"I find peace in the rain." Bucky gasped as blood bubbled from his lips. The wound on his midsection was making his lungs fill up with blood, making him cold and it hard to breath as rain poured down. The puddle of rainwater he was lying in was slowly being dyed red by his blood. He tried to put pressure on the wound, tried being the key word."I'm sorry, Steve."
"Bucky?" Steve's voice cracked through the com.
Bucky tried to grasp the com but his hand felt like lead he couldn't move it. His metal one was lying 20 feet behind him, useless, his voice was whiny and tired like a petulant child,"Steve….. I'm okay."
Bucky felt his eyes start to drift shut as he heard thunderous foot steps. He saw red and blue fill his vision, at least what little of his vision wasn't clouded with blood,"Bucky? Oh god, Buck."
Bucky felt hands touching him and tried to push them off but couldn't, Bucky didn't even know if he was moving. Bucky felt pressure on his side,"I'm trying to stop the bleeding. Where are they? Thor! Tony! I need help!"
Bucky didn't hear the response, he could barely hear Steve,"Steve…. Where are you?"
Steve grabbed Bucky's hand and held it tight,"I'm right here Bucky."
Bucky felt a warm wetness on his face, not rain, it stung his wounds,'You're crying. Or Steve is. Be careful Bucky, end of the line, Soldat.' The Winter Soldier was quiet for once, no growling orders or tactical advice, just quiet empty silence.
"Steve go get help." Bucky gasped attempting to roll away from Steve or attempting too. Bucky's voice started to trail off and his body became icy, his eyes became glazed and unfocused, they looked clearer than they had for the past couple of years, like he was finally content with everything. His voice slowly became quieter before it stopped completely,"I'll…..be…..okay….. Steve. I…find….peace…in the…..rain."
Steve looked up as Bucky trailed off,"Bucky?"
There wasn't an answer from Bucky's rapidly cooling body,"Buck?"
Steve checked for Bucky's pulse and didn't feel one," Buck? I-I guess this is the end of the line. Right?"
Steve closed Bucky's eyes and scooped Bucky's body into his arms as he rocked back and forth sobbing into Bucky's shoulders, ugly sobbing. Clint reached them first seeing Steve hold onto Bucky's body armor, the little skin that Bucky did show was pale, like a vampire,"Steve? Steve we gotta go."
"I'm not leaving him." Steve said holding Bucky's body tight,"He's my brother."
Clint put an arm on his back,"Steve we got to go. I'll carry him, but you have to move."
Steve stood up carrying Bucky in his arms,"No. I got him."
Clint put a hand on Steve's back as they walked toward the Avenjet,"EMP bomb disabled Tony, a group of people caught Thor. I was closest, I came too late, I'm sorry Steve."
Steve was silent occasionally stumbling on a dead body, his silence was the answer Clint needed, nothing accusatory, just quiet sadness,"He's dead and once again I couldn't do anything to stop it."
"You can't think like that Steve." Clint said as Bucky's body was set on the empty medical bed, he almost looked asleep minus the fact of the lack of movement. Natasha ran on the plane next carrying Bruce over her shoulder,"Bucky had every chance to leave. He stayed because he wanted to."
Thor flew on after carrying the Iron man armor with Tony inside as Vision, Wanda and Pietro ran in seeing Bucky's lifeless still form and Cap's red eyes and sluggish movements he barely seemed to be registering everyone's movements around him starting at the black and bloody chest of the Winter Soldier.
Tony was the first to speak,"Steve, I'm-"
Steve cut him off,"I'm sorry Tony, but I'm not in the mood for anyone's apologizes."
Steve supposed Bucky's funeral was nice, if you liked that sort of thing. Steve ended up not sitting there as Captain America, but as Steve Rogers a man out of time who's best friend was being buried for the last time, covered in roses and prayers from unfamiliar lips.
