Steve POV

Steve took a seat at the table. Natasha, Clint, Thor, and Bruce there already. They were waiting on one more person for the meeting to commence.

"Miss me?" A voice questioned. Tony's face popped up on the screen above the conference table.

"Tony," Steve greeted.

"How's my kid?"

"Good, she's adjusting." In truth, Steve wasn't sure how Stella was doing. He had been avoiding her for a week now, ever since he had taken her up to her room when she was drunk. He was trying to respect her wishes and give her space.

It was difficult. He cared for her and wanted nothing more than for things to go back to the way they were in New York City.

Aside from the lies, of course.

"Good. The reason I called you all here today is because we have a lead on Loki." Thor sat up straight. "He was spotted just outside the Ukraine and get this," Tony pulled up a picture on the screen. In the photo Loki was watching as men loaded cargo into a van. On the containers was an emblem of a squid with the face of a skull.

Hydra.

"Bad news is he's been bouncing all over Europe and Asia ever since. He's been spotted in Moscow, Antwerp, Gdansk, Berlin…even Kathmandu."

"Why's he moving all over?"

"He's gathering support most likely," Clint surmised. "That's what he did last time."

"That brings us to the mission," Tony continued.

"Mission?"

"A-team only, maybe a few extras…Deep shadow conditions. You'll be following leads at a moment's notice, living out of the Quinjet mainly. We're hoping a month, max."

This was his opportunity to give Stella her life back. To bring Loki in for justice. Steve didn't hesitate.

"I'm in."

"Me too." Clint volunteered. He still had deep rooted resentment towards Loki for brainwashing him.

"I will of course be there," Thor replied.

"Same here." Nat volunteered.

"I think I'm better off here," Bruce said. "I can gather intel and send it off to you guys in the field." Tony nodded.

"Anyone else we should consider?"

"Might be good to have another pilot along…" Clint started.

"You mean Sam?" Steve asked.

Clint nodded.

"He's Air Force, ain't he?"

Steve nodded. "Alright, I'll ask him."

"What about Wanda?"

"She's still persona non grata after Lagos. It would be good to have her but she should stay here. She can keep Barnes company." Steve knew why they weren't entertaining the idea of Bucky coming along. While his prowess with weapons and fighting style were invaluable, he was still subject to manipulation by Hydra.

"Vision should stay too," Tony said from the screen. "He'll keep an eye on everyone."

"Sounds like we got our team."

"You head out at 0700 tomorrow morning. I'll be coordinating from Malibu. Still some things happening at HQ that can't be ignored." Steve crossed his arms, not bothering to hide his displeasure with the man.

Issues at HQ, my ass.

"Whatever you say Tony."

XXX

Steve found Bucky where he knew he would, hard at work on a punching bag in the training facility. When Bucky saw the other man approach he halted his aggressive combination, taking a seat on a nearby bench and having a swig of his water.

"Hey Buck."

"Steve," Bucky greeted. He noticed the taller man had a duffle bag with him and eyed it. "Where're you headed? Stark find another kid of his you need to spy on?"

Steve was taken aback by his friend's retort. "Where did that come from?"

Bucky didn't respond for a moment.

"Do you think I don't see the way you look at her?"

Steve swallowed, trying to gauge Bucky's words.

"You like her," Bucky pressed.

God, if only you knew the whole story.

"It's complicated." Steve responded.

"Did something happen between you two?" Bucky's voice was deceivingly casual. Steve debated what he should tell him. After all that had happened between them, Bucky was still his best friend.

"No," Steve answered shortly, deciding to omit the truth out of respect for Stella. "It's Loki. He was seen in Ukraine," He continued, changing the subject in the hopes Bucky would let it drop. "Apparently he's been all over Asia and Europe trying to gain a following." Steve hesitated, before continuing. "It's been confirmed he's working with Hydra."

This shouldn't have been a surprise considering Bucky had been brainwashed by the organization a couple weeks ago, but it was still jarring to hear confirmed.

"I'm headed out now to follow a lead," Steve finished.

"Europe? That's my territory." Bucky had been sent on countless missions all over the continent as the Winter Soldier.

Steve knew what Bucky was asking.

"Not this time, Buck." Bucky's eyes hardened.

