Why Would You Be Loved

by Thebitch101

Summary:

“You alive, how great, here I thought MR Soldier had killed you” Sam didn’t sound angry, more irritated, Steve couldn’t even blame him. “So, With you ignoring me, I’m guessing it didn’t go well?”

 

“It went fantastic, the wedding is in July”

 

“Great! I will get a suit right away”

 

---------

 

Set in an alternative reality, where neither Steve or Bucky are from the forties, Steve is still Captain America and works for shield, and Bucky is still the winter soldier and works for Hydra.

Did I mention soulmates exist in this universe?

And that Steve and Bucky are soulmates?

But they don’t know that?

 

Tag along as these two idiots find out that they’re soulmates.

—------

Notes:

Every chapter has a song title, that song represents that chapter, I will write the artist’s name in the notes for you to find! The story in itself is named Why Would You Be Loved by Hozier, a lot of chapters will be named after him, because let's face it, his songs are the best. If you want to listen before you read, during, or after is up to you, and if you choose to ignore it, then you do so. I’m doing this for fun, because I’m bored, so be kind, no hate, especially when a certain ship arrives… I know a lot of you hate it, I do too in some way, but it needed to be done for the story, just ignore how MCU did to the ship, it’s mine now, I’m taking over it.

I will update like once a week, but don’t come for me if I don’t, I’m trying my best here. be ready for angst and love, and a bit of fluff.

Chapter 1: Nobody

Notes:

First chapter is named "Nobody" By Mitski, and it's written from Bucky's POV.

James would not call himself selfish, because being selfish meant he had to care for himself, and that was not an ability he possessed. And, according to all the bruises he had on his body, his soulmate didn’t care for himself either.

 

James was fourteen when he got his mark, right on his knuckles.

The mark shows where on your body you are going to touch your soulmate for the first time, and apparently he’s either going to fistbump his soulmate, or hit him hard with a closed fist. James wasn’t sure which one of them was worse, either way, he wore a glove on his left hand at all times. There was no need for people to wonder about it, and the less he saw it, the less he had to think about it.

James works for Hydra, and his parents worked for Hydra, and their parents before that had also worked for Hydra, so now, James works for Hydra. Nepotism at its best.

 

“You know, there are other things to do with your life Buck” James had one sister, Rebecca, and she, unlike him, didn’t work for Hydra, she worked as a nurse, and she was good at it, and he trusted her to patch him up after a mission more than Hydra. And one other positive thing, she didn’t question the extra bruises he got from whatever shit his soulmate did.

“Yeah, but I think it’s a bit to late for that no… fuck” James complained as Rebecca tried her best to patch up the wound on his shoulder.

“Stop moving” She stared at him, her famous grumpy stare which was reserved for James only.

 

“Sorry, but fuck, that hurts, the fucker must av cut deep”

“Stop swearing” Rebecca hit him on the back of his head, which almost hurt as much as the shoulder. He probably had a concussion, but he was not telling her that. “And there’s always a way out” His voice became a bit softer, her brows still together, if it was because of anger or to focus he couldn’t tell.

Rebecca never agreed with their parents' work, so the minute she turned eighteen she was out of the house. As the second born, and with James already in the academy, their parents barely cared when she left, as long as one of their kids continued their legacy, they were happy.

James kept contact with her though, she was his baby sister, of course he did, she meant more to him than anyone in the world.

“Then please, enlighten me, what would happen if I left?” James raised an eyebrow, looking at his sister. He didn’t mean to sound superior, but they had had the same conversation a hundred times.

Rebecca swallowed and looked away, “They would come after everyone you cared about” They would come after you, that’s what James wanted to say. He was in too deep, he knew too much, and if he even tried to get out, they would hurt everyone he has ever cared about. “Still” She looked at him again,” It’s not fair to you ” Tears were threatening to fall down her cheeks, and James wanted to punch himself in the face for making sad.

“I know,” It was the only thing he could say without sounding like a bitch.

“One other person this isn’t fair to” She said, her lips forming a weak smile, “Your soulmate, God knows what he might think you work with”

“With all the bruises I wake up with, I have a pretty damn feeling he might work with the same stuff” He laughed out, it was forced, and it sounded forced, it was a disturbing thought, but it would conform his mark on his knuckles.

