Bucky marched down the corridor, the anger radiating off of him more and more with each step, his chest heaving as he tried to calm himself down.

He couldn't stop seeing your face. Horrified that he had gone to punch Nick. Staring at him, like you didn't even recognise him.

He yelled into the air, stopping to punch the wall with his metal hand before spinning round and sliding down it, putting his head in his hands. He didn't have to worry about the wall - Stark had reinforced them while he was going through therapy, just in case. All he was thinking about was you.

He heard soft footsteps coming from his right hand side as he closed his eyes. He knew it was Steve before he sat down beside him.

"I don't like him." Bucky muttered, making his best friend laugh.

"Yeah, I think we all got that."

Bucky dropped his hands, and let his head fall back to the wall with a thud. He slowly opened his eyes.

"I don't trust him." Bucky added.

"Stark said-"

"I don't give a shit what Stark says, I don't trust him."

Steve sighed, and Bucky could tell he was thinking about his next words carefully.

"You did keep her safe." Steve finally said. Bucky exhaled. "They didn't take her."

"That wasn't really because of me."

Steve was confused by that, but decided to let it slide. He had something else he wanted to say.

"You like her." Steve said, although it was more of a question. Bucky closed his eyes again. Steve nodded, then clapped a hand on his friend's knee. "Better get back in her good books then."

"How? She hates me."

"The old Barnes charm, obviously. The one that kept me single for most of the 1930s." Steve's words made Bucky laugh. He rubbed his eyes before opening them again.

Bucky looked at Steve, seeing him smiling, and smiled back. He wasn't sure if Steve trusted Nick, or had the same reservations that he had, but he could always count on his best friend to have his back.

With that, Steve stood up, holding his hand out for Bucky, which he accepted.

"They headed back to the lab." Steve said, and Bucky nodded, before turning around, and heading straight there.

He strode up the door, not even going to knock, just reaching his hand out for the handle, when he paused.

He heard loud laughter on the other side of the door. Your laughter. Then hislaughter. It felt like a knife was slicing through his chest. He took a deep breath, glaring at the door, and pushed it open.

He looked up to see you and Nick standing in front of each other, Nick reaching up to brush some of your hair out of your face. Bucky swallowed as you both froze and turned to face him.

"What do you want?" Nick snarled, his hand dropping from you.

"Stark assigned me to her. I'm here to do my job." Bucky said, trying to sound as calm as possible as he stared him down.

"Oh for god sake." You scoffed. "I'm not doing this again. You can punch each other or fucking leave, I'm going to bed." You said, spinning on your heel and marching off to your room. The door slammed behind you, and Nick and Bucky kept glaring at each other.

"Last I checked, I was her bodyguard, not you." Bucky spat, crossing his arms over his chest. Nick glared at him, and mimicked his movements.

"Are you upset that she wants me around?" He replied with a smirk. Bucky breathed in.

"Are you sure it's what she wants? Because it's beginning to feel like you can't even let her out of your sight."

"You know nothing of our past, mate."

"I know you're not here just to say hello."

"No, I'm here because I'm actually helping Stark. What are you here to do? Follow her around?" He laughed, and walked closer to Bucky.

"Is this where you try to intimidate me? Don't you remember who I am?" He sneered as he looked down at Nick.

"I'm not going to intimidate you. But I will let you know that I can see how you look at her, and I won't make it easy for you. Not that I need to. She always comes back to me." Nick smirked wickedly at Bucky, who very strongly resisted the urge to punch him again.

Then Nick's phone pinged. He got it out of his pocket, and read the message.

"Saved by the bell," Nick said. "Tony needs my help, again. Strange he hasn't asked you. Although, I suppose all he needs you for is to be a guard dog."

Nick sidestepped Bucky, and headed out of the lab, patronisingly waving at the soldier over his shoulder as Bucky watched. When the door closed behind him, Bucky breathed out.

Then he turned to look at where your door was. Nick thinks he has the upper hand? We'll see about that. Bucky was suddenly very determined to end your little dance once and for all. He was suddenly very determined to make you admit that you wanted him, and not Nick.

