Torn {Bucky Barnes FanFic}

Chapter 16

About forty five minutes later, I was back home, standing in the elevator. The doors slid open, and I exited slowly. My clothes were completely drenched, and stuck stiffly to my body. Droplets from my damp hair dripped to the ground and left a trail from the elevator into the living room.

When I came to the threshold of the living room, I was surprised to see everyone else sitting there. A fire had been lit in the fireplace, and someone had obviously just told a very funny joke. I was extremely surprised to see Sam sitting next to Steve, laughing with a beer in his hand. He'd been gone for weeks on end, and when he did come back he was only there for a few hours. I was very close to Sam as well. We had a goofy relationship that generally consisted of pretending we were more than friends. Everyone knew that was false, of course, and that it would never be more than a joke. But it was good fun, and made people laugh when things got tense.

"Hey! Cara! I'm back, baby!" He grinned at me, but then his face dropped. "Wait, are you okay?"

Tony stood and rushed over to me. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, you look so worried."

"I was worried," he defended himself. "I called you seventeen times. But you left your phone in the lab."

"Sorry, I went for a walk."

"Cara, it's pouring."

"Yeah, and I went for a walk," I snapped and scanned the room. "Where's Clint?"

"He went home for the weekend," Natasha called. "But he and Laura will be back for the party on New Year's Eve."

"Oh, okay. Um, I'm going to go shower," I said shortly and rushed towards the stairs.

"Ooh, mind if I tag along, baby girl?!" Sam called.

I tried to keep myself from grinning, and turned my neck so I could see him. "Maybe another day," I winked.

"Oh, Cara Stark, you kill me girl!" He cried, sprawling himself out across the chair he shared with Steve. "I've missed you!"

I laughed and ran up the stairs, pausing when I was out of sight. I sighed lightly and smiled to myself. Normalcy. As I started towards my room, I heard footsteps behind me. When I turned, Steve stood there.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hi."

He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "How are you?"

I exhaled angrily and folded my arms as well. "Why does everyone keep asking that?"

"Because you aren't acting like yourself and, honestly, you kind of look like crap."

"I'm fine."

"Cara, you are one of my best friends in the entire world. You're like a sister to me, and I love you," he said sternly.

I smiled sarcastically. "Thank you, Steve."

"And I'm worried," he said lowly. "About you and about Bucky."

I sighed and unfolded my arms. "Steve-"

"Let me talk, Cara," he held up his hand. "He hasn't left his room all day. He won't talk to me, he won't look at me, he won't even open the goddamn door."

"Potty mouth."

"Jesus Christ, Cara! I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you!" He snapped and I shrunk back towards the wall. "I care about both of you a lot. And I know you care about him a lot. I don't care if you two end whatever is going on here or if you keep it going, but I need my best friends back."