Author's Note: Hi! Hello! This is just a simple one-shot of an OC I'm currently working on. This is technically the first time I write anything for Marvel so we'll see how this goes. I plan to weave this OC into a real story later on to be paired with Bucky but for now, I just really had this little thing stuck in my head so I thought I might as well do something productive with it! It also features the other OC I'm writing for as well, paired with...well, you'll see ;).

The only real warnings here are a totally confused Bucky and a slightly annoyed Steve :)).

"I don't want to," Chloe said plain and flatly when she heard the 'grand' idea her friends Steve and Seren had come up with.

Seren wasn't all that surprised by the answer, but she felt for Steve who was hoping more than anything that Chloe would be able to help them out.

"Chloe, please," he started again. "Bucky really needs your help. I need your help. He's my friend, my best friend-" he gave Chloe a pointed look, reminding her she was in the same situation with Seren, "-and he could really use some of that Chloe peacefulness."

Chloe decided to nitpick what she had heard. "That's what we're calling it? Chloe peacefulness? I know we can come up with a better name than that."

"Chloe," Seren scolded. This was no time to play games nor be sarcastic, two things Chloe loved doing.

"It's what you made me feel when I first met you," Steve reminded her. God knows he was a mess in his early days after waking up in the modern world. Seren had brought in her friend, Chloe Winters, promising him that Chloe had some special abilities that would help him ease his conflicted mind. Being from the 40s, he wasn't so sure that people actually had super powers besides the serum that he had taken. But then came along Chloe who politely told him that she could indeed open his mind. She had told him that a part of her powers helped people feel like they had talked about everything bothering them without her actually listening to those words. He would basically be able to feel like he was talking about everything bothering him, all his deepest secrets and thoughts, but Chloe wouldn't be able to actually hear them, much less see the memories. Though skeptic about it, Steve had consented to the idea and saw Chloe a few times per week to help him divulge those feelings. Each time they were done, he really did feel like a wave of peacefulness had washed over him. And when he felt confident enough, he was finally able to speak those secrets and deep thoughts out loud.

He really felt like it was what Bucky needed right now. After years, and years, of god knows what Hydra put him up to, he needed that peacefulness. He just had to convince Chloe that he was no longer a threat. "He won't hurt you," he had just began to say when Chloe cut him off.

"Oh, I know that," she surprised him with. "He's not that messed up anymore but the reason I say 'no' is not for me...it's for him." She was met with the same puzzled faces from Steve and Seren. "He did a lot of stuff that I'm sure he wants none of us to know about. What makes you think he'll be comfortable letting me into his mind? Not to mention be real close to another person?" Steve admitted that those were some very good questions she was making and unfortunately she wasn't done. "He hasn't had real, consenting human contact since he fell off that train. I don't want to partake in anything that can trigger him." Chloe reached for Steve's head with her index fingers and thumbs to remind him what exactly she was supposed to do to make that 'peacefulness' happen. "You think he'll be okay with this?"

"He's been around us for a few weeks now…" Steve said, but the manner in which he had reasoned sounded more like he was going through the facts to see if he was really making the right call here.

Yes, Bucky had been around him and Seren, Chloe and the rest of the team but if he was being honest, no there hadn't been a lot of mutual contact. He was taking things slow, understandably, but it seemed like he was stuck (also understandably). It was why Steve decided to talk to Chloe in the first place. He didn't want Bucky to be stuck in that way. He needed to heal, he had a right to.

"I think that if it's just you, he'll be fine," Steve said after a long moment of thinking. He met Chloe's doubtful eyes and firmly nodded. "You can help him like you helped me."

"Difference being your mind wasn't warped…"

"Chloe," went Seren again, sighing. "Be sensitive here."

"I am," Chloe assured her with a roll of her eyes that didn't leave Seren so convinced. "Steve, if you're that sure, I guess I can try."

Steve was truly grateful when he left Chloe to go find his best friend and tell him about his idea. Seren was...unsure how this would go, but she trusted Chloe enough to be serious when the moment called for it and this moment screamed for it.

"Scared?" Chloe shot her a smirk when she assumed what Seren was thinking.

"A bit…"

"It won't last long," Chloe said, sounding a bit too certain for Seren's liking.

