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

Chapter 7: Getting To Know Them

I leaned back on the sofa and stared at my food baby. Momentarily, I was more than content, a bit guilty, but the amount of cheese pizza that I inhaled had definitely made up months of slaying monsters alone.

"I think I have had a bit too much." To my left, Clint was sprawling in his seat with the little space that he had. I peered at him and caught him patting his stomach in satisfaction. With the encouragement from my bottle of beer, I giggled and mimic him.

Clint watched me with an amusement grin. "Kids," Tony murmured hormorously. I had not the slightest intension to correct him this time. My head was yearning for rest as I was never a good drinker.

"So," I slurred, shoving Clint aside in an attempt to sit up straighter. "What is this team thing?"

Bruce, after his third pizza, had already fallen asleep by Thor. The poor man jolted awake when Thor barked out a laugh. "We call ourselves the Avengers," Steve, who didn't seem to be affected the least by the amount of alcohol that he had consumed, explained.

"And our job is to protect everybody on Earth," Clint continued.

Natasha snorted and finished her drink. "Well said, enough, Barton." The groggy man glanced up at Natasha with a sheepish smile before leaning against her.

"And now, with our new addition in our group," Tony chimed in while looking expectantly at me. "We will be even awesomer."

"That's not a word," Pepper remarked. She had already taken off her high heels and was cuddling with Tony with her legs curled up underneath her. I bit the inside of my cheeks and began pulling at my sleeve.

"But I never said I want to join."

Everybody ceased to silence. I avoided every pair of eyes in the room by staring at my worn out Chucks. I felt terrible for concluding the night like this, after how everybody had treated me, like I was already part of a family that I didn't belong to.

But then, no one had ever asked for my opinion in such matter, and I couldn't bring myself to just obey quietly without protest.

"Well, we are not here to make you join us." I was startled when Steve broke the charm. His face was soft and considering. "We will try to persuade you."

I shrugged and dropped my head once more to hide the smile that I had on my face. A hand landed on my shoulder and Clint's voice rang, "Agreed. No one is going to make you do anything that you don't want to do."

I curved my lips gratefully and nodded at his words, catching Natasha's knowing smile on the way. After another short round of chit chatting and Bruce examining Thor's hammer, Pepper yawned and Tony finally figured it was time for a night in.

"You guys are sleeping on your floor as usual," Tony level gaze with the others before looking at me. "And Charlotte, you're in our premier guest room."

Bruce took off his glasses and rubbed the spot between his brows in exhaustion. "Pfft, every room of yours is premier."

"Come on," Natasha pushed Clint off her and stood, her glinting eyes were on me. "I will show you your room."

In the dark, I fluttered my eyes open and wondered how long I had been asleep. My head was humming lightly with pain like a machine longing to be oiled. Rolling over onto my stomach, I sighed into my ridiculously soft pillow. It had been ages since I had slept in a cushy, perfect bed like this.

I peered out of a crack under my eyelids and caught a glismpe of the dim sky outside the floor to ceiling windows. My throat felt like sand papers. Water was definitely needed, but the comfort of the bed was making it especially hard to get out of bed.