you're not alone.

Pushing the door open to the main headquarters, Talia expected it to be not only busy, but filled with new recruits. To find that it was just the opposite, she was genuinely surprised, but she didn’t let it show. She made her way to the main control room, wanting to check in and see if there were any new assignments for her. She had just gotten back from a mission with S.T.R.I.K.E. and was excited to get back to work.

The doors opened up and she stopped in her tracks, seeing Captain America standing on the opposite side of the room. She quickly realized that Fury was in fact not there, but she couldn’t help but wonder about Steve Rodgers. She wondered if he remembered her, or would recognize her. She was one of the first people in the room when he woke up, but he seemed to be going through such a shock, she was sure it was mostly a blur.

“Hello,” She said, smiling slightly and stopping just before the table. “I came to see Fury but I guess he’s off somewhere now, not much of a surprise.” She added, looking around the room. “I’m Agent Wilson, I think you might know my brother.”

She never saw very much of him, only glimpses here and there. She heard him every single night though. Like clockwork he'd wake up in the wee hours of the morning screaming. Sofia might not have seen very much of him, but she'd seen enough. She saw how skittish and standoffish he was around other people. She saw how quickly he'd round the corner and enter his apartment. People didn't keep to themselves like that unless they had good reason to. People didn't wake up in the middle of the night screaming like that time and time again unless they had good reason to.

Maybe she should have let him be, he clearly wanted nothing to do with anyone or anything, but it was hard for her not to intervene when she was being woken up every single night because of the clear screams of terror. She normally padded quietly across her small studio apartment to the kitchen area and made herself some tea. Chamomile. A solution that her grandmother had instilled into her from a young age. It normally did the trick and helped lull her back to sleep, but on that particular evening she pulled out a second cup from her cupboard and fixed two cups instead of one. With both cups in hand, she exited her apartment and walked the short distance to the one to the left of hers. Balancing both cups in one hand, she rapped her knuckles lightly against the door and waited.

---

Steve felt like a fish out of water. When he woke up seventy plus years in the future back in New York, that had been a culture shock if he had ever known one. And then the city was attacked by an alien race led by Thor's megalomaniac of a brother. Both who were Asgardian gods. Aliens and gods existed in the world that he had woken up in. And those weren't the only differences between the 2000's world he now lived in, and the 1940's version he had been raised in. Things existed that were from story books in his time. Back then, there had only been one god, now that wasn't the case. There was technology that he still couldn't fully fathom the existence of. Just as there were new things for him to get used to, there were also things he needed to get used to not having around. People more specifically. And one person to be even more specific. Bucky. He was still gone, and no matter what Steve did, there was still a small ache in his chest whenever something happened that reminded him of his old friend. This would all be a lot easier if his friend was there with him.

He put up a front though, and allowed everyone to think that he was adjusting well to the changes. He kept himself busy with mission after mission, and when he was home, he tried not to sit around to mull things over for too long. This last mission honestly still kind of left a sour taste in his mouth. He didn't understand why Fury had to be so goddamn secretive, and Nat had even kept things from him too. If they were working together as a team, wasn't communication key? That's how things had been when he led the Howling Commandos back in the day. People had different beliefs and morals now though, and he was realizing more and more just how many things people kept to themselves. He was lost in thought regarding that very fact when the door to the control room opened. He didn't know who he was expecting, but it wasn't the woman who stood before him. She looked vaguely familiar, though he didn't fully know why. "Fury never sticks around for very long." He said, offering her a small smile. His eyebrows rose in surprise at her introduction. "Sam's your brother?" He asked.

"Unfortunately," She said, nodding with a small laugh. "He's told me a little about you, mainly that he's beaten you a few times during runs. Found that a bit hard to believe, since I tend to beat him." This was partly true. Sam hadn't told her a lot, but she knew from him, that Steve had been working to adjust to every day life. She could only imagine what it would have been like, to wake up nearly seventy years later. The world would have been entirely different. Even something as common as a cellphone would be alien to someone in his situation.

