Shadows of Trust || A Bucky Barnes Love Story

Chapter 1 - Trust Beyond Time

The Avengers gathered in the sleek meeting room, a mix of tension and camaraderie filling the air. Around the table sat the familiar faces: Tony Stark leaned back in his chair, flipping through data on his tablet, Thor casually played with Mjolnir, Natasha Romanoff observed quietly, while Sam Wilson and Wanda Maximoff exchanged ideas about their recent mission. Steve Rogers sat next to Bucky Barnes, his long-time friend, and recent addition to the team, though things were still adjusting between them. Nick Fury stood at the head of the table, preparing to brief them on their next mission.

Just as Fury cleared his throat, the door opened, and in walked Diana Valentine—Steve's best friend from modern times. She'd been away on a family gathering, and her arrival caused a brief pause in the meeting as everyone acknowledged her presence. She was a welcome sight, and the room seemed to brighten with her energy.

Steve stood up with a smile, "Diana! How was the family vacation?"

Diana stopped right behind Bucky, resting her hands on his broad shoulders from behind, leaning close. "It would've been better if I hadn't seen my sorry excuse for a boyfriend," she huffed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "I really should dump him one of these days."

Bucky, feeling the warmth of her hands on his shoulders, tried—and failed—not to laugh at her exasperation. His lips twitched, barely containing a grin. The whole room was curious about her sudden frustration.

Diana tightened her grip on Bucky's shoulders affectionately, hugging them from behind. "The idiot was trying to get in my best friend's pants behind my back," she explained with disbelief. "Can you believe that?"

Bucky let out a low chuckle, leaning into her embrace slightly. "I can understand why you'd wanna dump the guy."

Diana nodded, playfully swatting Bucky's shoulder before she caught Steve's eye again. Steve, ever the concerned friend, tilted his head. "You know, Diana, you deserve better."

She laughed, squeezing Bucky's shoulders once more. "Oh, don't I know it."

With a grin, Steve shifted the conversation. "Speaking of best friends, I don't think you've met mine yet. Diana, this is Bucky—"

Before Steve could finish, Diana gave a knowing look and interrupted, "Steve, I could tell it was him the moment I walked in. You don't need to introduce me to someone this cute." Her words were teasing, yet somehow laced with sincerity, her smile widening.

Bucky's smirk deepened as he leaned back against her, still lounging in his chair. He tilted his head up slightly to meet her eyes. "I knew I liked you already," he said, his voice low with amusement as he brought one of his hands up to gently squeeze her hands resting on his chest.

The room fell into a quiet hush as Steve, Tony, Sam, and even Natasha exchanged confused glances. The rapport between Bucky and Diana was unexpected, to say the least. Bucky, known for being closed off and reserved, didn't usually warm up to people this quickly. Steve raised a brow, and Sam's jaw nearly hit the table.

Before anyone could make sense of it, Fury cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to the mission at hand. "As touching as this reunion is," Fury said dryly, "I've got teams to pair up for this infiltration mission."

Everyone sat up straighter, the room falling into professional silence. Fury glanced down at his notes. "Barnes, Valentine, you two are paired for this mission."

Steve immediately frowned, his protectiveness kicking in. He leaned over the table, eyes on Fury. "Wait, maybe I should partner with her," he suggested. "They haven't worked together before. They'll need time to get to know each other's styles."

But before Steve could finish, Bucky leaned back in his chair again, a playful glint in his eye. "Nah, Steve," he interjected with a half-smile, "I don't need time. I already know I can trust her."

The words hung in the air, surprising everyone, including Steve. Diana, not missing a beat, bent down and kissed Bucky's cheek affectionately, causing him to smirk even more. "See?" Bucky added, "Piece of cake."

Diana playfully kissed him on the other cheek, this time with a bit more flair, and Bucky grinned like he had won some unspoken game.

Sam blinked in disbelief, staring between them. "Did... did I miss something?" he asked, incredulous. His expression was one of utter bewilderment.

Steve, who had known Bucky longer than anyone, was momentarily speechless. His eyes flicked between Bucky and Diana, trying to piece together how they had built this level of trust so quickly. After all, Diana didn't trust people easily. And neither did Bucky. Yet, here they were—bantering, flirting, and seemingly comfortable in each other's presence.

Fury, as ever, was unmoved by the dynamic and cut back in. "If you two can keep it together for the mission, I don't care who trusts who. Just get it done."

Diana gave a playful salute. "You got it, Director," she said with a wink.

As the briefing continued, Steve exchanged a look with Sam, both of them still reeling from the unexpected connection. Diana had always been hard to read, and so was Bucky, but maybe... maybe they were exactly what the other needed.