#sentry masterlist

The team had made him feel comfortable and part of something worthwhile, despite what they'd gone through to get to this moment.

Bob still felt guilty about what happened when Void took control of him and darkened everything in its path, even when Yelena reminded him it wasn't his fault and that he wasn't alone. The blonde had become a trusted person for him and was always there when he needed her. He told her his secrets and how he felt, and the Russian always gave him advice or a word of encouragement. Even with the trust he had in her, he confided in her something he never thought would happen to him. Or rather, something he thought was impossible to happen in such a short time.

He was attracted to Y/N.

The girl whom his other self had caused to see horrible things from her past, the one who could move metal objects with a simple flick of her fingers, and the one who made his heart race and his cheeks blush. It was a feeling that consumed him every time he was near her or even thought about her.

And Yelena, being the good spy she was and good at reading people, knew how Bob felt about Y/N. She always encouraged him to get closer and talk to her more, but Bob simply couldn't do it. It was not that easy.

"It sounds easy," John says, after hearing the plan for carrying out the mission.

Bob shakes his head to return to reality and ignore such thoughts.

"Wait until we get there and they welcome us with open arms," ​​Bucky says, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"We still made it last time, and look at us here," Y/N replies, shrugging her shoulders.

Ava laughs and shakes her head.

"We'd better get moving," she says.

Bob looks at the group with hope in his eyes, but feels unsure about what he's gonna say.

"Can I come with you, guys?" he asks.

All heads turn to look at him with a mixture of surprise and sympathy for his question. They know he wants to help however he can, but after Void was under control and hadn't appeared for quite some time, they weren't so sure it was a good idea to expose him like that again.

"Bob..." Yelena begins to say.

Bob hurries to explain himself.

"I know what you're gonna say. But I think I'm ready, I know I can control it" Bob says with determination in his voice "I've been practicing and trying to talk to him, so maybe I can do it, today"

"We know, Bobby," says John, "But we must complete the mission without any mistakes or problems along the way."

The brunette looks down and clears his throat, nodding. He raises his gaze to smile and meet Y/N's gaze, who smiles back.

"No, no, I understand," he says dejectedly. "When the time is right, I can come with you."

Bucky pats his shoulder and Alexei gives him a thumbs-up. Despite their attempt to lift his spirits, he can't help but feel useless and without any reason to be in the group, other than washing dishes, tidying the place, or reading books he finds lying around.

He hates the feeling.

But it is what it is, right now. And he has to face it.

After the meeting to organize the plan, the group dispersed to look for the weapons and prepare the car in which they would go to the location. Bob watched from afar as the rest of them prepared, while playing with his fingers. He shifted his gaze to the large window overlooking the city and didn't feel Y/N's presence approaching him.

"Hey," she said in a soft tone.

Bob turned his head to look at her and smiled delightedly.

"Hey," she asked.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He nods and laughs softly, pretending to be okay and swallowing the feeling that bothered him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine"

The girl mimics his smile and stares at him, while Bob feels the heat spread to his cheeks.

"Hey, how about we watch a movie when I get back?" she offers, patting his arm to get his attention.

Bob smiles.

"I was actually thinking it could be a movie night with just us. If you like that idea," Y/N says, crossing her arms and shrugging her shoulders with a smile on her face.

"A movie would be nice. I think it would be fun to have a movie night with the rest of the team," he says awkwardly "We haven't had one of those in a while, so..."

She lets out a soft laugh, thinking how cute he looks all flustered.

"Oh..." he remains silent to calm his nerves until he speaks again so as not to make a fool of himself. "Oh! Yeah, just the two of us. Of course. It could be fun. Count me in!"

Y/N smiles and laughs softly, wich sounds angelical to Bob's ears.

"Great. It's a date" she says.

Bucky calls her to let her know they're about to leave, so she starts walking away from Bob.

"See you, Bob."

"See you. Good luck," Bob says with a dazed smile on his face, remembering the girl's words.

It's a date.

Bob walks to his room with an excited smile, feeling happiness in his chest, but when he remembers the last thing Y/N said, his eyes widen.

"Oh shit! It is a date!"

He needs to prepare for it.

----------

Bob listened and watched from the communications room to see how the team was doing on the mission.

It wasn't going so easy as they planed back in the tower a few hours ago, as they had run into a group of mercenaries who weren't going to give up so easily. The brunette just hoped everyone was okay and managed to complete the mission—and he really hoped Y/N was okay and didn't get hurt.

A feeling of anguish and anxiety was causing Bob's chest to tighten. His leg kept moving as he played with the Rubik's Cube in his hands, unable to complete a color.

The sound of bullets filled his ears, and his jaw clenched as he heard and saw Yelena or Bucky being hit. Alexei grumbled as he tried to pull a man off John to help him, and Ava took care of a few. Y/N tried to stop the bullets as best she could, but there were some hidden snipers she couldn't sense with her powers so easily.

"There's to many of them!" John complains through the earpiece in Bob's ear.

"Fuck! If we don't stop the ones from the roof we cannot go back to the car!" Ava exclaims in an almost exhaustive voice.

"Shit. C'mon guys" Bob whispers while frowning his eyebrows at the scene.

"Bob, can you see how many are on the roof?" Yelena asks from the communicator in her ear.

"Uh, yeah, yeah" he says inmediatly "There's five on the roof. Three of them has guns and two of them are programming something on the computer. Seems like.... oh no"

"What Bob?" Bucky asks.

"It's a bomb! You need to get out of there" Bob says quickly.

"Shit," Yelena curses.

"I can try to stop them. But I need you to cover my back," Y/N says in a confident, hurried tone.

Bob watches as the girl begins to head toward the other side to attack the group of men with guns at the entrance. The others try to stop anyone from attacking her, and she moves stealthily between the bodies to reach the entrance. Bob focuses his attention on the cameras in the building that shows Y/N, his heart aching at what's happening in the footage. Or what could happen.

"Please, be careful," Bob whispers.

Y/N stops the guards' bullets at the entrance with precision in her movements and attacks some who plan to hit her. Bob's eyes glance at the rest of the team as they manage to escape thanks to the distraction caused by the girl with green sparkles flashing from her fingers. However, he doesn't stop for more than five seconds just to check on the girl again. He wants to make sure she's okay, even if it's from behind the computer. Far away from the place where she is right now —just the thought of it makes his inner self freak out.

Something it's beginning to awake inside of him. Something he thought he had buried for his own good.

Or rather someone.

"Y/N, all done. Let's head to the car. I'll try to get to you right away," Bucky orders.

"No. It's okay, I got this," she chimes in stubbornly.

Bob shakes his head.

But before she can do so, a stray bullet hits her shoulder, destabilizing the girl.

"Fuck!" she complains, touching her shoulder.

"Y/N?" Bucky asks worriedly.

"Y/N!" Bob yells, watching as one of the guards hits her with her gun on the back of her head, causing the girl to fall unconscious to the ground.

That's it.

Bob rushes out of the tower's communications room and runs to the balcony, where he takes to the air with determination. He doesn't stop for a second, because time is precious, especially after seeing Y/N getting attacked. The only thing that keeps repeating in his mind is the visual image of the girl being injured, so he moves quickly through the air until he reaches the others. He had seen the coordinates and the area where they were, so it was easy for him to arrive in time.

Bob tries to find the place that the camera allowed him to watched the area in wich the girl was back at the tower, and when he finds it, he is surprised to find that one of the men responsible of attacking Y/N is carrying her unconscious body in his arms. Fury courses through his veins at the sight, and he rushes to stop the bastard. It's as if he's being consumed by darkness, a sensation he knows all too well.

As soon as he's in front of the guy, he stops him and without a second thought, tries to attack him, careful not to hit Y/N. The man looks at him in horror and carefully places the girl's body on the ground, then raises his hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know..." he stumbles, but all Bob sees is red.

He growls and begins to mercilessly beat the man's body, making him bleed, and doesn't stop until he's unconscious. Blow after blow, unleashing all the anger he felt at seeing how the bastard hurt the girl. He can still see her grimace of pain and how her body fell unconscious to the ground, helpless, and who knows what they might have done to her if he hadn't arrived in time.

"Please...." the man begs almost unconscious.

Bob doesn't hear him. He doesn't want to.

And Void doesn't want to too.

The rest of the team arrives at Y/N's location, only to see her lying on the ground with a scarlet stain forming on the shoulder of her suit, while Bob kills the man. Ava approaches the girl's body and makes sure she has a steady pulse, while John makes sure that no one appears and attacks them by surprise.

"Bob," Yelena warns and tries to approach him to make him see reason.

"No! He hurt her. No one can touch her, or hurt her!" he exclaims in a mixture of anger and darkness. "No one! You heard me? Fucking no one!"

The others stare at the scene and notice how Y/N wakes up and observes the state Bob is in. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she rushes over to him and wraps her arms around him from behind, resting her face on his.

"Bob, hey. It's okay," she murmurs in his ear, feeling the man begin to slow down the blows, so she tightens her grip on his body. "I'm okay. Everything will be okay."

Bob calms down and brings his now covered in blood hands to Y/N's arms, then turns his body and hugs her with all his strength, trying to cover her body to protect her just in case, and also feel her in his arms and make sure nothing happens to her anymore.

"You are hurt" he whispers in her ear.

