Note: this is set in a Thanos-less universe. Fun fact, the Montauk Project is a real government experiment and is what Stranger Things is based on! 

- 2020 -

Growing up I wasn't normal. My family weren't normal. My parents had been mentally tested upon during the Montauk Project in the 1980s, in which several government officials devised a series of top secret human experiments with the purpose of developing psychological warfare. My parents were both test subjects, and were the only two out of many that were successful. When the project's secrets were revealed by SHIELD, the project was abandoned and those responsible for the pain my parents had to endure were put behind bars.

My parents were soon taken in by SHIELD who looked after them. They soon had me, and as I grew up they realised I possessed an ability similar to theirs, only mine wasn't forcefully developed: I was born with it. I had an uncontrollable ability to read peoples minds, and the power scared me. It felt like such immense pressure, too much for a little girl to contain and there were plenty of times I broke down.

As my parents were close with one particular SHIELD member named Nick Fury, he provided me with special help from SHIELD. Therapists and specialists attempted to help me gain control of my ability, and thankfully it reached the point where I wasn't reading everyone's minds as I walked past them in the street. After all it hurt my head too much, as each mind put immense strain on my own.

Unfortunately I relapsed when my parents died in a car crash. I was back to square one, my own haunting memories triggering me. I was a mess and it took me a long time to get back on track, until finally I had gained control of my ability again. There were only a handful of people who knew of my ability as I didn't like telling people, as when I had it had driven them away. Boyfriends had left me because of it, friends walked away from me because they thought I was doing it on purpose so I ended up being quite the loner. I was jobless and was about to be homeless when Fury asked me to join SHIELD officially.

It was the best decision I had ever made. I was worried he was going to make me use my powers but as a close friend of my parents he knew it was a power I wanted nothing to do with, so instead he trained me as an ordinary agent. The only people that knew of my powers were him, my therapist and Captain America, who had gotten involved with the training programme.

It had been over a year since I had accidentally read someone's mind, it now only being triggered if the person had a very strong, unpleasant memory. Thankfully everyone I trained with was strong-willed and confident, so I had no need to worry about my powers accidentally being triggered.

Because it had been so long there were times where I forgot about them. It was only when my head began to ache that I remembered them, but I was always able to control my mind before it accidentally read someone's mind. Now I was living my best life, a fully trained SHIELD agent working with Captain America, Black Widow and Falcon, along with numerous other Avengers but I still remained cautious just in case.

"All known and discovered HYDRA leaders and members were captured and imprisoned six years ago after the secrets were leaked by me, Natasha and Sam," Steve said, standing at the head of the table whilst the rest of us sat around it. "Now however we've received knowledge of a group of so-called HYDRA agents trying to reform the terrorist organisation."

"'So-called?'" I quoted, confused.

"We think they're just wannabes," Sam said.

"But we have to treat it as though they're actually HYDRA. We've received word they're working in a particular underground hidden base... in Siberia," Steve said, glancing at his best friend Bucky Barnes who was sat on one of the first seats at the table. "It's a hideout we've visited before and have... intimate knowledge of. Our mission is to infiltrate and capture these agents-,"

"Wannabes," Sam interrupted.

"-before they recruit enough people to become a truly serious threat. We'll be flying to Siberia via quinjet tonight, where we'll go over what we know about the base. Understood?"

There was agreement around the table, there being Sam, Natasha, Bucky and a couple of SHIELD agents. I had worked with all of them asides from Bucky, but I did know of the man. He was in the middle of redemption for the crimes he committed as the brainwashed Winter Soldier, helping disbanding terror organisations being a big part of that. He made me smile the few times we'd spoken, but he was also a very distractedly handsome man. I always found it a little difficult to concentrate around him, and now we were officially on a mission together I knew I had to try and keep my cool.

The quinjet sped through the skies heading straight for Siberia, the whole group of us gathered around the Stark Tech touchscreen table. On it was a plan of the secret base, but I didn't know how Steve had managed to get ahold of such a document. It was detailed and showed best routes, entrances/exits and even lift shafts. Steve reeled off our targets and presented pictures of them. "These need to be memorised. Remember this is a stealth op, and this place is big so we go in teams. Sam and Nat are a pair," Steve announced, Sam smirking satisfyingly. "Bucky you'll be with (y/n), and you two boys are with me," Steve finished, pointing to the other two SHIELD agents on this mission.

A bigger part of me than I cared to admit was excited about working with the handsome soldier, and he sent me a reassuring nod. "We've not worked together before," I said, approaching him.

"How many ops you been on?" He asked.

"Not too many... but I am a capable agent," I defended myself quickly and he smiled slightly.

