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Hello!This is an extremely short fic I wrote over the holidays one year. It needs a fair bit of work, so I'll probably come back and edit it sometime. But for now, I thought I would just stick it on here!It's quite choppy and there are several changes of pace, but an okay start. If you have any critiques or advice I'd love it here it, please drop a comment or a private message. Thanks! ///// Aleksandr’s cell / 2017 / 05:00am“Good morning маленький солдат” A soldier announced walking into his cell. The man’s voice was loud and booming, sending an echo all around the concrete walls. Jumping slightly out of shock, Alek cracked his eyes open.The soldier was stood at the foot of his bed; a cruel smirk planted on his face, which was littered with scars and a rather ugly tattoo of a dragon. The smirk soon turned into a look of disgust and a wrinkled nose as he took in the cell Alek called his. It was dank, dark and smelt of a twenty-one-year-old man who only ever got a shower when he was sent on a mission. Alek couldn’t care less however when he saw the tray carefully balanced on the soldier’s hand. He hadn’t eaten in what felt like forever and he was sure that his stomach had slowly started to turn inside out from hunger.The soldier smiled when he saw the dazed look on Alek’s face and wafted the tray in front of him. “Now now, маленький солдат not just yet, the commander said he drugged you last night and wanted to make sure it was all out of your system, look at me like a good boy. Or no food for you” he taunted, clearly enjoying torturing the young man. Alek gathered the strength to lift his head and groaned as the soldier dressed in the traditional HYDRA uniform flashed a torch right into his eyes. Letting out a small whimper, Alek rolled over and waited for the bright spots in his vision to fade.“Get up Soldat” was the soldier’s next command. Knowing he didn’t have long before the soldier started to punish him, Alek struggled to his feet desperately trying to combat his body’s swaying and the dizziness that consumed him as he tried to stand straight. The soldier only laughed cruelly and threw the metal tray down; it hit the ground with an almighty clang which sent Alek’s head spinning, the food went everywhere, and Alek mourned for the lost meal.“You do look worse for wear маленький солдат; I even heard that Commander Pierce had his way with you last night after you failed your mission. Well the whole compound knows, you do have a wonderfully loud scream” He whispered the words into Alek’s ear, and it sent shivers down his spine as the soldier laughed.What the soldier said was true though. He had never felt shame like it.His ears burned a bright red colour and all of Alek’s focus went into trying to burn a hole in the ground with his glare. “Well little Aleksandr I’m afraid time is up, Commander Ivan has decided you are ready for your next mission” The soldier began to pull out a small yellow book, Alek paled and backed into the wall, he sunk down onto his knees and pressed his face against the floor. Shoving hands over his years he begged for him not so, but the words started to be spoken and everything around him faded away.“LongingBeginningFurnaceDaybreakTwenty-threeSoulTwenty fourHomecomingTiger......Freight Car” //// Berlin /2017 / 12:08am“Buck, I need eyes up by the statue,” Clint said over the comms system. Straining slightly, Bucky could just about make out the spy perched on top of the apartment building. A sniper was clutched in his grip as he focused on the gang of people clumped over by the entrance of the bank.“Gotcha birdie” Bucky huffed back before making his move, weaving in and out of the crowd, his cap pulled low over his face and hands shoved deep inside the pocket of his hoodie, where he was clutching a small handgun.“The group are moving towards the entrance of the bank, Clint do you have a clear shot of the leader?” Natasha spoke quietly and composed; she was stood close to the surveillance van which held a few S.H.I.E.L.D agents in case anything went sideways. The group they were waiting to attack were some gang which had gotten their paws on some interesting weapons created with leftover Chitahuri parts. They were planning on robbing the bank, but Bucky doubted they would last five seconds when he and Nat jumped them.“Course I do” the spy responded with a snort “best aim in history don’t you know? Do you want me to engage?” Clint asked, obviously itching to not only boost his ego but start the fight. Bucky rolled his eyes, muttering about cocky bird-brained assassins. “Whatever idiot, just hold your horses, they haven’t moved towards the bank yet,” Natasha responded as Bucky planted himself to the side of the building so he could get a good look of the group.Upon observation he discovered that they were so amateur it physically hurt him. In the goddamn alleyway next to the bank, they were all wearing day to day clothing but had clear bulges around their chests, elbows and knees. For fuck sake, Bucky could see the outline of a gun on one of the men. The only reasons why they hadn’t taken them down yet were because Natasha said they were waiting for someone and it was better to catch them all in one go. So, Bucky just huffed again and waited patiently for the go-ahead.“No, I think I see something else, Buck at three o’clock, a guy wearing all black and black cap, about 5’11, twitchy thing” Moving his body ever so slightly Bucky cast his gaze over the perimeter Tasha gave him, he noticed him almost straight away.He looked young, sporting a black Kevlar vest, hoodie, jeans and boots. His brown hair was cropped close to his head and dark eyes sparked dangerously. Bucky could see people subconsciously avoiding him; the crowd had parted like the red sea. It was if there was a tunnel leading the man straight to him. With high cheekbones, thin face and a wicked grin the man held a gaze which Bucky had only ever seen once before.In himself.In reflections when he was on a mission. When H.Y.D.R.A. doctors loosened the restraints once he had been put under. On his face, in the eyes of people, he was about to slaughter.Bucky couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe. Frozen to the spot, panic bubbled in his chest, sweat started to appear on his brow as the man got closer and closer. He screamed of pure danger. The man was the embodiment of everything that he wanted to forget.Bucky had never been so afraid, he knew all too well the damage that a winter soldier could do, he lived through the consequences every day. He wanted to believe it wasn’t true, scanning the man he frantically searched for the one sign that would prove he was wrong.But then he saw it. Poking out of his sleeve was a brand.H.Y.D.R.A.It was the same brand that Bucky had attempted to cover with a tattoo. Rubbing his wrist, he felt his blood run cold. He knew that they had created more winter soldiers, but they were all dead, they should all be dead. Bucky was the only one left. He had to be. But looking at the man striding towards the bank, Bucky knew that this was no longer true.“He’s a soldier” he whispered, finally breaking his silence, still not quite believing it himself.“Barnes, are you sure? That’s a pretty big bombshell dude” Clint said, shocked, “yes, he has the fucking brand; they only give those to winter soldiers.” He heard a string of curse words over the comms and he saw Natasha’s furious face from across the block.