"I have an idea. A really good one this time.", Steve exclaimed and Bucky placed his face in his hands.
"I hate your ideas Steve.", he spoke muffled.
Sometimes Bucky still sounded so cold and emotionless that Steve thought the Winter came through again.
"No really. Your state gets worse and worse man, you need professional help.", Steve said, sitting down next to his friend on his bed, "I mean, when was the last time you really got out? You're..."
"Enough. You're not a great help pal", Bucky looked up, even smiled a little about how senseless his friend was. Steve frowned at him and finally returned a small smile.
"At least listen me out, okay?"
Bucky sighed. He didn't need any help. Well maybe, yes he did, but he didn't want any. There wasn't anyone who could help him at all.
He was just overwhelmed with everything.
New time, new people, trying to come clear with his cruel past and everyone somehow hating him...he lived in the Stark tower now, yeah, but that didn't change the fact that Tony angrily stared at him whenever he was in sight or that everyone but Steven was so cold and distant.
Not that Bucky didn't play his part in that behavior.
He didn't want any contact. To anyone at all.
He needed to come clear with himself before he could start to understand other people properly.
He felt weak and lost.
While his thoughts trailed through his mind Bucky had looked up and seemingly stared through the ceiling of his small room. He asked for a small one, he didn't want to make to much trouble.
There wasn't much in it, but he didn't feel like he had anything to fill it with either.
Steve glanced at his best friend. He felt bad for him. He knew what it felt like to be lost.
And in Buckys case, it was even worse than it had been with him.
After both of them went silent for a few very long seconds, Steve continued speaking in a very light tone.
"Remember...how we talked about you trying to come clear with yourself and all this new stuff?"
"Yeah...", Bucky hummed, not moving.
"And that i proposed to get you someone, you could talk to about it?"
"Yes. And you did. I hate psychiatrists. I don't want another one."
"No...nothing like that.", Steve shook his head,
"I told you about this woman i met..."
Bucky looked up.
"You did? I can't remember. What woman? I told you, no medics."
"No...she's not quite a medic she's...um...I told you I had help from an angel, remember?"
Bucky chuckled. "Yeah i remember you told me that. You even blushed while talking about her."
"Shut up.", Steve laughed quietly and a flush of pink appeared on his cheeks.
"You said she disappeared after helping you.", Bucky frowned slightly, looking at the wall again.
"Yeah...well i found her."
"Oh...wow. Cool. Good for you pal, how did that happen?", Bucky looked at him, not smiling, but seemingly happy for him. He'd spoken highly of her, so she had to be special to him somehow.
Steve laughed and looked down.
"It's so strange man i tell you...I...She said when i needed her i'd find her again and...here i am, needing her and just like that Stark tells me he'd found her, small house, in Europe."
"Europe? Okay? What is it your implying?"
"Bucky...the thing about her is that...she...it's hard to explain. You should really meet her. She helped me out so much. She..she changed me man", Bucky would have laughed but the way Steve looked up at him made his grin disappear.
"How would she be able to help me.", he stated. Desperately and sad, Steve hated hearing him like that. That was not his Bucky.
"She would. Trust me. Just...try it. Please. Without her i wouldn't stand here today. I'd be in the same condition as you now. Scared and frustrated. But...Buck...I need you to trust me. When i say she's an angel i mean it. If someone, anyone out there can help you it's her."
Bucky stood up and ruffled through his hair.
"I don't know Steve."
"Buck...do it for me. Give her a chance. I swear to god i'll leave you alone if it won't work."
"How could she understand?"
"You won't believe me if i told you. But even Tony was startled by her and he'd tested her like a thousand times to be sure."
"Tested what?", Bucky got nervous.
"You will have to hear for yourself. Please Buck. Do it for me.", Steve stood next to him now and Bucky glanced over his shoulder to look at him.
"...one last shot.", he said.
"Is that a yes?", Steve asked, euphoric.
"Man I...does she even want to? I mean she doesn't even know me!", Bucky moaned.
"She'd love to. She will love you, trust me Buck."
"Yes then...", Bucky mumbled.
"What?"
"Yeah.", he muttered.
"I didn't catc-"
"YES GODDAMMIT", Bucky turned around, just to run into a bear hug from Steve.
"Perfect. Good decision. Although you shouldn't say something like that close to her!", Steve let go of him and ran out of the room.
"YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT BUCK!", Bucky heard him call from the hall and sighed.
"What have i done."
Bucky groaned and sat back on his bed, placing his head in his lap frustrated.
Piangero la sorte mia out of Giulio Cesare was playing loudly.
Humming into the all so sweet melody (Y/N) watered the plants in her italian garten, breathing in the fresh air, sensing the bees humming and the sweet scent of soft flowers.
She reached out to her whine glass, on the small 7800 dollar marble table and took a sip.
Italy was great after all these years, but she already started to miss the north of France again. It was just too warm and perfect down here.
Steve looked out of the car. The windows were black and held back the beautiful afternoon sun.
He could convince Tony to stay home. Tony would only make her all nervous again.
If he'd only could bring Bucky here. She always lived in the most beautiful places, the calmest, sweetest. It would've been perfect for Buck to stay here with her, but it was too dangerous to bring him so far away for such a long time.