"It's just a scratch. I'll be fine" Y/N says with a small smile on her lips.

"He hurt you. I couln't allow him to do it" he says in a broken voice.

Y/N looks at the rest of the team and smiles at them, letting them know she's okay. Kinda. Bucky sighs and shakes his head at the girl in that state, knowing she must be screaming from the pain of the bullet, while Alexei smiles sideways and tries to encourage her from a distance. The blonde russian girl mouths to her that she will get the car ready to go, to wich Y/N nods and indicates her to do so.

"We still have our date," she tells him, still standing with the brunette, glancing at the man's lifeless body.

Bob lets out a sigh and nods his head against Y/N's chest, agreeing with her.

"Our date," he says in a soft tone, relaxing at the touch of her fingers in his hair. Although he can't help but feel anger again when he smells the metallic scent coming from the girl's wound.

"Yeah. Are we still up to that?"

"Definitely" Bob answers and lets out a small laugh.

She smiles and then pulls away from him to look him in the eye. Those blue orbits who watch her with a spark on his eyes.

"So let's go home and have our date, okay?" Bob nods and then lowers his gaze to the girl's wound.

"First, we need to treat your wound," he says, pointing to the red stain on her suit.

"Would you help me with that?"

"You don't have to ask me twice."

They both stare at each other with a small smile on their faces, understanding how much they care for each other and would do anything to keep them safe and viceversa.

Especially Bob.

She didn't know how or why since she couldn't remember "designing" him in her imagination, nor was he apparently based on anyone real and she usually had enough to do with the fantasies she imagined before bed about her favourite fictional characters or famous people, but apparently her mind had designed another life and a fictional boyfriend that she dreamt about every night when she fell unconscious. His name was Bob, and they did all the things couples do: go on dates, tell each other they love each other, hug, kiss... Etc. He was the perfect boyfriend in every way — he was her type in every way and he was everything a girl would want in a boyfriend.

According to her diary she had known him for a little over a year, although it had been longer since she started dreaming about him — but in reality she had known him for much longer, she just couldn't remember him.

Little by little she became obsessed with him, and although she saw him every night, she wanted to compile all their encounters because when she woke up she sometimes forgot many things, so she began to write and draw in notebooks everything she experienced with him so as not to forget anything and to feel him closer, more real. Maybe he wasn't real, but unfortunately her love for him was.

Even when she was awake she dreamt about him, and how could she not? She knew that her obsession with Bob had gotten out of control and that it wasn't normal to dream about him all the time, but according to her it was a defence mechanism her brain had created. She knew it wasn't normal, but was she hurting someone, or herself? She thought about going to therapy, but she didn't have enough money to go and talk about her dreams — it wasn't a real problem. She told herself that her love for Bob wouldn't slow down her love life in real life, but unfortunately her love life was as non-existent as this one apparently was — she couldn't find anyone she really connected with, and she'd rather be alone than in bad company.

She knew the dreams were strange, that nothing there made sense and that it was better not to try to make sense of them unless you wanted to end up with a headache from the confusion, but it was strange to her that she always dreamt in first person, when normally, before him, she used to dream in third person. They also tended to have continuity and she no longer dreamt strange things, like flying a plane and in the next "scene" being on the beach having a few beers with Queen Victoria. And sometimes she was aware that she was dreaming.

But at the same time she was fascinated by how real it all felt at times, so real that it was even scary. At that precise moment she couldn't see him as they were in the dark, but she could perfectly feel every millimetre of his body against hers — his hot and naked chest against hers in the same state, her legs hugging his back, her arms hugging his head, her hands clutching his long hair, his breathing hitching and moaning in her right ear with every thrust... She could even feel him cumming inside her and pulling out his member.

"See you tonight, my love," he whispered sweetly in her ear before kissing her cheek with the gentleness he hadn't had while fucking her, but her mind was so clouded by the orgasm she'd just had that she almost didn't hear him. The only thing working properly for her at the moment was her sense of touch, and she felt him pull away from her as she felt his cum drain from inside her.

"Bob?" she asked when she caught her breath, or rather, when she woke up. There was no answer and she didn't feel him next to her either, plus she was wearing panties and a baggy shirt again and didn't remember getting dressed.

She only saw two small white dots in front of her, assuming it was sunlight coming through the tight slits in the blind. She reached out to turn on the lamp on the bedside table next to the bed. When the small warm light illuminated the place she saw that she was in the room at home and not in the room in the house she shared with him in her dreams, which she knew as well as the real one. She felt a tickling liquid coming out between her vaginal lips, and for a second she thought, or rather, hoped it was his semen as crazy as it was and even though she didn't want to get pregnant, but for better or worse it was just a lot of discharge from the erotic dream she had had. She was so busy trying to process everything that she didn't even notice that those little white dots had disappeared with the light.

Then she reached under the pillow, reaching for her mobile phone with her sense of touch. When she picked it up, she pulled it out and looked at the time on the lockscreen. It was early in the morning and she was working the afternoon shift that day, so she decided to lie in bed doing nothing but daydreaming, wasting time and waiting for him to fall asleep again even for a little while so she could see him again, but no luck.

He was sitting cross-legged on their bed, and on his crotch was her. He had his hands on her waist and she had her hands on his shoulders as they talked about whatever, though she was paying more attention to his face, scanning and analysing every detail as she took her hands off his shoulders and brought them to his bangs, brushing them out of his face in an attempt to tuck them behind his ears.

"I'm not so handsome that you can't stop staring at me," he joked, tilting his head to the side to see if her eyes followed him.

"You're such a dummy, you are so handsome!" she replied, pretending to be offended as she gave him a little tap on the shoulder with her dominant hand, and they both laughed. "But that's not all..." she said more calmly, "I have this feeling..." she said as she looked at various parts of his face and put her dominant hand on one of his cheeks, "that I know you in real life," she said finally looking into his eyes as he moved his head towards her hand, to feel her touch even closer.

"Maybe you did," he said with a melancholy smile and tone — he always got like that when she was aware that what she was living was a dream, "in another life."

It sounded beautiful, and maybe there were possibilities (considering the strange world she lived in, where aliens and magic existed), but she was a reasonable girl and thought it was more likely that he simply had the face of someone she saw at the train station where she worked. She saw thousands of faces a day, his face was probably of some guy who made a dent in her subconscious (and with how handsome Bob was, she wouldn't be surprised).

"And what kind of life was that? Um?" she asked curiously. She didn't believe that possibility, but she wanted to imagine this supposed past life.

"Maybe..." he said looking behind her shoulder. "I was a superhero and I had to make everyone forget about me with my superpowers," he said forcing a comical tone but still unable to look her straight in the eye, not wanting her to realise that what he was saying was the truth.

"Why?" she asked, wanting more information. The story sounded interesting.

"For safety, of everyone" and she assumed he meant it for his civilian identity, so that she and other loved ones wouldn't be attacked by villains.

"Well, that's sad," she said grimacing.

"Yeah," he said grimacing as her. He then hugged her, needing the comfort and protection of being so close to her and wanting to hide the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes. Evidently she returned the gesture, hugging his head in silence until she sighed deeply.

"...I'd love it if you were real," she said sorrowfully.

"...If it's any consolation..." he said looking at her again, "You're very real to me, you're everything to me."

"Yeah, but... I want to be with you always," she said, as much moved as frustrated.

"I'm always with you, I'm closer than you can imagine. Trust me, I'm your guardian angel."

And this time he wasn't lying.

© trainer-from-unova / alicent burton | don’t plagiarise or translate any of my work

Bucky prepares his weapons, his brows slightly furrowed, as he listens to the blonde through the communicator in his ear as well.

"Old friend or an ex from the past?" Bucky asks, to which Y/N ​​smiles in amusement.

Yelena laughs sarcastically.

"Ha, ha, ha. Yeah," she says. "He's just a friend. I could never see him that way in my life, and he thinks the same. I'm not his type, anyway."

"We'll do our best, Yelena," the girl assures her, starting to walk with Bucky to the back entrance of the place.

Yelena thanks them, then leaves the duo on their own. They both act stealthily and cautiously to avoid being seen by the guards. Bucky is in charge of throwing a rope that sticks to the ceiling of the compound, giving it a couple of tugs to make sure it's secure.

The black-haired man watches her.

"You coming?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Of course," she begins to rise into the air with the ease of her powers. "See you up there."

Bucky complains and curses, while Y/N laughs. She is the first to reach the roof and waits a few seconds until the man reaches her side.

"Sometimes I forget you can fly," he says, letting go of the rope and letting it fall from the ceiling.

They start walking to the ventilation duct, which Bucky easily opens with his metal arm. He lets Y/N go through first, and she cautiously squeezes through the ventilation duct, complaining about the space in the process. With great care and effort, they begin to walk through the limited space until they reach the grate that leads to the lab where Robert was. The duo stays on their knees, crouching, peering through the grate, a bright orange light emanating from it.

"I think it's here," Bucky says, adjusting the weapon in the small backpack on his back.

"Do you know the plan?" Y/N nods as she peers through the grate, looking at a man lying on a stretcher in the fetal position. "You ready?"

"Are you?" He looks at her, to wich she confirms her answer with the movement of her fingers that open the metal grate.