Steve was a stranger to her, but the look on his face was one she had seen before. She could see it plainly, since it was an expression her brother wore when he had first returned from his tours. Though Steve seemed to hide it better than Sam did. "And well, Fury constantly being in motion isn't hard to believe. The man with the worlds most secrets can hardly stay still, can he?" She asked, a small smile on her face as she shrugged.

---

Bucky was no stranger to the middle of the night. For as long as he could remember, he would wake up screaming usually around 3 in the morning. Sometimes he remembered why, vividly, as if it were happening in front of him and he were reliving the nightmares. Other times, he didn't and he was grateful for those times when he woke up without remembering why.

This particular night, however, he remembered everything. This particular night, he jolted awake, eyes wide and breathing heavily. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and when he recognized the room, his body relaxed. Sighing, he pulled himself out of bed, moving to sit on the edge as he normally did at night. He usually faced the window, because he could see the skyline of the buildings outside and it helped distract him.

The sound of the door made his body tense up once again, and he stood slowly, his steps silent as he walked toward the door. His ears pricked for the slightest sound, he looked through the peephole. It was the girl who lived next door, he had seen her a few times, but was careful to never initiate any type of conversation. He opened the door slowly, quickly noticing the tea cups in her hands. "Sorry for the noise. I'll...uh... work to keep it down so I don't wake you up again." He said to her, waiting for her response so he could close the door.

Sofia wasn't sure what to expect, she didn't know if he'd even answer the door, but that question was answered rather quickly, the other ones running through her mind not so much. She didn't know how she expected him to act. She almost thought he would be gruff and angry, though she should have known better with the screams of terror she heard each night, because the man standing before her was clearly...broken.

"Hi, I live in 5C, but I think you knew that already. Don't apologize for the noise...it doesn't sound like something you can help. I've heard you since you moved in and kind of figured you could use some of this." She started, motioning to the steaming cup of tea in her hand. "It's Chamomile. Always does the trick when I can't fall asleep. So uh, here." She held the cup out to him, hoping he'd at least take it. She hadn't really thought this through before acting, she had a tendency of doing that. Acting on impulse, and she knew she needed to stop and think more before she acted, but she had nothing of good intentions. She just wanted to help. And she knew that might sound crazy considering he was basically a complete stranger, but it was the truth. She just wanted to help.

---

Steve let out a low chuckle at her words and shook his head slightly. Typical Sam. He didn't know him too much outside of the small talk they made on their runs each morning, and how well he spoke with the veteran's at the VA's office, but claiming that he had outrun him a couple of times, and likely bragging about it to his sister, well that definitely sounded like the man that he had started getting to know in the recent weeks. "Well, I hope you didn't believe him, because I can't think of a single time that he's beaten me." He told her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Although, I have sometimes let him think that he beat me, and clearly he took full advantage of those instances and used them as bragging opportunities. He probably brought them up every chance that he got." He laughed once more before taking a moment to really look at the woman before him. She was beautiful, and he could definitely see the resemblance to Sam.

"I guess you're right, though you would think he'd have a little more trust in some of his operatives." He said, the smile turning into a slight frown for a moment before he chose to change the subject. "But I digress. I'm surprised Sam never mentioned that you worked for SHIELD to me. Not that I really talk about my job too much, I try to keep work and recreational stuff separate, but he knew who I was the first time we met..." He was rambling, that much he knew. He might not be that skinny kid from Brooklyn physically anymore, but mentally he still was. And that skinny kid from Brooklyn had zero confidence when it came to talking to a beautiful woman. That had always been one of Bucky's strengths, not his.

Talia smiled as she watched him speak, seeing him now it was incredible. It was hard not to be a little star struck. Of course she had known who he was, everyone did. She remembered when he was found and everyone was scrambling to get a look at him. He somehow looked exactly the same as he did then, and she could only imagine the same nearly seventy years ago. Though despite being superhuman, the human traits were definitely still there, shown clearly as he rambled to her about her brother. He seemed more human now that she got to speak to him now, more like Steve Rogers and less like Captain America.

