Archive of Our Own

When you got a call from Sam Wilson, the son of your mother’s friend, you were shocked but you answered it immediately. When he asked you to be arm candy for a war criminal he broke out of jail you weren’t thrilled. 

“I know this isn’t something you would want to do but listen Zemo has this insane private jet and we can get you home.” Your heart thumped in your chest. You’re gonna take the job; you could sit and be pretty if it meant you could see your mom again. 

You got to see the jet before it would take you home because you had to be shuttled to Madripoor alone from your tiny apartment. The jet had been incredible; you had wealthy friends before but never to this extent. 

“Y/N! How big were you the last time I saw you?” Sam brought you into a hug. You hadn’t realized how anxious you were on the private jet but Sam’s embrace soothed you. You had always thought of him like an older cousin, he might have been introduced to you like that when you were a child although the two of you were not related. Your grandmother and mother often had a problem with introducing family friends as uncles, aunts, or cousins. When you smiled at him he nodded and turned to introduce you to the two other men at the landing strip. 

It was ironic; both men had committed heinous crimes but you had been to the Captain America memorial museum and knew that the Winter Soldier had been forced into his actions. You knew little of the Baron, the man you would have to spend the night with.

Sam gestured in their direction, “This is Bucky Barnes and this is Baron Zemo.” Before introducing the Baron, Sam unsuccessfully tried to suppress a pained sigh.  

Bucky nodded at you but the Baron came up to you and gently took your hand in his to press a firm kiss to it. You didn’t have much experience with men that seemed so confident and self assured. You froze under the kiss, not out of repulsion but out of shock. Sam must have felt you stiffen because he moved your hand out of the Baron’s hold before either of you could say anything.

“It’s okay,” You said, “We have to pretend to be a couple right? I just wasn’t expecting it.” You felt your body turn from ice back into flesh when the Baron smiled at you. 

“She’s quick. She’ll be the perfect companion for the night. Although I was rudely interrupted before I could ask for her name.” He had pleasant features and his deep accented voice was like music to your ears. You reminded yourself that the man before you was a criminal and was probably used to using his charm to get his way. 

You introduced yourself and the Baron nodded, “A pretty name for a pretty girl.”

“Save it for the night,” Sam said. 

You felt awkward during the car ride, there’s a tension present that you could feel but didn’t have the full background for. Although, the Baron didn’t seem bothered. He even seemed thrilled to open the door for you when you all arrived at your destination: a safe house that would serve as a place for you all to get ready. You’re as clever as the Baron had said before so you reached out and curled your hand around his bicep. You were taken aback by the subtle strength beneath your fingers.

He guided you into the building and you didn’t see the look Bucky and Sam exchanged at your behavior.  

You hadn’t thought about how being arm candy meant that you had to look like a spoiled rotten sugar baby. That also meant that you had to try on what felt like a million different little black dresses. You knew that you weren't ugly but you weren’t so much of a self-love guru or narcissist that you loved looking at your body in skin-tight clothes. When you absent mindedly dressed yourself you didn’t mind how you looked. But now, in front of a full-body mirror, in a dress that said it was your size on the tag but felt like it was squeezing all of your body parts, you didn’t like yourself. Your chest felt tight.

When you looked back out to ask the men in the other room for a different dress to try on you found only Zemo. In your surprise you stepped out in the dress; you weren’t too shocked to notice the way his eyes went wide at the sight of you. 

“Where did Sam and Bucky go?” You weren’t sure if you could call him that but you certainly couldn’t call him the Winter Soldier. 

Zemo smiled, “Don’t worry, schatz, you won’t be alone with me for long.” He took a sip of his drink, his eyes never left yours, “Is that the dress you’ve chosen?”

You were shocked at his near flirtation when it was just the two of you as much as you felt warm at the fact that he couldn’t stop himself from staring at you, “No, I can’t even breathe in this thing. Do you have anything else?” 

He sighed and placed his drink down, “What a shame, I quite like that one. Perhaps you should put that second dress on again, you seemed to like that one.” 

You didn’t realize he was keeping tabs on your reactions and you suddenly realized that Sam and Bucky had left you alone with this extremely dangerous man. You smiled and went back to the changing room to compile. Getting the dress off was a struggle by itself, you weren’t sure how you had gotten it on in the first place. 

You did like the second dress. It wasn’t anything like what you would have picked out for yourself but it flattered the parts of yourself that you did like and smoothed out the parts that needed smoothing out.

When you stepped out Zemo appraised you, “That’s the one.”

It wasn’t a question but you still replied, “I think it is.” 

You’re not sure why but you do a turn in the dress. It doesn’t have any frills or bounce to make it twirl the way you would like but you can’t help it. Zemo chuckled and you suddenly felt incredibly childish. 

“You’re rather sweet. Let me help you finish getting ready.” His warm palm came to rest on your waist as he guided you to a box he had laid out on a table. Although his hands were large and worn he treated the box with a gentleness bordering on reverence. When you peered into the box you saw glittering silver and jewels. The Baron lifted a necklace out of the box. 

“I could put it on you if you would like.” You wanted to say no because the thought of turning your back and putting yourself in a vulnerable situation with such a man seemed to be a bad idea. But then you thought of how implicitly Sam and Bucky trusted him enough to not kill you and girlishly you recalled how much trouble necklaces had brought you in the past. There was no escaping to another room with the jewelry to fumble with the clasps until you finally got the stupid chain to stay on your neck. If you said no you would have to fumble with the necklace in front of the Baron, the thought made your face feel hot. You were glad that blush didn’t show up on your face. You nodded to his request and turned around. 

Zemo was careful as he looped the necklace around your neck, clasped it and then adjusted it so the charm rested in between the blunt edges of your collar bones. He whispered something in Sokovian that you didn’t understand but before you could turn to ask him what he said he placed a gorgeous jeweled belt around your waist. You traced the stone, you weren’t sure how you knew but it was your birthstone. There was no way that Zemo could have known, it was most likely a jewel the color of your birthstone but it was nice to pretend. Zemo held up a pair of earrings in front of your face that matched the belt. 

You could feel his breath against your face when he asked you if he liked the earrings. He smelled of whiskey and cedar. You wanted to fall back into him.

“Yes, they’re very beautiful.” 

After he finished he gently spun you around to face him, “Häschen, you look perfect.” 

You smiled in earnest at his words, the very few men you had dated in the past seemed intimidated by your beauty and drive and had made it their mission to diminish you in every way possible. Ironically, here you felt safe and beautiful. His hands slid down your arms to your hands and squeezed them once before he walked away. 

“Would you like anything to drink before our guards return?”  

“No, but thank you. I’m a bit of a lightweight and I want to stay sharp in the club.”

“A sound decision but I will watch over you as well. As long as you are in my care I will protect you.” 

