MCU Relationship Headcanon-Bucky Barnes
Since Bucky was one character screwed the most by Shitgame, I’ll be ignoring much of it/assuming some retcon is on the way (magic, time travel, it was all a dream, etc.)
Steve Rogers: Because postitive emotion trumps negative, I’m going to assume that Steve has returned to being his likable pre-CW self, owned all his f*ckups offscreen, and really was worthy to grab Thors’ hammer. Now then...
Steve Rogers helps Bucky remember his identity and his past, and is his closest friend. Like a brother. But that’s it. Not because Bucky’s straight; but because Steve realizes Bucky needs space, at least for now, and Steve himself needs to move on from his past.
Sam Wilson: They’re snark buddies, and Sam helps Bucky with his PTSD. He also stops Steve when Steve is starting to get too pushy with Bucky.
Tony Stark: Tony was totes in Wakanda between “Black Panther” and “Infinity War.” Shuri helped Tony with his bleeding armor, and Tony helped Shuri with Bucky’s arm and mind (using the BARF tech). Tony and Bucky angsted over the Starks’ murders, Siberia, and their own two bad pasts, and Tony now fixes Bucky’s arm whenever he needs maintenance, and often when he doesn’t. Both Tony and Shuri are in a subtle competition to design a better arm for Bucky every other month or so, and Bucky is stocking up on arms....
After Tony is revived by Shuri and Dr. Strange and has to have prosthetics, Bucky then helps Tony adjust to living with robotic limbs.
Shuri: As mentioned above, she is one of Bucky’s arm-maintenance doctors, as well as his, well, doctor. Actually, she has the same kind of friendship with Bucky that Tony would, except without the painful reminders and uncomfortable awkwardness. Basically, Shuri adopts Bucky.
King T’Challa: Has Bucky’s back on everything, and is integral to ensuring Bucky gets a fair trail, and makes sure the world knows who Sergent Barnes really is.
Bruce Banner: Supportive friend who helps Bucky learn how to deal with having a violent alter-ego, at least until Shuri and Tony are able to get rid of the Winter Soldier for good. Afterwards, Bruce helps Bucky out with the guilt.
Natasha Romanoff: Crossed paths with the Winter Soldier in the past, and now she, like Bruce, helps Bucky deal with the red on his ledger.
Wanda Maximoff: Bucky does not like her at first. Learning she willingly joined Hydra to gain mind-manipulating powers damn near sends him into a homicidal rage. He barely tolerates her. And she thinks she deserves it. But after the Infinity War, Bucky saw Wanda kill her lover and last living loved one Vision, and finally began to warm up enough to let her use her mind powers to help with his memory loss and PTSD attacks.
Ava Starr: Bucky and Ava were both tools of Hydra. (Ava supposedly worked with SHIELD, but at a time when Hydra was secretly pulling the strings.) The two share a past as the Winter Soldier and Ghost, and do much angsting together.
And now Bucky is stuck in a love triangle between scarlet and white.
Thaddeus Ross: It is a little known fact that after Shuri and Dr. Strange revived Tony Stark from the dead, Ross read the news in the papers and was so shocked that he had a heart attack, while tripping out his window and falling hundreds of feet into heavy traffic below. Bucky and Bruce Banner then took turns pissing on Ross’s grave.
Ant-Man: Goes inside Bucky’s arm from time to time, for maintenance or missions.
Rocket Raccoon: Bucky’s new talking animal sidekick, albeit one who pisses him off frequently by stealing his arm.
Nick Fury: Forgave Bucky for trying to kill him ages ago, since it wasn’t Bucky’s fault. Nick looks out for Barnes like he did for Tony in “Ultron” (”Just an old man who cares about you.”)
Nebula: Another cyborg with a metal left-arm! They have arm wrestling contests. Nebula and Bucky relate on a lot, but they are also each the friend the other can enjoy a silence with.
Carol Danvers: Helps bring out the old Bucky, taking him to karaoke in bars and wild rides in airplanes and whatnot.
HIS FAMILY: Bucky reconnects with his younger siblings, who are now much older than him. It’s complicated. And angsty.