"Well, that's Sam." She laughed. "I found it hard to believe, really. If he was somehow faster than you, that would mean I would be too and I just thought, that can't be right. But he does use it as bragging rights as often as he possibly can, he's quite proud of it."

She wondered why she had been assigned to him now, but she figured, as Fury kept his secrets, he also had his reasons. Maybe they'd make themselves more visible after a few days of having this assignment.

---

Bucky looked down, first at the floor, and then to the steaming cup of tea in her hands. Everything instilled in him when he became the Winter Soldier was telling him to end the conversation and slam the door. But James Buchanan Barnes would have never slammed the door in the face of a woman, much less the beautiful one who stood in front of him. He was torn.

"Thank you." He said quietly, taking the teacup from her and balancing it in his normal hand, his vibranium plated hand still carefully behind him and out of view. "I really am sorry for waking you up. Must have had a few bad night sleeps because of me. I'll try to keep it from happening again." He said, his expression almost solemn behind the stoic expression he held on his face. He knew well enough that keeping a low profile was the best way to keep himself out of attention, it was something he was good at. He'd been doing it for years.

He was conflicted. About what, Sofia was unsure, but she could see the expression on his face quite clearly, and there was definitely some sort of an inner war happening in that very moment. She didn't know him at all, and this really was her first time interacting with him, so she honestly hadn't known what to expect when she walked out of her apartment with two steaming mugs of tea in her hands. And she was even more unsure now as she stood there, waiting for him to react fully. Would he slam the door in her face? Something told her that was doubtful, he likely would have done so already, and he'd been nothing but apologetic regarding the noise, so why would be be rude to her all of a sudden? It simply wasn't likely at all.

She offered a small smile of reassurance when he thanked her and took the mug from her. She noticed that he balanced it in one hand, and only then did she realize that his other hand, the left one, was hidden behind him for some reason. It was strange to say the least, but she wasn't going to question him about it. "You're welcome. And it's fine, seriously. It's not something that you can really help...I hope that the tea helps." She said, part of her wanting to tell him he could talk to her about it if he wanted to, but she wasn't going to push her luck seeing as they had literally just met and all.

---

There was something about her that captivated him. Steve couldn't quite place what it was, but he just had this feeling that he could listen to her talk for hours on end and he wouldn't be able to get enough of her. It was strange to say the least considering, to the best of his knowledge, this was their first time meeting. Of course, there was something about him that struck him as familiar, but he was chalking it up to the fact that she was Sam's sister for the time being. It also struck him as strange, because he hadn't been captivated by anyone like this in a very long time. Seventy some odd years to be exact. The last person who had captivated him in this way was Peggy. The thought of her tugged at his heartstrings a bit, and he made a mental note to pay her a visit sometime this week.

"Of course he does." He chuckled softly. "I wouldn't expect anything less from your brother. Don't tell him that I let him win those few times though. I think I can manage to come in behind him a few times for his sake, and I don't want my secrets revealed." There was a joking lilt to his words, though he mentally face palmed at what he had said. You're doing a real great job here,
Rogers. You'd be better off keeping your trap shut.

“Not to worry, Captain, your secret is safe with me,” She replied to him with a small smile. Suddenly she was happy to be assigned to him. He seemed like someone she would enjoy talking to. He had a sort of easiness about him, it wouldn’t be hard to talk to him. “Besides, I don’t think he would believe it if I told him it were a lie. He would demand an immediate rematch no doubt, and that would be fun to watch.”

“Were you working on anything when I came in?” She asked curiously. “I can go if you were busy, I was going to get something to eat.” She said, leaving it open for him to respond to. She figured she’d let him do the talking. He seemed to be the type to prefer it, and she wouldn’t mind listening. She was nervous to be working with him though, she didn’t want him to feel like he was being deceived, because she was more than happy to be there. But she also didn’t want him to feel like she was just gawking at his achievements either.