You squirmed a bit but nodded at his words. 

“You’re a friend of Sam's, yes?” The Baron sipped at his drink. 

“Yeah! He’s a family friend; I’ve known him since I was a kid.” 

“Hmm, so you are American. Why do you need safe passage back to your own country?” 

You froze. You tried your hardest to not think about why you were where you were because this happened every time. Your body froze and your mind went blank. 

“I,” You took a deep breath. “I could use a drink.”

Zemo moved back to the bar and pressed the drink into your hands. You were surprised by how much just the warm press of his fingers as he handed you the drink was a comfort. You had been alone for some time now and had gotten used to your own company. This dangerous man and his gentleness with you were addicting. 

“I disappeared in the blip. But, I was backpacking through Europe at the time with a friend.  She didn’t disappear and went home. I don’t blame her, according to her, even at the beginning, no one thought we would show back up. But I lost everything without even knowing it. My job, my visa, my money. I woke up on a trail in Italy with beginner Italian at best and nothing to my name. I’ve been working odd jobs and traveling illegally ever since.”

“Why didn’t you return to America?” Zemo repeated his question.

“I couldn’t afford my own ticket and while my passport still has a year before it expires, my travel visa expired and I had no proof that I had been functionally dead for five years. Have you ever been deported? I didn’t want to be deported or travel illegally internationally, too high risk in comparison to traveling in Europe. I know that’s selfish...”

“Well, you have your way now.” Zemo said with a finality that expressed that he wasn’t judging you. You recalled how your mother had sobbed and screamed and begged for you to lower your ‘pride’ and come home. You gritted your teeth and looked down at the drink in your hand and took a sip. It burned on the way down; it tasted like Zemo smelled and it was too much for you. You placed the drink on the table where the box still stood. 

“Thank you.” You whispered and stared at your folded hands. Tears welled in your eyes when you imagined seeing and holding your friends and family again. 

Zemo noticed your tears immediately, “What’s bothering you?” He asked softly. 

“I’m just happy that I’ll be able to see my friends and family again. I’ve been so alone.” There was a warmth at your side. You hadn’t realized that Zemo had come to sit beside you. 

“I understand the feeling.” 

“Oh god,” You said; you knew enough from Sam providing background to know what Zemo meant . “I didn’t mean to–”

“No, you did nothing wrong, häschen, I am glad to reunite you with your loved ones.”

You placed your hand on Zemo’s and thanked him again. He smiled; the slightest upturn of his mouth before handing over a cloth for you to wipe your eyes. He said an off-handed comment about not wanting the others to think he had made you cry. With your face dry and suddenly giddy as the realization that you could go home set in, the two of you fell into pleasant conversation. Zemo seemed interested in your travels; the two of you exchanged stories of the countries you both visited. 

Sam and Bucky returned soon after. 

“You alright?” Sam asked you when they entered the room.

“She’s a wonderful conversationalist.” Zemo remarked. Sam looked over at him before looking back at you, waiting for your answer. 

“I’m fine. Are we ready to go?”

Sam nodded and you walked over to Zemo’s side. You could pretend to be his little date, you already felt closer to the man than was safe. 

*

You hadn’t been to many clubs in your life. In the states it was because they weren’t really your style and in Europe after the blip you were just trying to keep your hand afloat. The club was loud and humid. You felt sticky; you were jealous of how the men were dressed because their clothes could act as a barrier. You felt that even more when you felt the gaze of men moving up and down your body. 

You fell completely into form in front of the bartender. Bored and pretty. The Bartender nodded at you and you pretended to barely pay him any mind as Zemo handed a shot to you. You struggled to keep your face placid at the drink being prepared for Sam. You downed yours and shoved your face into Zemo’s chest so no one would see how much your face scrunched up at the burn. The fur was soft against your skin. You didn’t notice the way Zemo’s arm snaked around your waist and held you to his side. 

When Bucky pretended to be activated after Zemo spoke to him in Russian and easily fought off other men in the bar you couldn’t help but stare. You should have been continuing to hide your face with all the people recording but Bucky’s form was incredible. 

“It didn’t take much for him to fall back into form.” Zemo said to Sam, clearly pleased with himself but you couldn’t help but notice how worried your friend looked at the display. At the sound of guns Zemo spoke under his breath to Sam before calling Bucky off of the man he was strangling half to death. 

Selby’s lounge didn’t feel comfortable to you but seedy. Zemo seemed more at ease than you or perhaps he was better at hiding his discomfort. You didn’t know the man well enough to know. He pulled you into his lap easily. You wrapped your arm around his neck while the other absentmindedly played with his coat collar and looked out towards the rest of the room. 

“You should know, Baron. People don't just come into my bar and make demands.”

“Not a demand. An offer.”

“A lot has changed since you were here last. By the way, I thought you were rotting away in a German prison. How did you escape?”

“People like us always find a way, don't we? I'm sure you've already figured out what I'm here for.”

Selby turned her head away from Zemo to look at Sam, “You're taller than I'd heard, Smiling Tiger.” She purred and curled her fingers at him and you felt sick at the implication. “What's the offer?” 

Zemo lifted you out of his lap to walk to Bucky, “Tell us what you know about the super-soldier serum. And I give you him, along with the code words to control him, of course. He will do anything you want.” After he spoke he walked back to his seat and pulled you back down; the two began to exchange information about the serum.  

It was difficult for you to pay attention when you were desperately trying to avoid Selby’s eyes. She wanted to eat you alive. Suddenly the conversation turned to you.

“You were married before that stint in prison, weren’t you, Baron? Is this pretty little thing for me too?” 

You looked at Zemo and noticed the way his jaw tightened slightly. Your hand came up and grazed against his face, you felt his jaw loosen, and saw his expression grow softer. It was so slight, though, something that only you, with the close proximity to his face, would be able to see. 

“She is not part of the negotiation.” Zemo replied. 

“Hmm, is she too difficult? I’m sure I could find someone to train her. And I’m sure I could remember more with a sweeter deal.”

“No,” Zemo said. His voice sounded unbothered yet firm but you felt a hand fly to your knee and pull you closer as if to protect you. “She’s mine. No one else puts their hands on her.”

He looked at you and you could see he was asking for permission. You leaned in to close the gap. It had been awhile since you had kissed anyone and Zemo was skilled. Or perhaps you were both starved. His mouth caught your bottom lip and tugged at it with his teeth before fully capturing your mouth. His hand moved up from your knee to your thigh and squeezed. The action sent a shock straight to your core. You pulled back, pressing a final kiss to his cheek as he looked like the cat who got the cream at Selby. She sighed and the conversation moved back to the serum. Your gaze crossed Sam’s and that worried look had returned to his face. You weren’t going to ever hear the end of this. Zemo’s hand hadn’t moved from your thigh and the warmth even through his gloved hand was too much for you to handle. 

