"Hello. And whom might you be?" Steve enquired as he looked (Y/n) up and down. The captain not sure what to make of the slightly dirty looking beautiful woman before him. (Y/n) in turn, not sure what to say to the man that was still filling the entire doorway. A man that she had only ever seen pictured in his famous suit. His head and face obscured by his mask. So, to actually come face to face with Captain America. The Captain America, in the raw as it were, was definitely a pleasant shock.

"I......I'm.......My name.......Mister......Cap.......Sir!" (Y/n) spluttered out. For the first time in her life finding herself lost for words as she looked between James and the large man in front of her. Finally realising that all this was really happening.

"Punk. This is (Y/n). (Y/n) this is the punk. Or Steve. Whichever you prefer." Bucky told the pair. Steve holding out his hand for (Y/n) to shake. The old soldier wondering where his friend could possibly have found something quite so beautiful.

"Has the jerk finally found his way home? I swear we need to put a bell on him." A voice came. Bucky rolling his eyes at the mocking tone.

"Hey Frosty. You do know that Steve's been.......... well hello. And who might this beautiful creature be?" Sam asked. Instantly forgetting about complaining at Bucky as soon as he saw the breathtaking woman by the now unhappy Winter Soldier's side.

"None of your damn business, bird brain. Now, get outta tha way. We have things to do." Bucky huffed, as he went to push past Sam.

"James. I don't want people to think that I am rude." (Y/n) chastised. Holding out her hand for the smiling man to take.

"Hi. I'm (Y/n)."

"Yeah, Barnes. (Y/n) here doesn't want to appear rude." Sam cooed, as he took (Y/n)'s hand and kissed her knuckles gently. His smile growing wider as he heard Bucky growl.

"Well, enchanté Mademoiselle (Y/n). I'm Sam. Sam Wilson. Now, what is a beautiful thing like you doing with a grumpy old man like Frosty here? You do know that he still thinks that talking moving pictures are a revolution, don't you?" Sam continued to hum. (Y/n) doing her best not to chuckle at Sam's comment.

"I'll have you know, fly boy. That (Y/n) is with me. And I ain't that old." Bucky grumbled, as he took (Y/n)'s hand from Sam's grasp and pulled her out of the elevator.

"Come on, doll. Let's get you away from the dummy, or he'll drag you down to his level and beat you with experience." Bucky continued, as he guided (Y/n) in the direction of his room. Steve and Sam staring as the pair disappeared down the hall.

"Wow. Barnes goes out for a walk to find himself and comes back with something that looks like that. I wish I were that lucky. Maybe I should follow him next time he goes out. Though it does make ya wonder what's going on between the two of them." Sam mussed. Wondering how the gruff and grumpy Winter Soldier had been able to summon up the courage to talk to a girl, never mind bring her back to the tower.

"I don't know, Sam. But one thing's for sure. Whoever she is, I haven't seen Bucky ever be quite so protective before. It must be serious." Steve replied. Confused as to why his best friend had never mention (Y/n) before.

                                                            >>------------------------------<<

"Well? What do ya think? I know it's not much." Bucky said, as he pushed open the door to his rooms and let (Y/n) in.

"It's definitely a little sparse, James. I mean, I know that I've heard of minimalism, but this is the next step." (Y/n) replied with a chuckle as she looked at the bed and the few plain pieces of furniture that stuck out strangely in the large room. The lone bookshelf reminding her of one of the giant monoliths that rose out of the landscape in Monument Valley.

"I like to travel light. I'm not used to too much clutter. Makes me feel uncomfortable." Bucky confessed. Watching as (Y/n) made her way over to the bookshelf and took down an old photo in a frame that show he and Steve, before Steve had been given the super serum.

"Good lord. You look amazing, James. So handsome in your uniform. I bet you turned a few girls' heads in those days." (Y/n) said softly, as she brushed her fingers over his image.

"Is that........."

"Yeah. That's tha punk when he was just plain old Steve. When he was a kid, he was always sick with one thing or another. Spent more time at home than he did at school. I helped him. Beat up the bullies. Protected him as best I could. And now look at him." Bucky explained, as he came to stand by (Y/n)'s side. The super soldier only recently able to recall the day that the picture had been taken.

"I don't think that there is any denying that Captain Rogers is handsome man. But I still think that I prefer his protector. And I always did like dark haired men with azure blue eyes, the best." (Y/n) told Bucky as she placed the picture back on the shelf and turned to look at him. Bucky once again sure that his heart was going to beat out of his chest, as (Y/n) smiled at him.

"Hang on. Holy crap. That really does mean that you're over a hundred years old." (Y/n) chuckled. Bucky rubbing the back of his neck and coughing slightly as (Y/n) reached up and brushed his hair away from his face.

"But I have to say. You have to be the best looking centenarian that I have ever seen, James Buchanan Barnes." (Y/n) told him. Bucky moving a little closer, so that the two were stood toe to toe.

"Now, where do you want me?" (Y/n) suddenly asked. Bucky spluttering at the awkward sounding question. The old soldier sure that he was turning a bright shade of red.

"Wha..........." A high pitched squeak coming for Bucky's throat as he thought about where he really would like (Y/n).

"I, er.......... I beg your pardon." Bucky continued. Bringing his voice down even lower than normal, to try and hide the fact that he was an embarrassed mess.

"The bathroom, James. Where's the bathroom? I seem to remember that you promised as hot bath, a warm soft bed, and good food. So, where's the bathroom? If there is a chance that I am going to meet any more of your "work friends", I would rather not look and smell like a sewer rat. I can only imagine what the captain and your friend Sam thought about me." (Y/n) explained, as she pulled her hood and hat from her head. Her snow white locks tumbling down over her shoulders, like the water from a waterfall crashes over the rocks in the pool below.

"Oh, yeah. The bathroom it's through there. I'll find ya something clean clothes of mine to change into for when you're finished. But Sam isn't my friend. He's not even an acquaintance. More, just a gigantic pain in my ass." Bucky informed her. His eyebrows furrowing as (Y/n) began to laugh.

"Oh, please, James. I think that despite your denials, you and Sam are indeed friends. I think that your gruff protests that you don't like him. And Sam's teasing, are just a pretence. It just so happens that that is the dynamic of your relationship. It's how you two work. But I bet that when push came to shove, you would both still protect one another." (Y/n) told him as she continued to giggle. Her mirth growing as Bucky continued to protest.

"Oh, of course. We have a love, hate relationship. I love to hate the fly boy. And he loves to keep reminding me how old I am, because he knows how much I hate it." Bucky groaned. (Y/n) shaking her head and rolling her eyes, as he passed her a towel.

"Sounds like fun to me, James. But what do I know?" Kissing Bucky on the cheek before disappearing into the bathroom. Leaving the Winter Soldier behind to think about what she had just said.