Summary: Bucky Barnes is still the Hydra’s asset. He doesn’t remember who he was before. You’re his new handler. How things between two of you are going to turn out?

Chapter: 1 of ?

Warnings: none

Words: 1325

Author: Rouge

A/N: this very first chapter was written for @arawynn ‘s writing challenge. My prompt was “do you have permission to be here?”. 

Surrounded by four grey walls, there was nothing else to do but stare at them. To look at the paint that had started to chip off as time passed, or gouged by others – anything to pass time. He was slowly going mad, theorizing absurd meanings from the wall’s blank stare.
He wasn’t sure about anything. He didn’t know who he used to be. He couldn’t remember any certain moment from his past, just few random memories were always going through his mind, however he couldn’t place them in time. Were they real? Or was it just his imagination that was tricking him?

The darkness swirled around his curled form on his bed, tendrils of inkling bleak reminders of his solitude. The silence echoing in his ears was the constant white noise that never shut up. Her head swam in the fire burning inside, the only smoldering embers of a time where there had been other presences with him, around him, in him. But then, the void had been slowly filled with a cold, howling storm of fear that refused to ever let up. He was completely and utterly alone in his mind, body, soul, and most of all, entirely alone in the world.

The knock came quietly first and then there was silence.
He frowned a bit, slowly raising his head and turning it to the door.
“Who’s there?” He asked, his voice husky and unpleasant.

The knock was louder and faster this time, no one has responded at his previous question.
Long-haired man got up and within three large steps he was next to the metal door. He opened them and frowned slightly.

In front of his door, in the dim light of fluorescents, you were standing, looking around.

He let his glance along your form, from the bottom to the top as he leaned his flesh forearm against doorframe.
“Do you have permission to be here?” He asked simply, his cold gaze was still on her.

You nodded, you were visibly hesitating.
“Yes…”
Your voice was nothing more but a whisper. It didn’t, however, make him less unpleasant. He simply didn’t care about you, yet he was pretty curious about purpose of your visit in a dungeon.

“I’ve asked you a question. Who the hell are you?” He repeated, his voice was deeper this time.

“My name’s Y/N. I am your new handler.”

He blinked and it was when he noticed a large briefcase in your hands.
It was definitely not what he was expecting this evening to bring.

“You’re wrong, Y/N. My handler’s doing pretty good. He’s upstairs, having a training with other agents.” Man replied with a light shrug. “I don’t need you. Go away.”

He turned around in an attempt of closing door but you stopped him, slipping your leather boot between doorframe.

“Here,” you opened the briefcase and pulled out some document, handling it to him, “read this if you don’t believe me.”

Man let out a loud, irritated sigh but he took the paper from you.
His eyes were getting wider and wider while he was reading the contents of document.
His handler has died in a car accident at morning. He had enough bad luck to get hit by an armored car while being with other Hydra’s agents in the small village nearby.

“Impossible.” He scoffed out. He looked at you, a wry grimace on his face.

“Well, I didn’t come here to have some gossips with you.” You said. “We have a mission tomorrow. We gotta get prepared. Let me in and stop wasting our time, okay?”

He cocked his brow but shifted away, letting you in to his chamber.

When you got in, he closed the door behind you and walked to his small bed to take a seat at the edge of an old mattress.

You put your briefcase on the tiny table next to small, barred window. You sat on its counter, crossing your legs nicely, looking straight at him.

“Do you know anything about your next mission, asset?” You asked him.

He nodded simply, shrugging.
“Yea. Gotta kill the prime minister of Russia.”

You nodded.
“Good. Remember that you…”

“… have to stay undetected, ma’am. I’m not an idiot. It’s not my first task.” His voice was cold like his glance that was still on you.

You remained silent for a while, then nodded.
“Yes. Exactly this, asset. Get up and take off your shirt.”

He cocked his brows but obeyed your order.
He slowly took off his grey shirt and tossed it onto bed. The view of his muscular chest and flesh arm made you speechless.

“Do you need any configurations of your… metal arm?” You asked, swallowing hardly. You had to admit to yourself that this man was handsome and that your heart skipped a beat when you were observing him, staying there half-naked in front of you.

“No.” He said simply and took step towards you.

You held your breath when he stopped in front of you. He leaned down and stopped his handsome face barely few centimeters from yours.

“You’re scared. I see this. Why they assigned you to someone like me?”

A gentle tilt of his head made you even weaker and you had to put all of your strengths into keeping a straight face.

“They found me the right person for this job.” You shrugged slightly, turning your head aside a bit to avoid his glance. “I was a handler before so I assure you that I…”

“I’ve never said you’re a wrong person, haven’t’ I?” He simply cupped your cheeks with his metal hand and forced you to look him in the eye. “If you were a handler, you shouldn’t be scared, yet you are. Why?”

His breath hit your cheek as he whispered into your ear.
You swallowed hardly before you answered.
“I’ve never worked with someone like you. You’re distinguished. You’ve never failed. And you’ve killed so many people… Wouldn’t it be stupid of me if I wouldn’t be scared, huh?” A little smirk appeared on your lips for a second or so, then it has vanished when you met his steel blue eyes.

“Good.” He let your cheeks and stretched his back. Man turned around and walked to his bed, slowly putting shirt on, his every muscle was so tensed.

You bit your lip, chewing it softly. The truth was that you were cooperating with American government and you were a spy. When you infiltrated Hydra’s household, you were on a straight way to get sergeant James Barnes and take him back home. You knew there was a long way in front of you to finish this case. And since he opened his door for you minutes before, you knew it won’t be easy to gain his trust. But there was no turning back. You had to do your best to keep things right.

He turned his face to you, his cold glance was on you again.
“Better get some sleep. Tomorrow’s gonna be tough.” He said and pointed at door.

You gave a simple nod and took your briefcase with you.

When you opened door, you stopped for a second.
“See you tomorrow… Sergeant Barnes…” You whispered and quickly left, closing door behind you.

He frowned and ran after you, opening door widely.
“How did you call me, Y/N?!” He yelled but you didn’t stop until you turned into another corridor.

You put your back to the wall, breathing deeply, you struggled for every breath, trying to calm your heartbeat.

The asset was standing in his door, then he simply closed them. Many thoughts were running through his head at that moment.
He laid down onto his bed, slipping hands beneath his head.

Barnes. Who was Barnes? He had a feeling he has heard this somewhere before but he couldn’t remember where.

He felt a blackness come over him. He finally closed his eyes as he drifted into a dreamless sleep.