 

“I don’t know what’s worse, him working for Hydra, or him working for someone else.” his sister said.

 

“Both, they are both worse, let’s pray he’s just really clumsy and falls all the time, or maybe he works as a constructor, or a boxer.”

“He probably hopes for the same thing”

“Yeah, but I don’t think we will ever meet, so it doesn’t really matter” She hit him again, “Hey! What was that for?”

“Don’t be so negative”

 

“Only twenty percent of people meet their soulmate, and I work in a pretty weird industry right now, so it would be a bit inconvenient to find my soulmate, wouldn’t it?” James was right, and Rebecca knew that. Finding one's soulmate means that they have found their other half, from their first touch they are connected, they feel what the other person is feeling, not only physically, but mentally. Your senses are no longer your own, it’s both of yours. James is already getting the fuckers scares, he wouldn’t want to feel his pain as well, or for him to feel his for that matter. No, meeting his soulmate was not an opposition, and that’s why he has his hand covered, and never punches someone with a closed fist, or makes fistbumps for that matter.

“Or romantic, oh, what if he works or another organization, you would be like Romeo and Juliet”

 

“You read too many romance books” James rolled his eyes, she has her mark on her fingers, she works as a nurse, so it makes sense she would touch them with her hands the first time. “This is the real world, and if my soulmates works for a different team as you say, we’re both fucked, you cant be away from you soulmate for more then 18 hours, a bit hard to explain why you have to meet an enemy every 18th hour”

 

“Exactly like Romeo and Juliet” Rebecca nodded, and James was about to call her crazy when his phone vibrated on the table.

 

N: ‘You alive?’

 

N: ‘Dickface’

 

“Who is it?” Rebecca asked as she started to clear the table, she was apparently finished with poking around in his shoulder.

“Who do you think? Only three people know my personal phone number, and you’re one of them”

“Hey, I patched you up, no need to be a bitch”

 

“Language sister, God might hear you!” he yelled after her as she left the kitchen.

 

C: ‘if he’s dead, your last words to him would be dickface’

 

N: ‘I think it describes our relationship pretty well’

 

B: ‘sorry to disappoint, but I’m alive’

 

C: ‘Good’

 

N: ‘buu’

 

B: ‘I feel the love through the phone’

 

Natasha and Clint are his closest friends, his only friends if you asked his sister, which was true, but with their work, it’s a miracle he had friends at all. They had all been in the same class in the academy, and just like everyone else who had been in the same class as them, they worked for hydra.

To have a somewhat normal life, and to keep Hydra’s activity hidden, they always had secret identities, a ‘normal’ life, with normal work, to not make them a target and allow them to work for Hydra in secret. Nat worked right now for Anthony Stark, the famous tech millionaire, which she wasn’t alone with; around ten percent of the people working at Stark industries were planted there by Hydra.

While Nat worked for a playboy millionaire, Clint was an undercover agent at shield, which was one of the top jobs you could be assigned. Shield was Hydra's biggest threat, just like Hydra was shield’s. Unlike Nat, who could basically speak freely about her work, Clint couldn’t say anything, even using a phone like he did right in that moment would probably get him fired from his mission.

 

Both his friends were undercover agents, which James would love to have, but he was too good at one thing Hydra was desperate for, killing.

He had a secret identity which changed every six months depending on where his skills were needed. Right now he was a biochem exchange student from Poland, whose name was Wiliam Nowak. But he’s pretty sure he was going to get a new one soon, because he no longer needs access to Columbia university, because the person he was sent to get was no longer breathing.

 

N: ‘Big talk at Stark industries, someone important apparently’

 

C: ‘obviously someone important, or he would not have been sent’

 

N: ‘Just saying, the people here doesn’t often get affected by things like that, they all walk around as if they are the next target, the big Guys has been a pain in my ass about information for hours, there goes my plans for tonight’

 

The big guys was a code name for Hydra, or well the people at Hydra who are assigned to oversee the different missions, or departments would maybe be a more suitable word for the number of people working undercover in the same place right now. They have Hydra agents at all the biggest firms and organizations in the world, they have people where no one would even think to look.

