Chloe stayed so close to Bucky that they almost always touched in some way as they made their way through the darkened halls. A dim light hung from the high ceiling every few feet, giving just enough light to see where they were going.

Bucky kept his gun level in front of him. Chloe kept her hand gun at her side, finger resting next to the trigger.

"Bucky, report."

Chloe jumped at Steve's voice in her ear.

"We're in the lower levels," Bucky said.

"Looks like a dungeon," Chloe muttered.

"Probably is."

Chloe glanced at Bucky, then scanned the hall behind them. All clear.

They moved in silence until a distant scream made them freeze as one.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah." Bucky reached back and touched her wrist. "Stay close. Watch behind."

Part of her wanted to ask him what he thought she'd been doing, but her fear was heightened for sarcasm. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed her confirmation before letting go. Did she have to let go? Yes, she did. For so many reasons.

Bucky picked up his pace in the direction of the screams. The sound got louder as they went further, until they were outside of a door toward the end of the hall with a light shining through a small window.

Bucky peered inside then flattened himself against the wall. He motioned Chloe to the other side of the door, and she followed his command.

"This is Bucky. I've got Gruber on sub two."

"Hang tight," Steve said. "Be there in ten."

Chloe stood flat against the wall, heart pounding. She hated waiting. Another scream tore through the air.

"We have to go in," she said.

"We wait for backup."

"That person is being tortured."

He held a finger to his lips and looked through the window. His jaw clenched and he ducked pass the door, grabbed Chloe's hand, and pulled her around the corner.

Someone in a lab coat came out of the room and walked in the direction they'd come from. Chloe peeked around Bucky and saw that the door was left open. She moved away from the wall and out of Bucky's reach to make her way to the room, but she wasn't fast enough. Bucky grabbed her and pulled her back against the wall. When she tried to leave again he used his body as a barrier, pressing her into cold stone behind her.

"What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Save someone."

"By getting yourself killed?"

"But—"

"No one knows better than me what's going on in that room, but this is not the way to fix it."

Bucky stared down at her and she saw a hint of something in his eyes. Memory? Pain? Empathy? She couldn't quite place it.

He shifted a bit to peek around the corner, but his body never left hers.

"ETA, guys?"

"We're on your floor."

"Got a lab coat that was headed your direction. Be careful."

"Gruber?"

"Not sure."

Minutes ticked by, and Chloe couldn't stop herself from focusing on Bucky's body pressed against hers. The way his hips held her firmly in place, and his hand rested on the wall next to her head as he as kept one eye down the hall.

She shifted, and Bucky grabbed her hip.

"Keep still."

"Maybe you could give me some room."

She shifted again, and Bucky grunted. He squeezed her hip, and stared down into her eyes without a word. He lowered his eyes to her mouth, then looked away, his attention back on the hall as he eased away from her.

Chloe wondered about that look. For a moment, she thought Wanda may be right. He looked like he was going to kiss her. Or least like he was thinking about it.

Bucky grabbed her wrist and tugged.

"They're here. Follow me."

She turned the corner, and Steve and Tony came toward them. When they flanked the door, Steve counted down from three on his fingers, then ducked into the room. Bucky pushed Chloe in so he could pull up the rear while Tony stood guard outside.

It amazed her how quiet the two men were, even with all their bulk. They were light on the balls of their feet as they moved forward until they finally reached the source of the screams. Steve stood straight as he shoved a gun into Gruber's side.

"Don't move."

Gruber's put his hands in the air. "I have no intention of dying today."

"Good. Cooperate, and you'll be fine."

Bucky nudged Chloe to the man in the chair. Chloe tried to undo his restraints as Bucky turned off the machines, but he stopped her.

"Wait. We don't know what was done to him. He could be hostile."

"Unfortunately," Gruber said, "I've only gotten as far as wiping his memory. I've only had him two days. Just settled in myself, last week."

Chloe cringed at the sound of Gruber's voice.

"Miss Tyler?"

Bucky stood between her and Gruber. "I think you should keep quiet, buddy."

"But I know her. We spent several weeks together."

"We know. That's the only reason you're alive right now."

"Buck," Steve said. He shook his head.

Chloe ignored Gruber and touched Bucky's arm. "Can I let him out, now?"

Bucky nodded and helped her as Steve escorted Gruber out.

At the tower, Clint and Natasha brought Gruber to an interrogation room while the others debriefed with Steve and Tony.

Steve asked specifically how Chloe did, and, to her surprise, Bucky left out when she tried to go into the room alone.

