned at the scenery. It was clearly a jungle outside, which was nowhere near the skyscrapers and city-feel of New York, where you were before the incident. 

Your hand went back to your waist instinctively again as you made a face, wishing you could forget the pain of Rhodey's suit slamming into you.

That was when everything went black, you supposed. I mean, who the heck expects to stay conscious when a heavy metal suit knocks you into a concrete pillar? You were lucky to survive. In fact, you were surprised you were able to sit up and talk. The doctors must have been amazing.

Then you frowned, staring out the window again. Surely you were dreaming, right? A hospital with a jungle right outside. Bucky in the hospital with you was a definite giveaway that you were asleep. He wouldn't be let near you, much less walking freely around. He should be on the run, as far from you as possible.

Before you could think more of it, the door opened again, Bucky shooting you a small smile as he handed you a glass of water. You thanked him in your croaky voice and downed it quickly, instantly feeling better.

"So, what's the story?" You asked in a more normal sounding tone, watching Bucky's expression carefully as he thought about his answer.

"After you got-" he tenses, his hands tightening into fists. "After Rhodes knocked you out, I managed to pull you away from the fighting. We made it to Wakanda safely and the doctors were able to fix you up as much as they could."

You almost choked on your water when he mentioned Wakanda. "What? We're in Wakanda? But T'Challa-"

"A misunderstanding," he smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "He understands now that I didn't kill his father. He invited us here when you got hurt, and no one knows we're here. You're safe, Y/N."

You glanced out the window again, still confused. It felt like everything was perfect now - you and Bucky were together, in hiding yes, but you were both alive and free to be together. So why did it not feel that way?

"You aren't telling me everything," you muttered, afraid to meet his gaze, but forcing yourself to look back. You weren't surprised to see him avoiding yours.

"Y/N..." he sighed, finally meeting your E/C eyes, guilt in his blue ones. "Y/N, I'm going back under. Into the ice."

You blinked. "Bucky-"

"Listen," he insisted, taking both your hands in his and giving you a pleading glance. "Those damn words are still in my head, doll. Zemo only had to say them and suddenly I was the Winter Soldier again. I can't trust my own mind."

"We can work on it," you interrupted, starting to feel panic bubbling up your throat, "Bucky, we can try and-"

"Y/N," he said softly, placing his hand on your cheek so you'd look him in the eye. "You've made me happier than I would've thought possible, despite all the shit falling around us. And this is the last thing I want to do. But I won't risk anyone else's life, especially not yours. I'm going under, and I'm not waking up until they figure out how to fix my mind."

You shut you eyes, feeling the tears coming but trying to force them back. You didn't want him to feel guilty about leaving you, even though it felt like you would break apart if he did. Ridiculous, you thought to yourself as you opened your eyes again to meet his gaze. You only knew the man for a couple weeks, but the soulmate stories were true. You loved him so much that you didn't know how to live without him when he went under.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly, his thumb brushing a tear from your cheek as his face twisted in pain. 

"When?" You asked in the same soft tone, afraid of the answer but needing to know it. You needed to know how much time you had.

"I was only waiting for you to wake up so I could say goodbye," he murmured, causing you to choke back a sob. His arms wrapped around you tightly and you managed to hold it together, for him. Later, when he wasn't around to see it, you'd let yourself feel the pain.

You weren't sure how long he held you there, his lips pressing into your hair as you held your arms around him tightly, as though maybe you could keep him there. Finally the silence was too much and you pulled back, your hands finding his jawline and cupping his face.

"I love you," you managed to say without your voice cracking, watching as his expression softened. "No matter what. I can wait."

"Doll-"

"I can wait," you insisted, "I'll wait, no matter how long it takes. They'll find a solution, and when you wake up, I'll be there."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours, being careful of your injuries as he rested a hand on your waist. You kissed him back with as much passion as you could muster, afraid that this might be the last time for a long time. Who knew how long it would take for them to get the words out of his head?

After what felt too short, Bucky pulled back, his eyes pained as they stared into yours. He murmured a last "I love you," then disappeared out the hospital door, taking your heart with him.