Chapter Text
Helmut`s life in the Raft was boring.
Don`t get him wrong, he enjoyed the peace and quiet silence provided by his small and somewhat comfortable prison cell. It was still much better than what he could get if Dora Milaje took him to Wakanda. They would probably leave him to rot in their jailhouse if not to say kill him if he tried to escape. So Helmut was fine with what he got this time.
But it still was boring. He slowly started running out of books to read and because he mostly had nothing else to do, Helmut started thinking in his head about the world outside the prison bars which made him desperate to the news. But the local ones were transmitted only for a short period of time and the radio he got was catching only few stations. One about the news, one with mostly tasteless music, two more about cooking and a telemarket that sold weird stuff only. So in between rereading the same books over and over and listening to morning news he was just boring himself out to death by starring into the walls counting cracks and dusty marks around him and blasting something on the radio that he couldn`t care less about.
That`s basically why he started looking forward to Bucky`s visits. As months went by, the man haven`t missed a week always showing up with a metal chair that guards got him and bringing stories that Baron found interesting. Every time James told him it was about the new case they were investigating but whether or not it was true Helmut still was happy to see him.
Even though the conversations started with the same questions about the case, that Baron for some reason was willingly answering, they always managed to discuss different topics after that. And no matter what it was Helmut found it interesting. He thought James also enjoyed spending time with him because he stayed in prison till the visiting hours were over keeping up the dialog no matter what. And that was the time when Baron found out the ways to tease Bucky without making any harm to both of them.
“That thing you told me last time. It gave us some clues.”
James was sitting in a chair fully relaxed watching Helmut searching though one of his books in order to find the chapter he would reread this time.
“It`s always a pleasure to help a fellow Sergeant James Barnes and his companion.”
“Don`t phrase it like that. It sounds weird.”
“And why is that?”
Helmut took his gaze of the book and raised a brow looking at the man.
“I`m more than sure that you`re helping us just to get an easy exit out of here. And that`s not gonna happen.”
“I will spend the rest of my days here, James, you know that.”
“Well, you still can`t be doing it ‘for greater’ good.”
The man quoted the phrase with his fingers and it made Baron smirk. He returned his gaze back to the book turning over the pages.
“Maybe you just don`t know me that well. I might be doing it for my personal reasons, but I also might do that ‘for greater good’ as you said.”
“Yeah, sure. Because you`re all about helping people.”
Bucky rolled his eyes in response and Helmut chuckled.
“Who knows, лепотица .”
“Did you just insult me in other language?”
James narrowed his eyes and furiously stared at the man behind the bars. Baron chuckled once again flipping another page over.
“In Sokovian in means ‘pretty’. So, to answer your question: no, I did not insult you, James.”
He closed the book deciding that it wasn`t the one for the day and turned to face Bucky just to be caught off guard by the way he looked like. James`s cheeks were flushed red and he was scratching the side of his nose to hide the blush. His cyan eyes were looking into any direction but Helmut`s.
“Well… Okay, I think I got everything I need for now. I`m gonna… Sam`s waiting so…”
Bucky awkwardly stood up still hiding the blush with his palm almost storming out from the prison cell not even bothering to bring back the chair he got.
James did come back a week after but he never brought back the conversation that happened between the two. Which obviously got Helmut annoyed. To be fair that word just slipped out from his mouth and he had no intentions to startle Bucky with it but still he wanted to see his reaction. So, Baron decided to play that game for a while specifically calling James pet names like ‘анђео’, ‘маче’, ‘рибица’ and many others just to watch him blush every time. Even though Bucky had no knowledge what they meant he surely understood what Helmut implied to.
At some point Baron started talking full sentences in Sokovian catching James`s frustrated gaze and smirking widely with all his teeth.
“Имате лепе очи, Бели Вук.”
“Can you at least bother translating whatever you`re saying right now?”
Bucky rubbed his eyes letting out a tired sigh. He knew Helmut was having best time of his prison life annoying the man with his weird flirting but he couldn`t help but wonder what he was talking about. Plus, they were kind of in the middle of discussing his current case, so whatever Baron was talking about could be important.
“Коji ти нестрпљив, James.”
“Helmut, I swear if you don`t stop…”
“Fine, chill.”
Baron liked how his name sounded spoken by James. But not with such a tone. Helmut smiled looking directly into Bucky`s cyan eyes deciding it was time to finally tell him the translation.
“I said ‘you have beautiful eyes’…”
He hit a dramatic pause at the end and watched Bucky`s fury turn into embarrassment followed by blush showing up on his face once again.
“‘White Wolf’.”
