A/N: Hehe! New chapter guys :) For those who are dying inwardly, the kiss is coming sooner than you think ;) Keep looking out for it and reviewing. Enjoy!
Steve waited patiently outside of the lab for Kennedy and Bucky to come out. What was he going to say to Bucky? What was there left to say? Was his eagerness to help his friend only going to push him away? Strange exited the lab, typing away absently on his tablet without acknowledging him, followed by Kennedy who was wearing a big white shirt thing (suddenly making him a master of eye contact). Bucky was right behind her and they stopped in their tracks when he got their attention with a nervous cough. The ragged and tired man before them looked at him uncertainly and Kennedy gave him a knowing and encouraging look before going to the living room, leaving him visibly unsettled.
"You know we won't hurt her, right?" Steve broke the ice. Bucky's steely eyes searched his for any sign of deception before nodding slowly.
"I'm really glad you're here. I've been looking everywhere for you. Both of you."
"Why?" Bucky asked lowly. He crossed his arms, as if putting up a defense. Steve felt a pang in his chest, thinking of what HYDRA did to him to make him think that his friends weren't out there; as if why would anyone care about a machine? He sadly admitted to himself that the old Bucky was gone; the one that was somewhat cocky, confident and…happy. But it didn't mean that he wasn't worth saving. The caged and damaged man before him still had a chance.
"Because you are my friend, Buck. Whether you accept that or not, it's fine with me. It doesn't change the fact that you saved my life. You didn't have to but you did anyway, and that means something." The soldier pondered Steve's words. 'Just think of it as closure if you want. Or you can do the unexpected,' Kennedy's words from earlier echoed in his mind. The man who stood before him wasn't always like this, as he vaguely recalled a littler version of him; fighting those much bigger than him. He tried so hard, being so relentless in…helping him when he didn't even deserve it. While he trusted no one but Kennedy, a distinct gut feeling arose, like the ones he experienced when he realized something. It was the feeling of truth and sincerity. Steve Rogers really wanted to help him. But could he let him? '…you can do the unexpected'.
What came next was in fact unforeseen. Steve was undeniably expecting Bucky to reject him, to leave after this encounter but he found himself gaping at his friend who nodded in response to his proclamation, after moments of consideration. Steve regained his composure and didn't hide the grateful smile from gracing his face. The two wordlessly made their way to the living room where the Avengers were scattered and Kennedy was chatting with Tony and Banner. Steve wasn't surprised; it seemed that Tony and Banner were no longer a dynamic duo since a trio was inevitably forming. Science brought people together he supposed.
"I can't believe that you have the newest quinjet! Since the energy and fuel comes from the arc reactor, I always wanted to use its cells to power an entirely new space station. Imagine using just a handful of those. This is brilliant," Kennedy beamed at her two friends, two men she admired and respected in the scientific community. Banner found a smile on his face inevitable as she prattled on about complex things that only the three of them understood. He was pleased that promising talent at such a young age did not go to waste in this day and age where others preferred to 'whip and nae nae' unfortunately. Tony continued to assess her with a knowing eye that Kennedy didn't notice. However, Bruce knew it indicated that Tony approved of her. He betted 100 bucks that Tony would ask her to stay here and possibly work with him in the future. Tony saw the opportunity and he took it.
"Alright, gang, new plan. Looks like the elf and her Pitbull are going to be staying with us for a while. I don't know for how long, but they have valuable intel that could help us take down the rest of HYDRA. You two get your own floor above this one, so keep it down ok?" Tony cracked. Bruce hid a smirk; there it was, the approval accompanied with wise cracking remarks. He thought that these bets should have started becoming tangible. Kennedy blinked several times at the last comment while the soldier didn't quite understand what he meant.
"Elf, Pepper left some stuff for you to wear for the time being. I almost forgot! Since you two are literally like a magnet and metal, Strange suggested that we start the psychological testing tonight. Kennedy sleeps alone." The soldier didn't like that; they always slept in the same room. What was this test really proving? If the soldier's insomnia worsened? They always slept better together. Kennedy didn't like it either but shrugged sadly at him. He nodded, shooting daggers at Tony and Strange who wasn't even in the room. It was like HYDRA separating them all over again which made his heart speed up; just being here made everything worse. Kennedy saw his agitation and came right up to him.
"Hey, Grumpy. Don't worry. Tony told me that the rooms are right next to each other. I'll even sneak in to see you so we can make fun of their ridiculous uniforms," she explained and he lightly scoffed at her little joke. They silently went to their respective floor which was separated by a flight of glass stairs. The white and grey colour scheme reminded Kennedy of her flat in Chelsea and the layout was also similar. It had two bedrooms, the doors facing each other, a living room with a huge TV and a kitchen on the side. She liked it; it was cozy and simple for the two of them.
Kennedy went about choosing her room and waved at him goodnight. The soldier sulkily went to the other room but stopped when he heard a cough behind him. He slowly turned on his heel to see a stone cold Tony Stark, gazing at him with his hands behind his back. The soldier's hand itched towards the .45 in the back of his pants.