 

C: ‘because you had plans for tonight’

 

N: ‘More plans than you at least’

 

B: ‘Well you can’t blame me for it, it wasn’t me who finished it,’

As James pressed send, he questioned why he even wrote it, did he really feel the need to justify himself that much? to pledge his innocence? He was a trained killer, he killed, but not killing one person did not justify his actions.

N: ‘You good?’

 

of course she saw right through his stupid text, she always did.

B: ‘Always’

 

C: ‘if you need to speak Buck, we’re here you know, just say the word’

 

James tried to think of an answer which wouldn’t sound like him losing it, but he couldn’t, so he landed on: ‘K, gotta go.’

Why go through things when you can suppress them until they no longer exist?

Good plan.

Thanks brain.

 

“You can stay the night if you want” Rebecca was back in the kitchen leaning in the doorway, he didn’t know how long she had been standing there, but probably a bit too long for him to not notice, she might not be a Hydra agent, but she sometimes acted like one.

 

“No, they need me back before midnight” And with that, James placed a kiss on his sister’s forehead and left the building.

Notes:

Thank you for reading! :)

Chapter 2: National Anthem

Notes:

The song for this chapter is National Anthem by Lana Del Rey, we will now get Steve’s POV, fun fun fun, his is a little bit more positive, or maybe not, a bit more positive then Bucky’s POV? Well, I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

“That looks new” Steve was a bit confused to what Clint meant, that was until he followed his gaze which was on his right upper arm. And as he pulled up the sleeve of his T-shirt even more, he exposed a new ugly scare. “Yeah, that one is new” Sam confirmed, making a face which read ‘that looks disgusting’

 

“Great, another one” Steve commented, his own scars were starting to blend in with his soulmate’s. Steve was starting to wonder if the other man thinks they are in a competition of how many scars they can collect on their bodies before they turn thirty.

 

“Do you think he works for law enforcement?” Sam asked, a discussion they have had multiple times, “They don’t get that many scars, no this must be something else, maybe he’s just clumsy” Clint tried, looking like he didn’t believe his own words.

“Military?” Sam offered.

 

“No, still too many scars too often” Clint answered, and Steve was now finding it irritating.

 

“Okay, let’s stop discussing my soulmate and whatever weird lifestyle they have?”

“Sorry, just curious, maybe they work here at shield? Or maybe… “ Sam didn’t finish that sentence, because Clint was punishing him on his side. But Steve knew what he was going to say, what if he works for Hydra. The thought had crossed his mind multiple times, every time a new scar turned up he tried to think of an understandable explanation, but he has not yet landed on one he likes.

Steve got his mark when he was sixteen, right under his right chin, which was a weird place to start with. The weird scars and bruises didn’t start until he was twenty two, and they didn’t start out as bad as they are nowadays, no, this had slowly escalated from bad, to really bad.

“Captain Rogers” Ms Hill said as she entered the room, stopping whatever fight Sam and Clint was about to get into,

“yes”

 

“Fury asks for you in his office”

 

Steve gave a nod, and she left the room without another word, “Well, duty calls, don’t kill each other while I’m gone”

 

Steve had known Sam since their time in the military, and he was the closest thing he had to a family. Like him, he had his mark under his chin, right on his pulse. While Steve’s mark looked like someone had punished him in his face, Sam’s looked like someone was seeing if he was alive. Either way, they had both bonded over it when they were forced to shave off their beards and expose the marks.

 

Clint was a different story. He started working with him and Sam just a few months ago, after Fury had insisted that he was going to work directly under him, if it was because he trusted him, or because he didn’t trust him, Steve couldn’t tell, but the man was on his team, so that meant he was Steve’s problem.

 

 

“Close the door after you” Fury said as he entered the room, not looking up from the computer.

 

“You wanted to see me”

 

“Yes, I’m guessing you have heard about Professor Micheal Bishop”

 

“Yes, killed yesterday evening, he was working with Stark industries”

 

“Yes, to put it lightly, it has caused worry at many places right now” Fury looked up at him. “Have you heard about the Winter soldier?”