"Why Steve?"

"After what happened…the team didn't think it was a good idea." Steve tried to be delicate but honest.

Bucky tried to brush off the feeling of rejection.

"Of course. A-team only. Why should I be surprised?" Bucky wiped his face aggressively with his towel. "Asked Sam to babysit me again?" He questioned though his voice had no humor behind it.

"Actually, Sam is coming on the mission."

Bucky shot Steve a look so cold it almost sent a shiver down the super soldier's spine.

"Are you kidding me?"

Steve sighed.

"He's a pilot Bucky. We need someone else along who can fly the Quinjet."

Bucky stood, suddenly no longer in the mood to workout. "Steve, this is Hydra we're talking about. No one knows Hydra like we do. And I owe Loki for what he did to me a few weeks ago. You're really telling me to sit this one out?"

"I'm sorry Buck."

Bucky shook his head in disbelief.

"You're unbelievable."

"Bucky please," Steve pleaded, trying to reason with him. He didn't want to say goodbye like this. Steve was still working on accepting that this was the first time he and Stella were going to be apart for more than a day since they'd met back in NYC and that she probably wouldn't even want to say goodbye to him, and now he was upsetting his best friend.

Bucky turned away, slinging his towel over his shoulder and striding off.

"Just go. I'm sure the A-team is waiting."

Stella POV (Three weeks later)

"I want to try something new today."

Stella looked up from where she sat on the bench chugging water. The two had just finished their "warm up" for training which consisted of laps, jumping jacks, push ups and lunges. Stella was already sweating buckets and knew there would be more hell to pay.

"Oh?" She noted the almost nervous look on Bucky's face.

"But if you're not comfortable with it, then we don't have to."

Now, Stella was intrigued. She hopped to her feet and strolled over to the man.

"What is it?"

"I want to teach you how to escape a chokehold."

Stella felt the color drain from her face. Bucky quickly backpedaled.

"But if you're not ready, I understand. I just thought it might give you some peace of mind knowing how to get out of one…if it ever happens again." He held her gaze, the unspoken words implicit.

It was clear Bucky felt guilty for what he'd done to her weeks ago and it was still weighing on his mind.

And he wants me to know what to do if it ever happens again…

Stella considered this. While the thought of being in such a vulnerable position again made her incredibly nervous, especially with the man who had almost killed her while doing it, she couldn't deny her desire to never feel that helpless again.

"Listen…practicing a move like this takes tremendous trust, especially considering our past. If we aren't there yet, I understand," Bucky continued, clearly noting the thought she was putting into this.

They had been training together for over a month now. It had been a couple weeks since most of the team had left on the mission to find Loki and she and Bucky trained almost every day since. It wasn't like they had much else to take up their time.

During their sessions, Stella had grown to like the man again (she wasn't sure she'd ever stopped honestly) and even trust him to a certain degree. It was hard not to. They were alone for hours on end and during that time they were usually sparring or grappling closely. She'd struggled when they first started training and found it hard to let her guard down but Bucky was surprisingly patient with her, even gentle, like he'd understood her fear.

Stella had a feeling he understood a lot about fear.

This wouldn't be the first time Stella would be in a compromising position with the man. She supposed… she did trust him. And she knew the only reason Bucky hurt her in the first place was because Hydra had used his trigger words to turn him back into the Winter Soldier.

While Stella deliberated Bucky stayed silent, letting her come to her decision on her own.

"I get it. It's too soon-" He said at the same time she said,

"I trust you."

Bucky's eyebrows raised.

"You do?"

Stella gave him a small smile and nodded.

"…Okay. There are a few different kinds of chokes I want to go over." He led her over to a nearby wall. "Stand with your back against the wall."

Stella did as instructed.

"Are you ready?"

She swallowed. Her heartrate was already picking up in her chest and her hands felt clammy.

She nodded.

Bucky's right hand rose slowly, his fingers wrapping around her throat. They were warm on her skin.

"Relax Stella," He breathed.

"I am relaxed."

"You know my fingers are on your pulse, right?"

Stella sighed. There was no use in lying when the proof was in the pudding.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize. I get it." Bucky's eyes softened. Stella thought she detected a trace of guilt in his expression. "It's too soon to be doing this. Maybe in a few more weeks…" His grip slackened.

