Disclaimer – I own nothing of Marvel; not now, not ever!
A Late Tuesday Night
"You realise you are always the only one awake at this hour?"
"Are you kidding? We have a tower full of superheroes, no one sleeps here!"
A typical Tuesday night in the Avengers tower. Pretty much AU after CA:CW
11.34pm
The 94th floor of the Avengers tower was quiet. The only noise was coming from the hum of the expensive fridge, the occasional drip from the tap and the quiet muttering of a dark-haired, bespectacled man sat hunched over the kitchen table.
Tony was sat on a stool at the sleek, modern table, nursing a coffee and working on a shimmering hologram from his tablet. He was muttering to himself as he spun the incomplete suit design in front of him to get a clearer view of the back, frowning in frustration.
"You do know sleep is beneficial for health, happiness and longevity?" Came a causal voice from the doorway.
"Whose health, happiness and longevity? Yours or mine?" Tony called, without looking over at the figure stood in the shadowy doorway, his brow still furrowed over the design.
"Well, mostly mine as you sleeping means you're happier, which, by extension means you annoy me less. Hence, health, happiness and longevity for all."
"I didn't realise my sleeping patterns where a mater of survival!?" responded Tony, finally taking the bait, and peering at Miss Potts as she moved into the room, dressing gown on and hair down.
"Something like that" Pepper said, smiling as she stepped forward snaking her arms around Tony from behind and allowing herself to relax into him. He turned and smiled, kissing her on the cheek.
"I'll be up in 10 minutes."
Pepper laughed.
"I've never heard that one before." She laughed, sarcastically.
"I resent that! I'm a man of my word"
"You're a man of little sleep" She chastised him, kissing him on the forehead as she stood up straight. "Just try not to disturb me on your way up."
"10 minutes."
"You realise you are always the only one awake at this hour?"
"That's not true! Come on, Pepper, we have a tower full of superheroes, science experiments gone badly wrong and even Nordic gods, no one sleeps here."
Pepper merely laughed before walking out and back up to the rooms upstairs.
"FRIDAY can you take down the lights?"
"Certainly, sir," replied the polite AI. Immediately the lights dimmed to an ambient glow. Tony took another long gulp of coffee before taking his tablet to his lab to begin to piece the new component together, his head buzzing with mechanics once more…
11.58pm
"Quick!" Called Wanda as she hurried into the dimly lit kitchen, holding the bowl in front of her. "I don't want to miss the start!"
"But you realise that with both todays and Stark's home entertainment technology, we can pause the film at any time. Therefore waiting the for start is…" Reasoned Vision, as he floated calmly behind the rushing youth.
"But come on that's not the point of a midnight feast and film!" Replied Wanda, excitedly. "Grab the popcorn, I'll get the hot chocolate."
Vision obliged, without hesitation, reaching for the cupboard and pouring the sweet and salty popcorn into a bowl. Keeping half an eye on Wanda, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He loved seeing this carefree Wanda, her energy and life filled every room with hope and laughter, and he could barely take his eyes away from her beauty.
"Thanks for doing this with me, Vis," said Wanda, beaming at him as she stirred the hot chocolate.
"It's always my pleasure," he replied sincerely.
Hot chocolate in hand, Wanda gave him half a hug. She could feel the heat and warmth emanating from her friend and it made her want to burry her head in his warmth more.
After a few seconds, she broke apart and checked her watch, gasping.
"It's 1 minute to! Quick Vis," She wheeled around and darted out of the room as fast as she could"
Vision stood there a second and touched his cheek, missing her warmth. She was a just friend, he told himself resolutely. Just a very kind, beautiful friend…Trying to contain the rising blush he felt in his red cheeks and the drumroll of his heart, he followed Wanda back to the cinema room for the movie.
1.03am
"It's fine" Clint said into his cell phone, rubbing his eyes, blearily and stumbling to the fridge and getting himself an OJ. "No, no, Laura, you didn't wake me…" He said stifling a yawn.
"What's up?"
"Well, I have two monkeys sat on my knees who miss you," came Laura's voice down the phone.
"Don't go feeding the monkey's bananas at this time, they'll never sleep." Smiled Clint, pouring the juice.
"They never do sleep..." grumbled Laura quietly, and Clint laughed.
From Laura's end there was a sudden disturbance, and heavy breathing on her end.
"DADDY!" Came a sudden excitable voice in his ear.
"Hey, sunshine," Clint replied wearily.