Bucky is the first to go down, trying to make as little noise as possible, then raises his arms and embraces Y/N in them. They make sure no one is watching them, so they give Yelena the sign to lock the glass room they're in. Suddenly, the deafening sound of the metal doors slamming shut is heard, jarring the brunette awake, who falls off the stretcher and onto the floor.

"Ouch!" he groans.

Y/N walks over to him and crouches down to check on him. Bob's eyes are still closed from the impact, a look of grievance on his face.

"Are you Robert?" she asks, frowning.

Bob opens his eyes and finds himself staring at the girl in front of him.

He swallows and nods repeatedly.

"Yeah, yeah."

She smiles and brings her fingers to the communicator in her ear. "We got him, Yelena," she says triumphantly.

The brunette sits up, resting his elbows on the floor and looking at her with hope in his eyes. He remembers the blonde-haired girl who stood by him when he needed her most. Until Valentina's team managed to capture him again to continue turning him into their weapon. Time passed and his hope faded, but now a calm slowly invaded his being.

"Good job, guys. Thank you" says Yelena and the smile on her face can be heard through the earpiece.

Y/N looks back at Bob and gets up from the ground offering her hand to help him, which he accepts. Robert notices Bucky who is looking at him carefully and cautiously, alert to any sudden movement.

"Well, Robert. We need to go. Now," Y/N says.

Bob nods, not questioning her decision.

He feels the blue-eyed man's cold glare and swallows, suddenly feeling small; it's as if he hates him without even knowing him, and doesn't understand why. But he doesn't have time to continue questioning that, as a deafening alarm suddenly sounds. The metal doors begin to rise, revealing several guards pointing guns at them behind the glass.

"Shit," the girl curses and positions herself next to Bucky.

"I thought we had more time, Yelena," Bucky says, sounding exasperated.

"Fuck, I didn't think they'd discover us so quickly."

"Really? Well, they did," Bucky says, readying his weapon.

He signals Y/N with his hand, indicating the vent for them to leave. "Go, I'll distract them."

"Come on," she says taking Bob's arm —not thinking twice, the girl knows Bucky can take care of this on his own.

They move as quickly as they can.

"Can you get in?"

"I-I think so."

Y/N lets the brunette climb first, then pulls herself up and enters, feeling Bob help her by wrapping his arms around her waist. The pair crawl through the duct quickly until they reach the exit to the roof. Soon they both step out, but stop abruptly when it can be heard the sound of guns pointed at them. There are some guards who went up to the roof to catch them.

"Stop! Don't move!" one of them shouts.

Both Y/N ​​and Bob raise their arms in surrender, until the girl decides to move her hands and take the guns from them, while Bob throws them away through the air, letting them fall while hearing their cries for help. She looks at him in surprise and raises an eyebrow, to which Bob glances at her, as if what he did was wrong.

"Wow, that was good."

Bob smiles and shrugs.

"Thank you. You too."

The moment of victory doesn't last long, as Bob feels something stinging his neck. He reaches for his neck and pulls out a dart, staring at it with a frown. The girl notices that one of the guards is left in the corner, and before he can attack them, she uses her powers to shot him with one of the guns that was on the ground.

"Fuck," Bob says.

Y/N's eyes widen and she reaches for him when she realizes he's about to faint. The girl's arms wrap around him as best she can and she tries to communicate with Bucky.

"Bucky, we have a problem here."

"Yeah, me too!" he replies, while she hears the bullets on the other side. "Do you think you can make it to the car?"

The girl looks down at Bob, who is unconscious, and considers her options. She can fly to the car without a problem, but she's never carried someone in her arms while doing so. However, Y/N would have to do it if she wanted to complete the mission.

She sighs and nods with her head, even if Bucky can't see her.

"Yeah, i can do that."

"I'll be there in a minute. I need to take care of something before. Be careful" he says the last thing in a concerned tone.

"I will. You too, Bucky" she asks.

Without waiting any longer, she grabs Bob's body in her arms and soars into the air until she reaches the car. She opens the door with a flick of her fingers —without needing the keys, and carefully puts Bob inside, then gets in the car and closes the door, checking that no one else is near the perimeter. Y/N catches her breath as she adjusts Bob's body so he's sitting in the car and she puts on his seatbelt.

Y/N brushes a strand of hair away that's falling from the man's forehead and looks at him, scanning the details of his calm face. But the calm doesn't last long because Bucky decides to jump into the car without a warning.

"Fuck, Bucky! What the hell!" she exclaims, feeling her heart race in shock.

"No time to yell at me! We have to go, now!" Bucky yells as he starts driving.

The black-haired man drives like there's no tomorrow, and they get as far away from the scene as possible, feeling the bullets hit the car, but the sound of an explosion steals their attention.

"Shit. That was you?" she asks, looking over her shoulder.

"I had to stop them somehow," Bucky says, his eyes fixed on the road.

"Not bad," she says, pouting and shrugging.

Bob slowly wakes up, opening his eyes and looking around.

"What happened?" he asks in a soft tone.

Y/N looks at him and smiles.

"Everything's okay. We managed to escape, don't worry," she comforts him in a soft tone, noticing how Bob's frown softens and she can see the relief on his face.

"Is everything okay back there?" he asks, looking at them in the rearview mirror.

Y/N nods, but the man abruptly turns the car to take a shortcut, causing Bob's body to move —and the brunette's face to land directly on Y/N's breasts.

"Fuck, sorry!" Bob says panicking.

Y/N feels a heat spread across her cheeks at what happened with Bob, even though she knows it was a complete accident. Unlike Bucky, who glares at him as he continues driving at top speed.

"Hey, it's okay," the girl says, and Bob immediately pulls away from her.

"You seemed to enjoy it, Robert," Bucky says in a serious tone.

"Bucky. Now's not the... Watch out!"

The car is hit by another vehicle, causing it to flip through the air. Y/N rushes to try to use her powers and stabilize it, bringing it back down to earth, only now they're upside down.

"Are you okay?" Bucky asks, groaning.

"I think so," she replies, looking at Bob, who's grimacing from the impact.

From one second to the next, the girl is yanked out of the car by someone, while Bob and Bucky shout at her to stop and let her go. One of the guards who managed to reach them grabs her by the hair and pulls her head back, putting a plastic syringe down her throat. If she makes a false move, he'll inject her with it.

"You're not that useful with your magnetic powers now, are you?" the guard says in her ear.

Bucky blows the driver's door open and immediately gets out, pointing a gun at him. Bob still hasn't gotten out of the car.

"Ah, easy there. I can inject this into her anytime if you shoot me, soldier."

Y/N looks at him, her eyes telling him not to do anything. Bucky clenches his jaw and lowers the gun, then drops it to the ground and raises his hands in surrender.

"We'll do this: you give me Reynolds, and also I take the girl with me, and no one gets hurt," he offers with a mocking smile.

"Eat shit," Bucky replies, gritting his teeth.

"Yeah, I don't think so," a voice identical to Bob's is heard.

The rest watch as Bob walks toward them slowly but surely, with a much darker and more confident aura than a few minutes ago when they rescued him.

"You're going to let her go, and then I'll take care of you so you never show up again," he assures, standing in front of the guard.

"How are you going to do that? Are you going to beat me up?" He laughs, and Bob just smirks.

The brunette stretches out an arm and uses his hand to make the guard choke suddenly, freeing Y/N, who is instantly rescued by Bucky. They both watch as Bob chokes the life out of the man without having to touch him, then disappears, leaving a dark, black trail on the ground.

The pair stares at him in perplexity, and he turns to look at them, specifically at Y/N, whom he approaches, standing in front of her.

"You're safe now," he says calmly.

A few months had passed since Bob had arrived at the home, greeted by Yelena, who was happy and relieved to see him alive.

The pair shared a unique connection and a friendship they had forged over the years since they met in the laboratory where they were subjected to a series of torture experiments. They had promised to seek each other out once they had found the location they were in. Although it had taken a while, they were now reunited.

The rest of the team had also welcomed him well and were getting to know him over the last few days to integrate him into the group.

Yelena had explained to them that Bob tended to have his good moments and his bad moments—like what happened with the guard when Y/N and Bucky rescued him. It was as if they'd possessed poor Bob, turning him into a more confident, powerful man with dark intentions. It wasn't that they judged him for that; everyone there had done things they regretted, but this was different. Something beyond their capabilities.

The rain was now pounding the roof of the compound. The ambient temperature was low, and every time Y/N blew air through her nose, she could see white steam rising from it. The girl had a cup of tea in her hands that relieved the cold a little, while she sipped it, appreciating the rainy landscape in front of her.

The house was completely silent, allowing only the soft sound of falling raindrops to be heard. It was the perfect weather and occasion, according to the girl; she could enjoy it all day with nothing to do and no one to interrupt her. John was spending time with his baby, Ava was on a first date with Yelena—the pair were getting to know each other much better after forming a team. Meanwhile, Alexei was working in his spare time as a limo driver to pay some bills, and Antonia had decided to step away from the group for a while to pursue her own business.

So the only people in the house were Bob, Y/N, and Bucky, the latter of whom was in an online meeting at the office with Sam.

Y/N watched through the window as Bob hurriedly ran into the house. She watched as Bob entered, shook his hair, trying to dry it, and then proceeded to take off his jacket and shirt, leaving his torso bare and unaware of Y/N's presence, who looked away.

"How was the gardening, Bob?"

