Chapter Text
Home for Christmas
1
20 December, Switzerland
Bucky looked up from the sink in the train restroom and saw his reflection in the mirror. Taking in a large breath, he splashed cold water on his face and his large blue eyes stared back at him with that usual, slightly haunted look. As the water trickled down his chiseled cheekbones and dark five o’clock shadow, he relaxed his breathing as best he could. He hadn’t been on a train for a long time, but, even with the benefit of years of government-mandated therapy for PTSD, he was still panicking about the memory of falling from the roof of a train nearly 100 years ago. As well as bringing him intense physical pain and losing him his left arm, that event had set in motion a long and difficult life. A life punctuated by violence and suffering.
The super soldier was self-aware enough to know that he wasn’t dealing with his PTSD well on the train journey today. To his shame, it had caused him to be especially short with his travelling companion. He made his way back to his seat towards his mission partner and could tell she was pissed with him. As Lily saw Bucky return, she looked out of the window and tried to avoid any further interaction with him. Lily was an analyst for SHIELD and had been for around 12 months. Prior to that, she had used her skills in the world of banking which was why Steve Rogers had selected her as Bucky’s mission partner on this assignment. Although she had no active field experience, a large part of the reason for this mission to Switzerland was to find and remove the encryptions from a series of bank accounts. Steve felt that while Bucky could find and infiltrate the criminals in question, he’d benefit from Lily’s technical flare for this part of the task.
Bucky had not shared Steve’s view and had, in Lily’s opinion, made that very obvious. He clearly felt that her presence was not only an insult to his own intelligence, ‘Dammit Steve, I can enter some passwords myself!,’ she’d heard him shout, but also that it was an extra burden on him. Come to think of it, Bucky had been dismissive of her for the whole time they’d known each other. She really wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong when they’d first at the Christmas party last year, but he seemed to have taken an instant dislike to her. It seemed as if he was always extra sullen and moody when she was around.
Earlier today, Lily had asked what would happen if, when they reached Lake Neuchâtel, the true reason for their visit was discovered. To this Bucky had gruffly replied that she should hide and try not to get in his way. He’d been especially grouchy, she thought, since they’d boarded this train from Geneva a few hours back. His answers to her questions had been monosyllabic even by his standards. When she’d suggested he might like the view of the mountains as it looked really Christmassy with all the snow, he practically bit her head off before storming to the bathroom in his big, dumb leather boots. Well fine, she huffed to herself. It’s not like she’d complained that they’d had to fly from New York to Geneva in a glorified shipping container because his big, dumb metal arm meant he struggled to get through security when flying commercial. Oh well, she thought. Only two days of this and then she could fly home to New York and drive the few hours upstate to spend Christmas with her family. She could practically taste her mother’s Christmas cookies and feel the warmth of the fire in the front room of her family home. Her sister had sent her a picture of the snow falling in the garden and the two of them would soon be under a blanket watching their favourite Christmas movies. It would be bliss.
As Bucky took the seat at the other end of the table, Lily was prepared to give him the silent treatment for the remainder of their journey. But, when she gave him a furtive glance, she could see he was struggling with something. Her brows knotted together in concern and her brown eyes appraised him. He was paler than usual and his non-vibranium fingers trembled very slightly.
‘Bucky are you ok?,’ she said quietly, her concern genuine.
The super soldier looked around them at the empty carriage and took another breath to calm himself.
‘Sure doll,’ he said in a sarcastic voice that drove Lily crazy, she was just asking after all. Lily looked at him with doubt but didn’t push it further. Instead, she stared out at her reflection in the train window. Her large, brown eyes were set in a heart-shaped face with delicate features. Her hair was chestnut and flowed in long waves down her back. While she looked away, Bucky let his gaze wander over her concerned face, which he couldn’t deny was very pretty. He’d fought like hell with Steve when he’d put Lily on this mission. But he also knew that, given the fact that she had to play his new wife tonight, his friend had made it so that he didn’t have to fake any attraction whatsoever. Deep down he knew he’d been a little hard on her. He had to admit though, she wasn’t letting it get to her. That positive attitude of hers (the one that he found frankly annoying) really seemed to be here to stay. She looked him directly in the eyes again now and spoke with a clear challenge in her voice.
