#avenger au

He finally opened the door. The lullaby echoed in his head louder than ever. He passed four people frozen. He looked at them, but he could feel that none of them what who he was looking for. He continued to go down. The sound finally stopped for a slip second. When Loki opened the door, he took his head in his hands. The sound was so loud that he thought his head exploded. When he finally was able to stand up, he saw you. He approached the pod. The sound became the sweet lullaby that he had heard so many times before. He looked for a way to wake you up.

When the pod finally opens, he sees you fall. He catches you before you hit the ground and puts you down gently before looking for a cover or anything to warm you. He can't find anything. He looks at you. You seemed so fragile. He doesn't like seeing you like this which is so strange to him. He removes his coat and puts it on you. He takes you in his arms. He wanted to find a way to help you. He wasn't sure that the teleportation would work, but he didn't have a choice. He kept you tight against him.

Once he is finally sure that his teleportation worked perfectly and that you had no sequel, he puts you on the bed and went to take some covers. You were still shivering. He monitored your progresses before you wake up. The sound finally gone.

You can feel your body waking up. You keep your eyes closed wondering what happened. You don't know what you are lying on, but it's way too soft for it to be a bed. You hear someone move. You stay still until you can't hear anything. You finally open your eyes. Feeling Loki's presence, you turned ready to fight, but you find nothing next to you. You see the God, and before you can say anything, he speaks to you.

"You are fine. You are safe."

"Where I am? Are you a guard? I already told them that I don't know where he is."

"I don't know what you are talking about. I just rescued you from a machine."

You look around confused. Everything was green, but there were no pictures or art. You didn't understand what was happening. The room seems like a very wealthy one. It was bigger than what you ever had with night stands, heavy curtains, and a full lamp . You touch the covers and see two of them. They were really soft. There is even a king size bed which you only had when you had enough money to buy one with Steve. This one seems even really fancy.

"You must be really rich."

He looks at you confused.

It's been three weeks since you woke up. You didn't understand how it was possible that seventy years have passed. It was so confusing. Everything was different, and you didn't know how to feel. Strangely, next to Loki, you weren't angry. You were just lost. You didn't know how to explain to people what happened or even to yourself. How will you explain who you are in a job interview. Loki told you that you didn't have to worry and that papers will arrive soon for you. It will be like you were born not too long ago. You were thankful for what he was doing for you. You were just wondering how he knew all of this but preferred not to say anything yet.

You felt yourself wanting to throw up again. You thought it was an effect of the long cold, but you had to admit that it started to be too long for it to be that.

"Maybe you should see a doctor."

"And I will pay with what? I can't."

"I already told you. What mine is yours. Just take the money. You need to know what's going on. I can come with you if you want."

You nod. You knew he was right but you didn’t want to be more of a burden for him. He tried to make you relax. After going to different clinic, you were finally able to find a doctor who was able to take you without delays.

"We are going to do some blood tests. The results will tell us more about what you have.."

Four days later, you were back in the office. Loki was still present with you. He kept your hand in his to soothe you. You didn't know what you would do without him. He was a still a stranger but it always felt like more.

"Congratulations, you are pregnant."

"I am what?"

"Pregnant."

"But I didn't..."

"Did you not have sex?"

"Yes, I did, but it was a very, very long time ago."

"We are going to do an ultrasound to be sure."

You looked at Loki, scared. How could you be pregnant? The baby should be dead if you were pregnant for more than seventy years. The only thing that you could think about was the serum."

You barely felt the cold on your stomach. It’s like you were out of your body but still having your mind buzzing.

"Here it is, a beautiful baby."

You looked at the screen in shock while Loki kept his hand on your shoulder.

The drive home was quiet. You needed to understand what was happening. You couldn't be pregnant. The last time that you had sex was decades ago. It was before the serum, before you lose the love of your life. After breaking up with Steve, you didn't sleep with anybody. He was actually your first and only boyfriend. When he broke your heart, you were so devasted that you didn't think about getting revenge by sleeping with someone else. Soon after, you were under Hydra's possession. You don’t remember a lot, just a strange feeling and state; you body doing what it wanted.

You were watching the TV, enjoying a quiet moment. Loki was preparing the food when you saw him. Your heart stopped for a second. His face didn't change. He didn't change since the last time that you saw him. It was eighty years ago. Your heart arched again. God, he was still so beautiful; his blue eyes made you want to run to him, to hug him and feel his warmth around you. You wanted to feel safe again against him. His eyes were the only traits that didn't change with his smile. You still had trouble accepting his feature. You were so used to his skinny and fragile body. You could feel the pain coming back. You thought you were down with hurting, but apparently, you were wrong. You can feel your hurt racing. Loki came next to you, and he can feel that something is wrong. Since you woke up, he had faculties to read you, like if you were connected. He didn't know how, and the sensation was still strange for him. He never felt anything like this before.

"What's going on?"

"It's him."

Loki turned to watch the tv.

He didn't understand who you were talking about. He was looking at the news of his former enemies. He turned back at you.

"I think it's the father of my child. Steve. Steve Rogers. I just don't understand how he is still alive."

"Steve is your former companion?"

You nodded. You felt like you wronged Loki. You looked at the screen. You couldn't believe that you were seeing him. He was supposed to be dead or really, really old. How could he still look the same? Was it the serum? Was it a curse?

It has been five months since you woke up. Five months of learning about this new world. It was still so confusing for you. A lot of the things that you were seeing only futuristic ideas when you went under ice or not at all ideas. There were still some things that were dreams. Loki was helping the best he could, but you could feel that often he was as confused and unprepared as you were. He didn't tell you yet where he was coming from. You just knew that it was not from Brooklyn or this century. You didn’t push him to tell you the truth. However, you needed some answers. You wanted to know more about him. You wanted to be more connected to him. He was the only person that you knew, and he felt like he wasn't completely honest with you, which always trouble you a little.

You were making the diner when you stop yourself.

"Loki, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why do you always have a different from when we are inside and outside?"

You weren't stupid. When he was inside the house, he was this tall, muscular, dark haired man. Outside, he was smaller and heavier with blond hair. You just couldn't understand how it was possible. A serum was one thing, but that kind of magic was totally other one. He looked at you. He was wondering when you would ask it.

"When I would have tell you, you will leave me."

"I promise I won't."

"You can not make promises like this."

"Loki. I promise. I just want to know more about you."

He wasn't sure if he should tell you the truth. You would leave him and he will be alone again. He didn't want you to leave him. You were the only connection that he had here. You were the only thing that ever seemed right in his life, like you were meant to be together, like maybe, he wasn’t supposed to be alone. He also knew that you needed the truth if he wanted you to fully adapt to this new world and to him.

"I am changing my appearance because people hate me. I went to war with New York a few years ago. I destroyed the city and I killed people, many of them. If I show my true face, I will go into a prison in Asgard for the rest of my life with the key thrown away.”

"Oh, I... it's hard for me to imagine. What's Asgard?"

"It is the truth. I did horrible things before I met you. Things that I regret but can’t change. Asgard is the planet where I am from. This is why I can change appearances. I have mafic inside me."

"That makes sense, I guess. Why do you stay here then? I don't think I would ever be able to stay somewhere where people hate me."

"Nobody will think about looking for me on this planet. The Avengers and especially my brother must think that I left and never stay here."

You were sad for him, feeling you heart break. He might have done terrible things but he was the one there for you. He was the only one protecting you.

"Isn't it lonely to not be able to be who you are?"

"I have always been lonely. Nobody truly cared about me. It is the same here. I am just not use to this world and his costumes."

"Well, I do care about you. You are not alone anymore. I am here for you. I will always be."

You hugged him. It might be strange to be with a killer, but at the same time, you might have done worse under the serum. You will never truly remember. You just felt like months of your life were missing, like you lived a dream behind someone else eyes.

You screamed. The dolour was too much to bear. You never felt this before. Your body seemed to almost get ripped in half.

"Lokiiii'

He took your hand in his, looking at you with love.

"I am here, Darling, I am here. Breathe for me, deep breath."

You gripped his hand tighter, piercing it with your nails. You couldn’t do it anymore. You couldn’t push. You were tired and wanted to stop. Why did it have to hurt so much? Wasn’t it suppose a miracle? A miracle shouldn’t it be painless? Loki took a bit of your pain away. He didn’t want you to hurt but he also didn’t want the nurses to feel like something was strange.

After several hours, you finally brought a beautiful baby into the world. You couldn't believe it. You were exhausted and would love to sleep. However, you wanted to see your baby.

"Congratulation. She is a perfect and healthy little girl."

The nurse put your daughter into your arms. She already had Steve blonds hair but she was so cute, frowning. You never thought that could feel so much love for someone, especially someone that you ever met before.

"What will be her name?"

"Lena Frigga Anastasia."

"Frigga?"

You nodded. You didn't tell him before. You just talked about baby names. You told him that if you had a little girl, you wanted to call her Lena. You thought about changing it for Frigga. Loki had told you about his mom and how close he was to her, how he was the only one that truly loved him. You wanted him to know how much he meant to you. Everything that he did meant to you more than you could say. You just couldn't really abandon the choice of name that you had all your life, letting slip Lena's name more than once. You knew that if you called her differently, you will always mispronounced her name.

Loki heard you sing the lullaby. It felt like he was back months ago. At least it wasn't as persistent as before. At one point, he hated this song. It was marked in his head. Now that it was you singing it, he liked it more and was falling in love with it. It felt like it made sense, your soft voice filing the room. Loki wondered if it was you or Lena that sent him to you.

He looked at you rock Lena. He could stay like this forever. He loved seeing you maternal. You were so gentle and patient with her. You looked like the perfect mother, which made him smile.

"Shhh, you need to let mommy sleep. Your mom might be the strongest and most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life, but she needs to sleep if you want her to play with you."

