Winter Is Coming (A Bucky Barnes Fanfic)

Chapter 12: The First Snow

"Nothing burns like the cold." -George R.R. Martin

***

Time freezes. Every angle, every wall, every wisp of oxygen in the air, every person in that meeting room becomes nothing but a blurry mess, as if every moment before this one had been the artist painting, and this moment he is smearing it all.

Bucky's throat clenches up and his voice is lost like a tornado ascending into the clouds after its destruction is done. He distinctly hears Harley call his name softly, but he can't focus on anything.

Steve has been captured by Hydra. His worst nightmare has become reality. Oh, the things he's going to do to anyone affiliated with Hydra when he gets his hands on them...

*"How's it comin, Buck?" Steve asks over his sketchpad, straining to see Bucky's work.

"Stop moving! I'm almost done," Bucky says. He and Steve agreed to draw each other drawing each other to get a visual of what concentration looks like. They sit across the room in chairs, their sketchpads balanced on their legs.

Bucky carefully finishes the detail on Steve's socks and looks over his finished portrait.

"Are you done?" Bucky nods and they cross the room to each other, trading drawings.

Bucky gazes at the wonderful drawing of him. He looks over every little detail- there are so many- and he's bewildered by Steve's talent. All the curves of his face are there, along with the veins in his hand and every hair on his head. His eyebrows are furrowed and his eyes are glued to the paper. Every crease and button is clearly visible; every scar and eyelash stands out individually.

"So this is what concentration looks like," Steve says, sounding exasperated. Bucky refocuses his attention suddenly at Steve's shallow breath.

"Are you okay?" he asks worriedly, scouting the room for Steve's inhaler.

"I'm fine, it's just, your drawing of me," Steve smiles at it, "it's amazing. Literally, breathtaking compared to mine."

"Mine? Look at yours!" Bucky gets frustrated at Steve's lack of confidence in his skills. "I can see my pulse pulsating."

Steve laughs. "Jerk."

"Punk." *

"Bucky?"

Bucky snaps out of it and hastily turns to Harley, gripping her upper arms and feeling his eyes widen and water. "Steve..."

"I know, it'll be okay," she says soothingly, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. "We'll find him. It's going to be alright, I promise you."

Although Harley remains calm on the outside, Bucky can see fear and anguish penetrating her core, begging to be revealed only to get pushed down and refused.

Sam is taken to the recovery room, Natasha has a veil of horror and frustration on her face, Stark stands at the window dramatically, and Fury is shouting orders like a military commander.

"I want Barton keeping an eye up above," Fury yells. "Is Banner here?"

"He went back to India last night," Stark responds, turning away from the window.

"Then Stark, track the location of Hydra. I don't care if you have to do something illegal to do it."

"I do illegal things every day. There's no exception for Capsicle," Stark says, walking out of the room at a faster pace than normal.

"Romanoff, extract all the files we have on Hydra and anything else you can get your hands on. Barnes, go search Rogers' apartment for any indicators and Conrose, get Loki out and bring him here. I'll call Thor."