---

He held the tea in his hand, trying to balance it and not have hot tea spill down his arm. He’d dealt with worse pain but the last thing he wanted was a surprise. “I’m sure it will do fine,” He said to her, his voice above a murmur. He looked at her for a moment longer before nodding. “Well, thank you. I’d like to try to get back to sleep.” He said to her. The conversation had gone on longer than he knew it should have, and he could feel the pain of having the conversation erased. It usually happened when he began to show too much emotion, which was something he worked to avoid as often as possible.

Emotions, attachments, two things he’d lived his life without for years. Back in the 40s he would have been shocked to find this was how he was living his life now. He would have been shocked to find he was still alive at all, really.

Sofia really didn't know what to make of him. She didn't know what she'd been expecting when she showed up outside of his apartment. The brief glimpses she'd gotten of him did very little in telling her what type of person was living next door, but the screams certainly said a lot. They were the sounds of someone haunted by their past, and the man standing before her now clearly showed signs of just that. But he wasn't nearly as gruff as she'd been expecting, he was soft spoken, and a bit intimidating with the scruff and steely gaze, but there was more to him than just that. More that she doubted she'd get from a short interaction like this one. "Oh yeah, of course. I'm sorry for keeping you up. I hope the tea helps, and if you ever want some more, I'm right next-door." She offers him a kind smile before heading back to her own apartment, only realizing once she was inside that she hadn't gotten his name, and she hadn't given him hers either. The air of mystery remained for the time being.

---

Steve chuckled softly. "That's good, I'm glad. I don't think it would be good for either of us if we had to hear your brother complain about me letting him beat me on numerous occasions. He'd be unbearable." He said. He could definitely see similarities between the woman who stood before him and the man who had become an acquittance, almost friend even, in a short amount of time. "I think you're right about that rematch though, he'd definitely want one. I don't know if I would let him win or not though. If I did, he'd be even more unbearable than he'd be if he did believe you when you told him. I think it's a lose-lose regardless." He let out another laugh. He liked talking to her. Although he felt like taking back some of what he said, simply because he still didn't think he could talk to women at all, he found talking to her came somewhat easier than talking to other people of the female persuasion. He shook his head in response to her later words. "No, I wasn't, you're fine." He assured her. "I was just heading out myself."

Talía smiled. The thought of listening to her brother complain was not something she wasn’t used to, but it was something she tried to avoid at any and all cost. “He would be, so do me a favor and keep letting him win every so often, just so that the both of us don’t have to suffer the consequences.” She laughed, turning toward the door.

“Well, dont let me keep you, I was going to the practice area to get some training in, but I’m sure I’ll see you around.” She added. This again was partly true. She knew she had a mission coming up that he was heading. Whether he knew about it yet or not she didn’t know, but she wanted to exercise a bit to be prepared for that, just in case. Never hurt to be prepared, and she preferred it that way.

---

He watched as she left, shutting the door behind him and turning his back to it. Setting the tea onto the nightstand he stared at his hand for a long time. It was a part of him but it was so foreign to who he was. Or to who he used to be. He had to be careful about showing it, which made for interesting situations, like this one. He sat down onto his bed, looking at his hand before burying his face into his hands. He watched the tea steam for an unknown amount of time. There was something comforting about it, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was used to being uncomfortable in almost every situation. He lifted the teacup and took a small drink, setting it back down and leaning back to close his eyes in hopes of regaining some of the sleep he would never get back, and allowing her to get the sleep she lost.

He had seen a great deal. That much Sofia had figured out in the short amount of time that she'd had with him. There were so many thoughts running through her head, questions that she wanted to ask, but she hadn't asked any of them. She was pretty sure she'd already been a bit intrusive showing up at his apartment in the middle of the night, regardless of the fact that she had nothing but good intentions, and so she'd refrained from speaking much of what was on her mind. That didn't mean that the thoughts weren't there, and that they didn't keep her awake for a short while before sleep finally overtook her once more. When she woke up a few hours later, and when about her usual morning return before heading down to the fruit stand her grandmother ran, she couldn't help thinking about the mysterious man who lived next door.