 

If Steve has heard of him? There’s no living soul who hasn't. “Yes, I have”

 

“Our sources suspect it’s him, and that his next target is going to be none other than Anthony Stark himself” Steve wanted to laugh, but the moment wasn’t right for that.

“Tony is safe, he has the ability to protect himself, he doesn’t need my protection”

 

“No, he doesn’t, we don’t believe Hydra is only after Stark, Professor Bishop was just the beginning, a taste of what they are planning, they want to finish everyone who they see as a threat, and as you said yourself, Stark can protect himself, but by keeping a watch on Stark…”

“We will find the winter soldier” Steve answered, it was a stupid plan, using Tony as bait to catch the winter soldier was stupid, so stupid that it might work. “What’s the plan?

 

 

 

 

 

—------------------

 

 

 

 

 

The plan was both stupid and boring.

 

“We’re top agents, and they send us to sit around and guard like dogs for God knows how long” Sam complained as they entered stark industries. While Sam had complained about his awful life, Clint hadn’t said a single word, which was unusual, the man shared the same need to complain about everything that Sam had.

“You alright?” Steve asked, slowing down in his steps to allow Sam to walk ahead of them.

“Yeah, great, just you know, first big real mission” Clint smiled at him, but Steve couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on, “Not really a big mission, it will probably be boring observation”

 

“Still more exciting than my desk, that’s for sure” Clint was a person Steve had a hard time trusting, it wasn’t because he had done or said something wrong, the man just gave him a bad feeling.

“I will ask you in ten hours if you still feel the same” Steve joked and patted him on the shoulder, before he sped up his steps, being reminded that he needed to stop Sam from saying something stupid to the lady at the front desk.

 

“Stark, you know the guy who owns this building?” Sam stated, and Steve did his best to smoothly push him away.

“Hi” Steve said, ignoring Sam’s hand moments next to him. “Your Captain America” She breathed out, he was used to people reacting weird around him, the US had used him as their cover boy since the military, which had ended in him being named Captain America, which he wasn’t a fan of, but, it got him into places at least,

“We’re here to see Tony, I’m not sure if he has put us on the list yet? You know him, always forgetting to do that”

 

“Yeah… he does, no worries, I will send him a message that you’re on the way, just take the third elevator to the left”

 

“Thank you” Steve gave her a polite smile before heading towards the elevators.

 

“That’s cheating you know” Sam said once they were out of earshot. “What?”

“Using the Captain America smile, illegal"

 

“Got no idea what you’re speaking about” Steve knew exactly what he spoke about, but he would never admit that.

 

“Did she say what floor?” Clint asked once they entered the elevator,

 

“No, she didn’t” Steve looked at the numbers, and decided that if Tony were to have an office, it would be on the top floor, so that’s what he pressed.

“Waiting for allowed access” A voice said, causing Sam to jump next to him, “Jesus”

 

“It’s okay Sam, it’s just the elevator” Clint joked

“So funny Clint, you should quit and be a comedian”

 

“I would, but I like money too much” Seriously, it was like babysitting toddlers.

 

When the elevator had moved up to the top floor, they were met by a beautiful red headed woman, one who Steve had not yet seen, he didn’t spend that much time with Tony, but enough to remember what his assistance looked like.

 

 

“Hi, Mr Stark is waiting for you in the lab, please follow me”

 

“You're new?” Steve asked, and realized that it might sound a bit rude, but before he could apologize she answered his question.

“Yes, started a month ago” her voice was a bit forced, Steve was about to ask for her name when Tony’s own voice answered it for him.

“Natalia, thank you for bringing them”

“No worries Sir, something more I can do for you?”

 

“Call Pepper and inform her I will be late tonight” Natalia didn’t answer, only giving a quick nod before leaving the room. Pepper was Tony’s wife, a strong headed woman who Steve would never believe to be Tony’s soulmate if someone hadn’t told him.

 

“So, why do I have the honor of having the great Captain America and his pets here in my lab,”

“Pets?” Clint asked quietly under his breath, looking extremely offended, Sam was sharing a similar look.

 

“Micheal Bishop” Sam answered, he did not comment on Tony calling him a pet, but Steve could tell it was bothering him.

