An AU in which Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame didn't happen.

***

James Buchanan Barnes, aka Bucky Barnes, felt weird living in the Avengers tower after he'd come clean and told Tony that he was the one who killed Howard and Maria.

It took Tony a while to come to terms with the news. Still, he was appreciative that Bucky told him the truth instead of him finding out some other way, and he did say it was fine that Bucky stayed in the tower with the rest of them, but still, the former Winter Soldier felt out of place there.

So, he was essentially only there for mission meetings and prep, or when Steve wanted to keep an eye on him and found other ways to stay away from the tower for any other reason, which was more difficult than he thought, because Steve always wanted to keep an eye on him.

Which leads us to her, Evelyn Mikaelson.

It had been a chance meeting, something neither had expected. But something that changed everything, especially for him.

Over the course of the next few months, after that meeting, Evie slowly began to become his Safe Haven. The place he could go and not have to worry about anything at all, because with her, he was safe. She was his outlet, the person he could vent to with no judgment, and in turn, he became the same person for her.

So he'd spend his days awkwardly in the tower because Steve wanted to keep an eye on him, it truthfully got a little suffocating for Bucky which was why whenever he could he'd sneak out and just take a walk or get some air but at night he'd leave the tower and go to Evie's apartment, she'd given him a key and go he'd unlock the door and make himself at home. While he waited for her to finish whatever it was she was doing, and then he'd tell her about his day.

Evie would sit and listen as he talked the sound of his voice had become one of her favorite sounds and when he was finished she'd offer him some tea and then tell him about her day as well, then they'd either talk, or watch a movie or something like that and he spent every night there in her apartment.

***
I had this idea, and I absolutely had to run with it. It is not a crossover, but certain characters from The Originals or Legacies will be mentioned at some points, or they might make a brief appearance. Also, this is not bashing Steve, I mean, unless you guys just absolutely want me to do that, then I can.

It's not going to be bashing any characters, again, unless it's something you want to see.