"Oh, shit!" He froze and tried to cover his chest with his shirt "I'm so sorry. I thought I was alone"

She smiles amusedly, still holding her mug. She takes a sip and nods at the rain outside.

"Whenever it rains, I stay inside. It helps me disconnect from everything," she explains, while Bob nods, still holding the shirt to his chest.

Y/N raises an eyebrow and walks over to him, then places the mug on the table, standing face to face with the brunette.

"Need help? I can do the laundry, today." Bob swallows and shakes his head, letting out a nervous laugh.

"You don't have to. It's my stuff."

She shrugs and shakes her head, tilting it as she looks at him. "I don't have a problem with that"

She seriously wants you, right now. Do something. Or I will.

Bob frowns slightly his eyebrows and shakes his head, trying to make him go away. But he knows it's not that easy.

Y/N places her hand on Bob's to encourage him to give her his clothes. Their eyes are on each other, and neither of them seems to want to look away. Bob is a bundle of nerves when he feels Y/N's touch.

"I've noticed you tend to ignore me," she says in a low tone.

Bob's eyes widen and he shakes his head, as if he's been caught in the act.

"No, no, no. I'm, well, I don't... I'm sorry if you felt that way." Bob tries to form a coherent sentence, but has trouble doing so, seeing how Y/N keeps looking at him with those bright eyes he often likes to find in a crowd "I didn't mean to, really. It's just you are incredible and pretty, and I just..... I don't know..."

Seeing the man's worried state, Y/N places a hand on his cheek to make him look at her.

"Easy, it's okay. I'm not mad about it," she says with a smile "I just wanna know why. I would love to get to know you better, actually".

"Really?" the brunette asks.

She nods and smiles sideways.

Bob stares down at Y/N's lips for a few seconds, thinking about how soft they look. He wonders what it feels like to kiss them, and this isn't the first time he's done it.

It wasn't anyone's surprise that Bob started to have feelings for the girl in front of him; he's sure it was the day they rescued him. It may have been immediate, but he couldn't deny the way his heart raced, and it didn't even match how it felt when he was drugged or experimented on. This was better and more powerful, a feeling he craved every chance he got.

Y/N felt the same way about Bob. She found him handsome, sweet, and warm to be around. Lately, she'd been trying to give him hints that she was attracted to him, but the man never noticed. Maybe he was too oblivious, because he was pretty much the only person in the team who didn't seemed to noticed. The first to notice this undeniable attraction was Yelena. She constantly teased them by the looks the pair gave each other, and how they reacted when they heard each other's names in a conversation.

They wouldn't get away with it that easily.

"I, uh... think you're pretty," he blurts out. "And you make me nervous because you're wonderful. In every aspect of the word. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of you or look at you, hoping you'll return my gaze".

She looks at him dearly, feeling her heart race. In a nice way.

"And maybe it's silly, but whenever I'm around you, I feel at peace," he says sincerely. "And I haven't felt that way in a long time."

Can you be more pathetic about it? Just kiss her already!

God damn it, shut up.

Bob falls silent at the sight of her expression and thinks he's screwed up, so before he can explain, or even try to, he feels Y/N grab the back of his neck and pull him closer for a kiss. He's surprised but lets go, letting go of the shirt from his hands to hug her waist, while Y/N rests her hands on his broad shoulders and they continue moving their lips in sync.

Bob doesn't want this moment to end because he thinks he's dreaming, so he wraps his arms around the girl's body to pull her closer to him, feeling that voice in his head bothering him once again.

Just like that, her lips feel good, don't they?

Bob growls when he feels Y/N's hands caresing his chest, feeling the coldness of her fingers. Their moment is interrupted by someone clearing their throat as they enter the room.

The two of them separate from eachother. Y/N lowers her gaze and bites her lip, while Bob alertly stares at Bucky, who looks at him seriously.

"I'll just say you two should go to a room if this goes any further. We don't want this to be any more awkward than it is," Bucky says, going to the kitchen to get a cup and start making some coffee.

Y/N pats Bob's chest, and he looks at her, then follows her like a puppy.

"You don't have to be such an asshole," Y/N pinches Bucky's arm as she walks past him.

"It's my duty as your friend."

"Looks more like a brother, kinda stuff," Y/N says, taking Bob's hand and leading him to his room.

"Use protection!" Bucky warns.

Oh, we will.

Bob internally scolds himself as he hears Void invade his mind for a moment. Y/N laughs in amusement at Bob's reaction, stopping him in the middle of the hallway, just in front of her room.

"We don't have to do anything," she clarifies, and she sees how he relaxes a little.

"But I'd like to spend a little more time together. If that's okay with you."

Bob smiles and nods.

"I'd like that too."

Damn, Bob. We miss the fun part.

The team had decided to take him far away from New York City and the memories of all the mess he—or rather, his other evil entity—had caused. Bob had agreed to the idea of ​​getting away for a while and trying to clear his head. The only condition was that once a week, a member of the group would check on him to see if everything was okay.

So far, Yelena and Bucky had already gone to see him. So, thinking about the fact that Y/N could be arriving soon made Bob feel calm and at the same time nervous about seeing her. It was no surprise to anyone that he preferred the girl as his favorite member of the group; from the first moment they noticed their interactions, they could tell the man's preference for her.

He really likes Y/N.

We really like Y/N.

That voice haunting him again.

After what happened with Valentina and the team fighting his other self, Void has been more present than ever. Especially when she comes or when he senses Y/N is about to arrive. Like now, when he hears three knocks on the front door.

The man rushes to the door and takes a deep breath before opening it to find a smiling Y/N.

"Hey Bobby," she greets him.

"Hi Y/N. It's good to see you here," he says, shifting his body so she can go in first. Then he closes the door, his gaze never leaving the girl. "Is everything okay with the others?"

Y/N turns to look at him, smiling slightly. "Everything's fine," she says, placing her hands in the pockets of her green jacket, "although it's not the same without you."

Bob blushes and laughs nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

"That's uh... uh... good?" he says.

The truth is, she makes him nervous, like when he first met Linda. It had been a while since he felt that way; it was an effect that not even drugs could overcome, remembering how good it felt.

"Did you have breakfast?" she asked, walking into the kitchen. Bob shakes his head and approaches as well. "I can help you with that," she says with a smile.

The girl moves her hands and uses her powers to begin taking out the cutlery and a metal bowl to start cooking something. Bob still finds her handling of her powers fascinating, wondering if he'll ever have full control of his own.

A pleasant silence falls over them, the only sounds being the tapping of forks against the plate and the kettle indicating the water is ready. Bob walks over to turn it off and start making coffee while Y/N finishes making the pancakes. The moment feels so domestic that they both take advantage of it, spending the entire morning getting to know each other a little better.

And perhaps deciphering feelings that they thought would be impossible to feel again.

They had spent the entire day immersed in each other. Bob had told her things about his past, just as she had told him. They had realized they had several things in common, which made them feel complicit when it came to admitting their secrets and memories.

The night witnessed the knowing and lingering glances they cast on each other when they thought they weren't being watched by the other. Y/N had caught Bob's curious, tender eyes on her a couple of times, which only made her smile shyly and feel a blush creep into her cheeks. She thought Bob was an incredible person, and even though she didn't know him perfectly, she was certain of it.

And she had all the time in the world to do so, like tonight, for example.

"So, you fought with the Avengers against a purple Mad Titan?" he asks, frowning at the crazy memory.

She laughs and nods. "Yeah, twice. The first time we didn't make it, and the snap happened, and we all disappeared," the girl explains, playing with Bob's Rubik's Cube as they look out at the landscape from the roof of the house. "But it only lasted a couple of minutes until they brought us back, and we fought again, this time defeating Thanos. Thanks to Tony."

"The Tony Stark?" he asks in amazement, and she nods "That's amazing."

"That's when I met Bucky. Well, a couple of years ago, when this whole Sokovia Accords thing came up," she shrugs. "We fought on opposing teams led by Tony and Steve. It was my first time trying to participate in something that was considered good."

Y/N is quiet for a moment, a look on her face as if she's internally debating whether to share another important part of her life.

"And then I met Dieter."

Bob mimics her silence and swallows as the girl's face falls for a moment.

"Dieter was the one from...?" he ventures to ask, remembering the boy who appeared once they were in the void.

She makes a sound with her mouth, nodding her head.

"Dieter was a great friend," she admits, and stops moving the cube in her hands, feeling a chill run through her body. "He was someone who helped me when I was alone, and when I kept getting into trouble. Never left my side, even though he knew how dangerous it was to be with me."

Y/N looks down for a few seconds and swallows to relieve the pain forming in her throat. Bob notices this and the goosebumps forming on her arms, so without a second thought, he takes off the navy blue sweater he's wearing and gently touches her arm.

"Oh, it's okay," she says, laughing slightly.

"You know it's not," he says softly.

Y/N stares at him and lets Bob pull the sweater over her head, gently adjusting it on her body. It's bigger than it looks, and her nostrils instantly smell Bob's perfume, feeling the warmth of the garment immediately embrace her.

Bob remains in a short-sleeved shirt and crosses his arms.

"Now you'll be cold," she mentions, noticing the gesture.

He shrugs and dares to try flirting with her.

"Next time you can return the favor," he says, looking into her eyes.

Y/N raises an eyebrow and the corner of her lips lifts in a smirk.

