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Blood was dripping onto the wet forest floor, leaving a trace of bloody puddles of mud as John and Bob hurriedly limped through the forest together.
The bit of the sky you could see between the dark green trees branching above them was grey and thick with clouds, rain falling heavily. Bob was freezing . His clothes were soaking wet, sticking to his body in the most uncomfortable way, his feet hurt from running for so long and he was dead tired and worn out. If he was alone, he might just have give up and lay down on the dirty muddy floor, waiting for someone from the team to find him.
But next to him was John Walker, bleeding through his left shoulder, blood spilling and flowing even though he continually pressed his hand onto the wound. And John was getting slower and paler, the longer they ran through the pouring rain in the freezing hungarian forest without any device to stop the bleeding.
The team went to Hungary together, send by Valentina to stop some blackmarket dealers that were trying to get their hands on some old Hydra weapons. Half of eastern Europe was still full of the Hydra relics and of course, every bad guy known to man wanted to get their hands on these. Bucky told them stories, what kind of weapons Hydra once had produced and how much damage those can cause - especially in the wrongs hands.
The thing was, they knew who was trying to get the weapons and also when but not where. There where three different former Hydra locations where the robbery could take place so they decided to play safe and just split up. Was it a stupid idea in hindsight? Absolutely. Did it seem genius to them when they planed it in the back of the black van that was parked on the outskirts of Budapest? Likewise.
„I‘m going with ‘Lena.“ Alexei yelled from his place behind the sterring wheel when Bucky suggested splitting up in pairs.
Yelena groaned but gave in. „Sorry Ava, but I don’t have the mental capacity to discuss this with him.“, she said to her usual mission partner who just shrugged.
„Then i get to pick. Bucky knows the most about Hydra, I want him.“
Bucky nodded satisfied.
„Which leaves Thing 1 and Thing 2.“, Yelena pointed her finger between Bob and John „Once again.“
„Sounds fair to me. One very delight, nice person and John. Best of both worlds.“, Ava grinned to which John answered in mimicking her laugh.
„Fuck off Ava, I would have picked Bob anyway“.
„Shocker.“ Yelena mumbled, Bob blushing silently, softly smiling while looking at the ground.
„At least this way there is someone who can stop John from going full menace overkill. Bob‘s most special power.“, Ava grinned, making Bob blush even harder.
„You know i’m sitting right here in front of you?“ John asked.
„Yeah. We know.“, Bucky mumbled, not looking up from sharpening his knife.
„I think it’s great to have John as a teammate.“, Bob said, to which John just nodded confidently. „That man knows what he talks about.“
„Whatever helps you sleep at night.“, Ava mumbled, grinning at Yelena.
Truth be told, Bob and John grew incredibly close. Which wasn’t that much of a surprise as everyone in the team was somehow close to Bob. How couldn’t they? He was kind and sweet and always remembered everyone favorites snacks or how they took their coffee.
But Yelena once noticed that he always did things for Walker with some extra care. Like he had a preference for him. For instance, when they discussed that to eat for dinner (Bob cooked most of the team) he would always end the discussion by choosing Walker‘s wish.
While it wasn’t truly obvious that Walker was Bob‘s favorite, it was crystal clear that Bob was John‘s favorite.
Some days, when he slept bad, he didn’t say a word when walking into their shared kitchen, just grumbling. Ava would tell him that there are still egg‘s in the pan, he would grumble. If Alexei asked him how he slept there would be even more grumbling.
But when Bob enters the kitchen, smiling at John like the sun was shining out of his ass, telling him good morning, John‘s features would soften, smirking at the younger man and wishing him a good morning as well, spoken so softly as if he just told him he loved him. He then would continue to not talk to anyone else the entire morning.
Bob was always the exception.
Yelena never questioned why they were so close. She just assumed that John tried to be less of an asshole and Bob was the most kind hearted person of their group so it was easy to start being a nicer person with someone like him.
And for Bob, she always thought he might be an awe that a man who was once a solider and high school footballer was respecting and being nice to someone like him. In a healing your inner teenager that didn’t have friends in high school kind of way.
She couldn’t be more wrong.
