In hopes of luring her out of her room that she hadn't left since their meeting, Sam and Steve decided to make one of her comfort meals.

"You really think this is going to entice her enough to ignore the pure rage I'm almost positive is coursing through her veins? She does have veins like a normal person, right?" Bucky asked the last part as another attempt to understand her better.

Sam and Steve passed each other as they moved around the kitchen, focusing on their individual dishes to present to the popular guest.

"Yes, she has a normal vascular system like us," Steve chuckled, shredding a chicken breast still steaming from its time in the oven.

Noted, Bucky hummed. "What about the first question?"

"It's worth a shot," Steve shrugged, moving to grab a new fork after bending the other from pushing down so hard.

"Your fork-wielding skills are telling me otherwise," Bucky watched as his friend nervously continued his task and tried to relieve some of the tension from his grasp.

"Even if she doesn't come out, I'll hand deliver it to her door," Sam spoke up, shaking his head as he worked on the rice portion of the dish. "She's going to catch up with me and tell me what the hell her problem is, whether she likes it or not."

"A little aggressive, don't you think?" Bucky asked, raising an eyebrow. Sam had always been a patient soul and was not one to overstep others' boundaries when it came to emotions.

"She marches in here with fire for hair like Hades, and all I get is a few words. It's been three years since I've seen her, and I didn't even get a hello," he huffed, and everyone in the room could tell there was more under the surface than just that.

"You've been to her house?" Steve asked, pausing his chicken shredding and looking confused.

"No," Sam shook his head, knowing he hadn't told any of his team that he'd been keeping up with her, but also not defensive about it. "She reached out to me once because she knew when I was on a mission nearby- her powers and whatnot. But she stopped reaching out three years ago."

Steve didn't question anymore and nodded in sympathy to his friend.

"You guys were pretty close, huh?" Bucky said in hopes it would spark conversation with the new guest. "The whole team?"

Sam and Steve shared a look before a mischievous grin appeared on both their faces.

"Why? You looking to get close to?" Sam sneered; his previous frustrations quickly turned to teasing at Bucky's question.

"Shut up."

"You probably have a lot of questions," Steve interrupted what he knew would turn into one of their arguments. "You haven't got the best display of who she really is the last few times you've met her."

"Still mad I wasn't there for the original meeting," Sam muttered, but Bucky ignored him and focused on Steve.

"Can you elaborate on her powers? Some weird things have happened, and I can't quite dissect them-"

Sam's loud and boisterous laugh cut him off, and Steve let out a hefty sigh.

"You want to educate him, or do you want me to?" Sam smirked.

"It's more complex than what Bruce and I bullet noted on the mission, and I'm sure I'll butcher it if I attempted to tell you," Steve shook his head, throwing the now-finished chicken into a bowl, and Sam added a few more seasonings.

"I've got nothing but time," Bucky shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, but inside, he was eager to have something to relate back to Y/N finally.

"Maybe we should let him figure it out himself," Sam shrugged.

"You're an ass," Bucky groaned.

"I'm trying to cook a meal to lure her out of her lair. I can't give him a history lesson as in-depth as Y/N's," Sam said to Steve.

Steve nodded in understanding and moved to wash his hands before giving Bucky a little more information on the retired Avenger.

"To keep it simple so I don't screw it up too bad, Y/N draws her energy from the earth's core. Banner said she manipulates Earth's energy, which is true, but it's a whole 500-page paper on what that truly means. The majority of it has to do with her background and her origin story." Steve grabbed a towel and wiped his hands as he shrugged, checking his surroundings for a new task. "But I think you should really ask her yourself. I know she's all stressed out about this mission that came up, one I'm intrigued by myself, but maybe some small talk about something other than that will be good for her."

Bucky didn't see it, but Sam's mischievous smile was growing as he put together the broth and other ingredients for their soup dish.

"I doubt she wants to talk to me," Bucky shook his head. "She's clearly not in the mood to talk, let alone with a stranger who showed up in the privacy of her home she's hidden away in for years."