---

A low chuckle rumbled in Steve's chest and he glanced down to the ground briefly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. If he hadn't seen the resemblance to Sam earlier, he certainly did now. Talia Wilson's personality was faintly familiar and he knew it was because he had slowly been getting to know her brother. "I'll try my best to hold back. Wouldn't want either of us to suffer." He told her. He was tempted to ask her if she wanted to grab dinner with him, though he didn't know if he'd be overstepping his boundaries considering she was Sam's sister and all, and when she said she wanted to get some training in, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He wouldn't want to keep her from what she was doing, and, quite honestly, he didn't know if he had time for that sort of thing anyway. That's what he kept telling himself every time Nat tried to set him up with someone anyway. He was too busy. He didn't have time for a relationship. It was an excuse, but one that he allowed himself to believe. "Don't let me keep you then." He said. "It was nice meeting you, Talia." He added as an afterthought.

“And you, Steve,” Talía responded with a small smile. “I’m sure we’ll see each other around,” She added, her eyes shrinking as her smile grew. She turned to head out of the room, taking the familiar way down to the practice rooms. She felt a sort of pressure in her chest release once she was out of his sight, almost as if she had been holding her breath. She couldn’t quite place why, but she enjoyed talking to him and looked forward to doing it again. For that same reason when her phone lit up hours later to tell her she was going on a strike with him and Agent Romanov, she was excited and gathered her things quickly to be present at S.H.E.I.L.D. for the debriefing. She sat off to the side, listening to the information necessary to keep them safe during the mission. This was the part of her job she loved, even though it was the part of the job many hated.

---

Bucky continued his night as he usually did. He stayed awake watching the city out of his window until he was tired enough to fall back into bed, and wake up as the sun rose into the sky. He had done this so many times he found the routine comforting even though it was nightmares that brought it to him. He pulled on his shoes and a hoodie, pulling a hat down over his face and the hood down even further for added measure. He was still in hiding and he would prefer to not be recognized even if it meant going outside in this way. He went down to the corner market, looking for some things he could use to cook something simple for himself for the next few days. He turned toward the fruit stand and made eye contact with the seller, a kind older woman who he had seen a few times before. But the girl next to her caught his attention and he wondered if he had been spotted by her. It was the girl from last night and he would be lying if he weren’t curious. His old self would have introduced himself but he wasn’t sure if he weren’t buried so deep down inside of him if he would still do the same.

Sofia didn't notice him at first. "O zi bună." She said with a smile as she handed a bag of produce to a middle-aged woman. Having spent her summers with her grandmother in Romania since she was a child, she was almost fluent in the language. It certainly came in handy now that she spent most of her days helping her grandmother run the little fruit stand that had been in the family for decades. When the woman stepped out of the way, her grandmother nudged her lightly and nodded just a few feet away. "E un tânăr foarte drăguț ... și frumos." Sofia rolled her eyes slightly at her grandmother's words. She had been trying to set her up with every younger guy who she came in contact with, always pestering her and telling her that she wanted some great grandchildren. "Bunica..." The brunette said to the older woman in warning, though she followed her grandmother's gaze, eyebrows raising in surprise when she saw who her grandmother was referring to. Mystery guy.