You stepped in the corridor. Lena’s cries woke you up, and you were surprised that they stopped. You looked at Loki in the dark. His voice was so low that it almost didn't meet your ears. You couldn’t stop looking at him. The way that he held Lena made you fall for him more each time. He was made for this. He was made to be a father. Everything that he did since he knew that you were pregnant was for you to feel comfortable and not exhaust yourself. He wanted to protect you. You had a really hard believing that he tried to rule Earth and be the monster that he called himself.

It's been a few weeks since you realised that you wanted more with Loki. You could feel butterflies every time that you were seeing him. However, you didn't trust your heart to not be broken again. Steve had broken it beyond repair. You gave it to him, imagining your life with him, having children, and growing old together. You were afraid that Loki would do the same. You weren't sure you would be able to survive another heartbreak.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I was wondering what to make for diner."

It was a lie, of course, but the best that you could give him right now. He could tell that you weren't telling the truth, but he wanted to give you space.

It's been eight months since Lena was born. The routine that you had with Loki made you feel safe. He was the one providing for the three of you and you felt often useless, but he told you not to think about this. You had a child to think about, and it was the most important thing right now. He wanted you to enjoy your time with your daughter, and you couldn't be more thankful. So each day, you were trying your best to help, cleaning, cooking, being a perfect little housewife. You didn't mind, which was strange because the two of you were just friends. Friend? Yes just friends. You couldn’t let yourself get lost in love again.

You have been sleeping in the same bed as Loki for a few weeks now. Your relationship was progressing slowly. You told him that you weren't ready for a relationship. You loved Steve too much and were afraid to hurt again. Your heart has been crashed when he broke up with you. Loki seemed different, like he would never hurt you but Steve promised you the same thing years ago. You were really confused. You didn't know what to do. You could see feel Loki being patient but you didn't know for how long he will agree to this.

You woke up screaming. Loki immediately put the light on. You were shaking. He took you in his arms.

"Everything is alright. You are safe."

You stayed in his arms. You didn't have a nightmare since you woke up. This one was still vivid. You were trapped under Hydra's influence, not being able to move or think by yourself. You could feel and see what you were doing but you had no control. Loki told you a few months ago that it happened to him, too. The intentions were different but now he was sure that it wasn't really him, like if a vail was on his memories.

He hugged you tighter. You looked at him and got lost in his blue eyes. You close the few centimetres separating you from him. You kissed him softly first, then deepened the kiss. You remove the lair off his shoulders.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I have been wanted you for a long time Loki. I am sure."

He kissed you, making sure that you were ok with it. You made love for the first time that night, being safe in his arms.

Loki tried his hardest to not push you too hard. He knew that he needed to give you time and space for you to feel what he was feeling. It was his first time feeling like this. His sentiments were duplicated by more than a thousand times. He never thought he would feel like this, always thinking that he was meant to be alone and unloved. He was always seen had the bad brother, the lesser one, the tricky one. How could he be deserving of anything else?

He looked at you. He remove a strand of your hair before finally revealing something that was on his heart for so long.

"I love you"

You froze. You knew that you felt more than just a friendship for him. You just weren't ready. You will not be ready for along time.

"That's alright, you don't have to say it back. I just wanted you to know."

You smiled at him. You felt guilty for not feeling the same way. He was the perfect man for you, the perfect father. You felt like you needed to explain, to get an excuse.

"I don't want to hurt again. I know you mean well, but if you find someone else, I am not sure I will survive."

"Darling, I will not find someone else. I only want you."

"You are saying this right now but we don't know what might happen"

"That's true but I am not ready to let you go. Either you or Lena. I love you both, you know that right?"

You nodded. You knew that he meant it but you only thought about how he could be here one day and the next just want to go to war or have revenge. You talked a lot before, opening to each other. He knew about Steve and what he did to you. You knew about Loki's past. Well not everything, more than one thousand years were a lot.

Lena felt on the grass. She hurt herself a little bit and was crying. You didn't have time to be here that Loki was already beside her, his father reactions kicking fast. She immediately hugged him. She was a daddy's girl. Their connection was really strong, and you couldn't be more thankful. In the beginning, you were afraid that Loki would hurt her by leaving you. You thought that maybe he would be tired of being a father and realised that it wasn't what he wanted. However, it's been three years since Lena was born, and he was still here, taking care of her like she was his.

You had just put Lena in bed when you saw candles all over the living room. You couldn't talk. It was beautiful. With the small amount of time that he had, Loki had to use his magic. He move the sofa and the table to give you space, putting a cover on the floor. He prepared an indoor pick-nick. You loved it and when you looked at the ceiling, it felt like if you were outside and a sky full of star. He would have love for it to be real but that would have mean waiting a few more months for Summer to be here and he couldn't do that. He wanted to ask you now, the day where he finally find you. Yes, you weren't awake but it was the first time that he saw you, the first time that he felt like it was it, like he was meant to be with you.

After eating and passing the rest of the evening cuddling and enjoying the time just between the two of you, Loki was on his knee for you. If you said no, he knew that he couldn't be mad at you. Even with all this time spent together, he knew that you were still protecting yourself from being hurt. Steve had done a lot of damage and Loki hated him so much for making you doubt his love.

“My dear Y/N, four years ago I found you in Siberia, frozen but still alive. Since the moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew that I would not want any other way than to be by your side. I was drown to you by your lullaby. Now, I am drown to you by your spirit, your kindness, your personality, your doubts, your fears but mostly your love. You have the biggest heart I ever saw in my life and I have been around for a few centuries. You accept me for who I am, my human side like my Jotun side, you make me feel like I deserve all of this, like I deserve you and Lena, like I deserve to be a part of your family. I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world, that you have taken my heart and that I do not want it back. I want you to keep it for the rest of your life because I am yours and yours only. And if you accept it, I would love for you to be mine and to show you each day how much you mean to me. Y/N, Will you make me the honour of being my wife?”

Tears have been falling from your eyes. You had never thought that this day would come. You excepted it from someone else decades ago but not now, not with Loki. You knew that he loved you but you also knew that he was a God and you were a simple mortal and will be dead way before him. Your lives have been bound strangely but you would never want it any other way. You thought that receiving the serum was a curse, a nightmare but finding Loki, being with him each day made you realised that it was a blessing. You have been in love once before and you would have giving everything to be with Steve’s wife. Now, in this moment, you realised that he was never the one for you. Steve would have never been satisfied with a simple life. He would have always look for another war, another injustice to fight but you, you were a lover, not a fighter. Loki didn’t want to fight, he wanted this life with you, with your daughter, he was showing you how much you meant to him by proposing, knowing that maybe you would refuse. How could you refuse him?

“When I met you, I was heart broken. I never thought that I could ever love someone else again. I never wanted to feel that pain again but you, you have been so patient with me. You have loved be unconditionally, you had shown me that I deserved to be loved, that you will not leave me or Lena and that we were on this together. You trusted me with your secrets, the good like the bad ones. I felt in love with you a long time ago even if I didn’t want to admit it at that time. I love you Loki, I love you so much and I will spend the rest of my life showing it to you. Of course, I want be your wife.”

You jumped on him, hugging him tight, your arms around in neck. You were still crying. You stayed like this, whispering sweet things in each other ears. After a while, he pushed you away, kissing the tears of your face. He looked at you with love and a smirk.

“So my love, do you want the ring or not?”

He shows you the ring that was still in his hand. You laughed, showing him your hand for him to finally make the statement that he was waiting for years.

You whimpered softly in your sleep and Steve brushed his hand back on your neck, feeling you settle again in his touch. <She is days before her heat.> 

I know I wish I could help her. Steve hovered near you, trying to just walk away, knowing he should but it was so difficult. Every instinct in him screamed to stay, to curl back up with you and recover, fix that broken part of him that belonged to you.  

<We are here if she needs us.> His Wolf was so confident that Steve rolled his eyes at the beast's words, sensing that he was sure you would come to them. <Let’s go find her a gift. Our Little Wolf loves gifts. Something to let her know she is not alone.> 

Steve hesitated a moment, considering what it would mean to you if he left you something like he used to. Memories of little treasures scattered across his cabin made him smile, as well as wonder if they were still there. Feathers you found on the trails you used to run. Together you both had collected smooth stones and weathered wood that washed up on the beach. Steve would draw on dried mushroom caps off the trees in the logging lot, making you gasp at the small sketches he would gift you. You adored colored leaves from the fall that drifted down around the property, often making a game of snatching it from the air and marveling at the colors, making sure to keep a few that Steve purposely had framed to hang on the walls. Just that spring Sara was teaching you how to dry and press flowers. All those small tokens you scattered around the cabin, especially around the bedroom where the nest was made. It had been a safe haven for both of you, entwined together and talking about the future for yourselves and the Pack. 

And what should we bring her? 

<I know just the thing.>The Alpha excitedly exclaimed. Steve gave into him, one last look at you curled up in the bed before he let the shift take over, letting his beast take over once again that night, giving the Alpha the chance to tend his Little One. 

Steve was the one to return later, fully clothed now, and in his hand were smooth pebbles, tumbled in the river cutting through Wakanda. Something naturally beautiful for you while still sleeping peacefully. Careful he set the stones on the nightstand, knowing you would notice them when you woke up. 

The small colorful pebbles were still scattered around your room when you stormed out of your quarters, not even glancing to see if Steve’s door was ajar. 

You practically snarled on your way to the debriefing room. A young panther passed along a message that all of you were required immediately per T’Challa’s orders. Your snapping reply left him backing away and disappearing from sight. It was taking all you had to keep that anger at bay with your ex, refusing to acknowledge that it hurt more than it made you mad.

Steve wouldn’t mess with us, would he? 

The Little Wolf stirred, she was a whirlwind presence that made your fingers curl and jittery steps proceed you forward. She was just as wild feeling as you were at the moment. <Ask him if you want to know.> She snapped. 

You could tell she was mad and upset too, for different reasons. She and the Alpha had run together and waking up alone, still without her mate at her side was making her lash out, if you were shifted, it wouldn’t be hard to elicit a snarling attack from her. 