When Sam’s phone rang you were rightfully anxious but also glad that the room’s attention wasn’t on yours or Bucky’s objectification. You had heard gun shots before but you had never seen someone die and so your eyes were glued on Selby’s lifeless body even as Zemo grabbed your hand and led you away. Your ears were ringing and the only thing you noticed was that you were running, Zemo’s hand still firmly in yours. He stopped the both of you to pull you aside in a dark hideaway. You hadn’t even realized the two of you had gone a separate direction from Sam and Bucky. 

“Are you okay?” He asked. You didn’t reply at first until one of his hands landed on the junction between your shoulder and neck, “Y/N.” 

“Sorry,” You said, “I’ve never seen someone die like that before.” 

“Of course not, draga.” His hands rubbed up and down your arms for a moment and you felt safe. It was what you needed to be grounded. You were alarmed when you realized that Zemo had a gun. When had he gotten a gun?

“Where’s Sam and Bucky?” 

“Just up ahead.”

“Okay.”

“Before we meet them, I feel I must ask if what occurred in front of Selby’s made you uncomfortable.” 

“Huh?” Part of you had nearly forgotten about that already, “No, it didn’t bother me at all; I wanted to play my part so what just happened wouldn’t happen. I can’t believe Sam didn’t turn his ringer off.” You laughed softly before beginning to walk away. Zemo’s hand came to rest on the small of your back to guide you forward. When you entered the dimly lit circle where Sam and Bucky stood Sam didn’t waste any time to pull you away from Zemo. 

“Kid–” Sam started before you cut him off pulling your arm out of his grasp. 

“I’m fine.” You said as Sharon Carter revealed herself to them.

*

You had never met Sharon before but she was nicer to you than she was to any of the men in the room so you didn’t feel inclined to be hostile to her. She offered to give you a change of clothes but after hearing that you were going into another party you decided to keep on the attire that Zemo had chosen for you. When you thought of changing into something else you felt guilty; you did rid yourself of the belt in case there were any more chances of you running around for the rest of the night. 

The five of you split nearly immediately. You were stuck on the paintings in the foyer too nervous to integrate into the sea of people at the bar or on the dance floor.  

You heard an accent that was quickly becoming familiar, “You’ve spent some time staring at this one. Do you like it?”

It was Manet’s Olympia. “I saw it once in the Musée d’Orsay. I guess that was a fake, although I saw it before the blip so maybe it was stolen sometime afterward. And I know my french pronunciation needs work before you say anything.”

“You don’t speak it?”

“No, not at all. I know enough on sight to get where I need to go in Paris on my own but I really don’t speak the language.”

“It’s a beautiful language, draga. You should learn it.” Zemo said, his breath tickled your neck. 

“Why?” You teased as you looked to your side in an attempt to see him, you had a feeling you knew the answer. 

“Because you’re a beautiful woman and it would be a pleasure to hear it fall from your lips.”

You chuckled softly, electing to ignore his comment and how it made you feel warm throughout your body, “To answer your first question I hate Manet. Actually that’s a bit much. Technically he’s a powerhouse and I resent that because of how well he is able to execute his themes which can only be classified as loud and proud misogyny. Look at this,” you gesture wildly at the painting in front of the two of you, “Olympia is a nude made in opposition to the nudes at the time. Instead of the sexually pure, hairless, unaware woman, Manet painted a woman he thought would actually be voyeuristically gazed at by men. She’s a sex worker and this isn’t a neutral or empowering thing. He’s shaming her even in the tiny details like the mark under her arm. Is it dirt or hair? Either way he just did it to shock the Salon in the 1860s– I think it was the 1860s. He wasn’t trying to embody women; shock art like this can’t be called activism. And I haven’t even started on her black maid or the inclusion of the cat.” 

You suddenly stopped speaking, “Sorry I was rambling.”

“You know quite a bit about art.” His hand brushed against yours, “It’s impressive, schatz. I could listen to you talk about it all night.” 

“You shouldn’t,” You groaned, “It’ll bore you eventually.”

“Can I decide on that?” He asked and beckoned you to continue your rant about the painting you had such a complicated relationship with. You spoke more, vomiting up all your knowledge on the painting. When Zemo began to interject, everything shifted; it was no longer a lecture but a conversation. And Zemo was a good listener or he knew more about the painting then he let on. 

“I’ve never heard of the comparison between the Venus of Urbino and Olympia.”

“Of course, you have.” You said over the music, “You’re a Baron.” 

He smiled at that neither confirming nor denying your statement. 

“I need some water.” You said.

He nodded, “You should go check on your friends, as well. They’ll think I kidnapped you.” 

With a bottle of water in your hand you made your way over to Sam and Bucky. 

“Where have you been?” Sam asked.

“I was just looking at the stolen art. You and I both know there’s some crazy stuff in that collection.” 

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just said I was looking at the art.”

“No,” Sam said, shaking his head. “Are you alright with the stunt Zemo pulled?”

You shrugged feigning nonchalance, “Of course, you told me to pretend to be a couple so I did.”

Sam frowned, “I shouldn’t have brought you here. Me and Bucky could’ve worked out something else for your ticket back to the states. I didn’t think you would actually do anything.”

“Sam, why are you so upset?” You asked, trying to gauge his emotions from his expression and Bucky’s. 

“I feel like we pimped you out to a terrorist.You should be angry with us and Zemo. Why are you pretending to be ok?”

“It was just a kiss and I’m an adult. Don’t tell me how to feel Sam.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you’re like family and I want to look out for you. I feel like I’ve thrown you to the sharks, or shark, in this case.” 

“I’m gonna go dance.” You said shoving your half empty water bottle at Bucky before turning and walking away. 

“That didn’t go well.” Bucky said. 

Sam was right, it was why you stormed away, you felt guilty; you should be upset but you couldn’t help liking Zemo’s company. His careful juggling of gentle, attentive and possessiveness was something you had never experienced before. But you didn’t want to think, you wanted the sound of the music to deafen your thoughts. It felt like karma that as you moved through the sea of people you ended up seeing the man plaguing your thoughts dancing. 

You stopped for a moment when you glimpsed his dance moves before pushing through the crowd to his side. 

“You can’t be serious.” You giggled. 

“What? You don’t like my dancing?” He asked. You pretended to study him for a moment as if you were seizing him up when you had already come to your conclusion. 

“It’s cute; not good but it's cute.” He raised his eyebrow at your comment. 

“You think you’re a better dancer than me?” He put his hand on your waist and when you didn’t pull away his grip tightened. 

“A toddler is a better dancer than you.” You teased with no venom in your voice.

“You wound me, draga.”

You let one of your arms come up to his shoulder, your fingers brushed against the nape of his neck, “I think your ego can handle that much, Baron.”

