Yelena & Bucky
It may have only been a joke on Bucky's part, but something about what he said rang true. I'm just like any stray you'd find on the street. Feed me and I'm loyal. She thought about how very applicable that was. Her gaze momentarily flickered sideways at a certain collector of strays.
Yelena quickly snapped back to attention. It was unclear how much Bucky did or did not notice. Impossible to know what he made of what he saw.
What Bucky said drew her focus. He hadn't tried to reassure her that he was no longer what they made him. That was good. Because he was like her in that way. He kept the memories. He kept the skill set. And so he kept a piece of that identity. She wasn't the type to go quietly either. Like when she was fighting against Natasha at their first reunion. Natasha had the upper hand, told her to stay down, but that wasn't Yelena's style. She had screeched with frustration like an angry drekavac and broke a pile of dishes over the other assassin's head. Because Bucky didn't try to bullshit her, Yelena made a decision about him.
She nodded, her mouth pulling into a contemplative frown. "Makes sense." She reached into the basket for another plum and wordlessly held it out to him. Plums were better than olive branches.