---

"I'm sure we will." Steve agreed, a smile on his face. He didn't tell her, and he certainly wasn't going to tell Sam or Natasha for that matter, but he was going to make sure that they saw more of each other. Even though he was constantly telling the redhead that he was too busy to go out on dates, he couldn't help that his interest had certainly been piqued by Sam's sister. He knew if he mentioned anything about her to Nat that he wouldn't hear the end of it and she would likely do everything that she could to find out who Talia was. She'd probably have her entire life story figured out in a matter of minutes. He also wasn't going to mention it to Sam either. He'd probably mention having met his sister, but that would be the extent of it. Sam was a nice guy, but he wouldn't put it past him to pull the whole protective brother thing, and he really didn't know if there was any reason for that considering he still didn't think he was looking for anything right now. He didn't want Nat or Sam to get the wrong idea, and he certainly wouldn't want either of them to mention anything to Talia, so he'd stick to the same story: he was too busy to go on dates and for relationships.

Bucky understood perfectly what was being said. He might have even laughed at it if the thought of it didn’t scare him even a little bit. He was an assassin but he didn’t enjoy it, and he didn’t like involving the innocent, especially when they don’t need to be. He could see the persistence in the grandmothers eyes and he couldn’t help but smile even a little at the situation. He went over to the table, knowing he needed fruit anyway and looked at the girl from last night. “Thanks... for the tea.” He said, picking up an apple and holding it in his hand. He wore gloves to prevent any strange stares from his arm, but he kept that hand in his pocket just for good measure. He didn’t need any surprises. “It helped me go back to sleep, and I’m sorry again. For waking you up.”

---

Talía listened carefully until the door leading in opened and Steve walked in, heading over to Fury. It was busy in the room so she couldn’t hear anything but she assumed it might be about the mission. Taking it as a chance to both talk to him about the mission and talk to him, she went over under the pretense of once again talking to Fury but getting side tracked by him. “Oh, hey. Seems I keep running into you,” She said, wondering if he noticed that she kind of sort of made a badly aimed beeline towards him. “I’ve got the information on the raid, the ship make, crew, location at time of strike. For Fury, but I expect it’s for you since you’ll be leading it.” She added with a small smile.

If it had been the first time, Sofia probably would have been mortified by her grandmother's overly persistent ways. However, despite the fact that the brunette was pretty certain he had overheard the exchange between the two and understood completely what had been said, she wasn't mortified in the slightest. She'd lost count of how many times the older woman had tried setting her up with someone. It happened at least five or six times a week. Yesterday it was the delivery boy. Two days prior it had been the grandson of her grandmother's neighbor. And today it was him. Unlike all of the other times, she found herself intrigued. Maybe it was because they had already met, though it had been a brief meeting and they hadn't even exchanged names, or maybe it was because of the distinct air of mystery that still surrounded him.

"You're welcome, I'm glad that it helped." She said, offering a small smile as emerald eyes scanned what she could see of his face below the plain baseball cap and shadowy scruff. His eyes were blue, his hair dark, and there was that haunted expression that she'd noticed the night before as well. She averted her gaze away from his face, not wanting to seem weird, and noticed the apple in his hand--he wore gloves despite the summer heat. "Can I suggest the plums? The apples are good this week, but the plums are better." She said reaching into one of the baskets and holding out one of the dark purple fruits to him. "I'm Sofia by the way, I don't think I ever actually introduced myself last night." She could feel her grandmother's eyes on her, and knew that a conversation would be had once he had left. Knowing the older woman, Sofia wouldn't be at all surprised if her grandmother was already planning their wedding. It is a sign that he happened upon our stand the morning after you two met, nepoata! She could hear her grandmother loud and clear already.

---

Another day, another mission. Steve wasn't really exaggerating whenever he told Natasha that he was far too busy to become romantically involved with someone. He'd been in DC for a couple of months now, and had only just managed to make his apartment feel like home a few weeks back. While he called the District of Columbia home now, he was hardly ever actually there. SHIELD kept him busy with mission after mission. He wasn't necessarily complaining, he was thankful for the welcomed distractions that his job brought him, but he certainly didn't think getting romantically involved with anyone was a good idea right now. He was still trying to figure out the 21st century, taking things in stride as he tried to catch up on the last seventy some odd years. He'd started with the basics, reading up on as much as he could regarding important events that had occurred in the United States and the surrounding world since the 40's. That kept him busy for a while, however, he had to start learning about all of the different technology at that time as well. The internet was extremely helpful, and certainly made catching up a whole hell of a lot easier than research of any kind had been back in the day.