"Wouldn't hurt to ask," he shrugged, moving to the loaf of bread he was preparing for the oven.

"And if it does hurt to ask, lucky it's you and not me," Sam laughed in a single breath.

"I once again state you're an ass," Bucky pointed at the other man with a judging finger. Sam rolled his eyes but continued cooking. "She's been on a rampage ever since we showed up to her house unexpectedly. What makes you think she'll want to give me her life story since I've only been there when shitty things happen to her?"

"She's scared, Buck. This girl, whoever she is, means a lot to her. I can say I know what it feels like to mourn someone after seeing them die and then find out they're alive and being used as a weapon and experiment. It's actually oddly specific of a thing to relate to," Steve shook his head. "Either way, something normal right now that isn't hyper-focused on the bad is most likely going to be welcomed."

He hadn't thought about it like that. Y/N was in the same position Steve had been in, and Bucky was another version of the girl she was looking for.

"And what if you're wrong?" Bucky questioned.

"Then I'll try my best to explain to you her background without botching it," Steve nodded.

Sam's phone started ringing loudly, and he put the spatula in his hand down.

"Wilson," he answered. "Right now?... Uh, yeah. I'll be there in 20. Get the jet set up."

After a few more seconds of head nods and yes and no's, he hung up the phone and took a long breath.

"I'm going to guess a surprise mission?" Steve said, already taking over the meal.

"Unfortunately," he sighed, typing something into his phone. "Hopefully, it'll be 24 hours max. I gotta pack. You got it from here?" he questioned as he walked out backward.

"I'll make sure he doesn't burn down the kitchen," Bucky moved around the counter, taking over Sam's position without hesitation.

"Barnes, for a better chance at that history lesson, I suggest knocking on her door with that peace offering," he motioned to the food. Bucky nodded and waved him on as he stirred that pot. "And Steve, see if you can keep her here longer than one night. I really do need to talk to her."

"I'll duct tape her to a chair if I need to," Steve nodded with a smile.

Sam laughed and waved in acknowledgment before leaving.

Steve and Bucky finished cooking and sat down to eat after informing all the current teammates in the building it was ready. The only people that the smell lured out were Tony, Banner, and Parker, who were here to discuss a project with Tony.

After the meal, everyone went on to their own personal errands and tasks. The group of geniuses went back to the lab, and Steve went to make a call to Nat and Clint to check in on their current mission.

With a bowl of leftovers in hand, still hot and fresh, Bucky decided he'd give Sam's advice a go and use it as a peace offering. And what better peace offering than a bowl of carbs?

He carefully placed a decent serving into a bowl and tried to make it as perfectly plated as possible. He even used fresh parsley from the fridge as a garnish. Grabbing a water bottle, he took a deep breath before heading to the room.

As soon as he stepped in front of the door, a mix of emotions that weren't his own hit him.

He hesitantly knocked and waited for a sound, but it was tranquil on the other side. He knocked again, a touch louder, and waited—still nothing.

He furrowed his brow and studied the door. With his enhancements, he could usually hear shuffling and, honestly, even breathing, but all he was getting was dead silence.

Before he could further investigate, someone cleared their throat behind him. How someone snuck up on him, he wasn't sure, but they accomplished making him jump more than anyone had managed in years.

"Whatcha doing?" she said with a sly smile, knowing she had done the impossible by scaring the Winter Soldier. He looked at the door and then back at her in confusion, trying to lower his heartbeat. "Didn't mean to scare ya, Sarge."

He shook his head in an attempt to convince them both that he wasn't caught off guard in the slightest, even though she could tell he was lying.

"We made dinner," he said after she peered at the bowl in his hands. She moved around him and placed a hand on the doorknob as she watched him squirm nervously. "Wanted to make sure you got something to eat tonight."

She looked at him and then at the bowl while standing in the doorway. She took note of the water bottle tucked under his arm and the spoon already in the bowl. He came prepared.

"Is it vegetarian?" she asked, looking back at him.

He glanced at it and winced internally, knowing chicken was in it.

"No..." he drug out.

