The other Barnes

River

Bucky had been glowering at Steve all day. Around noon, his mood lightened as a pretty blonde entered the compound.

"Satan has arrived!" Tony announced.

"Piss off, Tony." River snapped.

"Ooh someone's touchy today. That time of the month?"

River pulled a knife from her pocket and sent it flipping through the air at him. She missed. He smirked.

"Fuck off."

"What? Can't take a little teasing?"

"Not when it comes from a man with tiny dick syndrome."

Tony looked truly insulted.

"Screw you River."

"Sorry. Your wife has already filled that position."

  "Too far babe." Bucky laughed.

"Are they always like this?" Emily asked

"Every day." Peter sighed

  River turned to Bucky and took off running. She climbed up him like a spider, sitting on his shoulders.

  "Hey there spider monkey." He laughed as she flipped over, balancing on his shoulders with her hands.

She kissed him and flipped around, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

    "Missed you." She whispered, nuzzling into his chest.

    Bucky smiled. Steve had never seen him smile that softly.

"Cute." Emily whispered.

"I'm gonna be sick." Tony groaned

He left for his office.

"I take it he doesn't exactly approve?" Emily asked.

River turned back to look at Emily and shrugged.

"Not really." She said

Emily gasped. River's eyes. They were familiar. She knew those eyes. She felt the sting of tears as a rather painful memory flooded to the surface. 

   "Excuse me." She gulped and ran from the room.

"Did.  Did I do something wrong?" River asked

Steve shook his head.

"No."

"You have your father's eyes." Bucky whispered.

"They were close?" She asked

"A little." He said "From what I understand, he was there for her during a very difficult time."

She nodded.

"Em!" Steve called as he after her down the hall.  "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. He noticed tears streaming down her face.

  "Hey. Hey." He whispered, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "you're too beautiful to be this upset. What's wrong?"

   "Her eyes.  Don't you see it?" She asked.

He was confused. He hadn't seen anything. She cried into his chest. Not knowing what to do, he brought her down to sit on the floor and held her while he cried.

Clint popped his head around the corner and gave him a questioning look. He shrugged.

"No clue." He mouthed.