 

Tony let out a long breath, leaning back on the desk behind him. “Great man, didn’t deserve it”

 

“No, he didn’t” Steve answered, it was more as an agreement, and he felt awful that he didn’t care more, a soul has been lost, and Steve couldn’t find it in him to see it as death, but as a problem, a problem he has to solve.

 

“When did you last speak to him?” Clint asked, he reminded Steve of a cop, and he was now wondering if that had been his former profession, or maybe he was just a noisy person by nature.

 

“Three days ago, he wanted me to go over his research,”

 

“What was it about?” Sam asked, touching something on the table next to him.

 

“Stop touching my stuff, if you don’t want your fingers gone, and I can’t tell you, classified”

 

“I think we have access through shields to that information” Steve carefully added, eyeing Sam who looked like he was about to touch the object again.

 

“Not this, shield doesn’t have access to it, it’s sponsored by Stark internship, and not government profited.”

 

Well, Steve’s life wasn’t going like he wanted it to go.

 

“Tony, we’re here because we believe Hydra is behind this, and we believe you are the next target”

 

With that, Tony started to laugh, “ I have been Hydra next target since I started to speak and Walk, trust me, I’m not in any danger, and I don’t need three shield agents to protect me”

 

“Not even if the Winter soldier has made you his target?” Steve knew those words would silence Tony, and it did.

 

“I’m not that important”

 

“Your more important than professor Bishop, and he was killed by the winter soldier”

“I can protect myself”

“Yes, we’re aware of that” Sam said, a bit sarcastic, and Steve would agree if they weren’t in a serious situation.

“We’ll protect you in the sense that it looks like we’re protecting you, but in reality we’re trying to catch the winter soldier.” Steve explained further.

 

"Like bait?” Tony asked, his eyebrows together as he looked from person to person.

 

“More or less,” Clint commented, shrugging his shoulders.

 

“Fun, never been bait before, let's do it”

 

Anthony Stark was a weird man.

Notes:

Thanx fooor reeaaddiing, :)

Chapter 3: Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene

Notes:

Well, hello there, :D, it's been a minute.. well, let it go.

The song for this chapter is Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene by Hozier, again, love that man, you well get more from him in the future, okay, have fuuun.

“We got a new mission for you.“

 

Those are probably the words he hates the most. “Where?”

 

“Not where” Pierce said, moving around the table, and every muscle in his body told him to move, attack, defend himself “ Who”

 

“Who?” James asked, his own voice cold, hoping it was matching his face, that Pierce couldn’t see that his heart was threatening to jump out of his chest. “Have you heard about Captain America?”

He got to be kidding.

“America's cover boy?”

 

“Yes, Captain Steve Rogers”

 

“I have heard of him”

 

“We have information that he’s protecting Anthony Stark right as we speak, after your mission with killing Micheal Bishop…”

 

“I didn’t kill him” James interrupted him, and the minute he did so, he regretted it. Peirce's jaw tightened before he spoke. “Yes, so I have been told, but they don’t know that, they think you did it, and they think you’re going after Mr Stark”

 

“Are we?”

 

“We are, but not you, your mission is to kill Captain America”

“Why?”

 

“We really are asking a lot of questions today, aren’t we?” James chose silence, no matter what he answered, it would not be one Pierce appreciated. “Because he’s a threat to Hydra, by killing him, we’re weakening Shield, killing their golden boy will not only affect them but also the American people, which will allow us to make more damage at a quicker rate, when you turn up, he will think your going after Stark, when in fact it’s him your after.” Pierce stepped away from him, and it was like the air was able to travel through his lungs again, “Do you understand your mission?”

 

“Yes”

 

“Good”

 

—-------------------

“It’s been ages since we worked together, makes me a bit nostalgic” Nat said as she greeted him, taking the empty seat next to him. It was a warm morning, warmer than it should be in February, James kept his eyes fixed on the birds eating whatever crap had been left on the ground.

 

“yeah, the only person left is Clint”

 

“You don’t have to wait long for that” Nat then continued to explain how she had not only met his new mission, but that Clint had been with them.

“What, why isn’t he given the mission?”

 

“well, I didn’t really have time to chat with him, you know, the whole secret agent thing”

 

“Is that his cover? Is he supposed to be that high up?”

