The first thing that Bruce noticed that very morning was an eerie feeling. He couldn't put a finger on it, but something wasn't right. Something in his gut told him that. And he had long since learned to listen to his gut.
By the time he had gotten his second cup of coffee and newspaper, Steve returned from his morning run and Nat walked in, half asleep. While letting the coffee to be made, Nat started preparing for breakfast. Thor filtered in. about 30 minutes later, Steve returned to the communal, freshly showered and Nat sent him to get Clint who was still sleeping.
the two returned after a few minutes and Nat started serving out the breakfast
"What's this?" Clint sleepily poked the food on his plate
"Cheddar, bacon and spinach egg casserole" Nat muttered
Clint hummed
It was then Bruce noticed the lack of Starks (not a surprise) and Mia. Okay, that's weird; the three being absent at the same time. And he didn't remember Mia telling him, or anyone, that she would be going out. and it wasn't like her to sleep in so long.
"Are the Starks not coming?" Thor asked
Bruce furrowed his brows. Okay, Tony would have at least vaguely mentioned something if he was heading out.
"and Mia?" Steve added "She wasn't in her room"
"You didn't hear it? Last night?" Clint asked, now seemingly wide awake
"Hear what?" Bruce asked
Clint blinked
"They live two floors down, Clint. They wouldn't have" Nat muttered
Bruce looked at her in suspicion. Sure he chose the lowermost of the living floor, just in case and it was closer to the labs. Thor and Steve lived above his floor; Thor wasn't around much so he opted not to have a whole floor for himself. Then were the spies, over them, below Mia. The top was Tony and Rose below him, above Mia's floor.
"Did something happen last night?" Steve asked, worried
"Last night, around midnight, Rose screamed awake."
Bruce's eyebrows hit his hairline. he shared a worried glance with Thor and Steve before looking at Clint to continue
"She woke me up. I first thought it was Nat, so I went to check on her. She was fine, but then Rose screamed again so we rushed to her floor to check it out"
"She was screaming her guts out" Nat added, sympathy and worry very very audible "If I didn't know better, I'd have said she was getting murdered or something"
Okay, it wasn't like Rose. If one thing they all knew about the Starks- they both hated being vulnerable in front of everyone but each other and the people they trusted the most.
"She was having night terrors?" Thor asked before Bruce could
"We guess" Nat responded "When we went there, she was full-blown crying and..." she exhaled "Tony was holding her, rubbing her back. Mia and Pepper were there too. They were telling her stuff, trying to calm her down. I swear, I've never seen Pepper or Tony so worried."
"Rose looked worse than any of us would have ever seen. She was latched on Tony like he was her lifeline." Clint inhaled sharply. Rose was his little sister in all but blood. and it worried him to see her so broken. Worried him that he couldn't help her
Nat wasn't better either. Rose was one of the strongest people on the planet. And to see her like that, afraid of mere dreams, it stirred something inside her. Something she would never like to feel ever again.
"When Pepper saw us, she asked us to give them a little space. We came back to our rooms. We don't know what happened after that" Clint continued
"I went to check on Rose early morning. Her room was empty. So was Tony and Pepper's" Nat said "I tried asking JARVIS, but he assured me that they were all fine and needed some time and space"
It was abrupt. But then when it came to Rose, Tony would drop anything and everything to help her. So it wasn't surprising that the two left in the middle of the night, following what apparently happened. Mia and Pepper weren't a surprise either. They both were extremely loyal to both the Starks
"Bruce?!"
"huh?"
Bruce found everyone looking at him
"You okay?" Nat asked
"Yeah. Sorry, I zoned out. What did you say?"
"Did Tony ever mention something about Rose's nightmares?" Clint asked
"Uh..No. No, he didn't. Trust me, I'm just as shocked and surprised as you all are"
"Midnight, you say, Barton" Thor made a thinking face "Does 2nd of May mark any importance?"
