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Over the decades that the fists of Hydra have been around, the Russians who’d kept them usually iced and defrosted them simultaneously. They were more than capable on their own, but observers found they worked better together. It was a sign of who they really were beyond all the condition and programming.
The higher ups had noted Captain's protectiveness and Winter's loyalty towards each other. Even reinvention didn't do them part.
Because of this, because of who they truly were, the asset behaved better for Captain compared to other Hydra agents. Of course, he had to behave either way, but sometimes he slipped or expressed annoyance as much as his short leash allowed. With Captain, however, there was no underlying rebellion.
There was just blind obedience.
When the Americans had them, they didn't see each other as much. Dealing with one supersoldier was dangerous enough and they could complete their own missions just fine. Having them both out had always seemed like an unnecessary risk.
It wasn't until the Asset's behavior had become more finicky than usual that Pierce had them both defrosted. Someone could only take so much voltage to the brain and Pierce wasn't willing to risk more than necessary if there was another solution. He wanted to expend other resources first to see if they bore solutions. Captain had asked about his frozen partner one time, had offered to become a handler to it so it could be out of cryo with him.
The Captain had more freedom than the Asset. While the latter was taken out on more missions, the Captain didn't have such a strict set of rules to follow.
He wasn't as dehumanized.
A captain was a person, therefore he was a person. An asset was not, it was a weapon. Which made sense to Captain why Winter was treated the way he was. They were being gracious by allowing him to be addressed as a ‘he’ sometimes.
Pierce had diplomatically set the idea aside to be ‘thought over’. He had no intentions of actually doing so. God forbid something happens that gets them both to rebel. Hydra was not foolish enough to think they could actually stop a revolting Captain and Asset. Realistically, they were both assets of Hydra, but that went back to the warped view on humanization that they implemented.
Pierce didn't think the chances of Captain rebelling was high. As long as he was fighting for what he was manipulated into thinking was right, then he was keen to obey.
“You won't be his handler, but I want you to be in charge of the Asset's rewards. He hasn't been behaving like himself. I trust I can rely on you to fix it?”
“Yes, sir. I'll reward him as I see fit when he deserves,” Rogers nodded dutifully before his voice turned to something a bit more casual. Speaking with Cap was never robotic like it was with Winter. “Are we going on a mission?”
“A few, you two have a busy schedule now that you're together. We want to make the most of having you two out together. Don't disappoint me, Captain.”
He wouldn't, of course. He and Winter never had. They were perfect on their own, and even better together. It's what happened when you arm the strongest soldier with the best weapon.
Captain was delighted to get to reward Winter. He knew he couldn't let his bias get in the way. The reward had to be given only when a reward was earned. It couldn't turn into something to spoil him with. Though with Winter's seemingly permanent frown, it would be easy to give him more than necessary.
He didn't have to spend any time thinking about what the reward should be. For one, it presented itself right in front of him, and two, he remembered all the other times.
Captain wasn't sure what agent had started calling it a ‘party’ but eventually the term stuck around. It was the team's way of being rewarded. Winter was always taking care of all their needs, helping them with their rewards, but as far as Captain could tell, he didn't get any of his own needs met. They never rewarded him. Even during past parties Cap stuck around for, he didn't remember Winter getting as much pleasure as they did from it.
Captain himself technically didn't get anything from it either. The team always insisted for him to join but he really did just prefer to watch with fascination. Mindlessly picturing drawing whatever erotic scene was before him.
Winter was always at the center of it.
Sex was clearly a standard Hydra issued reward, so he shouldn't stray from that.
“Winter!” He called happily, appearing by his side in only a few quick strides. “You’re going to be a very good weapon for me on our missions, right?” there was a short nod but he hardly let it finish before continuing, “I'm in charge of your rewards from now on. Pull down your pants, I want to give you one now.”
“I haven't done anything to be rewarded” Winter pointed out, if it weren't Captain who knew him well enough, the remorse in his tone would've gone unnoticed.
“Maybe so, but you were honest right now. And I'm sure you were well behaved for the techs that defrosted you. I need to test out my reward system for you. How else will I know it works?”
The Asset knew he wasn't going to like the reward. His mind told him to act out, do something that'll get the reward revoked. But his body was already following orders before his mind could go through with its thoughts. Rumlow had always teased Captain about not joining, calling him shy or making jokes about being unable to get it up. For some reason, Asset knew there was no erectile dysfunction. Captain must've been shy with an audience and was staking his claim now that they were alone.
