Steve glowered at his phone the next day at breakfast. There were a few nasty rumors being spread about Ana through gossip sites. Rumors about her being a secret spy or terrorist. Or rumors about her dating almost any one of the Avengers. Everyone was still interested in her and her position. There would be no quick end to this, Steve thought, and there was still Ross to worry about. Steve knew he was angry at the Avengers for going against the UN after SHIELD resurfaced, and that he would have no problem using Ana as a way to make the people hate them again.
He debated telling Ana about the incident with Ross at the press conference. He wanted to warn her, but she didn't need the extra stress right now, he reasoned. Ross hadn't tried anything yet, anyway, and they had more important things to worry about. They were so close to getting the last of Hydra locked away, and with Ana's intel, they could have it done very soon. The only issue there was getting her to talk about what she knew. He could understand her stress and worry about opening up, but he hoped he could convince her.
...
Bucky hummed to himself as he entered his kitchen that morning. He poured himself a mug of coffee and took it to the bedroom, where Ana was still wrapped up in his sheets. He nudged her shoulder gently,
"Hey, sleepyhead, it's time to wake up."
"Says you." She mumbled, pulling the sheet over her head and curling in on herself.
"I made coffee." Bucky said.
"Coffee?" Ana inquired. Green eyes peeked out of the blankets just enough to see the steaming mug in his hands. Ana didn't really want to get up just yet. Bucky's bed was so soft and warm and it smelled like him. She wanted to just wrap herself up again and go back to sleep for a few days, but she relented for the sake of the heavenly liquid.
"This isn't fair, you know, preying on my weakness." She mumbled as she sat up.
"I know." Bucky said as he passed her the mug, kissing her head, "Here, Superman, drink your Kryptonite. I'll go make breakfast."
Ana sipped her coffee and smiled to herself. It was perfect. Bucky always knew exactly how to make her morning coffee.
After her morning dose of caffeine kicked in, Ana finally worked up the energy to pry herself from the perfect softness of Bucky's bed. She wandered into the kitchen, wearing only the grey t-shirt he'd given her the night before to sleep in.
Bucky was whisking something in a bowl. He was wearing only a pair of sweatpants and his hair was tossed up into messy bun. Ana snuck up behind him and enveloped him in a hug.
"What are you making?" She asked, standing on tiptoe to see over his shoulder.
"French toast."
"Ooh, fancy."
"Maybe to you, miss cereal and poptarts." Bucky snarked back. That earned him a smack to his side, "I only ate Poptarts once." she said, referring to a time when she'd fractured her knee and could barely move, so the pastries had made an excellent solution.
Bucky laughed, until Ana tried to get out some cooking utensils.
"What are you doing?" he asked
"I thought I could help." she replied, "What do you want me to do?"
"Nothing." Bucky said, "Just stand there and look pretty."
Ana was a terrible cook. She and Tony were both officially banned from the communal kitchen as a result of many burnt cookies, raw eggs, and several other meals that could classify as health hazards. Bucky on the other hand, nearly rivalled Gordon Ramsay when it came to certain dishes(He makes the most amazing crepes you've ever had), and he did not like sharing the kitchen. Ana loved to tease him about it, as did the rest of the team, and today was no different.
"I can make the bacon!" she suggested eagerly, pulling out a frying pan.
"No."
"Okay, how about I make you an omelet!" running to the fridge. Bucky grabbed her arm.
"No."
"How about fruit? I can cut fruit!" she said, buzzing over to the knife drawer.
Bucky didn't respond with a 'no' this time, but grabbed her hips and lifted her onto the counter.
"Stay." he commanded.
"But Buckyyy…" Ana said in a mock whine, "I wanna help!"
"No." Bucky insisted. Ana broke into a fit of giggles. Watching him get grumpy over something like making breakfast was always funny.
"Can I set the table at least?"
"Fine." Bucky said with an eyeroll.
As they were eating breakfast, they chatted idly about different things.
"So, Logan's wedding is in a couple months." Ana said.
"That sounds nice." Bucky said absently.
"Do you wanna be my date?" she asked.
"I don't know." Bucky mumbled, "I don't think your dad really likes me."
"He doesn't like me either. But I have to go because I'm Jenna's bridesmaid now, and it would be really nice to have a date."