Bruce thought. None that came to his mind. others were equally clueless
"That's not even that worries me," Nat said with a grunt "Rose is an occlumens. She shouldn't be this traumatized with nightmares"
"Rose is what?" Bruce asked
"Occlumens" Nat repeated "Magical people who have strong mental barriers. They are incredible at compartmentalizing their emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Occlumens usually don't suffer from nightmares. And for how long I've known her, this has never happened"
Steve bit his lower lip, pushing his food around his plate. He knew that he wasn't the only one on the team who suffered from bad nightmares. There had been instances where he woke up in the middle of the night, hyperventilating and sweating. Mostly they were from the second World war and the time he lost Bucky, but some of them even had to do with the alien invasion. usually, he woke up thinking of Bucky and taking his name and a thought struck him
"Was she saying something?" he asked. He hoped, if she did, it would help the team figure out what caused her to scream in sleep
Clint and Nat exchanged a look
"Guys?" Steve prodded
Nat pressed her lips in a line and Clint exhaled
"She just kept on repeating one thing." Clint said "' He killed him. He killed her. He killed them'. Just kept on repeating it"
"Who are those?" Thor asked
"We don't know" Nat replied
"Did anyone in her family get..." Bruce inhaled sharply "murdered?"
"That's the thing" Clint replied "We don't know anything about her family other than Tony and Weasleys. Last I checked, they all were pretty alive"
"She wouldn't say something like that out of context" Steve added "Bruce is right. Something happened that caused that reaction. Something that happened years ago but still terrorizes her"
"Something terrorizes Rose Stark?" Clint scoffed "the girl who could and probably would tell the Devil to fuck off. Are we talking of the same girl here, Cap?"
Everyone's lips twitched upwards. People had a 'Devil may care' attitude. Rose was one step ahead with her 'I don't care if Devil cares. He should fucking mind his own fucking business' attitude
"Anyone tried calling them?" Bruce asked
"I did" Nat nodded "Rose and Tony's phones are switched off. Mia and Pepper's are going to voicemail. I've tried since morning. The four just...disappeared"
"What about their burner phones?" Steve asked
"Same" Nat sighed "I'm worried"
She was worried about her friends, her family. It wasn't often she claimed people as hers, but once Natasha Romanoff claimed someone, she'd kill for them without any question or doubt.
"Agent Romanoff, I assure you that Sir, Miss, Ms. Potts, and Ms. Granger are fine. They currently at one of Ms' properties and just need some time and space to sort themselves" JARVIS curtly butted in
"this is the same response I got this morning" Nat grunted in irritation
"Can you tell what exactly happened, JARVIS?" Bruce asked, hoping that the AI would at least let something slip
"I'm afraid I'm not at the liberty to discuss the previous night's incident, Dr. Banner"
"Okay," Bruce sighed. Stubborn AI
"Since we are getting nowhere, I believe our best option would be to let them be," Thor said
And they all reluctantly agreed.
The whole day, there was nothing from the four. Clint later informed them that he had George's phone number. Nat smacked him for not telling it earlier. When Clint called George to ask about it, George(just like JARVIS) assured them that they are all fine and just needed some time and space. He parroted the same thing!
The only thing he let slip was that something terrible happened with Rose on 2nd May years ago. Steve was right. Whatever it was, it still scared her.
Though the rest of the team didn't press into it further, they exactly hadn't let it go either. Rose, Tony, and Mia were part of the team. And Pepper was everyone's friend. Naturally, they were all worried.
Around 10 PM, something finally happened. Bruce, who was going through some projects he was doing for SHIELD, looked up when he heard the elevator open. All five of them were at the communal, so it had to be one of the four.
And to their luck, it was Mia. She quietly entered, trying to be as small as possible but stopped once she felt five pairs of eyes on her. She sighed loudly and gave them all a weak smile
"Are you okay?" Clint asked first, checking over her with a critical eye
"I'm good. Thanks for asking" she said
"Okay," Steve nodded "What's going on? Where are Ro-"
"Steve, I'm sorry, but I'm gonna stop you right there" Mia took a step forward.
