What I have to say about this one; Hydra is bad.

////

"Wake up," a voice hisses and then the person slaps the unconscious man. His head jerks up and he blinks. Lights popped in his eyes and he shook his head to clear them away. A man with graying hair, a wrinkled face and gold glasses leans into his face.

"Good, you're up. First I thought agent Rumlow had gone to far but..." Pierce trails off. The man locks eyes with Rumlow, who smirks a little.

"Where's Bucky?" He asks, his voice comes out rough and he swallows.

"According to me, my team doesn't know. I can let them know if you don't cooperate, of course," Pierce drawls. Steve Rogers glares at him and strains against whatever it was holding him back. "See, Captain Rogers, we don't care about you. I want my asset back, and obviously, you're the bait." He says simply and the blonde stays silent. There was really nothing he could do; if he made a fuss, Bucky would be forcefully brought in. If he went along, Bucky would find him anyway.

"Given that I don't care about you, I've given you over to the capable hands of Dr. Zola," he continues and Steve frowns.

"Zola was destroyed last year in that bunker," Steve growls, praying that Pierce was lying. Pierce blinks before continuing.

"This is Zola's grandson, Eli," he introduces, waving a hand towards Zola Jr. Eli smirks and folds his arms across his chest, he gives a little finger wave. "You'll be in good hands with him, I'm sure." Pierce hums before sauntering out.

"Well, Captain? I'd like to get to know you," Eli smirks, his fingers dancing amongst the tools he kept down there specifically for this type of occasion. Steve stays silent. No matter how much it hurt, he wouldn't make a sound.

////

"Where's Steve?" Bucky asks frantically, bursting into Sam's house. Sam looks up from his breakfast and raises his eyebrows. "I woke up this morning to find the bed empty, I figured he went on a run but usually he would've been back by now so I don't know what's happened to him." He explains hurriedly, running his hands through his hair and pacing a little.

"Woah, woah. Slow down, Bucky," Sam says. "Deep breaths."

Bucky takes a deep breath then slowly lets it out. Sam gestures to a seat and Bucky flops into it, he puts his elbows on the table and his head in his hands.
"Okay. Maybe he's gone to get a coffee? What does he usually do each morning?" Sam asks and Bucky nods a little.

"Goes for a run then a coffee, but I checked his usual place and he isn't there, he won't answer his phone either," Bucky stresses and Sam sighs a little.

"I'll help you look, alright?" He offers, getting up. Bucky looks up at him and he smiles gratefully before getting up himself.

"Thanks, Sam," he sighs and Sam smiles. He claps him on the shoulder before they leave to find the blonde.

////

"Well, should we send lover boy a video and make him watch? He'd find you," Eli says and Steve clenches his jaw. His head was spinning and blood was running down his arms, his nose bled and a dark bruise was forming on his cheekbone.

"Hmm? Speak up, Captain," Eli taunts and Steve shakes his head. Eli shrugs a shoulder before picking up a hammer and twirling it. "Come on now, I know you can. No? Alright." He shrugs again before slamming the hammer into his ribs, there's two loud cracks and Steve bites down on his tongue, hard, to keep silent. Breathing became difficult quickly and he struggled.

Eli grabbed a video camera and set it up. His plan was to make Bucky come, if Steve said something or not. He knew the brunette would come for his lover.

////

"Maybe he's in the museum? He loves it in there," Sam suggests after an hour and a bit of searching. Bucky nods and sighs, staring down at his feet. He goes to say something when his phone bings and he sees he's been sent a video from an unknown person. He feels his heart stop when he starts it. Sam leans in to watch.

A cocky looking man, easily in his late twenties, was standing behind a blonde who was unmistakably Steve.

"Hello, Winter. You don't recognise me, but I know you. An hour on the clock or your precious captain dies. He's already in a rough state," Eli muses, nudging the blonde, who doesn't move or look up into the camera. "Come on, Captain, don't leave your hubby waiting for a response." He still doesn't move and Bucky's eyes widen with fear when he sees Eli raise a hammer. He seemed to favor it.