"We went to the park today." Came Lila's voice. "And I ate an ice cream. I played on the swings with Cooper, and fed the ducks at the pond."
"Sounds wonderful, darling." How many more moments like this was he missing? How many more precious family moments was he missing while he was out here with the team…?
"When are you coming home, Daddy?" Came Lila's voice.
Clint felt another pang of guilt in his stomach.
"Soon, sunshine." But not soon enough, he thought to himself, taking another swig of OJ.
"I drew a picture of you today, Daddy."
"Really? Well, I can't wait to see it."
"They miss you," came Laura's voice, now back in control of the phone.
"I miss you all far more. How are the troublemakers?"
"Messy, so no change really"
Clint smiled into his OJ. What he wouldn't give to be back at the farmhouse, cuddled up with Lila and Cooper with a story, or a cheesy Disney movie. A place where superheroes where fiction and not his reality.
"How's Nat and the guys?"
"Busy, so no change here either."
He heard Laura laugh on the other end of the line. And couldn't help but picture how beautiful she was. He wished more than anything that he could be next to her right now and his heart sunk further.
"You're gonna try and get some sleep right?" Clint said.
"Well, once all the monkey's crash for the night, which I imagine will be soon, I'm pretty sure I'll be right behind them"
"I love you," he said abruptly, as if containing the thought any longer was impossible.
"I know. I love you too." Said Laura. Clint smiled to himself as he downed the juice. "Now, these won't go to bed until they hear a bedtime story..."
"STORY, DADDY!" Came the shriek from down the phone.
Clint rubbed his eyes again and put the now empty glass back in the sink, heading back to his own room.
"There was a princess and a prince, who lived in a beautiful farmyard…
"A castle, Daddy!"
"Ok, a castle in the country, and their names where Lila and Cooper…"
1.43am
Tony emerged from the lab, a light sheen of sweat on his face. He needed more power, he thought. If he could get something to counteract the gravity then the water pressure would be lessened…
He checked his watch and sighed. It looked like his 10 minutes had been up hours ago. He sighed and looked around the deserted room. Well, Pepper would have to wait a little longer tonight, he resolved.
His head still full of mechanics, he fixed himself another black coffee, and topped it off with an extra shot of espresso, to ensure maximum alertness.
Downing the coffee in one, he gave himself a little shake and half a slap (good job no one saw that) and took off back to his lab with reunited vigor.
2.32am
Natasha entered the room at a jog and looked around.
She was dressed in her dark exercise gear, sweatbands on and ipod in hand.
Running at night was her new favourite activity, aside from taking out HYDRA's goons that is. Running kept her on her toes and night running with its added danger certainly did just that. In the dead of night no one would wolf whistle at her and she could practice parkour without drawing attention to herself.
She flicked through her ipod, skimming through her music to pick a song she fancied. What did she fancy to run to tonight, she thought? Maybe Russian opera? Or something more upbeat…
She smiled as she found an appropriate song.
Stretching before she started, she hummed absentmindedly to herself. Before setting off down the hall at a sprint and jumping straight down the stairwell, plummeting into the darkness below.
2.41am
The film had ended 5 minutes ago, and Vision glided back into the kitchen, carrying a fast-asleep Wanda in his arms, her red hair cascading down her back.
She had fallen asleep at his very favourite part. The dramatic twist at the end which solves the final mystery of the murders. He had to restrain himself from prodding her awake, but decided that sleep was far more important and he would simply have to re-watch the ending with her another time.
At this thought, he glided away, deciding to settle her on top of her bed and drawing a blanket over her sleeping body.
Although Vision never required sleep he wished he could at this moment, he wished he could shut out all of his immense intellect and be as at peace as Wanda currently was.
He sighed, and moved back to the living room deciding that he would listen to some more Mozart to still his thoughts.
3.06am
Tony skidded into the kitchen dousing his sleeve which was still smouldering from the fire.
"Damn it!"
"I believe it needs less paraffin, sir" came FRIDAY's cool voice.
"Yes, I KNOW!" Sighed Tony, as he turned on the cold tap in the kitchen and ran his burnt hand under it. The cold water cooled the burned soothed the skin. Still not satisfied, he stuck his whole head under the jet and straighten up, shaking his now wet hair like a dog.
"Another coffee, sir"
"Yes, black, but this time make it a double shot of espresso." He muttered as he wiped the water still dripping from his face with a kitchen towel.
