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Ava had never been to a real party before.
The closest thing to a party she'd ever experienced was Madison's birthday back in second grade—back when life was simple, and she was just a regular kid, not... whatever she was now.
And dancing? That was reserved for those cozy nights at home when her dad would bring out a new vinyl record and turn their living room into a makeshift ballroom. He’d take her hands, lift her onto his feet, and sway with her like she was a princess. That was the only kind of dancing she knew.
So yeah, she’d never danced with anyone else. Not until Bucky.
It started out innocent. Just a random night, a random song, and for some reason, Ava asked Bucky to dance. She didn’t even think about it—just reached for him, arms around his shoulders, laughing as he spun her gently, their bodies moving like they had always been meant to.
It felt... right.
And then, as fate would have it, she got assigned to be Bucky’s date for a formal event. A fancy charity auction-slash-ball.
Her first reaction?
“ Why me?! ” she groaned the next morning, cheeks heating as Yelena pointed directly at her. Half annoyed. Half mortified.
“Because, Ava, my dear,” Yelena said with that knowing smirk of hers, patting her on the shoulder. “You’re the best option we’ve got.”
“Best at what ? Tripping over my own feet?”
“You’ll be fine,” Yelena said, way too confident for Ava’s liking.
Then Bob, of all people, chimed in. “Honestly, Ava? You’re… you’re the best one for the job."
But time had no mercy. Before she could blink twice, it was the night of the ball, and Ava was standing in front of the mirror in a maroon cocktail dress that hugged her figure just right, hair styled to perfection, makeup soft but striking. She barely recognized herself.
And neither did Bucky.
When she walked into the common room, last to arrive, Bucky’s eyes locked on her like someone had hit pause on the whole world.
He didn’t blink. Didn’t move. Just stared .
“You’re drooling, Bucky,” John quipped casually from the couch.
“Say that again and you’ll be drooling blood, Walker,” Bucky shot back without missing a beat, his eyes still glued to Ava.
And suddenly everyone was acting differently. Yelena kept giving her looks---like she knew something. Bob smiled at her more than usual, and not in a casual way. John was extra annoying all of a sudden, a bit more like a pain in the ass but also the loudest commentator on the goddamn planet.
She knew something had shifted. Ava felt it. The air was different around them now.
And strangely, she didn’t mind.
What she did mind was the way her stomach was twisting into knots. She was terrified Bucky would feel weird or uncomfortable about all of this.
But as they arrived in Prague, walking arm in arm toward the grand building glowing with lights and music, Bucky leaned down and murmured just for her to hear, “Don’t worry. Just be yourself. Eyes and ears open—like always.”
That was the thing. Ava wasn’t used to this. She was used to her stealth suit, to going unnoticed. Now? In this dress? It felt like the whole world was watching.
“Is it too late to run back to the jet?” she muttered, gripping his arm tighter, trying not to hyperventilate.
“For the record,” Bucky said with a teasing grin, “ you asked me to dance to Richard Marx yesterday. If they play it again tonight… we’re dancing again.”
She groaned, hiding her face as her cheeks flamed. “You’re never letting that go, are you?”
“Nope,” he said, practically beaming now.
What Ava didn’t know was that in that moment, Bucky was smiling like some lovesick teenager taking his crush to prom. And what neither of them said out loud—but both quietly felt—was that for the first time in a very, very long time, their hearts were racing not because of danger or adrenaline…
But because of each other.
And damn, did that feel good.
*
“Anyone see the weapon yet?” Yelena’s voice crackled through Ava’s earpiece, snapping her out of her momentary bliss. One second she was sipping on what had to be the most expensive champagne she’d ever tasted, and the next, her eyes sharpened, scanning every corner of the opulent ballroom.
The gala tonight was... intense. The room was massive, all gilded edges and grand arches, with five chandeliers twinkling above like artificial stars. The ceiling looked like a Renaissance painting — clouds and soft colors swirling above expensive people holding expensive drinks and speaking in expensive lies.
Ava knew the type. The rich. The ruthless. People who didn’t just bend rules — they snapped them in half with a smile. She’d worked for people like this once. Followed orders from men like this. Not anymore.
Now? She had a different mission. A more noble one.
“No visual yet,” Ava muttered into the comms, her eyes still flicking around the room. “Still nothing.”
She scanned the crowd again, trying to spot Bucky — who had disappeared into the masses of tuxedos and couture dresses to "mingle" and collect intel.
“Where is Bucky?” Yelena huffed in her usual annoyed tone. “If Mel gave us another garbage lead, I swear— I’m going to crawl out of this damn air duct and slap her.”
Ava smirked slightly, adjusting her grip on her champagne glass. “Relax, he’s probably just charming someone for info.”
“Oh my God, Bucky. Why would you leave your gorgeous girlfriend all by herself?” John’s voice jumped in over the comms. “If you’re not gonna take care of her, I will. ”
Ava rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. “Walker, shut up.”
“Pretty sure Bucky’ll break your jaw before you even try,” Bob chimed in with that shy, trying-to-be-helpful voice of his.
Ava sighed and downed the rest of her drink in one gulp. The mission was one thing. But dealing with her team's ridiculous banter while standing alone in heels and a designer dress? Torture.
