All Steve Rogers ever wanted was to do what's right. So when he drops in to volunteer at the Brooklyn VA Outpatient Center, he’s surprised to learn some veterans actually resent Captain America and everything he represents. One veteran in particular is determined to make sure Steve understands just how much he dislikes him.
One of the best uses of the enemies-to-lovers trope I have ever read. I love the trope in theory because what's not to love, right? The thing is though that it is actually really hard to execute well. Either the reason for the enmity is really contrived and kind of lame OR there are serious themes involved that kind of make the whole lovers thing improbable.
This story approaches things from a great premise and involved a really important issue at the same time.
Bucky is a recent war veteran with several chips on his shoulder who has a legitimate distrust of the Captain America persona. His cynicism when faced with the perfect poster boy trying to join the protest is completely understandable.
That they end up in an enemies-with-benefits situation that develops into something is a given.
What set this story apart for me is the obviously careful research that went into all thing treatment of Veterans in the US and the fact that Bucky's veteran friends represent a varied and sympathetic sampling of the Veterans that fall through the cracks. They're fun side characters with a purpose yet it never feels preachy.
This is the kind of fic I love discovering. A great message and added super soldier smut :)