The next few days had John settling into a routine, training in the morning and lessons with Thor in the afternoon, the rest of the day was spent on whatever John choose, which was mainly going over what Thor had given him or exploring the Tower/New York. John had spent another evening with Happy just watching TV and discussing normal things.
Interaction with the other Avengers was another thing entirely. John and the Avengers seemed to just tip toe around each other, both sides unsure how to approach one another. Pepper was the only one willing to extend a branch to John, making sure to invite him to the communal dinners when she was in the tower. John made sure to go to all of these but the dinners had a strained note to them. The Avengers tried to be friendly but were trying to not say anything to offend the British man like they had the first night. But not knowing anything about John, they usually said nothing at all. John mostly played with the food, he wanted to bridge the gap, but he didn't know what to do. There was little common ground he could talk about with these remarkable people. Just listening to Tony and Bruce talk about their work made his head hurt. Clint and Natasha seemed fit to ignore him, if they did talk it was mainly to each other and that was held in Russian. Steve was the one who tried the most to talk to John, but being from the 1940's and still trying to catch up with the times.
Tony seemed even more determined to find out who he was since that night on the couch. If it wasn't for Jarvis locking him out, Tony would already have gone through his stuff. John was extremely grateful to Jarvis for that, he wasn't ready to open his past to these people. Plus he wouldn't want to explain why he had a real life skull on his bedside table. As it was John was lucky to have escaped any further nightmares during these past few days, but he knew that it wouldn't last.
John was training with Natasha on his fifth day at the Tower when he caught her off guard and sent her slamming into the edge of the table that held the water. The table crashed under the extra weight. John quickly went to her side as she sat up, blood was already gushing down the side of her head. John quickly slipped into Doctor mode, assessing the cut and ignoring the glare Natasha was sending him and the slight flinches from where he touched her.
John pressed his lips together, "You need stitches" he said.
"I'm fine" Natasha said dangerously, blood dripping down the side of her face.
"You are going to get stitches" John rephrased. "Now you can either come willingly or do I have to drag you to the med level."
Natasha's gaze bore into his eyes; her eyes were chips of ice as the stared into his. He had to give her props; he felt a genuine twinge of fear run down his spine at it. But he knew that if he gave in and allowed her to walk away; she would always walk over him. So he forced himself to meet her gaze and hold it. Faster than what he expected, Natasha picked herself off the ground and headed to the elevator without a word. John was quick to pick himself up and follow her.
No words were said by either when they arrived at the Med level and Natasha led him to a room and sat down on the paper covered seat.
John tried to ignore the feeling of being a rat in front of a Viper as he walked around the room. John knew that any wrong move with this woman could be his last as he prepared the numbing agent after locating all the equipment required for stitching. John wasn't surprised when she didn't flinch when the needle entered her skin. Or when he used alcohol swabs to quickly whip away the blood and clean out the wound. The cut was high on her forehead, and easily could be hidden by Natasha's hair. But John made sure that he made the stitches as tiny as possible to avoid any scarring.
As he stitched, John made sure every time he touched her it was in a professional way. He never lingered as he stitched. He made sure to be as quick as possible, so that six tiny stitches later he was done.
"There, all done" he said turning to pack up the instruments. When he turned around it, John was amazed to see the red head already gone. He hadn't even heard her get off the paper cover, a great feat in itself. John quickly gathered his things and left, heading to his floor to wash up before Thor's lessons.
On her own level Natasha looked at the stitches in thought. She had expected Dr. Watson to be like other Doctors. The ones in the Red Room and Shield never used pain killers, knowing she could take it for such a simple wound. But Dr. Watson had made sure she was numb before stitching. He also did not linger, didn't try to force his touch on her more than what was necessary. Natasha had never had a Doctor like him, and she had to admit that he did a better job on her stitches then what Clint would have done.
For minor wounds, the two assassins only trusted each other to help them. Natasha had expected the Doctor to fold in the staring contest but it had been a shock when he hadn't folded. That was the only reason she allowed it. If he had cowered away she would have left without a second thought. But Watson held his ground, maybe he wasn't as useless as he seemed.
"Watcha working on Cap?" asked Tony leaning over the man's shoulder catching sight of a pair of life-like eyes staring back at him.
Cap quickly shut his sketch book, he never showed anyone his sketches until they were finished. "Nothing in particular" he tried to say, but Steve was still terrible at lying.
Tony smiled but didn't call Steve out.
"So any news on the Watson front?" asked Steve curious to see if Tony had made any improvement.
Tony scowled and then sighed. "No, it's very frustrating."
"You can always try to old fashion way" teased Steve scratching the back of his head.
"That always the last resort my friend. But seriously, that dudes like a brick wall, can't get anything out of him. Even you, you try at dinner, but besides a few words do you know anything about him?" demanded Tony nudging Steve in the ribs.
Steve sighed but had to agree. The most he had ever gotten out of John was the night he caught him after a nightmare. That was the only time John Watson had let his guard down low enough to be slightly vulnerable. Steve couldn't help but wonder what happened to John Watson that he built so high of walls around himself. When John didn't notice someone looking as he watched the team interact, it was obvious that he wanted to join in. He looked at the easy comradery with such a longing Steve felt slightly sorry for John.
Steve could relate to John, he knew what it was like to be thrust into a strange place full of people he couldn't relate to. The Battle of New York had brought the Avengers together, made them a family. John didn't have that, he was thrust onto a group of people who didn't trust easily. But as soon as Steve or any other Avenger tried to get closer to the British man, a set of walls slammed down around him it seemed. Almost if he was afraid to get close to any of them. Steve had seen this during the war, men completely closing themselves off so not to get hurt when another buddy died on the front line. John was a soldier on the front line and he was afraid of the Avengers getting close because he was afraid of losing them.
"Cap, he Cap, you still with me?" asked Tony. Steve had been staring off into la-la land for five minutes.
Steve shook his head, "Yeah, just thought of something about John."
"Ooooh, care to share?" asked Tony.
Steve hesitated, it didn't feel quite right to reveal John's nightmare and the aftermath. "Not right now"
"Alright, keep your secrets Spangles, I have science to do" announced Tony jumping from the couch. "Because science waits for no man! Except for Tony Stark!"
Steve shook his head and chuckled, he couldn't believe that he once thought Tony was an arrogant man. But it was time like these that Steve realized how wrong he was. Still smiling Steve opened his sketchbook and gazed at John's eyes and wondered. Who had the man lost that made him so afraid to open himself up to new people?
Sherlock scowled at the computer. After many hours of slogging through files and footage Sherlock finally had some answers to his many questions. Mycroft had allowed John to go with a member of Shield! How could he do that!
Sherlock should have knew Fatcroft would screw something up. But what frustrated Sherlock the worst was the reason why Shield had been interested in John. Even hacking into Mycroft files resulted in no answers.
No Sherlock would have to go to the source, this Agent Phil Coulson. The man in the suit that lead John out of England to parts unknown. Sherlock found a little information on the man, the most relevant was that the man had been reported dead before the Battle of New York, but it apparently this information was false. Or Coulson had the same idea Sherlock had. Die to protect the people he cared about, or to pull the Avengers together? Either way it didn't matter. All that he cared about was finding out if John was alright. But Mycroft seemed to keep the information off of even his personal files. Though it would seem that Mycroft was the reason why so many of his targets were disappearing. Mycroft was having Shield work on the Moriarty problem.
It would seem that he would have to meet with the man face to face. But first he would research Coulson and his team and see what skeletons lay in their closet.