It would be like every other time. Like all the other ‘rewards’ he'd gotten during parties. If he struggled with keeping up during those, he wasn't keen to see how it'd go with someone that's also enhanced. But he had to listen.
He glared at Captain who started to undress enough to get his dick out and be shirtless.
“I'll hurt you.” He wouldn't, but he really didn't want this.
“You want to be bred?” Captain asked, there was a mix of amusement and chipper casualness in his voice. The other agents always talked ‘dirty’.
“I'll hurt you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it, breed you”
Winter's dull expectations of what was going to happen had not been the wonderful sex that he received.
Captain made him shiver, squirm, and cum multiple times. It was the most pleasure he had felt ever, even with all the sexual parties he'd been forced to partake in. Captain had praised him throughout too, which was the opposite of what the other agents did. He never got to cum and praised in the same hour, they each were its own separate reward. If it were up to him, he'd take the verbal affection over the physical one anytime. Merely because the touches never felt good.
Never felt like this.
Like his captain.
His mind felt numbed, more so than usual. He didn't know when Rogers had pulled out or when his own clothes were pulled back up. He definitely didn't notice Pierce approaching until he heard his voice. He was usually very good at hearing footsteps. But laid on the floor, slumped against the wall, with his flesh arm over his eyes, he was oblivious to anything outside of the fuzzy feeling.
The supersoldiers weren't out for a day yet and Pierce’s work already got interrupted regarding them. A low ranking agent had claimed he saw them having sex in the hallway. He didn't say so but it was clear he'd been too scared to intervene, he reported it under guise of not knowing what to do, seeing as the scenario wasn't really one in their training book.
Pierce doubted such a worried looking agent would be lying with an out there claim. But he could only hope.
When he got there, the action had already stopped. They were both pretty decently dressed, Captain's shirt wasn't yet on but he was clearly getting to it.
“Sir,” he greeted normally, and as if defending Winter, he added, “reward has been administered. It seems effective.” Pierce didn't let himself falter or express anything but cold business. Internally, he wondered if he should've been more specific about how to reward the Asset.
“Soldier, do you like this reward?” He didn't reply, he wasn't supposed to like. “Is it sufficient?” Pierce reworded.
“Yes. Very sufficient. Thank you, sir” the Asset, who was usually all grace, clumsily stood. He caught sight of Captain frowning and quickly reconciled with “thank you too, Captain.” Pierce watched with morbid curiosity, it was in fact what Captain had been upset, jealous, over, because he looked all too pleased afterwards. He looked proud at the way Winter couldn't yet stand straight.
And while it was all very interesting, it was also too much information.
“Very well, continue to administer the reward as deserved. You both have an assignment now,” Pierce redirected.
They weren't actually together for the assignment. At least not side by side. Rollins and a small group stayed with Captain while Rumlow and a smaller group were with Asset.
Hydra used both of their presence to take some of their competition. They'd been told earlier and because they were both out together, they would be put to work. It was partially to lower the risk of rebellion. If they were too distracted fighting for what they were told was right, then they wouldn't have time to remember any of their own morals or other tedious things that'll get in the way.
To celebrate the success of their weapons, Hydra agents decided to host another ‘party'. It was in celebration so Captain was present but once again did not participate. Winter was so kind to help them release their stress and get their rewards. Winter and him had done the majority of the work but they were built for it, the smaller agents like Rumlow and Rollins, surely had more to lose and got exhausted quicker in comparison to them. So for them to always be with them on missions must've been challenging. Captain admired their determination.
Admittedly he didn't always like how they treated Winter during these parties. His weapon was so kind to them but they never returned it. Granted there were times Winter misbehaved or glared as much as he could without punishment, but Captain thought he had all right with the way they treated him. It was when he caught himself thinking like that, that he had to scold himself.
Winter was a weapon, an asset. It didn't matter how he got treated as long as he was in good enough condition to work.
After the party, which went by quicker than Captain was used to, he took the Asset to get rewarded himself. He deserved it after all. He performed his tasks well and was good for the agents. Captain took his hand and Asset followed along almost hopefully.
Their next mission was one of the rare ones that actually challenged them. Not that Cap minded, seeing as he loved a good challenge. But the person they'd been after had the sense to stay armed. Winter had been distracted by Captain that he didn't have time to react before two bullets penetrated him.