"Next time, huh?" she asks, connecting her gaze with his.

The girl ventures to rest her head on the brunette's shoulder, making him freeze and feel his heart pounding, hoping she won't notice so easily. Then she wraps her arm around his and allows herself to continue appreciating the scenery.

"Next time, then," she promises.

Neither of them wants the moment to end, so Y/N asks a question to continue the conversation between them.

"Have you been okay?" She feels Bob let out a heavy sigh.

"You could say so," he answers, uncertain about the matter. He's not sure how he feels either. "Sometimes I spend sleepless nights afraid I'll lose control again. Or I can't stop moving just to have something else to think about. I wasn't as lost when I was on drugs as I am now."

She listens intently and steps away from him to get a better look. The man clenches his jaw and continues staring straight ahead.

"I'm a lost cause," he admits with a bitter taste in his mouth. "I always have been, and I always will be. I couldn't quit drugs, I lost important people because of my damn head and that damn other me that tries to consume me every day. I lose control and it's like I'm not me and... it doesn't matter if I try if I can't even take control of myself."

Y/N looks at him, sympathetic. She knows what it's like to feel that way and hates seeing him dejected by it.

"I'm lucky you and Yelena were there, and Bucky decided to trust me, and the rest too. But I still feel like I'm not worth it. I don't think I will."

Y/N licks her lips and places a hand on the man's cheek, making him look into her eyes.

"You are worth it. And you're not a lost cause," Y/N assures him in a firm voice. "We all go through it on the team, but at the end of the day, we were able to make it happen. It's up to us to change that, even if we have to take small steps to achieve it."

Bob looks at her, and his gaze softens.

"You have us to keep you company," she tells him with a slight smile. "You have me, too. And I'll make sure you don't forget why you've been doing this in the first place."

The brunette lowers his gaze to the girl's lips and thinks about how much he wants to kiss her, knowing that she will be with him throughout this entire process.

"You want to kiss me, huh?" she asks, amused, and he blushes, realizing he thought it out loud.

"I mean... well, it's not that I want to kiss you. Well, yes, but... I mean..." he stutters and freezes by the action of the girl.

Y/N kisses his cheek for a few seconds and pulls away to look at him again.

"I understand," she says, then lets out a sigh and gets up. "I think it's best to go to sleep, what do you say?"

He nods and jumps up, picking up the Rubik's Cube piece. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sleep, of course."

Void was awake.

He wandered aimlessly through the halls of the house, each step heavier than the last.

He was tired of being locked in his own darkness; he just wanted to take control and leave the place once and for all, so he could pursue his desire to dominate everything in his path.

He was a God, someone so powerful that no one could stop him.

However, there was someone who could do it besides Bob, something the dark presence didn't like to accept. Void realized that the time he fought against the Thunderbolts in New York. That time he managed to consume much of the city and its citizens in the darkness he reigned; the entity could have done so if not for a slight obstacle that crossed his path. And it wasn't the group, nor Bob—although it had a lot to do with him when he managed to control his mind and regain total control of himself.

Void walked confidently until he entered the guest room where Y/N was sleeping. The girl slept peacefully, her breathing calm as her chest rose and fell, immersed in the world of her dreams. Her hair fell across her forehead, and Void didn't hesitate to enter the room until he stood at the side of the bed.

Ever since Bob sent him back to the dark side of himself, he never stopped watching Y/N —following her, and feeling her. It was like a magnetic force that involuntarily drew him toward her, and it wasn't her powers that did it. It was her.

Perhaps it was the power the girl could unleash once she knew what she was really capable of, which could be useful to Void. Someone almost as powerful as him at his side, even if he didn't need it, could be an advantage in trying to take control once and for all. He had so much potential, but the girl wasted it doing good.

Void kneels down until he's level with the bed and stares at Y/N, unaware of his presence beside and so close to her. He runs his eyes over every detail of her face, memorizing every mole, freckle, and spot, lingering for a long moment on her lips. Void's jaw tightens and he directs his gaze to the strand of hair falling across her forehead, smoothing it back with his fingers. Y/N stirs in bed, frowning slightly at the cold sensation of something touching her skin.

Void doesn't even flinch.

He stays in place until he sees Y/N relax her frown again and fall back into a deep sleep. He smirks and sits watching her, feeling Bob struggle to get him to leave the room and leave her alone.

He chuckles.

"Oh, Bob," he mutters to himself. "You're not the only one interested in her."

If you hurt her, I swear I'll...

"You'll what? Send me back where I belong?" he sneers, and he feels Bob fighting with all his might to return to the light. "Try it, but you can be sure as hell I'll be back. Now I'm even more eager to meet Y/N. She's a gorgeous, don't you think?"

Don't even try it.

"Oh," he says in a low voice "but i just did"

Void keeps watching her.

"And I will"

Everyone in the compound saw it, except them. Or maybe they were shy enough not to notice it. The accidental touches when they passed each other, when Y/N was in the kitchen and Bob bumped by accident into her to get a glass of water, or when on each mission he made sure the girl was okay. Just a glance was enough for both of them to communicate if one of them needed help or was in trouble. And he always had his eyes on her when they were fighting together with the team against the common enemy.

After battles they used to heal there wounds, Y/N's more so than Bob's, since the man's undeniable strength and power was an important factor that helped him not get hurt so easily. Anyway, he was always in the corner of the infirmary room while he watched the girl's wounds being treated and cleaned. Bob hated it when she winced, and even though she tried to camouflage it, he could notice how the knuckles of Y/N's fists turned white. Bob wanted nothing but to take away all the pain she felt, and if he could have it, he would gladly take it.

The team usually teases them about it. They always found the perfect opportunity to let Bob and Y/N know that they both had a genuine connection, and an undeniable tension whenever they were around them. Alexei always pointed this out and moved his eyebrows repeatedly at Bob when he saw Y/N enter the room. Or when Ava was reading a book in the living room and heard the pair's low laughter as they stood in the kitchen, looking like a married couple. Even Bucky joined in on the thousands of occasions to tease them for their closeness.

Bob's serenity and shyness didn't let him get so close to Y/N so easily, but that didn't stop him from always being there for her.

Like right now, for example.

Y/N had stayed up late training, because she was still having a hard time handling her hand-to-hand combat. It wasn't that she was beaten in missions, but she wanted to be able to have complete control of this type of fight. Y/N was much better at handling weapons, and although it was almost ironic how she could defeat the bad guys with them and not with her body, she was always triumphant against whoever she was fighting.

Before being on the team, the girl had no idea how to handle a weapon or even defend herself, but after Hydra experimented on her and maked her their pawn, she had acquired certain types of skills, such as telekinesis and mind control.

Now that no one was there, Y/N was taking advantage of the solitude to continue training.

On the other hand, Bob had been kept awake due to memories invading his head non-stop. He still had a hard time staying in control and calm, so in calm instances like this, he had to take advantage of it.

The man was walking through the halls of the compound when he stopped to hear sounds of punches coming from the training room. He stops and looks through the crack of the door to observe Y/N in the room.

He feels like a creepy for spying on her like that, but he can't take his eyes off her; not to her body, but to her. Bob begins to feel chills as soon as a sensation begins to form in his chest. A feeling he knows very well.

"No, no," he mutters to himself.

He feels Void's presence beginning to become present in the environment, and although he always tries to defeat it, he never succeeds. It's like Void wants to be present whenever Y/N is around.

I mean, who wouldn't? Bob thinks to himself.

"Oh, yes, dear Bobby," the evil presence tells him, letting out a dark laugh as he walks safely into the training room, without scaring away the girl who has her back turn to him for the moment.

Y/N doesn't even flinch from Void's presence with her in the room, but when she hears his voice she becomes alarmed.

"Your posture is wrong" Void says.

Y/N lets out a small scream as she turns around and with her powers raises a knife that is a few centimeters from the man's face. She lets out a more relaxed sigh and frowns.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" she asks.

He smiles at her and moves the knife with his hand to let it fall to the ground.

"I could ask you the same question," he tells her, approaching her.

Y/N smiles at him and points to the training bag they use to train.

"I need to improve in hand-to-hand combat," she responds, trying to comb her hair.

Void looks at her carefully and stands at her level, facing each other.

"I can help you," he tells her. "I'm very good at hand-to-hand combat."

She shakes her head in amusement and raises an eyebrow. "If you have nothing better to do"

"Oh, believe me. Nothing is better than this opportunity."

They both get into a combat position and Void gives the first blow, which the girl dodges with agility and speed. The two continue that dance of defense and attack movements, with each passing second they feel the heat of their bodies and the agitation of the moment.

"You keep doing that posture wrong," Void points out to her, shaking his head.

His firm hands move down to Y/N's hips, where he tries to position her correctly, as the distance between them seems to get closer and closer. Void's shadowy eyes are on the girl's lips, resisting the temptation to steal a kiss.

Y/N, on the other hand, looks at the man's lips and then looks at his eyes, meeting the surprise of his gaze on hers at the same time. The corner of Void's lips curve upward, keeping his hands on the girl's waist, who doesn't seem to be bothered by the position.

"This is how you have to be positioned from now on" Void says in a whisper.

Movie night had become a tradition for the team. Alexei had given the idea of ​​meeting once a week in the living room to watch a movie together, in a way to release tensions and clear their minds from the battlefield and all the missions they had. It was exhausting, for everyone.