‘So what do you know about Zemo?,’ she asked as a kind of peace offering.
Bucky rolled his eyes, but this time not at Lily.
‘The guy’s a pain in the ass,’ he said honestly and Lily smirked inwardly at how his Brooklyn accent thickened on such statements. ‘He negotiated a pardon from The Raft a while back, and now he says he’s got some information for us on some stolen vibranium that’s being smuggled through Eastern Europe. He doesn’t realise we know that he’s involved, and we’re going to try and find evidence that he’s receiving some of the proceeds while we’re at his Christmas party.’
‘So how do you know he hasn’t invited you as a trap or something?,’ Lily asked. She’d gathered from her time with SHIELD so far that Bucky was still considered The Winter Solider in many parts of the world. It wasn’t that commonly known that he’d gone to work for the organisation, and many members of the criminal underworld believed he was still a killer for hire. It had proved very useful for getting contacts like Zemo but, she assumed, made it hard to trust anyone.
‘Zemo thinks about what he can get out of any situation,’ Bucky responded. ‘He’ll want SHIELD to owe him. Plus he owes me for breaking him out of prison a while back,’ he added with a wry smile.
‘And have you told him I’m coming with you to his party?,’ Lily continued. ‘Won’t he be suspicious if there’s another agent there?’
Bucky had the good sense to look slightly sheepish as he explained the next part. ‘I told him I just got married and I’m Switzerland on honeymoon,’ before Lily could interject he added, ‘Zemo’s a nosey son of a bitch and he’ll want to meet you.’
Lily raised her eyebrows at this, frankly stunned, ‘You said we’re married?,’ she responded in a shocked tone. This was the first she was hearing about this part of the plan.
‘Well, I needed a good reason for you to be there doll,’ Bucky responded flatly making Lily exhale loudly.
‘Yes, heaven forbid that Bucky Barnes needs some help from a mission partner,’ she said passive aggressively. ‘So how did we meet then, husband?’
Bucky, still on edge, folded his arms and looked upwards.
‘He’s not going to ask that,’ he muttered, clearly thinking her question a waste of his time.
Lily fired back instantly. ‘You literally just said he’s nosey Bucky, he might ask us some questions. We need to be prepared for that.’ Bucky grunted but didn’t contradict her as she was probably right.
‘I think we stay close to the truth and say we work together,’ she continued. ‘You asked me out this time last year, and we went to watch an old Christmas movie and then for hot chocolate and-’
‘I’m sorry no, I would never suggest something that lame for a first date,’ Bucky interjected, his anxiety temporarily pushed to one side. Lily was slightly hurt by his verdict on her suggestion but tried not to show it.
‘Fine- what did we do then? Or did you just fix me with your hard stare?,’ she asked sarcastically, glaring at him for doing that very stare now.
Bucky paused for a minute and considered this. He didn’t date much anymore but found when he looked at Lily an idea quickly came to mind.
‘I took you dancing,’ Bucky said with a quiet thoughtfulness. ‘You wore that little red number that you had on at the Christmas party last year,’ his gaze trailed down her body absentmindedly as he recalled her in the outfit and Lily was suddenly conscious of the heat of the train carriage.
‘We had a few drinks and then I walked you home. I gave you my leather jacket so you wouldn’t get cold and then when we reached your building, I gave you a goodnight kiss.’
Lily stared at him for a moment, taken aback. He’d barely looked at her all night at the Christmas party last year and was actually quite rude when she’d tried to say hello. She couldn’t believe that he’d remembered nearly a year later that her dress had been red. She thought of the date he’d described and could picture them in her mind’s eye, sharing a kiss on the stairs leading up to her apartment building. She found herself wondering if those full lips of his were soft.
‘You practically begged me to come upstairs, but I’m a gentleman so-’
‘Oh shut up Bucky!,’ she snapped, shaking her head as he chuckled to himself.