James threw his hands in the air storming to the exit.
“Like I thought it could be anything else!”
Helmut started laughing wiping away the tears of joy that were already forming in his eyes.
“See you next week, љубав моја!”
He saw Bucky showing him a middle finger before disappearing behind the door.
As fun as it was Helmut still had some sense of tact in him. So in between all the teasing he was still guiding James through his cases. Baron didn`t want the man to abandon him in the Raft without anything interesting to do so he figured it would be better if he made him stay on his own terms. The teasing was obviously the main part of it. And Helmut was strictly ignoring the thought that there could be something else. He just enjoyed James`s company that`s all. And he didn`t want to die from boredom. So, it was clearly he wanted him around just to have fun. And there was nothing else to that. Nothing at all.
But just as Helmut was able to suppress those thoughts and feelings, Bucky had the audacity to bring up the new ones. And this time Baron couldn`t define them other than ‘jealousy’ and ‘grudge’. And he was clearly not enjoying knowing that.
“What`s he doing here?”
Helmut was laying on his bed patiently waiting for this week`s meeting staring at the chair that Bucky always sat in when he caught a glimpse of two figures walking in direction of his prison cell. This time Bucky didn`t show up alone, he brought his companion, and America`s new Captain, Sam with him.
“Sam wanted to hear something firsthand. So I figured it would be better if he joined me this time.”
Two men were standing way too close to the bars radiating a very threatening aura. Helmut did not enjoy the way they were invading his personal space.
“Ayo, Zemo, long time no see!”
Sam had a friendly smile on his face but his eyes were way too serious. Baron looked him up and down before turning his head to Bucky who hid his hands in pockets of his black leather jacket looking down, and Helmut once again compared him with an apologizing puppy.
“Yeah, I guess it`s been a while. Last time we met was back in Latvia when I managed to escape the imprisonment. For some time at least.”
Helmut stood up from the bed crossing arms behind his back. He quickly peeked at Bucky who was still avoiding his gaze but shivered probably remembering that time at the Sokovian memorial.
“Nice trick by the way. Bet it was pretty nasty in the sewers.”
Sam`s smirk got wider as he watched Baron changing in the face and getting annoyed. Helmut breathed out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
“Still better than what I would get if Dora Milaje got me that time.”
“Touche.”
They stared at each other for some time. Sam looking all smug and Helmut slowly developing a headache. He knew he wouldn`t enjoy the upcoming conversation at all.
“So, what was that you wanted to know?”
Sam crossed his arms and glanced at Bucky. James finally raised his head and managed to meet Helmut`s hazel eyes.
“Remember our last case? We found some strings that lead directly to you.”
“And that`s why we came here. To ask some questions.”
Helmut was looking back and forth at the men in front of him. He raised his eyebrow in a silent question.
“I thought we all agreed I had nothing to do with it.”
“You maybe don`t but someone you know does.”
Sam stared at him with all the seriousness he had. His dark brown eyes were inspecting every inch of the man behind the bars.
“And who is it?”
“Smiling Tiger. You know, the one you made me portray back at the Selby`s place.”
Helmut grinned recalling that night. Oh, how comical it was watching Sam drinking that disgusting snake cocktail. But to be fair at some places it`s probably a delicacy. Still doesn`t reduce the grossness and that`s why Baron prefers whiskey to such gastronomical experiments.
“What is it about him?”
“He`s kinda a big deal at Black market. Sells stuff, buys stuff. You know, the usual.”
“And our informators found he got some vibranium on him.”
Baron`s posture firmed as he heard James`s concerned voice. The man ignored the shivers it sent down his spine and just focused on Sam`s speech.
“And as we all know, you`ve met him before. So, you obviously have some clues to where he hides his belongings.”
Helmut got pissed. Sam`s self-confident tone was driving him nuts. And there was no way he`s going to let him get away with it.
“And what exactly makes you think I`ll willingly tell you that?”
The question took aback both Sam and Bucky. Helmut was standing arms crossed behind his back with a full grin on his face watching them staring back in amazement. Sam broke the silence first.
“Are you bargaining right now?”
“I obviously am.”
“But you`ve been telling Bucky everything he wanted to know for a few months!”
“So what? You thought you could just come here whenever you want, ask whatever you want and leave with a full background of your malefactors? It doesn`t work like that. Everything has its cost.”
“Are you kidding me?”
Sam was furiously staring at Helmut, ready to break his neck at any second. Baron just simply shrugged his shoulders and set back on the bed crossing arms behind his head.
“Well then, I guess you don`t want it that much. After all you are still ‘the mighty Captain America’ himself. I`m sure you can figure something out on your own.”
