The Mimic (HE/HIM VERSION)

185

It was a game of cat and mouse.

Everyone was looking out for the gauntlet, passing it back and forth like a hot potato between one another. Holding the gauntlet for even a few seconds put a target on your head. The aliens would become more aggressive - tackling, snatching, slicing - all desperate to be the one to give it to Thanos.

Everyone was alert. Everyone was communicating clearly. Except for y/n.

He was still in Bucky's arms, his face buried deep into his chest. Y/n's eyes were squeezed shut as his body heaved with every shaky breath. He was so, so overwhelmed. The fact that it hadn't even been twenty-four hours felt impossible. Now, y/n had never had a great grip on time, but it had never been that bad. So much happened, so many emotions, so much pain. His head felt completely scrambled - which wasn't a new feeling, but it was definitely scary. The only thing keeping him from crumbling to the ground was the super soldier holding him close.

Bucky was his safe place. It didn't matter if he stunk of sweat and dirt, he could stay in his hold for hours. No matter the weather, he was always warm, and it was something that y/n cherished. He was like his own personal heater during cold days. The super soldier would always complain about it, telling him that he could 'literally form fire out of thin air', but deep down y/n knew that he loved it.

It was nice to have him back. Hell, it was far more than nice to have him back. Bucky was the only person y/n had left that he could fully relax around. He'd kept his guard up for five years. Five long years with a stone-cold face. Five long years of crying every night when he was sure that nobody could hear him. And now he was back. Bucky could look into his eyes and understand everything going on inside his head. He didn't need y/n to explain anything, he just understood. It was something that y/n had forgotten about, but something that he never wanted to lose again. They understood each other more than anyone else ever could.

"Y/n." Sam's voice suddenly called out over the earpiece, ripping y/n out of his thoughts.

Y/n let out a shaky breath, fidgeting a little in Bucky's arms. He didn't want to respond. He didn't want to move away from Bucky and face the harsh reality in front of him. Bucky's arms felt like a warm blanket around him, he didn't want to be forced out into the cruel cold again. Y/n was exhausted and in an unimaginable amount of pain, mentally and physically. He just wanted to stay in Bucky's arms until the fight ended, but he knew that wasn't an option.

"Can you hear me, y/n?" Sam repeated. He'd seen noticed y/n tucked away in Bucky's arms on the battlefield, but he knew better than to mention it, so he decided to do the next best thing. Distract him enough to make him forget about whatever was going on in his head. "How do you feel about going for a little jog with the gauntlet?"

Y/n couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the way Sam worded his offer. It was far more than a 'little jog', but that was exactly how the pair used to speak during missions. He lifted his head up, wiping the tears off of his face with his mucky hands. Tear-glazed eyes scanned the sky for Sam, but it was far too busy up there for him to see anything. "Depends, is it an offer or a challenge?" Y/n asked through his earpiece, his voice raspy and broken, but Sam seemed to ignore that.

"Oh, you want a challenge?" Sam teased with a laugh. They always used to set stupid little challenges during normal missions, whether it be reciting song lyrics without getting caught, or making themselves a hot drink mid-fight. "Fine. I challenge you to last more than twenty seconds with the gauntlet without getting touched by any aliens. I only lasted ten seconds!"

"Yeah, but that's just because you're bad." Y/n teased, laughing weakly at the sound of a dramatic gasp from Sam. He slowly moved away from Bucky's hold, blinking hard to allow his eyes to adjust to his surroundings again. He was ready to move. Sam had completely distracted him, and now he was full of adrenaline and ready to prove him wrong. He could beat twenty seconds. That was easy. "Where's the gauntlet?" Y/n asked, taking a step away from Bucky to begin to scan his surroundings. But, just as he stepped away, a vibranium hand grabbed his wrist, keeping him from taking any further steps.

Bucky was still worried about him, and the concern was clear in his eyes. "Are you sure about this? I can make up an excuse if you need some more time to breathe." He offered, gently pulling y/n close to him again. He didn't want him to crumble again, especially if y/n wasn't going to be anywhere near him. "Sam's just being stupid, you don't have to go through with everything he says."

A small smile played at y/n's lips at the concern riddled across Bucky's face. God, he'd missed everything about him. "I'm sure." He hummed in a reassuring tone. "What makes you think I do everything that Sam asks?" Y/n teased, earning a wide-eyed look from Bucky. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but y/n quickly shut him up by pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "I want to do this. Having a bit of fun will help me get my mind off of things."

Bucky rolled his eyes with a bashful smile as y/n shut him up with a kiss to the lips. He always fell for his teases, it was sweet. "Fine." He sighed, easing his grip on y/n's wrist, letting his hand fall back down to his side. "But you've got to tell me if you're feeling uneasy, okay? No hiding anything." The super soldier said seriously, he was unsure of how much he'd missed, but he seemed to have been through a lot. He didn't want him to go through anything else alone.

"Clint's running with the gauntlet! There's one of those alien-worm-things above him, and there's a big pile of flaming debris on his right. Go get it." Sam responded, keeping an eye on Clint from the skies.

"No hiding anything." Y/n repeated with a nod. An excited smile had appeared on his face as Sam finally responded to him, hopping from foot to foot due to all of the adrenaline coursing through him. After a final kiss to Bucky's cheek, y/n teleported away, leaving Bucky alone to continue the fight.

Bucky let out a nervous breath as y/n teleported away. He couldn't help but feel nervous. There was no such thing as a 'bit of fun' on a battlefield, but there was no point in telling y/n that. He was a thrill seeker. A crazy adrenaline junkie that he couldn't help but adore.