Instruction

KrislynGera: Yes! They had their first fight! I think a lot of people knew that was coming honestly, but let's be real, fights happen in relationships.

DarylDixon'sLover: Uh oh is right, my friend.

EllaoftheOpera: I love your enthusiasm- get into it all you want!

pineapplegoddess: Thank you very much! I used to just figure out my stories as I go, but now I find that planning out your plot ahead of time really helps you build a good arc!

Rohirrim Girl 2187: Your comment cracks me up, he did totally get burned!

Za: Thanks! I am sorry that I only post once a week (gotta keep you guys looking forward to the weekend somehow!), but if you want more to read, check out my other stories! I've got a new Voltron one going right now.

Love Fiction 2018: Thanks, friend!

guadalupe1992: Thank you and welcome!

I let the door shut without an answer, and then I turned around to look at James. My throat felt tight, and my eyes were stinging, but I could still get out, "If you seriously think that I'd be up to something with Steve, then you don't know a thing about me. He's been feeling incredibly lonely lately, and all I wanted to do was help him find someone. And if you don't believe me, then you can go talk to him yourself."

James opened his mouth to speak, but I left the room before he could.

Bruce jumped when the door slammed behind me. I could feel his eyes on me as I put on a lab coat, but I didn't say anything.

"Are you…okay?" he asked.

I wound a hair tie around my curls and huffed. "I'm fine."

He gave me a look that said he didn't believe me, but he sat down at a table regardless. He pushed a pair of latex gloves toward me, and I took my time putting them on. I watched him inspect the book, taking a moment to calm down and go into a more professional persona.

After a few minutes passed, I finally asked, "How'd you get it?"

Bruce glanced up at me. "I told Fury and Coulson about your idea, and they approved it. Had to pull some strings to get the book itself. They had it behind three titanium doors in the basement of the facility."

I tilted my head at Bruce. "But there isn't a basement."

"Correct," he winked. I caught his meaning instantly and couldn't help but grin. The doctor turned on an overhead light and pulled out a kit. I watched as he meticulously laid out a series of small tools on the stainless steel table, many of which I couldn't identify.

When I picked one up to look it over, Bruce cleared his throat. "Don't worry, I'll do all the inspection. This book has to be handled delicately. It was in Siberia for years- I'm honestly surprised it's still in tact." I hummed in agreement, my mind immediately flipping through all the files I'd read over the past few months. James' face appeared in my head, a sharp pain in my heart following suit.

Minutes passed as I watched Bruce go through the pages of the old book. Maybe it was my uncanny silence, or perhaps the fact that he was unbelievably perceptive to tension, but Bruce finally let out a sigh and said, "What's on your mind, Eliza?"

I wanted to avoid his question, ask him why he thought something was wrong, act like I hadn't heard him. That would've worked with Tony, but I knew better when it came to Bruce.

Sighing, I propped my elbows up on the table and set my chin down in my hands. "Do you really wanna know?"

He didn't look up from his work. "The question is, do you need someone to tell? I've been told that I'm a good listener, so I don't mind. And you know me— patient confidentiality and all that."

A small smile came onto my face. "Yeah, I know…I guess…" I trailed off, not sure where to start. "James and I have been having problems lately."

"What kind of problems?" Bruce prompted.

I shrugged. "Communication? I'm not sure."

The doctor turned around and put his hands around a microscope. "Well," Bruce grunted as he lugged it over to the counter. "You are a female, he is a male. There are bound to be some communication mistakes."

Groaning, I put my head down on the table. "I know that. It's not that kind of stuff…I don't think. It's just…I don't know, he's not very open with his emotions. And I guess that I should expect that, because he's a guy and with his past it makes sense, but sometimes it's just a bit frustrating because I can't get inside his head," I rambled.

Bruce glanced up at me warily. "Patience, Elizabeth. He's not going to be like normal guys. None of us are. That's why you were called in in the first place."

"I know," I sighed. "Most of the time it's fine, but recently it's been in the back of my mind a lot."

"So…what's the problem?" Bruce asked.

I stayed silent for a moment, watching as he carefully began to pull at the thread in the binding. James' words from half an hour ago echoed through my head, and I still couldn't make any sense of them.

Finally, I managed to swallow and say, "Well, we just had our first fight."