"I don't doubt it," he said and I felt my cheeks heat up.

"We're coming in to land!" Natasha called out and I looked to see nothing but thick white snow. In the distance something darker came into view, and Nat landed right in front of what looked like an entrance to a bunker. I suited up with a belt that held several holsters for a variety of different guns, as well as a thigh holster. I also put on a vest which included various kit we could potentially use, most of it being weapon-related. We all clambered out into the treacherous weather, it being so windy it was difficult to stand but slowly Bucky and I were able to make our way to the main entrance, the others splitting up into their respective groups and heading for the other entrances on the diagram we had studied.

Bucky typed the entry code into the ancient keypad, the door clanging open making me jump. It was louder than expected but the two of us eventually managed to creep in, us now faced with the large grate that led to the lift. "You ready?" He asked.

"I think so," I said nervously. He opened the grate, the two of us stepping into the cramped lift and he hit the button, the lift going deeper and deeper into the earth.

"Stay close to me," he whispered as the lift stopped. I nodded, having never felt scared on a mission before until now. I knew HYDRA weren't to be messed with, and even if Sam thought these were just wannabes they still believed in their code, and anyone who believed in their code needed to be brought down.

The lift doors opened and Bucky opened the grate, stepping out slowly with his gun raised. I held my hand guns tightly, one in each hand, looking around with peeled eyes whilst staying close to him as instructed. There was nobody around, not even a voice could be heard asides from Bucky's, telling me to follow him. We turned right up some stairs into darkness, the shelving that lined the walls looking like it hadn't been touched in decades. "Are you sure this is right?" I whispered and from what little light there was I saw him nod.

"Yeah. This is a shortcut to the main chamber. You picking up any heat signatures?" He asked and I pulled out a small device, activating it but I wasn't getting any readings.

"None," I whispered. We carried on walking down the dark, unused corridor, it finally leading to a metal stairwell.

"Watch your step, it might be a bit icy," he whispered, his gun still cocked. We climbed higher up the steep metal steps, our footfall as light as it can be. After several flights it opened up onto a bit of a platform, shrouded in darkness with a metal railing to prevent one from falling. I peeked over the edge and spotted a large chamber with five mysterious cylindrical tanks. In the centre of a room was a menacing looking chair surrounded by torturous looking machines. I didn't like the sight one bit.

I turned back to Bucky who was setting up a snipers gun rest, after all I had learnt that was his specialty. The device I was holding suddenly beeped and I looked to see it reading two heat signatures from below. "Bucky, we've got company," I whispered and he nodded, kneeling in front of his gun and peering through the scope that rested on top of it. There were two heat signatures coming into the chamber, and using one of my weapons I was able to quietly shoot a small microphone closer to the two targets to listen in on their conversation through our earpieces.

"Where are we supposed to put them?" One in a white lab coat who looked like a doctor asked the other man in a pristine suit.

"Chuck them away, we got what we need from their bodies," the suit said as though it was obvious. I wasn't sure who's bodies they were talking about, but I did notice a slight shift in Bucky's behaviour. He suddenly seemed awkward and really on edge. "Dr Nagal has managed to isolate the serum in their bloodstream. Good job Baron Zemo didn't turn off their tanks, we wouldn't of been able to if he had."

I had heard of Baron Zemo from Steve, and I knew he had affected both him and Bucky but the man was now behind bars thankfully. Next to me Bucky's breathing became a little heavier, making me a little concerned. "Hey... you okay?" I whispered, resting my hand on his arm and he flinched. Suddenly my vision began to blur a bit, and there was a slight pain forming in the back of my head. Panic suddenly hit me as I realised what was happening, but it was triggered before I could stop it.

It was a little fuzzy but I found myself stood in what looked like a large, cold prison cell, and in the centre was a man with long hair and a metal arm attempting to fight another man, and the former was loosing. It didn't take me long to realise that this was Bucky, and he was suddenly thrown against the metal bars. "Good work Soldier," a Russian Colonel nearby came into focus. I whirled around as more people came into view, the winner of the fight suddenly killing a doctor with his bare fists.

A guard appeared and attempted to stop him, and a second later a fight broke out. Bucky dragged the Colonel through the commotion, five jacked up people brutally beating up and killing those unfortunate enough to be in the cell with them. Suddenly the surroundings melted away and I was faced with the same metal chair that was down in the centre of the chamber, only this time Bucky was sat in it screaming. The pain being dealt to him through the machines that clung to his body I also felt and it was agonising. The same Colonel as before read off numerous words in Russian, then snapping shut a red book.

