Disclaimer: Everything belongs to The Marvel Universe except for my characters Sophie and Jeremy – they are my own creations and are not meant to resemble anyone else's OCs in any way.

A/N: Hey everyone! I told you I wouldn't be able to stay away for long haha! And I'm really excited about this story. If you've read New Beginnings this is going to be…nothing like it! LOL. This is NOT a slow burn, wellll kind of, sort of. I'm going to be trying a few new things, stylistically speaking. So please let me know if things come off confusing or it's not working. The first several chapters are going to be written in a series of flashbacks until we catch up to present day. I will let you know when there is a time change. As always, look out for my soundtrack! You all know how much I love to pair music with the story.

So enjoy and please take a moment to leave a review at the end! I hope to see some familiar names in my inbox :)

Chapter 1: When Bucky Met Sophie

Sophie stood in front of her bed, chewing a nail nervously. She averted her face but her eyes darted back to the clothing laid out on the duvet. Dropping her hands down she began to pace, trying to come up with a reason, any reason, she shouldn't go through with this.

"You've been friends for so long. This could ruin everything! Do you really want to risk it? For this?"

She continued to walk circles in her bedroom as she talked to herself.

"But maybe it'll be fine. It's just a one time thing. No big deal. And you need this. Oh my God do you need this."

Stopping beside her window she began to bounce in place, her nervous energy wanting to explode out of her body. She glanced at the clock. It was getting late, already 10:07pm. Her interview and exam were early tomorrow morning. If she didn't get some sleep soon she'd be suffering in the morning. Turning back to the bed, she sank down to the floor, resting against it. Her head drifted up, eyes staring at the ceiling.

What if Bucky says no?

Stomach churning Sophie brought her knees to her chest.

"Shit. That could be worse than if he says yes…Shit, shit, shit."

Her foot began a nervous tapping on the floor and she closed her eyes. Breathing deeply through her nose to calm herself down, her mind drifted back to when they'd first met and everything that she might be putting in jeopardy.

…

~ 3.5 years ago ~

Sophie walked the already busy New York City streets at a lazy pace. Shivering slightly, she stopped to zip her coat up against the cool, late September wind. Looking up the street and to her left, she gazed at the hole in the wall coffee shop. It was only a few blocks from her apartment, but as she'd moved to the city just a month prior, she was still getting her bearings. Glancing inside as she approached, it seemed to house a mixture of occupants. Some in suits, clearly stopping by for their morning jolt before dashing off to work, despite it being Saturday. Some lounging about in casual street clothes. And others standing around chatting in their workout gear. This particular area fascinated her. It was considered a good neighborhood and not among the main thoroughfares of the city, but there was still a pretty clear divide and this coffee shop seemed to be the perfect melting pot. A few blocks South contained her apartment: it was a sturdy, clean, and well kept place, but nothing fancy. There was no doorman, no amenities and a single elevator. It wasn't a new build but that was part of the charm for her. Several blocks North you could find the more recent, elegant masterpieces. The skyscraper apartments. The ones that people owned, not rented. They were sleek with well groomed doormen, every amenity you could think of, and the most amazing views of the city.

Hesitating for only a brief moment, she walked inside. While waiting in line, Sophie's eyes began to drift around the place, giving it a once over. It was definitely her type of coffee shop. The walls were exposed brick, the floors an old and worn wood, the windows were tall and took up the entire front of the shop, curving part way around so you could see the street corner. Little bistro tables with comfortable cushioned chairs were scattered around, inviting patrons to take their time. A few deep arm chairs faced each other against the windows, waiting for people to sit and have a deep conversation. The lights were dimmed just enough to give the place a comfortable and cozy feel, which was furthered by the dark wood beams that ran across the ceiling. But her favorite part was the small fireplace in front of which sat a loveseat and coffee table. It was occupied at the moment, but if the coffee was good, Sophie knew she'd be back. A thrill of excitement coursed up her spine as she imagined sitting there reading a good book while a wintery snow drifted down outside.