„Okay Walker, Bob, you take the old Hydra bunker in the forest around 25 miles east from here. Me and Ava watch the abandoned lab in the city. Yelena and Alexei go to the warehouse at the harbour. Remember, no matter if anyone shows up are not, take the weapons and get back here. Stay connected on coms. We all get back here in exactly 4 hours. Any questions?“ Bucky directed the team before everyone headed off in different directions.
For a long time, nothing happened. Bob and John stood around the forest, safely hidden behind a tree, looking at the door to the locked underground bunker in front of them.
„It’s so random that they just threw a bunch of weapons in the forest and kept them there for like a hundert years. How come no hikers ever found them?“
„No one said that a nazi group was pretty clever, Bob.“
„Why hasn’t anyone ever retrieved the weapons before us?“
„Probably because most of the people who know about these hidden places are dead. We still don’t know how these guys that are trying to steal them even found out about them.“
„Walker? Bob? Any activity on your side?“ Yelena‘s voice suddenly went through the comms, checking in. There still weren’t any bad guys seen at any of the potential scenes and they all were getting bored. The hungarian woodlands also weren’t known exactly for their good weather conditions.
So the wait continued.
John shifted where he crouched beside a moss-covered rock. “Feels too quiet.”
Bob nodded, but didn’t look away from the treeline. “Maybe they are going to get the guns from the warehouse.”
A second later, a shot cracked through the forest like a whip.
John immediately shoved Bob down.
“ Cover! ” he barked, his military training coming through like it did during every single fight. He was already diving to the side as the second shot pinged off the edge of the bunker.
Five figures spilled from the trees, John rolled to his feet and met the first one head-on.
The man swung a rifle butt but John ducked low, grabbed him by the vest, and slammed him back into a tree with a sickening crack. Another charged from the side. He caught his arm mid-swing, twisted, and drove a knee into his ribs.
“Two down!” he shouted.
Bob didn’t answer. He just stared and waited for any possible commands.
John turned to see if the other man was still okay. He saw him peaking out behind a tree, seemingly unsure what to do.
“Bob, stay back! ”
Then John saw it.
A sixth man — someone neither of them had clocked — stepping in from behind a fir tree. Rifle already raised. Aimed at Bob.
“ No— ” John pushed himself off the ground.
He ran.
There was so much that was already being taken from him; his best friend, his family. He would not let Bob become part of that list as well.
The shot rang out as he lunged in front of Bob last second, throwing his body across the distance like he would usually throw his shield.
Pain immediately slammed into his left shoulder like fire and concrete all at once. He was used to getting shot, but that didn’t make it easier.
He hit the ground hard.
“John!”
Bob scrambled to him, hand already glowing, panic flooding his voice.
But he couldn’t focus on John or the fear he felt because the other men were still coming towards them.
Bob didn’t think.
He reacted.
Something inside him flared. Not rage — not yet. Just fear. Fear and pure protective terror. He didn’t watch out enough for potential threats and now John was lying on the dirty forest floor, bleeding at an alarm high tempo. The least he could do was to protect him from any more damage.
He stood over John like a wall and raised both arms.
The energy burst from him in a wave — white-gold light exploding outward in a shield-shaped arc that slammed into one attacker and sent the other staggering back. Bob moved without thinking, a flick of his wrist sending a kinetic blast that knocked the second into a tree.
And then silence.
He was breathing hard. His hands were still faintly aglow.
The men weren’t moving.
And so was John.
“John—John, hey—” Bob dropped to his knees beside him, his eyes assessing John‘s entire body, looking if he missed any other injuries. “Talk to me, please.”
John grimaced, hand clamped over his bleeding shoulder, blood running through his fingers.
“Still here,” he ground out. “Still—fuck, that hurts.”
“Stay calm,” he said, panting, more to himself than to John. “I’ll call the others for help and—”
But when he clicked the button of his device, there was only static.
A sharp, high-pitched hum.
He stared at the screen. “I fear my powers made them stop working.”, he stammered, looking at John with fearful eyes.
„It’s okay Bobby.“, John muttered through clenched teeth. „You saved me.“
„Not yet. We still have to take care of your wound. Oh god is the hole big enough for you to bleed out?“ Bob was fidgeting with his hands, hovering over John‘s shoulder, not quite knowing where to start helping the other man without making it even worse.