One hit his left shoulder, just high enough that it missed the metal and actually went in through the skin. The other hit the same left side but somewhere on his torso. It wasn't the worst he's been hurt before, but he had still been bleeding out for however long it took them to finish up.
By the time they were done, the bleeding was mostly healed over. Captain decided he deserved a reward. Honestly, it was more of a treat, which he hadn't been permitted to give, but if anyone asked, it was a reward. If it came down to lying, he'd figure something out. They were in the back of a truck, getting ready for transport.
“You both did good” Rumlow commented, he was about to lock one of their ankles to each other. It was standard procedure when dealing with them both at the same time. The Captain's right leg was about to be confined to Asset's left. Usually Winter was the only one to ever protest it, Rollins liked to joke that he hated having to sit so close to Captain. This time, however, it was Captain. He moved out of the way before the cuff could go around.
He was always done first to show Winter that it wasn't painful. Winter tensed when he saw Captain move away.
“Permission to give Asset his reward first? We'll need mobility” he reasoned logically. He spoke casually like he was going over battle plans.
“You don't want to wait till we get to base?” Rumlow asked, hopefully reminding Captain that the team was split among cars of course but that still left a few to ride with them.
“How is he supposed to know what he's getting rewarded for if it's not right after? Doing it right after a completed mission will let him know that that's the behavior we're encouraging.” Seeing as no one's said ‘no’ already, he started to undo the lower half of his suit. He had much more freedom than Soldier, he didn't need commands. He didn't necessarily need to wait for permission. They could take their complaints up with him later, or dare to try and get Pierce involved. “It won't be long. Asset, come here”
Asset did so immediately, his face was slightly flushed, Captain wondered if the mask he wore got hot. He took it off anyway.
Captain sat down and once Winter matched his partial nudeness, he guided him to be in front while he prepped him. It was dry but neither minded, it was still the gentlest someone had been with Winter, so he didn't have any complaints. Not that he deserved to have any in whatever scenario.
When Winter sat down they didn't face each other, at the guidance of Captain.
Winter rode him.
Rumlow was beyond amused and invested. Rollins was surprised and while not put off, he was definitely too disturbed to be turned on.
“So that lackey hadn't been lying, huh?” Rollins mused quietly, it seemed like the two were in their own world but he didn't want to somehow interrupt. He felt like there'd be consequences to that.
“Yup. Cap’s been rewarding him like this and the asset actually likes it. I guess we trained him good”
“Pierce knows?”
“He's letting it happen, not much else anyone can do. I don't think anyone wants to get between them. But maybe if you ask kind enough they'll let you join” Rumlow teased, Rollins hit him.
Their time together couldn't last forever. Which was a shame, Pierce thought, because both had been so productive during their time out and for once it hadn't been stressful. He hadn't been called away to deal with the Asset because the only person he'll listen to is a handler. He didn't have to compensate for any dead or injured workers who pissed off the asset during a moment of malfunction.
“Are these rewards good for you too?” Winter asked Cap while he got undressed. He usually didn't speak out of turn but Captain had always been okay with it. Communication with his soldier was important to him.
“It's wonderful for me, doll” he was quick to reassure. It made it seem genuine. Winter actually believed that he enjoyed it too. He didn't understand how though. How Captain was getting pleasure at the same time as him. It didn't matter anymore, the hesitance slipped from his mind like many other things he was unaware of. Captain placed him on a stiff cot, he didn't need to think about anything else anymore.
“Our time together is ending. We've completed our missions, for a while at last. So we have to go back on ice” Captain explained in between thrusts. Winter had been a bit too far gone for the random start of a conversation but the mention of being iced jolted him like some was just dumped on him.
When ice came, so did a wipe.
His panic was clear on his face because Captain shushed him calmly and pushed any stray hairs away from his slightly sweaty face. Soft reassurance mixed in with the pleasure and for a moment Winter forgot what he'd been scared over.
“Will this continue next time?” he rasped
“I'm in charge of rewarding you. Someone’ll have to do it in my absence but I'll make it up to you the next time we're both out. Be good for them, okay, Winter? I better not get told that you've been bad just because I'm not there” he said sternly, and Winter nodded dutifully.
He was very good at following orders.
When Cap was in the tube awaiting frost, he remembered a younger version of Winter. He hadn't gone by Winter at that time, his brain knew idly. He had been taller than him somehow, just as attractive, but with a more.. innocent, maybe happy look. Free.
Bucky.
There was once a time where Winter had been Bucky.