Soldiers (Completed) •Soldiers Series• Bucky Barnes/ Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 15: Family, eh?

I was restless. Tapping my boot on the floor, I had my back against the wall as Bruce waited with me. He hadn't spoken to me for the past ten minutes, which suggested that he was as nervous as I was.

I stared hard at the plain steel door ahead, which Bucky had disappeared behind with Directory Fury half an hour ago. God, there was not even the tiniest pin drop sounded from within. But maybe the room was extremely sound proof.

Boy, there wasn't even a single window.

I sighed in frustration and kicked at the floor. Bruce glanced at me and breathed out quietly, too.

All the Avengers were alerted as a result of the invasion in my flat. A group of Hydra assassins pretending to be Shield agents, attempting to kill me and my newly-made friend, Bucky. Of course the Avengers and Fury were going to be fussing over this. There was no way I could avoid this the moment I promised to help Bucky.

Raising voices could be heard from the end of the long corridor. My chest taut as I recognized Tony's voice. "I'm going to be honest with you, Steve. I don't trust him."

"He's my best friend."

The men came in sight. Steve wasn't in his uniform, which comforted me slightly because I would feel like the worst person alive if he had pulled out of a mission completely for me. Tony's eyes grew quiet and dim when they fell on me. A vein was pulsing in his neck. Gulping, I realized I might have pissed off two of the scariest persons on earth.

"Hi there," Bruce greeted reluctantly, as if he had read my expression and was trying to help me lighten the atmosphere too. I appreciated it.

Steve took a few steps towards us in silence. His jaw was set and his face was hard. I bit the inside of my cheek as he turned on his heels and watched the door, waiting for Bucky as well.

A dark sulk masked Tony's face as he approached us. My frame shrunken when I met his death glare. "What the hell were you thinking, Charlotte?" I noticed how he wasn't addressing me by my nickname anymore. My skin tingled with guilt and shame. "You could have been killed!"

I couldn't believe I had put my team through this. I knew they genuinely cared about me, which was why I was feeling like the dirty penny in the world.

"Hey," Captain America threw a grim glance at us. Tony ignored it openly and continued to scowl at me. "He's my friend. Watch it."

Closing his eyes briefly, Tony whipped around and threw his hands up in exasperation. "You know what, soldier? I don't give a damn if he's your friend! He's brain washed, he's changed. And guess what? He's a freaking assassin who tried to kill you just last month!"

I had never seen Steve's face drop like this. If the wall would allow me, I'd like to sink back and blend into the solid. I could hear Bruce muttering to himself next to me. I shook my head at Tony's ridiculous outburst and pushed myself off the wall.

"Tony," I began, "I am really sorry about being irresponsible and everything, but Bucky isn't really the type of person that you think he is." Tony glared at me and I braved myself to meet gaze with him. "He told me everything, okay? He's only trying to get help."

"And he almost got you killed."

Annoyance somehow managed to grow in my stomach pit. It nagged at me and I set my jaw straight. "I know you're worried about me, Tony. But honestly, I can take care of myself-"

Tony sulked and gestured with his hands, "You almost got killed! How is that taking care of yourself?"

Annoyance turned into anger within me. I inhaled shakily to steady myself. "Damn it, Tony. Why can't you just understand?" Steve grew quiet, so did Bruce. I snapped, "I'm not anyone important to you, Tony. Hell, I've just met you a few days ago. So you can quit worrying about me."