"No! Please, I want to learn." Stella took a deep breath. "Please Bucky." His eyes found hers.

"Okay." He returned his palm and his fingers tightened again. "When you find yourself in this position, the first thing you want to do is drop your weight." He demonstrated by getting lower and planting his feet. "It'll firm your stance, give you more power."

Stella nodded and dropped her weight.

"Good. Now grab my arm with your left hand. You're going to pull down on my wrist. This'll allow you to breathe."

Stella wrapped her fingers around Bucky's wrist and tugged.

"Harder," He urged.

She yanked and Bucky's hand separated further from her throat. "Now you're going to maintain your grip on that hand to maintain control over your attacker and while you do so, you're going to go for my groin. Don't actually hit me," He clarified with a small smile. "Then while I'm incapacitated, you can do any sort of upper body combination that you want to with your free hand. A hammer fist to the cheek, an elbow to the face, a hook to the ear….This will stun and disable your opponent. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Then you can go for another groin blow, then a stomp kick to the stomach to get me away from you. Got it?"

Stella nodded.

"Ready to try?"

Stella nodded again, running through the moves in her head. "Okay." Bucky tightened his grip around her throat. Stella felt that same creeping fear from before.

Stay calm, she instructed herself. You can do this.

She worked through the moves slowly at first. She dropped her weight, pulled down on Bucky's wrist, feigned a knee to the groin, threw a few pulled punches his way with her right hand while maintaining her grip with her left, grabbed his shoulder and "kneed" him again then hit him with a stomp kick.

Bucky stumbled back a few steps.

"Nice job kid. Now do it faster this time."

"Okay."

This time when Bucky grabbed her throat, she was ready. She segued nearly flawlessly from one move to another and this time when she hit Bucky with the stomp kick he stumbled back even farther.

Stella's heart was still racing but this time from exhilaration. She had done it.

"Let's go again."

They practiced the move a few move times until Stella nailed it perfectly. They were taking a water break when Stella remembered something he'd said earlier.

"You mentioned there are other chokes."

Bucky nodded. "We can practice them another day."

"Can't we do it today?"

He glanced at her in surprise. "Are you sure?"

She nodded eagerly. She was already on a roll, so why not?

"Alright." He pushed to his feet. "For this move I need you to lay down."

Stella hesitated, but did as told. Bucky knelt beside her. He braced himself against the mat, placing one hand next to her head. "Spread your legs."

"Why?" Stella asked before she could stop herself. This was not what she had been expecting.

"This escape is designed for if someone has you in the most vulnerable position you can be in. Your back on the ground and them on top of you."

Stella swallowed and did as told, her legs sliding apart.

Bucky knelt over her, carefully placing one of his knees between her legs. He was on all fours now, both of his hands splayed on either side of her head. His hair fell forward in a dark curtain as he leaned over her. Stella stared up at the super soldier, very aware of every move he made and their proximity.

"Are you okay?" He said softly.

Stella nodded, not trusting her own voice.

Bucky's fingers found her throat. Stella swallowed. Her heart was racing again but this time for an entirely different reason. She wasn't sure why, but desire was trickling through her.

What the hell was wrong with her? The man was trying to teach her how to protect herself and all she could think about was how turned on she was getting and how hot he looked staring down at her with the fingers of his metal arm wrapped around her throat.

Stella had never had a choking fetish so she wasn't sure where this was coming from. The man had almost killed her doing the same thing a month ago, for Pete's sake.

But it was different this time. She trusted him now and she knew Bucky wouldn't actually hurt her. That had been the Winter Soldier. Bucky speaking snapped Stella out of her musing.

"Sorry what?"

"If someone were to get you into this position, the best thing to do would be to grab both their wrists." Stella nodded that she was listening.

"Do it."

Stella's mouth felt surprisingly dry. Now he was telling her what to do? It was all too much. She did as told.

"Now knee me in the groin. Then while I'm recovering, plant your foot against the ground. The one that's between my legs."

She went through the motions (not actually kneeing him in the groin), before planting her foot on the mat.

"Now pull down on the hand that's around your throat and push forward with that leg. You're going to switch our positions and put me on my back."

"Won't that hurt you?"

