Better Love || A Bucky Barnes Fanfiction

- Civil War -

They met them the next day at the airport. Three people: Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, an older man who had a witty sense of sarcasm, Scott Lang, a man new to the superhero game, and Wanda Maximoff, a young woman with superhuman abilities that Elena had never seen before. Before the group could leave in the helicopter Barton had prepared for them, though, an alarm sounded through the air that signalled one thing: They had been found. As they prepared for what would be a fight for survival and escape, suiting up for the oncoming battle, Bucky pulled Elena over to the back of their car.

"Take these. You'll need them," he murmured, clipping a belt with two handguns and refills attached to it around her waist. As Elena removed her jacket, leaving her in her leather boots, black jeans, and an equally black singlet, Bucky began fastening more belts to her thighs and around the bottom of her left leg, both carrying smaller weapons of their own. Elena frowned as he made her slip her arms into a gun holster, clipping it across her chest.

"All of them?" she said, touching the belt gently. Bucky smiled softly. 

"Well, not my knife, of course. You've got your own."

"It's a bit excessive, isn't it? I feel like Lara Croft," Elena said before touching his hands, stilling their movements. "Anyway, I don't like the idea of you not being armed."

"And I don't like the idea of you being caught up in all this," Bucky replied, looking down at the ground. "But... but we are."

Elena smiled sadly, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his back and pressing her face against his chest.

"I wish we were back in Buchacrest," she murmured as Bucky held her close to him, pressing his nose against her hair and inhaling deeply. "I wish we were saying dirty words in different languages and complaining about tangled hair and throwing fruit."

"I wish we were back in Seattle at the shelter, unknown to the world. You were supposed to be a teacher..."

"And instead I've become the student," Elena finished, pulling away slightly so she could look up at him. "I wish I was of more use to you and the others-"

"No-" Bucky said, shaking his head.

"Yes, Bucky," Elena insisted, stepping away from him and holding his hands in hers. "I feel so useless. No powers, no special suit, with the bare minumum combat training. I wish I could be of more service."

"Well, I'm glad you can't because that means you won't have much to do," Bucky replied. The look on Elena's face made him frown, the arched eyebrow and narrowed eyes aimed at him. He knew this look. 

"So what? I have to sit on the sidelines and watch you risk your life?" she argued, stubborness written all over her face.

"Doll, come on-" Bucky began, but Elena shook her head.

"No, look, listen. I..." Elena trailed off, looking away from Bucky and towards some of the others who were scattered around the carpark in a variety of shades of undressed. "I want to help you and them. I want to do something."

"Then do this: Don't get caught up in the crossfire," Bucky said as Elena turned back to him. "Not out there in the main area. I can't have that happen."

"It... It won't," she promised. Bucky grimaced, cupping her face with one hand and touching the dog tags that lay against her chest with the other, his metal hand cool against her warm skin.. Silently, Elena placed one hand on top of his. He looked at her with a frown.

"I'm gonna make sure of that."

The plan was to distract and run. Steve would go out to the waiting helicopter, meeting whoever ended up following, Scott accompanying him. Wanda and Clint would take the carpark, while Bucky, Sam, and Elena would take the terminal and scout out a spare jet to get them out of there. Out of all three, it was the safest option not just for Elena, but for Bucky as well, who was the prime target by all those hunting them. After agreeing to the plan the group split up, and together the trio waited in the terminal for Sam to find the jet and Steve to give them the signal. It didn't take too long, and soon Elena's rapid heartbeat was justified. As they raced down the terminal a creature in red and blue followed them from outside, crawling along the glass and almost making Elena pause at the sight of it. She wasn't the only one shocked or surprised by the appearance.