Nat frowned a little as she looked over their handler. Mia's entire posture screamed defensive. They better take the right steps or Mia would close like a clam and wouldn't tell them anything
"Rose and Tony are fine. Whatever happened last night..." she exhaled sharply "Please give them some t-"
"Time and space?!"
Everyone turned to look at Clint, who surprisingly seemed very irritated and angry. Mia frowned
"Because that's the same bullshit we've been hearing since last night!"
Nat looked at Mia. While she knew Clint wouldn't do anything dangerous to hurt anyone, she couldn't say the same about the witch
"What do you want me to say, Clint?" Mia asked, quite calmly, but a stern expression on her face
Clint took a couple of steps forward "We want you to talk about what is goi-" he demanded
"Barton" Thor tried to hold Clint back but Clint jerked him off and took another step forward
"-ing on. We know something's wrong with Rose. She's part of the team. She, Tony and you. And we all are fucking worried about all three of you!"
"What's your point?" Mia asked after a pregnant pause
"My point is we all want to know what the fuck scared Rose Stark so bad that she woke up screaming bloody murder! We fucking deserve to know because we are worried out of our skins!"
Mia inhaled sharply and Nat knew, Clint had crossed the line.
Mia's shoulders straightened and her eyes narrowed. She took a single step forward
"Do any of us ever ask about your past before you joined SHIELD?" she asked, her voice weirdly calm, and Clint froze. He didn't say anything but everyone knew Mia touched a nerve. But they all knew better than to interfere. Clint had it coming after what he said
"Do we ask, no demand, why you got on SHIELD's radar in the first place? Why Nick Fury took you under his wing?"
Clint exhaled quite sharply and clenched his jaw
"Have Tony or Rose ever asked about Missouri before Rose accidentally got to know?"
Nat's eyes widened at that. Rose and Tony knew about Missouri?
"They are your teammates and you are worried about them, I understand. I do, Clint. But some things are better unknown. Take it from me, who's known the Starks more than all of you combined. They need to be left alone right now." she took another step forward and at that moment looked way fiercer and protective than any one of them had ever seen her "You don't know what the fuck they are going through. Don't demand things like you fucking own this place. You don't. So for all our sakes, back the fuck off"
Clint didn't say anything. None of them did.
"I was under the assumption that it was an unspoken rule to not talk about our past lives. If that is, don't ask the questions. Trust me, you won't like the answers"
Mia glared at them before she turned to head towards the staircase. She stopped at the bottom and looked at them for one last time
"Rose and Tony are sensible adults. They'll be back soon, when they'll feel like it. Just when they do, don't demand things as you did right now. I can't predict how badly that would screw up this team. Give them space and time. They need it the most. And your support" with that she turned back and jogged upstairs
Silence and tension were so thick, Nat could cut with a butter knife.
Clint just turned and went back to the couch and sat down, arms crossed
"You crossed the line, Clint" Nat finally said, earning a glare from the archer
"She's right" Steve added "We all are worried about them, but it's not our place to demand to know their secrets"
Clint sighed in irritation and ran his hands over his face
"Are you okay, Barton?" Thor sat next to the archer and comfortingly squeezed his shoulder
"I...N-No. No, I'm not okay" Clint sighed and looked at them all "You weren't there last night. You didn't see her. You didn't see how broken and vulnerable she looked. How she was mourning and...something was different about her. About the things, she was saying. She looked so small..." he exhaled and ran his hands over his face again as Thor squeezed his shoulder
"Rose faced a crazed homicidal Norse God without a flick of fear. She fought an alien invasion. She got kidnapped and was used as Killian's lab rat and made it out. She faced Doom without any of us for backup. And not once did she back down or give up. Not once did she lose her shit. Admit it," he looked at them all "We all lost our shit one point of time ever since we got together. Even Tony lost his shit. Rose didn't. She kept it together, inside her, dealing with it all by herself the whole time and smiled. Not even once..." he huffed "And it scares me to think that something could scare her so bad." Clint exhaled and clasped his hands under his chin "You didn't see her the way I did. It physically hurt me to see her so...like that." he sniffed "She's the youngest of us. She's just 23, yet she's the sanest. And..." he grunted and tsked
"Tony and Rose never questioned things about us and I appreciate it. They gave us a place to live, unlimited services to use, customized weapons, a family. But whenever one of us was down or upset, they were there, for us. They both were there for me." he looked at them "After everything the Starks have done for us, the least we could do is help them and be there for them. But how are we supposed to do that if they won't let us?"