He had to convince her to go with him. Somehow.
How would she react seeing him after 4 years?
Not that it was a long time for her but...still.
"Go already.", Natasha pushed him.
He didn't want to go completely without backup. She would listen to Nat, wouldn't she?
He suddenly was afraid. What if she didn't want to?
He could've at least sent a text before coming over.
"You sure this is the place?", Steve asked the driver who just nodded.
Of course it was the right place. He'd only had to look at that house and knew who it belonged to. He'd never seen it before, but it was just her style.
Opening the door he slipped out, Natasha close behind him.
He stopped in front of the ancient looking black door and turned to her.
"How do i look?", Steve asked and pulled and pushed the fabric of his suit back and forth.
"You want to say hi, not marry her.", the woman behind him shot, glaring at him.
Steve took a deep breath.
"That scent...", she sniffed slightly, turning around. There was someone in front of her door...was that...
Steve carefully grabbed the golden door ring attached to the wood, shaped like a lion devouring the ring.
It reminded him of the door from Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.
He knocked three times. And released the breath he was holding.
Natasha lovingly stroke his back, assuring him that everything was okay.
"She is lovely, she will be nice. Everything will be okay Steve, calm down.", she whispered.
"Yeah...For Bucky. I need to do this for Bu-"
"STEVE FUCKING ROGERS!", he heard her scream inside the house.
Natasha looked shocked.
She heard a lot about the lady, but never met her in person.
"How did she knew it was us?", Natasha asked, looking for any cameras, not finding any.
"I stopped asking questions around her after a while.", Steve muttered back, waiting for the door to open.
"COME IN", she called again, her voice muffled from the door.
"THE DOOR IS LOCKED Y/N!", Steve shouted back.
"THEN OPEN IT!"
"I DON'T HAVE THE KEY!"
Natasha felt out of place just standing there hearing them shout at each other.
"WELL YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS!"
Steve looked around.
"Ah...right...", he crouched down to his left, touching the ground beneath one of the many flowers which bloomed.
"What are you...", Natasha asked carefully and confused.
He looked up at her and pulled out a small golden key.
"The red Tulip. It's always the red tulip in spring. The key.", he stated, as if there was nothing strange about it.
She slowly nodded. "Of course."
He walked up to her again, opening the door and guiding his female friend inside.
Natasha stared with wide eyes as Steve entered behind her, closing the door.
"This is...wow...", she gasped and Steve laughed.
"Not bad, huh?" he grinned and took her jacket from her, hanging it on an ebony clothing rack, adding his too.
The walls were painted in a very dark blue, the furnishings were of a dark brown or black. Everything seemed so...perfect. Like a dollhouse.
There was a huge fur spread on the floor, books scattered around all the place. Expensive looking beautiful paintings at the walls, every inch covered in them. There where beautiful silver vases and fresh flowers everywhere. A ornamented cup of tea stood on the table.
Natasha took the scent in. It smelled so...flowery.
There was a huge piano standing on their left and without noticing Natasha found herself wandering around in the small house, regarding all the small statues, skulls and stuffed birds.
Right in front of them was an opened door, leading to a garden.
Steve could smell the small campfire burning and he made his way outside.
Natasha hesitantly went after him, still fascinated with all the ornated details around this place.
There she was. Sitting on a bench, surrounded by flowers, looking up from her book, spotting the tall men on the other side of her garden.
He stared at her for a while before starting to move again.
She shot up, doing the same and they met in the middle hugging each other tightly.
He pressed his face in her hair, taking her scent in.
"I missed you.", he whispered, pressing her on him.
"It's been only a few days.", she answered happily.
He let her go and looked shocked.
"Its been four years Y/N!"
"Four years, onethousandfourhoundredandsixty days, whats the difference?", she glanced at Natasha and smiled softly.
"And you must be the wonderful Madame Romanoff, it's a pleasure to meet you.", the woman lowered her head and she just smiled, her eyes sparkling.
"I heard a lot about you Miss Y/L/N, Steve couldn't tell us enough about how friendly and loving and forgiving you are and that yo-"
A loud noise made her look to the side, to the marble Table Steve was leaning at while it fell over and shattered.
She went pale and so did Steve.
"Oh...oh OH I'M SORRY i didn't...we can...we can fix that I...", he stumbled over his words and feet at once.
"That...That table was from the 15th century...", her eyes fixed on the ruined piece of art and her voice only consisted of a small whisper.
"I am...there a a lot of tables from that time! I'll get a new-"
"I KNEW THE ARTIST. HE ENGRAVED SOMETHING FOR ME YOU STUPID LITTLE SHIT!", she started screaming again and Natasha actually had to hold back a laughter.
"I'M SORRY MAM I I... I ... I.. I OUCH!", he douched as he threw a broken piece of marble at him and he started running in the house.
"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY GARDEN YOU PUNK!", the so called angel shouted angrily.
She breathed a few times and set her hair back in place before turning to Natasha who meanwhile couldn't stop giggling.
"I am so sorry Madame Romanoff...would you like a cup of tea?", she said, placing her hand softly at the back of her guest, leading her back inside.