You sensed Steve before you saw him, turning the corner leading to where others were gathering in the large royal room, Steve and Bucky were talking quietly amongst themselves while walking ahead of you. You saw Steve tense a bit, his head tilting towards his shoulder and inhale, like he was seeking you out. 

Another thing to add to your list of why you were annoyed with Steve, always seeking you out. 

Bucky slipped into the room, but Steve stopped to hold the door open, his gaze softening when seeing you but you wouldn’t return it. Making worry and doubt cross his features. 

“Y/N..” He started a greeting but in passing, you bared your teeth at him with a warning growl. All of that hostility from you as your Little Wolf was currently revolting against you for warning him away. Clear blue eyes that were once so happy to see you flashed in alarm, widening in surprise as you stalked past him. 

Let the bastard wonder why I’m pissed. 

The Little Wolf huffed and her fur bristled at your words. You moved to Shuri’s side, the pantheress side-eyeing you a moment. “You okay? What did the big Neanderthal do?” 

You ignored her a moment, staring straight ahead, not wanting to answer her question. But you could feel her big inquiring eyes on you, knowing the girl was relentless in getting what she wanted. “He gave me a gift.” You finally relented and she gave a huff of disbelief. Finally, someone who got it. 

“A meager peace offering for how he disrupts your life with us? What made him even think you would want one.” 

Now was your time to squirm, your voice lowering. “Well, um… I might have run with him last night during the full moon.” That caused Shuri to narrow her eyes accusing you. “Okay, the Little Wolf did but you know… her and I are essentially the same so… I don’t fucking know Shuri. I am all confused by him. He comes here and willingly gets paired up to track with me. Why? After he insisted we couldn’t be mates anymore.” 

You could feel that overwhelming wave of questions, doubts, and pain start to build in your chest, making your Little Wolf forget her anger with a worried whine echoing in your mind. Shuri must have sensed it too cause she wrapped an arm over your shoulder in a brief hug, nuzzling briefly against your cheek with a rolling purr. “He is the dumbass who let the best part of him go, now let’s make him regret it.” She winked at you after giving a playful smack of her lips on your cheek, her gaze darting from you to the man across the room. 

The man who was now very red in the face and almost looked like he was ready to strangle someone, that gave you a slightly giddy rush that he would be jealous. Pan chose that moment to wrap his arm over your other shoulder, pining you effectively between the two panthers. 

“What are we whispering about?” He said conspirately while glancing around. 

“Dumb Alpha’s and why our Wolf here is better than them,” Shuri said triumphantly and Pan gave a solemn nod of agreement. 

“Wolf Alphas always seem so growly and pissed off.” He observed, his gaze flowing from Steve to Bucky, who was also glowering at everyone. You grinned and shrugged a bit. 

“They are like that to members outside of the pack, makes them look all big and scary.” Shuri gave a roll of her eyes and Pan gave a rumbling purr of a laugh. Already you were feeling better even if the Little Wolf was still pissed off at you. 

The room shifted attention when the queen entered, T’Challa right behind her. Both of their faces were serious, demanding every shifter’s attention. The chatter died down, all heads turning to the royals. “We located another camp from an anonymous tip, heavily armed and about to move the panthers and other shifters they have.” T’Challa’s gaze fell on you and then to the Alphas across the room. “They said they had some wolves in their possession. I figured you all would want in on this hunt to recover some other pack mates and help them return home.” 

You felt your Little Wolf perk up, her ears pricking and her demeanor shifted from giving you the cold shoulder to interest. Across the room, you could already see Steve and Bucky’s resolve. They would be hunting with the Panthers this time. 

<We have to Y/N, we can’t leave them there. You know what happens.> 

We are going Little Wolf, even if I have to do this with Steve. A satisfied snarl of anticipation echoed, making a cool calm readiness curl in your chest. We will bring them home. 

“Here you should find any equipment either of you might need. In fact, James I might have something you would be interested in.” T’Challa led Bucky away to show him some of Shuri’s specialties while Steve looked at the large assortment of gear that he knew Fury would love to have access to for any of the Commando groups Shield still had running. His gaze fell on various things that other panthers were plucking off the shelf to fit on. He would need something light to be able to move with speed into the camp, last time the chaos of the attack was swift. T’Challa wandered back over, his eyes roaming over the wall Steve was standing in front of. “Who will be hunting, you or your Alpha?”

“Since you already have the location, I will be in human form. I don’t know what shape the survivors are in. Seeing a large Alpha that may not be theirs might trigger them. At least like this, I can talk to them.” Steve said, picking up arm cuffs long enough to fit over his forearms. T’Challa nodded in approval as Steve fit them on, trying to see their purpose. 

“Fist your hand and give a push.” The King instructed and when Steve did, it activated the shield, flaring it out around his arms and clicking in place. At the end were sharp barbs, with the right punch, they would stab right into his opponent. 

“A weapon and a shield…” Steve admired the tool on his arms while T’Challa gave a nod to confirm it’s uses. 

“Another Shuri creation.” 

Steve made the motion again, sending the shields back to their compact shape. “Remind me to never upset her if this is the stuff she is coming up with.” 

T’Challa laughed softly with a nod. “She is a wildcat when someone crosses her. Excuse me, I must get ready myself. We are leaving in just a few.” 

Once again alone in the middle of the chaos of panthers, Steve went to find Bucky but instead came across you fitting yourself into a suit and facing away from him while you worked on zipping up the back of your suit. 

It stunned Steve for a moment, watching you gear yourself up to go to battle. He had seen you plenty of times preparing for a fight, but to watch you gear up, various weapons stashed on you, the kevlar layering against your form to protect your most vulnerable places, it made him gulp, his cheeks heating and swirls of arousal peak all his senses as well as that knot of worry that he always had when you were in any possible danger. The Alpha was prominent in his mind, feeding at feelings of want and need in him. The snap of your head had you looking at him over your shoulder and your gaze darkened on him. <She’s pissed.>

Oh fuck. 

“What do you want?” You grabbed at your wristlets, fitting them back on.

“I was just looking for Bucky.” Steve was soft with his words, trying to feel out why you were even more angry at him. “I’m sorry… if running with me last night…” 

You growled and his mouth snapped shut. “I called you remember, or the Little Wolf did and you answered. Why would I be mad about that Steve.” 

“Because you are snapping at me like you want to rip my throat out.” His temper briefly flaring as your anger was coming off you in waves. 

That was it, he could see the way you pivoted to face him with bared teeth and the tip of your nose wrinkled, mimicking a snarling wolf. Although shorter than him, you seemed to draw yourself up to his height. “I’m upset because you left me pebbles.” The panthers around you two threw cautious looks at one another while retreating enough to give the illusion of space. “A gift Steve, you went and found me something that you know I would really love and want to keep.” 

Steve stammered out. “Yeah, I thought you would like it Litt- Y/N.” 

“That, right there.” You pointed at him, your finger plowing right against his muscular chest. “You want us to be separated, but you still bring me gifts, catch yourself calling me Little One, coming here and disrupting everything I built to recover, Steve. I am recovering from you and you are just all right here, right in front of me pretending we’re good friends and nothing more with your words, but your actions are just what they were when we were mated. No. No, that’s not going to work for me. You can’t treat me like that and then say something different.” Your voice rose higher. “So stop it. We are not mates, you made that fucking clear the day you cut ties with me. Stop trying to still be, because this half-in, half-out game isn’t going to be tolerated.” You stepped back away from him, putting space between you two. 

Steve felt it all, your words were laced with pain and sadness under all that anger. Everything he caused to you and was still doing by being here. Everything in him hated what he had done, how he hurt you and he didn’t know how to fix it for you. “Y/N…” He started, trying to find the words to tell you that you were right, he was struggling to let you go. 

“Don’t say anything Steve, you can’t fix it with words.” You stepped around him, leaving him alone with your final statement while you joined the others heading out of the building. 

Bucky stepped into the room once it vacated, approaching his Alpha cautiously. Steve was doing everything in his power to keep from chasing after you, beg for your forgiveness. He would never forget the pain in your eyes that he put there.

<We did that…> 

I did, you never wanted to break the bond… I cut her off and now she is struggling. 

The Alpha was torn, wanting to take care of you and being told no. <She is moving on without us.> 

That’s what happens when you cut bonds. 

 “Hey… you up for doing this?” Bucky asked and Steve seemed to snap out of it, his tone turning into his Alpha commands. 

“We don’t stop till the mission is finished.” 

Can you hear me brotha? Shuri’s voice sounded in all your ears, her drone high above the camp.They are scurrying. You all maybe have ten minutes before there will be no sign of them. 

T’Challa had already circled the camp with Okoye and Steve, using his two most battle-knowledged resources to disperse the panthers in place, hopefully covering all exits and having the fewest casualties. You were placed near the main exit with Bucky, having been given the instructions to disable any vehicles leaving the camp, with the training Sam gave you fixing mechanical equipment, you were well equipped with how to kill the engines. Bucky stood at your side, tense and filled with anticipation. Instead of his usual flexible armor over his weaker left arm, he wore one of the devices Shuri invented. A shimmer of blue reflected the small amount of vibranium used to cover him like a shield. 

“It can go further if you want.” You softly shared with him while activating your bracelets, sending the special vibranium settling over your upper body like a second skin. Different than Bucky’s, but just as safe as his. 

“I’m just trying it for now.” He flexed his arm, wincing as the pain of the movement set off several permanently damaged nerves. “But it's a lot easier to move in then what they put on me.” 

You could only assume they were Hydra when he was under the influence of them. His comfort wouldn’t have been considered, not when he was hunting as the Winter Soldier, he just had to be efficient.  

A soft buzz went over your head, making you glance up to see Shuri’s drone checking on you, you gave a little wave of recognition before it wobbled a bit back in greeting. Her voice came over the comm in your ear. 

I’m glad my brother didn’t push you with that idiot Neanderthal. 

You couldn't help but snort out in a laugh, making Bucky side-eye you curiously as you glanced down, trying to hide your gleeful look at Shuri’s name for Steve. She must have had the drone connecting only with your ear piece for now from the confused look Bucky flashed you.