“Barton, fuckin’ kill em” she muttered.Shots rang out as each member of the group was gunned down; S.H.I.E.L.D. Officers sprung out of the vehicle and pushed their way through the screaming pedestrians to detain surviving members or drag bodies away.Bucky stood still in his place; the soldier had looked up and was staring right at him. He lifted a single finger up to his mouth and smirked, he tapped the brand, smirking childishly. His eyes briefly left Bucky’s in order to stare pointedly at where the older soldier’s brand should be.The man let out a short laugh before taking off in the opposite direction.Bucky could only stare in anguish. //// Aleksandr’s cell / 2017 / 21:04pmAleksandr woke up back in his cell. The light had been dimmed and he was lying on his mattress which was covered in over twenty years of dirt. Springs pushed up into his back and one was even poking out of the material, but it was home. The one thing Alek had from childhood aside from his cell.Looking up at the ceiling he desperately tried to remember what he was doing last; it was like this every time. A soldier would come in; say those words to him and then boom, darkness. When he wakes up, all he remembers is the pain; no memories whatsoever. Alek knows he is some sort of weapon when he is in the lab, they are always handing him guns and other things, making sure uniform fits right, the countless training exercises and combat lessons, weapons testing and faux missions. Then there were the procedures... Alek pushes it to the back of his mind. Prodding around his body and feeling no pain other than the usual he sighed, letting his head flop back onto the pillow of his mattress. He stared at the walls absentmindedly, gazing at the many marks littering the light concrete block. They were marks he made himself; whether it was from throwing himself against them, clawing at them when he was in so much pain it felt as if his bones were on fire.There were also marks and cracks that Alek didn’t know how they got there. They were the deepest and most damaging. He chose to ignore them for most of the time, thinking that they were from him when he was taken over by whatever H.Y.D.R.A. made him when they said those damn words.His stare focused on one part of the wall, once when he was around 16, he threw himself at the wall so badly that he cracked his head open, the blood still stained the wall. Lifting his hand up to touch the stain all Alek could think of was when he was lying on the ground waiting to die, waiting to die even.His head had been split open; blood spilt everywhere. He’d felt so weak and out of control as if he was falling down a steep cliff. Everything was spinning and when he tried to move it was as if a weight had been smothered over him, keeping him on the ground. All he heard was a whoosh of white noise, it built up and sent rays of sound over his ears, just like the waves his mother had talked about in her stories. Unfortunately, the guard who was stood next to his cell heard the commotion and went to get a doctor who eventually saved him. That didn’t stop the commander from breaking his arm when he found out what Aleksandr had done.The only times Alek was guaranteed to be beaten now though was if a mission went badly. He knew a mission went well when he was sore the next day and lying uncomfortably in his cell.When he woke up on a soft bed, with pillows his head could sink into too. If the room was warm and there was a breeze dancing across his face because there was a window open. If there was a bedside table with a glass of freshwater sat on it next to his bed along with a tray of hot food which made his mouth water, Alek knew that he was in for a few days of hell.With the knowledge that he had obviously completed whatever task he was assigned, a weight felt like it had been lifted off his chest. A smile appeared on his face if he was successful that meant no visits from anyone for a few days. He was alone to do whatever he pleased, a tray of food would be shoved under his cell door every day or so, but otherwise, Alek was completely alone.Basking in the fact he could have a few moments in private, Alek pulled his shirt off. He ignored all of the bruises, scars and other marks scattered across his chest and torso before gazing down happily at the words written on his bicep.“We’ve been searching for you”The writing was neat and tidy, if a little big, but the words felt like home. He didn’t know what it meant, and he had only ever asked about them once; when he didn’t get a reply, he knew the question was off-limits so he wouldn’t try again. Even when he was younger and had asked his mother about the words, she had just smiled at him and told him she’d tell him when he grew up.Alek doesn’t remember receiving it, it was always just there. He’d seen words written on other people’s bodies, but he never dared ask them about what they meant, that would be a one way ticket to some broken bones and impressive bruises.Dragging a finger over the words Aleks’ heart fluttered and was covered in warmth. Despite the chill in the room his whole body felt hot and encompassed in a feeling Alek could only describe as safe; he only ever contents when he was tracing the words which took up a large portion of his bicep.The words obviously meant something.He hoped that it would be about people coming to rescue him; the sentence gave him hope that there were people who existed outside of the compound that not only knew about him; but wanted to save him. Take him away from all of the violence and bloodshed, which was the only thing he ever knew here. He didn’t want to be a weapon; he didn’t want to live in a small cell where he had to piss and sleep in the same room. It was all he knew though, Alek stared at the words and a small tear dripped down his face. He just wanted someone who made him feel as safe as the words did.He had one other set of words as well, but they were a little more painful. Sprawled across his thigh was; “What the fuck have they done to you”These words make Alek feel anxious, he knew he was mistreated.He didn’t see anyone else in the compound that had to walk with chains wrapped around their wrists and neck.He was the only person being strapped to the metal chair; his name was the only one on the board in the doctor’s room.He didn’t look at the words anymore, choosing to completely ignore the feeling of dread that rose up in his stomach whenever he even caught a glimpse of the sentence that proved he was a slave. //// Avengers Compound / America / 2017 / 19:52pmGetting off the Quinjet, Bucky moved as fast as possible. It was raining outside, but he didn’t notice as he pelted it towards the main portion of the Avengers’ compound. Dripping wet, Bucky only felt a sensation of numbness wash over him. He barely noticed the sheer number of eyes staring at him in surprise as he, almost robotically, made his way towards the apartment he and Steve called home.Reaching the door, Bucky took a few seconds just to place his hand on the dark oak. Taking in a deep breath, he felt the tears build up in his eyes. Angrily pushing his emotion back down and wiping his eyes, the former winter soldier slid his key in the lock and entered the apartment.Every sense screamed of home, but Bucky couldn’t shake the feeling of alienation he was experiencing. It was almost as if he was back in that god-awful cell HYRDA used to shove him in when they didn’t need him frozen. Even though he could see the photos of Steve, him and other members of the team lining the wall, could smell Steve’s cologne and hear his husbands faint humming, Bucky’s mind was completely under assault.Sliding down the door, his head fell into his hands and the tears flowed freely down his skin. He felt twisted up inside and the pressure behind his eyes peaked. Bile rose in his throat and Bucky felt as if something had been ripped out from his chest.Letting out a heavy sob, Bucky only just heard the footsteps of Steve who had just noticed his soulmates oddly small form by the door. “Buck?” he whispered, approaching him with an intense air of caution.Steve often found himself lost when Bucky was like this. Sometimes his soulmate would want him to hold him and act as if Steve was never going to let go other times, Bucky would want to be left alone for a week straight.However, Bucky held his hand out to the blonde man and all but fell into Steve’s waiting arms by the time the super-soldier had time to sit on the ground next to him.“What is it darlin’” Steve questioned, softly dragging his fingers through Bucky’s hair.