"I can take it. I want you to learn this."

"…Okay."

"Start over and do it all at once. It should be one fluid motion." He retightened his grip on her throat.

Fuck…why is that so hot?

Focus Rivera.

Stella did what Bucky instructed. She grabbed both of the man's wrists before feigning a knee to his groin. When Bucky "flinched" she pulled down on the hand that was "choking her", planted her foot on the floor and pushed forward. The action sent Bucky sideways and she followed the momentum, rolling with him until the man was on his back and she was on top.

"I did it!" She said in triumph. Bucky grinned.

"Nice job."

"…Kinky."

The pair looked up to see Wanda and Vision standing in the doorway to the gym. Wanda was smirking while Vision looked embarrassed to have caught them in such a position.

"We were just practicing an escape," Stella said quickly, not sure why she felt the need to defend their actions.

"An escape huh?"

"Yes." Stella realized she was still between Bucky's legs and sat back on her feet. Bucky sat up.

"Whatever you say." The couple walked out the door they had just come through.

Bucky and Stella's eyes met before both looking away awkwardly. Bucky was the first to recover.

"What's up with them?"

"Who knows?"

After another short break the pair sparred a bit longer but Stella was pretty wiped so they ended up calling it not long later.

Stella stretched while Bucky sat and drank greedily from his water bottle. She watched him furtively. As he swallowed a drop of sweat rolled from his chin down his neck, the veins around it pressed tautly against his skin. He had tied his hair back into a messy bun but a few strands had escaped and hung freely around his face.

It was impossible to deny how attractive the man was. Stella had known this from the moment she'd met him but she hadn't really given it much thought. She'd been dealing with a lot; her life being uprooted, finding out about Tony, Loki trying to kill her, Steve breaking her heart…so while Stella had known Bucky was attractive she hadn't given much thought to if she was attracted to him.

After what happened between them on the mats, it was hard to deny the answer was anything other than a big fat YES.

But was Bucky attracted to her? The man was impossible to read. While he had asked her out over a month ago, who knew if he was even still interested in her? An idea slowly formed in Stella's mind and she smirked to herself. She stood and turned her back to the man, bending forward to touch her toes. She was pretty flexible and could bend almost in half so as a result her butt was clearly on display in her skintight leggings.

"Thanks for teaching me that escape." She said, arching her neck to stare back at him.

"You picked it up pretty quickly." Bucky responded without looking at her. He lifted his water bottle to his lips to take another sip before his eyes drifted over to her. "You're a pretty quick lear-" He stopped mid-sentence. Stella mustered the most innocent expression she could manage, but there was no point. Bucky was staring straight at her ass, his drink suspended in midair and completely forgotten. Stella turned away, smirking to herself.

Yup, still attracted to me.

Bucky POV

It had been difficult for Bucky to hide his anger towards Steve after the other man left. In truth, Bucky wasn't sure he wanted to, especially after he found out the only people left in the compound were himself, Wanda, Stella, and Vision. The untrained and unwanted. The unstable liabilities. Plus, one babysitter.

Bucky channeled his anger at Steve into a new project, training Stella. The girl was a natural with good instincts and the ability to pick up challenging moves quickly. He couldn't pretend the task was a chore. The more he hung out with her, the less it felt like an obligation and the more it felt like something he enjoyed. He wanted to train her.

He felt a sense of pride at how far she'd come in just a month. He was sure after a few more months of training she would be able to go toe to toe with a few of the Avengers themselves.

Bucky ran his fingers though his hair. "My hair's getting long," He mumbled.

"Hm?" Stella looked over at him. They'd just finished training for the day. She was seated on the matted floor of the training facility, her legs spread and bent forward towards her toes in a stretch that clearly put her cleavage on display. Bucky pointedly didn't look.

Sometimes, it felt like she was teasing him.

"I said my hair's getting long." It was true. His hair descended past his shoulders, the longest it had ever been before.

"When's the last time you cut it?"

Bucky wracked his brain.

"I honestly can't remember." It wasn't like Hydra had scheduled salon appointments for him. Stella stood and walked over to him. She reached out, taking a long strand and wrapping her finger around it. After a moment she let it slide from her grasp, trailing the pads of her fingers down his chest in a feather light tough. Her gaze met his.