Be safe sister, I will see you when you come back, we can talk trash about your ex some more. Her greeting made your Little Wolf grumble, but you felt warmth curl in your chest that you had such a good friend at your side. 

Another voice crackled through, T’Challa’s this time talking to all of them, telling them to move in. You and Bucky both sprinted among the others with you, the two of you breaking away from the Panthers when you approached the first rigs all packed and ready to exit the camp. You and Bucky caught the first one by surprise as you vaulted up on the front of the truck, tumbling across the wide metal hood while slapping a disc on the top. The man behind the wheel stared at you wide eye for a second as you activated the device, the beeping giving warning it was about to explode. A gun lifted and aimed at you, but before he was even able to get his finger in place to pull the trigger, the divers door was wrenched open and the man pulled out to have his neck snapped. 

You slipped off the truck, pushing Bucky into motion as you both sprinted away. “Thanks.” 

“It’s what I’m good at.” He replied as you both ducked out of the way. “What did you put on that truck?” 

“A disabler, like one of those bytes Natasha uses. It sends an electric current through the motor, frying it useless.” You both lowered to the ground along the edge of the truck, sneaking on the next one that looked empty of anyone in the driver's seat. From a distance, people were yelling and shots were booming, you could only pray they weren’t hitting any of the team or shifters held against their will. 

“Nice,” Bucky muttered as he slunk along the edge of the truck. “Don’t let Sam see them cause he will probably freak out and ban everyone from the garage.” 

You snickered as you prepped another one in your palm, Bucky folded his hands and gave you a push-off to send you sailing up to the large truck's engine. This time the window was empty and you took your time setting it up when multiple pings sounded off the metal near you, and a stinging sensation burned along your shoulder, making your Little Wolf yelp in alarm and you tumble backward, scrambling to get out of the weapons view. Shocked by the suddenness the bullets came out of nowhere, you were screaming for Bucky to get down while checking that no bullets had penetrated your shields.

Shuri’s drone zoomed out of nowhere, twirling in circles to find where the shooter was located.  Above you Y/N Shuri screamed in your ear while you pushed to the edge of the truck’s hood to get yourself out of sight, falling several feet to the ground. Bucky had his eye to a scope, scanning where Shuri directed you. The ground was exploding with bullets aiming right for you as you pulled yourself underneath the truck, trying to get behind some cover. 

James, the top of that hillside, they planted snipers.

They took aim for him once you were out of sight, his own gun swinging one spot after another as he took precise shots, using his shielded arm to block any coming his way. Your jaw dropped in shock seeing Bucky shoot till he found everyone aiming for them. His weapon lowered, a slight vibration flowing through him like he was keeping his inner beast in check before he ducked down to peer under the truck. “Y/N, are you okay?” 

It took a second before you scrambled forward to crawl out “Yes, but how in the hell didn’t you get clipped?” 

He reached for your hand, pulling you the rest of the way out. “That shield covered all of me, just like you said it would. I got to tell Shuri this is magnificent. I felt a bit of the impact, but nothing serious.” 

You’re welcome. Shuri’s voice rang in your ears, the drone hovering just overhead before it zipped back out of sight, following along the perimeter of the camp. 

Bucky scowled at the device, eyes narrowing. “I don’t trust them.” 

“Yeah well, you can trust Shuri.” You shoulder-checked him gently with a grin, the Little Wolf pacing in your mind but the adrenaline rush that the attack had caused was starting to die down, your heart no longer racing. 

There wasn't any warning, Bucky lurched forward, a loud echo of a ping coming from his left shoulder and a man stepping out of the jungle, everything about him was masked to blend in, including his scent. He took his shot at close range, sending Bucky sprawling from the impact. “Last place I thought I would see you Sobaka.” His heavy accent made Bucky attempt to scramble up, the look in his eyes almost panic as they turned on you while you were trying to help him up and block him from the gunman, his gun cocking to take aim once more. 

“Get out of here Little Wolf,” Bucky growled out while pushing you away from him to make you fall back into the heavy dense forest, your tumble making you skid down the side of a hill into even thicker heavier foliage, tangling you. You yelped Bucky’s name while pushing yourself up and ripping at the jungle's dense foliage to get free, scrambling up the hillside to reach your packmate. 

“BUCKY!” You crested the hillside to see chaos. In the mere seconds you had been entangled Bucky shifted to the White Wolf, the beast's fur drenched red as the man threatening you before was trying to crawl away, his mouth gaping as he tried saying something, but red just leaked from him. You pushed up to a stand while the White Wolf’s ears pricked at you, his muzzle curling up to show stained fangs from his recent attack. “James… it’s me.” You held your hands out, and they wavered as your Little Wolf started snarling, ready to defend you. 

His tongue lolled over his muzzle but his snarls still made you want to submit to him even as an Omega yourself, his Alpha presence usually so subdued was unleashed. The Wolf’s eyes were glowing a burning yellow, his fur bristling as he seemed to asses if you were his next victim. 

Your breath caught in your throat, knowing that Bucky wasn’t in control and everything was seen as a threat to the White Wolf. You felt your Little Wolf preparing, you were a swift shifter, but you wouldn’t be able to make the change before he got to you. “Buck, please.” Your voice wavered softly as you fell back a step. 

You saw his muscles tensing under his fur, preparing for his final attack. In a split second, you clinked the bracelets together, letting the armor flow over you when you were hit with force. Your hand grabbed his ears to keep his snapping jaws away from your face, his snarls and snaps as loud as your scream for help. 

You wriggled under the massive wolf, pressing your feet against his softer underbelly to try and kick him back. “BUCK! STOP!” You screamed, a howl of distress bubbling up to escape you from the Little Wolf. All in seconds you were rolling away from him, the weight of him suddenly gone. Lifting your head you saw the silver streak go after the White Wolf again. Your brain was trying to catch up, but the Little Wolf already knew. 

The two alpha’s were going after each other viciously, tangling around each other while their roars were deafening, giving you flashbacks to your and Steve’s fight underground, Brock standing nearby with triumph as your Alpha pinned you into the hard cement floor, his long canines digging into you while his hot breath washed over you. 

He was lethal when he wasn’t in control, his Alpha much bigger than the smaller Little Wolf who struggled vainly trying to not hurt her mate even after the bond was shattered. 

All you could feel was regret in those moments that Steve had to do this, that he would have to live with what happened for however long Brock wanted to torture him. In those moments, your life changed to where you were now.

<It’s Steve. He heard you.> 

Behind you an earth-shattering boom sent you falling back once again. This time mid-roll, you pushed to your feet, sprinting to where you could see smoke billowing. <What are you doing? We have to go back to our mate!> The Little Wolf started fighting against you, trying to break free from your mind. 

Steve can handle himself, they can’t. Another bomb went off, this time a truck near you shot shrapnel flying all over, making you duck, covering your head as best as you could. You felt tiny knicks get where you weren’t protected. 

“Y/N!” Pan lowered next to you, his hands pulling under your arms to get you up. “We gotta go, now.” 

“We can’t leave.” You said in a pant, preparing for the next sprint into the foray of madness. 

“It was all a trap, this was never an actual camp. Set up for us to come in.” Pan tugged at you again, dragging you to your feet. 

“Steve and Bucky are back through the brush. Bucky was triggered and now Steve is trying to keep him from attacking us.” 

Pan glanced around and got the two of you moving, checking for survivors as they raced for cover. “You should shift Wolf, we can move-” Another violent wave seemed to overtake the camp, both of you ducking once more. 

But it wasn’t nearly enough, not this time. Pan covered your body while pushing you down, a soft gasping snarl in your ear as his body shook against yours until everything went silent, even Pan. Warmth raced over you and you smelled it before you saw anything. The iron tang of blood. 

“P-p-p-an?” Your voice wavered as you wriggled out from underneath him and started to push him over. Instead of the warm friendly eyes of your friend, they were staring unseen. “PAN, please talk to me.” You cupped his face, trying for any response even though there was nothing there. 

The White Wolf was shaking next to him, the Alpha barely holding onto the connection they shared, Bucky finally blinked back through and suddenly he was back, the man looking at the Alpha with a hoarse tone to his voice. “I’m fine Alpha, I got it. Go now.” 

They all heard the booms beyond the trucks you and Bucky were meant to destroy, beyond the thick underbrush of wild jungle. 

The Alpha was torn, to stay with his brother and make sure he was truly okay and in control like he said or go to you, his instincts to protect you from any harm. The Wolf bolted, using his large muscled body to crash through to the other side. 

The smoke made the Alpha’s eyes sting and the residue of destruction cling to his fur as he nosed along the ground, following your scent out of millions that were burning his senses. His ears pricked when he heard the sound of your cries. 

You were leaning over the panther you ran with, you were pressing your hands against his chest, pumping hard to make him breathe. 

But the Alpha had seen enough bodies on the battlefield to know he was gone. 

He approached you, the Alpha pressing against you till you fell into him, burying your face against his fur and wrapping around him. 

Steve shifted, his voice soft while pulling you into his hold and cradling you while you mourned on the battlefield. “I got you Little One.” 

T’Challa pried off his mask, the drone hovering near him. His eyes stung with the dust and smoke filtering through the air, his panthers pulling together to find the wounded. His sisters' drone hovered near him. “Shuri, how bad is it?” The King tiredly asked. 

Bad Brother, our intel was wrong in this case. There are several casualties. 

Natasha called you a ‘people pleaser’, since you found it rather difficult to say no to people and situations. You said yes to people often because you were afraid of letting them down, sometimes even putting yourself in their shoes and imagining the disappointment if the roles were reversed and it was you who needed something.

The one person you always aimed to please was Bucky. Falling in love with the sergeant was obviously never planned, these things rarely are and as cliché as it sounds; it just happened.

