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Had gone through almost the same situations—it hadn’t been easy for either of none. Both had been taken by Hydra, twenty years apart, but nearly the same way. Watched each other get tortured, went on missions together, saw the other kill, and saw each other break. They were also freed together.
For some reason, their bond was strange to everyone else:
In 1943, Bucky was taken by Hydra. You had been captured in the '60s when your parents were taken during a coup in Europe. From then on, at barely ten years old, you were subjected to Hydra's training, exposed to harsh conditioning. It was in the '80s that you were paired with the Winter Soldier, and from that point on, he was the person you saw most each day.
You were even freed together by the Avengers, fought in the Civil War with Steve, against Thanos, disappeared in the Blip, went to Wakanda together, and everything else that followed.
You didn’t speak much to anyone, and even when people tried to make conversation with you, all they got was a dry response and your eyes fixed on Bucky, who always seemed to be watching over you. You were like a shadow behind him.
Sometimes, when Bucky hadn’t heard from you in a while, he’d come looking for you. He didn’t want to leave you alone—even if you didn’t speak to him, he’d sit beside you or cook something. He could disappear for weeks and still always came back to make sure you were okay.
You weren’t exactly friends, but you were far too familiar to be strangers. You’d shared too much without having much in common, and by now, that didn’t even matter. It was like you were so used to each other’s presence; you were obligated to stay together. Maybe, deep down, you both knew you didn’t have anyone else but each other.
You were the only ones left behind. Maybe that’s why Bucky always had a tenderness reserved only for you, even if he struggled to express it.
“You can’t live in here forever,” Bucky said, walking through the door with grocery bags, finding you lying on the couch reading. You had a ridiculous stack of books—it was pretty much all you ever did.
“Do you plan on knocking at least once? One day you’ll walk in and I’ll be naked,” you said without looking at him. You hadn’t seen him for at least two weeks—though of course, you knew he was now a congressman.
“I’m sure I won’t be disappointed,” he replied dryly. You rolled your eyes as he took off his jacket and started doing something in the kitchen.
“I’m not hungry.”
“You always say that, and I always cook anyway.”
You didn’t reply. You just stayed on the sofa. You knew when he showed up with groceries, it meant he was going to cook and leave you meals before heading off again.
You leaned back and watched him. His hair had grown long again, and he looked more worried than he did when he was with Sam.
“Where are you going this time?” you asked.
He stopped what he was doing, surprised by the question—you never asked. He turned and locked eyes with you, both expressionless. “I’m going to expose Valentina. I saw her nervous during the trial, and… I haven’t been able to reach her assistant,” he confessed, shaking his head. Without waiting for a response, he turned away again.
“Why are you going?”
“You’re being too nosy,” he muttered without looking. “I’m going to find a group that used to work with Valentina so they can testify against her.”
“Against their will?”
“Depends if they want to cooperate or not.”
There was silence, but you never stopped looking at him. “I’m going with you.”
“It’s not necessary.” It was unusual for you to offer—unless it was something very specific, you rarely did. He was a little surprised.
“I wasn’t asking. I’m going anyway,” you said, and dropped back on the couch with your book, not moving until later when you smelled food. Without a word, you got up and started setting the table for dinner.
That was your dynamic. You didn’t say much, but you didn’t need to either. You were… chaos like that.
After finishing your task, you walked to the kitchen and sat on the counter near where Bucky was cooking. He didn’t look at you—just kept working. He didn’t love cooking, but it distracted him, and he knew it was a way of caring for you too.
“I found my new favorite author,” you confessed.
“Mmm, who is it?”
“Nicholas Sparks. He writes romance. Always the same formula: starts off very romantic, something tragic happens, and then there’s a happy ending at the last minute.”
“You enjoy reading romance?”
You grimaced and tilted your head to the side. “I mix it up. But I’ve been finishing almost all his pocket editions.”
“You’re not going to get rid of any books, are you?”
“Why would I do that?” you frowned, and he shrugged. “No, I’m not planning to.”
He turned to look at you and leaned back against the counter, maintaining eye contact, completely serious. “If you’re coming with me, what am I supposed to do with all this food?”
“Freeze it,” you shrugged. “Can I cut your hair?”
“No.”
“Short looks better on you.”
“You’re not cutting it, and I’m not cutting it either.”
“You sure?” you moved your hands and saw Bucky grab the scissors you’d floated out of the drawer with your powers, holding them near his hair. He gave you a serious, warning look with his hand still in the air.