 

“Doesn’t matter, he is, and Hydra probably wants to keep him there, so you and I got to play the bad guys” The problem with Hydra, or well one it’s many problems, is that you never know what people know, you have to read between the line, trust everything, but at the same time trust no one. “They have spent the last eight days in Stark’s workplace, they never speak of Stark’s work or anything important, they wait, they keep the same schedule everyday, they arrive the same time everyday, they eat at the same time, they leave at the same time, it’s almost like they want us to attack”

Those words got James thinking, maybe that’s what they wanted. “Nothing new then?”

Nat hesitated for a second, it was so fast that another person would have missed it, but James didn’t. “Natasha”

 

“There’s a new scientist, doctor Bruce banner, he’s helping Stark, it seems like he’s taking over whatever Professor Bishop had been working on”

“I don’t recognize that name”

 

“Me neither, they seem to go way back, him and Stark, Tony said something about Bruce owing him this…”

 

“Tony? Your first name basis with the man now” james raised an eyebrow at her,

 

“yesterday he asked me to pick up his dry cleaning and then I eat lunch with him, yes, we’re at a first name bases”

Silence fell between them, it wasn’t awkward, but there was anticipation there, something unsaid.

“So” Nat broke the silence, and James wished she didn’t, “What's the plan?”

 

“Pierce wants us to act as soon as possible”

 

“And you don’t?”

 

“I don’t want to rush it”

 

Silence again.

 

“There’s a gala this Saturday, it’s to celebrate Sark industries 50th anniversary , I will attend, as will hundreds of other guests, it would be the perfect time,” Nat said, a bit too robotic, like she had said it in her head multiple times before speaking.

“Is that your idea, or someone telling you it’s a good idea”

 

“It is a good idea”

 

“Don’t like using people’s ideas, especially when I don’t trust them”

 

“Buck” She said, forcing him to take his eyes off the stupid birds who were now starting to get bored over the lack of food, “ The quicker you do this, the quicker it’s over, the quicker you will get another mission..”

 

“Every single one of my missions are death, the next one will be that too” She looked at him with pity, a pity which didn’t make sense, this was their life, this is what they did. “Do you think Clint will be a problem?”

 

“He’s undercover for Hydra”

 

“You sure?” Their friendship didn't rely on them trusting each other with their life or their secrets, they didn’t even know his real name, no, their friendship was built on the idea that they would not kill each other, that they would have each other's back, and even that wasn’t promised.

 

“Yes”

 

“Then why aren't we speaking with him about our plan, why isn’t he asking,”

 

“Because it isn’t his place to do so” Nat was more clear thinking them him, she didn’t question stuff, she did what she was asked to do, while James couldn’t, it wasn’t in his nature.

 

“You think Saturday would be the best time then?”

 

“I don’t think anytime would be the best time, it’s Captain America, I don’t believe this will be easy no matter what.”

 

First thing one must know when they befriend Natasha, is that she is always right.

 

—-------------

 

Saturday came, and James’ cover was still William Nowak, they saw no need to change it, it allowed him access to the gala without it being weird he was there, as long as no one asked him questions about biotech, what even was biotech? Either way, he wasn’t keeping himself undercover for long, just to get in and see his surroundings.

 

Finding his target was the easy job, the stupid blond haired and blue eyed man basically shined with all the attention he was getting by the people around him. People looked at him as if he was a God, as if standing next to him would solve all their problems, it made James want to puke.

 

Nat was keeping her distance, playing her part. She mostly kept close to either Tony himself, or his wife, but James did see her make small talk to a dark haired man, who he suspects are Doctor Banner.

 

Clint was also there, and like Nat, he kept his distance, not looking his way. He must be aware of James’ mission, right? He must be, or he would have asked about this, he would have, right?

 

James did his best to mingle, mostly with the other students who were too focused at admiring their own intellect to even register that they didn’t recognise James from any of their classes. The room was filled with people like that, so self centered that they would not see what was right in front of them, they would later remember things which didn’t happen, they will insist they saw people act strange, that there was signs of what was about to happen, that they knew, that they had acted, when in fact there were no sign, and when the time came, they ran.

