Bucky Barnes sat in the Avengers' conference room, his eyes fixed on the long oak table in front of him. He couldn't believe that he was back in the same position he had been in years ago, working for SHIELD and taking orders from Tony Stark. Drumming his metal fingers on the solid wood of the table, he wondered if Tony ever missed a chance to spend extra money.

As if on cue, the large double doors to the conference room slid open with a soft whoosh, and in sauntered the billionaire.

"You're going to be assigned to protect Gianna Cruz on her global tour," Tony said without missing a beat, his voice ringing out in the otherwise silent room.

Bucky looked up, his eyes meeting Tony's. "Who's Gianna Cruz?" he asked, his voice low and guarded.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Come on, grandpa, can you at least try to get with the times? I guarantee Cap has her name written in his little notebook. Ask him for some flashcards."

Bucky looked at him blankly, not responding to Tony's trademark sarcasm in the slightest.

Tony sighed. "She's only one of the biggest pop stars in the world, Barnes. You know, the one with the uh, strawberry blonde hair and the killer voice?" he said.

Bucky scowled. He didn't care about pop stars or their music. Of all the new developments of the past 85 years, pop culture wasn't high on his list to brush up on.

"Why me?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration. "Doesn't she have a bodyguard or something?"

Tony leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Bucky's. "Because you're the best, Barnes. That's what she needs. This girl's star power is off the freakin' charts and her label is concerned for her safety on this tour. And because it's one of the conditions of your pardon. You know that," he said.

Bucky sighed. He knew that Tony was right. He had to do this if he wanted to stay in good graces with the powers that be. He was thankful for the swift pardon for his crimes committed as the Winter Soldier, but he always wondered about the clause they included for him to be assigned to whatever cases the Avengers deemed necessary. He always pictured more intense, high-octane missions, not exactly running a security team for a little blonde singer. Not that he had a choice in the matter.

At least there's bound to be less gunfire on this assignment, he thought to himself.

"Fine," he said, his voice resigned. "When do I start?"

Tony grinned. "Right away. Gianna's tour starts in two days, and you need to be on that plane with her," he said.

Bucky nodded, his mind already racing with thoughts of how on Earth he was supposed to to protect her, and from what. Teenage girls? Crazed stalkers? He didn't know anything about her, but he hoped she wouldn't be too overwhelming. He still struggled warming up to new people, and since this was a solo assignment, he wouldn't have the buffer of the other Avengers to ease him into it.

"Oh, one more thing." Tony said, with one foot already out the door. "This job pays…incredibly well. Her record label knows she's a cash cow and they're willing to invest a pretty penny in her safety. Let's just say that once the wire hits, you won't be worried about money for quite some time."

As he left the conference room, Bucky couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. He didn't know what he was getting himself into, but he knew that he'd be plunged in soon enough. As for the money, that was a welcome surprise. Part of his pardon was the reinstatement of his Veteran benefits, as well as a small stipend for being a prisoner of war and injured in the line of duty. He always felt guilty accepting it, because he had still outlived everyone else in his battalion by decades. But he couldn't exactly go get a job at Starbucks, so he took the money anyways.

Thanks to the existence of the Avengers' compound and all the private funding from Stark Industries, Bucky really didn't have that many living expenses. The occasional meal out with Steve or Sam, new clothes every now and again, and routine maintenance for his motorcycle. That was about it.

The thought of having a hefty payday was appealing, but Bucky had no idea what he'd spend it on. As he walked back to the residential wing, Tony's words echoed in his head "She's a cash cow. They're willing to invest a pretty penny in her safety."

He knew Tony didn't mean anything by it, but the way Gianna was already being discussed like a commodity or an object just didn't sit right with him. He was assigned to protect a person, not a diamond necklace.

The next two days were a blur of activity as Bucky prepared for his assignment. He went through intensive training with SHIELD, learning everything he could about protecting high-profile targets. They did incredibly in-depth briefings on Gianna and her team, as well as any potential threats. The worst part was a mandatory media training he had to sit through to learn how to conduct himself when and if he should ever be on camera with her. He sincerely hoped that wasn't in the cards. For a non-combat based mission, the training was incredibly intricate. He was used to being the reason people needed protection, not their protector. This would be a change of pace, being on the defensive all the time.

He also did his own research on Gianna, watching her music videos and reading up on her life story.

By the time he walked out on the tarmac towards the private plane, he felt like he knew her better than he knew himself. She was beautiful, with her strawberry blonde hair that always seemed to be in loose waves when she wasn't performing. She had bright green eyes and stood about 5 '3, pretty petite. Although her voice was anything but. When he played her music, goosebumps erupted on his right arm. He wasn't typically amused by any of the mainstream music, but her voice sounded completely and utterly angelic.

And she was beloved by the entire world it seemed, with fans from every corner of the globe. She was only 24, which seemed incredibly young to have billions of eyes on you at all times. Then again, when he was 19, he was already entrenched in the hellhole that was HYDRA. He grit his teeth and forced that thought out of his head.

Bucky hoisted his black duffel bag higher on his shoulder and took a deep breath as he climbed the stairs onto the plane. He looked around and was surprised to see only four people on the plane.

"Sargeant Barnes!" A man in a suit called out, walking up to shake his hand. "I'm Tom, Gianna's manager. This is Kate, she's our hair and makeup guru for the tour." A heavyset woman with thick lashes and pink lipstick waggled her fingers at him.

"And this, of course, is our princess. Gianna, come say hi." Tom tapped Gianna on the shoulder and gestured for her to take out her headphones. She startled and looked directly up at Bucky as she pulled the airbud out of her ear. He noted that she still used the kind with the wires, even though he'd seen how high her net worth was. If anyone could appreciate the old fashioned things, it was him. At least they had one thing in common.

"Hi Sargeant! Thank you so much for coming, I know this probably isn't your first choice of how to spend your summer and it probably really isn't your thing at all, but Tom and Mr. Stark said you're the best and -" she gushed until Tom put his hand back on her shoulder.

"Woah, G, don't scare the man off on day one. Give him some breathing room." Tom chuckled and gave Bucky a knowing look. "First note, if you want to be able to keep up with what she's saying, you'll have to cap her coffee consumption."

Gianna elbowed him before returning to her corner seat. She looked back up at Bucky and said with forced calmness, "I'm very glad you'll be joining us, Sergeant Barnes."

He gave a soft smile. "Bucky."

"Bucky," She repeated, folding her legs up in her leather chair. She was pretty in person, but in a much softer and more vulnerable way. She looked younger. When she was on stage or on red carpets, her makeup was often done to make her look fox-like, with bedroom eyes and glossy, plump lips. Right now, with her bare face and loose girls, white sweatset, and slippers - she just looked like a young girl.

As they settled into their seats, Bucky couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that he had to keep his guard up at all times, but he also knew that he was in for a long summer with people he didn't know at all. He had never even been to a concert, and now the next few months would be full of them. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.

But as he looked over at Gianna, he felt a flicker of something else. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Maybe it was the way she smiled at him, or the way her eyes sparkled when she talked. Maybe it was the way that somehow, she was not at all what he expected. She was polite, gracious, and unassuming. Not how he expected the biggest name in the world to talk to her security. Whatever it was, Bucky had a sneaking suspicion that he was in for more than just a simple protection assignment.

He had a feeling that this was going to be the most challenging mission of his life. As the plane gathered speed and took off, he hoped he was ready for it.