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Bucky wakes up in a cold sweat, it's been months and they still haven't gotten any closer to squashing Hydra. Even with the added help of Loki and, on occasion, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, the most they've done is raided a few bases in the America's. Bucky has a bad feeling, everyone on the team knows that if a hydra agent gets to close they might bring back the Winter Soldier, so Bucky has mostly been stuck on solo missions gathering intel from secluded or abandoned bases.
The nightmare was unusual today. Instead of him turning back into the Winter Soldier or a horror he committed when under that control, it was of him, alone, devoid of feeling. He rarely wakes to nightmares anymore, the Winter Soldier killed his normal human instincts, replaced them with programmed fight responses and a need for command. He was free of Hydra's control but he still had the programming, still felt the urge to obey, being a soldier then an asset meant it was just that much more engrained.
"Mr Barnes, the Captain is waiting for you in the briefing room." came the voice of JARVIS through the speakers in his room.
"Tell 'em I'll be there in 10." Bucky says looking at the clock seeing its 2:47, what could Steve want at this time.
After a quick shower and throwing on a hoodie and sweats combo, he makes his way to the briefing room with the urgency of a tyrant letting go of their rule. He made it there right on 2:57 and opened the door to a stressed looking Steve and a very smug faced Loki.
"Buck good your here." Steve said seeming to settle slightly as he stood over the world map in the room.
"When have I ever been late, now what's this about." Bucky replied with a very tired voice.
"Sorry to wake you but it's urgent." Steve said as he gestured for Bucky to walk over to the map table. He pointed at a red dot on the border of Germany and Poland. "That is a dead Hydra lab we got a tip about, initially we thought it was just a weapons storage, but I had Sam send red wing and he said it looked far more dangerous."
Bucky rolled his eyes at the mention of red wing and said "If it's dead why is he here to?" He said jerking his head in the direction of Loki.
"I'm here because your dear Captain suspects there could be chemical agents that won't affect me the same as you, but he still doesn't trust me enough for me to take this on alone so a baby sitter is required." Loki said his smug face faltering slightly when he said 'baby sitter'.
"Ahh so I'm here as a chaperone, that means you'll do all the work for me, right Дорога." Bucky replies with a smirk creeping onto his face.
"Call me darling again I break your neck James, asgardian all speak includes Russian believe it or not."
"Enough you two." Steve interrupts "You leave in 40. Try not to kill eachother." He adds with a sigh.
-- 8×5=40 minutes later --
They meet on the helipad stuff packed and ready to go, according to JARVIS the flight will take no more than 4 and a half hours so they should be alright to sleep and plan some more. The flight is rather uneventful and they land in just under 4 hours with a 10 minute walk to the lab they make sure they have everything needed and start to head that way.
As silent as they both are, they can't be to careful so Loki casts a charm to dull there breathing and Footsteps even more. Just as they reach the entry tothe lab which is blocked by a waterfall they here a loud snap from behind them and Loki whips around throwing a dagger towards the noise, as bucky turns he sees a wolf with a blade sunk between its eyes.
"Loki you can't just throw knives around like that, what if it was a child playing in the woods." Bucky immediately scolds.
"Children shouldn't play in the woods." He replied.
"Whatever let's go." Bucky says as he turns to enter the lab.
They progress slowly into the cave like structure and look around making sure no hostiles are planning an ambush. They see very little of note and continue further into the lab in search of anything remotely important, as they tread lightly Bucky spots a room with a sign saying 'Cryostorage' and moves toward it with hurried steps. He knows what cryostorage could mean, and he's not sure if it's wise to enter but, he needs to know so, he pushes the door open and as a ploom of fog emerges from the room he looks around to see. Nothing just a freezer with a few vials scattered around the floor.
"James I believe I've found something." Loki called from somewhere to the left of the room he was in. He jogs over and crouches down where Loki is and sees seeled vials with a purple mist dancing around inside.
"Let's leave it for now and keep looking, there might be something to tell us what that is." Bucky says as he stands up straight again, and starts moving even deeper into the lab.
"I only ask we leave in a timely fashion. I may not be popular at the tower but this place is dreadfully dusty." Loki says as he turns to follow. Bucky ignores him when suddenly a shout sounds from behind him and he turns to see Loki, with a crossbow bolt sticking out of his shoulder. He whips back around and sees about 7 guys coming out of various rooms. He doesn't have time to see if Loki's alright before a guy charges at him with a knife. He's quick to dodge and pull out his own blade, stabbing the man's spinal colom and he collapses.
"Up to fight Дорога." Bucky asks as he pulls his knife from the dead guys back.
"I told you I'd snap your neck if you called me that again, but unfortunately my shoulder is a little sore so it will have to wait." Loki states as he starts forward with a golden dagger in his hand. Together they fend off the Hydra agents with skilled movements and precise attacks until only one is alive and he starts running for the exit. Loki throws a dagger but misses it but a hair.