He felt anxiety creeping in, suddenly hit by the realization of what was going on.
There were alone, deep in the hungarian woods, the clouds darkening above them and tiny raindrops already making their way down to them. They had no chance to contact their team and Bob lowkey had no idea where exactly were right now or how to get back. John and his military precise sense of orientation probably would have but his eyes kept fluttering so he couldn’t concentrate on anything other than staying awake.
And that’s how he ended up halfway dragging John through the wet forest, hoping that the soldier wasn’t bleeding out on him.
„Where are we going?“, John slurred, his eyes already not being focused.
„I don’t really know.“, Bob mumbled, looking at John with sorry eyes.
The only thing he knew was that he had to get John to a safe shelter, so he could treat his ever bleeding wound and not risk John getting sick because of the heavy pouring rain and the cold wind.
„You‘d be faster without me.“, John talked under his breath, Bob immediately fastening his grip around John‘s back.
„Nop. Not happening.“
John leaned more into Bob, putting his weight on the smaller man, getting the much needed support.
It was usually the other way around.
Whenever Bob would have one of his bad days, John would notice immediately, showing Bob quiet support by just sitting by his side, putting Bob‘s favorite slushie in front of him, waiting if Bob was feeling okay enough to reach for it and drink with him. And then he waited patientily if Bob would talk about what bothered him. And even if he didn’t, John would stay and offer silent comfort.
Now it was his time to give it back to John.
He just prayed to god that some lonely hungarian man had a cottage in the woods they could break in.
„Bob, no.“, John huffed, every word filled with exhaustion. „You get so cold. You should find shelter for yourself.“
Bob rolled his eyes.
It was true, he was cold very fast and very easily. John already had it in him like muscle memory to give his sweater to Bob whenever he started visibly shaking when the common room was getting too cold again.
And truth be told, the rain kept pouring, every teardrop stinging on Bob‘s already rain drenched body, the cold wind adding even more to his discomfort. But the freezing rain was nothing compared to the fear he felt whenever he looked at John, the other man visibly worn out by the blood loss.
Thankfully, he felt a bit of relief when he caught sight of a tiny house, placed between the trees.
„That’s a SHIELD safe house.“, John mumbled when he caught sight of the house.
„Hydra bunker and a SHIELD safe house not far away? Classic.“
Bob usually wasn‘t an overly rough person. Most of his team consisted of kicking-a-door-open-before-knocking kind of people. He wasn’t like that. He knocked and maybe even apologized for causing a scene.
But that changed when one of the people that mattered most to him was hanging by a thread next to him.
„How exactly do you kick a door open?“
„Bob-“, John wanted to interfere but Bob already threw all of his body weight against the door.
Surprisingly, the door clicked open (so much for safe house).
The house wasn’t necessarily warm or comfortable in any ways, but at least it stopped the rain from pouring onto their body’s.
„God knows when was the last time that someone was here.“, Bob mumbled, going through the cupboards, looking for anything that looked like medical material he could fix the wound with. The house was tiny. There were some drawers and cupboards, a tiny stove, a dirty rug and a very tiny bed. But it was something.
„Probably around the time when Bucky wasn’t even a super soldier yet.“, John groaned, slowly sitting down on the floor, all his powers slowly leaving him, now that some of the adrenaline from running through the woods is gone.
His breathing shallowly, face was pale, jaw tight. Blood soaked the shoulder of his tactical shirt, thick and dark, still seeping through his fingers.
“Stay with me,” Bob said, urgently, rummaging around the drawers a bit faster now. “You can’t pass out, not yet.”
When Bob finally found some old bottle of antiseptics and gauze, he slowly sat down crossed legged on the floor, in front of John. He tugged his field knife from his belt and began cutting away the fabric around the wound, his hands steadier than he expected them to be. He peeled the shredded fabric away and sucked in a breath.
The entry wound was high on the left shoulder, just below the collarbone. It had gone clean through but it was deep, ragged, and angry red.
“Gonna disinfect it,” Bob murmured. “This is gonna hurt.”
John didn’t respond. Just gave him a slow nod, jaw clenched so tightly Bob could see the muscle twitch.
He poured some water into a cracked bowl, then ripped open an alcohol pad from the med kit. No morphine. Barely any gauze. He had to do this clean and fast.
