Imagine If You Assembled The Avengers: Volume 2

Fire and Ice (Barnes x reader)

"I'm sorry," you tried again, "but two assassins don't really make the best parents. We had no business having a kid in that life. Hell, we shouldn't have even been together at all. But when I found out that I was having him, I ran so that he could have a better life, and I gave him up. Everything was good...until Hydra found him," you groaned, reaching up to rub the fatigue and sting from your eyes. "The family he belonged to got scared and ran, and I tried to convince them to let me hide them, but they won't. And now...what if they find him?"

"I never knew he existed until two minutes ago," Bucky argued, "and you're expecting me to magically have some fatherly emotions and want to run out and rescue him because he has my DNA? I don't know this kid, (Y/N)."

"I don't know him either, but does that really matter?"

"Of course it matters," he spat angrily, stepping forward and grabbing both of your arms with a harsh shake. You had forgotten just how strong that metal hand was, and it took every ounce of concentration to not let the tears build in your eyes at the pain it was inflicting on your skin now. "You should have told me, dammit! I would've gone with you. I would've been able to know my own kid."

"Don't lie to yourself, Barnes," you hissed back, pulling away, "you wouldn't have gone anywhere. Your collar was so tight around your neck that you were never getting loose. Your mind was so far gone, it's a miracle that you found anything left in there once the blender stopped churning."

"Fuck off."

"You first."

"Okay, you two are getting way off track," Steve finally broke in, pushing his way between you, "so bring it in and focus. (Y/N), we'll help, but you'll need to come in and give us as much information as you can so we have something to go on. You guys are just gonna have to save the fighting for later."

"Nope, I'm out. No deal." Bucky huffed, waving you off dismissively to turn away again. "Have fun, Steve, she's all yours. But watch your back with that one, there's a chance she's gonna break it."

~~~

Bucky held true to his word, but you expected nothing less; he was no help whatsoever, and he kept his distance from you so effectively that he may as well have just fallen from the earth. Every now and again you thought that maybe you caught a glimpse of him just as he left a room or sometimes the shine of his arm in the sunlight through the large compound windows, but each time you tried to look up in time, he wasn't there.

You didn't remember Steve being a man of so few words, but then again, you really knew him best as a fighter with the rare one-liner that only proved how much of a smartass he was beneath that perfect, patriotic, and proper exterior that he carried so well. You had been working with him directly for over a week now and hadn't had even one lead, and it was beginning to frustrate you both, much to your surprise. He was growing invested in the search, but you weren't sure why. It had to be because he was looking for his best friend's son, likely wanting to give them a relationship of some kind, but you also began to believe that he wanted your son in his life a little bit for himself too.

"Let's call it a day," he sighed, leaning back into his desk chair into a long stretch, "we can pick this up again tomorrow."

"I'm starting to lose hope."

"Don't do that. We've barely gotten started. FRIDAY's going to keep looking around the clock so we can rest. When we find him, it's probably best if you're awake for it." He stood and moved to stand behind you, putting his hands on your shoulders almost cautiously at first, but when you nodded just slightly in agreement, his grip strengthened as he massaged the tension from your muscles. "We'll find him, (Y/N), and when we do, Bucky will come around."