"Well we gotta get outta here now." Bucky says then pulls out his cell "Steve some Hydra agents were camping out here, they got the drop on us but we fought em off. One got away and we found a vial of some kind of mist we will bring back."
"Get out quick, well be waiting for you at base." Steve replies, and hangs up. They start out of the building leaving the bolt in Loki's shoulder so as to not cause further damage till they return. In not to long they reach the area where the vials were and grab one before starting back towards the exit, but then they hear a crunch from under Buckys foot and look to see a puff of purple mist swallowing them hole. Bucky breathed some in as they run to get out of it as quick as possible.
"What was that?" Bucky says as they run out of the base.
"Probably whatever is in that vial in your hand." Loki says "And we have no idea what it will do."
They reach the jet in 2 minutes thanks to their more than human abilities and call Steve to let him know the new statis update. "You've both been exposed so decontamination will be ready for you when you get here, and Bruce will be in with a hazmat suit to patch up Loki's shoulder." Steve says as they tell JARVIS to book it back home.
-- 3×1.5=4.5 hours --
When they finally land they are rushed to decon and strip to their underwear as they get sprayed down. Bucky also tells them where the vial is so that they can test the substance. Loki and Bucky are put in a room with the bare necessities and are left to just wait.
"You know if you hadn't stepped on that vial we wouldn't be in this bland prison." Loki says as he paces the space.
"Yeah well it's not my fault you didn't clear the room directly next to those vials." Bucky bites back with irritation laced in his voice.
"Really? Blaming that ambush on me? Well I suppose I expect nothing less from the depressed Soldier who always sits in the corner." Loki jabs back, poking for a reaction.
"I'm not depressed." Bucky mumbles, suddenly feeling very warm. "I'm just not sociable to most people." He's really confused why he's saying this, wow he's really hot.
"James? You don't look to great." Loki says as Bucky stumbles and he catches the soldier without a thought. He feels just how warm the soldier is and he begins to worry.
"Hmm, your so cold Дорога, so nice." Bucky mumbles as he falls further into Loki. Loki fights against the soldiers weigh to move him to the bed and as he drops him down onto the sheets the asgardian gets dragged to the bed by the soldier. "So cold, so nice." Bucky says again feeling his thoughts turn to Loki, how handsome he is, how he is a master of tricks, how the banter is always just so fun.
"James let me go." Loki says as he struggles against the super soldiers grip.
"So cool Дорога, so nice, cooling me down." Buckys delirious rambling continues and Loki begins to realise he probably cannot escape this. "Дорога your so nice. So cold, so pretty. Very pretty love." Those are Buckys last words before he's nocked out cold. It gives Loki a lot to ponder.
-- 3×6=18 hours --
Bucky wakes up from the best sleep he's ever had with a wicked hang over and no memory of what happened after decontamination. Then his brain catches up and he realises he has a very pretty, very annoyed looking god in his arms and he immediately let go.
"Thank you James I've been stuck there for quite awhile." Loki says as he gets up and moves across the room to get a glass of water.
"Uhm, what happened? I remember decon then nothing. Why was I hugging you like a sloth?" Bucky asks as his head continues to right itself and he tries to remember.
"Well you were normal for awhile and then suddenly you started swaying, being remarkably honest for you and when you nearly fell I caught you." Loki said easily with a slight smirk spreading across his face, there was more to this and Bucky wasn't sure he wanted to know what. "After that you just kept mumbling about how cold I was and how nice it felt, I went to put you on the bed and you dragged me down with you. Then just before you passed out you mumbled something very interesting." Loki stopped there waiting for Bucky to catch up in his own mind, the memory started to come back to him and as he remembered more, he slowly became more mortified.
"Wha- I- s-said that. I'm so sorry Loki." He immediately jumps to apologising eyes darting down to the floor "I'll tell Steve to never pair us again oh my g-"
"Calm down James." Loki cut him off "You were clearly in a delirium and I wouldn't hold that against you. But I won't let you forget it."
"Дорога I don't think you quite understand." Bucky says as he looks up at Loki. "I meant it." Loki freezes as he hears those words. He slowly turns to face Bucky with an unreadable expression.
"All of it?" Loki says with a lint of something unknown in his voice
"Every word love." Bucky says with a sigh as he stands and walks to the intercom in the corner.
"What are you doing James?"
"Telling Steve to not assign us together anymore." He says glancing up again at Loki.
"Did I say you should do that?" Loki says "Did I say no to you?" Buckys face scrunches in confusion
"But I'm- I have feelings for you." He states blankly staring at Loki.
"Did I say I didn't return them." Loki says as he approaches slowly as if Bucky was a wild animal "Did I imply that was the case? If so I apologise James, that was not my intention." They were now maybe a foot apart, staring at eachother with intensity only a god and super soldier can accomplish. Gradually they drift closer.
"Can I kiss you." Bucky, ever the gentalman, asks quietly. Instead of an answer Loki surges forward to kiss him instead.
They separate after a moment foreheads touching "Does this mean I can call you Дорога?" Bucky asks
"You can call me whatever you like любовь."