After Cap apologized a thousand times and she drank a few cups of tea and wine to calm herself, Steve started getting nervous.
"I wanted to ask you...something.", he stated, looking at her.
"I know exactly what you want to ask me", she said, not looking at him but playing with the edge of her glass.
Steve looked down, "How did you-"
"It was all over the news. That whole Winter Soldier thing. It was only a matter of time before you would ask for my help. He's probably depressive, troubled and insecure about his behavior, maybe even suffers from Insomnia...Does he remember his victims?", Y/N asked calmly, cold even and didn't bother to look at him.
Natasha excused herself and went looking around the old books to leave the two of them alone.
"Yes...Yes he does. It eats him alive. I...i don't know what to do Y/N. I need him. I Need you. Please."
She leaned back in her seat, taking a sip of wine.
"I am sorry Steve. There is nothing a can do for you at the moment."
"But...WHAT? You helped me too! You can do that. Who if not you? You know what it feels like, you could...you could help him fit in. At least a little. Please. You could save him. He's falling apart. I..."
She could hear him tremble.
"Yes...I could."
"But?"
"But COULD. I...I'm sorry Steve I", she touched her head, looking hurt and weak. He didn't see it. He didn't wanted to see it. She was his last hope. She had to.
"What?"
"I..."
"What is it?!"
"I can't do that. Not now. I'm...why do you think i'm here? I'm...I'm not exactly in the mood.", she looked around and whispered the next words, "Steve...dear...i'm...i'm way to unstable myself right now. I'm in a bad condition myself. I...mean that having someone so depressed around him right know could make everything even worse for him. Give me time. Come back later. Give me...5..10 years and i'll be my old self again. But i need to rest for a while."
She seemed tired.
"10 Years? Are you kidding me? At this rate he'll have a bullet between his eyes by then. Or an overdose, or cut wrists or who knows what!", Steve got up, angrily pasting around.
"I'm sorry Steve...", she lowered her voice, closing her eyes slightly.
"Couldn't you at least try?", he asked, shaking and fearful.
"I...I don't know."
He crouched down in front of her, taking her hands in his.
"Please. Look at me."
She looked him in the eyes.
"Please at least try it. Do it for me."
"Both his and my sanity are on the verge here Steve...This could end in breaking both him and me."
Steve exhaled thoughtfully.
"He will also break when we won't do anything. And i know you'll recover. I know you are strong enough. Please."
She didn't answer.
"Y/N, i am begging you. I do everything you want. But at least try."
"I am to weak right know."
"You can do it."
"I-"
"Y/N!", he whispered, "Please."
She took a long breath and finally, slowly and with closed eyes nodded.
He groaned in relief and pulled her close into a hug.
"Thank god sent you."
"You mean he pushed me down?", she said jokingly and made him smile sadly.
"Yes. That."
"These Angel-jokes never get old do they?", she asked sternly and he grinned.
"As long as you don't prove you aren't one? Never. And now come. We have work to do."
"Do you even know how much shit these flying beasts blast into the air?", Y/N said, looking around angrily.
"Oh god i almost forgot...", Steve mumbled, pushing her up the stairs to the jet.
She didn't need to pack anything. Tony wanted her around one way or another and he should still have shit loads of clothes of her around the tower. The only thing she grabbed were some faked passports and nicely packed up presents.
"Forgot what? That i seem to be the only one on this god damn planet that cares for our beloved mother earth? And yes i did see you step on the small flower when you entered the car.", she glared at him and he looked down both startled and smiling.
"Well, taking the ship would take too long.", Natasha added smiling and padded her back.
"Why? I have all the time of the world."
"You. Not us. And now stop whining.", Steve chuckled.
The flight went silent and without any problems.
Steve knew that there was nothing she hated more than to flight so he sat close to her, his arm around her trying to talk her into sleeping a little.
Natasha sat across them giggling everytime she dissed Cap.
"I can't wait to hear some story's from you.", she smiled.
Y/N chuckled. "It's not that interesting really. But...do i hear doubt in your words?"
Natasha sighed. "Well it is hard to believe, you have to admit."
A toothy grin appeared on Y/N face and she shook her head.
"Sure is. But i though Stark explained already."
"He did...he sure did.", Nat nodded, "But...it's just...I'm sure you know what i mean."
"Yes i do...i can prove you wrong if you want me to. When were back home and alone you are invited to pull a trigger right in my face dear. You'll have to clean up and bring me to bed afterwards, but i am sure planting a bullet in my head will convince you, that the storys are true.", Y/N smiled at her. She'd moved closer and spoke in russian, so she wouldn't make Steve nervous.
Natasha stared at her, a little pale.
"I wouldn't...I wouldn't shoot you i mean i-"
"No really, you can. No hard feelings. It hurts but so do other things. You have enough time to think about it, your decision", she smiled and Nat returned it.
"Could you to stop speaking russian now? I'm feeling pushed away.", Steve whined and both women chuckled.
"Sorry bae, we'll be nice from now on, speaking your language, Captain AMERICA. What a clishé...", Y/N purred and Natasha started laughing.
