Recruiting Eva (Compound Series Part2) 18+

Chapter 6

"Good morning," Nico chirped as soon as she saw Eva slouching over the kitchen counter.

"Morning," she mumbled, burying her face in the crook of her arm.

"Wow, you look like shit," Melissa provided, earning herself a groan from Eva.

"We came back an hour ago. I wouldn't be up in time for my first training if I went to bed," Eva replied, lifting her head to take a long sip of her coffee.

"You and Bucky went on a mission?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah, Steve assigned her to Barnes," Nico said.

"Why?" The word escaped Melissa's mouth before she could stop herself.

"Hell, if I knew." Eva sighed.

"He was the only one available," Nico said as if Melissa should know.

The three of them entered the training area, where Steve, Bucky, and a red-haired woman already waited for them. They interrupted their heated discussion when the three girls entered.

When they neared the Avengers, Eva took a moment to examine the stunning woman in front of her. She had pulled her hair into a low ponytail. A few strayed strands framed her face. Her full lips were stretched into a smile when her jade-green eyes landed on Eva.

"Hi, I'm Natascha..." She introduced herself to Eva, extending her hand.

"Romanoff," Eva interrupted, grabbing her hand and shaking it furiously. "I know. I mean... I'm Eva. Eva Sloane."

Eva kept shaking the woman's hand, totally enthralled.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm trying not to lose it right now."

Eva had heard so many stories of the impressive woman shaking her hand that she had a difficult time not fangirling. Steve stifled a laugh next to them.

"Okay," he finally said. "Let's get started."

The training consisted of coordination and verbal and non-verbal communication. A lot of things Eva already knew from her job as a bodyguard. They had spent most of the training time watching and copying moves. The atmosphere was light and filled with jokes and snarky comments. Eva hated to admit it, but she liked it.

"One last thing before you are dismissed, let us demonstrate the differences in body language," Natascha said, looking over her shoulder to James, who had stayed silent the entire time. "Bucky, would you mind?"

Bucky. Eva still had problems connecting the name to the brooding man in front of them. That didn't sound like the Winter Soldier and the stories she had heard of.

Eva watched his every step. Confidence oozed from every cell of his body, as he walked a few feet away and faced Natascha. He knew he was good. James Barnes knew exactly what he was doing and where his capabilities lay. Confidence was hot, and even Eva wasn't immune to it.

With a sudden battle cry, Natascha ran towards Bucky, pulling her fist up and aiming for his face. He watched her rather bored and sidestepped as soon as she was near enough to strike. Before she could spin around, he slid his hands under both of her arms and pulled them up, bringing his hands together behind her head.

And there it was again, the humming sound of his arm. A shiver ran down her spine, skidding her back into that specific moment she so desperately tried to forget.

"Okay, thanks, Buck," Natascha said, and he released her.

She walked back to her position. Her whole posture changed, and she seemed relaxed. She started to walk towards him. When she passed him, Bucky tried to grab her. She took his wrist, twisted it and swung her body to wrap her legs around his neck and bring them both to the ground. She released him immediately, stood up, and offered him a hand, which he took.

"Why did he attack me?" Natascha asked.

"Because he was the bad guy in the second demonstration," Melissa said.

Eva rolled her eyes, which didn't go unnoticed.

"What's your response?" Bucky asked, fixing Eva with his blue eyes.

Eva's stomach flipped. He challenged her and called her out for being disrespectful towards a team member.

"She pulled her shoulder back, right before you tried to stop her," Eva said.

Natascha and Steve exchanged a brief look but quickly moved on to the next demonstration.

"One last thing, breathing is one of the most important things you need to master," Steve said at the end of their first training. "By breathing, you increase external awareness, which will help you be aware of your surroundings, see the big picture and help you focus on your goal. Take the following as homework: Close your eyes. Take a deep, big breath, hold it and exhale. When you open your eyes, take in your surroundings. Watch the people around you. Try to read their body language."