“There’s another one…another soldier” he answered quietly, barely making enough sound for Steve to hear him properly.Steve felt his chest tighten and words of comfort caught in his throat. Well, he certainly didn’t expect that one. //// Aleksandr’s cell / Siberia / 2019/ 02:09amThe sound of an alarm echoed throughout the compound. In Alek’s cell all of the lights went out and the only thing that allowed Alek to see was the flashing red light which appeared in the corner of his room.Lifting his head, his ears felt like they were packed with cotton. He could hear the alarm, but it was like there was a barrier separating him from the whole noise. His head still felt like jelly and a gust of cold air whipped across his naked chest, stinging the wounds which were still openly bleeding and sending shivers through his whole body.The beating he had received was severe, apparently, a mission hadn’t gone to plan, and the location of the compound was compromised. Knowing this, the guards certainly hadn’t held back in letting Alek know what was expected of him.Restraints which held his arms at an unnatural angle above his head were digging into his wrists so much that he felt the metal cutting deep into his skin. Looking down at his legs, which were no longer covered by his trousers, it didn’t take much to see that his left shin was broken, the shiny white bone was poking out and touching his right leg which throbbed with intense pain. Trying to move slightly the twenty-two-year-old groaned in pain as he felt his chest shift, he’d broken some ribs and they had begun to set improperly making breathing difficult.Pressing his face against the words that always made himself feel safe, Alek felt tears welling up for the first time since they took his mother away six years ago.There was a loud crash outside of his cell and he felt the walls shake slightly as he listened to the guard’s screams and yells. He couldn’t tell what they were saying but it was clear that someone had broken into the compound and was now wreaking havoc. Alek snorted, served them damn right, he just wished it had happened sooner; he would be dead in around twenty minutes and would never be free.Alek took back his words as the door was smashed open with an almighty bang, he would be dead in about five seconds.A man was stood in the doorway, dressed in all black tactical uniform with a white star planted in the middle. He was missing a sleeve and a stunning metal arm was attached to his body. Alek, despite his agony, could still appreciate the amount of work that must have gone into the limb.Looking further up, Alek’s breath caught in his throat, the man was beautiful. Saggy brown hair whipped around his face and fell to just beneath his jaw. A broad nose, furrowed brows and light complexion complimented striking blue-grey eyes, which despite shining with fury as he raked his eyes over his body, still looked stunning to Alek.An absolutely enraged expression painted his face, however; the man’s body seemed to vibrate with anger as he stepped into the room. In his grip was a long-jagged knife stained red with blood. Alek was frozen but snapped out of his stupor when the man let out a low growl; he tried to back into the wall as fast as he could but let out a cry of pain when his raw wrists rubbed against the restraints.“What the fuck have they done to you?!”Once again Alek went still. The words the man had practically roared were the same ones that were splattered across his thigh. The words he always tried to ignore; the ones that made him feel ashamed. Now they scared him, this was nothing like he imagined.The man was practically salivating in anger as he got closer and closer to Alek. He began to shake in terror, he had never been so frightened of someone in his whole damn life and the man held energy which just oozed danger.Alek knew that he couldn’t defend himself; he was at the mercy of the stranger. The stranger who had just said the words he’d been waiting to hear his whole life.“Please just kill me” he whimpered, unable to keep his fear at bay any longer.It was the man’s turn to go still now. The knife in his hand clattered to the ground. It was as if the world had stopped spinning. Everything in that moment was silent as the man’s face contorted from anger to pain and then sadness. Alek felt his heart start to beat at a mile a minute, what was happening?“I’m sorry” the man whispered, eyes widening slightly as he took a few steps back.“I’m so sorry, I don’t want to kill you, I’m just…. angry with H.Y.D.R.A.”He started to inch closer again when Alek stilled his breath, closing his eyes he waited for something to happen.A hand ghosted over his left bicep. His eyes jumped open, ignoring all pain Alek lurched away, “don’t touch it” he yelled.The man’s eyes blew wide open and he backed off, before staring at the words on his thigh. His expression melted into softness as he gazed at the words as if they were the most important thing in the world. The same words that had haunted Alek for so long. “Those are my words” he murmured; Alek stared at him. He looked so lost.“Aleksandr” he whispered, the man stared back, dumbstruck. He spluttered for a second, before composing himself.“James Barnes, my friends call me Bucky.”“James” Alek tested; he liked the way the word felt on his tongue, it felt almost right.James nodded, “I’m going to cut you down from those restraints, is that okay?” he asked, Alek hesitated for a second, then realised he would be stupid not to agree. He nodded quickly and James picked his knife up from the ground.Turning his head to the side Alek closed his eyes until he felt the tug on the rope which held the two metal cuffs together. He winced slightly but groaned in appreciation when his arms were finally at his sides. “Thank you” he whispered leaning his back against the wall and letting his body go limp.“You must be cold; I’ve got a shirt you can wear,” James said quietly. He pulled off his Kevlar vest and jacket. Stripping himself of his shirt Alek couldn’t help but stare at him, splayed across his chest were the words ‘At least I was trying to help, Jerk’ the writing was tidy and neat...if a little big... Alek frowned. It was strangely similar to the writing he loved on his arm. Not realising what he was doing, he lifted his arm and traced the words with his fingers. James stilled and Alek immediately pulled back, his cheeks flushed a bright red and he ducked his head into his chest, “sorry” he murmured.“It’s alright Aleksandr” he replied; his voice tight but laced with a softness Alek had never heard before. James passed him the shirt. Taking it in his hands, Alek attempted to put it on, the pain in his shoulders intensified as he went to lift it above his head, biting his lip, he sat there for a few seconds, waiting for the burning to pass.He felt hands on arms as the shirt was slowly lifted over his head, Alek tensed but allowed James to help.“Why are you here?” Alek asked nervously. A small smile broke out onto James’ face, but it wasn’t a happy smile. It was almost mournful. “I was looking for you” he admitted, head hung low.“I was a winter soldier; I saw you in Berlin around a year ago and saw the brand. I wanted to find you; I know how H.Y.D.R.A. works. So, I wanted to get you out.”Alek couldn’t believe what he was hearing.He didn’t even know what Berlin was, but he certainly knew about the brand. He would never forget the intensity of the pain when they put the scorching hot metal on his skin. Reaching down to his wrist, he rubbed it nervously.He also didn’t know what a winter soldier was, but he had heard the phrase thrown around at the compound. It was a word that always struck fear into anyone that heard it, whenever Alek was around people who said the words, they always appeared slightly afraid of him.Now he knew why.“Can I see your brand?” James asked, “I only saw a glimpse of it, I just wanted to make sure it’s the same as mine” Alek nodded thinking he could trust the man that much. Holding out his wrist, James looked like a broken man. He gently took it into his hands and traced over the horrific burn with the lightest touch of his finger. Alek shivered and James apologised before lifting his wrist to line up with it. Although it had faded and had obviously been tattooed to appear more like his skin colour, the brand was visible. It was exactly the same as Alek’s. The octopus with the swirling legs and the words ‘Hibernis Milite’ underneath.“We’ve gotta get out of here, my team are coming with a jet, you fancy coming with?” James asked, snapping out of his stupor. Alek’s jaw dropped. He was finally leaving. He could be free.He didn’t care that he didn’t know James, for all knew, James could turn out to be worse than HYDRA. But his words were on Alek’s skin, they shared the same awful brand. Which meant he probably understood better than anybody in the world what Alek had gone through. It was a risk he was willing to take. For freedom, anything was worth it. Alek nodded; he was finally getting out of here.Ten minutes later Alek was on a strange black contraption that James said would fly them back to Moscow; where an ‘airplane’ would be waiting for them, whatever that was. Alek was tense; James had to carry him to the jet because of his leg, which by that point had started to throb. When they were in the air someone called Dr Banner had tried to look at it, but he couldn’t help but flinch away, he didn’t want anybody other than James touching him.He had allowed the doctor to give him some painkillers though; he recognised the box as the same one which one of the nice soldiers at the compound had given him after a particularly nasty beating. He had started to feel woozy after the painkillers took effect, they had numbed his whole body and Alek felt like he was floating. Resting his head on James’ shoulder he felt at peace, “thank you for saving me” he whispered, his words slurring together with