Venus | James B. Barnes✔️

xlvi. 𝚙𝚎𝚐𝚐𝚢'𝚜 𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕

BUCKY FROWNED a he listened to Evelyn's conversation with Tony. The pair were arguing, and he had never heard her argue with a Stark so angrily. He remembered Evelyn and Howard's arguments, but they were never this bad. He could hear Tony's responses as she had him on speaker in pure frustration as she leaned against the counter with a glass of whiskey in her hand. Another memory occured just then of Evelyn and Howard knocking back shots like it was absolutely nothing. He lowered his head and clenched his fist at the thought of Howard. He was brought out of his haze when he heard Evelyn yell.

"But, she's a kid, Tony!"

"She killed a dozen people! This isn't going by without consequences!" Tony shouted back.

"It was an accident! She tried to stop the bomb from killing everyone on the ground!" Evelyn countered. "It was a no win situation for any of them!"

Tony scoffed. "C'mon, Evelyn! You're always on my side. You think like me. You know me better than most. Why can't you see why we need this!?"

"A group of people having control over me? To decide when and where I go fight? That's absurd, Tone. You said it yourself that they're still looking for the Winter Soldier. What if they make me fight him, huh!? What then? I go to jail for saying no?" Evelyn exclaimed as she met Bucky's eyes. He stepped forward to her, enclosing his hand around hers. "I'm not coming to this meeting. I can't get on board with this."

Tony sighed. "Ross says it's this or you retire. What if you need to help your Winter Soldier? What if the situation was reversed? What if you needed to help him, but you were sent to jail for fighting a battle without their permission. Whether you like it or not, it's happening. Either get on board or you retire."

Evelyn glared at the phone as she ripped her hand from Bucky's. She ran them through her hair angrily before saying, "Then, I guess I retire. James's life means everything to me, though, so don't think for a second I won't fight to keep him alive."

Tony sighed on the otherside of the line before he laughed quietly. "Sometimes I start to wonder if we're actually related. I'm actually embarrassed to share a last name with you, Icicle."

"Then call me Barnes because my decision is final, Tony," Evelyn stated boldly. "I'm sorry it's not one you're comfortable with."

Tony mumbled something under his breath before saying, "I have to go. Lay low."

He ended the call abruptly as Bucky watched Evelyn throw the glass in her hand at the nearest wall. It shattered immediately. Bucky grabbed her arm to lower it and hold her to his chest. "Don't worry about it. Retired or not, we'll be safe."

Bucky could not do much as he watched Evelyn on the phone almost the entire day. Sometimes with Steve. Sometimes with Natasha. Sometimes with Clint Barton.

After her fourth call, she looked at Bucky with a sigh. "Sam just told me that Steve's out. Wanda's undecided. Clint's out. And he's out."

Bucky nodded. "So, what does that mean?"

"It's means the Avengers just broke up," Evelyn said with a frown. "Tony, Rhodey, Vision, and Natasha signed it no problem. Bruce and Thor are out of the question, but I think I know whose side Bruce would be on."

Bucky nodded. "Lay low. That's what Stark said. You don't think anyone will tell where we are, do you?"

Evelyn shook her head. "No one knows where we are. I disabled all tracking everytime I leave Bucharest and return."

"Still. It's unnerving."

Evelyn nodded in agreement before her fifth call of the day happened. Bucky rose a brow. "Steve."