At first glance when Bucky first arrived at the compound under Steve’s guidance, Bucky was closed off to everyone besides Steve. The meeting between the two of you didn’t quite go to plan either as phe was dismissive of your attempts at a friendship from the get-go. There were times when he would grunt whenever you would walk into the same room, excluding you from conversations. The screams of horror that ripped through the walls of the compound was what nightmares were made from. The heavy bags under his eyes the morning after made you feel sympathetic towards him and you just wanted to help him in any way that you could. Any way that he would allow you. You never gave up on him, and Bucky must have realised that because one day, his walls crumbled and he confided in you. He told you his deepest, darkest secrets that he didn’t even tell Steve about. You were sworn to secrecy, and the two of you grew closer and closer from that day on.

The closer you grew to Bucky, the more you realised this was more than just friendship to you. This was love.

You never told him about these feelings. You feared the second he heard them, he would shut you out of his life in an instance and you’d back to square one. So you kept them to yourself, allowed yourself to lay awake at night and daydream about the kind of future you would want with him, the kind of future that would never happen. It was like a nightmare on loop, the feelings you felt for him were about to combust and you just had to confide in somebody.

That somebody was Natasha. She was the best one to ask since she had a lot of experience in the dating field.

“I just- I just don’t know, Nat. We’re best friends now and wouldn’t it be weird?” You bit your lip as your fingers played with the tassels on her cream knitted blanket she had splayed over her bed.

Nat was finishing up her makeup before she spun on her heels and turned to you with an eye roll.

Okay, so maybe she wasn’t the best person to confide in after all.

“Why would it be weird? You’re already dating with the amount of time the two of you are spending together.. and why would it be weird? You know all there is about each other. It's a solid foundation.” She takes a breath and straightens out her dress. “I’m really sorry, Y/N but I have a date and I don’t want to be late. Just talk to him, he will listen I’m sure.” She apologises again as she picks up her matching purse and sweater off the chair and makes a hasty dash out the door, leaving you to contemplate your decision alone.

***

The walk down the hall to Bucky’s room felt like it would be the last time you’d walk these trails for some reason. The guilt, the anxiety just sat in the pit of your stomach, churning and making you feel extremely nauseous that you weren’t even sure you could do this.

But you took Nat’s advice, Bucky just had to know how you felt about him. It was his reaction you were more worried about.

You knocked on his door and wiped your sweaty palms on the back of your sweater. Bucky’s feet padding across the carpet resonated through the door, causing your heart rate to soar dangerously high. Bucky swung the door open; clad in black jeans, black socks, damp hair and his dog tags dangling over his chiseled chest. His cologne knocked any greeting out of your head, he smelled so good and it took all of your willpower not to lean in and take a deep sniff.

“Hey doll! Just the person I wanted to see, come on in!” He stands to the side and you walk in, shirts after shirts are scattered all over his bed.

“Bucky, I have to talk to you about something.” You start, but realise he isn’t actually paying attention to you but his shirts on the bed.

He smiles, picking up a shirt and holding it up against himself. “What do you think?” He asks, invisible question marks written all over his face.

“Uh it looks good? What’s the occasion?”

Pink dusts his cheeks as he throws down the shirt and picks up another, and another.

“I have a date with Jenny.” His smile reaches his eyes while your heart breaks. “It’s our third date so things are going well.”

Wait, what?

“Your- your third date?” You chuckle nervously, desperately hiding the crack in your voice. “How did I miss this?”

Bucky shrugs slightly and decides to go with the maroon shirt.

“We’ve just kept it a secret until now. You’re the first person I’ve told actually and could really use your help with flirting since I’m not good in that department.”

Oh wow. An invisible force just punched you in the gut and the air is tight.

“I’m- I’m not exactly the best person to ask.” You bite your lip, blinking quickly so no tears dare shed. “Maybe ask Nat.” You say quickly, heading towards the door. This is a lot to process and you’re not sure what to do with yourself.

You bid Bucky good luck and good night. He really didn’t seem to take notice of your state of distress and if he did, he didn’t say anything. You head back to your room and lock the door, collapsing on your bed and allowing your pillow to capture your fallen tears.

***

Bucky sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. The maroon shirt hung loosely in his hand as he rested his elbows on his thighs. What the fuck was he doing? He was in love with you, he has been since he met you. It was his mind they made him believe you were too good for him, he didn’t deserve you since he was sure he would break your heart over and over again.

But your body language crumbled right under his eyes. He saw how you were trying so hard not to cry and all he wanted to do was hold you and told you not to cry. He had no idea what you thought about him, what you really thought about him and thought the only way he could get over you was to date somebody else completely opposite. He wasn’t lying when he said things were going well. He was worried things were going too well and now he’s scared shitless he’s lost the most important person in his life.

There was nobody else like you.

You knew he felt the shiver that ran down your spine, it curled low and tightened as the tall asgardian pressed up against you. "You were busy," it was your defense, your only defense. But it was also true, the cities most prominent were at Starks party and every Avenger was told to be in attendance. PR stunts were always dreaded and Tony tried his best to keep them to a minimum.

Yet when you caught sight of Thor chatting it up with such a jaw dropping woman something inside you cracked. It wasn't serious between the two of you, it was just a way to pass the time. It's what you told yourself when you woke to an empty bed.

"Is that true?" He asked, pressing you into the wall behind you, hypnotizing lighting blue eyes burning into your gaze.

You looked away, his stare was too intense, there were people everywhere and you would be caught. "Thor-" you gasped as he nudged a knee between yours, the dress you wore pressed up. "THOR!" You whispered harshly, trying to bite back a squeal as one thick hand gripped your thigh and he slid it up, thumb gathering the material of your dress as he drove it further up. You caught at his wrist, mouth falling open around a quiet exclamation, he gripped your chin with his free hand, forcing you to meet his gaze.

"Is this a problem my lady?" He asked, stepping closer and invading your space further.

You swallowed, "s-someone will see!"

He cocked his head to the side, nose bumping yours as his lips grazed yours, "and this is a problem?"

You choked back a moan, "if they see you w-with me-"

Thor watched, excitement running through him as you kept your hand on his wrist, keeping him from dragging your leg around his waist. It was because you held him back that he didn't take what he wanted right then. The sight of Steve smiling and laughing with you was not new, but when you reached out and ran a hand through his hair, when Thor saw the captain blush and smile at you in that way… something inside of him growled low and dangerously.

He knew you saw him differently. You kept him at arms length, like right now, you caught his shoulder in your free hand and turned away from him, it made that something inside snarl and snap, begging him to just take what was his. Thor wanted nothing more than that, but he wanted- needed you to need him just as much. "If they see us together, this is a problem?"

You squeaked when his teeth nipped at your earlobe. "I- uuuhhh-" his tongue followed the bite and your brain failed to process any thoughts, fizzling out as fire swept through your veins. "T-Thor… if they see us…"

"Mmmhmm?" He hummed low, gruffly, sedunctively; lips skating over the corner of your jaw before he pressed his lips along the curve of your neck, he grinned against your skin as he caught the back of your knee and jerked your leg up finally, you gasped as he pressed his hips against yours.

"Nnngh!" You pressed your face into his shoulder, a little sob escaping you.

Thor froze, "do you truly not desire me?" If this were the case he had read it all wrong and gone too far.

You clutched at him and took a small breath, "I do, too much I think."

Thor pulled back to look at you, a little difficult when you kept burying your face in his shoulder. "Tell me you do not want me as I do you and I will cease."

You pulled back at his words. "You want me?"

Thor's brows pulled together. "Have I not made myself clear? I have shared bed with none other than you, it is only you that I seek out and it is you that I worry of when we go to battle. Tell me, tell me that I do not cross your thoughts and I will.. I will not bother you again." He let go of you, taking a step back, worry evident in his eyes.

You felt your heart crack as he did, "I didn't think you cared."

Thor wanted to huff, yet watched as you struggled to keep still, hands gripping your dress, you kept from looking at him. Slowly and carefully he cupped your cheek and waited till you did. "Forgive me if I have given you cause to think this way. Let me be clear then, Y/N, I want no other than you. Let others see that it is you that causes me to forget all, you that makes me lose thought when you speak to any other male; and it is you that, for all it is worth, has my heart."

He spoke so softly and honestly that you couldn't breathe. You nodded. Nodding again when he tipped his head towards yours in question, "how can I follow that?" You asked, tears falling even as you struggled to keep from crying.

Thor chuckled and leaned in, "just say the words my lady," he breathed against your lips as one hand wrapped around the base of your neck to pull you into him.

"I love you Thor," you answered before he crashed his lips against yours.

"Hey, hey! None of that! There are too many eyes here!"

Thor dragged himself from you to see Tony himself standing not a few feet from the two of you. "Stark-" You pressed your face to his chest and Thor caught himself. "You are right-"

You cried out as he swept you up into his arms with ease. "THOR!"

Tony burst into laughter.

"Have a good evening Stark, there is something I need to speak with my lady about in private."

Tony waved a hand and turned, "guess tonight the ladies will be mine!"

Thor grinned as you peeked at him, face hot, as he took long strides to the nearest elevator. "A long, long conversation. One that will take all night and perhaps the better part of the day?"

You shook your head at him. "You are impossible!"

"I am a God"

"One that I am in love with."

Thor paused, "say it again."

"I love you."

Thor growled before he headed for the stairs, "a very rigorous night of conversation-"

"The elevator?!"

"Takes too long-"

To him, you were a city personified; the early morning - you were soft and silent and rays of sunshine that bounced off his skin, warming him up from the outside in, but you were also the night - loud and rambunctious, dark humor, like a bass in the clubs that reverberated through his mind constantly.

Everything about you was in stark contrast to him. During combat, you were a swift and silent assassin. You didn’t have any superhero-like abilities like the majority of the team, but the way you jumped up on the wall and twisted your legs around a guy’s neck to then fall down with grace and throw a dagger at another guy, made it seem like you did, always anticipating what was next.

Bucky was a brute force in comparison to you. From the way he ran, heavy boots stomping on the floor as he threw a knife with so much strength it pierced a guy’s hand to the wall, to the way his vibranium arm could easily crush a bone if he needed it to.

