You’ve been with the Thunderbolts for about a month now. A whole month of loud voices, arguments, clashing personalities, and nonstop chaos — which is the exact opposite of you. You’re quiet, introverted, and you like to stay in the background. The team isn’t quiet. Not even close.

Red Guardian yells about everything. Yelena argues for sport. Val gives orders like she owns oxygen. And Bucky… Bucky is the only one who feels even remotely similar to you — calm, observant, always noticing things other people miss.

Today the team was having a “discussion,” which basically meant everyone was shouting over each other about whose fault something was. Voices stacked on top of voices, louder and louder until your lungs felt tight and your head felt like it was buzzing.

You whispered, “I need a break,” but no one heard you.

You slipped out of the room quietly. Hardly anyone noticed. Except Bucky — but he didn’t have time to stop you.

The hallway was freezing because it was the middle of winter, but the heater at the end gave off this soft, steady warmth. You sat down next to it, knees pulled up, and opened your book. The warmth helped. The silence helped even more.

You didn’t hear footsteps, but you felt someone approach.

When you looked up, Bucky was standing there, watching you with that soft, cautious expression he gets sometimes, like he doesn’t want to scare you off.

“You always disappear like that?” he asked quietly — not annoyed, just checking.

You mumbled a small, “Sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. They’re loud as hell in there.”

He walked closer and leaned against the wall near you, keeping a respectful amount of space but staying close enough that you could feel some of his warmth too.

“You okay?” he asked, voice low and gentle.

You nodded. “It was just… too much.”

“Yeah,” he said with a tired exhale. “I get it.”

You didn’t expect him to understand so easily. But he did. He slid down the wall and sat beside you — quiet, calm, not expecting anything from you.

“You don’t have to sit alone,” he said softly. “Not unless you want to.”

“I do sometimes,” you said.

He nodded. “Then I’ll sit with you anyway.”

And he did. No noise. No pressure. Just comfortable silence.

For the first time since joining the Thunderbolts, you didn’t feel completely out of place.