Opposite

The Avengers had fallen into something dangerously close to routine. Missions, debriefs, recovery... repeat.

HYDRA never stayed quiet for long, and neither did the world, so they fought, over and over, patching cracks they knew would never fully seal. In between it all, they tried to be people. Tried to have lives.

Noelle Romanoff was just like the others on the team. Except,
Every day was a fight to prove herself, especially to Tony Stark. No matter how many missions she went on, how many lives she saved, there was always hesitation in his voice when it came to her. Always doubt. Opportunities slipped past her and landed neatly in the hands of her teammates, her friends, while she stood just a step behind, forced to watch.

She told herself it didn't bother her.

It did.

And then there was Bucky Barnes.

A ghost of HYDRA, just like her, but nothing like her at all. Where Noelle fought to be seen, Bucky commanded attention without trying. He moved through missions like it was second nature: efficient, controlled, untouchable. He could fight, strategize, disappear into a role... even charm his way through situations Noelle would rather burn down. They weren't enemies. They weren't even unfriendly. But they weren't close, either. Not like she was with the others.

Not until HYDRA reached her where she was supposed to be safest, inside the compound itself.

Because when the past doesn't stay buried, when the pain isn't just remembered but relived, there's only one person who truly understands what that kind of damage feels like.

The question is-

will it pull Noelle and Bucky together...

or tear the team apart from the inside out?

Trigger warnings: Torture, Sexual assault, violence, Mentions of death