When it was her turn, she stepped up to the counter and ordered her latte, eyes scanning the room once more, trying to decide where to sit. She saw an available table near the windows and her stomach flip-flopped. She was meeting a guy who a mutual friend had set her up with and she was suddenly regretting getting there early. But she couldn't help it, her nervous energy drove her from her apartment and willed her body to move. So here she was, fidgeting with the end of her scarf as she waited. The jittery butterflies skittered through her and Sophie briefly thought about just leaving. She stepped up when her name was called, snatching her coffee off the table and then whirling around.

Her movement was so quick and sudden that she nearly knocked into the person coming up behind her. Jumping back in surprise, the hot paper coffee cup slipped from her hand. Her eyes watched as it moved towards the floor in slow motion, embarrassment already flooding her face as she imagined it splattering everywhere. But then it didn't. With reflexes faster than she could have dreamt up, strong hands shot out. One grabbed her by the forearm to steady her and the other slipped down, scooping up the cup mid-flight. The movement was so fluid that hardly a drop sloshed out of the top opening. She stared at the man in front of her, eyes wide with shock, mouth hanging slightly open.

"Here…you alright?" asked the soft voice.

Sophie blinked a few times, trying to bring sense back into her brain.

"Oh my God. Thank you so much. I am so sorry! I'm usually more careful than that," she paused for a moment, staring at the stranger in front of her. "How in the world did you do that? Your reflexes are insane!"

The man chuckled, a smile crinkling his cool blue eyes. She swallowed hard as she took in his face. It was half hidden by a baseball cap pulled low, but she could see he was devilishly good looking nonetheless. His brown hair was long, just past his chin, and tucked behind his ears. His jaw had several days of growth but it was neat and well kept, making it obvious that the look was an intentional choice. He wore dark wash jeans and sneakers with a gray jacket pulled over a navy henley. He opened his mouth to respond but they were interrupted by the barista.

"Barnes!"

"Hang on," the stranger told her. "That's me."

He stepped up to the counter and grabbed his coffee, not bothering to add anything to the contents of the ceramic cup. Slipping his left hand into his pocket, he walked back over to Sophie and sipped the hot liquid gingerly.

"I'm James," he told her. "James Barnes."

"Sophie Adler."

"Sophie," he said the name like he was trying it out on his tongue and it made her shiver slightly.

"That's pretty. Old school. I like it."

She smiled up at him, "Thanks, I'll let my parents know."

He laughed at her again.

"You off somewhere in a hurry?"

"Oh, um, no actually."

"I'm meeting someone here, but looks like she's running late. Care to keep me company?"

He motioned with his head towards the corner table where a motorcycle helmet rested. The tinkle of the door bell drew Sophie's attention and she did a brief double take. Jeremy walked in and locked eyes with her. He gave her a small smile and a wave.

"Uh, you know what? I'm actually meeting someone too, and he just walked in."

Bucky's gaze drifted over to the door as his brows raised in mild surprise, "Oh, ok."

"Maybe some other time though?"

His eyes moved back to her, but something in them had changed. The soft openness was gone, replaced by a shuttered melancholy.

"Yeah, sure. Another time."

"I am…This is a first date. A set up, actually," she admitted as her cheeks warmed in embarrassment. "So if you see me struggling, feel free to come to the rescue."

She let out a nervous laugh and he raised an amused eyebrow at her.

"Sure thing. You know, I live several blocks that way," he pointed North, the opposite direction from which she'd come. "I come here a lot. This is probably my favorite coffee shop in the area. Let me give you my number and you can always reach out if you want to meet up."

"Yeah, sure," Sophie said meekly.

He grabbed a coffee napkin and a pen off the counter, scribbled down some digits and handed it to her.

"Good luck on your date."

"Thanks."