Everyone exchanged a look. While Clint was wrong to demand things, most of what Clint just said made some sense.
Bruce sighed and sat on the other side of Clint "Rose did lose her shit once, Clint. Tony told me. She's youngest, yes, but she's still like us. Even she has her limits. She's not invincible"
Thor nodded and squeezed Clint's shoulder "I'm sure they understand. And they will confide into us when they'll want us to know. Apart from hoping they get well soon, we can't do anything here. We can't pressure them, Barton. As Lady Mia said, all we can do is support them when they get back and give them their space to recover"
Steve nodded in agreement.
Nat bit her lip as she looked over the boys "I should check on Mia"
"Okay" Steve nodded at her and she made her to way to Mia's room
Mia sat on her desk, holding her forehead. Last night was pretty horrible on her, Tony and Pepper. She thought Rose was getting better. But then again, rose won't tell her anything if it concerned her well-being. Mia sighed. She hadn't meant to blow up on Clint but...she was stressed and worried and Clint just pushed her buttons.
She understood him. If this was the exact scenario in school, she would have demanded things from Rose the same way. Hell, she had demanded things from her in the same way, pushed her buttons, forced her to tell the truth. But this was different. They didn't know Tony and Rose the way she did. The Starks were a lot of things. Broken beyond repair was one of them. And after everything they had done for her, she'd do anything to keep them safe.
Mia got up with a grunt, pulled a drawer and took out a bottle of Advil. She swallowed two pills with a glass of water. She'd think about the mess later, including apologizing to Clint for saying things she shouldn't have. Right now, Starks were her priority.
She got up when she heard a knock on her door
"It's open" she called. The door opened and Nat entered
she gave her a small comforting smile ad she sighed, settling back on the chair. Nat closed the door and leaned against it, ankles crossed and arms folded
"What are you doing here?" Mia asked
"Came to see if you are alright" she replied
"I'm fine, thanks"
Nat just nodded
"Clint was out of line and I apolog-"
"It's alright." Mia pressed her lips and gave her a look "He was worried for Tony and Rose, and I get it. You don't have to apologize. he also doesn't need to" she exhaled "We both said things we shouldn't have. We were both out of line. I'm sorry"
Nat gave her a small smile
"Can I ask you something?"
Mia raised a brow
"Rose Stark and Rose Potter are the same person"
And it wasn't a question
Mia froze as a chill ran down her spine. She narrowed her eyes at the Russian
"How long have you known?"
"Honestly, ever since I met you. I never thought that Rose Stark is Rose Potter and I worked for her for a few months. She's too good" Nat chuckled
Mia snorted. Only if she knew better
"Hermione Granger, everyone knows you on the magical side. And you are engaged to one Ron Weasley. And have a best friend, Rose Potter. But Rose introduced you to us as her best friend. Didn't take much to put two and two together"
"Who else knows?" Mia asked
Nat shrugged "Only me. Others didn't know about the magical world before Rose told them."
Mia shrugged and then sighed
"So, I guess you know what freaked her last night?"
Nat gave her a blank look "Second Wizarding War." Nat pushed herself off the door and sat across Mia on the bed "After the attacks on mundane London, SHIELD got involved. Fury sent the agents who had clearance from the magical world to investigate. I was one of them"
"How much do you know?"