They all stayed and chatted a bit, even after they were done with the official stuff. Bucky pulled Steve aside. They whispered in the corner for a moment, then left the room. Chloe followed when she thought no one was paying attention. She heard their hushed voices around the corner.

"I just can't Steve. I told you it was a mistake."

"Come on, man. It couldn't have been that bad."

"Worse. I can't be her partner. Not in the field."

Chloe turned and walked away, but only made it a few steps before she decided she wouldn't run and hide. She stepped from around the corner and stared Bucky down.

"Nice to know what you really think of my capability, Sarge. Is that what you reported to Banner in that meeting I couldn't be a part of?"

"Hang on, Chloe—"

"No, Steve. I think it's obvious Bucky doesn't want to deal with me, so I'll make it easy for him." She took a calming breath and turned to Steve. "Thank you for the opportunity to control my abilities. And thank you for catching the asshole that did this to me." She looked back to Bucky. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, too. Your job is done. I'll be gone by morning."

"Chloe—" Steve called after her, but she didn't slow down.

She pulled her suitcase from her closet and tossed it on the bed, then ran her hands through her hair. This was it. No going back.

She gasped when she looked up. Bucky stood in her doorway, arms crossed, feet firmly planted.

"You know, the funny thing about eavesdropping is that you don't always hear what you think you hear."

"No? So, I didn't hear you tell Steve you don't want to work with me in the field?"

He lowered his eyes and shook his head. "No, that you heard right."

"Brilliant. So nice of you to stop by and confirm that for me. Please leave."

She slammed the door in his face, but he didn't budge. He caught the edge and shoved it back open.

"It's not because I don't think you're capable. It's... personal reasons."

"Personal? What the hell does that mean?"

"It means it's personal. It's my issue. Ok?"

"But it's something about me. It's me you don't want to work with."

Bucky ran his hand over his face and closed the door. He pulled Chloe by the hand and pushed her against the wall, like he did at Gruber's compound. She shoved at his chest.

"Let me go."

"When we were against that wall... you distracted me."

"Because I'm no good in the field, I got it."

"Because I've been wanting to do this for months."

Bucky leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The hand on his chest stopped pushing and gripped his shirt to pull him closer. Chloe leaned into him with a sigh, and he wrapped his metal arm around her waist as he deepened the kiss. When she whimpered, he pulled away.

"I'm sorry."

His metal hand grabbed the doorknob, but Chloe took his flesh hand in hers.

"Wait. You can't kiss me like that and leave. You've wanted to do that for months?"

Bucky nodded, and his eyes found hers.

"But when I kissed you that day... you just froze. You didn't kiss me back."

"I knew you didn't mean it that way. And you kind of caught me off guard."

Chloe sat on the edge of her bed. Bucky narrowed his eyes as he leaned back against the door.

"Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

"I haven't been avoiding you."

"Come on, Chloe. You tell me you need a break, and then I don't see you anymore? Not even for the Russian lessons."

"When I kissed you, I honestly didn't mean anything by it. I was so excited I just did it without thinking. But it changed something."

"Changed what?"

"The way I see you."

Just a few long strides and Bucky was kissing her again. The force of it pushed Chloe back onto the bed, and Bucky climbed over her. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her up toward the middle.

"I told Steve I couldn't work with you in the field, because I knew you would distract me. You distract me when we train."

She scoffed. "Yeah, sure."

"How do you think you knocked me down that day? I let my thoughts get away from me."

He brushed his fingers through the hair at her temple and kissed her forehead.

"You said you hadn't been sleeping, because you had a lot on your mind."

"Ninety percent you, doll."

"Just ninety?" She grinned.

Bucky smiled and shook his head. "The other ten percent was missions and stuff. But it was you keeping me up at night. I kept having these dreams..."

"Well, then we're even."

"Yeah?"

"That night in the pool? I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about our kiss, and then I started dreaming about it."

Bucky sat up and pulled Chloe with him.

"I think we have to do some talking. Between the two of us, that's a lot of mixed messages and false assumptions."

Chloe nodded. "So, what do we do?"

Bucky took her hand. "Can I take you out to dinner?"

Chloe smiled and kissed his cheek. "Absolutely."

He caught her lips in another kiss, and Chloe moaned. His hand caressed her face, but he stood as he pulled away.

"I should go."

"Ok."

"Meet me in the common room later?"

Chloe nodded.

Bucky left with a smile on his face, and Chloe lay back on her bed.

"What just happened?" she thought aloud.