He checked his watch and sighed. He had hours to go… Tony headed to the fridge and grabbed everything edible he could find; olives, ham, grapes, yogurt, tomatoes and even some weird smelling Norwegian cheese he knew Thor liked.
Struggling slightly to carry all of them, he set off back to the lab.
"Bring it on…" he muttered to himself stuffing a handful of grapes into his mouth as he went.
3.42am
The house was quiet once more when a dark figure emerged from the shadows so silently that you would have thought she simply materialised out of thin air.
Natasha checked her watch. 50 seconds off her personal best. She sighed, frustrated, and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Picking up her ipod she changed the blaring pop currently playing to a smoother Russian classical.
She stretched her legs in the kitchen to the slower ballad, feeling her pulse slow.
Closing her eyes she instinctively found her body gliding into ballet positions. First arabesque, pirouette, her arms and legs seemed mindlessly to move of their own accord as she skated across the kitchen en pointe.
Natasha almost smiled as she danced, for a split second she felt free. It was just her and the music and they were one. She was lighter than air, floating and letting the music guide her perfectly controlled movements...
Then, all too suddenly, the song ended, and a wave of cold filled her. She stopped dancing and stood in the centre of the kitchen in silence and the reality of her past crashed over her. The surgery. The school. Her training…
She threw the ipod aside and headed to the showers to clear her head. The last thing she needed was to go to bed thinking of that. Leaving the day with bad thoughts - meant nightmares where a guarantee.
4.17am
A door burst open and Bucky came skidding into the room his eyes ablaze. He was breathing heavily and his long hair fell lank in a sweaty mess. He tripped as he stumbled to the fridge trying to find a drink. He opened a cupboard and grabbed a glass his hands still shaking with sweat from his dream.
A woman was bleeding and screaming as he held her daughter by the hair, a knife to her throat. A man in a business suit was stabbed in the side and died with an expression of shock still on his face. Zola was stood over him, injection ready...
The glass splintered in his metal grasp and shattered, spraying the kitchen in shards of glass. In shock, Bucky stepped backwards and felt a piece of cold glass slide into his foot. Grunting in pain, he sank to the floor his foot throbbing.
"Hey. You ok, man?" Sam's voice came cautiously out of the shadows.
Bucky didn't answer instead he pulled the glass out of his foot without a wince and set the bloody piece aside. The gash was trickling thick blood, but Bucky could neither feel nor care.
"Bad dream? Babadook getting to you?" Sam joked. Bucky sat ridged, still slumped on the floor.
"Or just fancied a midnight snack, huh?" Said Sam, moving towards Bucky. Although Steve swore by him, Sam couldn't help but remain cautious. I mean, this guy was a well-known deranged psycho, and, old friend or not, was still untrustworthy in Sam's eyes.
Sam caught sight of the bloody foot and glass, and suddenly felt a pang of pity.
"Oh shit, you ok?"
"Fine" Replied Bucky curtly, wishing more than anything that Sam would leave. His mind still buzzing with the images from his nightmares, or more accurately, his memories. He closed his eyes, but that merely worsened the stream of images still racing across his mind.
"Does it hurt, do you need anything?"
"No." Bucky replied, flatly.
"Can you even feel…?"
"No."
Sam considered him for a minute and then crossed to the beer fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer. Without speaking he offered one to Bucky.
"I don't drink."
"That's a lie." Snorted Sam.
"Soldat does not…"
"I'm not drinking with the solider. God no. Not that lunatic. I'm drinking with Bucky, right?"
Something flickered behind Bucky's eyes. Something human.
"Bucky" he repeated slowly. And as he said this, the images of the atrocities seemed to ebb away leaving a quietness in it's wake. "Bucky," he said again, more to himself than Sam.
He looked up and Sam was still holding out the beer, unsure as to whether Bucky would take it. Silently Bucky reached out and took it gratefully, opening the cap easily with his metal arm.
"Cheers," said Sam, extending his bottle and Bucky clinked it. "Here's to situations I never thought I'd be in."
"Agreed" acknowledged Bucky. Both men drank in silence for a while. Sam perched on top of the counter, occasionally glancing down at Bucky still slumped on the floor. The wound in Bucky's foot had almost completely healed itself. Although that didn't seem to be what was troubling the solider.
"The Steve thinks you're a good man." Said Bucky, breaking the silence suddenly.
"That's because he's sentimental and soft" laughed Sam, trying to push off the compliment.
"No, that's because you are a good man." Said Bucky monotonously from the floor, not looking at Sam.