Nat bent forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands under her chin
"Not much. The British Minister of Magic didn't exactly distribute secrets like candies. He was quite reluctant that the issue was handled and SHIELD's help was not required. Though I did hear whispers about the Golder Trio and Rose Potter's role in the defeat of the Dark Lord."
Mia took a deep breath and leaned back, eyes on the carpeted floor, arms crossed
"Anniversary Effect. That's what her psychologist called it. It's been 7 years today, you know. And it was almost enough time for all of us to recover, heal from our wounds. Rose was the hardest, but...she healed. Over the months, we thought she was getting better. the nightmares almost stopped. But then they came back out of the blue a week before the first anniversary of the war. She was on the edge the whole time. A few days later she went back to normal.
"It started again, next year. Around the end of April, she becomes jumpy, edgy, insomniac...nightmares. It's been like that for 7 years. She tries to hide it, but...you know what happens. She cannot control them, she tried a lot of things. These two weeks are hardest on her. And she needs time to go back to the Rose you all are used to"
Nat nodded. She could understand where Mia was coming from.
"Tony is there for her, every time, no matter what. That was the main reason he agreed for the vacation. He hoped, we all did, that this time maybe it won't be as bad. Maybe, she'd finally heal from them. Because she had a team to watch her back. a team to support her, trust her...love her. We both hoped that maybe she won't have nightmares this time. But she did. And they were just as bad" she exhaled again, pressing one hand against her temple and tilting her head "You just heard whispers, Nat. I was there."
Nat pressed her lips and nodded again "I'll handle the team"
Mia gave her one nod and got up "I came to pick some stuff for the Starks. I should be leaving"
"Okay. Let me know if you need anything"
"I will" Mia nodded
Nat got up and headed for the door
"Natasha"
Nat stopped and looked at her handler
"Rose Potter is Rose Stark's one of the biggest secrets. Please don't break her trust"
"I got it. You take care of yourselves and our precious irritating Starks"
Mia cracked a small smile, which Nat returned before she left, closing the door after her
For the next few days, things were semi-normal. Or trying to be as normal as possible.
Clint had been awfully quiet since his little spat with Mia and she called him out. The most he spoke were five words strung together in a sentence. But the worry on his face regarding the Starks had not lessened even one bit.
The other three men, while being equally worried, had respected the space and tried to ignore the absence of the genius billionaires of the team. Nat knew that more than respecting their privacy, the four men had grown to respect Mia as well. She was damn scary when she went all defensive.
Nat knew that others knew that she knew something worth sharing but wasn't sharing. She mostly did. But none of them had asked her to spill her guts and she appreciated it. Only if Clint understood the situation and stopped acting immature.
Another thing was the lack of action. For some reason, Fury had not given the team any mission since the start of May. It only made them all suspect that he may (most probably) know of Rose's issue
The tension only grew thicker and thicker as the days passed but no one commented or talked. All they, including Nat, wanted was the team to be back together and forget the incident at all.
Pepper appeared one evening on 5th May just after lunch. She gave them all comforting smiles and even made small talk. Neither of the sides mentioned either of the Starks or Mia. And then she left, saying something doing some management stuff
All their prayers were finally answered when Tony strode in on 6th May, acting like he had not vanished off the face of Earth with his daughter, daughter's best friend and girlfriend for about 4 days!
He grinned at them and took a seat at the breakfast table
"What's for breakfast?" he asked
"Uh...blueberry pancakes" Steve answered
"Oh great. Love me some pancakes" he grinned
He quietly ate while others finished and left. Steve noticed Clint sitting on a bean bag, modifying his arrows but his sight was entirely focused on Tony. Seeing a clear coast, Steve sat next to Tony
"How are you, Tony?"
"Alive, still kicking. I'd say great, Cap" he smiled
"And Rose?"
"She's great too" he chuckled "Right now she's in LA, attending a conference she'd been putting off for weeks. Pepper really had to drag her to the conference" he chuckled "The girls should be back by tonight"
"Th-that's good" Steve replied "Mia?"