exhaustion. James tugged his wrist into his hand and began to rub circles on his thumb making Alek even more relaxed “It is alright Sandr, you can sleep now.” //// Bucky looked down at Alek who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a long sigh. The boy was his other soulmate. Both Bucky and Steve had another mark in the same messy scrawl; he has always cursed himself reading it;“Please just kill me”When Bucky was young, he had no clue what to think of it, then he joined the army and wondered if his second soulmate was a soldier on the other side of the war. Then, well, he almost died and was under H.Y.D.R.A’s thumb for seventy years. When he finally got his life back, he and Steve didn’t want to think about another soulmate, they only just had each other.But looking down at Alek, Bucky couldn’t help the warm feeling settling in his chest. Alek was nothing like the dangerous and downright terrifying man he saw in Belgium. This Alek was sound asleep, softness painting his face into an expression which made the ex-Winter Soldier’s heart-melt. He had mousy brown hair which had grown out since Bucky last saw him; it had a slight curl to it and fell just past his eyebrows which were beginning to furrow slightly in his slumber.Alek was obviously very strong too and was built like the perfect soldier. He had broad shoulders and a trim waist, muscles that were prominent, but nowhere near close to Bucky and Steve’s bulk. It was clear that his soulmate had been trained and his body conditioned ever since he was able to walk, though Bucky didn’t expect anything less for a Winter Soldier. Alek had a more graceful and refined look to him, however; almost like a dancer. With sharp features and a thin face, he reminded Bucky of Steve when he was younger, except his tanned skin was a far cry from Steve’s pasty white and he was obviously in much better health despite his injuries.Alek also had deep chocolate eyes which held so much emotion; he had scars too, and lots of them.It was hard to imagine the man sleeping on his shoulder as a weapon created by H.Y.D.R.A. solely used to assassinate and crush anybody in his path. Trying to push the thoughts out of mind before he got too angry, Bucky looked down at the two pieces of writing on Alek’s body. He knew that the writing on his bicep was Steve’s and it was definitely his script on Alek’s thigh. He was their missing piece.Most people would find having two soulmates as a curse, Bucky certainly used to think it was. But feeling his second mate next to him, it felt right. He knew that Steve once he met him; he would feel the same way. Bucky always used to joke that his husband had too much love to give just for him.Looking down at his second soulmate again Bucky knew that he needed medical attention; he had a rather nasty break on his leg which would need re-breaking and setting. As much as Bucky wanted to keep a tight hold on the man, he knew that he needed to let go. Calling Banner over again, the doctor administered a sedative before letting Bucky carry Alek over to the medical bay. After he had set his mate down on the bed, Bruce shooed him off telling him that he worked better alone and if he wanted Alek to make a recovery, he couldn’t have a massive 6’4 man hovering over him like a worried soccer mom.Bucky made his way back to the sleeping bay and once he was lying down, he picked up his phone and rang Steve. The call had only been going for a few seconds when his husband answered, his voice edged with worry.“Buck! Are you alright?”The man chuckled slightly, “yeah Stevie, I’m alright”Steve let out a sigh of relief, “okay love, did the mission go alright? No H.Y.D.R.A. operatives left?”“Yeah, well no actually. There’s one left”“Did they escape?”“No, I have him here. Steve... he’s ours”All Bucky could hear was silence down the phone, it didn’t even sound like Steve was breathing. “He has my writing; it’s yours on his bicep”“Please just say something,” Bucky asked, his voice getting a bit desperate as Steve continued to ignore him.“Are you sure?” his voice was thick with emotion.“I’m sure; he’s the winter soldier that I saw in Berlin. But Steve, he’s so small and young. Can’t be a day over 20 and the treatment he’s faced. I found him hanging by his wrists in this tiny cell; they’ve been beating him and torturing him. He’s really hurt Stevie”Bucky couldn’t help the tears that formed in his eyes, he’d been holding all of his emotions in when he first came across Alek, but seeing his mate hurt so badly made his heart feel like it was being crushed. “He was so scared as well; I could feel it through the bond.”“He’s a winter soldier?! I must have a disposition for them... And what did they do him? Because I swear, I will hunt them down and show them what a fucking super soldier can do Buck”“I’ve already killed them. I think it was stuff that they used to put me through. Bruce is patching him up at the moment and if he’s been injected with the same serum as me, he’ll be alright in a week or two”“I’m glad you did; I’ll be able to see for myself when two arrive. When do you think the jet will be landing?”Lifting his head and turning to face the cockpit, Bucky looked at the little clock above the pilot’s seat.“Around 2 hours, are you meeting us there?”“Of course, I’ll see you there”“Alright punk, I love you”“Love you too, Jerk” //// When Alek woke up, it was in a quiet room. The walls were painted a soft blue colour and the smell of flowers, antiseptic and plastic wafted through the room itching his sensitive nose. He couldn’t see anything clearly due to the pounding in his head and the quiet ringing in his ear. Shuffling slightly Alek could feel the heavyweight on his leg, it was probably a cast, he didn’t care enough to check.He knew that it had been too good to be true, everything about the alarm, the painkillers, the escape, James. It was all just a dream he made up after a failed mission. Now he was for sure going to be beaten within an inch of his life, they’d stick the wires on his head and shock the shit out of him just for a laugh. He might even have to please the commander. Alek had to admit that it had been a nice dream though, James, although angry at first, was the first person he had felt safe with ever since his mum died. He just had this aura around him that made Alek want to never let him go. He was well aware at how dumb that last bit sounded, aura, how stupid. But it was the only word Alek could think of that explained it.He turned his head and couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped his lips. James was there. He was fast asleep in a chair next to his bed, his feet propped up on another chair as small snores escaped his mouth. James looked considerably less intimidating while asleep, his face was relaxed and at peace. Alek couldn’t believe that he was actually lying there though.Maybe it wasn’t all a dream.Shaking his head and bringing a hand up to rub his eyes, Alek concentrated hard on James, seeing if the man would disappear if he looked for long enough. He broke his gaze however when he heard the sound of the door opening. Turning around Alek was frozen to the spot. A man even bigger than James was stood in the doorway, he was tall, at least 6’6 and carried enough muscle that Alek was sure he could squish a man’s head between his thumb and finger. He had a kind face though; his fair hair was cropped short and he had a clean-shaven, square-ish shaped face with sharp features and baby blue eyes.“What are you doing here?” he blurted out, too curious to hold his tongue. The man’s eyes widened before he chuckled and closed the door; he moved James’ legs from the chair and sat down, before placing the sleeping man’s feet in his lap. Once comfortable, he turned to Alek, “we’ve been searching for you.” For the second time, Alek froze.First James, now this guy? They both said the words tattooed on his skin.“Buck and me I mean” he held out his hand “Steve Rogers”, Alek nodded, “Nice to meet you Steve Rogers,” he said before holding his hand out shyly, “I’m Aleksandr.” When their fingers met though, Alek felt a shiver run all the way down his spine. It wasn’t uncomfortable however, it actually felt pretty wonderful. Looking at Steve, he could tell the man felt the same way. They held on for a few seconds longer than would usually be considered correct before Alek pulled away and drew his hand back into his chest. He instantly felt cold, missing the contact of his skin on Steve’s.