"Well, consider me your date then." He said with a smile. He paused for a while.
"You know, me being your date to your brother's wedding is really publicly official." he said.
"It is." Ana said, swirling her fork around in her syrup.
"Does this mean I can talk about us dating now?" Bucky inquired hopefully.
"It does." Ana said with a smirk, "But don't go overboard and tell everyone in a day. Just act natural and let them find out on their own okay?"
"Okay."
"And just because the team gets to know doesn't mean the press does." Ana said firmly.
"I understand." Bucky promised.
Just then Bucky and Ana's phones both buzzed.
'Steve: Strategy meeting in one hour.' The message read.
Ana returned to her own apartment to shower and change before the strategy meeting. When she arrived at the meeting room, Natasha, Maria, and Steve, and Tony were there, seated around a holographic screen display. Ana and Bucky sat next to each other as they always did, however this time they chose to hold hands under the table. Maria was showing data SHIELD had collected on suspicious activity.
"From what we can tell, there are three potential directions this guy could have gone," she said, showing a picture of the target who had escaped them in Copenhagen, "We have evidence of him leaving to Berlin, but he drops off there, but recognition software spotted him in Amsterdam, Stuttgart, and Moscow."
"Well, he might not be around anymore." Ana said, "And if he is, he knows better than to go back to his boss."
Everyone looked to Ana expectantly, "Who are we looking for, Ana?" Maria asked.
Ana shrank back in her seat, feeling so small with everyone staring at her. She tried to just spit out his name and get it over with but she couldn't.
"I wish I knew." She said, turning her head away in anger and embarrassment, "I never spoke to him directly. I got orders from one of his second-in-commands, and then I got paid. That was that."
"And this was the one who recruited you?" Steve asked, pointing at the screen.
Ana nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. A single tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, hoping no one would notice. Bucky squeezed her hand for reassurance. Bucky asked Tony, Maria, and Natasha to leave. He sat across from her and looked at her with a soft expression.
"I know you don't want to talk about this." he said, "But we need to know everything you can tell us in order to stop this guy for good. It's just me and you-and Bucky- so just let it out. No judgement will come from either one of us. I promise you that."
Bucky nodded and squeezed Ana's shoulders lightly. She still looked unsure so Steve went a step farther.
"Jarvis, I want you to turn off any audio or visual recording you have in this room." He commanded to the ceiling, "This stays between the people in this room."
Ana pulled at her sleeves nervously, "Where do you want me to start?"
"How about the beginning? You said this guy recruited you?"
"Yes."
"When was that?"
Ana sniffed. Bucky rubbed her back, whispering encouragement to her.
"I was nineteen, but still the best marksman of my graduating class." she said. "I had been stationed in Germany. We thought we were the lucky ones, being in Europe instead of Afghanistan, but then I learned I had been sent to be part of a special operations team specific to targeting terrorist activity in Germany. I didn't know it at the time, but it was regimes like AIM and Hydra."
Steve nodded, letting her know to go on.
"We did a lot of work." she continued, "Sometimes I had to take shots even in the city. Any one of them could have gone wrong, but I had to follow my orders. One day, we received orders from the general to investigate on a threat, and capture a target. They didn't tell us why. We had orders. I was to guard the perimeter by not to take a shot at anyone. Our officer, Ryan, went in, covered by a sergeant, and I saw someone go in behind them. I could've taken him out but my superior told me to stand down. I tried to tell him but I had to follow the orders I was given. Ryan never came back… and the target was lost."
Tears glistened in Ana's eyes as her voice broke in to a crack.
"Things were different after Ryan… I loved him." she said, barely above a whisper, "No one knew. Not even him, and now he never will. I couldn't help it, I-I cut again. I wanted t-to kill myself."
Ana broke into hysterical sobs, nearly falling out of her chair. Bucky caught her and held her upright.
"It's okay, Ana." he soothed.
"Really, you're doing good." Steve said.
Ana wiped away her tears, "I was discharged for hardship after that." she recalled, "I was out of a job with nowhere to go. That's when it all got worse."
With a clenched fist and a thousand yard stare, she continued to tell them her story.