"Why?"

"Because I give Bucky one week before he tells me to get lost," Chloe shrugged, her smirk turning into a laugh.

Once again, Seren sighed. "Chloe!"

~0~

She was a princess.

She was the typical woman he used to date back in the old days.

Perfect tresses of blonde curls, shiny emerald eyes, and she even had the damn rosy tinge on her cheeks. Typical. She was a sharp dresser, never once did he see her in something casual (in his short time knowing her of course). Personality wise...she was hardly serious, always making a remark about everything, and she had a smirk that rarely left her face. She was an expert at making the signature 'adorable' faces complete with the untouchable pout, and a general lack of attention - she was hardly the candidate to help him heal.

'What is Steve thinking?' was the question that kept running through Bucky's head. That was the problem - he probably wasn't thinking. For all Bucky knew, Steve could've been persuaded by the redhead with dimples to give Chloe a chance. He noticed that was a pattern between her and Steve - she showed those dimples and Steve would do whatever she wanted, and he didn't even notice it! But who was he to say something about that? Steve wasn't the one who murdered countless people, Steve hadn't destroyed so many lives...no, that was him. He had to believe that there was something Steve saw in Chloe that could help him because right now, Bucky saw nothing. But right now he had no right to do nor say anything so he would let things go and see where they went.

The first day had him waiting for Chloe in one of the training rooms of the compound. He was nervous, yes he really was, and even more so when she finally arrived. With a clearing of her throat, she approached him and started explaining what would be happening. Unknowingly, he gave the same reaction as Steve had when he first heard what Chloe could do.

"You can really do that?"

"Yup," she nodded. "But I'm warning you, I need to touch you." She put her own fingers to her temple to show him exactly what it would be like. "Is that alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" He asked a bit too quickly, proving her point from before.

"Because the last time somebody touched you, it was to electrify you," she smiled sarcastically, only realizing later on that this would be a moment in which Seren would scold her for being too insensitive. "You want to go for it?"

"Just like that?"

"I don't see any point in delaying it. Unless you're not...?" Chloe quickly raised her hands in front of her, sending the message that she wouldn't hold it against him if he decided not to do this.

"No, let's do it." Truthfully, Bucky still had his doubts with her but he supposed he really did lose anything if he gave this a try. He motioned Chloe to show him how to start.

With a nod, she led him towards the only chairs in the room. She grabbed one for herself and waited for Bucky to do the same. He sat down and waited for her to give him the next instructions. A part of Chloe wondered if this was just something he was so used to that he did it without realizing. She scooted her chair closer to his then raised her hands to show him she would be touching him.

It did, admittedly, make Bucky slightly nervous. Or perhaps he was on edge. His mind was that scrambled he wasn't sure which one it was. His eyes were locked on Chloe's reaching fingers. Even before they reached him, he could see the perfectly styled nails. They were painted in a bright purple.

He flinched when her fingers touched his temples. Chloe said nothing about it. She was watching him cautiously, searching for any sign that he would push her away. He didn't.

"Just relax," she instructed him and it was such a novelty hearing those words. There would be no shocks, no torture, just a supposed peacefulness.

He sniffed. "What's that smell?"

Chloe arched an eyebrow at him. "Excuse me?"

"There's a smell like..."

"It's hair perfume. It's called Argan Oil of Morocco and I'd be glad to send it over since you said 'no' to the haircut."

Bucky leaned away from her on instinct. "Sorry, was that not to your liking?"

Chloe rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. "I don't care. What I care about is that you don't move anymore!"

With a light huff, Bucky resumed his position close to her. Once more she reached forwards and placed her fingers over his temples.

"I need you to lean closer," she said.

"More?"

"Yes! I told you this would be-"

"I don't need the lectures, just do it."

"Would it kill you to be a little nicer?" The look on Bucky's face told Chloe she had made a very poor choice of words. "Okay, that was my bad. Just...closer!"

Bucky didn't know how much closer they could get. Their legs were awkwardly around each other's in an attempt to give more room. The real answer came to him when Chloe pressed her forehead to his. She had closed her eyes; whether to avoid the awkwardness or because it was part of this insane process, he didn't know. What he did know was that whatever 'hair perfume' (whatever the hell that even was) she had on was really strong. It did smell nice, though.