“Don’t use your powers on me.”
You rolled your eyes, hopped off the counter, and went to pick a movie to play on the TV. Usually, you had no problem with silence, but there were moments when you talked too much or got too intimate, and it created an unbearable tension that made you both want to run. To avoid that, you’d agreed in silence to always put on a movie when it happened.
“Alice in Wonderland or the fourth Harry Potter?”
“Whichever you want.”
(…)
You rode behind Bucky on the motorcycle as you chased the limo, taking down the trucks that appeared.
“Be careful!” Bucky warned while driving. You didn’t reply. When everything exploded and he flipped the limo, he turned to look at you behind him. “Are you okay?” You nodded silently. He gave you a small smile, though immediately regretted it—it hadn’t made sense.
(…)
“Uh, who’s the mute girl?” Ava asked.
You were standing behind Bucky, holding your hands, expressionless, after watching him cuff everyone. You hadn’t offered to help—not that he needed it.
“I think I know her but not her name,” Yelena said, confused.
“She won’t say anything. She’s just like Bucky’s appendix,” Walker added. “I met her and traveled around Washington D.C., Baltimore, Madripoor, and Louisiana with her, and I never heard her say a word.”
“We know each other well enough, Walker, for you to know it’s time to shut your mouth,” Bucky warned.
“Or what, Bucky? The mute girl’s gonna talk to me?” You frowned, moved your hands slightly, and everyone turned at the sound of Walker screaming—his wrists being tightly squeezed by invisible force. Everyone looked at him, confused, but Bucky looked straight at you. You shrugged. He gave you an amused look at your mischief, then turned back to the others with a serious face.
(…)
Fighting a god wasn’t on your to-do list, but there you were. When you were slammed hard against the wall, you cried out in pain. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Bucky asked, rushing to you.
To the others, your verbal interactions were always the same: Bucky asked if you were okay, and you nodded. You hadn’t said a word in front of them yet. If anyone talked to you, you ignored them or made a face.
(…)
Being in the Void was hardest for you to process. You weren’t sure you’d ever get out of there. Everyone reunited, but Bucky only looked around frantically. “Where is she?”
“Bucky, are you okay?” Yelena asked.
“Has anyone seen her?” he ignored her question, just before you fell in front of him. He rushed toward you, kneeling beside you as you stood, wrapping his arms around you. “Are you okay?” You looked at him, and he understood.
“I hope I never go through that again,” you murmured—and that was the first time you’d spoken, leaving everyone shocked. Bucky nodded, running a comforting hand down your back.
“We have to move on, guys,” someone called out, and the two of you broke eye contact to nod and rejoin the group.
(…)
After all the chaos with Valentina, Bucky took you to your apartment. You didn’t say a word, but he knew you hadn’t taken the Void experience well. You had a pained look all day, like you were still living it.
Once inside, you sat on the couch and looked at him across from you. “I don’t want to be alone.”
He nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay as long as you need.”
“If you want, we can go to your place and I’ll sleep on the couch,” you said. It wouldn’t be the first time.
He shook his head, brushing it off. It wouldn’t be the first time he stayed either. He sat beside you. “What did you see?”
You looked him straight in the face, and he saw your eyes fill with tears. “I didn’t just see it—I felt it. I swear I felt it,” you whispered.
He sighed and pulled you into his arms, letting you cry as much as you needed.
From that day on, you never slept far from Bucky again. You eventually moved into the tower, with your rooms right next to each other.
“I thought they were going to sleep together,” Bob said. “Aren’t they a couple?”
You looked up from your book. You were lying on your bed while Bucky was unpacking your things. You had told him you’d do it, but he knew you wouldn’t—except for your books. That was the only thing you’d unpacked.
You saw Bucky give Bob a serious look, and without a word, you moved your finger and shut the door, leaving Bob outside.
“That was rude!” Bob shouted.
“No one asked for your opinion, Bob,” Bucky replied.
“Even ruder,” the guy added from the other side of the door.
Bucky turned to you. “You’re starting to get dark circles. How long has it been since you slept?”
You raised an accusing eyebrow. “Same as you, apparently,” you replied.
And it was true. You both knew it—ever since that day, neither of you had gotten a good night’s sleep. Over the years, you’d both realized that when you fell asleep next to each other, the nightmares didn’t come—or weren’t as intense. Still, you had never made a plan to sleep together.
