Heart of the Ocean

Chapter 10

The sound of a body hitting the floor caused both Steve and Bucky's hearts to jump into their throats, blocking their airways and filling their veins with dread. Bucky grasped the doorhandle firmly and pulled it open, taking the entire door with it. He set the door against the wall, none too gently before rushing into the room with Steve hot on his heels.

What they saw made them stop dead in their tracks. Their precious y/n, tied to a wooden hardback chair. Cuts and bruises adorn her body in a grotesque mosaic. Her beautiful face is puffy and swollen. Her eyes, usually shining with light, are now blank and unfocused. Her hands are shaking uncontrollably as she holds a flare gun out in front of her, pointed at the large body lying motionless on the ground in a pool of blood.

"Y/N," both of them breathe out a sigh of relief at finding their mate alive. Bucky wastes no time in tearing the ropes off as quickly and gently as possible while Steve frantically looks around for anything that can help stop the bleeding of her wounds. Steve spots a large first-aid kit stashed haphazardly into a corner and grabs it while Bucky gently picks up y/n, being extra careful of her wounds as he carries her up the stairs.

Bucky lays her down on a lounge chair in the shade while Steve opens the first-aid kit. He sets about cleaning and dressing her wounds the way he had seen on that youtube video at y/n's house. Once that is done he finds some ointment for her bruises which he applies gently. As he presses his fingers softly to her face, y/n whimpers and scrunches up her eyes and nose.

"It's alright sweetheart, this is going to help, I promise," Steve coos gently as Bucky holds her in his arms, caressing her hair softly. Once she settles down again Steve resumes his feather-light application of the ointment. "Is there something I can get you?" Steve asks when he's done with the ointment, but still determined to take care of her.

"W-water..." Y/N croaks out as she forces her eyes open to take in her surroundings. She realizes that they are still on the yacht, but surprisingly she doesn't feel scared, just tired and at peace. Steve is back with a bottle of cold water that he helps her sip. They spend the next hour catching each other up with what happened since the boys had dived into the water. As she told them everything Pierce had said and Rollins had done, both men but particularly Bucky's grip on her tightened, their eyes hardening, and involuntary hisses escaped their mouths. Once done with their tales, they decided that it would be best to sink the boat and return home.

That was easier said than done, especially with y/n unable to go into the water with her injuries. After some discussion, Bucky very reluctantly let her go and dove into the water to retrieve their boat. With her safely in the smaller boat and Steve standing guard, Bucky set about sabotaging the yacht and letting it sink gently below the waves. He then joined the other two on the smaller vessel, started the engine, set course for home, and steered them off into the sunset.