***
Zemo’s chateau was located on a hill with a breathtaking view of Lake Neuchâtel. As their taxi travelled up the long, private drive, Bucky could feel the nervous energy radiating from his mission partner. She was wearing a tight-fitting black velvet dress with an off the shoulder neckline. It was paired with silver heels and a simple silver necklace. Her hair was styled into gentle curls and coral lipstick accentuated her lips, set as they were in a thoughtful frown. Bucky wore a black suit with matching black shirt. His trademark leather gloves hid his vibranium hand. As he was working, he had a handgun in his jacket pocket with another strapped into a holster under his shirt. He absentmindedly touched Lily’s knee with his hand to calm her trembling leg. He’d forgotten that despite working for SHIELD, she had practically no experience of espionage and it was understandable that she was nervous to go to the home of a man who’d once bombed the United Nations.
As they pulled up outside the large, medieval chateau made of grey stone, they were struck first of all by a row of six foot Christmas trees lining the entrance, each decorated in hundreds of white twinkle lights. They could tell from the sounds of music and laughter coming from inside that the party was already in full swing.
‘Wow he doesn’t do things by halves does he?,’ Lily whispered half to herself as she got out of the taxi.
‘I’m not sure he’s got enough Christmas trees though,’ Bucky responded in a sarcastic tone.
Before Lily could respond they were greeted by a male servant in a navy suit who addressed them in perfect English.
‘Mr and Mrs Barnes,’ he began with an austere expression. ‘Can I take your coats?’
Lily handed him her black coat and smiled politely. Bucky had declined to bring one and ushered his wife for the evening inside by putting his non-vibranium hand at the small of her back. The hallway of the château was magnificent, plush red carpet was under their feet throughout and the walls were adorned with large oil paintings, medieval shields and weapons. In the centre of the space, a large iron chandelier in a medieval style, hung over a double staircase. Festive garlands made of real holly, ivy, mistletoe and fir were draped all around the bannisters and chandelier. Lily couldn’t help but think that it really put her little fake tree and chilli pepper lights back in her apartment in Brooklyn to shame.
They were led to a room on the left through a large, oak door. As they entered, Lily was struck by the fact that the room was dominated by a large open fire to the left of a huge bar. Guests in formal attire were in various groups around the room and in the corner a musician played Christmas songs on a saxophone. In front of the fire stood a slight man with brown, straight hair and large brown eyes that seemed to scan the room with a nervous energy. He wore expensive looking grey slacks, black leather shoes and a black polo neck jumper. He broke off from speaking to a woman in a skimpy green dress and greeted Bucky with a knowing smile and shook his hand.
‘Ah, James,’ he said, his voice thick with an eastern European accent. ‘So glad you could make it tonight. And this must be your lovely new wife.’ At that, Zemo appraised Lily, his gaze raking up and down her body with overt interest in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. He took her hand and planted a light kiss on it, much to Bucky’s obvious irritation.
‘How are you enjoying married life Mrs Barnes?,’ Zemo asked with a twinkle in his eye before looking at Bucky and addressing a comment to him in Russian, ‘Vozmozhno, ty nemnogo molod, moy drug?*’
Lily just smiled and ignored the fact that this was fairly rude given the fact that she spoke no Russian. She noted though that Bucky suddenly looked annoyed. Finding a confidence she did not feel, she replied, ‘I like it very well thank you,’ and smiled before adding, ‘thank you for inviting us to your beautiful home Herr Zemo.’
Out of nowhere Bucky felt suddenly proud of her ability to hold her own in these odd circumstances.
The three of them chatted for a while. Lily was struck by how Zemo made Bucky much more talkative, despite what she knew of their history. After ten minutes or so, Zemo excused himself to see his other guests and Bucky turned to Lily, his voice suddenly low.
‘According to our intel, the account details are on his laptop which he keeps in the office down the hall. Let’s go now, while he’s occupied. Lily nodded, trying not to look as nervous as she felt. Bucky’s cerulean eyes looked into hers.
‘You’ve got this,’ he said simply.
Lily and Bucky quickly found the door to the office. Once inside, Lily opened her clutch bag and took out a hard-drive and USB cable. She swiftly moved over to the laptop on Zemo’s desk and began the process of copying its contents while Bucky kept watch at the door. Lily’s heart was beating practically out of her chest but she stayed focused and worked quickly. As she waited for the download to complete, she tapped her nails gently on the desk until Bucky rolled his eyes and she stopped. After a few more minutes, she glanced up at Bucky in the heavy oak doorway. She could tell that his enhanced hearing was listening out for any sign of unwanted company and given that he wasn’t moving she assumed it was still clear. Looking back at the screen, she saw that the account details had been copied in full. She detached the hard drive and zipped it back into the concealed pocket in her clutch.