Your fingers began to play with the strands of hair at the nape of his neck. His breath shuddered as your fingers continued to lightly trace patterns onto his skin. The two of you were rocking to the music. Your other hand went to cover the hand on your waist.

“You have pretty hands, Baron.” You said, pleased when you felt his hand tense at your words.  

His forehead dropped to yours. He was so close; you could feel his breath ghosting over your mouth and the warmth radiating off his body, “What will your friends think, häschen?” 

“I don’t care.” Zemo wrapped the arm pressed to your side fully around your waist and pulled you against him. You could feel every inch of his body. The only part of the two of your bodies that weren’t touching were your lips. You wanted to taste him again. You ached for him. You had never made the first move before when kissing someone but this time you couldn’t wait any longer; Zemo had set your nerves ablaze. Your mouth crashed into his and your hand gripped at his hair. You felt his tongue press against your bottom lip and you opened to give him full access. Your core was warm and all you could think of was how desperately you needed this man. His free hand trailed down to knead at the pillowy flesh of your ass and you tried to press forward more as if you could force your two bodies to become one. There were other more reasonable ways to do that, you thought. 

Zemo pulled away to catch his breath but he never stopped touching you. He pressed a wet kiss to your neck before sucking and biting insistently. He was going to leave his mark no matter how much effort it would take him. Once he pulled back and seemed pleased with his work he smirked softly at you. 

“We should go somewhere.” You suggested. You had never been quite so eager to follow a man to bed but the Baron just chuckled low in his throat.

“I don’t think we will have time for that, häschen, although I would love to worship you.” His words made you feel weak throughout your body.

“Please,” you whispered but Zemo gestured back to the bar. You were in a sea of people so you doubted that Sam, Bucky, and Sharon could have spotted you earlier but they seemed to be looking for you now.

“I think that is our cue to leave.”

You nodded and began to walk over trying to ignore the ache in your cunt.

“There you are,” Sharon said. “I found Nagel, let's go.” 

“What the hell were you two doing?” Sam asked as you walked behind the group to leave the party.

“Talking. You pissed me off so I had to go hang around the terrorist.” 

“Don’t even joke about that. It’s bad enough that you had to be here so far but it’s just going to keep getting messier and if you get hurt I won’t be able to forgive myself.”

“Okay, okay, Mom, I’ll be careful.” You said.

* 

You hadn’t realized how far into the night it had gotten because as you approached the loading dock it was beginning to get light out. What had seemed flattering if a bit scandalous in the heat of a club or party now seemed too exposed and cold. You wished you had anything to cover up your half naked body. As you walked outside you kept hugging yourself to try and retain some warmth in the cold morning air. You couldn’t ignore how Zemo kept glancing back at you as you all walked. 

Nagel reminded you of a rat; he was slimy and self important.  You had met people like him all throughout your life and you had done your most to not touch them with a ten foot pole. He looked over you once and didn’t seem interested before he was focusing on Sam and Bucky. With no attention on you you turned your sights to Zemo who was gliding through the lab with disdain. 

You tried not to be horrified at the knowledge of how many potential super soldiers that could be out there without anyone knowing. You had never had a problem with the original Captain America when you were a kid but everyone knew he was a super soldier and he was a hero. It was the thought that a person could look just like you but could also crush your skull in. It was an innate human fear of the unknown. You only felt worse when you realized how much Nagel’s work emboldened his disgusting attitude. At some point Zemo came to your side, when you looked up at him with wide eyes his hand squeezed yours discreetly. You looked down and felt grateful for his warmth. You didn’t realize that his standing next to you was strategic until he pulled you behind him and shot Nagel. You were crushed against the wall with Zemo when Sam and Sharon slammed against him. It was nauseating and you hadn’t recovered before an explosion fired through the lab. 

You weren’t sure you would ever have the strength to move again; you had wanted to be warm but now you were burning up as the flames steadily approached. Your eyes were screwed shut and your ears were ringing. You did want to run but it was so hard for you to even roll over onto your back. You heard glass underneath your body and knew that your exposed flesh was glittering like crystals in the light of the fire. A pair of hands lifted you up softly and guided you out. 

“Schatz?” 

You felt dizzy and disorientated; you knew that voice, you couldn’t remember the name at the moment but that voice had promised to protect you and so you mumbled incoherently in response. The more the voice guided you away from the fire the more you gathered yourself. 

“Zemo?” You asked as your vision began to clear. The man didn’t respond at first, he shrugged off his coat and handed it to you before slipping a mask over his face.

“Stay here, draga. I will be back in a moment.” You traced the inside of the coat with your fingers. The inside lining was even warmer and softer than you could imagine. You pulled the coat tight around your body and you could smell him underneath the smell of smoke that had covered the coat. You could hear shouting from Sam, Bucky and Sharon but you knew better than to try to find them while injured and unarmed. Your shivers subsided and you peered around the container Zemo had hidden you behind. He was an absurdly clean and efficient fighter and had immobilized multiple men in a matter of moments. When he grabbed a man to use him as a human shield you remembered what his arms felt like under your hands; that subtle but ever present strength. You buried your face into the coat for a moment to fully immerse yourself in him. You had never been attracted to danger before, you had dated a few academics in your department and they couldn’t hurt a fly. You had been honestly attracted to them even if it was a bit subdued. You had felt unthreatened by them, you had taken enough self defense classes that you were never worried about fighting them but in the same vein they had never made you feel protected. Then again you had never been in danger like this all your life before, you had always been a good girl. Now, with Zemo’s coat enveloping your body you wanted all the danger he came with. When you looked back up Zemo was no longer at the scene you were peering at.

“Y/N!” Zemo said to get your attention, “Let’s go.” 

He offered his hand and you grabbed it without a second thought. He suddenly stopped in front of an open container. 

“Hello.” He said to himself and you noticed a car in the container. You knew nothing about cars but Zemo seemed impressed. 

“What is this beauty doing out here?” He chuckled before continuing, “I could ask that question to my present company as well.” 

You shook your head and sat in the front seat after Zemo held the door open for you.

“Let’s find your friends.” 

You were exhausted in the car; you weren’t sure how many injuries you had sustained from the explosion but you needed tending to. The car pulled up to the rest of the group.

“Supercharged.” 

“You’re going back to jail.” 

“Do you want to find Karli or not?” 

“He's right. We need him. And there's two of us, and at least twenty of them. Come on.” As they continued to argue Bucky looked at you, “What are you wearing?”

“She was cold and injured. I hoped one of you, as her friends, would help but–”

“Okay, we got it.” Sam said as he slipped into the back seat next to Bucky. You fell asleep during the car ride, the smell from Zemo’s coat flooding your senses. 

You blinked a few times, surprised to see a cream colored ceiling and not the open sky. 

You heard a gruff New York accent to the side of you, “You need to rest, alright.”

“Bucky? Where are we?”