He still had a great deal that he had to catch up, but he was making it through. And, honestly, he'd take anything that could serve as a distraction from what was absent in his life now, but he didn't want a relationship. He didn't want to go on dates. He had enough on his plate as it was.
That didn't mean he didn't perk up a bit when he spotted Talia. A familiar face that he hadn't necessarily been expecting to see. "Yea, twice in one week now." He smiled before eyeing the files in her hands. "Wanna catch me up to speed? I think you might do a better job than me actually reading through the files myself."

Talía shifted on her feet, reorganizing the files in her hand. “Of course, Captain,” She said, taking those few steps toward the table nearest to them and setting the files down. She opened the top file and began pointing at the information that she had long since memorized.

“In 16 hours the ship will be at this location, making it just out of radio control. It will have a government official that needs to be recovered, with little to no casualties if possible,” She added, pointing out the pictures. “You will be leading the team of 12, and we will be going in by plane as well,” She explained to him. “If you have any other questions feel free to ask, I’ve oretty much memorized the mission.” She laughed.

She spent the first few years as an analyst, meaning she got very good, very quickly at putting files together and researching missions. She enjoyed going in them however, it seemed to add some speed to her life which she felt she desperately needed sometimes. Ever since Sam came back from the war she did what she could to help him, even slowing herself down when he was newly back.

---

Bucky looked down at the plum in her hand and set down the apple, switching it out for the plum. “Bucky,” He said quietly, setting the plum into his bag and pulling out the money. He could just feel her grandmothers eyes on them, watching his every move and he couldn’t help but feel slightly amused by it. It was impossible to entertain he knew, but part of him wished he could. He was far too broken inside to try especially with another person who had no idea what he had been through. In what seemed to be minutes was only a few seconds before he looked back at her.

“Thanks, I’ll try them. I don’t think I’ve ever had plums from here before either,” He added with a small shrug. A small attempt at amicability, one he didn’t expect to go far since he didn’t want her to remember too too much about him.

He seemed to be a man of very few words which only added to the air of mystery about him. Maybe that was why Sofia was so intrigued by him. Most men left very little to imagination and didn't beat around the bush very much at all. They made it quite clear what they wanted, and that was something that Sofia had never been attracted to. Guys like that were usually pompous assholes with overly inflated egos. The softer spoken ones who left more to the imagination were different though. The man before her, Bucky, wasn't like the guys she was used to meeting. There was something about him that just screamed 'different' to her, and she knew it wasn't just because of his mysterious, soft spoken nature either.

"Well, it's nice to officially meet you then, Bucky." She told him with a smile. "Well, in that case, it's on the house. Take another if you'd like. The only catch is you'll have to let me know if you like it or not." Good Lord, she was giving her grandmother so much fuel to add to the fire right now. She wasn't going to hear the end of this interaction at least for the remainder of the day though it would likely carry on past that.

---

Steve almost told her to call him Steve instead of Captain, it all seemed a bit too formal to him considering he knew whose his sister she was and all, but he bit his tongue. He didn't want to overstep any boundaries, nor did he want her getting the wrong idea. He didn't want to give her any reason to think that they'd be anything other than work colleagues, and he knew that Natasha was likely lurking around somewhere, and he really didn't want her questioning him about Talia either. So, he refrained from saying anything, and instead simply plastered a small smile onto his face and listened as Talia debriefed him on the mission they were about to embark on.

"I'll keep that in mind." He said. "And I'll send anyone else who might have any questions your way as well." He was impressed by how much she seemed to already have committed to memory regarding the mission. It was a skill that he could certainly admire, and while he was certain there was more to her other than an impeccable memory, he could see why she was such an asset to SHIELD and the STRIKE team in the first place.