Turning away from her, Bucky walked over to his table and sat down, his back to the window. Sophie moved towards Jeremy who sat in one of the armchairs, facing away from the coffee counter. She lowered herself across from him with a nervous smile stretched over her lips. But she couldn't help her gaze drifting to the other side of the coffee shop. Blue eyes locked briefly with her cinnamon ones before she looked away.

"Jeremy, right? You look just like your photo," she said with a hint of relief in her voice.

A dazzling smile revealed perfectly straight white teeth.

"Yeah. And you're Sophie then? Even prettier than your picture."

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. Sophie studied his face briefly. He was definitely handsome. Dark black hair longer on top than on the sides flopped slightly onto his forehead. It was a carefully manicured look designed to appear effortless. His jaw was clean shaven and hazel eyes gazed at her from within long black lashes. Despite it being Saturday morning, he was dressed in slacks and a button down shirt. The top button was undone for a more relaxed feel. Sophie briefly wondered if he always dressed like this on the weekends or if he'd put in extra effort for their date. Shrugging out of her scarf and jacket, she revealed the simple, knit hunter green sheath dress underneath. Brown boots with a chunky heel covered her legs and her auburn hair hung down her back in big soft waves. Leaning back in her seat she took a sip of her coffee.

"Aren't you going to get anything?" She asked Jeremy.

"Oh, no. I'm actually not that into coffee."

Sophie's brows came together in confusion, "Then why pick a coffee shop?"

He gave her a sly smile, "Because you said no to dinner."

"I did not!"

"Oh?" His dark brows rose in surprise. "When Mallory was setting us up she said you preferred something more casual. With less pressure."

"I mean," she felt her face flush as she recalled her conversation with their mutual friend. "I might have said that."

He let out a deep laugh, "This place looked pretty casual and low pressure. And it's a decent half way point for us, from my understanding."

"Very thoughtful."

She smiled at him and took another sip of her coffee. The bell over the door chimed again, drawing Sophie's eyes over. A gorgeous woman with shoulder length red hair stepped inside. She gazed around as if looking for someone. Finally, her eyes fell on the corner table. Sophie watched as James smiled at her and stood up as she approached. The woman smiled back and murmured something, placing one hand on his right cheek and a kiss on his left.

This must be the person he was meeting…his girlfriend. Well damn, she's beautiful. Why the fuck did he give me his number? Maybe he just wanted to be friends?

Continuing to stare, she felt something twist in her stomach. The woman sat down as they continued to speak softly for a moment. Then James glanced over to the barista and began making his way to the counter. She had to force herself to tear her eyes away and tune back into whatever Jeremy was saying.

Overall, she felt the date was generally going well. Sophie found Jeremy interesting and easy to talk to. He was a Realtor, working with some high end NYC properties which she thought sounded pretty fun. He'd lived in the city for a few years now, having moved from D.C. where he'd attended Georgetown, same as Sophie. Their mutual friend Mallory had been attempting to set them up since their college days and so when she moved to NYC, Sophie took it as a sign and finally agreed to a meetup.

But despite how well her date was going, she couldn't help how her eyes drifted over to the far table every now and then. The more she observed the more convinced she was that this woman was his girlfriend. They smiled at each other often. She flirted, placing her hand on James's forearm, he retaliated with exaggerated facial expression and wild gesticulations. Whatever they were talking about, they were having a good time. Plus he'd bought her coffee and a pastry. If they weren't officially together, they were something. At last, the couple stood and dumped their trash in the bin, placing their cups and plate on the counter. As they approached the door, James grabbed it and stood aside, holding it open for the woman. She looked up at him and gave him a sexy half smile. Sophie watched as he rolled his eyes and smiled back. Then, just as he was about to walk through himself, his head turned slightly and his eyes met hers. She took in a deep breath and held it. A small smile tugged at his lips as he inclined his head towards her. Then he stepped outside.