At first Yelena rolled her eyes at her father's idea, but she simply accepted because she had nothing better to do. Then the rest joined in, still under John's snorts at the thought of how ridiculous it was.

So now they were gathered in the living room while the movie on TV illuminated their faces. They had chosen, by vote, to watch "The Breakfast Club."

Y/N watched the movie attentively and relaxed from everything else, without noticing the fleeting and sometimes long-lasting glances that Bob gave her from the other side of the couch. If the rest of the team asked Bob at that moment what was happening in the movie, he would probably have no idea, despite having seen it before.

His attention was focused on the girl who at times laughed and looked at the screen. Bob was grateful that none of the other men present were sitting next to her, because it would be even more obvious that he had been staring at her for a while.

Beside him, someone subtly taps his arm. "You're too obvious, Bob," John whispers, popping a portion of popcorn into his mouth.

He suddenly gets nervous, but tries to look relaxed. "What are you taking about?"

John snorts and rolls his eyes. "About how you feel about Y/N."

Bob frowns and takes a quick look at the girl who is still staring at the TV.

"I don't have feelings for her. She's my teammate and a friend, nothing more," he rushes to respond, crossing his arms.

John shoots him an exasperated look as he sees the man next to him in denial about what he truly feels. The truth is that he hasn't been discreet at all when it comes to admiring Y/N, and everyone on the team can see it. Everyone except him and Y/N.

"Listen, because you sound like a fool every time you lie to yourself," the blonde tells him still in a low tone so as not to raise suspicions "It's clear that you have feelings for her, and she has feelings for you. We're not idiots to not notice every time you look at each other. The only idiots here are you and Y/N"

Bob frowns. "Don't call her an idiot."

John sighs and closes his eyes for a moment.

"You know what I mean"

Bob seems to process John's words and they are the simple truth. He couldn't keep hiding it and trying to go unnoticed about it, because if John was telling him that it was because it was more than obvious to the rest of the team, even to Alexei.

"I'm just saying don't hold onto your feelings too much, that'll only make you crazy," John says and makes a face. "Well, it's not like you haven't done it already."

Bob purses his lips and shakes his head, understanding what the blonde is referring to.

"Thank you"

John continues watching the movie and takes a portion of popcorns in his hands.

"This doesn't mean we're buddies, got it?"

Bob purses his lips and shakes his head.

"Got it"

Y/N couldn't sleep.

Her mind was plagued with horrible memories from her past, all relating to the experiments they did on her and the treatment and beatings she received for it. She had been unable to sleep for years, and when she did, only nightmares invaded her mind, tormenting and making the horrors she experienced flourish again.

The girl decides to get out of bed and leave the room to go to the terrace and let the stars surround her. When she goes out, she faces the cold of the night that imprisons her and causes her to cross her arms in an attempt to warm herself.

She is lost in her thoughts until a deep voice startles her. "Nightmares?"

"Shit" she turns around and sees Bob leaning against the wall of the terrace.

He laughs lightly and approaches slowly but surely until he is positioned next to Y/N. She realizes that the one who is actually present is Void, due to a dark and confident attitude that radiates from his person. In all this time that they have been together in the team, Y/N has been able to differentiate when it is about him and Bob. It is enough for her to just look into his eyes and notice his posture to know who she is dealing with.

Y/N relaxes and nods her head.

"Always nightmares" she answers looking at him "What about you?"

Void shrugs and rests his hands on the railings of the terrace, looking back at her.

"I'm enjoying the time I have while Bob rests"

"You're usually more present than he is," she points out and he smirks. "Why don't you let him be more present?"

The entity turns so that his entire body is facing the girl, telling her with his gaze that the answer is right in front of him.

"Because he doesn't know how to appreciate the moments he has with you."

She frowns slightly as heat covers her cheeks. It was true that every time they were together Void let her know that he liked being in Y/N's company, as did Bob. However, the latter had a hard time showing it because of his introverted personality.

She looks away at the lights covering New York City, feeling shy at Void's direct confession, who seemed confident.

"You should still give him a chance though." she points.

Void lets out a light laugh that makes Y/N's body shivers, because of how satisfied it sounds. He seems to notice her shiver, so he takes off the jacket he's wearing and covers the girl's arms, letting them rest on them for a few more minutes. Y/N smiles softly, at the same time the man's fragrance invades her nostrils.

"Oh, yeah?" he raises an eyebrow. "Tell me, who would you rather have here, now? With you."

His body seems to get closer and closer, as his eyes filled with dark desire fixate on the girl's lips.

"Well.... Sentry is more friendly, tender, and doesn't think about destroying everything in his path," she ventures to answer with a hint of amusement in her tone.

Void takes this as a sign to put his arm around the girl's waist and pull her slightly closer to him, feeling the heat radiate from their bodies suddenly.

"I can be all of that," he lets her know.

"Even if you leave your evil side aside?" she murmurs.

Void smirks.

"Oh, sweetie. I could never leave my evil side aside. You and the rest know that," he says, closing the distance between them, feeling his breath on her lips. "But for you, I could behave."

Y/N smiles lightly and he decides to close the distance between them finally, capturing her lips. Void wraps her in his arms as he feels her hands slowly rise to his neck, feeling goosebumps all of the sudden. Their mouths move in an increasingly agitated and passionate dance. Void leans her against the railing and enjoys the taste of the girl's lips, after a long time wanting to taste them. Y/N clings to his shirt, feeling the jacket covering her shoulders begin to fall, but Void is quicker to hold it and prevent the cold from hitting the girl's body.

"Damn it, get a room!" Yelena's voice exclaims behind her.

Y/N pulls away suddenly as Void stares at her flirtatiously, without caring for the presence of Yelena.

She licks her lips and looks at the blonde.

"I'm sorry" she says blushing.

"I'm not" Void intervenes, still facing away from the blonde.

Yelena shakes her head amused and sighs.

"Just don't make so much noise" she asks and then starts moving, but stops to speak "And use protection"

"Sure do" the man responds.

Y/N playfully punches him in the chest, still wrapped in his arms. Yelena leaves them alone and Y/N lets out a sigh fixing her hair. "

"So... where were we?"

Y/N rolls her eyes.

"You're unbelievable" she mutters.

"Yeah. That i'm"

He still didn't fully understand his powers and everything that he and... his other self were capable of. It hadn't been long since Valentina and her followers experimented on him to turn him into their weapon. But when he was able to escape Valentina's perfect varnished nails, he was able to feel a little calmer.

Until he felt the heavy gazes of the rest of the team again.

It wasn't like they did it on purpose to make him feel bad about himself, but they still hadn't forgotten what had happened. Bob knew it would take time to gain their trust and really become part of the group, but he was struggling to do so. He constantly made an effort to make small gestures and actions that showed he was trying hard. But the man always received a smile that was almost polite rather than genuine. He couldn't blame them though, Bob would be like that too if he were in the rest of them's place.

He always kept quiet. When Alexei, Yelena or Bucky spoke to him, he allowed himself to respond. Or when it was time to eat, he usually excused himself by saying that he wasn't hungry, but whenever the rest finished and went somewhere else, he would go to the kitchen, take a plate of food and eat it while silence surrounded him. The silence of the environment, because his head was always making noise.

If they didn't want to include him yet, he would wait. However, even if he didn't realize it, Y/N was always there trying to include him.

The girl didn't feel pity for the man. No, that was not it. She knew what he was going through, because she had also been through something similar, so she could understand him. Besides, there was no point in bringing up the past and blaming Bob for his actions, because every member of the team had done wrong in their past. Even her.

And now it's not like they were doing anything good either.

Y/N was fighting off four men who were trying to stop her. The team was on a mission to infiltrate the mansion of a drug dealer of the Soldier's serum, who was trafficking it to the least suitable people to manipulate it. They had fought and killed many of those who crossed their path to stop him. Staining their hands with blood, something they were already accustomed to.

After Y/N was able to finish off the men, she takes the suitcase with the samples and places the earphone in her ear.

"I already have the samples. We need to move before more of them arrive" she announces as she rushes to run through the hallways until she exits through the courtyard of the mansion.

"Got it. Guys, go to the meeting point" Yelena orders "Alexei will come for you"

"On my way!" The man says.

Y/N adjusts the suitcase in her hands and walks through the backyard that overlooks a large forest. It was obvious that such a person would live as far away from everything as possible to avoid being caught. In the distance she sees Bob waiting for her. They had agreed on this meeting place so that Alexei could come and pick them up in the helicopter. The spot was right on the edge of a cliff so that Alexei could stay in the air when he picked them up and escape as soon as they got into the helicopter. It was quite high from where they were, and as Bob waited he had seen how rocky it was down there and how the waves broke against the rocks in a violent impact.

Y/N comes to Bob's side and smiles at him, moving the suitcase triumphantly.

"I told you it would be easy," she tells him, catching her breath.

Bob, in the splendid Sentry suit, looked at her proudly and shyly at the same time.

"You should have let me go with you. Something could have happened to you," he mentions, looking over the girl's shoulder, in case someone unexpectedly came.

"Worried about me?" she asks amused. Bob blushes "Aww, no one has ever worried about me that much"

He smiles amused and looks away to the sky to see if Alexei is nearby. "Are you sure you want to wait for him? I could carry you in my arms so we can get out of here faster" the man points out, turning to look at her again.