His lips tipped up slightly before smoothing back down, “On the jet; you fell asleep in the car and no one wanted to tend to you in your sleep. Plus, Sam is freaking out and doesn’t want to let Zemo near you so I’m watching you.” 

“What does he think Zemo is going to do? Take advantage of me?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what he’s afraid of?”

“But you’re not.” You said calmly.

“No, I don’t think that falls in line with Zemo’s morals.”

“Me neither but you’re still sitting here, huh? Anyway, can you let him in? I need to give him his coat back.”

“I can give him his coat back.” 

“Bucky.” You said sternly. 

“Alright. I think Sam’s asleep so I’ll let Zemo in but I’m watching out.” 

You sighed at Bucky’s response, he was only acting overprotective over you because Sam had asked but it was still annoying. You sat up from the cot and hissed in pain. As you stretched your body you could feel your bruises and cuts flare to life. You let one hand touch the fur collar of Zemo’s coat for a moment before dropping your hand down to your lap. 

“Are you hurt, schatz?” Zemo walked in and placed a glass of water, a few pills and a first aid kit on the table next to the small bed. 

“Just some scraps and bruises I think.” You took the pain medication without prompting and finished half the glass.  

“Let me see.” He said. You pushed the sheets off your body and let your legs hang off the side of the bed. Zemo kneeled down and began to apply what you could only guess was peroxide by how it stung before carefully bandaging the scrapes. The room was silent but you were content to let Zemo care for you. 

Suddenly Zemo asked, “When was the last time you ate anything?” 

You couldn’t remember. Was it right before your trip to Madripoor? 

“There are a few treats here. You need something in your system or you won’t heal.”

Zemo went to stand but you placed your hand on his shoulder and pushed down with your weight. You knew that he could break past your hold easily but instead he lowered himself back down and looked up at you questioningly.

“Don’t leave yet.” You whispered. 

He smiled at you and you could see the concern for you in his eyes, “What do you want, häschen?”

“I don’t know; I just want you to stay here.” Your fingers trailed up into Zemo’s hair and the two of you fell back into silence. The sleeves from his coat shifted slightly against your arm.  

“When do we land in the states?” You asked quietly, not liking how you disturbed the silence but wanting to know how long you had been asleep. 

“Apologies, there was a change of plans. We are headed to Riga. Do not worry, I have a place we can stay in and you will not have to get further involved.” His hand was warm on your thigh.

“That sounds nice.” You murmured.

“Yes, you deserve a bit of rest, a nice bath, a change of clothes,” His thumb was rubbing comforting circles in your thigh. 

Your hand trailed down out of his hair to his face, you didn’t know what you wanted to say but you had to say it, here amongst the quiet and warm, “Zemo–”

“Helmut, draga, please, call me Helmut.”

In a blur of pure emotion you pulled him close to you, “Kiss me, Helmut.” 

And he did as if he would never be able to kiss you again. His hands braced on your thighs as his tongue pressed to open your mouth. You let him have full access to your mouth. At this moment anything he asked of you you would have done without a second thought. You grabbed at his face as if to bring him even closer in the kiss and opened your legs further to encourage Helmut to slot himself between your thighs and close to your body. His hands slid up your thighs to the hem of the fucking dress you were still wearing. He pulled back and a string of salvia connected your mouths. He wiped your bottom lip with his thumb; you could see the deep desire in his brown eyes and the way his chest rose and fell under his maroon turtleneck. 

“You need to rest, häschen, I fear if I go any further I’ll hurt you.”

“Please, I need something.” You only felt emboldened to ask because Helmut was on his knees for you already, barely able to hold himself back.  

Zemo smirked at you, “Would my mouth satisfy you?” 

You nodded, your mouth too dry at the thought to form words. He lowered his body so his face was inches from your throbbing cunt. He breathed against the panties covering you before pressing firm kisses to your inner thighs. You sighed when he made contact and then continued to nip, kiss and lick at the area. He was infuriatingly patient until you were writhing underneath his touch and softly begging him to touch you.

“I am touching you. What do you really want? I need you to use your words.”

“Please, I need you– I need your mouth. Please, you know what I want.”

He smiled up at you, “Because you said ‘please’ like a good girl you can have whatever you’d like,” He said before licking a strip up your cunt through your panties. Your hips jerked up against his face but he held you down against the bed with his hands. One hand moved from your hip to yank your underwear down enough for your pussy to feel the cool air of the plane against it.

“So wet for me. How could I ever think of leaving you like this.” He said as he let one finger move around in your slick, spreading it around so you could feel how wet you were. He pressed a closed mouth kiss against your folds before getting to work, licking and sucking against your clit. Suddenly, after playing with you for a bit you heard and felt him groan against you. He wasn’t just giving this to you, he liked it and it made you wetter and even more pliant under his ministrations. He slipped a finger in and pulled his mouth away. You could see your own wetness on his face.

“You’re so slight. The tightest little pussy I’ve ever felt. Do you think I could fit inside of you?”

Before you could answer he slipped a second finger in to smoothly pump against that spot inside of you. When you began to moan he shot up, his fingers still curled inside of you, and covered your mouth with his hand.

“We mustn't make too much noise. We’ll wake your friend.” He removed his hand and knelt back down to suck at your clit while fucking you with his fingers. You covered your mouth with your own hand, your thighs were tensed up, you were so close. The only thing you wanted to do was come on Zemo’s face. You grabbed his hair to press his face against you. With both of your hands twisted in his hair you had to bite your bottom lip to keep yourself silent. When he whimpered, his nose pressed against your mound and his mouth leaving filthy kisses against your cunt; you came. The heat started in your toes and ended in your head, so hot you would think you had a fever. Your legs spasmed at the side of Zemo’s head and you thought maybe he would complain but once your shudders subsided he just carefully and delicately extracted himself from your hold.

“Perfection.” He whispered, mostly to himself, “I’ll bring you something to eat and then you can rest until we reach Riga.” 

*

“I heard what became of Sokovia. Cannibalized by its neighbors before the land was cleared of rubble, erased from the map. I don't suppose any of you bothered visiting the memorial? Of course not. Why would you? We are here.”

“I'm gonna go on a walk.”

“You good?”

“Yeah. I'll see you guys in a bit.”

Bucky seemed closed off but he always seemed closed off to you so you shrugged off his conversation with Sam. 

Zemo gave you and Sam a quick tour of the apartment. It was definitely one of the nicest places you had ever stayed. He assigned each of you a bedroom with a chivalrous comment about how the lady should receive the master bedroom. You kept your face neutral at the comment when all you could really think of was how you were staying in Zemo’s master bedroom. 

“There’s only three bedrooms, Zemo.” Sam said.

“Yes, I will stay on the couch.”

Sam nodded satisfied with his answer and the two of you migrated back to the kitchen whereas Zemo made a comment about freshening up.