She was only partially listening to Jeremy describe the merits of one NYC neighborhood over another and so allowed her eyes to follow James. He stepped up to the bike parked near the curb and handed the woman a helmet. Shoving his cap into his back pocket, he pulled his own helmet over his head and mounted the motorcycle, waiting until she climbed up behind him. Sophie watched as she slid her arms around his waist, holding him tightly. James kicked the bike to life and slipped into the flow of traffic, disappearing from view at the light.

…

By end of October, the cold had thoroughly set in. Sophie sat at the corner table of the Brick and Stone coffee shop and jealously watched the couple that had commandeered the fireplace sofa for the past half hour. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she set her book down and picked up the ceramic mug that housed her steaming latte, allowing her hands to warm up on it. The bell chimed, signaling that someone had entered the shop. Sophie's eyes involuntarily jumped to the door. An old man walked inside, his small dog tucked under an arm.

What the hell is wrong with you?!

Despite the fact that, as of last night, she and Jeremy were in a committed relationship, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever run into James again. She had fallen in love with the little coffee shop and it's close proximity to her home made her a frequent visitor. But despite his claims that he came there often as well, she had yet to see him.

It's probably for the best. Though there's nothing wrong with making another friend. Especially since you really don't have that many here.

Just as that thought swam through her mind, the door opened once more. Her eyes lazily moved towards the sound. And then her heart jumped into her throat. James slowly approached the counter, his steps measured, as if the movement pained him. Sophie set her coffee mug down and grabbed her book, half hiding her face behind it. Now that he was in front of her, she was at war with herself. Did she want to talk to him again or avoid him? He stood in line, completely oblivious to her presence at the moment. So she took the opportunity to openly examine him. He was even more good looking than she remembered, standing in black jeans, boots, and a motto jacket zipped half way up. He wore no hat so she could see his face better than before. His hair had grown out, not quite reaching his shoulders but maybe an inch or two past his chin. Without the aid of the cap, strands fell forward from behind his ear, sexily framing his face. The stubble that covered his jaw was more wild now too, as if he'd forgotten to groom it for a few days. The overall appearance rugged without being totally unkempt. He stepped up to the counter and ordered his coffee, then hovered nearby as he waited. Sophie lowered her hands to the table, still holding her book open and internally debated about catching his attention.

"Barnes!" She heard the barista call.

James grabbed his coffee and turned. His hand was halfway to his mouth when his eyes met hers. There was the briefest of pauses before he lowered it back down and a smile curved his lips. Sophie set her book face down on the table as he approached her slowly. Stopping beside her, he lowered his gaze to hers.

"Well hey there…a month goes by, and you never called."

His smile was playful but Sophie flushed with discomfort. The truth was, she had considered calling multiple times. But each time she thought about how he was taken, so what was the point? She was casually dating someone who was a real, long-term potential for her, so why ruin that chance? And now that she was solidly with Jeremy, she felt her decision had been the correct one.

"Oh…um…I'm sorry…I lost the napkin," she finished lamely as her mind drifted to the top drawer of her nightstand, where the napkins was safely tucked away.

Bucky's smile fell as he blinked at her for a moment. He suddenly felt the awkwardness of the situation and was immediately regretting his decision to walk over.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Where did all my game go? Shit. Read the room, buddy.

"Uh, yeah. It's fine. I was only teasing. Just wanted to come over and say hey. I didn't mean to interrupt."

He gestured towards the book, then began to turn away from her. Sophie felt a moment of indecisive panic.

Ok, he seems kind and genuine and yes, he gave out his number to a woman when he was clearly dating someone else, but maybe he really was just looking to make a friend? He had, after all, invited you to sit with him until she arrived. So what if we're both in relationships now? Does it matter if we just develop an innocent friendship? No. Because men and women can be just…friends…right?

"Wait!"

Bucky stopped and turned back to her, his face etched in surprise.