When you weren’t on a mission, the contrast was even bigger. Your bubbly laugh rang through the kitchen when you were baking chocolate chip cookies for everyone, or when you’d put a bandaid on Sam’s forehead because yes, it hurt and yes, he wanted you to take care of him, because you always made oolong tea and checked-up on everyone.

Bucky was the silent brooding type, who’d lick his own wounds in the corner of the kitchen, far away from everyone else. Sure, you’d check up on him, all toothy smiles and soft touches, but you respected his boundaries and knew when you had to go.

That was one of the many things he loved about you. The ability to sense how a person was feeling, where their boundaries were. You were one of the only people who could tread the fine line he was, the fine line he didn’t always understand himself.

You had wormed your way into his heart so easily, from the obscene jokes you told during missions to your soft whispers flowing in the night air when you were reading poetry on the roof to Bucky because he couldn’t fall asleep again after another gruelling nightmare.

Bucky couldn’t figure you out - and the more he tried to unravel the enigma that was you, the deeper he fell in love.

* * *

This morning’s mission had been... challenging. Some radical group had stolen a shipment of weapons, based on alien technology and intel said that they were gonna use it to get some people out of the raft - the kind of people that never should leave the raft ever again.

Earlier, the team had decided that Nat and you would enter the building from the back. Bucky, Steve and Sam would cause a distraction in the front of the building.

Sam was the first one up, soaring through the sky with his wings as he took out a guy who was standing on the lookout. Bucky had then proceeded to deal with a sniper, his metal hand crushing the pipe of the gun, then smacking the guy across the face with it, effectively knocking him out. Steve had run in after Sam, throwing his shield between two guys and kicking another one in the stomach. The third guy had doubled over in pain, tried to fire his gun, but missed and Steve had knocked him down.

Meanwhile, you and Nat were working on getting inside through the back. You got out your lockpicking kit, and expertly moved the tools in the lock until you heard the small click.

Natasha silently turned the knob as you put back your tools in the small pocket on the back of your suit and got out a dagger instead, one of the 13 you had on you, along with some other fun stuff.

Natasha had strangled the guy behind said door without breaking so much as a sweat, her red hair still pin straight and framing her beautiful face.

You turned to the adjacent hallway and turned your dagger sideways, so you could use it as a mirror to see what was going on there without alerting any of the potential guards.

You clicked your tongue to alert Nat, who was just done tying down the man with an elaborate knot. She propped a piece of fabric in his mouth so he couldn’t allert his accomplices and silently strode over to you.

“And that’s why I clean my knives daily,” you snickered softly as you raised your brows when she checked the reflection, clocking four heavily armed men.

“‘I’m so glad I recruited you when I did,” Natasha whispered in your ear. The two of you fell into your routine, where you would jump up against the wall and land into a criminal’s neck. You’d cut off circulation for a while, just so he’d pass out. Natasha got out her small electric devices and threw them at three other guys, electrocuting them.

“Lazy,” you scoffed as she retrieved the little devices. Natasha just threw you a lopsided grin and advanced towards the middle of the building, where the shipment of guns should be stocked according to the intel.

“Where are you guys?” Natasha’s voice rang in your ear as she contacted the supersoldiers and Sam through the comms when they still hadn’t arrived at the meeting point.

“Right...about….done,” Steve grunted as he slapped a guy across the head with his shield on the beat of the words, “we’ll be there in a minute.”

You were flipping your favourite knife as you were waiting for the boys, trying to do a trick that hadn’t been a success yet. The last flip still didn’t land the way you liked, but when you heard the three men approaching, an idea formed in your mind.

Hiding behind the corner, you let Steve and Sam pass first. They only send an eyeroll your way, but let you do it anyway. Bucky was lagging behind a bit, but once he was close enough, you rolled out from behind the corner and sent the knife flying his way.

Bucky caught your knife effortlessly, a small grin on his face, because you always kept him on his toes, never ceasing to amaze him. He flipped the knife back to you and you caught it immediately, a lazy grin on your face as you watched his cheeks turn crimson.

“Good catch.”

“Good throw,” he grinned, his blue eyes watching your face with an unreadable expression.

The team huddled together and decided what the best plan of action would be. Sam would send out Red Wing and Bucky and Steve would then bust in and take the brunt of the violence and bullets. Nat and you would sneak in after them and disarm the rest of them - there couldn’t be a lot of people left, right?

Up until that point, the mission had been a success. Everyone on your team was still healthy and going strong, easily defeating the group of criminals that were once again threatening the safety of the world.

But you should’ve knocked on wood or done something else superstitious because when Red Wing entered through the small vent above the door, it was shot out of the air immediately by a slingshot-like weapon that was definitely not from earth.

“The fuck!” Sam called out as his screen blacked out and his mouth fell open, “they didn’t just do that. Tell me they didn’t just do that!”

Bucky just clapped him on his shoulder, a small smirk present as he and Steve got ready to bust through the door.

“Didn’t you just spend like, 7 hours fixing that thing from the last time?” you snickered as you switched out your knives for ninja stars. Sam just stared at you, his jaw slightly twitching in annoyance as he switched off Red Wings interface on his arm.

The whole mission kinda went sideways after that. Bucky had pulled open the reinforced door with his vibranium arm and tossed it aside and immediately shots had been fired at you.

Steve had fended off a few guys with his shield and Bucky had picked up the discarded door to throw it at them, two of them immediately down.

There were so many more though. Intel hadn’t provided you with much information, but the fact that they were actively negotiating with another group of probably very lethal criminals could have come in handy.

“Nat!” you called out as she dodged bullets and flipped over a guy. She grabbed his head, effectively smashing it against the ground as she used gravity to help her bring down the tall man.

She turned just in time, another man blasting some sort of netting towards her. Natasha quickly ducked and rolled out of the way, the netting just grabbing her foot. Natasha was able to cut off the netting and she used it to wrap around another guy who had his back turned towards her, fighting with Steve.

Meanwhile, you ran up to Bucky who was taking on a very muscly man in an intense fist fight. You threw three ninja stars at the guy, two at his knees and one towards his elbow that was just pulling back to punch Bucky square on the jaw.

“Thanks,” Bucky breathed out as the man fell to the ground, screaming in pain. You pulled out your ninja stars again, putting them back into the small compartments of your suit to use for another incoming attack.

“You wanna do our thing?” you asked him as you eyed two other men coming up to you, both holding knives that had a sickening green glow surrounding them.

Bucky nodded and bent down a bit as he held out his arms in front of him. Taking a few steps backwards, you prepared yourself as the two men were just close enough.

You took off towards Bucky as fast as you could and leaped onto his hands that were clasped together. He easily boosted you up into the air, high enough that the men couldn’t reach you, but also not too high, ensuring a safe landing.

The two men faltered in their steps a bit as they watched you fly through the air, momentairly distracted by whatever the fuck you were doing, and Bucky used this to throw a punch as hard as he could against the temple of the left guy.

During your time in the air, you had pulled off your necklace and pressed on the little button on the clasp, turning it into a self tightening string you could wrap around the other man’s throat.

The man tried to fend you off with his knife, but once he started getting lightheaded, he fell to the ground, taking you down to the ground with him.

Once he was out cold, you took off the string and rolled off of him. Bucky was now handling two guys at once, and one of them was holding his right hand in a tight grip, an alien looking gun now pressing against his temple.

Something inside you twisted and snapped as you saw Bucky struggle, trying to avoid the dangerous glimmer of the barrel and you took off without thinking.

You threw one of your own knives into the man’s upper arm and the gun immediately fell to the ground. Bucky used his vibranium hand to keep the man in a choke hold, but he missed the way another guy now turned towards your figure.

The man was quick and stealthy, his knife wielding almost as good as yours as you fended off most of his attacks, throwing an intricate flip in your movements once in a while to get him off your track.

After fending him off for a few seconds, there was finally an opening to do a counter-attack and you flipped another knife into his direction, grazing his shoulder.

This only enraged the man even more and he pounced on you, the green glimmer of the knife now dangerously close to your face.

Your fists were hurting from punching them man repeatedly, blood now coating your knuckles like beet red gloves.

The man tried to stab you with the knife, but just in time you had crossed your arms in front of you, hoping your special suit that had a mix of kevlar threads and vibranium would fend off the knife.

The man was so busy trying to get the knife down to your throat, he missed you still were able to use your legs. You kneed him in the groin and he rolled off of you, grabbing his crotch and wailing in pain.

You grabbed the tightening string and wrapped it around his hands and feet, incapacitating him as he tried his best to escape; it was no use though, your string was made of special material that was almost unbreakable.

That’s when the searing pain on your lower arm finally started to seep into your system. It burnt a little, as if it was actively eating away at the flesh and you winced as you checked out your arm.

The man must’ve succeeded in cutting through your suit anyway with his green knife, leaving a gashing open wound that had a green edge to it.

You grit your teeth and cursed at yourself, before looking around the room to check if there were any more bad guys running around.

Bucky just gave another dude an upper-cut with his vibranium hand and Sam had taken down two others, the room now eerily quiet, only the laboured breath of your team still audible after using most of your energy to fight them off.

“You okay?” you directed the question at Bucky, your adrenaline levels dropping after saving him from being held at gunpoint.

It looked as if those were the last ones remaining and you wanted to check out what they had done to their weapons to make the poison so effective, as you heard Bucky calling out your name, his voice louder than you had ever heard before.

The pain came before the realisation that you were hit by something, no, pierced, as you slowly turned your head to check out your right shoulder.

The metal tip of a green glowing spear was just sticking through the flesh, teasing you that for once, you hadn’t anticipated what would happen to you because you were too busy trying to help Bucky and that you should’ve done another check around the building instead of assuming the coast was clear.

The green stuff definitely wasn’t normal earth-like poison, because it made you feel light in the head almost immediately, shivers running over your whole body and breathing through your nose felt like the most constricting thing you ever had to do.