“Wanna watch a movie?” you asked.
He swallowed hard and nodded. And with that, after finishing your room, he sat on your bed with you, both already knowing how it would end. By the thirty-minute mark, you were both asleep—half-sitting on the bed, your head on his shoulder, his head resting on yours.
(…)
No matter what happened or how much time passed, it was always the two of you in the end. Bucky knew it the moment he stormed into the tower after arguing with Sam, and saw you reading in the lounge.
“How did it go?” you asked.
“He didn’t take it well,” he said. You looked at him and made a face, then offered him a spot on the couch.
“He’s an idiot.”
(…)
You had been with the guys all day. You hadn’t said a word, as usual. Luckily, they were already used to your silence and talked to you without expecting any answer.
They also knew you were rather expressionless and that if you needed anything, you’d solve it quickly with your powers.
You had felt uncomfortable for a while, mostly because you woke up from a bad nightmare in the morning, and all you wanted was Bucky—but he had left way too early without saying where he was going.
You were clearly out of it, everyone could tell, but they also knew that asking wouldn’t get them any response.
That night, Bucky finally showed up as if nothing had happened. You frowned, clearly upset with him. You closed your book the moment he approached, ready to leave. “Did something happen to her?”
Everyone shrugged. “You can imagine she didn’t say a word to us either,” Ava replied, knowing that if they ever heard you speak, it was usually because you were talking to Bucky and they just happened to be around.
Bucky frowned in confusion. “Did someone do something to her?”
“She seemed pretty mad at you,” Alexei added.
“She was kinda down all day,” said Yelena, looking at Bucky.
Bucky just stared at all of them before following after you. “And he says he’s not in love,” joked Walker.
“They both are. It’s probably the only thing we can actually tell about them.”
Bucky tried to enter your room, but the door was locked. “Since when do you lock your door?”
You didn’t answer.
“I’m talking to you.”
Still no answer.
“Hey, open the door or I’m breaking it down.”
You continued to ignore him.
“I’m gonna break it down.”
And when you heard him take a few steps back to do it, you opened the door, watching him nearly fall forward into the room. He gave you a serious, warning look—but you let out a small amused smile. “Is that funny to you?” he asked, offended.
You wiped the smile from your face. “Can you leave now?” you asked.
“No,” he said, crossing his arms and staring at you. “What’s going on?” He closed the bedroom door behind him, leaving just the two of you inside.
You were silent, avoiding his gaze. “You left and I didn’t know where you were. I had... a horrible nightmare and when I woke up, you were just gone.” He sighed, his shoulders falling. “You always tell me when you’re going somewhere,” you looked up at him and he gave you a crooked smile.
“I know. I’m sorry.” He walked over and sat at the edge of the bed. “How are you now?”
You pouted slightly and nodded, eyes still distant. “I can’t get certain images out of my head... it’s really awful.”
“I know.” You both looked at each other for a few seconds. “I… I can take a shower and then come back to watch a movie. Pick one, I’ll be here in a few minutes.”
(…)
“So, doesn’t it seem a bit suspicious to you that he’s always following you around?” You glanced sideways at Yelena as you walked through the supermarket aisles. You had started opening up more with the others, gradually using short words or small phrases—not nearly as much as you used to with the original Avengers, but it was progress. Yelena reminded you of Natasha, maybe that’s why you were more comfortable with her. “He runs after you, he shows up from nowhere asking where you are, leaves a room you’re not in and immediately asks where you went. Don’t even get me started on when he sees you cry—he completely freaks out. I swear, if he were about to die, he’d ask for you first.” You frowned, clearly displeased with that last comment. “What? He’s in love with you. Which is weird, 'cause it’s not like you guys even talk that much. You’re just each other’s shadow. So I’m guessing you love him too.”
“Bucky is the only thing I’ve ever had.” you murmured.
“What does that mean?”
“It means this is who we are. Nothing more. Just… this.” You ended the conversation.
(…)
You saw Bucky fighting that enemy. You quickly finished off yours to go help him. He was on the ground, trying to catch his breath. “Thanks,” he muttered. “Are you okay?”
“Are you hurt?” you asked, looking at his abdomen.
“No, no, I’m fine,” he groaned slightly as he stood up. You both noticed his arm was missing. Looking around, you spotted it a few meters away. You brought it back with your powers and set it in front of him.