Then the lights dimmed.
“And now, before we get into the main event…” the host’s voice boomed from the speakers, “…let’s open the evening with a dance — to welcome good energy and a pure spirit to all!”
What?
Ava blinked. Classical music. That’s what she’d expected. Something dramatic. Maybe a Tchaikovsky waltz or even a fancy Mozart number. But when the familiar soft intro of Faithfully by Journey started echoing through the ballroom, Ava just… stared.
Who the hell thought this was a good idea?
Couples began moving to the dance floor, sliding into position like they’d been waiting for this exact moment all evening. The vibe was romantic, slow, and way too emotionally loaded for a covert mission. Ava’s eyes darted across the room again, hoping to see Bucky somewhere.
Nothing.
He’d told her just a few minutes ago to hang tight near the champagne bar while he had a quick chat with someone — said he’d be right back. That was twenty minutes ago.
“Yelena, any sign of Bucky?” Ava asked, the edge in her voice sharper than intended.
“Do you know how hard it is to tell heads apart from above ?” Yelena snapped. “Everyone here has shiny hair and expensive cologne.”
“I’ve got nothing either,” John added, sounding bored as hell. From where she stood, Ava could see him leaning against the entrance in his security getup.
Ava took a deep breath. Seriously, Bucky? This is what I get for trusting a 100-year-old supersoldier?
She was starting to spiral — a cocktail of nerves, irritation, and… yeah, maybe a little disappointment. Her hand clenched the empty glass just as someone tapped her on the shoulder.
She didn’t think. She spun, fist already flying—
But Bucky caught her wrist mid-swing with a soft grin, as if he knew that was going to happen.
“Sorry I’m late, doll.” Bucky said, flashing her a sheepish little grin just as Ava’s hand nearly smacked him in the face.
“Where the hell have you been?” Ava snapped, but didn’t pull away when he gently caught her would-be slap and held her hand instead.
“I’ll explain later,” he said, his voice low but teasing, and that stiff, half-smile of his somehow made her stomach flip in the most annoying way. “But for now… can I have this dance?”
Ava rolled her eyes, snorting like she couldn’t be more unimpressed, but she let him lead her to the dance floor anyway. Figures.
The music pulsed around them, and just like that, his vibranium arm slid naturally around her waist like it belonged there. Their fingers laced together—warmth against cool metal—and Ava realized they were barely five centimeters apart. She could feel every bit of his presence like it was stitched into her skin. Bucky stared down at her, not blinking once, and Ava swore her face was about to catch fire.
They started to sway, left and right, in sync with the slow, haunting rhythm of the music. It felt too easy. Too natural. Like their bodies already knew what to do. Like they’d been made for this— for each other .
“Pretty different from the rooftop, huh?” Bucky murmured, breaking the thick silence between them.
“At least you’re not stomping on my feet this time,” she shot back, eyes flicking up. “If you do, I’m stabbing you with these heels.”
He grinned—just a little—and twirled her with one raised arm. Ava spun automatically, still holding onto him, her dress flaring out before she landed back against his chest.
“So,” she said, tone shifting, “got anything useful?”
Bucky’s smile faded slightly, his eyes sharp now. “The auction’s actually upstairs. Fourth floor. Not here in the ballroom. This whole gala’s a front.”
“WHAT?!” Yelena’s voice practically screamed through their earpieces, making them both flinch.
Ava blinked. “Then why the hell are we still dancing?!”
“We’ve got half an hour before it starts. Plenty of time.” Bucky’s voice was way too calm, way too relaxed for someone talking about an illegal weapon auction.
Ava clenched her jaw, trying not to smile. He was so annoying.
“Ugh. Just admit you wanted an excuse to flirt.”
“If I did… would it be working?”
“Guys,” John’s voice crackled into the comms, full of secondhand embarrassment, “can you two not flirt during a mission for once?”
Bucky laughed, and Ava tried really hard not to enjoy the way his face lit up when he did. They went quiet again, the music wrapping around them like fog. Closer now, she could feel the heat of him. His presence. The steady beat of his heart.
And somehow… her body didn’t ache. There was no pain tonight. No phasing. No sudden sharp fear of turning ghost-like and vanishing. Just warmth.
Just him .
For the first time in forever, Ava wondered— Could I have this? Could I have him? Just us, just this, forever?
“What are you thinking?” he asked softly, his voice a low whisper right by her ear.
Ava looked up, caught off guard. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Just… trying to figure out how we’re gonna steal those weapons without wrecking the whole place,” she lied smoothly, swallowing the truth. “I kinda like this dress, y’know.”
Bucky didn’t buy it. He smiled knowingly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch way too gentle for her heart to handle. “That’s not what I mean."
She froze. Can he read minds now? Seriously?
“Why do you even wanna know?” she asked, trying to deflect, her voice softer than she wanted it to be.
“Why shouldn’t I?”
Ava rolled her eyes again, even though her pulse was screaming. “Because it’d be too easy. No fun if I just tell you everything.”
Bucky chuckled. “Alright then. I’ll go first.”