Around me the scenery changed into that of an empty road at night, but up ahead I saw a car suddenly crash into a tree. I stepped closer, goosebumps appearing on my skin when Bucky suddenly appeared, beating a grey-haired man to death. From what I could see the mans wife was in the car, and soon Bucky was strangling her.

I was terrified as the scene changed again, and I was now in a hotel at night when Bucky suddenly burst through a wall upstairs. I watched in fear as he ruthlessly beat up numerous men, finally strangling a man and dropping his corpse to the floor carelessly. Horror filled me as I watched him walk to the end of a corridor that had now come into focus and shoot dead an innocent bystander.

The scene changed again to that of coldness, and I watched a foggy memory of Bucky being dragged through the snow, bleeding profusely and missing his entire left arm. Pain like no other hit me all of a sudden as I felt myself suddenly fall, looking up and seeing a train get smaller and smaller-

I gasped loudly and fell backwards, the metal platform clattering underneath me. I stared in fright at the man crouching before me, him glancing between me and our targets below which I had forgotten about, them having gone silent. I was breathing heavily, the memories I had just read being fresh in my mind, playing on repeat. Unable to control myself I backed away from Bucky, something which he noticed. It was obvious he was confused, after all he didn't know of my power.

"What was that sound?" The man in the lab coat asked.

"Team one we've got a potential intruder, main chamber fifth platform up," the suit said and my heart was in my mouth - I had just given away our position. Nearby were the sounds of running feet so the two of us acted quickly, attempting to run away from the sounds of the approaching soldiers but they were coming at us from all sides. We had no option to attack, the idea of the stealth operation flying right out the metaphorical window.

Soldier's ran up the stairs but I shot the first one multiple times, then kicking his body causing those behind him to fall like dominoes. Behind me Bucky began shooting, but above us a soldier jumped down and a fist fight began between me and him. He had knocked my gun out of my hand so I had no choice but to fight with my fists as he wasn't giving me time to draw another gun. "(y/n)!" Bucky suddenly shouted, him having thrown a knife my way for me to use. I caught it and stabbed my opponent in the shoulder, kicking him, pulling off his helmet and kneeing him in the face.

I managed to draw my gun and shoot him dead but there were more footsteps approaching. Behind me Bucky's firing had stopped and I saw he too had defeated all of those in front of him but there were more to come. Suddenly by my feet a grenade appeared, and I attempted to run but it blew up before I could, destroying the part of the platform I was stood on and knocking me back in the process. I tried to hold onto the edge of the destroyed platform to save myself from a 50 foot drop but my head was pounding, my ears ringing and I felt blood drip down my temple. "(Y/N)!" Bucky yelled, but despite him shouting it it was merely fuzzy.

I couldn't hold on any longer and my grip on the remains of the platform loosened, but Bucky caught my wrist before I could fall to my death. I stared up at him, feeling close to feinting but I could still see his terrified expression. He looked very different from the fierceness on his face during the memories I saw.

I gathered enough energy to try and reach up to get a better hold on him, but around us more soldiers gathered. "I'm sorry Bucky," I murmured, imagining this to be the end for us.

"Don't let go!" Bucky screamed, the soldiers gathering around us ready to fire.

"One!"

"Bucky, run," I begged but he shook his head.

"Two!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Three!"

"I'm sorry," I apologised, not only about being the reason he was about to die but also about reading his most private of memories - not that he knew I had.

"Fire-," suddenly a familiar metal disc bounced off of each soldier surrounding us. Natasha repelled down and shot numerous of them dead, whilst Sam flew by and grabbed me, landing me safely back on the platform. Bucky dragged me away from the scene as the three of them handled it, the two other SHIELD agents shooting from a distance.

"Goddamnit (y/n)," Bucky was panicking, pressing his hand against my temple and when he pulled it away and I saw how much blood was on him I realised that I had obtained a serious head injury. "Just hold on, I'm getting you back to the quinjet. Sam, cover me!" Bucky yelled, picking up my limp body and carrying me through the base, back to the lift we came in through. We emerged onto the snowy white wilderness, him running me to the quinjet, muttering swear words under his breath. "Don't die on me," he growled almost threateningly, putting me on one of the beds and rapidly finding the first aid equipment.

"I'm sorry Bucky," I whispered again, tears in my eyes. "I shouldn't... I shouldn't of read it... I didn't mean to..."

"What the hell are you talking about? Look you just need to calm down, relax I'm going to try and fix this-,"

"You went through hell," I whispered and he stopped what he was doing to look me in the eyes. "I shouldn't have read... your mind..." I dipped in and out of consciousness but I was able to feel bandages being applied to my head and soon the roaring of the quinjet engine along with the vehicle taking off into the air.