"I like it long. It's different."

Sometimes, it really felt like she was teasing him.

"You do?"

She nodded.

"But, I can cut it if you want me to."

"Really?"

"I've cut Jace's hair before and he's super picky."

Bucky mulled it over. It wasn't like he had a ton of options seeing as he was on house arrest.

"Okay, I guess."

"Okay." She smiled.

A couple of hours later she and Bucky were in the kitchen, a pair of scissors clutched in Stella's hand. Bucky eyed them warily.

Well, no backing out now.

She pulled a chair in front of the sink.

"Sit. I need to wet your hair." Bucky did as told and leaned his head back. Stella leaned over him and lowered his hair into the sink. The smell of her body wash wafted over him. Lemon and sage. He liked it.

Bucky couldn't pretend his attraction to the girl wasn't increasing by the day. He knew they had agreed to stay friends, but his body seemed to have a mind of its own when she was around.

Stella pushed her fingers through the strands, ensuring his hair was soaked. She then poured some shampoo she had brought from her bedroom into her hand and began working it into his scalp. It was a pleasant sensation. After she washed and conditioned his hair, she rung it out and had him stand so she could move the chair away from the sink.

Stella combed through his hair slowly, taking her time to work out every snarl.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" She asked after she tugged a bit harder in an attempt to work out a deep knot. Bucky didn't respond right away. An odd flurry of emotions had gathered in his chest. He couldn't remember the last time someone had…taken care of him like this. It felt nice, but made him feel oddly vulnerable.

"No," He managed, choosing to limit his words.

Once she'd finished combing through the strands, Stella brandished the scissors.

"Nervous?"

Bucky was, but it wasn't because of the haircut.

"Just don't give me a mullet," He said in a half hearted attempt at a joke.

Stella laughed. "How long do you want it?"

Bucky shrugged. "Why don't you do what you think looks good?"

"You're giving me a lot of power here, Barnes."

"I trust you."

Stella's smile softened.

"Okay." She silently snipped away for a while, starting in the back and eventually working her way to the front. After a few minutes passed, Bucky chanced a look at the floor. There was a lot of hair at his feet.

"Almost done." Stella knelt in front of him, checking the length of the strands around his face. As she did Bucky studied her lips, her nose, her deep brown eyes, the few freckles that dotted her cheeks sporadically…

God, she's gorgeous.

"Okay. I think you're done." She ruffled his hair and got back to her feet. She pulled her phone out and snapped a quick picture before showing it to him. Bucky examined himself in the photo. His hair was still long but just above his shoulders, like it had been just before he went on the lam.

"Looks good. Thank you."

"Anytime."

"How much do I owe you?"

Stella quirked a brow at him.

"Nothing obviously."

"But-"

"It was a favor Bucky. You train me every day out of the kindness of your heart. Did you really think I would charge you?"

"Okay…Well, thanks. Are you sure I can't give you anything?"

Stella smiled mischievously. "If you want, you can buy me dinner sometime. You know, when we're not both on house arrest anymore." She walked behind him to dust the hair off his shoulders before whispering in his ear, "P.S. I like Italian" before disappearing to find a broom to sweep up the mess.

Bucky watched her go.

Was she…giving him the go ahead to ask her out again?

Bucky POV

Bucky followed the sound of voices and giggling from the hallway towards the game room. He stood in the doorway for a moment, observing the occupants before walking inside. Vision had his back turned to the group and was messing with some sort of machine in the corner. Meanwhile, Wanda was levitating snacks in the air with her powers and trying to get them into Stella's open mouth. Bucky snatched one out of the air before Wanda could aim it. He popped it in his mouth it before gagging.

"God, what is that crap?"

"They're cheese puffs." Wanda held up the giant container helpfully so he could see the label.

"You kinda had that one coming." Stella was smirking at him.

"Yeah yeah," Bucky collapsed onto the couch beside her. "Food today isn't what it used to be."

Stella rolled her eyes.

"Is this the part where you go on another 'back in my day' rant Grandpa?" She teased. Bucky opened his mouth to respond when music suddenly began blaring from the other side of the room.

