And I am back!

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Okay, Ebony had to be honest. It was awkward when her new floor 'buddy' had showed her the floor.

She had followed suit in complete silence, and she expected him for her to just start kicking again, but then again had a feeling they both knew how that would end. Instead, Ebony had followed Bucky into the modern marble-lined elevator and memorised the floor number. 7, I have to remember that number, Ebony thought absently as the doors dinged and spread open.

In front of her was an astonishing sight. A large, almost the size of the one before, common room greeted them, the open space comforting yet... empty. A hallway to the right and in front of them was visible, and when Bucky had turned to the hallway on the right, she had followed again. She had felt like a puppy, a brand-new puppy who followed its owner around everywhere. She cringed inwardly, remembering her dislike for following rules. But if she wanted to live, she might just do it.

Finally, the duo stopped in front of a large, chestnut door. He turned to her, his expression blank, yet cocky, and finally broke the deafening silence.

"Well, here's your room. My room's across from yours." He pointed to a different door, just a few feet away. Ebony felt herself nod hollowly. With a final, small nod, he left her to it, and she found herself again, throwing the door open.

She was sure her pupils had dilated and lit up when she saw the inside. A large, blood-red leather couch greeted her sight, and it was seated before an inky coffee table, which was right behind a huge flatscreen TV. There was a plush, grey carpet on the dark wooden floors and Ebony had to stop herself from curling up there and just sleeping on the carpet. Instead, she walked past the small kitchenette and into the bedroom.

The bed was huge. In fact, she was certain it was double the size of the bed at her apartment. It was draped with plain, ivory sheets, the occasional splash of grey or silver accenting the bed. On top of said bed, her trusty, black duffel lay peacefully, a sight which made Ebony give another breath of relief. She rushed towards it, checking it and making sure all the belongings were inside.

She finally found what she'd wanted. My laptop. She hugged it, taking a whiff of her old apartment's scent, which was nothing like the lemony scent of this one. After momentarily hugging her laptop for what seemed like an eternity, she decided that she'd probably be staying here (as Tony had said so), so she began loading her clothes into the oak wood closets to find some spare clothes awaiting her already.

"Miss Embers?"

Ebony's head snapped up from her reverie. "Wha- yes?"

"Sorry to baffle you," the AI's clipped accent smoothly said over some hidden speakers. "I'd just like to inform you that Ms Maximoff and Ms Romanoff had the liberty of arranging some clothes for you to be met here," he said. "They are free for your use. The pyjamas are at the bottom drawer."

Ebony smiled, although she wasn't sure whether JARVIS could see. "Thank you."

She checked the bottom drawer, picking out some grey shorts and a black tank top and dubbed them as her temporary pyjamas. Then, she stepped into the bathroom, where she was met by luxurious marble floors, and had a quick shower. Ebony was used to the hot water running out easily, so she used as little of it as possible. Then, she put on the 'borrowed' clothes, and frowned at herself in the mirror. She was smaller than she thought. Strong, yes, but she had a rather flat chest and her curves were rather small for a 23-year old. However, she didn't ponder on it too much as she threw herself into the comforting bed, weary with exhaustion.


"Is this a fucking joke to you?!"

Ebony was lying on the floor, a cut from a bottle-shard when her mother had just thrown another whiskey bottle at her. Ebony cowered a bit, trying to crawl backwards into the wall. Her heart was stammering in her chest, and she was praying to any God she had heard about even though she wasn't religious.

Her curls flew about as she shook her head, her saucer-eyes still fixed on her livid mother. Her mother often got angry at her for no reason, but today's outburst was worse than usual.

Her mother backhanded her for a second time. Ebony winced and staggered away from her mother's sweeping hand. Fear and pain thrummed her heart, and she wondered how she was still alive.

"Answer me in words, you bitch!" Her mother screeched, now picking up a sharp-hilted knife. Ebony felt tears of terror sting her eyes, and she finally formed words. "N-no."

Her mother smirked triumphantly, but she began taking long strides towards her. Ebony curled in on herself as her mother came closer and closer. Finally, she grabbed Ebony by the shirt, ripping off the little fabric and revealing Ebony's milky-white skin.

"Maybe next time you'll answer me sooner," her mother whispered deviously, and then, the blade pierced her innocent skin until it didn't look so innocent anymore.


Ebony sat up and fell out of the bed in a tangle of sheets, gasping for breath as she wrestled with the blankets. She finally ripped them off, then curled into a foetal position, feeling sweat make her cold and clammy. Tears began mingling with that sweat, and Ebony continued gasping for breaths as she talked to herself through her mind.

Not real right now. Just a flashback.

Suddenly, she was crying and seeing black spots both at the same time. The lamps in her room flickered on and off, and she could hear them flick to life then die down behind that door as well. She shook like a leaf, feeling cold from the inside and out, as if someone had taken liquid nitrogen and poured it into her veins.

