It was exceedingly rare for anyone to look at Bucky -- the Winter Soldier -- as if he was anything good. It was either fear or pity, most of the time, and both made him feel like shit. Steve still looked at him normally most of the time, but he knew there was still guilt etched into his best friend and sometimes it showed whenever Bucky was having one of his 'low' days. It was even rarer for someone to look at him and actually look proud of him. That hit him hard, caused a lump to rise in his throat and again pull the air out of his lungs.
Even though they'd seen each other since his memories had returned, it felt like they were really, truly seeing each other again for the first time since the day they'd been caught and punished for their love affair. Bucky met her eyes and looked right into them; his eyes a little misty as they searched her gaze. He didn't even know what he was looking for but he knew he'd find it in her eyes.
"You were always stronger," he said. As he spoke, one of his hands stayed at the small of her back while the other kind of took a path of its own up her spine and splayed between her shoulder blades, just enough to sift through the ends of her hair before coming up her shoulder, the side of her neck to cup her cheek as well. "I'm sorry," he whispered, holding her gaze. "I'm sorry for what they put you through because of us -- for what they made you see."