“You are such a−”
Bucky`s hand touched Sam`s shoulder and the man let out a frustrated sigh. A few moments past during which Helmut watched as a bunch of different emotions changing on his face. He finally gave up practically growling the words out.
“Fine. What is it?”
Helmut smiled showing his teeth in a hungry grin. With a corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of James`s concerned face. Baron stood up coming closer to the bars to face the two men.
“I`ve been getting quite bored lately.”
“Huh?”
“It`s not much what I can do in this cage.”
Helmut placed his palm on one bar moving his hand up and down. He raised his head meeting with Bucky`s cyan eyes.
“A breath of fresh air would be just perfect. I want to spend a few hours on the roof every week.”
“Are you serious?”
“More than ever, Eagle boy.”
Helmut turned to face already fuming from anger Sam and smirked. He knew the man most likely had no power to make it happen but he figured it would be more fun to watch him try. And he didn`t regret not asking for something as simple as more books to read. The way Sam`s face was steaming red right now made it all worth it.
“They won`t let you get that!”
“Then I guess you won`t get your answers. And the way you agreed to my deal makes me think that you have no clues left and you are desperate. So, I suppose we can make it work for both sides.”
“There is no way I`ll let you walk outside like a fricking citizen!”
“Your loss then.”
Helmut stood back still grinning at Sam`s furious gaze. The man stared him up and down before turning back and getting his phone out.
“Damn it!”
Baron watched as the man moved away for a few meters patiently waiting for someone to answer his call. As he finally got in touch with the operator on the other side, Helmut turned to face Bucky who was pensively watching his friend.
“What`s on your mind, White Wolf?”
James finally turned to him with some kind of sadness in his eyes.
“They won`t allow that.”
“Are you sure? Something tells me those men in suits will do whatever they can to catch the last Hydra followers. And letting me enjoy the sun once a week is a rather small price to pay.”
Bucky narrowed his eyes in response. He was still doubtful the government pawns will agree to such a dangerous deal. James hummed watching Sam returning and putting his phone back in the pocket.
“Once a month. That`s the most you`ll get.”
“Fine by me.”
Helmut smiled crossing arms behind his back. The way Bucky was staring at him right now was priceless and it made Baron chuckle.
“So, we`ve got a deal. Now I want to get my part of it.”
Sam crossed his arms on his chest, anger splashing in his eyes.
“Where Smiling Tiger hides vibranium?”
“Well, if I was him, I would keep it somewhere safe where no one would bother looking.”
“That`s not an answer.”
“But because this man is as narrow-minded as he`s short, he probably has stashed it in the most obvious place on Earth.”
Sam once again let out a frustrated sigh. Helmut was clearly playing him as a puppet and the man couldn`t do anything about it. Baron smirked meeting with Bucky`s curious gaze and spoke directly to him.
“Check the docks. I`m sure you`ll find plenty of interesting stuff out there.”
Before he even finished the sentence Sam stormed towards the exit fuming with fury and anger.
“God damn it, the docks! Zemo, you could`ve just told us! You can really be such an asshole sometimes!”
The last words were swooped away but the exit door closing behind him. Helmut was sure Sam is not gonna recover his temper any time soon. And for some reason that thought made him satisfied.
Bucky also started moving towards the exit. And Baron immediately felt shame for playing on the men`s nerves in such a childish manner. After all it wasn`t the freedom he wanted, he just hated that his time with James was ruined. And he wanted him to be around without anyone else`s presence disturbing them.
That thought caught him off guard. Why would he want James around? Because it`s fun to tease him? Because he enjoys their small talks? He hadn`t figured it out yet but he knew he couldn`t let the man just simply walk away like that.
“James.”
Bucky didn`t stop. He was still walking away as if he hasn`t heard the man calling his name out.
“James!”
And James ignored. Like a robot he was slowly walking his way towards the white door that let outside. Helmut started sweating. He couldn`t let himself loose anyone else in his life. He won`t survive another person he likes just disappearing into the darkness.
Likes?
“Бели Вук!”
It sounded more like a cry for help. Helmut`s insides shrunk as he didn`t even recognize his own voice that second. Bucky stopped frozen in place and turned around facing Baron`s hazel eyes one last time.
“Neat tricks you got there. See you later, Helmut.”
Baron swallowed a lump in his throat and forced a trembling smile.
“Yeah, till next time…”
When James left through the door Helmut practically collapsed on the floor. His breath was as shaky as his hands and the one thing that his mind focused its attention on was the simple four-letter word ‘like’.
