Check Up
Bucky’s POV
After Bucky heard Fury ask Iris if she wanted to join the Avengers he was shocked. He was even more stunned when she agreed. He assumed she was going to laugh in his face, tell him to piss off or something along those lines. No way some random girl was going to put her life on the line with a group of people she didn’t even know. He knew she and seen the news and knew who they were and what they did but he wasn’t sure she quite understood how dangerous this job really was.
Fury’s comment about HYDRA set him off as well. Bucky hoped that the Helicarriers crashing and the data dump would have slowed them down but it almost seemed to be fueling their fire. Many of their missions were taking down HYDRA bases and capturing or if it really came down to it, killing known members.
We can’t drag her into this. Even though he felt a protective instinct rise in his chest to keep Iris away from all of this bullshit, Bucky’s heart jumped at the thought that he might be living and working with her.
He and Steve watched in silence Bruce ran a few simple tests on Iris. Bruce then pulled out a needle and Iris visibly shivered. Bucky remembered her previous night’s activities and shuddered at the thought of them.
“Have you taken any…substances lately?” Bruce paused before he said substances trying to think of a word better than drugs. Iris looked to Bucky in vain, knowing she couldn’t hide anything after the blood test.
“Heroin.” She muttered under her breath. Bruce let out a sigh but quickly hid it with a light cough.
“Okay Iris, I need to take your blood to see if there is still anything in your system. By the looks of it, most has left so you will be feeling withdrawal symptoms soon.”
“Trust me, I know.” Iris mumbled as Bruce wrapped a tourniquet around her arm. Bucky noticed how boney her arms were. Other than a thin layer of firm muscle, the skeleton showed through her pale skin.
Bruce didn’t respond and began feeling for a vein.
“Just poke here.” Iris pointed to a small white scar on her arm. It looked like it had been recently opened.
Bruce sighed again before putting the needle into her vein. He attached a plastic tube onto the end and let it fill up with a deep red blood.
“You are dehydrated.” Bruce announced, pulling out the plastic container and attaching another one.
“Then get me some water.” Iris sounded exasperated. Bruce filled up two more tubes with blood as Bucky walked to the sink and filled up a glass. He handed her the water which she gulped down quickly. Bruce then pulled the needle out her arm and quickly put a cotton ball and band aid over the top.
“Thanks.” Iris smiled which Bucky wasn’t used to. He returned her smile and took the empty glass out of her hand and gave it to Steve.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” Steve asked. Iris and Bruce snickered.
“I don’t think it would take a genius to figure it out.” Bucky replied. Steve muttered something under his breath and left the room, glass in hand.
Bucky turned to Iris who was smirking and Bruce who had a less impish smile.
“Well, the blood test should be done within the hour but by the looks of it everything will be fine. I’ll notify you if anything isn’t right.” Bruce proclaimed. He picked up the four plastic tubes of blood and left the room.
“So it seems as though you’ve made up your mind.” Bucky said to Iris. He still wasn’t quite sure how to talk to her without coming off to harsh or too careful.
“Like Fury said, it’s not like I have anywhere else to go.” Iris flashed another rare smile instead of her signature mischievous smirk. This girl is going to be the death of me. Bucky did feel a pang of keenness anticipating spending more time with her.
“Then let’s go.” Bucky turned on his heel as Iris slid off the medical table and followed him.
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Iris’ POV
The thought alone that she could be spending all her time around Bucky was one of the main factors that sold Iris to the Avengers. That and the free food and housing and the fact she literally had no where to go as she usually crashed with Alex. Also the thought of being a real life superhero was pretty enticing.
Bucky and her rode the elevator to one of the many upper levels until the doors slid open with a ding. Bucky asked her a few questions about past training with both weapons and combat skills. However, it was obvious that he was avoiding her queries about his past, skittering around every one of her questions with a vague answer. Sometimes he just flat out ignored her.
“So you have “street training”, as you call it.” Bucky began as they stepped out the elevator. He put his fingers up in quotes as he said street training. Iris rolled her eyes. “But never any real combat instruction?”
“Hey!” Iris was jokingly defensive, although still a little hurt at his dismissal of her skills. “I bet you wouldn’t survive a day out where I’m from. People are crazy out there: gangs, drugies, you name it.”
“Well you’re a drugie and killing me didn’t seem to go so well for you.” Iris stilled for a second, letting Bucky continue walking a few steps before he stopped too. Bucky turned around to watch her but he didn’t seem to show any sign of regret, much less an apology. Come on Iris, get over it. She brushed it off and kept walking.
Jesus this place is huge! They passed a few open areas with groups of people crowded around coffee machines or sitting in expensive looking chairs. Most of them ignored Bucky and Iris but a few gave the pair strange looks. Windows lined every available space which gave impressive views of the city below.
After a few steps of quiet Bucky broke the silence.
“You never told me why you started to graffiti.” He stated.
“Well you never told me anything.” Iris was frustrated. He got so much but never gave anything back. Even so she still felt comfortable telling him everything.
Bucky shrugged and they continued their hushed trek.
They walked a few more paces before Bucky turned to a large pair of silver doors similar to the ones that lined the office-like hallway. The only difference to the other offices was that the blinds to the windows of the workplace were pulled closed.
Bucky pushed open the door and walked in. Iris quickly followed, slipping in before the door closed on her. Fury was standing with his back towards the two of them. He was looking out the window, watching the bustling city below from behind a large, mahogany desk
“When will you learn to knock?” Fury turned around. He gestured for Iris to sit down on a leather chair in front of the desk. Iris looked over to Bucky, there was only one chair.
“You can leave, James.” It was quite obvious Fury didn’t like him very much. Bucky was about to retort when Fury interrupted him. “Now.”
Bucky tensed. He didn’t seem to like following orders but after a few exchanged death stares between the two men Bucky backed down. He turned and almost stomped out the room.
“Now, sit down and we can start the interview.” Fury sat in his own, slightly larger chair on the opposite side of the desk.
Iris resisted the urge to laugh. He was talking about this as though it was just a normal job application, not as though this was a team of superheroes.
Iris shook off her amusement and walked over to the chair before sitting down in it. She looked down at her two day old jeans and torn up combat boots as well as her borrowed, oversized shirt. Iris didn’t even want to think of her hair as it was probably matted and greasy after days of neglect. Not the best way to make a first impression but it’ll have to do. Iris decided not to think about how she smelled after two days of negligence.
Well here goes nothing. She thought to herself as the interview began.