The spear must have been made from vibranium - or something even stronger, because it easily made your hightec Stark suit look like the homemade spandex onesie Peter Parker once wore, fraying the edges and giving no protection.

There was a struggle behind you, probably Steve or Sam taking out the guy who had thrown the spear at you.

Your knees buckled and you fell down hard on your forearms, your body refusing to cooperate as you felt your eyes turn in their sockets. Your whole body felt like it was slowly getting paralyzed, from your shoulder down to your arms and lower body, eventually reaching your feet.

Bucky immediately came up to you, catching your limp body in his arms before you would fall even further, the spear still stuck out of the back of your shoulder, a sore reminder of how you failed the most basic task an assassin had: always do a double check.

It felt like someone had pushed a giant cotton ball in your mouth, your tongue swollen and foam coating the ends of your lips as you just looked in Bucky’s eyes with the most haunting look he had ever seen.

Bucky was shaking your body, trying to keep you conscious, but when your eyes finally rolled back after a minute, he couldn’t help but whimper your name as you didn’t move anymore.

* * *

Bucky and Steve were carrying your limp body into the medical bay at the compound, Natasha and Sam close on their heels, as they watched your body that was like a ragdoll - your limbs were moving with the sway of their steps, head bobbing up and down.

“Banner!” Bucky called out, his voice alarmed and urgent as he felt your pulse under his finger slowing down to an unhealthy pace.

Bruce showed up in his white lab coat, a pen hanging out of his mouth as he was probably trying to find a formula for something.

“What happened?” he immediately asked as Steve and Bucky carefully placed you sideways on the surgery table. They had broken a part of the spear off for easy transportation, but also to keep the pressure on the wound so you wouldn’t bleed out before Bruce could help you.

Bucky moved his hands carefully over your face, trying to move some of the hair that was stuck to your forehead, your face still wet due to the sweat.

“This spear pierced through her suit,” Natasha said, her hand holding onto yours for support, “it’s laced with something definitely not from earth.”

“I’ll have to see if I can make an antidote,” Bruce said as he got a closer look at the angry green wound, “this spear needs to be removed first.”

“I’ll get Cho on board as well,” Sam called out as he ran out of the medical bay.

“Bucky, I’m going to need you to grab a few things for me,” Bruce said as he pulled on some gloves and checked how exactly the spear was lodged into your body.

“Just tell me what to do, Banner,” Bucky’s voice was a steady beat in the med bay, but his eyes betrayed that he was terrified of what was about to happen to you.

* * *

The moment dr. Cho arrived, everything happened in a whirlwind. She focused on healing your shoulder back to the way it was, while Bruce tried to create an antidote that would reverse the effects the poison had on you.

With dr. Cho’s regeneration cradle, it was possible to heal the wound, but for some reason, your shoulder still had a very large angry green mark left that even the machine couldn’t fix.

Even dr. Cho was surprised when you came back out of the cradle. Her machine had always been able to fix everything, but this poison must’ve done something to the components of your skin, it was impossible to repair - even with her advanced technology.

Bucky had stayed in the OR the whole time, even though he trusted Banner and Cho would fix you up just fine, he couldn’t help but be worried that you’d never open your pretty eyes again or tell another crude joke at an entirely inappropriate moment.

The cradle had done its best, but the poison was still coursing through your veins, the green mark glowing a little and giving the rest of your skin an eerie effect. It reminded him a bit of a book he read when he was younger. The green light across the lake that reminded Gatsby he could never have Daisy the way he wanted to. It felt the same for Bucky. Now even more than ever, as you were on the brink of life and death and he could do absolutely nothing about it.

Right now, he was sitting next to your bed, the slow rhythmic beeping of the machine that registered your vitals a steady beat in his ears. The only thing he could do was hold your hand.

Bruce had been working on the antidote for four hours by now, but still no success. Apparently, the chemical compounds the spear was infused with was breaking down your nervous system, though at a very slow speed, on top of being paralyzing and causing small seizures. There was nothing Bruce could do in the meantime - the only option was to find an antidote. A real race against the clock.

Other team members had come and gone, realizing they couldn’t provide anything for you at the moment. Bucky stayed. He talked with dr. Cho when she came in to check on you, about a possible second round of the cradle to fix your nervous system. The bedside nurse gave him an apple juice after five hours of waiting and Natasha brought him a sweater to change into. He hadn’t even noticed he was still wearing the jacket that was smeared with your blood.

It was after nine hours and 38 minutes that Banner stormed into the room, holding a syringe with a blue liquid that he claimed would reverse the effects of the poison. Banner looked absolutely drained, his skin pale and his eyes droopy, but that motherfucker had done it again, proving he was indeed one of the smartest minds on this planet.

Bruce quickly injected the serum and immediately, your heartbeat sped up to a faster, normal rhythm. It sounded like music to Bucky’s ears.

“Now, I don’t know when she’ll wake up, but I do know she’ll be very vulnerable to the poison, if she ever gets attacked again,” Bruce said as he pulled off his gloves and wiped the sweat off his brow.

Bucky’s fist clenched, the whirring sound of his vibranium arm was aggressive almost as he watched your lifeless form lay in the bed.

“Not on my watch.”

* * *

To Bucky’s surprise, it didn’t take long for you to walk around the compound again, another flowy sundress around your body, the green scar present on your shoulder like a tattoo you wanted to show off.

“What are you doing up already?” he questioned as he strode up to you, his hand coming up to rest on your non-injured shoulder as he furrowed his brows, “it’s only been a few days since you woke up.”

“It’s not that bad Bucky, Cho fixed me up real good,” you waved his concerns away as you stepped around him, “and I want breakfast.”

“You almost died,”  he said, exasperation clear in his voice as he eyed you rummaging around in the cupboard, looking for your oats, “in my arms, may I add.”

“Almost Bucky, important word,” your voice was muffled as you were searching for some fruit in the fridge to top your oats.

“Hey,” his voice was behind you all of a sudden, a stern edge to it as his hand pressed against the door, his knuckles turning white. You were acting completely different from your usual soft-spoken persona.

“Hey,” you smiled at him, strawberries now in your hand as you closed the fridge door and avoided him once again.

“Stop this,” he snatched the strawberries out of your hands and you pouted, “stop. You can’t just go around the compound ignoring what happened.”

There was a twitch in his jaw as he looked at you, signalling that he really was pissed off at how you were acting.

Everything about you looked like it was fine - freshly washed hair, your perfume invading his nostrils and the sundress was back, but the green scar reminded him of what had happened mere days ago.

“What should I do about it Bucky,” you crossed your arms in front of your frame, a frown now present on your face as you watched him tense up again, “it happened. I’m still here and I saved your ass by the way.”

“Seriously? I was doing fine,” he snapped, his blue eyes angry, like electricity ready to shock you, “you and your saviour complex almost got you killed.”

“Saviour complex,” you choked out a sarcastic laugh, “this sounds like a story about a pot and a kettle, Bucko.”

Bucky just furrowed his brow as his eyes turned to slits when he watched you grab a few strawberries from the container he was holding.

“I’ll explain it to ya,”  you clarified as you cut off the stems, your knife like an extension of your hand, “I see the way you look at me.”

Bucky scoffed as he put the strawberries back in the fridge, “what’s that supposed to mean?”

The clinking of the knife against the cutting board was harsh as you chopped another top off, “at the compound. You think I’m like this delicate flower that needs to be protected all the time.

“And during missions, you see me as this whole other-, this whole other person even! Like a badass who doesn’t need help or anything.”

The last cut rang through the kitchen like a bolt of lightning that struck nearby. Your voice was harsh and cold, every word feeling like a punch to his gut - and it hurt even more because it was you who was throwing punches this time around.

“Why can’t you accept that I'm the same person? I can be crude and cold and dark, but I can be light and summer and warm, too.”

“I-uh,” he hesitated, his hands now in his pockets and eyes trained down to the ground. It’s true what you said - every single word. It was difficult to distinguish the colourful compound-you from the dark and mysterious assassin that accompanied him on missions.

“It’s the same thing for you, Bucky,” your voice was softer now, velvety smooth as you saw how his entire form deflated a bit with realization.

For Bucky, when he was at the compound with you, he wanted to cuddle you until your breaths evened out beneath the night sky, to protect you with all his might. It felt like he was the only one who could protect you and your sundresses and freshly baked cookies. It reminded him of his mother and sister, their laughs ringing through the kitchen when they were baking pancakes.

When you were on a mission, you could take care of yourself. Your black suit would whizz past him, accompanied with flying daggers and ninja stars. Bucky didn’t feel like you needed help or protection during those times, because your smirk reminded him that you were a strong person. You were capable of taking down six guys on your own, why would you need him?

The moment you in your dark suit got hurt, something inside his brain short-circuited. It didn’t make sense that your darker, cruder version would ever get hurt - because you had never been hurt before. Sure, there were scratches most of the time, broken bones some of the time, but never anything to this extent. Your body in his arms bleeding out and exposed to a dangerous chemical, the dark suit not protecting you any more than a sundress would. It confused him to no end.

“What do you mean?” his voice sounded small and hurt, his red-rimmed eyes finally connecting to yours.

“You think you’re this awful machine, but that is not the Bucky I know,” you sighed, “when we’re on the roof, and you think I’ve fallen asleep and you whisper those words, I-I heard all of it Bucky.”

“What?” he blinked a few times, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that you were aware of all his ramblings that were supposed to be lost in the cold night wind on the roof of the compound.

“You act like you’re this tough soldier, but I know you’re so much more than that,” you came closer to him, your hands coming up to lightly touch his face, “just like I am not a fragile woman here or an unbeatable assassin on missions.”

His nostrils flared as he tried to suppress his feelings. His gaze avoided yours, it was focussed on the green glowing mark on your shoulder. The green light that would now remind him every moment you could never be his.

“You’re allowed to be soft and happy, Bucky. It’s not a mutually exclusive thing.”

“I just-,” his voice cracked as the green mark glared at him, but when his gaze fixated on your eyes, they were welcoming and clear and had a loving glimmer to them.