“Bucky said he found you in pretty rough shape, how are you feeling now?” Steve asked, clearly concerned which Alek found strange, he’d only just met Steve. Although he said the words on his bicep and made his skin tingle funny, Alek didn’t know why he’d be so concerned. “I’m okay, had worse” he replied shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.Steve nodded and looked at Bucky, “I bet.” Alek frowned, what was that supposed to mean? Steve noticed his expression and was quick to say “no, I don’t mean it harshly, it’s just Buck was kept under HYDRA’s thumb for seventy years as a Winter Soldier, he knows what you went through and though he doesn’t tell me about everything, I know your life isn’t exactly sunshine and roses. That’s all.” Alek’s jaw dropped a little bit, seventy years?! “Oh” was the only sound he could let out in response.James was over seventy years old?! And he’d been with HYDRA that long?Steve saw his confusion, “he was frozen in-between missions, was awake for around two or three years so that’s how much he aged while there.” Now that made more sense. Alek had suffered for twenty-one years with HYDRA. But with knowing that now, Alek was sure that if he stayed with them, that once he became a suitable age… they would have frozen him too. //// Bucky woke up to the sound of laughter.“And then after all that, he still made me go on the ride! I was sick as a dog afterwards”“Really?! I would pay to see your face after that”“Oh, I bet you would”Bucky shifted and rubbed his eyes, “now Stevie, don’t go terrorising our guest” he said, his voice rough from sleep. He heard Steve snort, “So now he awakes, just as we were talking about him.” Bucky smiled sweetly and opened his eyes to look at his soulmate properly, “you’re always talking about me, sweetheart.” Steve’s eyebrows furrowed, but he laughed, nonetheless.He heard Aleksandr chuckle from beside him. Turning his head to face the young man, he smiled. “Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked, Alek shrugged. “Better, Steve’s been keeping me company while you slept like the dead” Bucky laughed and nodded his head. Looking at Alek, Bucky noticed that he was sitting up in the bed and had changed from a hospital gown into a regular black t-shirt. He also had a tray in front of him full of food; although it was apparent, he hadn’t eaten anything.‘Who could blame him’ Bucky thought, hospital food was gross, especially SHIELD hospital food. However, the bottle of water beside the tray was half empty, and a chocolate bar wrapper was lying near it. Bucky looked at the wrapper, then back at Alek who upon closer inspection, had a smidge of chocolate on his lip. He turned his gaze to Steve, clearly disappointed. “Love, you never let me eat chocolate after I’ve been hurt” he complained, moving his feet slightly so they would dig into his husband’s chest. Steve frowned, “Alek has never eaten chocolate before now, and he has better puppy dog eyes than you do Barnes” Bucky turned to Alek, his eyes wide. “You’ve never eaten chocolate?!” when he nodded, Bucky jumped up and practically ran out of the room.Alek turned to Steve, confused “did I do something wrong?” he asked, concerned that James was angry at him. Steve shook his head, “no, I believe that he is probably out collecting and buying every single chocolate bar he can get his hands on.” Alek’s eyes widened and Steve laughed, “get used to it.”When Bucky returned, his arms had been piled high with all sorts of different chocolate and sweets. He’d dumped them all on the bed and smiled to himself, “went to every vending machine in this goddamn place.” Alek couldn’t believe the sheer amount of food in front of him was for him, Steve and Bucky. The most he’d ever been served at the compound was soup, a bread roll and possibly some cake, even the meal that one of the Nurses bought it didn’t have as much. Steve had just laughed though and kissed Bucky’s cheek, “thanks, Buck.” //// Time seemed to pass quickly in the hospital. James and Steve were incredible. Every day Alek would wake up thinking that he was back at the compound, then James would be sat next to his bed in the tiny little armchair and Steve would be in the corning sketching. It was comforting, having an actual routine and people he could talk to freely. His room was a safe place, and Alek was dreading the day he would eventually have to leave.When that day came, Alek was a wreck. All of his wounds had healed, now just pink raised scars to add to his collection. There was no reason for him to be there anymore.“Where are we going?” Alek questioned, voice clipped as he changed into soft trousers and a S.H.I.E.L.D. issued jumper. Bucky sighed and stood in front of him, arms crossed against his chest. “San, we’re going to the Avengers compound, Steve and I have an apartment there, which has a spare room. S.H.I.E.L.D. need to keep an eye on you, so they’ll probably want to talk to you quite a lot. There will be no testing, no words that make everything go dark. I promise” he explained, for the fifth time this morning.“Promise?” Alek questioned, unsure of what the words mean.“A promise is something which another person can’t break, so if I said to Buck, we can have cake for breakfast, I would have to make sure we had cake for breakfast, no matter what. Because I promised him that we would” Steve said, coming to stand next to the both of them.“And you promise that I’ll never have to go back?” Alek said, standing up tall and turning to look at them both in the eye.“Never.” //// The first night in James and Steve’s apartment was strange and surprisingly lonely. He was so used to sleeping with them in the room, it felt so incredibly empty without them. He missed the sound of James’ grumbling snore and the scratch of Steve’s pencil on paper. Hell, Alek even missed the buzzing, whirring and beeping of all the machines he was hooked up.To be honest, the whole day had been strange. It had been quite jarring moving in.When he was at the base, Alek had often heard guards talk of wives, families or most important to them, getting their dicks wet. The way they talked about other human beings often disgusted Alek, but then again, they were the same people that shocked him for fun, so it was hardly surprising that they couldn’t care less about whether women actually wanted to have sex with them.When his mother spoke about things like that, she always talked about how beautiful and romantic it was to fall in love with someone. How one day, she wished that Alek could find a woman who he truly loved.What his mother never spoke about though, was two men loving each other. Especially in the way James and Steve did.The whole apartment was beautifully designed. It had navy blue walls with silver and white accents. Modern furniture and a stunning kitchen. But what really caught Alek’s eyes was the photos that were absolutely everywhere. They covered the walls and practically every surface in the apartment. Some of them were of people Alek didn’t know, but most of them were of James and Steve.A mix of old and new, young and super soldiered. The running theme, however, was how James and Steve held each other in each photo. The way they looked at one another. They were even kissing in a few. Alek knew both men were in love with each other. He just didn’t realise how much and how beautiful they were together.Alek couldn’t look at the pictures for too long, it made him feel funny.So instead he just focused on his new life.He seemed to fit in with James and Steve perfectly. They made meals together, trained, watched films.Steve was currently teaching him about normal life, everyday Alek experienced something new.It felt like a breath of fresh air.He met Steve and Bruce, their son Peter, Natasha and so many other people that lived on the compound.Sometimes it got overwhelming. After spending most of his life alone, it was difficult for Alek to adjust.Steve and James always seemed to know when to back off though. Alek couldn’t believe he had gotten this lucky. //// “Name’s Clint,” the man said, extending his hand. He was short and lean, with blonde hair that stuck up in every direction. Goofy smile planted on his face; Clint could easily pass for a teenage boy. But Alek knew he was probably in his late twenties, there was a dullness in his eyes which could only be bought on by age and the lines on his face were starting to run deep. Shaking his hand for the briefest of seconds, Alek noticed the small devices covering his ears and remembered the lisp in his voice.