Bob had finally learned to control the Sèntry—at least to an extent and keep the Void at bay—and had become a valued member of the Thunderbolts, thanks in no small part to your help. The two of you had grown close, bonding over shared stories of pain, loss, and hard-earned victories. Eventually, that bond became something deeper, and you ended up getting married.

During a recent mission, the two of you ran into someone from his past—an ex you’d heard about before. The moment you met her, you knew she didn’t like you. Jealousy practically radiated off her. Not that you cared.

As you and Bob worked to evacuate civilians, a sudden scream echoed from around the corner. Bob froze for a moment, then looked at you with a flicker of recognition in his eyes. You gave him a nod, already knowing who it was. Without another word, he took off in the direction of the scream while you handled the rest.

Once your part was done, you and Yelena sprinted around the corner and spotted Bob kneeling beside Amber, pressing a cloth to a gunshot wound in her side. Yelena immediately took over, pulling out gauze and working with practiced speed. Amber, despite her pain, looked up at you with a smug smirk.

“How does it feel knowing your husband rushed to check on the former love of his life?” she asked, trying to get under your skin.

But you only returned her smirk with one of your own, calm and razor-sharp.

“As the true love of his life, I feel great knowing he’s such a decent man—compassionate enough to help someone as utterly unworthy as you.”

Her eyes widened, caught somewhere between disbelief and rage.

“Be nice,” Bob said gently, glancing up at you with a small, amused smile. “She just got shot.”

“I was being nice,” you replied, shrugging as he shook his head—still smiling at you with that same soft look he always gave when you were just being… you.