"Oh she went to Triskelion, don't know why" Tony shrugged "Pass me the syrup"
Steve did and looked over his shoulder at the team, who were all giving him looks only
Pepper and Rose did return the same night before dinner. They joined in, talked and laughed. And not once did the five mention the incident
For which, Rose was glad. She was worried that after Clint and Nat witnessed one of her annual episodes, she'd be bombarded with questions and smothering, but that was not the case. No one talked about it. Though she could also do without the four remaining men keeping such a close eye on her as if she was gonna collapse any second, she appreciated it.
After dinner, they all filtered to their rooms, one by one. The only remaining people on the communal were Tony, Rose, and Clint.
Clint, seated on the beanbag, adjusting his bow while looking over the father-daughter duo who were discussing some of their science gizmos. He noticed the duo acting as if nothing had happened that managed to worry the Avengers. He knew that they both had some past and somewhere their issues had issues, but they were his friends, his family. he had the right to worry about them.
"I think it's enough for today, pumpkin." Tony got up and stretched "Why don't you get off and grab some shut-eye"
"'Kay dad" Rose smiled
Tony bent and placed a kiss on her hair before he sauntered off to the elevator
Rose sighed and stood up, straightened her clothes. Keeping her tab down, she started collecting the scattered sheets when she noticed another pair of hands helping her. Once collected, she looked up, accepting the bundle from Clint and smiled. She placed them on the coffee table with her tab on the top
"Heading up?" he asked and she nodded
He picked his quiver and bow and the two headed for the elevator.
the silence was both comforting and disturbing. She knew that he had an argument with Mia and was worried that he might do anything erratic. And he did when he pressed a button on the panel which made the elevator stop
she looked at him with a raised brow but before she could ask or say anything
"How are you?" he asked
"I'm good" she answered with a small smile
"No, Rose. Honestly, how are you? Please"
Rose's jaw clenched a little "Clint, I'm really fine. Thanks for asking"
Clint sighed
"I saw you the other night. You weren't good or fine. You were far from it. And then you just vanish for 4 whole days without anything. no message, or calls or anything. Don't lie to me and say you are okay. because I can tell whatever spooked you that night, still hasn't gotten off your head"
Rose bit her lip and looked away but Clint took a step forward
"Everyone has secrets and I don't want to know yours. But you, Tony and Mia, are part of the team and we got your back no matter what. You guys are family. So please next time something like this happens, just let us know. let me know. We'd give you your space but please run off like that in the middle of the night. You got me worried. You got us all very worried"
Rose inhaled sharply
"I needed to ground myself before I came back." she looked at him and gave a small smile "I can some handle some bad dreams, Clint. I just needed some time"
Clint nodded. He knew he'd get to hear that. After all, the Starks weren't team players
"And I'm sorry I got you all worried."
"It's okay" Clint smiled and wrapped her in a hug "I'm just glad you and Tony are back in one piece"
Rose slightly chuckled at that and pulled. She heard a ding and noticed the elevator stop at Clint's floor. When had he pressed the button?
"Sweet dreams, Rosie" He placed a light kiss on her forehead and headed out
"You too" she called after, smiling.
8th of May was the celebration in the city for being the first anniversary since the Battle of New York( as the press had dubbed it)
the Avengers were invited and thanked for everything they did. Bruce, Clint, and Nat were not very happy about it all the flashes, blasting questions and demands, but put up with it since it was a necessary evil. Mia, their personal angel, managed to get them all out in about two hours and led them all back to the tower.
"The day was certainly eventful" thor grinned, twirling the Mjolnir
"You can say that" Bruce muttered "Did we had to do it? I don't like talking about the invasion" he asked
"PR" Mia muttered "Besides, I thought Hulk had a smash smashing stuff around" she chuckled
"Hulk. Not Bruce Banner" Bruce scoffed
"Relax, buddy" Clint swung his arm around bruce with a grin of his won "Once in a while, the limelight is good"
"Not when you are in spy business" Nat deadpanned, entering the kitchen and pouring herself a glass of fruit juice
Clint shrugged
"At least you don't get questioned about the Avengers whenever you step in front of them" Rose scoffed "It's irritating!"
