Melioration ~ James Buchanan Barnes

O1O ~ Cold night

In the middle of the night, you're awaken by metal repeatedly tapping the ground. It's not very loud but it's enough to wake you up. When you sit up straight and let your eyes get used to the dark, you see James in fetus position on the ground, shaking because he's so cold. It causes his metal to tap the ground everytime the cold passes through him. 

Your heart is speaking to you again, pushing you to stand up and do the right thing. This is not why you joined Hydra. You should not care about any other living thing besides yourself. They made it clear that you don't come through for others, only the people you directly work with. But that doesn't include the  Winter Soldiers or any other kind of "slave". 

But your heart speaks from your time back at Shield. They taught you to help others before helping yourself. It may be a long time ago, it's still imprinted in you and you can't help but to grab your coat and to lay it down over James, hoping that he will feel warmer in a bit. You know it's not much but it's at least something. 

The shaking reduces but he doesn't wake up, thankfully. You don't want him to see you like this, vulnerable and caring. Hydra would kill you for doing this if they could see you right now. 

You gently lie down beside him, shuddering because of the cold but you're casting it out of your mind and just think of everything that is warm. It's a small trick to fool your mind and it's working a little bit but not much. Oh how you're wishing to just be in your own warm bed at home right now. You don't notice James waking up, seeming your back is facing him. 

Without thinking, he grabs you by your waist and pulls you against him as tight as he can to warm you up. You have your eyes wide open as his arm feels like fire on your thigh but you don't move since it's helping you to get warm. You flutter your eyes closed as you feel his hot breath in your neck, his entire front pressed against your back. It feels kind of good and you don't mind the warmth you get from him. If this is helping you both, then why not allow it for one night. 

After lying like this for several hours, you slowly and softly turn around so you face him, immediately feeling the cold hitting your back but the front is now slowly warming up. He now rolls on his back but his arm is still on you, even pulling you closer against him again. You hold your breath as you softly press yourself tighter against him while wrapping one arm around his torso to keep yourself warm. The last thing you want is for him to wake up and to catch you in your desperate attempt to get warmer. You carefully place your head on his chest as some kind of pillow and hear how his heart beats peacefully. He really is in a deep sleep. Knowing him when he's awake, he would be very, very tense if you would lie like that on him. Slowly, but on edge, you fall back asleep. 

~

The next morning you wake up in the most tangled up position you can imagine. He is still on his back with you rolled half on top of him, legs tangled up together while your head is resting on his chest and both his arms are wrapped around you. You squint your eyes at the bright sun light that is shining through the broken windows of the warehouse before realizing what your position is. 

'Shit.' You mutter under your breath and you carefully peel yourself out of his tender grip. As you stand, you dust your clothes off and grab your coat from the ground, noticing how it wasn't over either one of you. 

In silence you fix your hair and clear your throat so James starts to wake up again. 'Good morning, Sergeant.' You say and watch how he stands up and eyes you curiously. 'Did you rest well?' You stay professional even though the air around you is filled with an awkward like tension. 'I did.' He says, a small smirk visible on his features that makes your cheeks flush a bright red. 

'I was meaning to thank you for tonight. If it wasn't for you, I would probably be frozen solid.' You chuckle at your small joke but turning serious right after. Oh, the irony. Thanking him is the least you can do. 'You're welcome although I should thank you, too. You thought I didn't really notice but I did when you gave me your coat.' There is your blush again. You avert your gaze from him and tell him that you should go get some food somewhere. 'We need to have enough energy for what we're about to do today.' 

Your feeling was right when you watch how Shield is transporting the Scepter to a more secure facility. You and James share a grin as you sit beside him in the car he took from Hydra while now chasing the highly secured transport vehicles. Yes, vehicles as in, plural. They try to confuse anyone who wants to rob them but you know better. It's always in the middle vehicle. It's really not that hard. 

'Are you ready?' You ask him and he nods, speeding up and pressing a button that fires small rocket like bombs at the trucks. Don't be deceived by the size because the blast is incredible, sending two of the three trucks into a total-loss state. Let's go get your Scepter.