She was almost completely unaware that someone had burst through the door and rushed down to her until she felt a pair of hands hold her. Someone was rocking her back and forth, holding her gently as if she'd break. I'm already broken, she thought wryly but instead focused on calming her breathing. The person was mumbling something in her hair, words which Ebony couldn't string sentences out of but went along the lines of comfort. She lay still, until her vision fixed itself again and her ragged breathing had dialled down.

Now she was very aware of the pair of hands. First, they were definitely male, unless someone would like to tell her that Wanda or Natasha had been bodybuilding. Second, one of them felt colder than the others, and she almost began hyperventilating again when she realised the Winter Soldier was currently comforting her after a nightmare. Could it be? Maybe. After all, he lived the closest out of all the Avengers, but would he care? Ebony was surprised to find out that yes, he did care.

Finally, she looked up, seeing Bucky's face for the first time. His hair was a ruffled mess, eyes weary from most likely lack of sleep and he was only wearing a thin shirt, through which she could feel hard muscles through and sweatpants. Had she woken him up? Maybe. Good job, Ebony thought grimly. Waking up the neighbours already.

After fluttering her lashes a few times, Ebony could finally make words out of Bucky's before blurred sentences. "Ebony?" He asked, with a soft raggedness his voice didn't have before. "Are you okay?"

Unsure of how to reply, she replied, "Did I wake you?"

Bucky smiled down at her. How he was already starting to feel something strange for this girl, he was unsure. Instead of saying so, he shook his head. "No."

Ebony nodded contentedly. She was beginning to tire down from the adrenaline, he thought, but changed his mind when the girl asked, "Did I cause a power surge?"

"Well, no," he replied softly. "You did screw up the lights a bit. But JARVIS called me."

"JARVIS called you?" Ebony raised an immaculate eyebrow at him.

"He said you were in distress," he explained quickly, glancing over her shoulder.

"Well, he wasn't wrong," Ebony conceded, and feeling awkward, Bucky let go of her. Ebony smiled, a tired smile, and picked up the sheets strewn all over the floor. "Thanks for swinging by anyway."

Bucky smiled for the second time that night. "My pleasure, doll."

She turned around, a look of shock on her face. "'Doll'?"

He smirked his casual smirk, beginning to take his leave. "Well, you are one, aren't you?"

And with that, he swung the door shut.

Leaving a very confused Ebony behind those closed doors.


The next morning, Ebony had been unsure of where to eat breakfast, but then found the help of JARVIS, which guided her up to the common area where Natasha and Wanda were currently sitting at their own breakfast.

When Ebony had entered the large common floor again, both girls turned their heads, and on each one, a smile appeared. Black Widow got out of her pale chair and guided Ebony towards breakfast with a grin. When she had asked what the smile is about, Natasha only smiled and said, "We needed another girl on the team, so it's good to see one so soon." Ebony, of course was very confused at the word 'team', considering the fact that she wasn't an Avenger... yet. Yet? Was there a yet?

With her breakfast plate finally set with what she wanted to eat, she decided to join the girls, because she felt they were nice. They both clearly understood how discomforting this must be, and Wanda also profusely apologised for Pietro's behaviour yesterday.

"Pietro can be... impulsive at times," she had explained sheepishly, casting a glance over to where he was currently sitting with the other men on the team. Pietro returned the smile along with a flirtatious wink at the girls. At whom it was directed, Ebony didn't exactly know. But considering Tony, Bruce, Steve and Bucky seemed to have given him dirty looks, it could be- nope, never mind.

"And flirty," Natasha added as she scooped up another heap of her meal. Ebony nodded with a nervous grin, not really sure how to say it. She'd never been with any men in her life, because her father had died at the age of three and she never had any boyfriends. This, Ebony thought in shock. Is completely new.

It seemed as if Wanda had read her mind - which, by finding out her powers yesterday, she probably did - because the next thing Ebony knew was that Wanda put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You've never been around many men, have you?" She asked, with a ghost of a smile tracing her lips. Ebony shook her head, but not too hard, she didn't want to upset her curls which she had brushed down this morning. "Don't worry," Natasha added, also putting one small, but calloused hand on Ebony's left hand. "You'll be fine."

Ebony smiled a hesitant smile, but then it grew. She felt a warm, fuzzy feeling spreading in her chest, and felt like she belonged. But the next statement made her blush beet-red.

"I have a feeling some of them already have the 'hots' for you," Wanda added mischievously, putting air quotes on 'hots'. She gave a pointed look the men's directions, and Ebony almost fell out of her chair. One. Fucking. Night. I've been here one night and apparently someone already likes me! Just. Great.

"Wha- No." Ebony felt the edge of denial in her voice, and it was a desperate one, but she didn't want to believe someone already likes her. Natasha and Wanda burst out laughing, then they both returned to their meals.

"You've got a lot, to learn Ebony."


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