Tony nodded with a hum "Vultures, the lot of them"
"I more or less expected Cap to be all blushing and frozen. How are you so good in front of the press and public?" Clint tilted his head
Steve suddenly blushed at that mentioned and cleared his throat. he happily took the glass of juice Nat offered and muttered something that sounded vaguely similar to "USO tours"
"Right" Tony scoffed, having heard it and Rose chuckled
"Ms, I'd like to inform you that Mr. Joshua Lord has arrived" JARVIS chimed in
"Who's that?" Thor asked
"Tattoo artist" she replied "Get him to 82nd floor, please J"
"Are we really doing this?" Clint asked
"Don't tell me you are chickening out right now, Merida" Tony teased
"O-Of course not" Clint defended
"Okay then, let's get it done with" Nat stood up and walked to the elevator, everyone else following her
"How do you know him?" Steve asked
"Josh did my arm, rib and back tattoo" Rose nodded "He did Dad's. So yeah"
"And the shoulder piece?" Nat asked
"Harriet Hapgood. She's British" she answered as the lift stopped on the required floor
Tony and Rose greeted the man and introduced everyone to him. Then they came up to the topic of tattoos
"So all of you are getting it?" he asked, looking at the simple design Rose had handed him which Steve had drawn with perfect precision
"Not us" Bruce quickly replied, pulling Mia with him
"Okay," Josh nodded "We got any virgins?"
Steve blushed and Clint sputtered
"He meant first-timers" Tony explained "First-timers are called virgins"
"Steve, Clint, and Thor are virgins. She has an ankle tattoo" Rose pointed at Nat
Josh nodded "Who's getting it and where?"
Nat opted to get it on her bicep, where it won't be regularly seen. Tony chose to do it on his right arm, just below the elbow joint. Steve decided on his right arm as well. Thor for some reason, opted for it to be done on his right ribcage.
"First, I want that one here" Clint pointed at the nape of his neck "And the star one Rose has on here" he circled his right upper arm near the shoulder joint
"Which one?" Josh asked and Rose lifted her top to show the tattoo below her right ribcage
"And Rose?" he asked
"I was thinking, and I want three" Rose replied
"Getting too excited?" Nat asked
"Oh shut it. I like tattoos" Rose replied and then turned to Josh "first the logo on my right shoulder blade on the front. I want a wolf on the left ribcage and finally a quote on my right wrist, on the side"
And they all got to work. It took about nearly 4 hours to get them all tattooed. Josh asked if he could also get the logo tattooed and they all agreed. It's not every day you get to tattoo the better part of the Avengers!
Once done, Josh wrapped some bandage around the new tattoos and gave them the dos and don't with their tattoos. And then he left
"How long before it heals?" Clint asked
"2 weeks tops" Tony answered
"You should have gotten it, Banner" Thor looked at the sole member without the tattoo
"Like I said, I'd rather not"
Thor raised a brow
"We should get him drugged" Steve suggested, causing them all to laugh
"Yeah. a few huge doses of tranq and big green won't be around and we can get you tattooed" Nat agreed
"Guys" Bruce warned, which caused them all to laugh further
"No one's gonna force you, Brucie" Tony promised "But the offer's open"
Bruce rolled his eyes and left
"What's with the wolf?" Clint asked Rose
"What?"
"The wolf"
"I wanted it for a while" Rose shrugged, looking at the small black wolf tattoo on her left ribcage
"What's the quote to got tattooed on your right wrist?" Bruce asked
Rose raised her arm and showed the phrase now tattooed on the side
"Fortes Fortuna Iuvat" Nat read the Latin inscription "Fortune favors the brave. Cool"
Rose grinned and then looked at the newbies "Don't try to get in missions including lots of water for until 2 weeks."
