Avenger's One-shots and Preferences

You Really Do Care- Bucky Barnes

I've been thinking about writing a one-shot based on an episode from anime Fairy Tail. For you Fairy Tail fans imagine the reader and Bucky's relationship is similar to Gajeel and Levy's, except the reader is an inch or two taller than Levy. Swearing warning.

You were a member of the Avengers team and had gotten along with everyone on the team, except for Bucky Barnes. The moment he became part of the team and was introduced to everyone, yourself including, you always got the feeling he didn't like you all that much. This became more apparent when you tried to befriend him and he just brushed you off at every attempt you made. When Bucky wasn't completely ignoring you, he went out of his way to make your life miserable from kicking you under the table to purposely banging the walls at night just to keep you awake. The worst of it occurred when you were sparring in the gym; Bucky would go to great lengths to criticize every move you made which usually resulted in the two of you ending the sparring session with a yelling match and Steve or Sam or anyone else in the gym keeping  you and him from ripping each other's throats.   

Today the team had been sent on a mission to an remote island to investigate some weird HYDRA related activities possibly going on there. While in the quinjet, Steve divided the team up for recon. "And lastly (y/n) and Bucky will set up recon at the southern part of the island." "WHAT?" You both exclaim simultaneously. "The day I ever team up with this brooding moron is the day hell freezes over!" you retort. "For once I actually agree with shorty here," Barnes snides, "she'll only slow me down." "I'll slow you down?" you ask sarcastically, "I seem to recall running circles around you during our sparring sessions." "I hardly call that sparring." Steve slams his fist down and gives you both that certain look that made the two of you shut up. "You two are going to do this together whether you like it or not," Steve says in a tone that left no room for argument. You and Bucky turn away barely making eye contact with each other.

On the island the team divides into their assigned groups and begin recon. You and Bucky walk around your side of the island not even so much as saying a word to each other. You didn't really enjoy the silence all that much but it was preferable to receiving any of his insults. Part of the walking around at one point did involve climbing up a steep cliff. You and Bucky begin your ascent and right when you were almost to the top you feel yourself begin to slip. "Ahh what's the matter, doll face?" You hear him sneer, "This climb getting way too much for your short self. Your so close and yet so far?" "I'm fine!" you snap. At the moment some of the rocks loosen and you start to fall. You closed your eyes bracing for impact, but then you feel something cold and metal wrap around your wrist. You open your eyes to see Barnes had taken hold of you. He pulls you up and you both had reached the top. "Th-thank you," you said somewhat surprised; that simple statement taking Buck by surprise also. He shakes it off though, "I only did it because I didn't want to report to Steve why you fell to your death on a simple recon mission," he said with a condescending manner, "Not sure why I would even feel that way when the rest of the team knows how useless you are." You held your breath and counted to twenty. You had a whole bunch of comebacks you wanted to hurl at him but this really wasn't the time; you would just have to wait until the time was right to prove just how wrong he really is.

 After nearly falling you rummage through your suit to make sure nothing fell out when you nearly fell off the cliff. You pulled out one of your knives and Bucky unexpectedly snatches it from you. "What's an inexperienced shrimp like yourself doing with something like this?" You try to take it back from him but he just holds it high in the air; it didn't help that he was so much taller than you. "I'm not inexperienced, Barnes and we both know it," you snap back. "Those sparring sessions back at the gym tell me otherwise." You couldn't take it anymore, "What did I ever do to you?!" you yell, "Ever since you joined the Avengers, all you ever did was give me nothing but grief. I can live with the short jokes and the teasing about my height but you just go out of your way to make me fucking miserable; you don't even seem to think I'm a member of this team!" "Oh your a member alright," he sneers while patting your head condescendingly, "at best your position on the team is a glorified mascot." "You really don't think of me as an equal do you?" you ask sullenly, "You don't think I'm good enough to do anything right." "If you wanna to sit on your ass and sulk on that true fact than do so later but right now-" you punch him in the jawline and run off. "Fine! I didn't want to work with you anyway, you cold-hearted bastard!"

"What is with this guy?" You think to yourself as you run, "I know he's been through all kinds of hell the last half century but that doesn't excuse his behavior towards me." You can feel your eyes brim with tears. "I...I hate him!"

As these thoughts run through your head, you suddenly stop; your surroundings were suspiciously quiet. When you turn around several HYDRA agents ambush you. They attempt to shoot at you but you fought back using your marital arts techniques. Behind the bushes you spot a HYDRA complex where the agents came from; and even more were heading your way. You stand your ground ready to face them. You take out as many as you can but there were too many even for you to handle. Right when you were about to give out, A familiar face shows up and punches one agent in front of you. "Bucky?" "It's hard keeping track of you being small and stuff," he grins, "Seriously, Doll, please don't leave my sight again; I was worried there for a minute." You nod, still a little surprised since this was the first time Bucky actually said something to you that wasn't an insult. You and him fight but more HYDRA agents came as reinforcements and the two of you hide behind the tress. "(y/n), I need to find the others," Bucky instructs. "I'm not leaving you to fend for yourself," you snap back, "I can handle this." "I know you can," he says to you, "I've always known you can. You'll be needing your full strength to take the complex." "Then why all the criticism and the insults?" "I don't know," was his answer, "maybe because I'm a jerk and you're everything I used to be and can never hope to be again." "Still doesn't make sense to me but I always thought you were alright for a 100 year old scruffy assassin." "Just get going, Doll," he chuckles. Before you leave you pull Bucky into a quick hug, "don't you dare die," you say with a firm tone. "Yes ma'am." "I guess he really does care after all," you think as you run to find the rest of the team. 

Once you find and lead the other Avengers back to the complex, you find Bucky laying on the ground covered in scrapes and bruises. "Bucky!" you call out as you run to him. You take his hand, "Please, James, say something." He wearily opens his eyes, "Guess I showed them not to mess with me," he grins. "I guess you did, Soldier," you grin back. Steve picks up Bucky, "You guys can take the complex without me, I'll take Buck here back to the quinjet." "Wait," Bucky quips, "(y/n), you be sure to kick their asses for me." You smile, "I'll be sure to keep that promise," you salute. And keep that promise you did.