"Focus," he flinched when Chloe spoke again. Things had gone dead silent around them that even when she had whispered to him, it was loud.

"On what?" He tried to whisper at the volume that their silence asked for.

"Whatever you want. You have the freedom now, you get to decide what you want to share." Chloe hoped that these words truly meant something for him. Freedom was something he hadn't had in a long, long time. "And remember, I won't actually hear nor see anything."

"Really?"

"I promise."

Though reluctant, Bucky agreed to try it. He would start with something small - if he could find something like that - just to test the waters. He closed his eyes and thought about something completely away from Hydra. It was a simple childhood memory that every child had: he'd fallen and gotten a scrape on his knee. "Did you see that?" He asked after a few minutes. He opened one eye to see Chloe smiling with her eyes still shut.

"No," she said like she had already explained it...and she had. "What was it?"

"Nothing," Bucky smiled for the first time when she made a noise of offence.

"Well fine, move onto the real stuff."

"Fine," he mimicked her tone and closed his eyes seconds before she opened hers to narrow them on him. The next time he really did focus on the things that were most prominent in his mind. He never realized how time passed by because each memory took a while. Chloe said nothing about the time; it was frankly the most silent she had been since he met her.

To his mighty surprise, when they finished he really did feel that peacefulness Steve promised would happen. It was the first time in a very long time that he could say he was relaxed. He wasn't sure how long it would last but he was just happy that it happened. He was happy. That was new.

"Thanks," he said quietly, his expression still deciding if he was actually feeling those nice, happy feelings he was promised.

Chloe got up from her chair and smiled proudly. "Don't sound too unsure." At her words, he looked up at her. "It's okay, you didn't think I could actually help. Most people think I'm an idiot when they first meet me."

"I didn't..."

"Yeah you did," Chloe said so plainly and resigned that it momentarily took away that peacefulness she had given him. "Last week you gave me that look that everyone always gives me when I make a first impression on them. I'm very bad at them and usually it all ends up in the same way. I fall under the stereotype of a 'pretty blonde' who has all the beauty but no brains, so...I've learned to live with it," she shrugged. "I just care what people think about me after they get to know me. Maybe you can do that later on."

Bucky watched her turn to leave. Dammit. His track record for messing up was already massive and now he had something new to add to it. Great.

Lucky for him, Chloe kept true to her word and continued to help him out. She was very punctual and very serious throughout each session. It was a stark difference from how she acted outside the sessions. It was rather amusing having to explain to Steve's dimpled-friend - he may have appropriated a few nicknames without their knoweldge - that Chloe was helping him and not making sarcastic remarks. Dimples couldn't believe it.

"You don't have to lie to me because she's my friend," Seren assured him just in case he was having trouble speaking the truth. "Chloe has the tendency to mess around at the wrong times."

"I'm not lying," Bucky assured her. "She's doing a lot for me."

And speaking of the good helper, she was coming into the room with Steve and Sam hot on her trail. Well, it looked more like Sam was right behind her and Steve was trying to break whatever was going on.

"I refuse to go to that place," Chloe said flatly before spinning to face Sam. "It's all dirty and, not to mention, it has horrible customer service."

"I just need you for 5 minutes," Sam was saying, sounding like he was begging. "Five minutes so you can distract the brother and I can talk to his sister."

"Guys..." Steve sighed, shutting his eyes.

"What the hell am I? Your wing-man?" Chloe arched an eyebrow at Sam.

"Actually, I believe it's wing woman-"

"Shut up," she commanded so easily and swiftly it sounded like she was in charge of the whole place. What was more amusing to Bucky was that everyone actually listened to her.

"What is going on?" Seren dreaded to ask the trio.

"Sam wants me to distract the brother of this girl he's been trying to talk to at that little restaurant he likes going to," Chloe folded her arms.

"I just need her little angel face for 5 minutes!" Sam exclaimed. "That's what the brother says about her anyways."

Chloe's face fell flat at the chosen 'compliment'. "What am I? A doll?"

"Yes! But, you know, in an endearing way?"

Chloe looked at Seren and Bucky with an incredulous expression on her face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You're a wing-woman-" Sam tried to add but Chloe was done with him.

