Cold-Hearted (A Bucky Barnes fic)

Chapter 2

After my encounter with Cap, Widow, and Falcon along with my meeting with Mr. Stark (which went well by the way), I was finally accepted as an official member of the Avengers. Three days later, I packed up my things from my apartment and moved into the Avengers compound. The size of this thing..... it blew my mind. But then again, this is Tony Stark we're talking about. So I didn't really expect nothing less, still it was pretty cool to see.

At the front gate, I buzzed in to hear a woman's voice from the intercom.

"Afternoon, Ms. Montez. I am FRIDAY. Mr. Stark is expecting your arrival. Welcome."

The gate opened and I drove up the long driveway to the front door of the compound. There I was greeted by Steve, Tony and Natasha which I learned I can call her Nat for short.

"So you made it," Tony greeted me. "Hope you didn't have trouble finding the place."

"Well, it is the only giant building with the Avengers logo on the entire block. So it wasn't that hard to miss." "Seriously, how do you guys not get ambushed every week."

"Well actually you'd be surprised." Tony commented. "We've been attacked a couple of times. Repairs were annoying but hey, at least we're still standing."

"Okay let's not scare the poor girl," Steve said. "She just got here so let's welcome her with open arms. She's our teammate now."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mom" he said sarcastically. "Steven Rogers the noble hero. God, you are annoying sometimes."

Nat put her arm around me. "Don't mind them. This is an everyday thing around here."

I chuckled slightly. "I see."

Steve helped me with my suitcases carrying them all with one arm "Wow, he's stronger than I expected" I thought while we all walked inside to the living room. It was a spacious room with a long couch, a slightly smaller couch, entertainment system (which looked extremely high tech), fireplace, and surrounded by tall glass windows seeing the courtyard from outside with so many flowers in bloom. There I saw Sam and another African American man playing pool in the room adjacent to it.

"Kids, put your toys away. We have a guest!" Tony shouted at them.

Sam and the other man walked out to where we were. "And I was just about to kick this guy's ass for the third time in a row," the other man said laughing.

"Yeah, whatever" Sam replied rolling his eyes. Then, he turned and saw me. "Raina! So you made the team. I expected nothing less; you were badass the last time I saw you." He gave me a hug and I smiled.

"Aw thanks Sam," I said. "That means a lot"

The other man, who looked a bit older than Tony and wore a sort of high tech brace around his legs walked up and greeted me with a smile.

"James Rhodes, but everyone calls me Rhodey. Nice to see a new member of the team be a woman. A black woman at that." he told me.

I shook his hand. "Thank you, I hope I can be of great service."

Steve then commented: "We met her while following up on the Arana cartel. She happened to take down the buyer and recovered the weapons and intel back."

"By yourself?" Rhodey asked me.

"Well, I had help." I said. "Suarez had reinforcements and I couldn't take all of them alone. Luckily Cap, Nat and Sam were there to help me out."

"Impressive." "Can't wait to see what else you can bring."

Just then, three more people walked into the room: a light brunette woman wearing a red trench coat and black pants, a tall maroon android-esque person with a shiny yellow stone in the middle of his forehead dressed in civilian clothing, and a man with dark brown hair, steel grey eyes, wearing all black combat gear with a metal left arm. My eyes were drawn to them, especially the guy with the metal arm on the far right. Our eyes locked for a split second and then the woman with the red coat spoke.

"You must be Raina," she greeted me. "Steve told me we were getting a new teammate. I'm Wanda."

"It's a pleasure to meet you acquaintance Miss Montez," the maroon person in the middle said to me with a polite accent.

"Vis," Wanda said chuckling. "I don't think you have to be so formal."

"Just greeting her is all," Vision retaliated.

"Wanda and Vision joined the team same time I did," Sam spoke up. "It was after a mission they had in Sokovia battling a rogue AI called Ultron."

"I am actually made up with parts of Ultron," Vision said. "Along with parts of Mr. Stark, Dr. Banner, and a former AI called JARVIS. However, I am still my own man."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," I commented. My eyes then turned to the man on the far right with the metal arm. Those steel gray eyes just pierced through me, like lightning striking across the night sky. He had a chiseled jawline, a clean shaven face, and plump pink lips that looked extremely mesmerizing. The thick brown hair on top of his head I just wanted to run my fingers through it. I could feel my face blushing just looking at him. The man looked at me with slightly wide eyes and a small smile barely visible. Then I heard Steve's voice.

"Buck, don't be rude." he said. "Say something to her."

"Hi," he said quietly. Oh his voice... deep, soothing. I was speechless.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Wow, you're hopeless. Raina, this is my best friend Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. But he goes by Bucky. He's a super soldier like myself who went through a tough time. He was a part of HYDRA for a while because they had control over his mind infamously known as the Winter Soldier. Along with..." Steve glanced at Tony and Rhodey "other scenarios." "But after some soul searching, mediation, and recommendations from me..."

"You mean begging," Tony snarked.

"I was able to convince Tony to let him join the Avengers to help him continue going straight." Steve finished.

I looked back at James.... I mean Bucky. He was still staring at me and I could see a faint blush on his cheeks. He instantly tore his gaze away from me and looked down and the ground.

"He's normally not this quiet," Steve commented. "But I guess he just needs to get to know you better."

I gathered my thoughts after staring at the man in front of me. "It's nice to meet you, Bucky." I said.

He nodded his head and his smile widened a bit.

"Well, now that greetings are out of the way let's get you settled in." Tony said. "Wanda, will you help show Raina to her room?"

"I'll carry your bags again," Steve commented. As I walked with Steve and Wanda to my new room, my eyes glanced at Bucky again. He was staring at me with those beautiful eyes of his, and I felt my blush return to my face.

"Oh, this is gonna be an experience" I thought.