When Steve returned home to deliver the news that your older brother Bucky had been lost, you weren't able to accept it. There was no way he was telling you the truth, no matter how many times or how many ways he said it. Even as you hit him when he held you tightly and whispered into your hair how sorry he was, even as his tears dropped down from his face to mix into yours, you weren't about to accept this. This cannot, and will not be true.

You were going to find him.

The terrain was rugged, and the weather unyielding, but that didn't change your resolve to find your brother. You traveled for weeks, alone, cold and weary, but fiercely determined. Once you had reached the region that Steve had described, you began to regain hope in your mission. That was when they overtook you.

When your eyes opened, you were in a dark and wet room, surrounded by soldiers wearing uniforms that you didn't recognize. There was pain everywhere, and your head was spinning. "Do you have my brother? James?" Your voice was gravelly and quiet. "Who are you? Where is he?!" No answers would be coming, as a hit to your head knocked you out once again.

"If she wants Mr. Barnes so badly, put her on ice with him. Perhaps they can provide HYDRA with a productive future together."

You were the one constant that Bucky was allowed to remember, and he was yours; it would guarantee your strength as a team for the HYDRA cause. But when HYDRA fell along with the only life you now knew, you looked to your older brother for guidance. He always took the lead and you always followed.

"(Y/N), the man I saw, the man I fought with, I knew him. I've been trying to think of his name." He looked to you with questioning eyes, looking to you for answers to quiet his mind. "Do you remember someone by the name of...Steve...?"

~~~

"Oh, Buck, I don't know. Are you sure we can trust the others? I know Stevie said he does, and believe me, I trust him, but after all the things we've done..."

As you stood at the doors to the Avengers tower, Bucky held your hand tightly; almost too tightly. You knew how nervous you were, but he was determined to make a better life for you both; to turn a new leaf, to do good things that would make up for all of the bad.

"We're gonna be ok, kid. You trust me too, don't ya?" He looked down at you, now concerned that you weren't ready for this. "I've been working with them for a while now, and they're on the up-and-up. They've accepted me, so they will do the same for you."

You gave his hand a tighter squeeze, smiling to reassure him, "I trust you boys, despite my better judgment. You two ain't nothin' but trouble."

"So, are you guys gonna just stand around all day, or are you gonna get your asses in here?" You turned to see Steve standing in the doorway, arms crossed and a huge grin on this face.

Bucky reached out to Steve, pulling him into a quick hug and a swift pat on the back. "Yeah, yeah, we're comin'." Steve grabbed your hand to pull you in for a quick kiss to your forehead and then led you inside.

~~~

The tower was nicer than any other building that you had seen in all of New York. Bucky said that you two could live here if you worked with the Avengers, but HYDRA had made you promises too; promises that were never realized. You were telling the truth when you said you trusted Bucky and Steve, but history has made you a bit skeptical. When the elevator arrived to its destination, the doors opened to deliver you to your new teammates, ready to finally meet the sister that Bucky never shut up about.

"Everyone," Steve began as he led you towards the group, his arm securely around your waist, "this is Bucky's sister, (Y/N). She's like a sister to me too, so be nice." He pointedly glanced at a man in a black t-shirt, who had quickly made his way to you.

"Wow, you really do look like Frosty, huh?" He held his hand out to you, but you didn't take it. "Hey, I'm Tony."

"Did you just call my brother 'Frosty'?"

He cleared his throat and lowered his hand. "Um, yeah...you know, with the whole 'put on ice' thing." He had a small smile on his face, trying to keep the peace, now slowly backing away with his hands raised. "Just a joke, sorry."

Another man had now stepped forward; he seemed a bit meek and unassuming. "Uh, hi, (Y/N), I'm Bruce. Please try to ignore Tony, he doesn't have a filter for what comes out of his mouth." This made you chuckle, and you knew right away that you would become fast friends with him.

The introductions kept coming quickly after that; Thor, the very large and polite Asgardian, followed by Natasha, the beautiful but guarded assassin, and finally Clint, the sarcastic archer who would likely become your best friend and partner in crime. Once everyone had the chance to meet, the group moved to the lounge to get to know each other.

"Hey, Capsicle, pick some music would ya? Something current if you don't-" A soft thud brought everyone to look at Tony. "Ow! What the hell?"

Bucky leaned in towards you, a cautious tone in his voice as he whispered, "Hey, come on, none of that. Keep those to yourself. Tony picks on everyone."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it. No one picks on little Stevie when I'm around, you know that, Buck." He laughed at this, putting his arm around you. "Kid, you do realize that he's not so little anymore don't ya? I think he can handle himself."

Clint had seen exactly where the wrench had come from, covering his mouth to quell his laughter. He moved to a position where his view was over the entire room, hoping to not miss a moment of what he knew was yet to come. It was exciting to see someone call Stark out on his crap once in a while.