Luckily, Yelena had shown him a lot of different ways how to treat someone’s injury with little to no items to do this with.
At the end of the day, he wasn’t like the rest of the team. Couldn’t really use his powers, barley had no combat skills, so he wanted to be helpful in any other way at least. If any of his team members were to be injured, Bob wanted to be the person they could rely an.
The moment the alcohol touched skin, John hissed , his whole body jolting, Bob nearly dropped the pad.
“Sorry! I’m sorry, I know—just hold on—”
“Keep going,” John gritted. “It’s fine.”
It wasn’t. Bob could see it in the way his nails dug into his palms, the sweat on his forehead, the barely-suppressed tremble in his voice.
He worked silently for a moment — cleaning the wound, wiping away fresh blood, folding gauze to pack around the exit.
He didn’t cry yet, even though he really felt like it.
“Why’d you do it?” he asked softly, taping the gauze in place. “Why throw yourself in front of me like that?”
John blinked at him. “…Why wouldn’t I?”
Bob paused. „You had the better shot. The training. The instincts. You should’ve—”
“Let you take a bullet?” John’s voice was hoarse. “No.”
Bob looked down, carefully wrapping the bandage around John’s arm, tight enough to hold, loose enough not to cut circulation. His fingers brushed John’s skin. Warm, trembling slightly under the pain.
“I can take care of myself,” he whispered.
“I know you can,” John murmured, eyes soft. “But you’re part of my team. My people. That means I protect you.”
Bob swallowed. His throat felt thick. The bandage was secure now. He set the roll aside and sat back on his heels, breathing shakily.
Then he leaned forward, pressing his forehead gently to John’s good shoulder.
“I was so scared,” he admitted.
“I know.”
“You bled so much.”
“I’ve got a lot in me.” John reached out for Bob‘s cheek with his uninjured arm, cupping it with his hand.
„Thank you.“, he said so sincere, so soft and quiet but filled with all the gratitude he had in himself.
He looked at Bob in awe, like he was the most ethereal being in the world. He probably was.
„You don’t have to thank me I…I mean it.. It’s nothing.“, Bob stuttered, perplex by John‘s strong, rough hand still on his cheek.
„You would have done this for me as well. I know you would have.“
„Not many people would say that about me.“ John gave Bob a sad smile but Bob quickly shook his head.
„They don’t know you like I do. You‘re a good man John Walker.“
Bob was suddenly very aware of how close he and John actually were right now, Bob feeling John’s still hitched breath on his face, looking the other man deeply in his eyes.
The hand still rested on Bob‘s cheek.
But it was getting late and John‘s eyes kept fluttering, his body and mind clearly exhausted from the blood loss and the amateurish surgery that was performed on him.
Bob was getting pretty tired himself, the fear of losing John having worn him out, especially now that the adrenaline has faded.
„You should go to sleep. Rest.“, Bob said softly, rubbing John‘s arm slightly.
„Hm. So should you.“
„But John?“
„Yeah?“
„Um, so…I don’t know if you noticed but. There is only one bed.“
„I will sleep on the floor.“
„John, no. You know I barley speak up against you but a bullet literally pierced through your shoulder. You are not sleeping on the floor.“
„I’ve had worse in the war. We didn’t really have beds in Iraq as well.. Or good medical equipment for that matter.“
„You‘re insufferable. Go, lie down on the bed. Now.“
„Yes sir.“ John smirked and playful saluted with his good arm. Bob just groaned but was relieved to see John shift from his place on the floor.
John slowly let himself sink into the thin mattress, moving all way to the wall.
„Plenty of space left.“, John said and patted the right side of the bed.
„Plenty is an exaggerated. And what if I hurt your arm?“
„It already hurts Bob. And besides, my right side is completely fine. I won’t break if you touch me.“
Bob was still looking at John, his expectant eyes and the small bed.
„You will get sick if you sleep on the floor.“
Bob still didn’t move a bit.
„And if I ask you to lie down next to me because I am freezing and hope to get some of your body warmth?“
And who was Bob to say no to that?
He slowly made his way over to the bed, awkwardly sitting down on the side of the bed, never breaking eye contact with John.