Right after that Baron was consumed by his own thoughts to the point when he couldn`t tell the days apart. The thought of him actually liking James just couldn`t settle in his mind.
Sure, he liked spending time with the man and even found it pleasing to just be around him even if they both had so little to say basically staying in silence during the whole visit. But just liking Bucky? For him being him? That felt… weird?
No, it was different. He never acknowledged that James could be more than just a ‘partner in crime’ to him.
At that moment Helmut even thought that the two of them maybe could`ve become friends if things wouldn`t be so complicated. Baron couldn`t help but wonder what if he met the earlier Bucky. The one that was a brave soldier, always ready to rush into a fight, saving everyone who needed help and defending the ones who needed protection. Helmut thought that`s probably how Steve saw him. Noble warrior, the White Wolf of his pack.
But the things were as they were, and Helmut was left with nothing but a cold cell surrounding him, and James was on the other side of the bars walking around just like he used to before Hydra turned him into a killing machine. And that thought made Baron uneasy.
They will never get the chance to be more than just two strangers to each other. So, next time they met Helmut played the role of annoying prisoner once again pulling on another one of his masks just to hide what he actually felt deep inside.
“Found anything in the docks?”
The two men were walking circles on the roof constantly being watched by guards near the staircase entrance. Baron decided to waste his one free day this time in hopes it would help him to get more unwinded from his own thoughts.
“Smiling Tiger. And the vibranium too.”
“Good. Hope he breaks his silence and tells you anything at all. He`s not that talkative, you know.”
“We didn`t catch him though.”
“How come?”
Helmut stopped looking at the horizon and the sea that surrounded the Raft. Today Bucky showed up quite late and the sun was already getting down staining everything around them in bright orange-red colors.
“Sam said it would be too meaningless to just burst in there. He wants to catch them on the spot when new supplies arrive.”
“I see. Guess there`s gonna be a lot of shooting involved. Don`t get yourself hurt.”
“Like you care.”
Baron looked at the man beside him. The sun was shining directly at Bucky and he squeezed his eyes in an absurdly sweet manner. The wind brushed his hair making a full mess on his head and from that view Helmut`s heart skipped a beat. He quickly brushed off the feeling returning his gaze back at the sky.
“Believe me, I do.”
“And why is that?”
“I find it rather interesting to watch you blush in an intriguing puzzlement when receiving a compliment. Would be depressing to lose an opportunity for such a show if you get yourself killed, don`t you think?”
Bucky just rolled his eyes in response. Of course, there was no way Helmut would miss a chance to tease him. Not like James was hoping for any other response at all.
“Yeah, sure. That would be such a tragedy.”
“Glad to hear you agree with me on that, James.”
Helmut ignored the sarcastic notes in Bucky`s tone and the two men continued their walk on the roof. Baron enjoyed the cold breeze brushing against his skin and the salty refreshing smell of the sea in his lungs. He enjoyed the silence that surrounding the two of them. Even though he knew that was the only thing he would get from James.
“We`re raiding the place tomorrow.”
Bucky broke the silence standing back and frozing himself in place like a statue. He looked deeply in Helmut`s eyes as if he tried to find something important in them. Baron couldn`t stand the way it looked. It felt like they were saying goodbyes forever. And he didn`t like the thought of it.
“Well, I guess you have a lot to prepare for.”
“Yeah.”
“Then maybe you should get going. You don`t want to make America`s new hope waiting any longer.”
Bucky nodded looking at Baron one last time before simply turning away to leave the roof. As he started moving towards the stairs exit Helmut couldn`t help the feeling of already missing him. So he decided to do what he was best at in order to wave off the sadness. He teased Bucky one last time.
“Hey, James!”
The man turned around raising his eyebrow in silent question.
“You know Sokovian translation of ‘sweet pea’?”
Bucky looked at him puzzled. This made Helmut smirk as he already knew what was going to happen.
“No.”
“Do you wanna know?”
And Bucky got puzzled once again but his eyes were clearly showing he felt those mischievous notes in Baron`s tone. But he simply just sighed knowing that he needed to keep up the conversation.
“What is it?”
“It`s you.”
Bucky`s eyes widened, and Baron chuckled seeing the man blushing. Every time it felt like the first one and Helmut knew there was no way he would get tired from it. James turned his gaze to the sky and let out another sigh.
“See you when I see you, Helmut.”
Bucky went away leaving Baron alone on the roof who was now simply smiling watching the sunset. Helmut was hoping for their next meeting to come around soon. But he still couldn`t brush away the feeling of sadness deep in his heart.
It turned out his heart wasn`t wrong. Those words were the last thing what Helmut heard before James disappeared for a month.