"Shut up!"

Steve shook his head at the two an decided to leave the pair's side. "Seren..."

"Guys," Seren clapped her hands to get the two's attention. "Seriously? Fighting over this?"

"She's my only hope," Sam argued like it was the best defense he had, the most logical one too. "She's the only one who can do it."

"No one else is willing to step up for the job?" Bucky had asked, surprising the others in the process. He didn't really partake in conversations and since he was doing it, no one would say anything about.

Sam started listing off his fingers to answer the question. "Natasha scares him, Wanda said a flatout 'no' and we all know Seren can't do it."

"Hey," Seren said with offence. "Why can't I?"

Sam said nothing but Bucky watched as he and Chloe's eyes flickered over to Steve. His best friend's face had suddenly gained a deep frown. The idea was not very well received apparently. Of course, Bucky inwardly rolled his eyes. Dimples. But she was none the wiser about it.

Sam saved Steve the torture by telling Seren, "You just can't."

Seren pouted. Bucky noted that, while still looking pretty, it wasn't the same like the one that Chloe sported.

"This is stupid," Chloe huffed. "I'm not doing it," she told Sam with a pointed look. He was to never ask that from her again.

"You are a bad friend," Sam frowned.

"I think I'm a good friend." Chloe happily corrected him and patted his cheek. "You can do better anyways - she's so rude." She started listing off the specific reasons why said rude girl wasn't the one for Sam. She would've gone on for longer had Seren not cut her off with the suggestion that she should put her time into better use by helping Bucky for the day. It definitely sounded a lot better than arguing with Sam.

The last thing Bucky and Chloe heard as they left the room together was Seren once again asking Sam why she hadn't been considered to help be this 'wing-woman' of his.

"Watch out, Steve might blow a fuse or something," Chloe laughed lightly.

Bucky laughed with her. "Yeah, Dimples got to him."

"Dimples?" Chloe sent him a bemused glance. "You gave Seren a nickname?"

"I technically gave everyone one in the beginning. My memory's not that good with names."

"Ah, so Seren is 'Dimples', what's Sam's?"

Bucky knew she specifically asked that first because of the tetchy relationship he had with the para-rescuer. "Nothing nice."

"Well I know that, but what is it?"

"...Silly-Putty-Sam."

Chloe came to an abrupt stop. "Hold on - what!?" She turned to him completely, expecting a full explanation for that chosen name. "Why on Earth is he called that?"

"Because I can and will squeeze him if he continues to annoy me," Bucky said with an all serious face.

"Aah," Chloe nodded, "That's clever. And a bit scary, not gonna lie. So...what's mine?"

"Huh?"

"Mine! What's my nickname? I really don't care if it's mean too. I've had my own nicknames for the others when they piss me off."

"I...haven't really thought of one." Bucky wasn't sure why he just lied. He most certainly had thought of one for her right from the start. She was an utter princess.

"Really?"

"Yeah..."

Lie!

"Aw," Chloe pouted. "Why?"

"Don't know..."

Stop lying! Bucky really wished he could stop lying but he didn't even know why he was lying in the first place. Was it about guilt? If it was about guilt, you wouldn't have given Sam his nickname.

Chloe left the topic alone once they reached their usual session room. It wasn't that big of a deal...to her. Bucky was still trying to figure out where the hell those lies came from and it certainly showed in his session with her. His thoughts were a bit more frazzled than normal. Chloe noticed it once or twice but she presumed it was just because the memories weren't that nice.

Still, as days continued to pass by, their sessions started to become a little less silent. They were still serious - how could they not be given the types of memories that crowded Bucky's mind? - but there was a different atmosphere around them, between them. Because Bucky still wouldn't give up his nickname to her, whether out of guilt or some other reason, he started to take more notice of her beyond the princess aspects.

She still had the necessity to make comments about everything, but some of them were actually funny. At the very least they were amusing and God knew that he could use some amusement in his life. The best part was that a lot of her comments were directed at Sam and she was good at them. She was incredibly intelligent and he dared to say it wasn't solely because of that Hive Mind she was a part of. No, she was smart all on her own. She gave Stark a run for his money sometimes.

