I'm Going Insane - It Looks Like They Were On A Road Trip And Alexei Picked Up An Old Camera In Some

no! healthy relationship will kill the character! he needs an unhealthy codependent romance with a side of power imbalance to live

More winterguardian and sentryagent

(Yelena, Bob and Ava are just siblings + the guinea pig)

Bucky Barnes and Alexei Shostakov What If...? Season 3 Trailer

They ditch the last body in a Nevada ravine and don’t look back. There are no more handlers, no more orders. No Red Room taskforce and no Hydra to haunt them. Now they're just two weapons built by monsters, finally turned on their makers. They steal a Dodge with a busted radio and windows that don’t roll down. The soldier drives while Alexei navigates. Alexei keeps one hand on the map, the other on the soldier's thigh.  They cross state lines without purpose - Utah, Colorado, New Mexico. There's no plan, just wind and dust and stolen hours. They sleep in cheap motels and abandoned cabins. Alexei patches the soldier's wounds in silence and hums old Russian lullabies when the soldier can’t sleep. They don’t speak of love, but when the soldier wakes in the middle of the night, breathing hard and shaking, Alexei is there with strong arms and calloused hands holding him tight, grounding him like gravity. Like faith. There’s no future waiting for them except whatever they make it. No orders, no redemption, no audience. Only stolen hours and the taste of freedom bittersweet on their tongues.

Manifesting a massive uptick in Winterguardian shippers once Thunderbolts* comes out.

Winter Soldier vs Red Guardian | What If…? S3E3

I endlessly admire fic authors who have betas and write chapters and chapters ahead of what they post because you best believe my needy ass is slapping just-finished, mildly edited and typo-laden fics onto AO3 the moment they’re done so I can get that sweet sweet validation

(I couldn't help myself - past relationship, pre thunderbolts)

Alexei grips the wheel with both hands, white-knuckled as his burgundy limo rumbles through the sunny streets of Washington D.C.

He adjusts the rearview mirror for the third time, maybe fourth. Who’s counting?

In the backseat sits Congressman Barnes, polished in his tailored suit, dark sunglasses and wearing an inscrutable expression. The same man. The same damn man.

Alexei almost whispers it. Zimlis…

But the Congressman doesn’t seem to recognize him. He’s scrolling through something on a sleek black phone, brow furrowed in that way Alexei remembers all too well from that ill fated mission decades ago - the same expression the Winter Soldier wore when he was given a mission with instructions written in blood.

“You, uh, new in D.C.?” Alexei ventures, trying to keep his voice steady.

“No.” Bucky doesn’t look up.

Alexei feels sweat starting to bead at his temple. Not from the heat, but from nerves. Stupid, old man. Just drive the limo. Keep the head down. Don’t say something dumb like, hey, remember that time we-

Alexei swallows and glances at the clock on the dash. Crap. They’re cutting it close.

"You mind hurrying it up?” Bucky says suddenly, voice low but firm. Their eyes meet in the mirror. “I’m already late for a committee meeting.”

Alexei jolts like he’s been shot. “Yes! Of course! No problem. I give you speed like Russian rocket. Eh- legal speed. Very safe. Fast and safe. Not like bear on ice, da.”

He reaches to flick on the indicator, or so he thinks. His finger hits the wrong one... and chaos erupts.

“If you’re horny, let’s do it…”

The unmistakable beat of Pony by Ginuwine pulses through hidden speakers. Neon disco lights strobe from the ceiling, a fog machine hisses from beneath the seats, and a hidden compartment springs open between the seats in the back revealing a bottle of champagne on ice with two flutes ready to go.

"Oh no,” Alexei breathes. “No no no no no.”

He slaps the dash, hits every button in reach rbut it just results in more lights. A small sparkling disco ball descends and the he music gets louder.

Bucky takes off his sunglasses slowly. The smoke curls around him like he’s the villain in some kind of spy movie.

“Huh,” is all he says.

Alexei’s fingers are flying over buttons now. “It is malfunction! Malfunction of party mode! This is not real party! You are not party man, I know this! You are serious man! Congressman man!”

Bucky coughs but it sounds suspiciously like a laugh.

“I can explain,” Alexei tries again as the lights finally die and the music cuts out mid- “Ride it, my pony-”

“I bet you can,” Bucky says, sliding his sunglasses back on with the barest twitch of his mouth. “Champagne’s a bold choice for 9 a.m.”

Alexei gulps. “Please, Congressman, forgive the, ah, entertainment system. This is... not typical.”

They pull up outside the Capitol. Alexei parks but then he’s already twisting around in his seat, words tumbling out.

“I would never- there’s no disco normally. You understand. This was mistake. Big, loud, inappropriate mistake-"

Bucky is already halfway out of the limo when he pauses then turns back. There's a glint of something Alexei can't name behind the composed expression bucky wears.

“Russian?" Bucky asks mildly.

Alexei nods, a crooked smile behind his beard. A pang sounds in his chest as a flicker of memory assails him. “Da.”

Bucky nods slowly like he’s filing something away then says quietly, “Spasibo za poezdku.”

Thanks for the ride.

Then he’s gone, door closing behind him with a soft thunk.

Alexei leans back in the driver’s seat, his heart pounding in his ears.

“Zimlis,” he whispers, a grin breaking over his face.

"Maybe you do remember.”

I wonder if Alexei ever drove Bucky in the limo while he was working in DC?