“Well, the Wakandans are here. They want Zemo. Bought us some more time.”

“Were you followed?”

“No.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“'Cause I know when I'm being followed.”

“It was sweet of you to defend me at least.” 

Your eyes lingered on Zemo as he pressed a bit of cologne to his neck. You wanted to press your face there and inhale. 

“Hey, you shut it. No one's defending you. You killed Nagel.”

“Do we really have to litigate what may or may not have happened?”

“There's nothing to litigate. You straight shot the man.”

You were trying not to look at the necklace leading to Zemo’s bare chest under the thin robe he wore but it was difficult for you. Somehow his actions in the plane didn’t satisfy you; it left you wanting more. Even with the reminder that Zemo had murdered someone right in front of you you were still drawn to him. 

“I’m gonna go clean up and take a nap.” You said. Sam and Bucky had fallen into a conversation but Zemo nodded at you before you stepped away and he joined in their conversation. 

The bathtub was massive, smooth cool marble and you pressed your hand against the rim to lean over and turn the tap. Before long the bathroom was full of steam as the water level rose in the tub. You fully undressed yourself but left the necklace Zemo had gifted you on. You put your hair up so it wouldn’t get wet and then lowered yourself into the water. You liked baths; you didn’t get to take them very often but baths were a time when you could think of nothing but how warm and good and safe your body felt. You had taken baths once a week before your backpacking trip through Europe with your best friend but since waking up after the blip you had been in survival mode. Right now you let the warm water and the scents from the soaps lift you away. 

When the water began to feel cool against your skin you exited the bath and wrapped yourself in a fluffy towel to sneak to your bedroom to change. You could hear the rest of the group talking in the living room as you walked down the hallway and pulled the bedroom door shut behind you. When you went to change you realized that your luggage was still on the plane and all the clothes in the bedroom belonged to Zemo. You weighed your options: either you could go out to the main room in only a towel and ask the three adult men if they had any clothing that would fit you for your nap OR you could borrow clothes from Zemo without asking and beg forgiveness later. Neither was particularly fun sounding but one of the options allowed you to go through Zemo’s clothes and take a nap right now instead of having to deal with the boys getting into a massive argument. 

Zemo owned a strange collection of clothes, some items seemed so high end and beautiful you were scared of ruining them by touching them and others items could have been found in your ex’s college dorm dresser. You supposed that had to do with Zemo’s flexibility and ability to take on different personas as needed. You found a pair of boxers and a gray t-shirt to slip on before you made yourself comfortable in the massive bed. 

You shouldn’t be sleeping so much was your first thought when you awoke, it made you feel guilty that you needed so much rest but the other three were running on adrenaline and determination. You stopped berating yourself for a moment, you shouldn’t even be here you didn’t have any stake in all this. You looked to the bedside table and noticed a glass dome covered plate with a sandwich underneath it. Zemo had only been able to provide you with some sweets and tea on the plane so you devoured the sandwich. Towards the end of the sandwich you began to feel a tightness in your chest because you had consumed it so quickly.

“I only stepped out for a moment.” You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand before you turned to face Helmut. 

“What time is it?”

“Nine; you slept well into the evening but I could not find it in my heart to disturb you. We are exploring Riga in the morning and you will have the space all to yourself.”

“I’m not allowed to go?”

“No, not at all. Not after Madripoor.” He said with an air of finality, “I also had Oeznik bring your luggage here. As much as I adore seeing you dressed as you are, I don’t think our friends will enjoy it quite as much.” His hand inched towards the hem of the t-shirt and he laid his palm against your stomach. 

“Your skin is so soft, everywhere,” He murmured as his fingers traced lazy circles across your stomach and lower to the elastic of the boxers you wore. You were squirming under his touch and turned your head to look away. You caught sight of a book near the empty plate; you hadn’t noticed it before because you were so hungry. You grabbed the book, desperate to focus on something else. You wanted him but his large hands were playing gently with the part of your body you had felt the most insecure about like it was nothing. As if you were perfect.

“Kafka, as an evening read? That’s pretty depressing, isn’t it, Helmut?”

“Hmm? I didn’t want to start something too long while you were asleep. I knew you’d wake before long.”

“Still,” you said as his hands now krept up to cup your breasts, “The Metamorphosis? It’s bleak and hopeless.”

“Untrue.” Two of his fingers closed around a nipple and pulled gently, just enough for you to gasp, “A brilliant young woman emerges from a horrific circumstance. Even the darkest nights are followed by dawn, draga.”

“Unless you’re Gregor.” 

Zemo laughed and pressed a kiss to your chin, “Schatz, do you really want to be talking about Kafka right now?” 

You shook your head and Helmut pulled you closer to him so you could wrap your legs around him. You could feel where his pants were tented against your boxers. 

“Tell me what you want.” He said, his nose skimmed across your cheek.

You leaned forward to fully pull yourself into his lap and hide your face in his neck. You couldn’t ask while looking at him, “I want your mouth again. I want to sit on your face, please.”

Helmut grunted in response pushing you softly back onto the bed and grabbing the boxers to pull them off your legs. He threw the boxers to the side before settling himself on the bed and reaching for you. His hands landed on your hips to guide you down.  

“Of course you can fuck my face,” he said before your cunt made contact. “I’d be honored, you taste so lovely.” 

He pulled you down to his face and licked you. It was different than on the plane, the angles were different, you could feel all of his face against you. You could feel when he tried to nuzzle deeper and when you looked back you could see where his cock still strained in his trouser and how his thigh would tense and untense. Turning your head back you grabbed a handful of his slicked back hair with one hand to grind down on his face. With that action Zemo scratched down your thighs in desperation. As you rode him, taking your pleasure, you enjoyed the sounds of your flesh and wetness against his face as well as the way Zemo couldn’t seem to find just one part of your body to hold. When one hand reached up to cradle your breast you felt and then heard a broken, shuttering noise from the man beneath you. You didn’t need to look back to know you just made Baron Zemo come in his pants. That knowledge swelled in you and you moved faster and harsher, chasing your own release. Your orgasm came unexpectedly and you could see bright spots in your vision from the intensity.

After a moment you flopped to Helmut’s side and curled an arm around his chest to tug at his gun holster without thinking. He was panting softly.

 “Did you come?” You asked.

“Don’t tease.” He said between two shuddering breaths.

“Not teasing. Makes me feel good when you feel good.” You leaned over and kissed him tasting yourself on his mouth and tongue. Without thinking about it you snaked your hand down his torso to unbuckle his belt, you wanted to touch his cock. He didn’t stop you so once the belt was loose you pushed your hand into his underwear to feel the sticky mess you’d caused. 

After pulling your hand out you stared at the shiny wetness for a moment before licking it clean. 

“Oh, häschen, that is sinful.”