‘Deaf?’ he signed. Clint’s jaw dropped as his face broke into a wide smile. ‘You can sign’ he questioned, almost vibrating with excitement. ‘Yes! My mother taught me’ Alek explained, hands moving at the speed of light to keep up with Clint who was soon pulling him into a hug. ‘This is so awesome! You are my new best friend’ he signed enthusiastically, “you got yourselves a keeper guys” he said out loud.Alek looked over to James and Steve, who both wore bright smiles as they looked on at him and Clint. “How did you learn to sign?” Bucky questioned, a curious look in his eyes. Alek swallowed hard, “mother was deaf, I didn’t really know how to speak until she died, I could only sign. Guards got fed up eventually and taught me when I was around fifteen” he shrugged, trying to act like it didn’t affect him.His mother was perfect for the compound. A young American woman in her prime. Fit, healthy, other than the deafness, and willing. Her parents sold her to H.Y.D.R.A to be a servant and when they needed someone to carry him, she was the best option.The deafness didn’t bother them, in fact, they thought it was great, she couldn’t understand a word they were saying and in turn, neither could Alek. Alek knew that his other self could speak and understand Russian. But regular Alek couldn’t even say hello in any language than sign until he was a teenager.“You okay there?” Steve asked, looking on at Alek, whose gaze seemed to be locked onto the floor, lost in a train of thought.“Fine, fine, I’m fine,” he said, trying to make his voice sound less strained than it actually was.‘Come on’ Clint signed to him, ‘I’ll show you the gym!’Alek found himself being dragged along by the blonde. He found himself smiling slightly, maybe this wouldn’t be too bad. //// “Now gentlemen, I did that little scan on mister Aleksandr here the other day and my my, you have been hiding some things from us haven’t you” Tony exclaimed, he walked into Steve and James’ apartment, tablet in hand.“What do you mean Stark?” Steve questioned; eyes dangerous. Tony just laughed before turning to Alek, who shifted uncomfortably in his chair at the kitchen counter. disliking the eye contact Mr Stark was trying to make.“Now Aleksandr tell me, why do you have a large amount of metal wiring going up and down your spine?” he asked, voice calm and level. It was clear he was trying to hold back some sort of negative emotion. Alek squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out the memories.He was in his cell. The beating this time had been awful, nursing his wounds like an injured dog, Alek tried curling into a tight ball but couldn’t help the yell of pain that escaped his lips. After the guards had finished with him, he’d been knocked out. When he woke up, he was back in his cell, an almighty pain coursing down his back. Alek knew they must have operated; he didn’t even want to think about what they did to him.A guard waltzed in; it was one of the regulars, Thomas or something. Alek looked up and sighed, the guard had a little black controller in his grip. ‘Well, that couldn’t be any good’ he thought as his mouth pulled into a grimace.“Hello маленький солдат ” he grinned maliciously. Alek nodded in greeting before dropping his head to his chest as a sign of submission. The guard’s footsteps got louder as he approached him, Alek’s chest tightened, and he felt himself stop breathing as the guard spoke again.“Aleksandr, your behaviour lately has been... sub-par... Commander Pierce felt it was necessary to introduce something which meant we could punish you; wherever you are... our resident surgeon has given us a great gift. You know about electricity маленький солдат ?”Alek nodded, keeping his mouth shut was the best idea.“Well, metal conducts electricity very well, the surgeon, therefore, has fused lots of these metal strips to your spine, along with a receiver.”Alek couldn’t believe what he was hearing, staring down at the controller in the guard’s hand he knew what was coming.“And whenever I press this button...” Alek could never have braced himself for the pain that came after those last words were spoken.An almighty crash of wrecked his whole body; it felt as if every nerve ending was alive with agony. An unwanted scream tore from his throat as he thrashed and kicked. Begging for the guard to have mercy was not an option; all he could do was scream his lungs out.The whole world was spinning, and Alek could barely open his eyes as pain took over. He was sure he blacked out for a few seconds when he came back around, the pain was still unimaginably agonising.Eventually, it lessened as the guard taking his thumb off the button on the control. Alek was convulsing on the floor, drool dripping down his chin as well as blood from where he’d bitten through his lip when seizing.The guard was laughing, deep, belly laugh that shook the walls.Looking up, Alek could see other guards standing at the door, clearly enjoying his suffering and laughing at the absolute state he was in. “Gentlemen” the guard exclaimed, lifting his hands up into the air and smiling from ear to ear, “That! Is what you call torture...”The room faded back into his vision, Mr Stark, Steve and James were all still waiting for an answer. Alek kept his head down and focused on his interlocked fingers on the counter. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, wanting everyone to get out of his space.“Mr Aleksandr, did they use them as some sort of communication? A tracking device? Because I swear to god if you didn’t tell us before and the location of this facility is compromised. My SON lives here!” Tony was red in the face with anger, he tried to walk closer to the sofa but was stopped when Steve got up and physically blocked his path.“You leave him alone Stark, right goddamn now” he whispered, a terrifying expression coating his face.Tony laughed, “Cap, get out of my way. That kid is a SPY! He is going to get us all killed! H.Y.D.R.A. is tracking our location now because of that stupid kid!”It was now James’ turn to get angry, “you shut your mouth right now Stark, and he has been through fucking hell on earth so back off!!” Tony just shoved his hands into Steve’s chest and glared right at Alek.Seeing that something physical was about to start, Alek cleared his throat. He didn’t have the courage to look them in the eye though.“They used the wires to send electrical currents down my spine and nerves if I m-misbehaved.”Silence reigned down upon the room.“What do you mean Alek?” Steve asked eventually asked his voice low. Bucky stared at Alek, his jaw-dropping further with every passing second.“No, they didn’t,” he said aghast.Alek just looked down.“Buck?” Steve looked to his husband, becoming more and more concerned. Usually, the captain was a smart man, but when it came to the people he loved. He needed more of a push.Bucky whispered “when they had me, they used to place these bars against my chest and arms and shock me. The pain was...unimaginable....” Bucky looked at the young man who was silently crying in his seat. He moved forward and placed his hand on Alek’s arm.“I’m so sorry San” he murmured, pulling the soldiers head into his chest and running his fingers through his hair.Alek couldn’t stop the tears that ran down his face, speaking of it was bringing all of the memories back which he had pushed into the back of his mind. Pissing himself because the pain made him lose control of his body. Being forced into unnatural positions before they pressed the button to make sure he suffered more or broke a specific bone when the current was finally activated. He remembered once when they stuffed him into this small metal box one of the engineers had made.They pulled his arm, so it was behind his back and gave him just enough room to move a little before turning the electricity on. His arm had been snapped when the convulsing started, and he knocked himself out when he hit it head on the top of the box. When they opened the lid a few hours after they had tortured him, they found him passed out in a puddle of his own blood. It was all flooding back. Steve turned back to his Tony, “get the fuck out Stark” he commanded, voice filled with pure malice as he practically spat at the billionaire. Tony’s face dropped as he watched Alek begin to cry, he felt absolutely awful.“Steve I- ““No Stark... you’ve done enough. Now get OUT!” Turning on his heel, Tony practically ran out of the room and headed down to the lab before activating the lockdown procedure. He was going to be down there for some time.Steve was breathing heavily as he turned to face his soulmates again. Alek was crying his heart out, face pressed against Bucky’s stomach as the older man tried to comfort him. He was running his hand through Alek’s hair and whispering reassurances to the hysterical H.Y.D.R.A soldier. Steve walked up to the counter and sat down next to Alek, he immediately turned and flung himself at Steve who could only look down in shock for a few moments as the younger man wrapped his arms tightly around his chest and began crying into his neck. Eventually, he snapped out of his and put his arms around Alek, cooing at him softly.Eventually, it turned into Steve carrying Alek over to the couch. The three of them lay there in silence. Alek tucked underneath Bucky’s chin. Alek was still sniffing, and tears were sliding down his red face, although at a much slower rate than they were a few minutes ago.