"It's okay. They'll come for us," she points out, and her eyes widen as she sees a man sneak up behind Bob and hit him with a rock. "Bob!"

Y/N rushes to send the man flying away with her powers, while she watches as Bob staggers and falls off the cliff. She drops the suitcase and without hesitating twice, she throws herself after the brown-haired boy, who luckily doesn't fall into the rocks.

Bob falls into the depths of the sea, while Y/N dives right behind him to grab him. As she can, she grabs his arm and tries to pull him afloat, but he's heavier than her, so it's harder than it looks. As soon as she manages to lift him a little and pull him with her, Y/N gets her head out of the water while trying to get Bob's head to face the outside as well.

She tries to stay calm, but the desperation of not touching the ground consumes her. The waves crash against both of them, causing Y/N to start gulping water.

"Yelena...." she tries to speak.

"Y/N..... we are...... guys....." Yelena's voice is heard in her ear.

"We're in the water," she manages to say, before a wave covers them for a few moments.

Y/N clings to Bob's unconscious body, still straining to keep them both out of the water. She feels the tiredness take over every muscle in her body, feeling the temperature of the water freezing her with every passing second. Y/N spits out the water that enters her mouth and looks at Bob, who keeps his eyes closed.

"Please, Bob. Stay with me" she begs, hugging him against her as best she can to stay afloat "Stay with me..."

After that, Y/N closes her eyes.

Y/N opens them still feeling like she's in the sea. But she's relieved to look around the corners of her room.

She sits on the bed and sighs as she listens to the raindrops falling hard outside, feeling at peace for a moment until she remembers the man.

Bob.

Where is him? Is he okay?

These and more questions invade the girl's head.

"Shit" she curses and rushes to remove the sheets from her body, bringing her feet to the floor, but feeling an object that prevents her from moving.

Or rather, the body of a person.

"Ah! Shit!" he complains.

Y/N looks with surprise at the person, freezing in place as soon as she sees that it's Bob, sitting on the floor and removing the blankets from his body.

"Bob? What are you doing sleeping on the floor?" she asks him, kneeling down next to him.

Bob scratches his eyes and then looks at her.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," he replies in a low tone, as if he were embarrassed, "after the mission."

She gulps and a small smile curves her lips.

"Are you okay?" she asks, bringing her hand closer to his, but not touching it.

Bob nods.

"I'm sorry" he says suddenly.

Y/N frowns not quite understanding what he's referring to. "What are you sorry about?"

Bob stares at her with guilt flashing in his blue eyes.

"That I couldn't have saved you right away."

She looks down and shakes her head.

"It's not your fault" she lets him know. "We didn't see the guy coming and we didn't know what was going to happen after that either."

Bob closes his eyes and lets out a sigh, starting to feel the pain in his head spreading. He feels the guilt consume him and believes that the team will continue to hate him for what happened. Y/N shakes her head at the thoughts of the man in front of her.

"Stop blaming yourself Bob, no one will hate you for what happened" Y/N intertwines her fingers with his. “I don’t want to see you like this.”

Bob reconnects his gaze with hers, letting her fingers caress his.

“I don’t want you to hate me,” he admits in a whisper. “I’m supposed to be strong and have the power to protect you guys from anything. Protect you from anything, but I.... couldn’t. I was weak.”

She rushes to wrap her arms around him, feeling him hug her tightly, as if she were going to fade away from his arms. Y/N caresses his back, feeling the wool fabric of his blue vest that he wears to sleep. The girl feels him sob on her shoulder, feeling a weight on her heart.

"Bob, it's okay" she whispers.

They spend a little more time hugging each other until Bob calms down a little, still in her arms. When they separate, she puts her hands on the man's cheeks so that he looks at her.

"What happened doesn't make you weak. We can't always save others, but we can let ourselves be saved by others" she tells him softly, under the man's saddened gaze. "It's not your obligation to protect me, but I appreciate that you want to do it."

Bob reimains silent.

She lets out a sigh as she sees that the guilt is still eating him up inside. Y/N makes a face and stands up, being watched by Bob from the floor, with puppy dog ​​eyes.

"Come," she holds out her hand.

Bob frowns slightly and stands up holding her hand. Y/N leads him by the hand until he is in front of her bed, to which he opens his eyes like saucers.

"No, I can't...."

"Bob," she interrupts him.

With her look she seems to tell him that she will not let him continue sleeping on the floor, so he gives up and watches as Y/N lays down, leaving him a space on the bed. Hesitantly, he drops onto the bed and climbs inside, while Y/N covers him with the sheets. Bob gulps and doesn't know where to put his hands or how to position himself so as not to disturb her or make her feel uncomfortable, so the girl takes the initiative and puts her head on Bob's chest, putting an arm around his waist and hugging him. The brunette moves his hands slowly until he hugs her waist as well and feels the warmth of the closeness between them.

Bob prays that the girl can't hear the rapid beating of his heart against his chest, but he knows that's impossible with her so close to his chest. He doesn't care anymore though, because she's in his arms now and in that moment he knows that she's safe.

"I promise next time I won't let anything bad happen to you" he whispers as his eyes gaze out the window and out into the rainy night "I'll be watching you. Always"

She smiles and feels her heart warm at his words.

"I know" she lets him know "I promise you that too, Bob"

After the mission, most of the team had been left with some wounds and injuries. As soon as they arrived at the compound, they went straight to take a shower and then properly treat their wounds. The stench of his body invaded Bob's nostrils, a combined mixture of blood, sweat and ashes.

Yelena was sitting next to him, while she put a bandage on her arm. The blonde watched as Bob stared at how Y/N cleaned the wounds on Bucky's back, noticing the way the boy next to him clenched his fists unconsciously.

She snorts a laugh at him.

"Everything okay, Bob?" she asks him. He averts his gaze as if caught in the act and shakes his head.

"Yeah, yeah, everything is fine. Why wouldn't it be?" Out of the corner of his eye, Bob sees the duo in front of them.

Yelena shrugs her shoulders.

"It looks like you're anxious for Y/N to heal your wounds" she responds casually "It's either that or you don't like that them patient is Bucky right now."

Bob frowns and suddenly becomes nervous. He snorts and shakes his head as if what the blonde just said was crazy. The man didn't think it would be so obvious as he looked every time Bucky got closer – too close for his liking – to Y/N as if he wanted to make the man disappear. Technically, he could do it.

Well, his other self.

The Void.

But anyways....

Sometimes when Bob was talking to Y/N in the kitchen, helping her cook, the black-haired man would come unexpectedly for a glass of water and would always tickle the girl. He could only force himself to nod in greeting and ignore the anger he felt every time he saw that gesture. Bob knew that they were just friends, because Bucky was over 100 years old and the girl was in her late 20s, and every time she talked about Bucky she did it in a sisterly way.

But every time he saw them together, he couldn't stop his blood from boiling.

"What you're saying is ridiculous," he says, playing with his fingers in a nervous gesture. "It's not that I don't like them being close to each other. They're friends, why should it bother me?"

Yelena looks at him from the corner of her eye and pats his shoulder.

"Maybe you won't admit it," she intervenes. "But Void would be upset to see them so close."

"But it's a shame he's not here to let them know, right?" Yelena says.

Bob swallows and glances at the girl next to him, then looks again at Y/N laughing with Bucky, who runs his hand through his hair, as if it were an action without ulterior motives. Without any care about what it was causing in Robert. Jealousy.

"You know what?" He mutters and stands up from the chair "Would you excuse me?"

Yelena nods her head, amused by what could happen.

Don't get her wrong, it wasn't that they were making fun of Bob and how he acted or when Void took control, but when there were no missions or anything to do around the place, she had to entertain herself in another way. And when she notices that Bob disappears from the room for a moment, and sees that he returns with a completely different look on his face and attitude, she knows that the other one has arrived.

"Try not to get the bandage wet, or that would make everything worse," Y/N warns Bucky, before he puts on his shirt and clicks his tongue.

"I got it, doll" Bucky says rolling his eyes, as he gets up from the spot.

Before he can say anything else to the girl, Void intentionally bumps his shoulder against the black-haired man's.

The new entity smiles coldly. "Oh, I'm sorry Bucky. I didn't hit your wound, did I?"

Bucky smiles sarcastically and shakes his head, bringing his metal hand to his wound.

"Not at all, dear Bob."

Void smiles with the same gesture on his face and turns to look at Y/N, who smiles slightly at him. The brunette begins to take off his shirt under the watchful eye of Y/N who blushes and Bucky who looks away in disbelief.

Void puts his shirt aside and stretches his arms a little.

“Oh, Bucky, would you mind leaving us alone so Y/N can help me with my injuries?” He asks in a mocking, and a little somber tone.

Something characteristic of that personality.

The black-haired man smiles wryly and raises his arms to say goodbye and leave them alone. Void sighs watching him leave and finally gets to be alone with Y/N, who looks at him.

The brunette winks at her and sits on the stretcher while Y/N is between his legs.

"Uh, so tell me Bob, what seems to be the bother?" she asks.

Void pouts and touches his chest, pretending that the area hurts, although it's ridiculous to even think about it considering how strong he is.

"Right here. I took a pretty good hit," Void points out and Y/N raises an amused eyebrow.

She begins to run her fingers over the man's skin and this dark entity feels chills at her gentle touch.

