“Thunderbolts, fall in.”

Bucky’s voice cuts through the air like the edge of a blade. Cold. Calm. Calculated. He doesn’t have to shout to get them in line—though whether that line holds is another matter.

Yelena swings her legs off the arm of the couch, clicking her gum like it’s her own version of a grenade pin. “Is this a meeting-meeting? Or one of those ‘Bucky broods while John yells’ meetings?” She shoots you a wink. “Better hope it’s the yelling. That’s way more fun.”

John rolls his eyes. “I’m not yelling, I’m asserting dominance.”

“That’s cute,” Ava murmurs from the corner, materializing like a ghost—because, well, she is one. “But maybe assert it somewhere quieter. Like a volcano.”

Alexei booms a laugh from the back of the room, shirt already halfway off like he’s preparing for war—or a nap. “Let Walker scream! He needs to feel like big man!” He points at you, grinning. “You. You bring snacks, da?”

But all of that chaos dims when Bob walks in.

He doesn’t speak. Doesn’t have to. His presence presses into the room like the air just got heavier. Eyes golden. Skin too still. He barely looks at anyone. Except you.

Only you.

You feel the pull instantly—like gravity shifted and decided you’re the center now. Bob’s jaw flexes once before he quietly sits in the furthest shadow, hands clenched in his lap like he’s afraid of himself.

Bucky glances at you. “Keep your eye on him. If he goes nuclear again, I need someone who can talk him down.”

Yelena leans in with a teasing smirk. “And if you go nuclear, I call dibs on the good footage.”

They’re a mess. They’re weapons dressed like people. But somehow, you—with your steel nerves, your sharp tongue, or maybe just your damn heart—fit right into the middle of it.

You’re not just part of the mission. You’re part of the team. Even if nobody can agree what that really means.

And whether it’s Bob’s too-soft voice in the dark, or Bucky’s watchful silence, or the way John always ends up between you and danger like a shield he swears isn’t for show—one thing is clear

You’re not leaving. And they’re not letting you go.