"You weren't interrupting. I was getting tired of the book anyway," she folded it up to prove her point. "Please, sit."

His blue eyes followed her hand as she gestured to the empty chair in front of her. He frowned, then arched a suspicious eyebrow.

"You sure about that?"

He could hear her long exhale before she responded.

"Yes. Join me. Unless you're meeting someone again?"

Her eyes darted over to the door.

"No. Just me today."

With careful movements, he lowered himself down in the proffered chair. Sophie studied his face cautiously, suddenly noticing the outline of a dark purple bruise within the short hairs of his jawline. She cocked her head to the side analyzing him.

"Are you ok?"

He leaned back and sipped his coffee at last.

"Yeah, just had a rough few weeks at work."

That surprised her. What could he possibly do that would result in bodily injuries? Arching her brow back at him she sipped her coffee.

"Andddd what exactly do you do?"

He let out a low chuckle, "I'mmmm a…uh…military contractor of sorts."

"What does that even mean? You're in the military?"

Leaning forward, Bucky placed his forearms on the table between them.

"I used to be. Sergeant James Barnes at your service."

The smile that he gave her was sweet and endearing and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Now I do contract missions. Sometimes by myself or with a partner, sometimes with a team."

"Oh."

Sophie opened her mouth to ask a follow up question but the movement of his coffee cup from his right hand to his left caught her eye. She stopped short, lips still parted, as her eyes landed on the dark metal fingers that were now wrapped around the ceramic mug. Bucky followed her gaze. Suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious, he let go of the cup and shoved his hand under the table, running his palm up and down his thigh.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I was just surprised, that's all."

His lips were pulled down in a slight frown, his eyes studying her face intently.

"Was that from your time in the military?" She asked gently.

Bucky pursed his lips and continued to watch her. She suddenly sucked in a deep breath and sat back. Holding her hands up in front of her, palms out towards Bucky, she shook her head from side to side.

"You know what? That was incredibly rude of me. We don't even know each other. I'm sorry. You don't have to answer. But just know…I don't want you to feel uncomfortable about it."

"Yeah," he said at last, his voice coming out low and at a near whisper. "It's from my time in the military."

Sophie nodded in understanding. She brought her hands between her legs and leaned forward slightly.

"Please, don't feel like you have to hide it. It doesn't bother me. I just wasn't expecting it."

Shifting his head slightly, Bucky looked at her sidelong, appraising her for several moments before slowly bringing his left hand back up to the table. Sophie let her eyes lazily glide over to it for a second before coming back to his face.

"My therapist wants me to stop hiding it with gloves," he admitted softly.

"How do you feel about that?"

"Like I want to put on my gloves."

Their eyes met and a slow smile spread over Bucky's face. Sophie laughed.

"So what do you do, Sophie?"

She tried not to react when she heard her name roll off his tongue.

"Well, I am newly a mission analyst for Stark Industries."

He looked amused but she couldn't figure out why.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…I actually just moved here a month ago for the job."

"Where were you before?"

"D.C. I did similar work for the government there. But I always thought it would be more interesting to work with Stark and maybe even the Avengers one day. Plus he pays so much better than the government," she laughed.

The amusement seemed to be growing on his face.

"What?" She finally asked. "What is it?"

"Oh…nothing. So what do you do exactly as a mission analyst?"

"Well I sort through the intel that gets brought in and figure out what seems important and what doesn't. Then I piece it together and work with a team to put together missions for the Avengers."

"Huh."

He looked fascinated so she continued on, "Most of them end up getting scrapped or vastly altered by the higher ups. But sometimes my missions push through all the way to the top. That's always exciting. To know that I'm contributing like that."

"So you've never worked directly with any of the Avengers then?"

"No. But that's the goal. I'm at the bottom of the food chain right now. But I hope to keep moving up in this area and then eventually become one of their Eyes in the Sky. That would be so awesome. I'd actually get to be in someone's ear as they went on their missions. For the ones where it was feasible anyway. I'd be analyzing the reports that come from the bottom and keeping a watchful eye through Stark's satellites on their surrounds…communicating directly with the Avenger I'm teamed up with. I'd be contributing much more directly to the missions."