"Wow, I thought that being almost indestructible would mean they couldn't hurt you so easily, Bob" she points out and continues to put a cream on him for the supposed pain "Or should I say...Void"

Void looks at her with amusement on his face, while Y/N imitates a teasing smile in realization. He feels how Y/N's fingers continue passing the cream and seems to enjoy the situation, so he ventures to pass a strand of hair that falls from the girl's forehead behind her ear.

"Nothing happens between me and Bucky, you know?" she tells him.

Void grimaces and nods his head. "Oh, I know that," the man says confidently.

Y/N raises an eyebrow and moves away from the closeness of his body and warmth to leave the bandages and creams aside.

"How do you know?" she dares to ask, standing in front of him again.

"Because...." Bob says in a suggestive tone, without taking his eyes off her. In a possessive gesture, he grabs her waist and presses her against his bare chest, earning a gasp from Y/N "He knows not to mess with me or what I want for myself."

Y/N lets the distance between them fade, feeling like a prisoner to him.

"Do you want me?"

Void lets out a soft, low laugh from his lips. Then, the man approaches Y/N's ear to whisper:

Y/N was stranded in complete darkness, unable to see anything that would indicate where she might be. It's cold, empty and void. She thinks it might be one of her many nightmares. Usually, darkness surrounded her and took her back to her worst memories of everything she had to endure.

Her heart was beating hard, but she was strong and fearless on the outside; she didn't want to look defenseless. She hopes the team can find her, but the girl's sure it will take a while, because she herself didn't know where she was, to begin with. After a few seconds, she begins to hear footsteps getting closer and closer to her, and feels a presence behind her. Suddenly her vision clears and she seems to appear in front of the door of a laboratory. She swallows hard as she remembers what it is and her hair stands on end.

"A lot of memories, huh?" he asks behind her back.

Y/N falls silent and hears a mocking laugh from beside her. Void stares at her with his body turned towards her, putting his arms behind his back.

"It must have been difficult for little Y/N to be experimented on for her..." he approaches her ear to whisper "abilities"

Y/N shakes her head, while Void smirks. Inside the girl feels nauseous and a cold that suddenly envelops her.

"Do you want to destabilize me? Is that your purpose with us?" She tries to sound firm, but feels her voice shake a little. "What do you want?"

Void stands in front of her and suddenly the girl feels his dark gaze piercing her soul. He hardens his gaze, raising his hand and caressing her cheek, watching as Y/N slightly moves away from him.

"We're not so different. You and I," he answers as he begins to walk around her, as if she were his prey . "I've noticed since Bob met you all the pain that consumes you from the inside. Your past that condemns you, even though you move forward. Even if avoid your fears."

Y/N licks her lips. She decides that it's pointless to use her powers for now, since he can easily use them against her, so she decides to play along.

"What do you gain from all this?" she asks. Void stops in front of her again and smiles coldly at her again.

"A companion," he replies. "Someone who will help me, accompany me, and... share the same desires as me."

"What would those wishes be? If we're not supposed to be so different, like you said" she asks.

Void answers her seriously, while Y/N hears the door open and notices a person in a chair with her hands and feet tied. Long black hair covers the person's face, but she knows who it is.

"Having total control of our lives" he says in the girl's ear, while he is behind her "But first we must face our fears"

Y/N is alarmed as soon as she feels Void gently push her into the room and face one of her greatest fears.

Being seen as a monster.

She turns to Void, but he disappears leaving her completely alone with her past. After that, she begins to pound on the door with all her might. She uses her powers to try to find a way out or make one to escape from there, but it's impossible.

She decides that the most reasonable thing to do—and the only thing she can do now—is to face her past. So letting out a sigh and trying to calm her breathing, she turns around finding herself trapped in the chair.

Reliving all the pain she remembers as if she never managed to escape.

If she could escape and defeat it once, she could do it again. Her heart was still racing after being able to face such a memory that tormented her.

She had fought off a few more before Void appeared at her side again, grinning from ear to ear. It was true that he enjoyed the situation, because he fed off of people's fear. But even with a dark soul, deep in his heart, Void felt a bit sorry for the girl.

Void was not in the habit of obsessing over people. He wanted to see them suffer and fall into the void of their own fears, thus being able to grow stronger with each fearful soul, advancing further until achieving his goal: having total control of Bob's body.

"I see you've been able to get through all this," he announces. "You should be proud of yourself."

"How much longer will you keep me here?" she asks softly.

Void raises an eyebrow.

"You don't like my company?" Void pouts and sighs in mock pain. "And here I thought we were beginning to be friends."

Y/N smirks and doesn't look away this time.

"If you didn't want to destroy me mentally, maybe I'd give you a chance," she admits, then shrugs, "I'm very friendly. Especially to those I care about"

Void turns his back and a smile curves his lips, thinking about how interesting he finds the girl, even though he shouldn't. It's as if an invisible magnetic force is trying to draw him to her and wants to explore all her fears and pains in order to—perhaps—take them away from her. That's ridiculous even thinking about it, he thinks to himself.

"Your friends are here," he announces, and a hint of hope and reassurance spreads through Y/N's chest. "But it won't be easy for them to find you."

He vanishes in the corners of the dark. And although Y/N ​​didn't really crave his company, she seemed to need it now, immersed in loneliness. And after a few seconds, Y/N's surroundings begin to transform into a place she knows very well. A place where she felt safe, or rather a person made her feel safe.

Dieter. An old friend.

Void disappears, leaving her alone in the room filled with clothes, suits, and fabrics scattered everywhere. She feels her eyes water with tears as she sees that everything is just as the boy had arranged it when he was alive.

"No," she murmurs shaking her head.

A chill runs down her spine as she feels someone breathing near her neck, so she quickly turns around, finding nothing but a copy of the suit she is wearing. The battle suit and the green crown that Dieter made for her. But it's all covered in blood.

Suddenly, she feels someone's arms pull and imprison her without her being able to move. She struggles, entering into desperation.

"You killed me" they whisper in her ear, before they throw her to the floor and thousands of fabrics begin to tie her body so that she does not escape easily.

If them were metal, she would have freed herself already. In front of her appears the blond —Dieter— who accompanied her when she needed him the most. Then, her sister Wanda and Pietro appear. But the three of them have a horrible and putrid appearance, as if they had come out of the grave.

"It's your fault" Wanda whispers in a creepy voice.

Y/N shakes her head repeatedly, wanting to run away from the place. She can't take it anymore.

"No, no, no. I didn't...." she whispers.

Dieter takes it upon himself to bring his dirty, wounded hands up to Y/N's neck and begin to choke her.

Void watches all of this from the darkness of the room and the scenario he creates for her. He should be enjoying this, but he can't quite do it. However, the dark entity sees the desperation in the girl's soul and can't help but feel something stir inside him.

He doesn't like this feeling. Because it's new for him.

Why?

"Please" she begs crying, tears falling down her cheeks "I'm sorry. Please.... i didn't do it. It wasn't my fault"

Void clenches his jaw and stares intently at the scene before his eyes and thinks that it's too much, so he decides to stop it, and is shocked by the decision he has just made.

For the first time ever.

What was going on with him?

Void feels Sentry starting to fight him, so he must get away from the place immediately and take care of it —more like him. Not without giving the girl one last look.

...

Y/N sits on the ground and catches her breath, moving as far away from what was once the nightmare as possible. Suddenly, she feels arms around her and screams in fear trying to free herself.

"Hey, hey. It's me. Bucky" says the voice.

Y/N turns to find the black haired man besides her and the notices the rest of the team with faces relieved to find her, but as if they had been recently traumatized too. She touches his arms and feels that he is real, so she lets her friend hug her.

"We came for you" says Yelena besides her on her knees.

Y/N smiles gratefully at her and the others.

As if regaining her memory, she looks around and tries to find a sign of Void, but he's not there. And she doesn't feel his presence either. But she is surprised to see Bob in a gold and blue suit, with a slightly more confident posture.

"Bob?" she asks.

He walks over to her and kneels down beside her.

"He won't hurt you anymore," he promises in a confident voice.

Y/N frowns and shakes her head, not quite understanding.

"I don't understand. Where is he? Will he come back? Why....?" she asks.

Bob takes her hand to try to calm her down.

"We took care of him while he had you prisoner of your traumas" John answers behind Bucky's back "Well, Bob took care of him"

Y/N looks at the blue-eyed man and he tells her with his gaze that it's true.

"Each one of us had to go through the same thing, Y/N" Ava points out softly in her voice "But we're okay now. Now that we're together"

"As a team" Yelena says.

"As a family" Alexei corrects.

A small smile forms on her lips.

Then her eyes travel to Bob who is still holding her hand. A look of guilt paints his face.

"I'm sorry for what I put you through. What he put you through" he says sincerely. "I promise you that I will control it."

The girl nods with her head, finally shaking her hand with his, and understanding that it is not his fault. She still doesn't know who Bob really is, or what Void wanted of her — with her— or if they are the same person. But one thing she was sure of for now.

She had a team that would be there for her, and help her get through this when she never had anyone to do it before.

Perhaps, a family?

No, they were still very far from it.

But that was enough for now.

....

And Void was also far away, watching her. In the dark, the void.

Waiting. For her.

And longing to be able to meet her again.

Be close to her again.

Be with her.