"Did anyone see what that was?" Tony was rubbing his head and looking around, wondering what had just happened. "Barton, did you see anything? You've got that freaky hawk vision or whatever." The murmur of quiet laughter began again. "Oh, you all think that's funny?"

"Well, Tony, maybe you shouldn't pick on everyone so much. It does get a little old." Natasha had stood to get another beer from the bar, slapping him on the shoulder as she walked by. "The little pet names aren't exactly endearing, and almost all of them are directed at Steve."

You perked up at this, now eager to hear what he had to say for himself, your hands ready for action.

Tony stood to defend himself. "I only have like five or six, or maybe...ten?" Bucky put his hand on your knee as Tony began his review. "Let's see, well everyone already knows Capsicle and Spangles are my personal faves. Then there's Grandpa Rogers, Stars and Stripes, Captain Ice Age-"

"Ow! Dammit!" Tony bent over to grab something from the floor, hearing Clint laughing from across the room. "Who the hell throws wrenches? What the hell is that about?" He paused, turning towards you. "Hey, new girl. Is this you?"

You stood to match his stature, "Please don't pick on Steve."

"Wait, wait, wait, you mean to tell me that he's got a bodyguard now?" He started to laugh as Bucky stood next to you, Steve quickly moved to stand between you and Tony, but he wasn't quite fast enough.

"Ow! Son of a bitch!" Tony slammed his fist down on the back of the couch, now getting angry. "Frosty, could you get control-"

"Fuck! Seriously?!"

Natasha had joined Clint, enjoying the show. "Where do you think she's hiding all of those? Her aim is excellent. She's gonna be good for us."

Clint chuckled, "Looks like Stark's the one who needs the bodyguard." 

Part 2

"Alright, listen here, sweetheart-"

"I'm sorry? What did you just call me?"

Tony ducked behind the couch, fearing for his safety from your ridiculously accurate aim, covering his head, which was now developing little soft bumps of swelling at each point of impact. "It was a term of endearment, I swear!"

Peering over the edge of the couch, you caught Tony looking for you from around the other side, clearly unaware that you were directly above him.

"I see what you mean, Stevie." Tony jumped at the sound of your voice, and you found it oddly satisfying to see the bully reduced to hiding...from a girl. "Big man in a suit of armor, huh?"

"Okay, okay, (Y/N), I think you've made your point. Let's grab our gear and get settled." Bucky took your hand and followed Steve to the elevator. Before entering the lift you glanced back towards Tony, who had moved to sit on the couch with a small pack of ice resting on his head. The remaining members of the team had now gathered around him, laughing and chiding him for backing down so quickly.

Tony was sitting perfectly still, paying no attention to the discussions around him. His eyes were fixed on you, but you couldn't read them. From what Steve had told you about the man, he was likely plotting his revenge, but you could feel him watching you even as the lift doors closed, and it made you uneasy.

~~~

Steve stopped at the first door just past the gym, swinging it open wide as Bucky entered and threw his bags haphazardly across the floor. He kicked his shoes off as he crossed the floor, turned to you and gave a wide smile as he flopped back onto the bed. "G'night, kids! Out you go!" When you didn't retreat fast enough he waved his hand dismissively in your direction. "Shoo."

"Lazy bum." Steve shook his head and slammed the door behind him, just to make a point. "Come on, kid, your room is just down the hall." He picked up all of your bags easily on one arm, grabbing your hand to lead the way. "You know, I think the first impression you left with Tony may need to be redone. This is his tower, really. It's quite kind of him to make it our home."

Releasing Steve's hand, you stopped and planted your feet with your hands resting on your hips. "So wait, just because he owns this monstrosity you think it's okay for him to treat people like that? The man is a bully, Steve. He's an arrogant, narcissistic, immature bully. I thought you used to fight against that kind of people? What happened to that?"

"Tony is actually a descent person, he just isn't the best at being around...other people." He took a few steps towards you, looking for the right words but failing to find them. "Maybe just give him a chance before you knock his head off with those damn things, yeah? You've knocked me upside the head plenty, so I feel his pain."

You gave him a skeptical look, not really believing that a guy who gets off on picking on other people could be a descent person. You had spent a good deal of your life growing up with Steve, defending him from the same kind of people as this Tony guy. It was going to take more than Steve's word for you to change your mind. "Hmm. I'll sleep on it." Grabbing your bags from him, you quickly walked to your room and closed the door in his face.

"Is that all you people do?" He threw his hands up, defeated. "It's only 3 o'clock!"

~~~

When you finally woke from your nap, the room was dark and quiet. It felt good to stretch your tired muscles, and the soft bed had been more than inviting. Yawning and rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you rolled onto your back to look at the glow of the city lights across your ceiling. Steve was right, this was a gift to be living here, even if it was because of that jackass Stark. Maybe he was a descent person just lacking social skills. But hell, you really weren't one to talk after that introduction.