“You’re not fine, I can tell.”
“We just have to keep going.”
You continued, but it was clear Bucky wasn’t fully there. You grew worried. He was pale, and there was blood—but you couldn’t tell where it was coming from.
You screamed when you were slammed into a rock. “Hey, hey!” Bucky rushed to you.
“A hand wouldn’t hurt!” shouted Walker, frustrated at Bucky’s lack of cooperation, though no one realized why. Except you.
“I’m fine,” you said as you stood, only to see Bucky drop to his knees beside you “Bucky…” you murmured. He took a deep breath and looked at you. “Bucky.”
“What?” You looked into his eyes with concern as he leaned on your knee, clearly about to collapse. “Something’s wrong,” he murmured.
“You can’t stay out here.” You grabbed his face, forcing him to look at you. You saw the pain in his eyes and your stomach twisted. “Don’t fall asleep.”
“No, I just… I’ll wait for you.” He collapsed on the ground, and you had to tear your gaze away as the enemy ran toward you. You screamed in fury. You were truly angry—and since no one had ever seen you like that before, the others stared in surprise.
“Who made her mad?” Ava asked, stunned.
(…)
You had moved a couch into Bucky’s room. He had been asleep for 15 hours. You had made a doctor see him, and in those hours, you had spoken more than you had the entire time you’d been there: “I need towels for Bucky.” “We have to buy alcohol.” “We need vegetables so I can make soup.” “Can someone go to the store?” “Can you not make noise while he sleeps?”
Everyone was frozen, stunned by your sudden string of orders—and for some reason, no one questioned a thing.
You were curled up on the couch reading when you heard a groan. You jumped up and ran to him, kneeling by his side.
“You need to stay still,” you murmured, brushing hair away from his face. He grunted but complied, breathing through the pain. You saw his body tense—maybe fear, a memory, or trauma. You understood instantly. “It’s okay. It’s just you and me. No one else is here, and you were hurt.”
“How are you? Are you hurt?” You chuckled, lowering your gaze. He smiled upon hearing your laugh and opened his eyes to look at you. “What’s so funny?”
“That you’re the one who’s injured and you’re asking about me,” you said, remembering Yelena. Then your smile faded as the thought hit you. You watched him slowly move his hand to your cheek. “Because I know I’m fine.”
“Well… not that fine,” you said with a grimace. “You scared me. That wasn’t funny. You were in really bad shape—” He hushed you, brushing your lips with his thumb. You froze, eyes locking with his already on you. “I love hearing your voice when you talk, just… not right now,” he murmured with a wince. You assumed his head hurt. He shifted back.
“What are you doing? Stay still,” you scolded.
“Lie down.” You froze.
“What? You want to watch a movie now?” your nerves betrayed you.
He looked at you seriously. “No, I don’t want to watch a movie. I want you to lie down with me.” You nodded, took off your shoes, and lay beside him. Both of you on your backs.
“You’re way too tense,” Bucky complained, wrapping his arm around you and pulling you close. You heard him groan from the pain, but he smiled contently once you were pressed against him.
You placed your hand on his chest and played with your fingers on his abdomen. “Don’t leave me alone for that long again,” you muttered.
“You used to ignore me for months,” he replied with his eyes closed.
“I never liked it,” you felt his fingers stroking your lower back and swallowed.
“Good, we can fix that.”
There was silence again, and Bucky could tell you were too worked up to fall asleep.
“Want me to tell you about the new book I started?”
He sighed. “Honestly, I’d like to roll you over, hold you tight, and make you fall asleep. But I’m too sore to do the first, and you’re too nervous for the second. So, what are my options?”
You laughed but didn’t respond—just exhaled and clung to him even tighter.
(…)
One day later, all the guys were sitting around, wide-eyed, looking at each other.
“I think if we knock on the door and politely ask them to keep it down…” Bob murmured.
“I’m not going near that room,” John shook his head, and everyone else did too.
“Have they not had sex in decades or something?” Yelena asked, wide-eyed and a little horrified.
“Let the Winter Soldier have his fun,” Alexei teased.
You sighed heavily on top of Bucky. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, both hands gripping your hips, lifting and lowering you over him.
“Shit, James, it’s the fifth time you’ve asked me that,” you groaned, hands on his shoulders, gasping.
He nuzzled his face against your chest. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this,” he murmured. “You feel even better than I imagined.”
You brought your hand to his face. “Shut up.”