He waited a few seconds, seeing if you would come out, but you never did. Slowly, he stepped towards it. Once he reached your door, he put his hand on the handle, then took it off. Best not to piss you off anymore.

He knocked.

He knocked again when you didn't answer, and waited another few seconds.

Then he decided to open it anyway.

You were laying on your bed, one knee bent and the other leg crossed over it. Your hair was fanned out beneath your head, and you were busy scribbling in a notebook. He closed the door gently behind him, but you still didn't say a word.

He started moving around the room, acting as though he was checking it over, like he did every morning and every night, watching you out of the corner of his eye. When he neared the window, he heard you clear your throat.

"What's your problem with him?" You asked as Bucky stilled, his body facing the window. "Nick, why are you so horrible to him?"

Bucky turned around slowly, seeing that you were still focused on your notebook. He leaned against the windowsill, putting his hands on it behind him.

"I don't like him." He answered truthfully. Your eyes snapped up to his.

"Why?"

"I just don't."

You rolled your eyes and threw your notebook and pencil to the side, rubbing your hands over your face.

"Well," You said as you moved to sit up on the bed. "He's here, and you're gonna have to get used to him."

"Could say the same to you about me, and yet you still act like I'm the enemy." You narrowed your eyes at him. "How do you know him?" Bucky suddenly asked, making your eyes widen slightly. He'd been wanting to ask it since Nick first walked into that conference room.

"I've known him for years and-"

Bucky stepped forward, reaching the edge of the bed. Looking down at you.

"He keeps turning up, you two act like you're...close. So, how do you know him?"

You moved up onto your knees in front of him.

"Are you asking if me and Nick dated?" You asked. His silence was all the answer you needed. "Why does it fucking matter?"

"I don't trust him."

"I don't give a shit. I do, and so does Tony. He's helping us figure out this whole thing, so he's gonna be around a lot more."

"Not around you he's not."

"Oh, you're going to tell me who I can and can't see now?" You spat.

"Does he know everything?"

"Do you think you do?"

He paused for a beat. "Does he know than I do?"

You didn't know how to answer that. The look on his face told you that he knew the answer, but he didn't want you to admit it. And you really, really didn't want to admit it.

"Why is that a problem?" You asked. Again, Bucky was silent at your question. You groaned out loud, sinking back down onto the bed. "Fuck sake Bucky, I can't keep doing this! I can't keep arguing with you. You are not the one they were trying to kidnap, you are not the only one trying to figure out what the fuck is going on, and you are not the only one struggling with whatever this is!"

"Whatever what is?" He frowned at you.

"THIS! US! We aren't friends, you literally spend 50 years working with the same organisation that's trying to fucking kill me, you had a go at me for almost dying, I put you in fucking danger, you look at me like you're about to kiss me all the time, you literally never give me space, giving me shit about Nick and punching him and I just need a minute to fucking work out what-"

He kissed you.

His hand was on the back of your head, holding you to him, his mouth was harsh and passionate as he kissed you again, guiding your lips open, and sliding his tongue over yours. You groaned again. For a different reason.

You reached your hands up to his shoulders, going to push him off, but he just grabbed them and pinned them to your sides.

"Keep your hands to yourself." He growled before diving back into a kiss. You whimpered, at the touch, at his words. Your lips felt electric on his, and he kissed you harder, taking his hands off you and throwing them around your body instead, pinning your arms under his as he lifted you back up to your knees. Soon, the tingling he felt spreading through his body subsided as he fell completely into how your lips felt on his, and his arms loosened enough for you to get your hands out. You immediately slid them around his neck, needing him closer all of a sudden, sending a rush of goosebumps down his spine. He kissed you again, biting your bottom lip until you opened your mouth, then he slid his tongue back over yours, your mouths moving messily together. You couldn't hear a thing, you couldn't think straight, you could only feel his mouth on yours, your hands on his skin, his body pushed against you.

Then you felt a breeze of cold air over your face. You opened your eyes.

He'd stopped.

You were just staring at each other, mouths open, his fingers tracing slowly over the skin on your back, as you realised his hand had somehow made its way up your top.

"Stay." He whispered.