Congratulations

Again, another late-night text message, only this time, you were in bed alone after Tony had left for his trip that next evening after the engagement. You were feeling a little lonely already, having had no time to celebrate properly until he would come home again in a month. Bucky had been the reason for the near-interruptions during your date with Tony, but you hadn't been able to answer him; you weren't sure what you would say. You had been caught up in the moment with your now fiancé, and to talk to Bucky then felt impolite.

Before you answered, you wondered why his messages were always at this time of day. Where was he? How did your time zones match up? If it was nighttime for him as well, then what was keeping him up? You immediately considered nightmares as the culprit, having been witness to Steve's own demons in action far too many times on missions that left you sleeping at his side and waking to calm him down. It made you sad to think that the same fate plagued Bucky, but the odds were strong in that favor.

Thank you. You finally responded with the customary answer, and you meant it, but then it dawned on you; who had even told him? How did you know?

I saw it all. Didn't you realize that we connected?

No, I guess I didn't. Usually it knocks me on my ass with the dizziness and nausea.

You were busy. No offense taken.

None meant.

Per his usual routine, Bucky didn't answer right away, nor would he for nearly an hour. As usual for you, you didn't push. It had been so long that you had heard anything from him that the last thing you wanted to do now was to send him running again. He had run enough in his life, you knew that much about the man, and you wanted to be a safe place for him once and for all.

Are you happy?

You looked down at your new, polished ring and couldn't stop the smile that came with it. You and Tony had been together for a long time now, and you had proven that it was a match that worked. But it was more than that; it was a match that felt right, even if the universe denied you as soulmates.

Yes, I am.

Then I'm happy for you.

Buck, I haven't heard from you in two years. What's going on?

You startled when the phone began to ring in your hands; so startled that you nearly dropped it in your surprise and fumbled to keep ahold of it. What had shocked you even more, was who it was that was calling. "Hello?"

"Is this okay?" Bucky asked softly. "Texts are good, but it feels...impersonal. I think we're past that now, right?"

"I sure hope so. It's good to hear your voice again. You sound calmer than the last time we spoke."

"That's pretty damn amazing with how wound up I am. I don't know, (Y/N), I haven't been able to shake this feeling, like...do you ever just get that feeling...like you're being watched?"

"Yeah," you agreed hesitantly, "usually when I'm being watched. Where are you? I can have a jet in the air in ten minutes."

"No, I'm not bringing you here. I appreciate it, though, I really do. I just needed a familiar voice to help me calm down. Steve used to be the only one who could do that."

You unconsciously took a long breath and held it, your own nerves building at the prospect of an answer that could mean so much to one of your closest friends. You wished that you could will him to say what you wanted to hear, but there were no guarantees as the question passed through your lips. "Buck, do you remember him?"

"I remember some, but just pieces and flashes of things that I haven't put together yet. I found this picture of him in that stupid Captain America get-up, and it jogged a memory or two. I kept it and might have to show it to you someday, it's kinda hilarious."

For the first time, you heard the beautiful sound of his laughter, and it warmed your heart to know that even if he was still only a part of the man he was and should be, he could find some happiness in moments here and there. "Promise?"

"I want to promise you, yeah."