“Of course, Captain,” She smiled and moved to gather the information back together and place them back into the folders. “I might be doing the debriefing myself unless Fury insists on letting someone else do it,” She added, stacking them into her arms and looking back at him.

She wondered how far it was supposed to go, her trailing him. She knew her job was to watch and see how he was adjusting to life ever since he woke up but he seemed to be doing well at least on the surface. But she only knew of what that was like if he was willing to show it which she may never see. It was only because if Sam that she even got to see what being in an active warzine did to people.

“Also, I heard you’re looking for pop culture recommendations?” She asked. “I know a few good ones if you haven’t gotten to them, my taste in movies and music is unparalleled,” She grinned, her face immediately giving herself away and making her begin to laugh. “Or at least I think so.”

---

Bucky looked at her for a long time. He really didn’t know what to make of her. He might have found it admirable if he didn’t know better. He was dangerous, he knew. But she didn’t and that in itself was a dangerous problem.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” He said to her, the side of his mouth lifting slightly to reveal what might be described as a ghost of a smile. It was foreign to him even though it shouldn’t have been. “Next time I’ll try the pears,” He said, his eyes on his bag. He turned to see her grandmother who looked positively elated at their conversation, though she couldn’t have understood much of it. He nodded in her direction and looked at the girl again: Sofia. Something about her name was familiar but he couldn’t quite place it yet.

He probably had a really nice smile. The small glimpse she'd gotten of it just moments before caused the thought to pop into her head. Not only that, but she couldn't help hoping that it wouldn't be the only time that she saw that small ghost of a smile, or more if possible. She knew that she shouldn't be getting ahead of herself, they had only had two small conversations, one of which was over fruit at her grandmother's fruit stand and the other that she wasn't even sure really counted as a conversation, but that didn't mean she didn't want to talk to him more, possibly figure him out a bit.

"I'll be sure that there are a few set aside for you then." She said with a smile, mentally facepalming because she knew that she was never going to hear the end of it from her grandmother now. She'd be asking about Bucky for weeks, maybe even months, and that really wasn't her exaggerating in the slightest.

---

"Well, you're a good person for the job if he does decide to let you do it." Steve sent a small smile her way. God, he was glad that Natasha hadn't decided to poke her head in just yet. He knew the redhead would likely try to make the exchange between him and Talia out to be more than it was. And even if there was more to it than two work colleagues conversing, well, he wasn't going to admit that to Natasha of all people. He'd be interrogated, and so would Talia, and Natasha would like dig up her entire backstory in a matter of minutes, not even caring to try to maintain some semblance of privacy for Sam's younger sister. "Your brother suggested a few things to me the day I met him. He had some good suggestions, but I'm always looking for more. I write them down as people give them to me, so I definitely would appreciate any suggestions you might have."

“Bohemian Rhapsody for sure. Before my time but seventies rock is amazing, I think at least. And then nineties rnb,” She smiled a bit. “Really the only two eras of music you need,” She said, nodding with a semi serious expression. “Next time I’ll give you movies,” She added, wondering if he noticed that she was rambling even though she had no reason to be nervous.

“And really He only has good taste because I do,” She murmured jokingly. “But I’m sure he gave good suggestions too,” She said to him. It was hard to tell if he thought she was bothering him or not. She hoped not, talking to him was something she thought she would begin to enjoy and she hoped he didn’t feel like she was overstaying her welcome.

---

“Thank you... Sofia.” He nodded at her and her grandmother, giving them one more look before turning and heading back up to his apartment. One thing he remembered distinctly was not to ever get involved. Never let anyone remember you, or make an impression. But it felt kind of good, a mini rebellion, he’d call it. Something he could say he did even though he knew he had been hardwired against it. How it would end up affecting him he couldn’t say, but he would get there when he got there. It would just be something he could be proud of in the meantime. It wouldn’t surprise him if it did though, it was part of the reason he chose this country. He fit in well and enjoyed the language. May not be too long before he had to move on to another one if something happened to change all of that.