“I just don’t know how,” he decided.

“What if- what if we changed our roof visits a bit?” you proposed, your hands now slowly dragging down towards his neck and shoulders, “I know you’ve got some poetry in your little note-book.”

“Ho- how did you know?”

You pursed your lips, a small smile growing on your face, “because you were reciting some? A few weeks ago?

“It was... bewitching, Bucky. Haunting at times. I-I’ve never heard anything like it.”

“You don’t think it’s weird?” His voice was low, a rumble in your ear straight into your chest, making your beating heart grow three times in size as you watched the man before you crumble right in front of you.

“No! No, not at all. I would love to see more of this side of you,” your fingers gripped on the collar of his shirt, “you don’t need to put a mask on for us - for me.”

Bucky let out a shuddery breath as your fingers traced around his collarbone, your eyes still trained on his. He was used to being close to you on the roof - you had cold hands you’d hide inside his coat - but in the daylight it felt like he might collapse on the ground with the way you were looking at him.

The door to the kitchen opened and Sam strode in, a bit sweaty after his morning run and Bucky wanted to step back, pull his face back to a stoic gaze and go back to his room to mull over his thoughts.

Your fingers were still gripping his shirt, preventing him from leaving, “tonight. You and me, on the roof,” you quietly whispered, a hopeful look on your face.

Before Sam could say anything on the little interaction, you let him go and went back to your strawberries and oats.

“How was your run, Sammy?” you called out as Bucky swiftly disappeared from the kitchen.

* * *

The air was cold on the roof of the compound that night and the darkness was in stark contrast with the rest of the compound.

Bucky had been watching you for a few minutes from a distance as you drank from your water bottle and stared up at the stars, a blanket wrapped tightly around your shoulders.

You probably knew he was there, lurking in the shadows, but he appreciated the fact that you’d let him come over on his own tempo.

This whole moment felt off to him. This Bucky had never been a soft one, someone who you’d read poetry with. This Bucky was all steel and guns and knives and dark colours that made blending into the night so much easier.

The sound of his boots alerted you of his presence and you opened the blanket so he could slip under it as well, his body providing enough heat to keep warm during the night.

His left hand had a small notebook clutched, but he carefully put it on the ground and sank into the old couch you asked him to drag up to the roof.

Your hands immediately disappeared inside his coat, the cold leaving goosebumps on his skin as he inhaled deeply, whifs of your perfume surrounding the both of you.

“Hi,” you whispered as you turned your head to look at him. The moon was illuminating his face, showing all the planes and angles, the highs of his cheekbones and the soft blue that made you want to drown in his embrace.

He softly whispered hi back, his minty breath fanning on your face as he looked at what you were wearing.

You weren’t wearing your usual colourful outfit, instead black leggings and a dark blue Stark Industries sweater now clad around your body.

Bucky scraped his throat, his heart beating a little faster as he thought about what he wanted to say to you - confess even.

“I-uh, I want to apologize,” he started, biting on his lower lip, “I shouldn’t have made a version of you inside my head.

“I think- I think I wanted to protect the soft parts of you, whilst also admire the dark parts you show to the outside world, and I- I never wanted to admit you could be both of these at the same time.”

You nodded encouragingly, one of your hands coming up to rest against the side of his face, his scruff tickling the inside of your palm.

“And I guess, I never allowed myself to be more than one thing. More than just a soldier. And- and I really want to show you the parts I never showed before - to anyone,” his voice travelled through the air, soft and husky.

“Thank you, for apologizing and for wanting to open up,” you said. after a beat of silence as your finger traced the lines on his face, “it’s not gonna be easy, Bucky.”

He licked his lips but nodded, the feeling of your finger tracing his skin was mesmerizing, drawing him even more, “I know.”

His voice was rough, but the words were soft and it was the perfect combination of who Bucky really was. Behind closed doors he was gentle and loving. He wanted nothing more than to cuddle up with you under the blankets in his room, your head pressed against his chest as he stroked the soft skin on your back.

He would shake you awake after a nightmare, wanting to be held when his thoughts wouldn’t calm down anymore.

He wanted to show you who he really was.

His right hand came up to cradle your face, his nose now immensely close to yours and your breath hitched in your throat.

Bucky was also like a city personified; his soft touches reminded you of the early morning light kissing your skin, his sarcastic laugh of the walks home after clubbing all night.

You and him were magnets. The soft parts clung to each other as much as the dark parts. Sometimes they’d push each other off, other times they would cling to each other for dear life.

* * *

That night, when he pulled off your Stark Industries sweater and his lips attached to your throat and slowly went down towards your breasts, the green glow of the scar on your shoulder didn’t remind him about how unattainable you were for him.

It reminded him there was something glowing inside of you for him. A feeling that would never dim. You weren’t this elusive character in his life anymore. You’d be there for him when he needed you to be, just as he would be for you.

The green scar wasn’t a far-away lantern across the lake, seducing him and making him falter in his movements. It was the warm glow of life that reminded him you were breakable, just as you were strong. You were alive and you were his - at least in this moment.

And when you shakily sighed as his mouth latched to your throat again, your hands coming up to his face to drag him back to your lips, he couldn’t help but let three words slip out, mumbling against your soft lips he never wanted to leave again.

Baby, you're a vampire. You want blood and I promised. I'm a bad liar with a savior complex. All the skeletons you hide. Show me yours, and I'll show you mine.

“Who are you talking to?” you asked as you moved your way through a busy sea of people chatting along, and you took a seat by the bar.

“Your simp of a boyfriend.” Nat snorted an answer in behalf, making your cheeks burn at the flattery.  

Turning your seat and scanning through the faces in the room, your eyes finally met your boyfriend’s who was standing by the corner in his well-tailored suit, ignoring the unsubtle adoring stares sent his way by other guests.

“I don’t have hearts on my eyes.” Bucky muttered weakly in defense, sending you a shy smile that you mirrored, which of course was seen by Sam from who knows which corner he’s hiding.  

“Don’t make me go over there and smack that grin off you.” Sam threatened, thought you could hear the mirth in his voice.

But because of that little conversation the four of you had, you all missed to note that the target had made his way by the bar himself, and was now sitting beside you.

“What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” A deep voice asked you on your side. Turning your head his way, you stared right into the eyes of the man whose picture was flashed during briefing. Curses were heard through your earpiece.  

Composing yourself, you knew you couldn’t blow it. But there was a reason why Nat was the one to interact with the target and not you. And that is the well-known fact that you are bad at flirting.

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.” You found yourself answering with a smile, though you were pretty much kicking yourself now in your head.  

“I am too sober for this.” you heard Sam mutter once again in your earpiece.

However, instead of being put off by your response, the target seemed to find it amusing. “So, I’m a nice girl now too, eh? I guess we nice girls should be sticking together.” he winked at you before taking a swing from his own drink.

A scoff from undoubtedly Bucky, came through.  

“I think I located the secret room. Y/N keep him there so I can get what we need and leave smoothly.” Nat instructed, and you almost let out a groan from frustration.

“You’re blushing.” The man commented, bringing your attention back.

“I'm not blushing. Your face is just so hot that I got sunburned.” you attempted to redeem yourself but failed once again. You winced.

“Wow, you’re on a roll, Y/N” the tone in Sam’s voice implied that he was close to losing it.  

“In a hotel ballroom at night?” the man let out a boyish laugh, shaking his head at you. “Come on, don’t let me deteriorate your confidence.”  

From his reactions so far, this might actually be easier.  

“Uh... People call me Y/fake/N, but you can call me tonight?” you tried to sound confident, but it was evident in your face that you were cringing.

“Keep going, darling, I might just fall in love with you.” he was still grinning at you in amusement.

“Quit flexing, Buck. We get it, you have a jawline.” Sam spoke once again, amused at seeing how hard Bucky was clenching his jaw from across the room.

“I’m about to break this guy’s jaw.” he replied through the intercom in all seriousness.

Clearing your throat, you hope that Bucky will forgive you for what’s about to come out of your mouth next. “It’s working then. I mean I would flirt, but I often seduce men with my awkwardness.” you smiled.

Nat who was being all stealthy in the secret room couldn’t help but comment. “Isn’t that your comeback to Bucky after all those teasing about your awkwardness?”  

“Yep. The very same one that got him to kiss her.” Sam added to her comment.

“I didn’t know you guys kept a scrapbook of our relationship.” Bucky replied in annoyance. “It’s alright, darling.” He assured you, his tone softer.

“I owe you one.” you found yourself replying, confusing the man in front of you.

“What?” He asked.

“I- I owe you a dance!” you quickly excused from mini panic, and pull him to the dance floor. It felt really wrong, especially when the reason you even learned how to dance was also because of Bucky, who has since then gone quiet.  

The man himself was good on the dancefloor, but you couldn’t help getting distracted from your own guilt, when you finally spot Nat by the exit, giving you a nod as a signal that you were free to go.  

“I have to go!” you exclaimed a little too excitedly.

“Why so?” The man before you asked, slightly annoyed.

“I just have two hundred-year-old men at home. They’re kinda traditional and need me home by now.” you reasoned smoothly.

“Two?” he inquired.

“Yeah, people keep joking they might be more than platonic though.” you chuckled and waved at him while already making your way to the exit.

Once outside, you turned right around the corner to where Bucky was already waiting, while Nat and Sam were already inside the car waiting. You gave him an apologetic smile, and was ready to apologize when he pulled you into him and kissed you, almost in a desperate manner.

Pulling away, you saw that there was a glint of smile in his eyes. “You’re not mad?” you asked and he shook his head with a smile.

“Maybe just a little jealous.” He answered.

“A little?!” Sam called out from the car, with the window down. “Get your assess in here so we can go home.”

Before you could reach out the door, your boyfriend pulled you into him once again and gave you a peck before giving you a playful scolding look.

“Don’t think that I didn’t hear what you said about Steve and I, doll.”

--------

Y/N: This is short, but I’ve been having a bad case of writer’s block and just slowly working my way through it. Lol.