"That's a good start," you smiled into your words, hoping your tone would carry to him, wherever he was. "I'll take it."

~~~

"Alright, what do you see?"

You stirred the remaining coffee that was left in your cup, watching the liquid settle before bringing it to your lips. You were trying to seem like you belonged there, in the center of the busiest part of Lagos, trying to look as natural as possible as you waited for your teammate to answer Steve's query.

"Standard beat cops, small station, quiet street, it's a good target," Wanda answered carefully, sitting across the outdoor café table from you. She glanced up to check for your approval before Steve could answer, but you knew that he had many more questions yet to ask. He had done the very same thing to you on your first real mission, and it amused you that after all these years, he never thought to change his training methods.

"There's an ATM on the south corner, which means?"

"Cameras."

"Both cross-streets are one way."

"So, compromised escape routes."

"Means our guy doesn't care about being seen, he isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out. You see that Range Rover half-way up the block?"

"The red one? It's cute."

"It's also bullet-proof," you finally added in, "which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us." Wanda was starting to play where there was no room for humor, and you had to put a quick stop to it; Steve didn't sound like he was anywhere near being in the mood for it today.

"You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?" Clearly, she hadn't taken your hint to pull back before she would find herself on the wrong end of Steve's temper.

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature."

"Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?" Sam finally joined in, from his perch above on one of the nearby buildings.

"Not to my face, why? Did you hear something?"

Wanda turned and gave you a look with fire in her eyes, and the hint of a knowing smile beginning to curl the corners of her mouth. "So, it's okay for you?" she whispered, shaking her head in disgust. "All business, huh?"

"Shut up," you snapped back playfully, but Steve was, of course, one step ahead.

"Eyes on target, folks. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months, I don't want to lose him."

Things were about to pick up the pace, both you and Wanda could feel it, and you could see it in her as she sat up straighter and looked around with more urgency in her eyes. A truck pushed by the café only a short distance from where you sat, the sound of the engine growing louder even as it drove farther away. Steve was saying something else in your comm, but you didn't focus on what he was saying as your phone vibrated in your pocket with a strange urgency even though you knew it wasn't possible. You pulled your comm away and brought your phone up, just as Wanda began to stand.

"Hello?"

"Sweetheart, it's me."

"Tony," you sighed, relived just to hear his voice, "I can't talk right now, we're about to take Rumlow. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, for the most part. Listen, just call me when you're done, alright? Pepper cancelled on me at MIT, and I need to hang in D.C. longer than I planned."

"(Y/N), let's move!" Wanda urged, grabbing your hand to pull you along. She was ready to take flight and as your mission partner she wasn't able to until you were on your motorcycle and on your way to the site where the world was about to explode.

"I'll call tonight, Tony, I have to go."

"Be careful."

"Always."

But it wasn't Tony's voice in the phone that had urged you to remember your safety, because he had hung up the second that you said you had to go; he would never want to interfere with your work and would definitely never do anything to compromise you. Besides, you knew that it was highly likely that he was already monitoring you and wasn't about to miss a minute of a mission that wasn't even his. As you swung your leg over the bike and sped down the crowded city streets, you realized that it was Bucky's voice echoing in your mind, louder than those on the streets around you. "Buck, I need you to get out of my head. I have to concentrate."

"Let me help."

"I don't need your help. This is my job."

"But maybe I can see something-"

"I don't need a babysitter!"

"(Y/N)-"

"Barnes, now is not the time! I don't want you here, so please, just back off!"

But once the words hissed through your clenched teeth in your anger, you regretted them. It was true, you needed to focus on what you were doing, but it wasn't as if this was your first mission, and you could have allowed for some interaction with him. You felt downright mean as you continued towards Steve and the rest of your team, but that would have to wait. You would have to ask Bucky for forgiveness later, as you felt the connection suddenly break, and the now familiar sense of loneliness filled your mind in his hastened absence.

Once again, you had no idea of how long he would be gone, and no idea of how soon it would actually be that you would come face-to-face. Within a matter of only a few weeks, however, it would become very clear that Bucky Barnes would become a much bigger part of your life, and neither of you had any way to stop it.

~~~

Nigeria was a complete, utter mess, and the team was left reeling in the fallout; no one more so than Wanda, now finding herself in the middle of an international battle for her rights as an Avenger, and her humanitarian status as an enhanced individual. Tony was due to come home any minute now, and even FRIDAY had gone silent just to stop your incessant questioning of how close he was. You couldn't shake the feeling that his voice had sounded wrong, even in the few lines spoken in your last conversation as you worked in Lagos. All it did was send your senses into a tailspin, and you wanted nothing more than to see him; one look into his eyes and you would know more than anything his words could ever convey.

"(Y/N)," Vision interrupted your thoughts, his voice gentle as to not startle you, "Mr. Stark has arrived and is asking for you before I announce him to the rest of the team."

"Finally," you sighed heavily, "thank you, Viz."

"Of course. I must advise, however, that he's brought a guest."

"Who is it?"

"The Secretary of State."