Chapter Text
''Shit!''
Natasha slams you on your back and onto the training mat and uses her body weight to keep you down. A smirk forms on her face as she gets up and offers her hand to help you up.
"You know, after the last 3 times I did that, I would've thought you'd know how to block it." She watches you try to regain your breath.
"Not all of us are trained spies Nat." You huff. "Some of us prefer using our powers." It's true, you preferred using your powers over fighting because if you could beat someone up from afar then you didn't need to know how to fight up close, but no, when you joined the Avengers they insisted that you needed to know how to fight as well.
Natasha offered to train you and as brutal as she was at fighting, she was an excellent coach. She wasn't overly strict or intense and gave you just the right amount of push you needed. Within 2 months you were excelling, though you still had things to learn.
"Let's call that a day." Nat puts her arm around your shoulder and hands you your water. "You did good work today, you lasted longer than the last session, keep it up."
You can't help but smile at her words, Nat always kept her feedback positive which is one of the reasons you liked her so much.
"Thanks, same time tomorrow?" You take a sip of your water and make your way inside the elevator.
Nat hesitates. "Sure." She drags out the word like she knows something you don't. That gets your attention.
"What is it? We can't train tomorrow?" You ask.
"No, we can, it's just Steve told me you'll be going on a mission soon." She says.
You're confused. "Ok, I mean we all go on missions all the time, it's kinda the job." You joke, you don't understand why Nat's being so weird about it.
"He told me you're going to be paired with Bucky," Nat tells you hesitantly, she knows how much you don't like Bucky.
"What?" You don't want to be paired with Bucky, you hate him, the guy has been rude to you from day one. The elevator door opens and you both exit and make your way past the common room and to the hallway with all your rooms.
"I'm just telling you so you're prepared," Nat says as you stop outside her room. "But, you know, Bucky's not as shitty as you think he is."
"Easy for you to say, he's not an asshole to you." You roll your eyes. "He never says hi back to me and always looks like he's judging me for just existing and that's just the small things."
Nat shakes her head at your mini-rant. "Ok, just try to not get too mad over it, you're technically not supposed to know this yet."
"I'll try. Thanks for telling me." You smile at Nat in gratitude and make your way towards your room. You want nothing other than a warm shower and to forget about Bucky, the most aggravating man you've ever met.
When you first joined the Avengers, you tried your best to befriend the whole team and it worked with everyone, except Bucky. He never reciprocated your invites to get to know each other better or just general friendliness, he was stone cold and at some point, your relationship with Bucky just turned into bickering. You were not looking forward to the mission.
_____________
"You're sure you're going to be paired with Bucky?" Wanda asks dicing a pepper.
After your shower, Wanda asked you if you could help her cook lunch and you agreed because you loved cooking, but also because it gave you the perfect chance to tell Wanda about what Natasha told you.
"It's what Nat told me and Nat wouldn't lie." You say as you half pay attention to the knife chopping the potatoes for you. You would usually do it yourself but were too caught up in your rant to multitask.
"It can't be that bad." Wanda tried to reassure you "Sure, he's a little distant but he's been through a lot, I'm sure he's not trying to be mean."
First Nat, now Wanda, why is everyone on his side? You can agree that he's been through some shit but that doesn't mean he can be rude and it seems like he's only rude to you, like he has some personal vendetta against you. God knows why, you were always super nice to him, at first at least. Sure, you got a little more bitter with him the colder he was but you'd tried, if he didn't want to be nice back that was his problem.
"Hey, you ok?" Wanda snaps you out of your inner monologue and you realise you've absolutely butchered the potatoes.
"Uh yeah, I'm fine." You say as you put the knife down. "Sorry 'bout the potatoes."
"It's fine, we've got more," Wanda says but notices how you're still stuck in your mind. "Why don't you go get my phone and we can put some music on?" She says hoping that'll give you a moment to clear your head.
"Yeah ok." You make your way towards Wanda's room.
You're too busy thinking about the dreaded mission that you're not even supposed to know about and having to work with Bucky that you don't notice someone else walking down the hall, also not paying attention to where they're going until you inevitably collide with each other.
"I'm so sorr- oh, it's you." You don't even try to hide the disdain in your voice as you come face-to-face with none other than Bucky. Well, more like face-to-shoulder but not the point.
"Watch where you're going." He grumbles as though it's only your fault you collided.
"You bumped into me." You cross your arms. The nerve of this guy—acting like it was all your fault when it clearly wasn't.
"Stop being so stubborn and just move." He huffs.
"Wow, you're so kind." The sarcasm drips from your voice."Aren't men from the 1940s supposed to be gentlemen?"
"You're insufferable" He rolls his eyes and barges past you.
"Guess you're just gonna have to suffer for the next few days." You blurt out forgetting that you're not supposed to know that yet.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He turns around looking at you like he's studying you.
"Nothing. God, why are you so suspicious of everything." You give him a dirty glare and walk away into Wanda's room.
Bucky definitely knows something up, ex-assassin and all, but oh well, he'll find out soon enough anyway. You get Wanda's phone and head back to the kitchen making a mental note to make sure you avoid Bucky even more than usual so he can't ask any more follow-up questions.
______________
The next morning, Steve's called a meeting bright and early. A part of you hopes it's not about the mission and about something else instead but when you walk into the meeting room and see Bucky already there, you know this mission is unavoidable. Lovely.
Steve starts the meeting as soon as you sit down, not even bothering with pleasantries, just right to the point.
"We've been looking at a train of illegal weapons dealing that's led us to believe they might be doing their trade at an art auction in Seattle and we need you to go undercover as a couple and find out if they are."
Bucky sharply turns to look at you suspiciously. "Is that what you meant yesterday?"
"Hush, Steve's speaking." You can't be bothered explaining how you knew about the mission beforehand so you ignore Bucky and pretend to be super intrigued by what Steve said.
Bucky mutters something about you being 'rude' and goes back to face Steve.
"Do I have to work with her?" He asks while giving you the nastiest side-eye ever, which you reciprocate.
"Buck, be nice," Steve says. "You two are some of the more unrecognizable Avengers which is why it has to be you guys and I know you guys don't get on very well but just try, for the sake of the mission." Steve pleads and you feel kinda bad for him having to deal with your immatureness.
"Fine." You huff and you hear Bucky give some sort of grunt of agreement beside you. Guess you were doing this mission after all, let's just hope you both made it without killing each other.