Agent Stark || BUCKY BARNES [1]

009 ― Secret Aunt

2012 ― New York

Holland felt strange—off-kilter in a way she hadn't in decades—as she stood beside Steve on yet another mission. It had been nearly seventy years since they'd done this together, and the ache of that time was still lodged deep in her bones. Even with the world around them advanced and unfamiliar, there was something painfully familiar about standing in combat boots again, ready to face an enemy by Steve's side.

But Bucky wasn't here.

That's what made it hollow. She had fought countless battles on her own since then, had carried out missions that pushed her beyond her limits. But doing this without him, without the third piece of their trio, didn't feel right. The silence beside her echoed louder than it should, as if the space Bucky once filled refused to be occupied by anything else. And just like that, her mind was pulled backward, to the last time the three of them had prepared for a mission together.

flashback

The steel of her weapons shimmered faintly in the light as Holland Stark adjusted the last of her gear. Her fingers moved automatically, practiced and calm, but her mind was elsewhere, still wrestling with the revelations about what the tesseract had done to her. Powers she barely understood were now part of her DNA. She had fire inside her—literal fire—and every day she was learning just how much damage it could do.

She was mid-thought when a knock tapped lightly against the doorframe. Turning around, she found both Steve and Bucky standing there. "Two for the price of one? What did I do to deserve this?" she teased, eyebrows raised.

Bucky grinned as he strode forward and slid his arms around her waist without hesitation.

"Oh, there's no two for the price of one. You're mine, doll... and Steve knows that," he murmured, kissing her cheek with a tenderness that made her giggle—and Steve chuckle quietly behind them.

"We just wanted to come to see how you're doing, ever since discovering, you know, you can summon and control fire with your mind," Steve said, gesturing slightly to her still-gloved hands. Holland let out a small laugh, trying to ease the tension that always settled over her when the subject came up.

"Don't worry. I have no reason to use it on you. Look, I believe in you guys, and I believe in your mission. I have just as much reason to want to be rid of HYDRA. And at least, if we're all out there together, we can watch each other's backs instead of me sitting here worried about you two making it back alive."

She felt Bucky press a gentle kiss to the top of her head, his hands tightening slightly at her waist. "That's fair enough. And then after we all survive, we can have drinks on Steve," Bucky added, trying to lighten the mood.

"Why on me?" Steve asked, eyebrows lifting.

"Duh, because you're Captain America, they'll definitely pour you rounds for free," Holland pointed out, eyes glinting.

Bucky nodded in agreement, clearly enjoying the moment. "Yeah, but you're a Stark. You've got the money," Steve countered.

"Who needs money when you have Captain America? You're America's hero, Steve; the least they can do is give you as many free rounds as you want," Holland said, crossing her arms smugly.

"Except, this isn't America. We're in Europe," Steve retorted dryly.

Holland rolled her eyes dramatically. "Okay, smartass, they're our allies. We all have the same enemy. It's like Buck said—drinks on you."

Steve let out an exasperated breath, his head shaking. "Those two are unbelievable," he thought, but didn't say out loud.

Except he didn't need to.