Wait. Wait, no. Why did he sound so serious all of a sudden? Why did he look like he was about to say something big—something real ?
Ava’s brain was short-circuiting, her breath catching in her throat. She could barely brace herself for it—
And then—
BANG!
A loud explosion cracked through the ballroom from the entrance. Ava’s heart jumped into her throat.
Just like that, the spell was broken.
*
Mel’s intel turned out to be spot-on.
There was a black-market weapons auction in this very building tonight---with one of Oxe Group illegal weapons being on catalogue, and that explained the chaos. A gang of armed thugs crashed the party like they owned the place, setting off an explosion and nearly turning the entire ballroom into a warzone.
But John had already been a step ahead. Dressed as security, he was in the perfect position to strike first. Before the thugs even reached the crowd, he’d already taken a few down with brutal efficiency. One still managed to lob a grenade, the explosion ripping through the hall and sending everything into frenzy.
That was all Bucky needed to snap into action mode.
Within seconds, he was already assessing the battlefield, identifying hostiles, and taking them down with precision. Someone tried to aim at him—big mistake. Bucky’s vibranium arm crushed their weapon like it was made of cardboard.
“Don’t let them reach the fourth floor!” he barked while slamming a guy into a wall.
“What’s up there?!” John yelled, dodging an incoming attacker.
“That’s where the auction weapons are!” Ava answered from across the room, already ushering the terrified guests toward safety.
While Yelena had Bucky’s back on the ground floor, Ava took charge of evacuating civilians. She didn’t have her stealth suit on, and without it, controlling her phasing abilities was a risk—but she pushed through anyway.
“Alexei! Get your ass off the jet and HELP!” Yelena growled through her comms.
“He’s on it! I’ll stay back and prep the jet in case we need to bolt!” Bob responded, his voice staticky in their earpieces.
“If they get to those weapons, we lose our best shot at bringing Val’s down,” someone warned.
As soon as Ava saw the guests were safe, she sprinted to the restroom, yanked open a ceiling panel, and pulled out the stealth suit she’d stashed earlier. She suited up, took a deep breath, and phased straight through the wall, heading to the fourth floor like a ghost on a mission.
She was the only one with powers. If anyone could stop them, it was her.
Ava moved like a shadow, phasing through floors and dodging enemy fire as she shot toward the fourth level. The moment she got there, it all became clear. The entire space had been turned into a sleek, silent auction setup—rows of chairs, spotlights, and behind the podium, crates. Weapon crates.
“Guys, I’m on the fourth floor,” she whispered into her comms, slowly removing her mask. “Starting scan for the Oxe weapons.”
Her eyes locked onto the familiar logo. She moved closer, heart pounding.
But she didn’t see the trap until it was too late.
The sound hit first. A piercing ultrasonic wave that sent her crashing to the floor with a scream. Her head spun. Everything blurred. She can’t move. She can’t phase.
Then—gunshots.
Two.
Three.
Thuds. A groan.
And then silence.
Ava looked up, dazed, and saw a figure coming through the smoke.
Bucky. His shirt sleeves rolled up, tie loose and askew, hair a wild mess. He looked furious, deadly. One punch from his vibranium arm knocked the thug cold.
Relief crashed into her.
“Ugh…I hate it when they use dirty tricks like that,” Ava muttered, trying to sound tougher than she felt.
But Bucky didn’t say anything. He didn’t go for the crates. He went straight to her.
“And I hate it when you pull reckless stunts like this, Ava.”
Wait, what?
Ava narrowed her eyes. “That wasn’t reckless. It was instinct. Isn’t that your whole thing ?”
Bucky didn’t back down. His eyes scanned her from head to toe like he was making sure she wasn’t bleeding, broken, or worse.
“Next time, tell me before you do something like this. Not after. ” His voice was low but firm. No room for argument there.
She scoffed. “I had it under control.”
“I know you did. But you didn’t know he had an ultrasonic weapon. Therefore, you weren’t careful.”
...Damn it. She had no comeback for that one.
He was still looking at her—really looking at her—with an intensity that made her stomach flip. He wasn’t just annoyed. He’d been worried .
Worried about her .
And that realization hit harder than any weapon could.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, biting back her pride. “And… Thank you. For caring.”
Bucky gave her a crooked little smile. One that made her heart stutter.
But before he could say anything, John’s voice exploded in their earpieces.
“GUYS. FLIRT LATER. GET THE DAMN WEAPONS AND LET’S MOVE! I’M TOO OLD FOR THIS DRAMA!”
Yelena groaned, “ Seriously, if you two wanna make out, do it on the Watchtower rooftop. Not in the middle of a mission.”
“Wait—WHAT? Bucky and Ava?! SINCE WHEN?! NO ONE TELLS ME ANYTHING!” Alexei practically shouted.
Ava rolled her eyes. Bucky sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like he regretted all his life choices.
But despite the chaos, the bruises, and the migraine pounding in her skull, Ava couldn’t help but smile.
Because today, she learned something new about James Buchanan Barnes.
That behind the grumpy stares and soldier instincts, Bucky was… kind. Protective. Deeply human.
And maybe, just maybe, there is something unspoken between them.