She was wandering the streets in Stuttgart, when she was approached by a man. He was wearing a blue suit and walking with a cane. He introduced himself as Friedrich Schwarz.
"I am looking to employ someone with a very specific skill set." he told her.
"Sorry," Ana replied, "I'm really not the person you're looking for. There's a strip club down the street, though." thinking he wanted something she just really wasn't going to give.
"That is… not what I was referring to. I need to hire a marksman."
Ana was intrigued. She knew she shouldn't be. She was no mercenary. She'd been in the military. Surely she had more integrity than this.
"I'm not a marksman anymore." She spat as she turned to walk away.
"Have it your way, but then who will avenge Sergeant Ryan Hunter?"
Ana spun on her heel.
"Who the hell are you? And how do you know that name?"
"Only a man who needs a favor." he replied with a smirk.
Ana gave him a threatening glare, crossing her arms, but she wasn't running. She was waiting for his offer.
"Do you know a man by the name of William Burke?"
That had been the name of Ryan's cover.
"He was pronounced killed in action at the same time." she said.
"Ah, but was there a body?" Friedrich asked.
'No.' Ana thought. There hadn't been a body and William should have been classified missing in action.
"The government has covered up his mistake." Friedrich continued, tilting his hat"He is the reason your friend is gone."
"Who sent you?" Ana asked, "And what are asking me to do?"
"I was sent by those who wish to rid the world of chaos. To achieve that dream, I am asking you to eliminate William Burke."
Ana couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"That's absurd." she argued, "William Burkes is dead. And even if he wasn't he was a fellow Marine and a friend. What reason would I have to kill him?"
"Your eyes… " he said, "they say you've lost more than a friend. They tell me you were once in love." He reach out to touch her hand which she jerked away. He grabbed it forcibly and pulled her sleeve up. He looked over her wrist with a stone hard expression.
"Why would a pretty girl like you punish herself, when you can punish those who deserve it?" he asked.
Ana actually thought about it. She had lost everything. Her brother, her first love, and now her place in the world. What else could she do but try and find peace of mind.
"Come with me my dear," Friedrich insisted with a kind smile, "and you may get the vengeance you require."
She replied with a stiff nod. She followed him. He gave her supplies, and a time and date her target would be located. She followed through on the job with little remorse. She was gifted the weapons she used and a large cash provision as payment. Then Friedrich revealed himself as a member of Hydra. Ana couldn't believe what she had done. He offered her another job, which she tried to refuse, but now he had a handle on her. She'd helped them, and now there was nowhere else to turn. She was now a mercenary. In the Marines, Ana had never disobeyed an order. Out in the world, she was able to make her own orders, and accept or decline the offers as they came. Ana found freedom and control in it for a bit. Ana got her orders from the commander, but she'd never actually met him in person. Her missions were normally delivered via Friedrich, or through a breaker phone. Ana knew from the rumors that the only way she'd ever meet the commander face-to-face is if she failed, and that would be a very short meeting. There were times when she wanted to give up, to quit and walk away but Friedrich would remind her constantly of the crime that started it all. He paid her handsomely, but after each job was done, she'd vanish from the city without a trace. Then the guilt would roll in and she'd go right back punishing herself with a blade. It went on like that for months, until that day of fate that brought her to the Avengers.
Ana told him her story, along with every detail and name she could remember. At the end of her story, Ana broke down in tears again, tearing herself away from her flashback. Steve hugged her tightly.
"Thank you. I know that was hard for you," he said, "but thank you."
Ana didn't say anything in response, only cried more. Bucky had to help her up and take her back to her room. Bucky held her and rocked her like a child while she clung onto him.
"I'm s-sorry." she stuttered.
"Shhh… there's nothing to be sorry about." Bucky soothed.
"No! This is ridiculous! I shouldn't be crying like this!" Ana wailed.
"There's nothing wrong with letting it out." Bucky assured, which only made her sob harder. Half an hour later, and she was asleep on his shoulder. Bucky pulled a blanket over them, and stayed with her. He couldn't bring himself to leave her then, even if she was asleep. The things she'd told him had him infuriated, and he swore if he ever saw the man who'd made his girl feel this way, the last thing he'd ever see was a cold metal arm.