After a quick shower, you decided to take a tour of the tower while it was quiet, hoping to just have some time to yourself after the busy day of meeting everyone. After taking inventory of the library and the kitchen, you spotted movement through the dark windows of the lab. Standing motionless as to not be seen, you watched Tony pacing back and forth. It looked like he was talking to himself, but you remembered Steve telling you about FRIDAY and how Tony worked with his A.I.'s as teammates. Maybe he was talking to himself; it didn't really matter. Maybe now was your chance to redo that first impression like the Captain had suggested.

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark?" Knocking gently on the lab entrance, you waited for a moment but there was no response. "Ok, fine," you mumbled under your breath. But just as you turned to leave, the door opened to reveal Tony, his hair a mess and a drink in hand.

"Well, come on then." He waved his hand to motion you in, slamming down the remainder of his liquor before turning to face you. "What do you want?"

Your first instinct was to tell him off, grab Bucky, and get the hell out of there. No fancy room was worth this. Closing your eyes, you fought that urge, taking a deep breath and folding your hands behind you. "I wanted to...to apologize. To...you. I reacted...harshly. I'm sorry." The words were hard for you to get out, but after you said them you felt like maybe you actually meant them. Maybe you were in the wrong too.

Dammit, you were just as big of a bully as he was.

"Okay. Thanks for stopping by."

Straightening your spine and your resolve, you took a step towards him, cautiously. "That's it? I'm trying to be mature here, trying to be the person Steve would expect me to be, and you of all people know how damn hard that is. I'm starting to believe that you and I are actually more alike than we think."

"So you're coming to me to be the bigger person now, cuz captain spangle pants gave you some speech about honor and patriotism, or some shit like that?"

Okay, fine. We're gonna play it that way.

Rushing up to him you reached out and pushed his chest with both hands, knocking him into the wall. "You're such an asshole! I have no idea why Steve stands up for you. I don't know what I was thinking, coming here, trying to...to...oh I don't know what the hell I was thinking!"

He grabbed your arm so hard it almost hurt, nearly lifting you off the floor. "You don't know the first thing about me, so don't talk like you do, you got me?" His eyes were black, and his voice deep and almost menacing. He pushed you slightly as he released his grip, "Get out of here, (Y/N)."

His reaction had left you too shocked to reply. You stood motionless for a moment, silent, and staring at him as he turned away.

"Please."

~~~

"Hey, Cap, good morning." Bruce had already been in the kitchen hours before anyone else was awake. Cooking soothed his temperament after nights filled with bad dreams, so the table was filled with far too many breakfast items, even for this team. "What can I get ya?"

Steve surveyed the spread, unsure of where to begin. "Bad night, huh doc? It looks like you've been up for hours."

"Bruce, seriously. You need to find a new way to calm down or we're all gonna be training night and day to burn this off." Natasha grabbed a plate and filled it to the edges, despite her own warning. "But since it's here, no reason to waste it, right?"

Just as Steve was about to shove an overfilled forkful of pancakes into his mouth, Bucky stormed into the kitchen, clearly full of rage.

"Can someone tell me what the fuck this is all about?!"

He threw a tablet on the table, knocking plates of food to the ground.

"Jesus, Buck! Calm down!" Steve grabbed the tablet, viewing the scene that Bucky was so incensed about. His face changed to a deep shade of red, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the tablet harder. "Son of a bitch."

The time stamp of 4:15am flashed on the corner of the screen, showing you emerging from a door, your hair messy and shoes in hand. Looking both directions, you quietly shut the door and retreated down the hall, out of sight.

"That's Tony's room."

Part 3

Oh, my god that was a mistake. Bucky is gonna lose it if he finds out. If he tells Steve, it's over. I won't be able to stay here. Oh, shit, what was I thinking? I am so stupid. What do I say when I see Tony? God, I'm so embarrassed.

Your mind was racing as you lay in your bed, denying you sleep that you so desperately needed. Your fight in the lab with Tony had only escalated until you were both so filled with rage and tension that the energy shifted and you somehow ended up in his bed. It was all a blur, really; a tangled mess of anger, attraction, sweat and skin. Yes, it was a mistake, but you couldn't bring yourself to fully regret it, and it could never happen again.

Your phone began to vibrate, signaling a text. With a woeful groan, you rolled onto your back and dug it from your pocket, hesitant to see who it was from. Opening one eye at a time, you resolved to finally look.

Are you ok?

Stark was at the top of the list of people you didn't want to talk to right now, but ignoring him wasn't likely to be a good idea. He owned the place, and could easily find you if he really wanted to. Your fingers hesitated as you decided how to respond.

Yeah. You?

Not gonna lie, it was good.

Really, Tony? Now isn't the time.

A few minutes passed without a reply. You were about to give up and try to sleep when another message came in.

I'm sorry.

We're adults. We can both be sorry.

I don't know what happened. We can't do that again.

Agreed. Let's just keep it between us, ok?

Deal.

Deciding that sleep was completely pointless, you jumped into the shower. The water soothed your anxiety, washing the whole experience from both your mind and body. The only thought keeping your sanity was that you and Tony were the only two who knew.

