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Bucky wasn't sure at first. There'd been a request for him to join the Thunderbolts, but it obviously wasn't a real request. They required his presence so he didn't have a choice. That didn't mean he had to be happy about it.
It didn’t take long before he was happy. The team became his friends, his family. He got along well, especially with Yelena. She became his closest friend. He felt like he belonged. He hadn’t felt that way since Steve left.
He had fun with Yelena and the rest of the team, they looked after each other. Yelena gave the best hugs in the world. Bucky loved them so much. Sometimes they called each other up in the middle of the night, just to chat. They went to the movies together and cooked together. They looked after each other’s pets, too. Bucky could easily say that Yelena was his best friend in the world these days. She was amazing.
They both struggled with their pasts but together they could get through it. Joining the Thunderbolts was the best thing that could have happened to Bucky. He finally felt ready to face the world again. He finally actually belonged somewhere.