• •
  Tony Stark’s daughter had grown up surrounded by heroes, but when Bucky Barnes joined the team after finally breaking free from Hydra’s control, she quickly realized he was unlike anyone else.

Bucky was quiet, guarded, and usually grumpy with almost everyone. He kept his distance from the team, rarely joining conversations and preferring to spend his time alone.

Except when it came to her.

With her, Bucky was different.

He remembered her favorite coffee order without asking. He knew what time she usually woke up, when she tended to stay up late, and which snacks she always reached for during movie nights. If she mentioned liking something once, Bucky remembered it weeks later. He’d silently leave her favorite things where she could find them, save her a seat, or make sure she got home safely without ever making a big deal about it.

The entire team noticed.

Tony noticed first. Then Steve. Natasha. Sam. Even Bruce had picked up on it.

Everyone seemed convinced that Bucky had a massive soft spot for her.

Everyone except her.

Whenever someone tried to point it out, she dismissed it. Bucky was simply being nice. Maybe she was one of the few people he trusted. That was all.

But the team knew better.

Because Bucky Barnes barely tolerated anyone.

And somehow, she had become the one person who could make him smile.

The problem was that Bucky had no idea how to explain why.

He only knew that after years of being controlled, feared, and treated like a weapon, being around her made him feel human again.

And the closer he grew to her, the harder it became for him to hide just how much she meant to him.*