The group looked up in alarm. Bucky pulled a small dagger out of his pocket while Wanda bared her glowing hands. The volume lessened slightly and Vision turned around, his expression triumphant. Soft music was playing from what Bucky now recognized as a stereo system. The android held his hands up after seeing the reaction from the team.

"I surrender."

Wanda shook her head and her power faded back inside of her. Bucky pocketed the knife.

Stella nudged him. "You always carry one of those around?"

"You can never be too safe." He had another strapped to the back of his calf, but his pants hid it from view.

"When do I get one of those?"

Bucky smirked at her.

"Once you ace knife throwing."

Stella pouted.

"No one's perfect." That was putting it lightly. Thus far, she had exceeded his expectations in almost all ways. She was determined, intelligent, intuitive, and a fast learner. She seemed determined to prove herself and he was damn impressed.

"My dear, may I have this dance?" Vision outstretched his hand to Wanda. Wanda took it shyly but let herself be pulled into the man's arms. They began swaying to the music. Bucky and Stella watched them. Bucky had been spending more time with Vision and Wanda by default since the rest of the team had left and discovered they were both kind, easy to get along with people. He hadn't know they were together until he caught the two kissing in the kitchen last week but he had to admit they made a cute couple. For the most part, Bucky was beginning to feel comfortable around them.

After a moment, he glanced at Stella who had a small smile on her face as she watched them dance. Slowly her eyes drifted to Bucky's. Bucky gave her a half smile.

"Come on kid." He stood and extended his hand to her. Stella quirked a brow but placed her hand in his. Bucky hauled her to her feet before pulling her close and resting his hand on her waist. Stella followed suit and put hers on his shoulder. Their other hands remained clasped.

They moved as one, swaying slowly to the music droning through the room. Bucky lead them as he had learned to a long time ago, occasionally spinning Stella out into a twirl.

"You're full of surprises Barnes," Stella said after Bucky dipped her. Bucky pulled her back up.

"Oh?"

"You're pretty decent at this."

Bucky cracked a smile.

"You doubted me?"

"Well…I certainly wasn't expecting you to be good."

"I'm full of surprises, doll."

"Doll?"

Bucky faltered and almost missed a step.

"Er, sorry. Habit from my time."

"Don't be," Stella said after a moment. "I like it." They danced together into the next song.

"Your hair looks great," She commented out of the blue. "Where'd you get such a fresh cut?"

"A fresh cut?" Bucky had to laugh as he stared down at her. "Like it, do you?" Stella smiled up at him, her gaze soft.

"I do. Makes you look very handsome."

You little flirt. Two can play at that game.

He spun her out suddenly before twirling her back into his chest. His arm wrapped around her back, holding her closer this time. Their faces were only inches apart now. Bucky could practically feel himself sliding back into his old self; the charismatic, cocky one who knew how to make dames weak in the knees. He didn't even know that part of himself still existed.

"Why're you so good at this?" Stella murmured, her eyes flicking away from his lips.

"So good at what?"

"Dancing."

"Everyone knew how to dance in the 40's. If you took a dame on a date, there was almost always dancing."

Stella processed this.

"Surprised you like this kind of music." Bucky started after a few songs passed without conversation. "Most music today is trash."

She smiled enigmatically. "I'm full of surprises."

"Don't I know it." Bucky held her gaze while he said this, a small smile pulling at his lips. He could practically feel the electricity fizzling between him and Stella as she stared up at him with what could only be described as bedroom eyes.

He knew he was playing with fire. He had tried to kill her, after all. Then there was the fact Stark was her father and the man despised him. On top of that was Steve who had all but confirmed he had feelings for the girl. Well, he isn't around now so that's his problem…

Stella herself had said they were better off as friends…the only thing was, the way she was looking at him now definitely wasn't how you looked at your friends.

Bucky didn't want to think about the long term consequences of their actions. He just wanted to do what felt right and what felt right in that moment was holding her close as they danced and pretending all that other bullshit didn't exist.

He just hoped he wouldn't get burned.

A/N: Finally some Bucky content! I know you Bucky shippers have been patiently waiting and I hope this chapter delivered. There's definitely more to come 😊 I'm sure you guys have noticed but I've been adding a tad more spice to these chapters…Let me know what you think and if you like more spice or not so much. Thanks for reading!