She smiled a touch and shrugged before taking the bowl and turning back into her room. After going in, she didn't turn to slam the door in his face or ask him to leave, so he took the win.

A weird energy surrounded the doorway. As she walked further into her room, she noticed he was analyzing the feeling and looking for a sign of something like plastic wrap that would smack him if he took a step forward.

"I don't have a trip wire set up, I promise," she chuckled with a mouthful of rice and chicken and her back toward him as she moved some papers on her bed to the side.

He hesitated briefly but brought one foot over the threshold to test the boundary. When no alarms sounded, shock treatment, or some mystical force KOed him; he made a few more steps forward in relief.

"That water for me?" she asked, once again without looking at him. After a few seconds of silence, Y/N could feel the tension in the poor soldier's body from the other side of the room. So she smiled sweetly and carefully approached him. "I promise whatever they told you about me, I won't hex you. That's special treatment for specific people I'm annoyed by," she winked as he handed her the bottle. "I did invite you in, so you're already a step ahead of the game from a lot of the other people here."

He could hear there was more to the simple sentence but instead asked the first question on his mind.

"I haven't annoyed you yet?" he asked, like a shy kid used to getting left out of the fun. Not that being on her bad side was fun, but his friends did have more of a backstory with her than he did, so he wasn't sure where he stood with her.

"Why would you have?" she mumbled after taking a bite full of food and moving to the couch.

"I mean, our first meeting wasn't an ideal way to meet someone given the circumstances," Bucky argued, watching her as she tucked her legs under her and leaned on the armrest, continuing the meal.

Bucky's attention went to the vast differences between her temporary living space and the cottage they were discussing.

The room wasn't as lively as her home. Her bedding and color scheme were warm and retro-styled. A few empty vases, minor decorations, and a bookshelf still filled with things made it look like a guest room slightly personalized by the person who lived there before.

But there weren't any plants or any form of life besides the two bodies in it. Not living here for over five years would make it a pointless room to add plants.

"I don't blame you for that," she shook her head, bringing his attention back to his concern. "I mean, if I did, the spell I put on the doorway would have laid you unconscious on the other side," she shrugged, nonchalantly pointing to the door with her spoon before scooping another mouthful.

"What?" he asked in a slightly higher-pitched voice, looking at the entrance and then back to her with bewildered eyes.

"That weird energy that you felt, kinda like a force field? Magic," she wiggled her fingers for extra effect but smiled softly. "Also, I apologize if you felt some stress. It's harder to keep it reeled in when I'm tired."

Bucky nodded, not sure what to say or follow with. His nerves weren't going away, and she could tell.

"You didn't come here just to drop off food, though, did you?" He looked right past her at the TV sitting in the corner, and his body tensed. "You're radiating nerves and curiosity."

"I-" he started, putting his hands in his pockets but not really knowing where the sentence was going.

"You're freaking out. It happens a lot when people learn about me from others," she shrugged, standing up and moving to him. He froze at her movement, and before he could figure out what she was doing, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

A feeling of peace, relief, and comfort washed over his body at the touch. It was overwhelming but in a good way. He had never felt this type of relief. At least not in the last 80 years... It was so soothing that he let out a long and pent-up breath of air, and for the first time in a very long time, his body released all the tension.

"Whoa, that was a lot," she said, letting out a deep breath herself. "You should look into meditation or yoga with that kind of pent-up tensity."

"How did you-" he asked, out of breath from the sudden change in energy.

"They didn't tell you much, did they?" she chuckled, moving to the couch and grabbing a blanket as she got comfortable again. Her mostly finished bowl of food was put to the side. "This group loves telling a good story, but it sounds like they were leaving room for me to tell it this time around." Once she was situated, she looked at Bucky, who was still trying to adjust from the magic of not feeling almost a century's worth of stress weighing on his shoulders. "You should sit. High amounts of energy shifting is a lot on a person. Including the shifter."

Bucky stared at her blankly, completely oblivious to what she was saying. She smiled at his expression of dumbstruck amazement and motioned to the seat.