~~~

"Come on, Buck, we don't know for sure what happened. Last time we saw 'em they were fighting, so I can't really believe that anything went on in there." Steve kept replaying the video; he wasn't sure if he was convincing Bucky or convincing himself.

"Don't be naïve, Rogers." Bucky was leaning back in his chair, sitting at the kitchen table. His metal fingers were tapping on the wooden surface, the speed changing along with the rapid swings in his mood. "Man, I've got to pull it together." He stood now, pacing back and forth past Steve, his eyes darting down to the video with each pass. "She's an adult, right? This isn't my business. She can take care of herself."

"Sure. They're both adults." Steve sucked in a deep breath, not wanting to verbalize the thought in his head, but not able to hold it in. He mumbled under his breath, attempting to keep the thought from his friend.

"He's old enough to be her dad."

"Fuck, Steve!" Bucky threw his arms in the air, exasperated, "That's it! I'm gonna go knock some sense into that kid!"

Following close behind, Steve was quickly keeping pace with Bucky. "Buck, this might not be a good idea. Maybe we should wait until things calm down."

As the duo left the kitchen, Bruce grabbed his phone and anxiously began typing.

They know. They're on the way.

Tony frantically jumped from his bed and threw on the first clothes that he could find. He had to get to them before they got to you.

~~~

You had been standing in front of the mirror forever. Or, at least it felt that way. Your hair was beginning to dry, as was the towel wrapped around you. The steam from your shower was no longer hazing over the glass and you could clearly see yourself. The face reflected back at you was unrecognizable. That wasn't you. It was, but it wasn't. Your emotions were a mess and had made you numb to their effects.

You have to shake this off. You don't have feelings for him. You don't. You can't. You barely know him. It was a mistake. A one-time mistake.

Your diatribe of thoughts was interrupted by loud voices outside of your room. Forgetting that you were dressed only in your towel, you ran to the door and flung it open to see the source of the commotion. Tony was next to your door, his eye beginning to swell and take on a nice shade of bruising. Bucky's metal arm was holding him to the wall against his chest as Steve was trying to pull him away.

"Alright, knock it off!" The men jumped at the anger in your voice, looking to see you standing in your doorway, in only your towel, arms folded tightly across your chest. "Grow the hell up!"

Bucky released Stark and walked with heavy footsteps over to you. He stood toe to toe, towering above you. He looked down at you with fury in his eyes, but you held your posture, refusing to back down to your older brother.

"Do you have any idea of what you're doing, (Y/N)? Do you ever stop to think about the consequences of the things you do?" His arm swiftly flew up as he slammed his fist into the wall next to you, but you stood, unflinching.

"Oh, that is rich, Bucky! You're one to talk. Aside from Rogers over here, you're the most reckless person I know!"

"What did I do?" Steve looked confused, wondering how he was suddenly a topic of your argument.

"Buck, you're going to have to realize that I'm not that kid you left behind anymore. Sure, I make shitty choices sometimes, but they're mine." He finally lowered his arm, still holding his stare. "You left me on my own when you ran off to war. You must have thought I could handle myself then, so what's different now?"

His eyes softened, and his expression turned sad. "(Y/N), I never thought..." His words trailed off, not knowing what to say. "You had Steve..."

"Oh, Buck. Little Stevie had me." You put a hand on his arm, relaxing your posture. "Things are different now, and I know it's hard, but I'm not the kid you left behind. If you can't accept that, then maybe we need to go our separate ways for a while."

Bucky stared at you for a moment, his expression changing to surprise then fear as the realization of what you were saying hit him. He quickly grabbed you and pulled you in tightly to his chest, resting his head on yours. "No. No, I need you." He pressed his lips to your hair, whispering now, "I'll do better, okay? Please don't leave me."

"Excuse me, kids." Tony cleared his throat, raising his hand as if to ask a question. "If you guys are all done kicking my ass, I'm gonna go grab some ice for this shiner."

Bucky straightened, clearing his throat, "My apologies, Tony." He slowly reached out to shake Stark's hand.

Tony accepted, and glanced to you as he began to walk away. "Until next time, sweetheart." he said with a wink. As he turned away, the sound of a thud echoed in the hallway. He grabbed the back of his head and looked at you, completely shocked and confused.

"Ok, seriously! Where the hell do you keep those?!"