Walking back towards the door, Lily was shocked when Bucky suddenly halted her by putting his vibranium arm in front of her. Looking at him, she saw that he had moved his opposite finger to his lips showing her to be quiet. Suddenly, even without the aid of super-soldier serum, Lily could hear footsteps coming towards them and her eyes went wide with fear. Bucky shook his head. He knew their host was about to catch them in his private office. Thinking quickly, he turned and put his hands on each of Lily’s shoulders, turning her so that her back was to the wall. Then he gently pushed her against it with his body as he held her face and began to kiss her gently. At first, Lily didn’t reciprocate. Infact she tilted her head backwards and looked up at him with a stunned expression. Bucky leaned down and whispered softly in her ear, ‘It’s a good reason to have snuck in here’, before seeking her lips for a kiss again. This time Lily gave a faint nod before returning his kiss a little hesitantly. Bucky’s full lips felt surprisingly soft and his kiss held a confidence that only comes from being well-practiced. After a moment or two Lily found herself relaxing into the kiss and she opened her mouth a little which Bucky’s tongue took as an immediate invitation. Slipping his tongue between her soft and eager lips, Bucky found himself enjoying the kiss immensely. Lily’s soft curves felt sublime against his gloved hands as he touched his fingers against the neckline of her dress and then down to her waist. A part of him wished he could kiss and touch her for real. Grazing the thumb on his right hand against her cheekbone for a moment, Bucky heard Lily let out a little sigh. Their eyes met and he looked at her with curiosity before breathing out through his nose and licking his bottom lip like he always did when he had an inappropriate thought.
Bucky was just resuming their kiss when he heard the door behind him open wider and their host entered the room.
‘Ah, the honeymooners are caught it seems,’ Zemo said quietly. Bucky stopped kissing Lily and turned to face the smaller man. To his credit, the super-soldier had the easy smile and slight blush of a lover caught in the act. Lily was impressed despite herself, though she suspected she too was blushing from the kiss.
‘Sorry pal,’ Bucky shrugged. ‘Me and the Mrs were on the way back from the bathroom and saw this little private room and-’
Zemo held up his hand, ‘Quite understandable James,’ he nodded before looking at Lily’s kiss-swollen lips and slightly dazed expression with slight suspicion.
As they returned to the party, Zemo watched Lily closely as she held Bucky’s hand and let him lead her to an armchair. When she sat, Bucky let go of her hand, kissing it first in a show of marital affection. Lily noted that their host raised an eyebrow which made her uneasy. Were they not doing a good job of looking like newlyweds? Suddenly Zemo stood and walked to a cabinet in the corner of the room before returning with a small thin bottle and three small glasses with long stems.
‘My friends, allow me to pour you a traditional Swiss zuger kirsch to toast your recent nuptials,’ Zemo smiled as he placed the three glasses on the bar in front of him before pouring some of the clear liquid into each one. He handed the small glasses to each of them and then raised his own in a toast.
‘To love, and perhaps a night to remember,’ Zemo toasted with a smile before draining his glass. After some hesitation, Bucky and Lily looked at each other and did the same. Although she doubted Zemo could have poisoned them and not taken it himself, Lily really didn’t like the way that he was smiling.
***
After another half an hour Bucky and Lily took their leave and got into their waiting taxi. Zemo retreated back into his office and his butler followed behind.
‘Oeznik, call our friend in Madripoor and tell him that we need to close all the accounts tonight. With what I gave those two, they should be out for around 8 to 12 hours so we have time.’
Oezinik nodded and started to leave the room.
‘Oh old friend,’ Zemo added, ‘Will you prepare an antidote for me? I want to get some rest tonight and I don’t have a lovely companion to enjoy the effects with like Barnes sadly.’
‘Of course,’ the faithful butler replied as he left the room.
*(Russian) 'A little young for you perhaps my friend?'