Slowly, he moved to take her offer. With the feeling of relief coursing through his body, sitting down sounded nice, and with how heavy his body felt now, he crumbled in the seat.

"Ask any question," she sighed, laying her head back in a casual manner. "A distraction would be nice from the real world," she mumbled, exactly what Steve predicted. "One thing, though," she pointed, rolling her head to him. "For every question, I counter with one of my own."

If she had asked the man who came in, he would have been apprehensive, but now, with not a drop of anxiety or stress in his body, he could make that deal.

He nodded in agreement, rested both arms on the armrest, and looked at his hands as if they were floating when he moved them. "The obvious first question is, what just happened to me?" he pointed back with his thumb lazily to the space where he had changed to a new man.

The slightest chuckle escaped her lips as she laid her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes. Exhaustion was evident in her posture as well.

"Energy shifting. My powers are, to put it extremely simple, the manipulation of energy. Humans and practically everything on earth are made up of pure energy, constantly shifting and being manipulated by others around it, so I take advantage of being able to see and feel it and shift it how I please," she answered. "As for what just happened to you, I deviated your aura. You were riddled with a copious amount of anxiety," she emphasized, the word that barely scratched the surface of just how ridden with stress Bucky was. "I just evened it out with the energy around us and redirected the vibrations to a lower frequency."

He gave her a lost look.

When she didn't hear from him after a moment, she peeked at him and smiled before closing her eyes again.

"It's hard to explain something no one else feels or sees," she sighed with a lazy shrug. "You know how matter exists, but we can't really see it? Like atoms. Everything bounces off each other constantly, and we feel it in temperature or see it in changes in color. That's the bare minimum for the human eye. Mine are more trained and sensitive to the changes."

"You can see energy and matter?" he asked, sitting up a little more as he added her explanations together.

"One way to sum it up," she hummed. "A lot of humans can actually do it but don't really know how to hone the skill." She could feel his interest in the subject grow. "Everyone has an aura—colorful energy signifying their emotions, vibrations, and mood most of the time. Again, you don't really have to be a mutant to have the power. There are a lot of witches and spiritual beings out there that can do it as well. My situation just makes it a normal day-to-day part of my life."

"So when you said our energy was off when we visited you, you were reading our auras?" Bucky ran his hand through his beard. Each note she gave him added to his growing knowledge of her.

"Oh, yeah. I sometimes forget people don't know those little details about me, and I tend to talk about them like they're normal conversational pieces. Living as long as me, it becomes boring information to retell after so long," she nodded, sitting up some in her spot more but still in a relaxed position.

Bucky blinked quickly before sinking into the chair more. The feeling of ease was still fizzing throughout his body, but his intrigue was expanding.

"Ok, that's four questions; now my turn," she winked, sitting back up some. "How are you liking it here?"

He paused, deciding on his answer. "Um, fine. It's nice here."

She didn't answer right away as she was giving him time to add to his answer or reconsider the truth.

When he didn't, "Wanna try that again?" she asked. He hesitated but shook his head slowly, seeming confused as to why she wouldn't believe him. "Ok, if you're sure..."

"Why wouldn't I be sure?" he asked, confused at her knowing look.

"I've been in your shoes before. Being part of the team destined to save the world isn't rainbows and sunshine. Tony buying every material thing you could want doesn't fix any of the real issues that come with that kind of pressure."

He didn't reply but felt like she was prodding his brain even if she was still sitting with her eyes closed and seemingly unbothered.

"I'm grateful for where I'm at," he answered honestly.

"You can be grateful for one thing and be conflicted with another," she shrugged, still comfortable and unphased in her spot.

He was slightly shocked at that answer as they really hadn't gotten to know each other until now. There was no back history between the two, yet he knew exactly what she was hinting at. But with a power like hers, it would be hard not to pick up on that kind of energy from Bucky.

"Next question, how was Wakanda for you?" she moved on, giving Bucky a break from a conversation he wasn't sure if he wanted to dive into just yet.

"It was nice. I liked it," he answered.

She