"Steady, Pitbull. I wanna talk," he conveyed. The soldier scrutinized his intentions as Stark stepped closer. The two simply glared at each other, both gaging what the other was going to do. The silence rang piercingly in the soldier's ears and his fists started to clench in discomfort. He could have easily taken this short, smug and weak man down within a matter of seconds but he didn't only for Kennedy's sake. This man opened up his home and provided assistance to her alone so he tried his best to cooperate. However, this restraint was hanging on a very thin thread.
"You killed my parents," Stark said lowly. The soldier couldn't help but flinch at the dead sound of it; the finality. Guilt slowly crept up on him in form of goosebumps, similar to those he experienced when he was taken out of cryo freeze. Shame shook through him as he couldn't even recall who he murdered, even though someone would have considered it a blessing not knowing who he hurt. This man before him was going to make him pay, and he wondered if he would let him. Redemption was overrated and something close to a fantasy with regards to what he had done over the past 70 years. Stark said nothing else, staring at him with a chilling silence and suspense. Finally he spoke up.
"One day you will answer for what you did to my family. Don't forget that. Brainwashed or not, it doesn't change a thing, understand? I'm letting you breathe because of the girl sleeping in the other room. I think we can agree that she's a good kid. She needs you and she keeps you in check. But if you slip up once, it's bye-bye Robocop. We clear?"
The soldier admired his courage. This man knew he could kill him but it didn't stop him from establishing a rocky truce and its boundaries. He stiffly nodded and turned on his heel, stalking towards his room.
Banner observed how tired Kennedy was since she literally dropped on her bed and immediately fell asleep. The energy outputs were being monitored on thermal imaging as well as brain waves and heart rates. Her levels spiked out of the blue frequently and her heartbeat was slightly irregular but nothing to immensely worry about. His attention moved towards a mobile that she put on her desk, as it fell off the surface and onto the floor. Banner scribbled down notes on his tablet. So her inability to sleep peacefully was manifesting itself in moving objects; she couldn't control it. He above all people knew what it was like. When he and Tony were speaking with her earlier, at the brief mention of her ability she seemed a bit...ashamed. He didn't want her to end up like him; after all she was a brilliant girl and Tony even mentioned that she could be their love child because of how charismatic she was. Banner wanted to help her; in order to prevent being another time bomb, another Hulk. He would help her in any way he could. She reminded him of himself right after his accident; finding her a kindred spirit.
The soldier stared at the door as if it were the most menacing and malevolent force he had ever come across. The softness of the bed, the rhythmic ticking of the clock and overall peace of the room juxtaposed with the instability and unsettled jitters of his mind and body. Sleep was officially nonexistent for him, not knowing if Kennedy was really safe. Steve gave him his word but he stubbornly believed that threats were everywhere. He wished she were here with him, remembering the late night coversations about mundane things, extraordinary science, always ending with a reassurance from each other that they would keep the other safe from harm. He glanced at the empty space next to him and huffed. How dare they separate them?
Unknown to him, Kennedy woke up at 3 in the morning, not being able to fall back to sleep. Grumpy's absense made her feel out of her element, strange and incomplete. So much time in each other's constant presence made them accustomed to it. Being alone was odd. She shook her head, 'screw it.' She threw on a sweater she found in the closet, still haven't met Ms. Potts yet to thank her for her generosity and crossed the hallway into Grumpy's room. She didn't bother to knock since she knew he was still up. She could feel his eyes on her as she went to the other side of the bed and flopped down next to him unceremoniously. His head was turned to her in relief as well as curiosity.
"What is it?" He asked her.
"I could ask you the same thing," she yawned. The soldier saw that his anxiety due to her absence was painfully obvious.
"I can't sleep without you," he admitted quietly. He closed his eyes briefly and opened them when he heard her chuckle softly.
"Me either," she sighed. She felt very odd suddenly with Grumpy beside her. This little moment suddenly became more intimate with their declarations. Her heartbeat increased slightly and she admitted to herself that, yes, she had a tiny crush on Grumpy. He was like no one she ever had the pleasure of knowing, her pain was his pain and they adored each other. But she deemed her attraction to him as inconsequential. It definitely was not the time. So for the time being, she decided to be herself.
"What about the test?" he asked. Honestly, damn the test, he thought bitterly. As if reading his mind, she scoffed, saying…
"Screw it. Tomorrow."
"I'm bored. Want to play a game?" she asked him randomly after a few moments. Her head was turned to him and she got butterflies in her stomach at the childlike and innocent expression he conveyed. He was not acclimatized to leisure activities but slowly and surely he was becoming human again. His inclination to try and encounter new things made him stand out from others. She admired that about him as guys these days lacked that trait, only settling for what they could come by, by chance.
She rolled onto her stomach and pulled out a deck of cards that she found in her room. Grumpy was on his side as he watched her take out the cards and shuffle it expertly. She smiled at him.
"I'm not usually the optimist, Grumpy, but I think we'll be alright," she said in a pleasant tone. The soldier surveyed her and concluded that as long as they were together, they would be.