And perhaps one of the things he was most aware of was how nice she smelled. It was ridiculous to pay attention to such a detail but it was just so prominent. Maybe it was because how close they always were during his sessions but the fact was that Chloe Winters smelled like a sweet flower. Roses? Violets? Orchids? Lilies? All of them. She smelled like all of them. Couple that with that stupid Moroccan hair perfume of hers and...

Oh God he needed to stop. Each session gave him the chance to think up something new about her, whether it was how she dressed or a new quirk he found...he thought of it. It came to the point that his thoughts began to shift towards her instead of the usual Hydra things stuffed in his head.

"You're not focusing," Chloe's sudden comment startled him and she noticed. With a chuckle, she leaned away from him, revealing bemused eyes. Sparkly eyes, mind you. "Did I seriously just startle you?"

"Be quiet," was the first thing that came to Bucky's mind and, unfortunately, out loud. Chloe merely rolled her eyes in response. "I have a lot on my mind."

"Clearly," she muttered. "That's kinda why I'm here, genius. I'm supposed to help you sort those thoughts out."

"Somehow I don't think you'll be able to do that." Truer words had never been spoken.

"What?" She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Are you doubting my talents again? I can help, you know. Come here," she made a motion for him to assume the usual position. She scooted her chair closer to his and leaned her head towards him.

Bucky didn't move. He was actually wanting to lean back.

"C'mon!" Chloe exclaimed. "I'm not afraid to pull you!"

"Not like you could," he countered, immediately making a frown cross her face.

"What was that?" Ah, there went the eyebrow again.

"Nothing," he mumbled. He had to get a grip or something.

"Seriously, c'mon," she motioned him to lean forwards.

With a sigh, Bucky listened. He pressed his forehead against hers. He soon started wondering if he'd always been able to feel her breath against him? His thoughts were momentarily interrupted when Chloe's fingers touched his skin. Were they tracing his temples?

"Focus," Chloe instructed him.

"Right," he agreed, or rather tried to agree with her. Where did all of this come from!? He wasn't like this, not at all, not even before everything happened.

"You're not focusing."

Bucky opened his eyes to find Chloe's staring right at him. "I'm not?" He asked, unusually quiet.

"No," she said, just as quiet as he had. She was trying to figure out on her own what was wrong with him today. Sure there were things that would clearly affect his mood when these sessions happened but she felt like there was something extra today. It worried her, actually. Why wasn't she able to help this time? She could fail at a lot of things but not this. It was too important to get it wrong. "Hey, seriously, what's wrong? I want to help you."

"I don't think you can..." Bucky said slowly as if he was just realizing this, and maybe he was. Unfortunately with little context to those words, Chloe misunderstood him.

"Oh. You don't think I'm capable of doing it."

"No, that's not i-"

"I get it. Believe me, it's not the first time. I swear I'm capable of many things. Plus, I know a thing or two about having your mind invaded." Chloe offered him a warm smile. "I have so many things going on in my head, you might as well chalk me up as insane."

"You're not insane," Bucky shook his head. That was the last thing he wanted her to get from this awkward moment. "And you've been helping me a lot, trust me."

"I do," she said with a significant look in her eyes. It was hard knowing that most people couldn't trust him because he himself couldn't trust himself not to hurt someone. She knew that and she wanted him - needed him - to know that she wasn't part of 'most people'. Oh, need? That's weird. She cleared her throat, ignoring the light warmth on her face. "Listen, we don't have to do this today. We can pick up tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Yes," Bucky quickly said. Maybe by tomorrow he could get himself under control. Yes, yes, yes, he could. He could do that.

"Alright." Chloe pushed her chair away and got up. "Oh, maybe you can use this spare time to come up with a nickname for me! You know I've been waiting for one."

"Right," Bucky mumbled. He was terrible even at that because he couldn't give her another name. Princess had somehow, at some point, shifted from a superficial name to a more...endearing one. It was hard to admit it but it was the truth. "Dammit."

He really hated Steve right now. Out of everyone he had to have Chloe be the one to help him. He got the princess and now it seemed like she had him.

Author's Note:

Okay so I'm not sure if I should add a small part 2. I'll probably think about it. But thanks for the read!

P.S As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "noble-crescent" and the tag I created for any posts having to do with my work is # noblecrescentedit.