"No," Bucky chokes, he wanted to look away but his eyes were glued to the screen, he just couldn't. The hammer smashes into Steve's ribs again and the brunette hears a small whine. Again and there was a cry and Bucky covered his mouth with his hand, eyes wide.

"Hurry up, Sergeant Barnes," Eli chimes before the video cuts out. Bucky stares at the empty screen, his breathing becomes short and shaky.

"Bucky," Sam says quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"They have Steve," Bucky whispers shakily, the phone slips from his grasp and falls to the ground where it cracks. "They have him." He chokes. Sam picks up his phone for him and Bucky stares at the screen. It hadn't fully hit him yet, he wasn't letting himself believe it.

"Bucky, come on," Sam says quietly, trying to pull him forwards but he remains rooted to the spot. His hands tremble and he sees his reflection in the cracked phonescreen. Broken. He hurls the phone against a nearby tree and it shatters.

"We have to get him," Bucky says, voice still trembling. He curls his metal hand into a fist. "Come on. I swear to God I'm going to rip that kid's head off for touching him." Sam follows him down the street.

////

"Well, I figure he should be here fairly soon... wanna' change of pace, Captain?" Eli grins before picking up a needle. Steve raises his head slowly and cringes at his very much broken ribs. He prayed Bucky wasn't coming for him.

////

"Where is he?" Bucky barks, bursting into the Hydra base. Sam was their getaway, waiting outside. A Hydra agent turns to see him and he mouths a curse word before Bucky's there in a flash and snapping his neck.

"Ah, here he is," Eli chimes, smirking at Steve. The blonde tries to lift his head up but it falls back down onto his chest and he coughs.

"Steve!" Bucky calls, darting through the halls.

"Get outta' here!" Steve shouts as loud as he can and Eli frowns a little, he lifts up a crowbar and bashes the blunt end into the back of the blonde's head.

"Get away from him you piece of-" Bucky growls before he's cut off.

"Innocent ears, watch your language, Barnes."

"Shut the h*** up before I kill you right now," Bucky growls. Eli raises his eyebrows and glances at Steve.

"Nice boyfriend, Captain," he smirks before turning back to Bucky. "And no, I'm afraid I have a couple things to do. First, you can go to him." Eli invites before backing away. Bucky glares at him and takes a slow step forward.

"I won't get in the way, you two can have your moment," Eli says with a vague wave to the pair of them. Bucky quickly glances at Steve then back at Eli.

"Why?"

"Pierce allowed it."

Bucky's there at Eli's throat with a knife without another word. Eli raises his hands in an innocent gesture and Bucky presses the knife in further.

"I don't give a d*** what Pierce says," he growls low in his throat and Eli swallows, his Adam's apple bobs against the knife.

"Look, it's a free pass to see your hubby, just do it, Barnes," Eli coughs a little. Bucky glares before slowly drawing back.

"I don't promise I won't kill you as soon as we're done," Bucky hisses, fully planning on killing him right away.

"I invite the challenge. My grandfather told me a lot about you, Sergeant Barnes," Eli hums and Bucky mutters something in Russian. He goes over to Steve and slides the knife in his pocket, sending Eli a warning glance.

"Steve?" He asks quietly, all the anger gone from his eyes and replaced with concern and care. The blonde doesn't react, his breathing was ragged and hard, his head on his chest. Bucky lifts his head with his fingers and takes a small sharp intake of breath.

"C'mon, Stevie," he whispers, taking his hand and smoothing it with his metal fingers. Eli sighs impatiently and Bucky gives him a murderous glare. Steve coughed a little, it sounded almost gargled and he coughed again forcefully then blood spilled past his lips. Bucky swallows.

"Buck..." Steve slurs, trying to raise his head and see the brunette. "You shouldn' be here." He murmurs, head falling back down.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'll get you out of here, okay? I promise, just hang in there," he whispers before kissing his forehead. Steve grabs his hand and squeezes it weakly.

"Done yet, Winter?" Eli drawls and Bucky growls. He turns to face Eli, still holding Steve's hand gently.

"No, but you are. Adios, idiot," he spits, remembering how much Steve was against complete swearing. He pulls out the knife and whips it at him. It lands in Eli's chest, his eyes widen and he slowly pales as his life force leaks out and he slumps to the floor.