She sighed before continuing, "That's the dream anyway. I'm probably years away from that though."

"I'm sure you'll get there soon enough. You seem pretty motivated. That's always good."

Sophie gave him a little shrug, "Yeah, I guess."

"So how'd that first date end up going? You didn't seem to be in too much distress."

"Oh. It was…good actually…we're, um. We're dating now, officially."

Bucky smiled softly, his eyes lowering to their table for a brief moment before meeting hers. He gazed at Sophie through his lashes.

"I'm glad it went well. First dates can be so awkward. So what's he up to today that you're here all alone on a Sunday afternoon?"

"Jeremy? He's out of town until Tuesday night for a work conference."

"Mmm."

"How about you, James? Why are you here all alone? Your girlfriend busy today?"

He stared at her blankly for several minutes before his brows scrunched in confusion.

"My what?"

"Your…your girlfriend…You know, the gorgeous redhead you were here with the day we met."

Bucky continued to gawk for a moment before his head tilted back and he let out a hearty laugh.

"Natasha? Oh man, she would have a field day with that. Yeah, she's definitely not my girlfriend."

"But…she kissed you. And flirted like there's no tomorrow!"

Head cocked slightly and a smirk playing on his lips, Bucky observed Sophie. He looked as if he were going to say something before he changed his mind. Leaning in towards her, he picked up his coffee and took a long sip of the now lukewarm beverage.

"That's just Nat. She's an outrageous flirt. But just a friend. A close friend, but still just a friend. So you see, alone is pretty typical for me," he finished softly.

His words, mixed with the look he was giving her, made Sophie's stomach summersault. A faint vibrating noise broke them out of their spell. Bucky reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He looked down at the name on the screen before pressing it to his ear.

"Barnes."

Sophie tried to absorb what he'd just revealed to her as he continued his brief conversation. Hanging up, Bucky replaced the phone in his jacket pocket.

"I gotta go," he said with a sigh. "Duty calls."

"Oh, ok."

She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice but it was difficult to hide.

"So um, I know you've got a terrible track record with napkins, but…"

He reached over and grabbed her coffee napkin, then began to scribble something down on it as he continued to talk.

"My coworker is having a party on Friday night. I don't usually go to these things, not really my scene. But my friends are basically forcing me to attend. They say I don't socialize enough," he spared her a glance that conveyed his exasperation at the notion before turning his attention back to the napkin.

"Anyway, you should come," he shoved the napkin towards her. "His parties are supposed to be epic."

Rolling his eyes he put air quotes around the word 'epic'. Sophie glanced down at the napkin where he'd written out an address along with a few instructions on how to get into the building. She looked back up at him with wide eyes.

"This address is for Avengers Tower."

He gave her a mischievous look before replying, "You should bring Jeremy."

Then he stood up and took two steps away from her before turning back suddenly, "Oh and, you can call me Bucky. All my friends do."

…

Sophie flew into her apartment, barely stopping long enough to lock the door behind her. She yanked off her scarf and jacket, tossing them on the back of the couch as she practically ran into her bedroom. Ripping off her boots, she threw herself onto her bed, then reached over to her nightstand and retrieved her laptop. Opening it up, she navigated to Google as quickly as she could. She could feel her heart thudding furiously in her chest as she typed in the search bar.

"Ok…Sergeant James Barnes. Who the fuck are you?"

A/N: Sooooo….thoughts and feeling so far? Please leave a review, I'd love to hear some feedback! Also, I have some things coming up in the next few weeks so I don't know how much of a posting schedule I'll be able to stick with at first. But I do hope to get back to my usual self imposed weekly posts. But the better/more feedback I get the more I feel motivated :D