( agate )

...

YOU WERE IN LOVE. Hopelessly, completely, madly and deeply in love, with a man who could never be yours. Soulmates were beautiful, as they were cruel. Such was your case, destined to love a man who would never reciprocate.

Simple enough, the basis of soulmates worked on first words. Yours were nothing out of the ordinary, yet they were mocking, constantly reminding you of the man you loved.

"I'm Bucky."

He said those words to you when you first met him, saw your hand and looked so forlorn that you wanted to run away, but couldn't.

Because on his hand, well, his flesh one at least, the words read, "I'm never doing that again."

You certainly had not said that to him, just a simple hi had left your lips.

Thus started a rather tumultuous work relationship. You tried to be friends, to stay away, to even leave the team. Nothing worked, you always ended up in the same position in the end: heartbroken.

He, knowing of your situation, distanced himself from you. Ignoring you completely, as if you didn't exist. It was for your own good, he told himself, and his.

But what happens when you're stuck on a sinking ship, your teammates miles away, and the enemy outnumbering you?

Of course, as per your unfortunate luck, had been bestowed in such a situation with him, a man who refused to speak to you.

"Bucky, I need you to work with me here," you snapped into the comm in your ear, breathless and fatigued. "Forget about the soulmate bullshit, I'm fine, but I'll be dead in a minute if you don't work with me on a plan."

Silence rang in your ear.

"I'm looking for a dinghy. See if you can find one too."

Was he going to just hop onto a boat and puddle away without you? Was he that perturbed by you? For a brief second you wanted to laugh at how ridiculous that notion was, but refrained from doing so at the small sliver of truth that told you he would have had you not said anything.

You turned on your heel only to walk straight into a meaty punch that had your jaw exploding in pain and you writhing on the floor.

"You're not getting off this ship," a woman snarled at you, her eyes deranged and angry. "Not alive, at least."

"It's sinking, asshole," you snapped, wiping a drop of blood that trickled out of your mouth and standing up. "You'll drown too!"

The woman said nothing, instead she cracked her knuckles and advanced on you. Defensively, you held your hands up to shield your face. You were bruised and battered, energy beaten out of you from an earlier fight. The odds were not in your favor.

She pulled her fist back, and brought it down forcefully. As soon as it was about to impact with your hands, an ear splitting noise of wood horribly cracking exploded to life.

You looked up, just in time to see the roof collapse, knocking you and the woman out. You were unconscious, the remnants of the ship disappearing into the icy water with you.

***

Bucky's eyes scanned the waters frantically. The ship was swallowed whole by the ocean, and he had not seen you get off before that could happen.

He was alone, floating in darkness, the only light from the moon. Then he saw you, barely a glimpse before a wave jostled your limp body deeper into the abyss.

Without hesitating, Bucky dived into the water, ignoring the cold. Fighting against the strain in his limbs, and excruciating pain in his nerves, his arms cut through the water in quick strokes, until you were within reach. He wrapped an arm around your waist, using his other to guide him back to the surface.

With haste, he deposited your body onto the boat and checked for a pulse. Nothing. He had been such an idiot, fighting his feelings for you just because he did not want to cheat on a soulmate that could've lived and died in his old life.

It was only after the 29th press to your chest did your eyes shoot open. You spewed out saltwater, your lungs gasping for air.

"I'm never doing that again," you mumbled, turning over onto your side to try and recollect yourself.

Bucky stilled. Those words. This whole time. He really was an idiot. "I'm sorry, for how I treated you."

You waved a hand in the air, not really caring. You had just died, your heart had stopped beating for a minute. You didn't care about his abrasive behavior.

"No, Y/N you don't understand." Bucky was frantic now. Had he ruined things to the brink of it being irreconcilable? Rolling up his sleeve, he pointed at the now glowing words. "I treated your horribly, because I thought I was saving you from heartbreak."

"What? Tell me you're joking."

"I know, I don't understand it either. First words..." His eyes widened. Of course. It didn't have to be a first meeting. "First words after dying and coming back."

"I had to die for---" you pulled yourself up and leaned against the boat. You were so angry. What was fate playing? Yet at the same time you were relieved. "Can I just have a moment to myself?"

Bucky nodded, sitting further away from you. The two of you were quiet, the only sounds were waves crashing, and rocking the boat.

It was about an hour sitting in silence when Bucky finally decided to do something. Scooting, very slightly at first every few minutes, he eventually ended up beside your shivering form.

Placing a hand around your back, Bucky pulled you into his side. "I'm sorry."

"I know."

He sighed, rubbing his hand up and down your back in an attempt to warm you up. "I tried to keep you safe, and it backfired."

"I know."

"I've always loved you, just wanted to save you from the heartbreak," he murmured, holding you more closely to him.

"I kno--- Wait. Ugh, why didn't you say anything?"

Bucky's eyebrows pulled down. "To save you from... Okay, look, are you mad with me?"

"Yes."

He frowned. This was painful.

"But, I don't hate you, idiot. Obviously." You leaned more into his touch, practically on top of him at this point, enjoying the warmth. "We've just got a shitty start, is all."

"We can make it work."

"Yeah. If we're rescued, that is."