Hot Chocolate on the Balcony: A Bucky x Reader

One

"Ian! Wait for me!" (Y/N) called as she raced after her older brother.

"Come on (Y/N)! Don't be such a slowpoke!" he shouted back.

(Y/N) giggled and pushed herself to run faster.

"What in the hell do the two of you think you're doing?" Jason's cold voice asked, making the two other kids stop in their tracks.

Slowly, Ian and (Y/N) turned around to face their older brother.

"We were- we were just playing," Ian answered.

"Playing huh? Didn't I tell you two runts that you needed to clean the house today?"

"But Jason, didn't Mommy say that that was your chore today?" (Y/N) asked, realizing her mistake only after she had made it.

(Y/N) flinched as Jason knelt down to look her in the eyes.

"Neither Mother or Father are here right now and I'm the oldest which means I'm in charge. So if I say that the two of you are going to clean the house then the two of you better damn well do it," Jason's voice was quiet and calm. "Is that understood?"

It was all (Y/N) could do not to shudder as she muttered a quiet 'yes.'

"Good. Now go."

Quickly, (Y/N) shuffled out of Jason's way and into the doorway of their home, waiting for Ian to follow.

"You shouldn't treat us this way," he said instead.

(Y/N) knew what was coming next. She could feel Jason's temper rising.

"You think you can talk to me like that and get away with it, runt?"

Ian didn't answer, he simply stood up straight and watched Jason with a cool indifference.

Jason's temper flared. Ian still didn't move even as the bigger boy's closed fist came flying towards him. The young girl flinched at the crunch of bone when it came into contact with Jason's hand and at the scream that tore from Ian's lungs.

(Y/N)'s eyes flew open and she gasped for breath.

"Oh god," she groaned. "This is not what I need right now."

(Y/N) pushed herself out of bed and shoved the memory back into the dark corners of her mind where it belonged.

As she moved around her room, getting ready for the day, she could feel the rest of the team doing the same. She could feel everyone's nerves even though they tried to hide it.

"(Y/N)? Are you up?" Steve's voice called from the other side of the door.

"You know I am. What's up?" (Y/N) asked upon opening the door.

"Do you even have to ask?"

The woman paused to take in her friend's appearance. Dark spots had formed underneath his eyes and his usually perfect hair was mussed.

"No, I suppose I don't. Come on in and we can talk about it."

Steve nodded and settled himself on the edge of her bed. (Y/N) had known the Avengers since she was sixteen when they had rescued her from Hydro, the child focused counterpart of Hydra. That had been eight years ago yet it was still strange for her to see them acting so human. Especially when it came to Steve. (Y/N) had grown up hearing stories about the great Captain America and here he was, sitting on her bed looking like he was about puke.