Work Text:
Bucky looked down at the figure in the bed, the monitors beeping in the background at a steady rhythm. He sighed and set down the bouquet of flowers on the bedside table before rounding the bed to sit in the chair. It was uncomfortable but he didn’t complain, just leaned forward, elbows on his knees as he hung his head. He made a promise to Natasha years ago that if anything would happen to her, he would look out for Yelena. And that promise, to him, was broken the night before.
He wasn’t expecting for Yelena to show up in the middle of his mission. He wasn’t expecting to see her being a contract killer for the opposing side, either. It wasn’t like he knew it was her when he saw the dark figure on the other end of the hallway, goggles glowing green in the dim light. He let his guard down for a second, assuming that the figure was just another one of Valentina’s lackeys and never took in the fact that the figure was far from being built like a man. It was when he was about to land a punch with his vibranium arm that he finally realized that the ‘enemy’ was, in fact, Yelena, but it was too late. His fist came in contact with her chest, sending her into the wall twenty feet back. His heart dropped, stomach in his throat as he rushed forward to one of the few people he thought of as family. When he took off the goggles and mask as he moved to hold her. Blood was coming from her ears and mouth and wasn’t responding to his words.
So now she was hooked up to monitors and tubes, asleep still. The doctors said she will come-to eventually, but it was on her terms. Every second her eyes were closed, the more he begged silently with an unseen force to switch their positions. He had brought the blanket that Natasha made her, laying it over Yelena’s unmoving form. He wanted her surrounded by the things that he knew would be comforting to her if, no, when she woke up.
He had to stop thinking of it as being an if, not a when. She was going to wake up, and he will do everything in his power to make it happen. He ran his hands over his face and sighed heavily. The doctor was optimistic that she would come out of it, but that did little to ease the guilt he had. They only lost Natasha months ago, and both of them took it hard. Now he was the reason why Yelena was in this position.
“Did I ever tell you that frowning isn’t becoming of you?” a raspy voice sounded.
Bucky’s head snapped up, his blue eyes meeting the half closed ones of Yelena’s. She gave him a weak smile as he stood, taking her one hand in his metal one.
“Seriously, your forehead is going to be fixed in that position if you keep frowning like that,” she teased, the side of her mouth tilting slightly in a smirk. Her eyes closed as she inhaled deeply, groaning slightly as she shifted.
“Careful, solntsey , you have a few broken ribs and a concussion,” he whispered, his flesh hand moving to smooth over her hair.
“Yeah, you always knew how to punch,” she smiled, eyes still closed. She squeezed his hand and looked at him through slits. “Why were you there?”
“Could ask you the same thing,” he countered, “who sent you?”
“ Brat , you know I cannot discuss that.”
“Bull shit, I almost killed you.”
“But you didn’t.”
“ Solntsey –”
“Don’t solntsey me, James. I’m serious, I can’t tell you. For a very good reason too.” Yelena coughed slightly, swearing some in Russian before she sighed. “I know Na’sha made you promise to take care of me, but I am a former Widow. I know how to take care of myself.”
“Yet you walked right into a place where the Winter Solider was,” he grumbled.
“I thought you said that Soldat was dead,” she replied, the teasing tone back in her voice. “Thought you went by White Wolf now.”
Bucky shook his head and smiled, letting go of her hand to gently scoot her over so he could lie down next to her. He was careful of the tubes and wires coming from her as he laid down next to her, adjusting the blanket from Natasha around her.
“I promised her to take care of you solntsey , and I will spend the next month making this up to you.” Yelena fell quiet, her head resting on his shoulder. Words did not have to be said to know that the small comments about Natasha was enough to open the deep wounds of her being dead.
Yelena pulled her head back slowly to look at him. “She would have kicked your ass for hurting me, knowingly or not.” She gave him a sad smile, one that he couldn’t return.
“I miss her too, solntsey ,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple and letting her rest her head against him again. They remained quiet for a few moments before Yelena broke the silence.
“You know, you can get me a hot fudge sundae with peanuts if you are serious about making this up to me.” The teasing tone was back and she slightly slapped his hand. The slight playfulness in her voice brought a small smile to his lips and he chuckled.