Bruce's hands paused. His eyes looked up, expression confused. "Over what?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" I exclaimed. "I can't figure out what happened. When I walked into breakfast, he was upset, so he pulled me into his room and started saying all this stuff about Steve and-"

A lightbulb went off in Bruce's eyes. "Oh I see. He's jealous."

I threw my hands up in the air and huffed. "I guess so. But it doesn't make any sense, why would he be jealous of Steve?" I heard a chuckle and looked up to see Bruce shaking his head. "What's so funny?"

Bruce's amused smile stayed on his face as he gave me a look that said it should be obvious. "Eliza, jealousy is entirely natural. It's a protective instinct, but also a sign of insecurity. Now, if you were in his shoes, and the person you love is— in your view— spending a lot of time with another man, how would that make you feel?"

"But that doesn't make sense," I said stubbornly. "I chose James, not Steve. If I wanted to be dating Steve, then I'd be dating Steve."

Bruce just shook his head again. "I know that makes sense from your view, Eliza, but put that aside. Let me set this up another way-" he started, coming around to stand directly in front of me. "I'm James— stop laughing, Eliza, be serious— and you're you. Now imagine one day, you walk into the common room back at the facility and see me talking to Wanda."

I shrugged. "Okay, and?"

The doctor fixed me with a look. "Let me finish, please. You walk in and see us talking— no big deal, right? No, but the next day, me and Wanda decided to take Benjamin out on a walk. You still say, well, that's fine, isn't it? They're just teammates getting to know each other. But then, you look over my shoulder the next day, and guess who I'm texting? Wanda. That's a bit annoying, isn't it? We're spending time together, shouldn't I be focusing on you? Then the next day-"

"Okay, I get it," I cut him off. The images he was creating were filling my head at a rapid pace, and I couldn't deny the uncomfortable twinge in my heart.

Bruce sat down on a stool and folded his hands in his lap. "Do you see? That's how he feels right now."

I nodded, unable to find the words to reply.

My heart was beating out of my chest, but I forced my shaky hand to knock on the door. The shuffling I'd heard before suddenly stopped, and I felt my mouth go dry. There was a moment of silence before any noise was heard again. The door opened, and I met blank blue eyes.

"Can I, um, can I come in?" I asked awkwardly.

James nodded, "Of course."

I wandered in slowly, feeling my hands twitch nervously as I sat down on the edge of the bed. I pulled my legs up to sit cross legged, staring down at my lap when he sat down next to me and mimicked my actions.

I took in a deep breath. "So…where do we begin?"

James swallowed. "I'm not sure," he admitted, his eyes meeting mine. There was a vulnerability in them, but one that I could tell he was uncomfortable with. "You know…you know I'm not good at this stuff, Eliza."

"I know," I smiled softly. "And that's okay. I just want to say that I'm sorry for making you jealous. I didn't mean to. I guess…I guess I didn't see how you could be."

James frowned. "I didn't want to be jealous…I've been fighting it off for a few weeks now."

I gazed up at him sorrowfully. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," he shook his head. "I should've told you. I guess…with everything that's happened, with everything I've done…" James trailed off, then shrugged. "Steve seems like a better option. You two get along great, and he's a really good guy…I guess I don't know why you'd go for someone like me."

A small smile made its way onto my face, and my hand reached up to play with his dark locks. The action seemed to calm him, and I watched as all the tension in his shoulders melted. His eyes closed, and he took in deep, slow breaths. After a moment, my hand moved to rest on his cheek. He opened his eyes only briefly before he leaned forward to gather me in his arms.

I buried my nose in his neck, taking in his comforting smell as I ran my fingers slowly up and down his back. We stayed like that for a few minutes, simply enjoying being in each other's presence once again. Finally, I brought my head up to look into his eyes.

"James, let me make something clear to you," I whispered. "If I wanted Steve, then I would go after Steve."

His eyes betrayed his fear, and I quickly leaned down to capture his lips with my own.

After a moment, we separated, and I placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "But I chose you," I murmured. "Okay? You're the one I love. Steve's just a close friend."

Understanding filled his eyes, and he nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry for arguing."

I gave him another peck on the lips. "I forgive you, sweetheart."

His mouth opened again, but he hesitated. "Just…just don't forget about me, okay? And I know you'll say you won't," he insisted, "but…please."

I nodded seriously. "I promise I won't, James. Just don't you forget about me."

He chuckled, "Never." We grinned, and our lips met sweetly.