Half an hour later, Bucky's phone buzzed. Ana was stirring slightly, and Bucky brushed his hand along her cheek to wake her. She blinked at him groggily.
"Tony wants a movie night. You feel up to that? He says it's your pick."
Ana nodded. She might have kind of wanted to just stay in bed with Bucky, but Tony letting her pick the movie was a rare opportunity she couldn't pass up.
Ana and Bucky entered the communal floor together. Pizza and drinks were already out, along with an assortment of sour candy, popcorn, and M&M's. Ana didn't feel very hungry, but Tony's extra effort to make sure all her favorite things were there didn't go unnoticed.
Ana settled into a comfy chair with a plush throw blanket. Her movie of choice was Harry Potter, her favorite go to when she needed a break from reality.
The other residents of the tower all trickled in one at a time. Natasha sat by Ana and squeezed her hand.
"Maria did an extensive search, and we've found Friedrich."
Ana tensed up. She couldn't believe Nat would bring this up now when she was just trying to relax and have a good time.
"Where is he?"
"Moscow. She's sending in a team to pick him up. Then we'll hold him until we get the information we need." She said.
Ana breathed a sigh of relief, even though she still would be worried until the commander was found and locked up.
As the rest of the team showed up. They were all gathering final snack and grabbing seats before the movie could start. Ana was munching on a sizeable amount of sour gummy worms, when Bucky asked,
"Hey, babe, what kind of pizza do you want?"
Everyone turned to stare at Bucky. Ana responded with "Pepperony." then everyone turned to gape at her.
"So, you guys are a thing now?" Tony asked bluntly.
"What makes you think that? I didn't think bringing someone a slice of pizza was a marriage proposal." Bucky retorted.
"You said 'babe'. You don't say 'babe'. You say 'doll', 'darling', and 'sweetheart', but never 'babe'."
"Maybe I'm trying something new." Bucky said with a shrug, walking over to the couch with Ana and his pizzas balance in his hands.
Tony was about to argue, but Ana interrupted.
"Here, Tony, does this answer your question?" She asked, before pulling Bucky into a deep kiss. Secrets and gossip be damned; the truth should come out.
Tony smirked wryly, and Steve gawked, while everyone else looked on with contented smiles.
Bucky pulled away with a grin. The Avengers broke into a frenzy of mixed reactions ranging from the very excited to the very surprised.
Scott cheered. Clint whistled and Sam whispered "Damn.". Wanda and Natasha smirked.
Tony shouted, "Ha! I knew it! Banner, you owe me fifty bucks!"
Bruce just smiled and shook his head at Tony's childishness. Steve only stood there beaming proudly.
"You had a bet?" Ana asked incredulously.
"Yeah, right before we left for Hawaii, Bruce and I made a bet on whether or not you were an item."
"Really, Tony?" Pepper said disapprovingly, "They've obviously been together longer than that."
"How did you all know it so fast?" Bucky asked.
"How could we not?" Tony asked, "The UST between you and Frosty was unbearable at times."
"We're all really happy for you." Pepper said. Nods and smiles of agreement came from all around.
"But remember, I'm watching you, Barnes. And if you do anything to hurt Ana, her favorite uncle is going to kick your ass.."
"I'm not your niece, Tony."
"Silence, child."
Ana rolled her eyes, "Can we just watch the movie now?"
Everyone settled down onto the couch. Bucky and Ana were tangled together and holding hands. Tony would occasionally throw popcorn, and make a 'watching you' gesture at Bucky.
Bucky ignored him until the fifth time. Then her tried to throw a gummy worm back, but he missed by a mile and it ended up hitting Steve in the eye.
Steve tried to retaliate and ended up hitting Natasha in the process. Needless to say the movie shortly long forgotten in exchange for a candy war.
AN: as some of you may know, today (March 1st) is Self-Injury Awareness Day. I want to honor this day by reminding all my readers who might be struggling that you are strong, you are loved, and you can make it through anything. I want to encourage all of you to reach out to someone today. Whether that means talking to someone who you know is struggling, or if you are the one struggling. It seems hard, I know, but I can tell you from personal experience that reaching out even in a small way like just giving someone a hug or calling a friend can do a lot. With that said, let it be known that I treasure all of my readers, and know that I am always willing to listen if you ever wish to talk. :)