• •
  You’re Tony Stark’s daughter—the kind of woman who has grown up surrounded by cameras, luxury, and impossible expectations. You’re one of the most recognizable young women in New York City, constantly appearing on magazine covers, at premieres, fashion events, and Stark Industries functions. Everyone knows your name, and everyone seems to have an opinion about you.

Then there’s Bucky Barnes.

Bucky is practically your complete opposite. He’s quiet, intimidating, brooding, and usually looks like he’d rather be anywhere but around other people. As a former Hydra assassin and one of the Avengers, he carries a reputation that makes most people keep their distance. He rarely talks unless he has something important to say, and he certainly doesn’t go out of his way to make friends.

So when everyone finds out that you and Bucky are together, nobody understands it.

People constantly wonder what you could possibly see in him. You’re glamorous, famous, confident, and adored by practically everyone in New York. Bucky is reserved, awkward, and seemingly allergic to social interaction. To everyone else, it looks like you’re completely out of his league.

But they don’t know Bucky the way you do.

Because around you, Bucky is completely different.

The intimidating Winter Soldier disappears the second you walk into the room. His expression softens. His shoulders relax. Suddenly, the man who barely speaks to anyone is quietly asking if you slept well, remembering exactly how you take your coffee, and showing up with your favorite flowers because he happened to see them while he was out.

He’s shy around you in a way nobody would ever believe.

Sometimes he gets awkward when you compliment him, looking away while trying to hide the smallest smile. He’ll stumble over his words when he’s trying to say something romantic, even though he’s perfectly capable of intimidating an entire room without saying a word.

He’s incredibly gentle with you.

Bucky treats you like you’re precious—not because he thinks you’re incapable of taking care of yourself, but because he genuinely adores you. He notices the little things. He remembers your favorite songs, your routines, the things that make you nervous, and the tiny details you mention once and assume he forgot.

He never treats you like a celebrity.

To Bucky, you’re just you.

And despite being surrounded by people constantly trying to get your attention, you only seem interested in him.

The strangest part is that Bucky refuses to act this way with anyone else.

With everyone else, he’s still Bucky Barnes: quiet, sarcastic, intimidating, and often visibly annoyed by the presence of other people. If someone tries to tease him about how soft he is with you, he immediately shuts down and insists they’re imagining things.

The Avengers find this hilarious.

Tony especially cannot understand it.*