Torn {Bucky Barnes FanFic}

Chapter 1

My brother and I are close. For the majority of my life, he's been my only family. Tony was only twenty one when our parents died and he inherited Stark Enterprises, as well as his ten year old sister. It was a hard adjustment at first. For years he acted like a normal guy in his twenties. He'd stay out late every night, and show up with a different woman at three am. I'm just as smart as everyone else in my family, so like Tony, I was done with college by the time I was sixteen. This meant that during his...wildest years, I was constantly around. In fact, for a few years, my favorite past time was ambushing his dates in the kitchen the morning after and telling them Tony lied about his age and that I was his daughter. Of course, if they had thought about it, they would see that that was impossible, but Tony didn't always attract the brightest crayons in the box. Until Pepper, of course.

After the whole creation of Iron Man and New York, things changed. Natasha and Clint recruited me as a field agent (ignoring Tony's protests) and Stark tower turned into Avenger central. Then, after Sokovia, things changed even more. Everyone moved into the tower, and I found my new family. I spent the majority of my time in the lab with Bruce and Tony when I was home.

I met Bucky when Sam and Steve brought him to Stark Tower for the first time. Out of the whole team, Steve was my closest friend, almost like another brother. So when he found his childhood best friend and brought him in without telling me, I was shocked. At first I thought we would be really good friends, just like Steve and I. I was my normal, fabulous self, but apparently my shimmering personality was not enough. He was quiet and cut off from everyone but Steve, despite my persistent efforts. After a while, I put operation 'Become Best Friends with Bucky' on hold and focused more on my work.

One early December morning, I was sitting at my lab station, working on a new project for Clint. He'd been complaining about losing arrows for months, and I was tasked with engineering a new set that would return like a boomerang when a certain button was pushed on his bow. So now, he sat at the opposite end of my desk, occasionally asking questions and giving input on his arrows.

"Cara, you're approaching that all wrong," Tony said suddenly from his desk. "It would take you like half the time if you-"

"Tony, let me work," I said through gritted teeth.

"If you just-"

"I know what I'm doing, I'm just as smart as you, quit breathing down my neck!"

"You are not just as smart as me," he snickered, leaning backwards in his chair. "We've been over this before. I am definitely the smarter Stark."

I laughed loudly and tossed my pen onto my desk and spun around in my seat to face him. "Who was it that finished college three years earlier than you?"

"Mom and dad just wanted you out of the house so they let you go through high school faster," Tony rolled his eyes as Clint laughed loudly.

"Tony, mom and dad had no say. My teachers said, and I quote, 'Cara is the most gifted student we have ever had at our establishment.' And we went to the same school, so there's that."

"Whatever," he sighed.

I smirked and went back to my work. I used my hands to spread the holographic screen in front of me and began calculating the farthest distance the arrows would be able to be recalled from.

"I'm just saying, my ideas are better."

"Shut up."

"I could get the job done much faster."

"Well Clint didn't ask you to do it, did you Clint?" My eyes flicked up to Clint, who shook his head at me.

"Nope, no, nope, I am not getting in the middle of this little sibling spat," he said. "I'm telling you what I tell my kids. Work it out."

"Tony," I said as politely as I could, "Please let me do my work in peace."

"I'm trying to help save you time. If you just listened to my ideas you'd be more successful."

"Jesus Christ!" I snapped, "I don't want your ideas!"

"Oh, well, you're the only one. Most people would pay millions to get their hands on some of them," he smiled at me like the snob he so often is.

"For all I care you can take your ideas and shove them up you ass," I said sharply.

"Oh, low blow," Clint cut in.

"Wow," Tony scoffed. "You are a bitch."

"Thanks," I said, standing up. "It runs in the family."

I walked out of the lab to the sounds of Clint's laughter and Tony's complaining while smiling softly to myself. I wandered down into the kitchen, my stomach guiding my footsteps. I opened the refrigerator and groaned loudly. Having a bunch of grown men that eat like NFL players living in the same place as you results in having a full pantry one day, and completely empty the next. I could see Steve and Bucky sitting in the living room and walked in. I hopped over the back of the couch and sat down next to Steve, plucking the book out of his hands and tossing it onto the coffee table.

"Capsicle, I would kill for a bagel right now. I mean not literally kill, but you get it. LETS GO!"

Steve smiled at me and stood up. "As much as I would enjoy one of our bagel outings, Cara, I've got a training session with Natasha."

I groaned loudly and splayed my body across the couch dramatically. "Well now what do I do?!"

"Buck," Steve smirked, "Why don't you go with her?"

"What?" Bucky looked up, somewhat confused.

"Hey, yeah, that'll be fun!" I smiled.

Steve grinned at us and started walking away. "Have fun you two!"

"So, bagels?" I said after Steve had left.

"Huh?" Bucky still looked bewildered.

"You know, bagels. Delicious spheres of bread that you cover in copious amounts of cream cheese. You eat bagels, right?"

He smiled at me for the first time when I said that. His smile is so amazing. Even when he's trying to be all badass and brooding, his smile lights up his entire face. His eyes shine a little bit brighter, even if it's just a small smirk.

"Yes, I eat bagels," he said quietly.

I walked towards the elevator, picking up my jacket on the way. "Well then, Barnes, let's go!"