 

At eight pm, there was going to be a change in the security system, which would cause the guards to be alerted, and by eight thirty, there will be an explosion in the building next to them, this will cause Stark tower to evacuate, but only the civilians, people who matter will stay. They will see this as a threat, but Stark will be too stubborn to acknowledge this, while Mr America and his friends will do everything to keep him secure. Then, while all of this is happening, Nat will hack into the security system and turn of the camera on the first and bottom floor, as well as Stark’s motion sensors, which she had gotten access to while working for the Sark himself, he really should be more careful when he’s around other people, James almost felt bad for him.

 

And that’s what happened, and James couldn’t help but to feel a bit proud of himself, with the first and top floor, America did what he anticipated he would do, he left Stark and his buddies on the first floor, with all the security there was no way the winter soldier would be able to attack Stark, because in their heads the target was safe.

 

That was the plan, America leaving the others to protect Stark, that’s what he was supposed to do…

 

But apparently destiny had other plans.

 

—-----------

 

The top floor, which was Stark's main lab and office space, was a labyrinth , so many different rooms and so much stuff, couldn’t the man work on one thing at a time?

 

James walked from room to room, his eyes traveling over things while he had no idea what they meant. He walked until he heard the elevator open, and then he heard voices, voices, as in multiple people, fuck. James stood back in the dark and watched them through one of the many glass rooms which was turned towards the main lab, idiots, why put glass rooms in a science lab, no secrets at all. With the lights out, there was no way they would be able to see him, but lucky for him, he could hear and see them just fine.

 

“Steve, this is my research, I will get it myself” The same man who had spoken to Nat down at the gala was walking ahead of America, Banner.

“Mission changed” James spoke, informing Nat though his earpiece.

“What, why, Stark is still on the first floor”

 

“Yes, but it seems like Doctor Banner wanted to get something” James watched as America's back turned his way, he could do it now, Banner would be an easy hit after him, if he acted now he would…

 

“NO!” Nat screamed in his ear.

“What?” James whispered back, taking back the step he had taken towards his mission.

“No,” She said a bit more calmly. “He’s not the target, just wait, I will be there, just wait,”
James was a bit stunned by this, why? This man was no one, Nat has never cared for civilians, she had never cared to save one life. “I can take them both”

“Wait I will just…” He was losing her, she must have walked into the elevator. This was not going as it was supposed to go.

 

“You alright?” America asked, the doctor seemed stressed, like he had just realized something was wrong.

“Yeah, sorry, it’s nothing, just” He was rubbing his chest, like his heart was disturbing him. “It’s fine, let's grab the things”

 

This was his moment, he needed to act before.. The elevator opened again.

 

“There is a security problem on the first floor and this one, figured we would check it out and inform you, and Ms Natalia here insisted she needed to get to the top floor as well, something important for Stark” One of America's guards, Wilson, James vaguely remembered. Now there were too many people.

 

“You alright?” Banner asked, his words directed towards Nat, why is he worried about…. then it clicked, Nat insisting on James to wait, her screaming no, Banner getting stressed out of nowhere…. Fucking shit, fuck fuck fuck.

 

“I’m alright, everything is alright, we should..”

 

“I was told to come and check on you, what is going on?” And now fucking Clint arrived, well fuck his life, fuck it. Clint stopped when he saw Nat standing next to Wilson, they were all forming a circle, staring at each other, what now? He knew he shouldn’t have done this tonight.

 

And then, when everything couldn’t get more complicated, the fire alarm started, and water started pouring over everyone. “We need to evacuate now, where’s the stairs?” America asked, looking at Nat who had frozen in place. Nat never did that, she did not freeze, that shouldn't happen.

“I.. eh… I” She stuttered. Fuck it, it was now or never. James breathed out and focused his gaze, just one shot and it was done, one single shot and it was done, he would be done, done, with one last intake of air, James pulled the trigger.

Notes:

aaah, he did it!

Okay, for the ones who didn't read the tags... I know a lot of you hate the Nat/Bruce ship, just let it go, it's not the main story, whatever happened in MCU between them is not canon in this story, making my own story here!!

Okay, thank you for reading.