Better Love || A Bucky Barnes Fanfiction

- Backs To The Wall -

She hadn't seen him since they had seperated them in Bucharest after the highway incident. Now they were in Berlin and Elena was beginning to lose her mind.

She had been a difficult prisoner. She had done so on purpose. She didn't care how many times they threatened her, she would not comply. She had hoped that her behaviour would get her moved into a more high security cell or transport, such as Bucky's. However, they saw right through her motives. Eventually, if she was getting too snarky, they would put a muzzle over her mouth. She'd been wearing the muzzle a lot lately. However, she was free of it now during the ride to the task force headquarters. Her restraints, though, were kept on.

She sat in the middle row of the van next to Steve. Since being split up from Bucky he had been keeping an eye on her, or at least as much as he could when she wasn't being seperated from the group for disordly behaviour. They hadn't had a lot of time to talk, but they were cordial with one another. Elena knew how important he was to Bucky and how he had come to help them, and Steve knew how important she was to Bucky and how, in all of this, she was a civillian. Behind her sat Sam, a man that Steve had told her she could trust. So far the pair hadn't had a proper conversation either, but she believed Steve's word. In front of her, though, sat a man she was struggling not to strangle as he spoke.

"So I ask you," T'Challa, the newly appointed King of Wakanda, was saying. "As both warrior and king, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?" 

"You're not getting anywhere near him," Elena snapped, her shackles shaking as she leaned as far forward as she could. She couldn't see his face but she could hear the patronizing tone in his voice.

"And you think you can stop me?"

"Without a doubt," Elena replied cooly. "You're going after the wrong man."

"And what are you? His partner? Accomplice?" T'Challa asked, scoffing. "Murderers alike, I am sure, and like your friend, unsafe too."

"Stop it," Steve murmured, voice low. Elena rolled her eyes, staring darkly at the back of the man's head and wishing she could burn a hole through it. She could hear the gasp Bucky had let out when he had been attacking him on the rooftop, could see this man's arm raised to strike her love. It made her want to spit venom.

"We live in a world of danger. I'm sure we can cope with you, catman," she snapped back, earning a choked laugh from the backseat. Beside her Steve nudged her foot softly.

"Stop," he repeated, this time with more force. Elena frowned, letting out a small grumble beneath her breath, but she followed his demand regardless, turning to stare out the window. Outside, their van approached the large and stretching group of buildings that was surrounded by a river.

When they arrived she was allowed out of a majority of her restraints bar the handcuffs, which she stared out grumpily as she stepped out of the van. As soon as she lifted her head from the ground, her eyes caught sight of Bucky. It was the first time she had seen him in days and it almost made her gasp aloud to see him. While he was stuck inside a thick, see through container, he looked safe. His eyes, as though sensing hers, turned towards Elena and he sat up a little straighter, leaning forward.

"Bucky," Elena murmured, taking a step towards him before being pushed back by a soldier.

"Keep moving," he snapped, making Elena narrow her eyes.

"No, not without him," she argued, but she felt Steve's hand on her shoulder, turning her away. While he was gentle, there was a firmness in his touch that left no room for argument. She stared up at him incredulously, and catching her gaze he spoke.