- Timeskip -

I was sat on the edge of my hospital bed, my head still pounding. I had been discharged but it was taking me a moment to loose the dizziness I was currently feeling. Not only that but I still felt piles of guilt because of what I had done to Bucky, him not even realising what I had done. When Steve came by to visit he advised me to tell Bucky, claiming it was best to be honest. He somehow believed that if I told his friend the truth he'd be understanding, but I wasn't so sure.

I knew I'd have to face him at some point though, and I was quite thankful he hadn't visited me in the hospital, at least not whilst I was awake, however I found myself believing that too soon. The door to my hospital room opened and I assumed it was going to be the doctor wanting me to hurry along but instead Bucky stood there, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a bouquet of flowers. "Thought this would lighten the room a bit... didn't realised you had been discharged," he muttered awkwardly.

"As of an hour ago, yeah... but thanks," I whispered.

"Listen... Steve said there was something you wanted to talk to me about," Bucky said and I rolled my eyes.

"Of course he did," I muttered, putting my head in my hands. "You won't believe me."

"Try me," he said, approaching me and taking a seat beside me on my bed. I looked up at him, realising just how close he had sat to me. I sighed deeply, wondering how I was even going to begin to tell him the truth.

"Okay. I have a... power," I muttered and he furrowed his eyebrows. "A power I sometimes have difficulty controlling."

"You? Have a power? Like a super-power?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I wouldn't really call it a super-power, but it's far from normal. I can read people's minds," I finally admitted and he looked utterly bewildered. "Yeah, I know it's hard to believe."

"How?"

"My parents were two test subjects on the Montauk Project. They weren't born with their powers but they still developed them. Because of that I was born with this ability," I explained. "I'm sorry Bucky, I'm usually really good at controlling it but sometimes if memories are powerful enough I- I accidentally read them..." I sighed deeply and his jaw dropped open slightly.

"You read my mind," he finally said through gritted teeth and my heart ached.

"I promise I didn't mean to!" I said quickly and he stood quickly, his back to me and his head in his hands clearly angry. "I'm sorry, really I am..."

"What did you see?" He growled, his back still turned to me.

"I-I saw you... fighting another Super Soldier," I whispered. "A-and a scene with a car... and a man with his wife. And a scene in a h-hotel... with an innocent bystander-"

"Oh god," he huffed and my lip trembled.

"Bucky I couldn't control it!" I tried desperately to defend myself but he remained with his back to turned to me and I sighed, knowing I had lost another friend. This seemed to hurt more than when I had lost my other friends because of my powers, and I had an uneasy feeling it was because of the feeling that had been developing in my heart for him. "I hate this power, that's why I don't tell people about it. The only people in SHIELD that know are Steve and Fury but that's because I'm terrified of loosing people who are important to me... like you," I whispered, this making him glance over his shoulder a little. "I understand your anger... I wouldn't blame you if you hated me now. Don't worry I'll make sure we're never partnered together again-,"

"No, don't do that," he turned, a sad look on his face. My lips were sealed as it looked as though he was trying to find the right words to use. "I know what it's like to do something that's out of control. I shouldn't have snapped."

"I think you're well within your rights. I violated your memories after all," I muttered, feeling ashamed of myself.

"I had no idea you even had any powers, let alone something like that," he said and I nodded timidly. "Look, 'course I would've preferred it if you hadn't seen memories of my past but that's because I never wanted you of all people to see what I used to be like, the things I used to have to do."

"Why me 'of all people'?" I asked. He walked back over to me and picked up the flowers he had left on my bed.

"Because I wanted to ask you on a date," he said and my whole body froze in shock. "And I do still wanna ask you on a date," he clarified.

"B-but why? After what I did?" I was astounded.

"It's like I said, I know what it's like to do something that's beyond our control. I guess if you promise not to do it again," he said and I quickly nodded. "What was it that made you do it?"

"Whenever it happens uncontrollably it's because a person's remembering traumatic experiences," I explained quietly and he nodded.

"That makes sense."

"I did notice you were very uneasy the whole time we were there," I said and he sighed, nodding.

"That base was where I was kept as the Winter Soldier, so there's not a single happy memory I have of that place," he explained and my mouth formed an 'o' shape.

"I didn't realise... I'm sorry," I felt even more guilty and he could tell. He let out a deep sigh and wrapped his arm around me, pulling him into his side which felt immensely comforting.

"It's alright... and I'm talking about everything," he said, looking down at me and I smiled in relief. He handed over the flowers making my cheeks heat up a bit, as no guy had ever bought me flowers.

"Thank you," I whispered, daring to kiss his cheek and he blushed adorably.

"So about this date?"