"I think good is inherent in the whole superhero gig, you know. Along with the costume and all." Joked Sam again. Bucky's sudden sincerity was surprising him and making him feel distinctly awkward. He was fast running out of witty rejoinders.
Bucky sat in silence, taking another sip of beer.
"You know you're not a bad person yourself right? You saved lives back there, you're a hero, man."
"Maybe once…." Replied Bucky downing the rest of his beer and getting to his feet.
Sam opened his mouth to say something, but knew it would be no good.
Bucky headed to the door leading to the stairs and paused. Looking back at Sam, he said. "Thanks for the beer, Sam."
"Hey man, don't mention it."
"I won't," and with that he slipped back into the shadows and up the sitars.
Sam stood frozen for a moment. It had never crossed his mind how much Bucky must hate himself as much as everyone else in the world hated the Winter Solider. He sighed as he looked around the kitchen with the bloody glass still strewn across the floor. Sam suddenly noticed an ipod in the corner and picked it up.
Resigning himself that sleep wouldn't come soon, he too headed to bed, fixing the headphones in his ears and choosing shuffle. Something mellow and perhaps Russian started playing…
4.38am
Vision passed back into the kitchen once he was sure it was empty. Without pausing, he took the dustpan from under the sink and began to clean up the bloody glass. Just has he had almost every night since Bucky and arrived. Just has he vowed he would continue to do so long as the nightmare's persisted.
5.26am
The door to the kitchen burst open and in fell a very drunk Thor and Bruce Banner, almost toppling over each other.
Bruce, who was holding a pizza box staggered into the room, attempting to sit on the fancy modern counter-top stools before clumsily slipping onto the floor.
"These stools…. Why does Tony always have to have to the fancied - fanciest, modernist rubbish…?" Hiccupped Bruce and he opened the pizza box and took out a slice.
"Because he is a narcissist." Said Thor simply. Both looked at each other in the ensuring pause, before cracking up into fits of drunken, hearty laughter.
"My dear Bruce, there must come a day when you must visit me in Asguard"
"Well, I'd quite like to keep my feet on solid earth for now… especially as the world is so spin-y tonight," said Bruce, slurring his words slightly as he spoke.
"Nonsense" Boomed Thor, clapping Bruce on the back and sending him lurching forward. "I would be thrilled and honoured to show such a man of science all of Asguard's wondrous magic."
"Magic is just, is just science we don't understand. Just floofy-sparkly-whirly-wizardry… magic." Mumbled Bruce, trying to take another bite of pizza but inexplicably missing his mouth.
"You are also, truly a man of languages as well as science." Said Thor, looking impressed at Bruce, who was still struggling to eat the pizza slice. "And above all, a true friend."
"Likewise, Thor. God of Thunder and wassit…"
"Thor Odinson of Asguard" roared Thor proudly, smacking his chest and belching loudly.
"To us!" Bruce proclaimed offering his fist to Thor in a fist bump. Thor, confused at this gesture, shook the fist instead.
The pair sat on the floor for another half an hour as they talked about the stars, the Gods and all it's mysteries. It was just as Thor was beginning to recount the bifrosts creation, when Bruce's head lolled onto Thor's shoulder and he let out a huge snore.
Thor chuckled and stood up, picking up the sleeping Bruce and throwing him easily over his shoulder.
"Heh, Tiny Man."
Thor, with Bruce still slumbering over his shoulder, staggered to bed.
6.15am
Tony entered the kitchen stretching widely and rubbing his tired eyes.
He had done it. Update complete. The suit would now stand water pressure to up to 36,200 feet deep.
As Tony glanced out of the window, he could see the sun rising in over the New York skyline as dawn broke over the sprawling city.
"You're up early" came a cheerful voice. Steve entered the kitchen and began to do up his laces on the counter. "I thought I wold be the first one up this morning."
"Cap, why do you have to perpetually be in a good mood – it's quite frankly an insult to the rest of us who have to put up with it."
"Well, the early bird catches the worm, Stark" Replied the captain as he happily grabbed an apple from the bowl on the side, tossing it into the air and catching it with ease.
"Fancy coming for a jog around the park?"
"There is very little I would hate more."
"How about a sparring session?"
"My previous comment still stands."
"Well," said the captain, exasperated. "Can I fix you a coffee at least? I was thinking of having one before I go?"
Tony sighed. Well, he was up now...
"Sure" Tony replied.
Fun fact - the black coffee with a shot of espresso is the drink of choice of my friend who swears by it.
Please review if you can!