You shook your head, “No, sinful is what I’m going to do next.” You pulled his cock free from his underwear. It was uncut and thick, fully falling into your preferences. He was softening quickly but you didn’t mind, you were planning on keeping him in your mouth until he was hard again. You leaned down to lick at the base before swallowing as much of him that you could. 

His hand flew to your face, “Look at me.”

You lifted your gaze to his and looked at his dazed expression. It felt good to see him so enamored and swayed by you. You were probably leaving a wet stain against his pants as you became more aroused the longer his cock sat in your mouth. You laid against his lower body with his cock in your mouth, sucking softly around him every once in a while until he was hard again. You pulled off then and looked at the way his cock glistened, pleased with your work. His cock had filled out while it had been sheathed in your throat. You could see his flushed pink head. Part of you wanted to keep playing with him but you weren’t sure he could come three times in one night. You moved your hands to his clothed thighs and looked back up at him. 

“You should get undressed.” You suggested. He sat up and kissed you before pulling his sweater and pants off. While he was busy you pulled off your shirt so everything going forward would be skin on skin. When he looked at you after undressing you froze for a moment but he pulled you close, pressing one of his hands to your side and skimming up and down your waist. 

“I’d like to have you tonight. But not just yet.” While his words were said with confidence his eyes sought out your agreement. 

“Yes, Helmut, please.” 

“No one has ever sounded so sweet saying my name.” He said as he flipped you to lay on your back. His hands trailed down your sternum and stomach to stop at your mound. Your hand landed on his wrist to try to push his hand further down. He chuckled before pressing his knuckles through your folds. You jerked and he removed his hand immediately. You whined at the lack of contact, willing to have any of him that he would give. 

His thumb pressed insistently against your clit before he began to circle it slowly. Your reactions, the way your hips moved to meet his actions, the low, wet gasps of his name seemed to please him so you didn’t stop yourself from reacting. He leaned down to take your nipple into his mouth, he sucked for a moment before releasing it and licking the raised peak. You were close to tears now; desperate for him and completely at his mercy. 

“I have not been with a woman in quite some time. I would not like to humiliate myself further but I think you will make that very difficult for me. Even my wife was not quite so… responsive or sweet.”

You pushed your legs open even wider and Helmut chuckled at the sight of you so desperate for him. You laughed in response, you should be appalled but his blown out gaze and reverent expression did not make you feel used but worshipped, like he said back in Madripoor. 

“It’s been some time for me too but it’s okay,” You said, suddenly emboldened, “I know you’ll make it good for me.” 

“Better than ‘good,’ häschen. I plan to know your body as if it were my own.” He leaned down to kiss you, open mouth and sloppy. He coaxed this orgasm out of you just by toying with your clit, he paid close attention to what made you writhe and clench around nothing, the pleasure shimmered through you. You moaned his name as the pleasure hit its crescendo; you could have been embarrassed but considering the man had made you come three times in the last twenty four hours you felt that he had earned it. 

You came down for a moment before you felt Zemo slot himself between your thighs and push his cock between your folds. The action sent a shock through your body and you pushed back to try to invite him into your body. One of his hands tightly gripped your hip hard enough to leave bruises. You hoped it did; only you would know the difference between the scraps and bruises from him and from the explosion but that was fine by you. This moment was only about the two of you. 

Helmut didn’t inch or slam but slowly and smoothly sunk into you. He whimpered as he bottomed out which caused you to clench around him.  

“I was right, the tightest cunt I’ve ever had.” His hand came up to cradle your cheek. “Perfect. Just like everything else about you.” 

He rocked into you slowly at first letting your body adjust to him. It had been a while but you were so wet that there was no pain just a slight discomfort at first before you were babbling to him move faster , to fuck you harder . As he increased his thrusts the room was filled with the sounds of your bodies slapping together and the bed creaking underneath your actions. He fucked you just like you wanted, he listened and listened well to not just your words but to your body, you grabbed at his back and ass trying to get him deeper. It felt good how much he filled you that you almost didn’t want him to move at all but the sweet spark that happened when he hit the spot inside of you was enough for you to let him keep moving. You scratched as hard as you could down his back and he hissed but didn’t complain. 

Instead he looked down at you, “That’s right, Y/N, you can mark me. I’m yours. Every cell in my body yearns for you. I will follow you to the ends of the earth if you allow me.”

“Yes,” You said, wrapping your legs around him and clenching, “My Baron. I’m yours too, Helmut, don’t leave me, please.”

“I won’t,” He said as he fucked you, “I’m here. Come for me, your Baron’s here.”

You fell into bliss violently; Helmut continued to fuck your tired body and kiss your neck until he came deep inside you. He peeled his body away from you but turned to his side to look at you. 

“I will have to slip back to the couch at some point during the night but I will stay with you until you fall asleep, schatz.”  

You reached out and held his hand in yours, content to play with his fingers, the ones that knew you intimately, until you fell asleep. 

*

You were sore but you earned that soreness. Groaning you turned to the side to see an empty bed but the scent of Helmut still lingered. Pressed against everything in the bedroom including your body. You didn’t want to but you had to wash the scent of sex off your body. 

Clean and in your own clothes you went to the kitchen to find that all three men were already present and ready for the day. You said good morning to the group before going to the island to pick through the cabinets. You didn’t notice Helmut coming to stand beside you until he pressed a mug into your hands. You could smell the bitterness of the coffee. You took a cautious sip before even thinking of asking for milk or sugar. The bitterness covered your tongue; it was actually really good coffee. With the amount of money Helmut had as a Baron it made sense that he was able to buy the best coffee possible.

“There’s plenty to eat.” He said as you continued to sip, “But we did not want to assume.” 

He finished with a flourish to the rest of the kitchen, back towards Sam and Bucky. You nodded; you could fend for yourself. 

“Do you need milk or sugar for your coffee, draga?”

“Sugar would be great, actually, thank you.” 

Sam and Bucky came up to the island as Helmut handed you a bowl of cubed brown sugar. You plopped a few into your coffee and relished the brief skin contact that came when he pressed the spoon into your smaller hand. 

“How did everyone sleep?” Helmut asked and you forced yourself to keep your face blank. It was even more difficult when you saw the small smirk threatening to appear on Helmut’s face.

“Fine.” Bucky said.   

Sam nodded before speaking, “You didn’t make us any coffee, Zemo.”

“I have no reason to apologize to either of you, do I?” He said.

“How was your night?” You cut in, not wanting to hear the three of them talk about your situation in front of you. 

He seemed amused by your boldness, “Better than I expected.”

“You do have a nice couch.” You said and your eyes looked to meet his before shifting to your coffee, “ If you all will excuse me I’m gonna go sit on that couch and get comfortable for the day.”

Sam laughed, “I thought you’d want to come with.”

