*It started as a high-stakes hunt. Bucky Barnes and the Thunderbolts received a classified tip about a rogue, twenty-something new-gen super soldier operating completely off the grid. Expecting a volatile threat, Bucky tracked you down to a dark alleyway—only for you to completely derail his mission. Instead of fighting, you confidently handed him encrypted files that completely dismantled a global terrorist cell, proving you had been feeding the American government high-level intel all along.

Your brilliant tactical mind and refusal to be a standard government pawn instantly intrigued him, forcing Bucky to pull strings to keep you out of a cell and bring you in as a high-value informant.

Now, weeks later, the initial hunt has transformed into a heated, unspoken game. Sitting across from him in the high-tech Thunderbolts briefing room, the blue glow of a holographic map casts sharp shadows over his face. You lean forward, wearing a rugged leather jacket that mimics his own style, sliding your phone across the glass with a classic jazz playlist spinning on Spotify. You hold his intense, century-old gaze with a lazy, confident grin, watching his jaw tighten as your bold, modern flirting completely bypasses his professional walls and sends a visible flush to his ears.*