"We're gettin' you outta' here," Bucky breathes, hauling the blonde up from the chair. Steve staggers to his feet and follows closely behind Bucky, helping take out guards when and where he can.

"Almost there, baby, doin' real good," Bucky assures, helping Steve hurry along while the blonde clutched his ribs. Steve nods a little, concentrating on Bucky's voice and not falling over. "Sam, we're almost clear. Steve? He's... he'll be fine." He informs Sam with a quick glance at the pale blonde.

They were almost at the front door when Pierce rounded the corner with a team of armed Hydra agents. Steve leans against the wall, breathing hard with a hand pressed to his ribs.

"Hello, Asset," Pierce says, hands in his pockets as he calmly observed them.

"A**h***," Bucky spits and Pierce blinks.

"Glad you could come, we didn't know how much longer your ah- comrade would last."

"Buck, we need to go," Steve says urgently, looking like he's about to fall over. Bucky glances at him and nods, then turns around to open the door. He turns back with the open door to see a Hydra agent pressing a gun to Steve's head and he freezes.

"Leave and he dies," Pierce says simply with a small shrug.

"Let him go."

"Hmm... no."

"Please," Bucky whispers, he couldn't live without the blonde. Pierce jerks his head at the agent who shoves Steve forward. He stumbles into Bucky, who catches him and holds him steady.

"Fire," Pierce orders and Bucky's eyes widen. Without hesitation, Steve turns and shields Bucky, using his body as a human shield. It was loud and Bucky couldn't hear Steve's cries as he was pierced with bullets.

Steve stood frozen for a few seconds, chest heaving, and Bucky turned around.

"Steve!"

"You're... okay," Steve breathes before falling over and all Bucky could hear was blood roaring in his ears as he dropped to his knees.

"Interesting," Pierce muses, standing his agents down.

"Steve," Bucky chokes, eyes brimming with tears. He doesn't notice when Sam comes charging through the door and fights off the Hydra agents. He sobs loudly, his head falling onto Steve's chest. Sam pulls at his shoulder, telling him they needed to go. Bucky couldn't leave him. The building was set to blow; Pierce, before running away, had set a timer.

"No, no, I won't leave him!" Bucky screams, fighting against Sam as he tried to pull him away.

"He's dead, Bucky. He's gone," Sam swallows the lump in his throat. His best friend was gone.

"No. I promised I'd get him out, I promised him," Bucky sobs, clinging to Steve. Sam hauls Bucky to his feet.

"We have to get out of here, the building's gonna' blow," Sam says hurriedly and Bucky shakes his head forcefully.

"I can't leave him," Bucky whispers, hugging him tighter. Sam puts a hand on his shoulder, they had mere seconds. He made a choice.

////

"Where's Cap?" Tony asks and tears form in Bucky's eyes again. Sam quietly explains and Tony sits down with a thump in the chair. Bucky stares off blankly as the Avengers cry and mourn. Steve was too heavy for Sam to carry and Bucky was too out of it to fight Sam off anymore.

////

"Steve Rogers was the best guy. H***, you don't even know how much. He lit up any room he entered, he could be happy, I owe him so much and I loved him. Still do. It's funny, how people act- they never appreciate what they have until it's gone. I was like that. He always called himself a burden, and I never-" Bucky pauses to take a breath. "I never told him he wasn't one, never expressed how important he was to me. D*** it, if I'd known what was going to happen, I could've given him the world to express how much I loved him and it wouldn't be enough. He had a quirky sense of humour, he was clever and quick on his feet. He kept us together, as a team," he continues with a glance at Tony, who was silently crying into Pepper's shoulder. "S***, he kept us all sane, me especially. We should all take a thing or two from this; nothing lasts forever, but memories? Those sure as h*** can." 

////

Every anniversary Bucky visited Steve's grave and talked to him. He'd seen Steve do it with Peggy and figured it was worth a try. He left his favorite type of flower every time and came back to keep them fresh. Bucky made it to see the ripe old age of 107 because of Steve. He finally joined him at the end of the line.

////

SORRY. NEXT ONE WILL BE LIGHTER, I PROMISE.