“As if you’d let me, Sammy, plus I’m sore.”

“‘Sammy?’” Bucky said incredulously. “I’m never letting that one go.”

“Let’s just get going.” Sam said, feigning annoyance. As they made their way out of the apartment you were aware of the way Helmut stayed back for a moment. When the other two had crossed the doorway he leaned down and kissed you once, a small sweet smile gracing his face before bidding you farewell and leaving. 

*

“Did you guys find anything?” You asked without looking up from the worn copy of Hamlet you found in the apartment. You had heard them enter the apartment. 

“Nothing, except for the fact that they don’t trust us.” Sam said.

“No one's talkin' about Donya.”

“Yeah, it's because Karli is the only one fighting for them.”

Bucky sighed.

“And she's not wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“For five years, people have been welcomed into countries that have kept them out using barbwire. There were houses and jobs. Folks were happy to have people around to help them rebuild. It wasn't just one community coming together, it was the entire world coming together. And then, boom. Just like that, it goes right back to the way it used to be. To them, at least Karli's doin' somethin'.” 

You didn’t say anything in response but you respected Sam’s opinions even if you couldn’t always agree with them. Everyone was suffering after the blip, a truth you knew well. And what if the flag smasher got their way and they were no longer bound together by a cause. You wanted to believe the best of humans but without their cause you had a feeling they would fall apart and then you had a group of super soldiers with their own agendas.  

Bucky had a different opinion on the matter than either of you, “You really think her ends justify her means? Then, she's no different than him or anybody else we've fought.”

“She's different. She's not motivated by the same things.” 

“That little girl. What'd she tell you?”

Helmut set a tea set down in front of you, “The funeral is this afternoon.”

“You know the Dora's coming for you any minute. In fact, they're probably lurking outside right now. Keep talking.”

“Leaving you to turn on me once we get to Karli. Hmm. I prefer to keep my leverage.”

Bucky snatched the tea cup of Helmut’s hand to throw it across the room. You jumped at the sudden sound. 

“You wanna see what someone can do with leverage?”

“Take it easy. Don't engage him. He's just gonna extort you and do that stupid head tilt thing. Let me make a call.” Sam clapped Bucky’s back and stepped out of the room. You were grateful for his ability to defuse a situation. He had been good at it even when you were all kids. 

“You want some cherry blossom tea?”

“No, you go ahead.” Bucky stormed off as well. While you would have preferred the two of you were left to allow for different reasons, the reminder that the Dora Milaje were coming after Helmut made you happy for any time you had left with him. 

He handed a cup to you which you received gratefully, “I never thought about how this is an ‘experience’ with such a looming expiration date.”

“It does not have to be,” He replied, “Think of it not as an expiration date but as a minor inconvenience.”

“Don’t make me hopeful when I shouldn’t be.” You sipped your tea, unwilling to make eye contact. 

“I have made a few arrangements that I think you will find favorable no matter the outcome.” 

You snorted at his response.

“Are you enjoying Hamlet?” 

“I’ve read it before actually but it’s always nice to reread, as you know.” You flipped open to a page, “My lord, I have remembrances of yours/ That I have longèd long to redeliver./ I pray you now receive them.”

“No, not I. I never gave you aught.” Helmut said without missing a beat. Stunned, you looked at him only to find his intense gaze on you. 

“My honored lord, you know right well you did,/ And with them, words of so sweet breath composed/ As made the things more rich. Their perfume lost,/ Take these again, for to the noble mind/ Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind./There, my lord.”

“Do you agree?”

“With what?”

“That the value of a gift is soured by the virtue of the giver?” 

“I suppose it depends,” You said slowly, Shakespeare still on your tongue, “If it’s a person I have grown to despise than of course but if they are considered sour by others but sweet to me than–”

You didn’t have a chance to finish your sentence before Helmut’s mouth was pressed against yours. He tasted sweet. 

“I will give you everything, no matter what comes next. Remember, even the darkest nights are followed by dawn.” 

He handed you an envelope and somehow you knew you weren’t supposed to look at it before he was rearrested. 

They went back out for the funeral soon after. You didn’t have the same peace that you had that morning in the apartment. You couldn’t go back to Hamlet because you could still feel the gentle yet passionate press of Helmut’s lips against yours and taste the cherry blossom tea. You could only pace aggressively throughout the apartment and hope that they all came back in one piece. Your hand kept coming up to the necklace that you still wore to fiddle with the charm. 

When they returned with an unconscious Zemo all you could do was stand up from the couch and let them dump his body there. 

“What happened?” 

“No idea.” Bucky said, “Ask him when he wakes up.” And he left after speaking to you without so much as a second glance. 

Sam set up shop to get to work and so you were awkwardly waiting for Helmut to wake up so you could have something to do. It didn’t take long for him to groan and rub his forehead. You procured him a washcloth and some pain killers. You weren’t surprised when he asked for a drink and although you didn’t want to give it to him you didn’t want him to stand more. His thumb traced your fingers before taking the drink out of your hands. You knew you had to be careful with any affection right now because of Sam but you wanted to pull his head into your lap more than anything. 

“Were you ever offered it?” Helmut asked. You knew the question wasn’t directed towards you. 

“What?”

“The serum.”

“No.”

“If you had been, hypothetically, that is, would you have taken it?”

“No.”

“No hesitation. That's impressive. Sam, you can't hold out hope for Karli. No matter what you saw in her, she's gone. And we cannot allow that she and her acolytes become yet another faction of gods amongst real people. Super Soldiers cannot be allowed to exist.”

“Isn't that how gods talk? And if that's how you feel, what about Bucky? Blood isn't always the solution.”

“Something's not right about Walker.” 

“You don't say.”

“Well, I know a crazy when I see one. Because I am crazy.

“Can't argue with that.”

“Shouldn't have given him the shield.”

“I didn't give him the shield.”

“Well, Steve definitely didn't.” 

You weren’t shocked by how aggressive the new Captain America was bursting through the apartment doors. You had already made your assumptions about the man based on the fact Sam and Bucky didn’t want to work with him. When the Dora Milaje appeared you couldn’t help but be starstruck at their abilities. They were able to handle every man in the room like it was nothing to them. You only glanced away when you felt someone’s gaze on you; you made eye contact with Helmut and realized that this was the end, if not forever for an incredibly long time. As quietly and smoothly as you could you walked up to him and ignored the shocked expression on his face.

Behind the closed doors Helmut spoke in rushed, quiet tones, “You can’t come with me.”

“Why can’t I make that choice?”

“You can’t go on the run. I made a promise to return you home and I will keep it. Read the letter once I’m gone.” He reached forward and squeezed your hand once, “Stay safe, Y/N.”

“Until dawn, Helmut.” You watched him climb down the hole until the darkness enveloped him; you hadn’t even gotten a kiss goodbye.