„I said lie down. Not sit down.“ John smirked and Bob grinned shyly, carefully sliding down the bed, trying to not jostle John too much, the fear of hurting him still lingering.
When he was finally settled, he and John both lay on their sides, face to face with each other.
„I‘m glad you‘re okay.“, Bob talked under his breath, instinctively reaching out for John’s injured shoulder, stroking cautiously around the gauze.
„So am I. Would never forgive me if anything happened to you on my watch.“
„Do you think the others will find us?“
„Sure thing. But for now I‘m alright with just you and me in this cabin. I only need you.“
„This is probably just your blood loss talking.“, Bob mumbled but John fiercely shook his head.
„I might now be at my full sense right now but I mean it. Let me show you how much I mean it.“
John slowly moved his head over to Bob‘s side. And when his forehead bumped gently against Bob’s, he whispered, “Can I?”
Bob nodded. Just once.
And John kissed him.
It wasn’t practiced. Wasn’t smooth or confident. It was soft and tentative — like he wasn’t sure he deserved it, but he needed it anyway. Just the barest brush of lips, careful and unsure and real.
Bob kissed him back like he’d been waiting for it forever.
When they finally broke apart, Bob kept his eyes closed for a moment longer, soaking in what just happened.
When Bob opened his eyes he was met with John‘s soft smile and started laughing.
„About fucking time, Walker.“
And John — tired, aching, but also suddenly so full of something he didn’t have a name for — just nodded “Yeah. I know.”
Bob woke up to John’s arm draped protectively over him, Bobs head slightly rested on John’s broad chest.
He looked up at the other man, still asleep, in awe.
He didn’t know what the kiss meant for them but he knew that was, and had been for a long time, in love with John Walker.
He loved his team, he really did. But with John it had been different for a long time. He truly felt like the other man changed for the better every single day and most of the time it was for Bob.
He lay there for some more time, starting at John, when the other man‘s eyes fluttered open, a soft smile appearing on his face when he spotted Bob.
„Morning.“, he muttered, stroking over Bob‘s arm with the hand he had draped over him.
But of course, Bob couldn’t just enjoy this moment. His fear that John would just act like nothing happened crept on on him. He knew that he probably wouldn’t do that, that he isn’t the aushole he was once before anymore; but Bob‘s insecurities where still there.
„How can we go back to being friends after this?“ Bob whispered, keeping his head down low, not daring to look John into his eyes.
Instead, his eyes wandered to John‘s chest, that was moving steady, heart beating solid (thank god for that, Bob silently thought).
He could have just ignored his fears he had but he decided to be brave.
Speak up what’s going on in his mind.
At the end that’s what John always told him; to talk about his fear and what was bothering him. And most of the time when he did, John managed to calm his mind and convince him that most of his fears and worries weren’t real.
„We don’t have to.“, John said softly after the longest second of Bob‘s life. John was moving his hand to Bobs cheek, carefully caressing it with his thumb and gently moving his face up, forcing Bob to look into his eyes.
Thank god he did.
Because John‘s eyes were soft, looking at Bob in a way he never saw John look before. Like the most precious thing in the world was in front of him and he finally got hold of it.
Bob loved this look on him.
Before he could say something, John carefully moved his face over to Bob‘s again, locking their lips together.
„Had to do this again without bleeding out.“
„Is kissing me better when you are at your full sense than when you‘re delirious?“ Bob asked, which resulted in a hearty laugh from John.
„Yes, Bob. I would rather keep kissing you without dying. But if have to die, kissing you is a nice last thing to do.“
„Oh god, I didn’t know you were such a sap.“ Bob chuckled, burying his face in John‘s chest.
„I was prom king in high school Bob, of course I am!“ John exclaimed, throwing his arms around Bob again, pressing him closer to his own body while both of them just laughed.
Neither of them felt as light as they did in this exact moment, in a tiny bed in an abandoned shield cabin in the hungarian woods, in a long time.
And when the rest of the Thunderbolts finally found them after tearing the entire forest apart, they are not met with the sight of two barley alive men, like they feared, but rather with two people holding each other close, smiling as if their opposite was the rising sun itself.
And in some kind, that’s what they were for each other; the rising sun bringing light to their own darkest time.