“I’m sorry” he hiccupped, voice shaking as he held onto them both tighter.“Don’t worry about it San, everyone gets upset, we don’t mind the tears. Stevie and I just don’t like seeing you upset, that’s why we got so angry” Bucky explained. Steve nodded and ran his hand through Alek’s damp hair,“Buck’s right, we both care about you a lot. Tony didn’t mean to upset you; he can just be paranoid, especially now he’s got a kid. You can still be upset; his excuses don’t make it any better.”Alek nodded and wiped his face, “thank you. Everything is, a lot at the moment, Tony saying those things, it just set me off.”Steve shushed him, “you don’t need to make excuses for us, we know it’s confusing at the minute and you’re going to be drained, just let Buck and I take care of you” he explained, planting a kiss to his soulmates head.“I’ve never had anyone take care of me before,” Alek said shyly, Bucky laughed and pulled him in closer “get used to it San, ‘cause I don’t think me, or Stevie, will want to be letting you go anytime soon.” //// Later that week, Alek went down to the gym by himself.The tower was quiet, and he barely even saw one person as he headed down in the lift. Peter and his friend Ned did make an appearance at one point, but clearly, Peter had been told about his Dad’s mistake and was positively silent, something Alek had assumed to be impossible.They exited the lift after only one floor. Alek heard Ned complaining about having to take the stairs, but by the time Peter had replied, Alek was already two more floors down.He hated people looking at him like that, with sympathy. It grated on him like nothing else, if people were going to pity him, they could go and cry over his mother’s grave for all Alek cared.Feeling anger rise in his chest, he took a deep breath and tried to stop his hands from shaking.‘I just need to train, that will make everything better’ he thought.Because as much as Alek hated the HYDRA facility. The training routine felt like home. Every day he would do the same thing, it was practically meditation at this point.It was a ritual he had continued at the compound, only now, Alek could spend ten minutes before setting up his equipment. Strangely, this was the part he enjoyed the most. Whenever he trained at HYDRA, it was so formal. He was bought into the room and set off by a guard, everything had been planned out and set up by staff. Here, Alek could put everything wherever he wanted and stop at any time. Not be forced to carry on until he vomited. Though he carried out basically the same training, it was entirely controlled by him.After he placed the last weight on the ground. He was ready.He started his regular circuits, not even having to think about it. A swing of one leg, striking with another, ducking, rolling and punching. Alek felt all of his worries melt away.At the moment, his thoughts were consumed by Steve and James. He felt so drawn to them, it felt magnetic. Especially after his little, uhm, breakdown earlier. It was the most at home he’d ever felt, being surrounded by them both.Alek struck out at a fake dummy that came barrelling towards him, it flew back and hit the wall, smashing into two.Raising a hand to run through his ever-growing hair, Alek felt like screaming.As if he knew, Bucky appeared at the gym door.He looked tired but his eyes were alert as he scanned the carnage Alek had created with his training.“What did that poor dummy ever do to you?” He questioned, his face remained neutral and for a split second, Alek thought he was being serious.A smile graced his face, “well I was just imaging it was you” he replied, enjoying the sound of laughter that escaped Bucky’s mouth.Alek’s smile wobbled when Bucky walked over to him, “let me try.” He said, voice resolute.“Are you sure?” He questioned; this was HYDRA style training. Bucky had been spoiled by SHEILDs more humane training; Alek also didn’t want to trigger him.Bucky just nodded and set himself up in a comfortable position.Alek shrugged, “okay then Jamie, as you wish…Jarvis! Start it up.”Ten minutes later and Alek felt hot all over. Bucky had absolutely smashed his way through the entire course. He wasn’t anything like Alek, would practically float through everything, trying to look as effortless as possible. Bucky stormed his way through, heavy-handed punching and barrelling around like he could crush anything.Alek was captivated by him. It was extraordinary to watch.“Impressed?” Bucky smirked, strolling up to the shorter man, panting and sweating.“I-, Jamie” Alek stuttered before pulling the soldier into his chest and kissing him as if his life depended on it. Alek had never kissed someone as Alek before, only as the soldier, so it was a strange experience. But Christ, it was heavenly.Bucky felt wonderful on his skin, Alek wrapped his arms around his body and held him impossibly closer.Suddenly it hit him, Steve. Bucky and Steve.Alek jumped away in a flash,“Shit! Fuck, I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me, fuck, I’m sorry. I know you and Steve are made for each other, I’m sorry” he rambled, tears forming behind his eyes.Bucky just laughed.Anger rose in Alek’s chest. “James! You can’t laugh, you just, I helped even, you cheated on Steve!” he exclaimed. How could he ever find this funny?“Love, I think if Steve heard he would have pulled both of our shirts off by now, we were just waiting for you to be ready”Well, that stopped Alek in his tracks, what the hell did Bucky mean by that? //// Alek was lying on his bed, eyes staring intently at the ceiling.Bucky had explained the whole soulmate situation.Fuck.He had a soulmate, two in fact!Bucky and Steve.Steve and Bucky.His soulmates.It was enough to make his head spin.Alek definitely liked them, hell, he had hardly been in the real world for a few months and he could tell that anyone would be happy to be with the super soldiers.The kiss he shared with Bucky as well. It left Alek wanting more, thinking about more. It was almost torture. They were both in the next room yet Alek felt like he was a thousand miles away.He just needed some time to process. Then everything would be okay, right?His eyes slipped shut and he faded into sleep, it was nothing a good night wouldn’t fix. //// Bucky was a notoriously light sleeper. Unlike Steve, who could literally sleep through ten elephants stomping next to his head, Bucky would wake up as soon as someone even whispered in his vicinity. So, it wasn’t surprising, that when the door creaked open, the ex-winter soldier was wide awake.Turning his head towards the door, Bucky saw Alek shuffle into the room, shoulders hunched over as his blanket dragged across the floor. Bucky didn’t move, even as Alek crawled underneath their bed, seeming content to lie beneath the other two super soldiers. He only stepped out bed when he heard small sniffles and the sounds of someone holding back sobs.This abruptly stopped when Alek saw Bucky’s feet on the bedroom carpet. Bucky saw as Alek completely froze, his eyes locked onto his hands, which were wrung together.“San are you okay,” Bucky asked, keeping his voice level and calm.The twenty-one-year-old didn’t move, “beds soft, m'heart feels funny” he blurted out, instantly regretting his words as Bucky moved to lay down beside him.“No James. I’m fine, I’m fine. Go back to bed” he pleaded, trying to shuffle away from Bucky as he settled underneath the bed frame, looking up at the mattress above them. Turning his head to face the smaller man, Bucky couldn’t help but feel a surge of protectiveness. Alek looked so small and his face was wet with tears.“It’s okay San, it’s not a problem, I know I sleep better lying next to someone anyway. You shoulda seen me when I first got back to Stevie, big blubbering mess every night.”Alek let out a small laugh but still shook his head. “It’s not that, it’s just… it’s, well, when I was little. My mother used to be in the same room…and, she would...not like, sleep next to me. She was on the other side of the room…but it was nice to know, it was nice to know, she was there…. Wasn’t going to disappear” Alek’s eyes had scrunched up and Bucky watched as another tear slipped down his face.“When I’m in that room all by myself, I just keep thinking, you and Steve are going to… to, to leave me…. It’s, I… I just want to hear you breathing cause the last time my mother slept in a different room…” a sob tore from his throat.It was ugly and raw, and Bucky had never felt so helpless in his entire life.He attempted to reach out to Alek, but the soldier just flinched away so violently his smacked his head on the bed and let out a sharp cry as blood trickled down the back of his neck. Bucky felt as though his heart was being slowly ripped from his chest as Alek bawled on the bedroom carpet.It was at this moment Steve woke up with a murmur of “Buck? What’s goin on?” His voice was croaky and had an element of confusion as he looked around the room, suddenly panicking when he realised his husband wasn’t lying next to him.“Down here Steve” Bucky called, lifting his arm up to tap the bed. The captain frowned and then got off the bed looking underneath, his eyebrows furrowed together before his expression turned into one of a man being absolutely crestfallen.“Oh sweetheart” he muttered, before reaching out to touch Alek, but he spotted the dangerous look in Bucky’s eye and the warning it was giving. Steve pulled his hand back and just sighed.“What do you want us to do San?” Bucky asked quietly, making sure to be as calm as possible.“P-please j-just go back t-t-t bed” he blubbered, voice strained and weak.Hanging his head, Bucky felt like to best thing to do would be to honour the soldier's wishes. Staring up at Steve, who looked torn, Bucky crawled out from underneath the bed and lay back down, tugging the blonde to lie with him. But he did still hang his arm down, so it was just brushing the floor close to Alek’s head, the offer was there.After a few minutes, Bucky felt his own tears start to drip down his face. It was so painful having to listen to someone he loved cry like that. Almost as if they were dying and he couldn’t do anything else other than lie there and take it. Steve was also crying a little, Bucky could tell due to the little tremors running through his body as he mushed his face against a pillow. Looking at him Bucky would have thought he wanted to sink right through the bed to be with their companion.Three hours after the initial breakdown, the sobs turned to a cry, the crying turned to small little hiccups. Bucky had been wide away for it all and was silently begging for the smaller man to just take his hand, just so he could know he was going to be alright.Eventually, a warm hand grasped his index finger and gripped on tight. Bucky could have broken down right then and there. He relished in the feeling of Alek holding onto him.“We’re here for you San, whenever you need us, our room is yours too and you are always welcome in, under, or on top of our bed. We will never ever turn you away…” Bucky started but felt his voice break and the stress of the night finally collapsed on top of him.“We choose you love, and we will always, always, always choose you. Because you made the choice to trust us and we will always owe that to you. If you hadn’t, we never would have gotten to know how truly wonderful, kind, funny and smart you are. How you love to sign with Clint, make pancakes in the morning and sit in the sun on the balcony, just to know that you’re safe and never going to be confined again. Buck and I are so damn grateful to have you in our lives and we would never leave you for anything, we promise Alek” Steve finished, his words laced with such powerful emotion, the other two people the room hung onto every word.Bucky heard shuffling from under the bed and Alek had let go of his hand. Waiting with bated breath, Steve and Bucky watched as Alek slowly got out from underneath the bed and shyly lay down next to Bucky who let a final tear out when Alek got settled and put his hand to rest on his chest.Alek looked up “this okay?” he asked, eyes still puffy and cheeks a rosy red.Bucky nodded, “more than okay sweetheart” he replied, running a hand through Alek’s soft brown hair.Steve wrapped an arm around Bucky’s waist and rested his head on his chest, so Alek could feel his breath on his hand. Letting go of the last bit of tension in his body, the youngest man silently thanked both of them by drifting off, his hand making sure that the two men he was sharing a bed with were still there and would be waiting for him in the morning. //// Avengers compound / America / 2020/ 8:15PM (One year later)He spotted them lying on the couch. Bucky was laying with his back facing the cushions, face pressed into Steve’s neck. Steve who was lying down flat on his back, Bucky’s arm draped over his chest, dozing slightly as the two laughed quietly together.Aleks chest filled with warmth and he longed to be with both of them. They both looked so handsome and warm; he wondered what they were talking about. Shifting his position so his head was poked further around the corner, Alek sighed and rested his head against the cool doorframe. Obviously, he was a little too loud because Bucky immediately lifted his head up, only to smile when he saw Alek smiling sheepishly at the door. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked; the youngest soulmate shook his head and wandered further into the room.“San come here love,” Steve said languidly, stretching one arm over the couch so his fingers were just grazing the floor. Alek bit his lip and shuffled a little further backwards, not wanting to interfere with their moment.Steve frowned before waving his hand “we won’t bite, I promise” he said, a small smile toying on his lips.Bucky snorted “speak for yourself punk” Alek laughed slightly and moved closer, this caused Steve to smile even wider as Alek was finally in touching distance, he grabbed the younger man’s hand and dragged him closer.Bucky reached over to Alek’s hand as well, “come lie down with us Sandr” he said gently.Alek huffed, “well who could resist an invitation like that” Steve chuckled and wrapped his arms around his waist pulling the smaller man on top of him and Bucky,“Steve” Alek squeaked as he fell.When Bucky laughed, he just sniped, “thanks for the help James.” Bucky continued to laugh. Alek just sighed against Steve’s chest; he made a surprisingly good pillow. They were both lying down flat, with Alek’s body flush against Steve. Bucky was lying next to them, his arm wrapped protectively around his two partners.Alek shifted slightly and moved his hand so he could curl it into Steve blonde hair; he always found it so relaxing. Bucky had started moving his hand in different patterns on his back and pressed a gentle kiss to Alek’s neck. Making a noise of contentment, Alek closed his eyes and evened his breathing out.“You alright there love?” Steve asked rubbing a hand down his side, but Alek felt like he was floating; the only noise he managed to make was a murmured “feels good” before he slipped to sleep. //// When he woke up, it was morning. The light was streaming through the windows of Steve and Bucky’s room and he could hear the two super soldiers snoring. He was sandwiched between them, Steve’s arm curling tightly around his waist, pulling his back into his chest, while Bucky lay flat on his stomach, his head turned to face the two of them. Alek shuffled slightly, trying to regain feeling in one of his arms when Bucky’s eyes opened.Looking at his smaller soulmate, he laughed gently.“You good over there San?” he asked, voice heavy and rough with sleep.Alek glared at him playfully, “yes James, I love having my arm squished.”Bucky just smirked, “well I guess you don’t need my help then” he began to get up when and Alek realised his mistake.“Nooooooo, please, help me, please Jamie,” he said as he was unable to shift Steve’s arm.Bucky only continued to laugh as he wandered into their bathroom, “no can do Sandr, you’re on your own.”Alek huffed and just resigned to his position, he curled further into Steve and hugged the super soldier’s arm, intertwining their fingers as Alek tried to get some more sleep. Five minutes later, Bucky emerged and couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on his face. Alek was snoring softly again, tucked under Steve’s head and encased in his arms. They both looked so peaceful. Bucky reached for his phone and couldn’t resist taking a photo, setting it as his lock-screen.He decided that the gym could wait, before crawling back into bed. Alek sub-consciously reached out and grabbed at Bucky, trying to pull him closer. The long-haired man just laughed quietly before moving to lie down, right next to his smaller soulmate. Alek sighed contentedly and pressed his face against Bucky’s neck. This was where he belonged.