To say that Fury was not pleased to hear that the team got matching tattoos would be an understatement. He was more pissed to find that two of his best spies also got a tattoo. Spies and tattoos! Whatever on Earth happened to subtlety and anonymity?
"Chill out, Cyclops" Tony shrugged him off when Fury confronted them all one evening about it "It's just a symbol"
And then everyone got defensive. They were a team, a family and they wanted the tats. Fury doesn't control their personal lives.
"Don't expect me to excuse you all from the missions" Fury grumbled and turned around to leave
"As long as water isn't involved!"
The dinner was Tony's turn, so as always he ordered takeout. This time from a Thai restaurant. It was Nat's turn for movie and she pulled Mision Impossible. After the movie, they all relaxed while nat and steve started collecting the takeout boxes and other throwaways when Rose spoke up
"I want to say something"
five Avengers exchanged a look and sat down, looking at the ombre-haired witch
"First, both dad and I are very sorry for disappearing like that without any way of contacting you and letting you know that we are alright" Rose bit her lower lip
Tony took a deep breath but said nothing
"You don't have to" Nat whispered, keeping a comforting hand on Rose's knee.
Rose looked at her "I want to" she muttered back
she took a deep breath and Tony's hold on his daughter tightened. While he didn't exactly agree to Rose's idea, he agreed that coming a little clean might be better and take off some weight from their shoulders
Rose looked at them, playing with her hands
"A few years ago, when I was in school, there was a terrorist attack on my school. they were a local European group and they attacked my school. Mia was there with me. So were Ron, George and a lot of people I knew, friends. The attack was brief lasted for only two-three days but there was a lot of damage. several people, some of my friends..." she took a deep breath "they died. They were murdered."
She scooted closer to Tony and snuggled into him and his grip tightened providing as much comfort as he could
"I witnessed a few of them. And it did a number on me. Night terrors were some of the long term consequences"
A weird silence settled around the team. No one knew how to react to that news.
"Did the government not step in?" Steve finally asked, voice very soft ad comforting
Rose pressed her lips in a thin line. Before she could formulate something, Tony came to her rescue
"They did, but it was quite late. Her school's in Scottish highlands, a bit hard to travel there."
"you went to school in Scotland?" Bruce asked
Rose nodded
"As soon as communications were re-established and everyone else was rescued, they called me and I brought her back home"
"My psychiatrist called it the Aniversary Effect. I'm fine all year but come to the end of April, the start of May," she inhaled deeply "It...comes back. The memories, the...everything. It's been going on for 6 years, now."
"When will it be over?" Thor asked
"We can't say" Tony replied, "We don't even know if it will ever stop."
Rose closed her eyes and took another deep breath, speaking very slowly "It's stuck with me. For so long and maybe longer. Always reminding me of what happened and being there. Stuff like that leaves a mark." She huffed as if looking for the right words
"Like a tattoo?" Clint asked
Rose and Tony looked at him
"Yeah" Rose slowly said "Just like a tattoo"
After the heaty confession, Tony herded them all to bed( it was his first time). Rose had gone downstairs to collect some papers from her lab before she headed back tot he communal to collect the remaining papers.
She offed under the three giant folders she managed to carry in her arms and turned and almost jumped
"Steve! You scared me!"
"Sorry 'bout it" he weakly chuckled "Wasn't planning on it"
"It's okay" she shrugged "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"I could ask the same"
"Well, I need to organize them for tomorrow before Pepper storms in my room and fetches me to the investors meet" she replied
Steve eyed the folders and took two of them.
"Wow. They are heavier than they look"
Rose raised a brow "I could carry them, but thanks"
"always ready to help a dame" Steve gave a grin, as the two walked towards the staircase
rose giggled "You know, I don't know whether to take that as a compliment and reply or to pinch your cheeks for being adorkable"
"well, a nice thank you should suffice" Steve suggested
"Then, why thank you, Steven" Rose smiled
Steve chuckled
"you didn't answer me," Rose said
"huh?"
"What were you doing down there?" she asked
"I was coming from the gym. Grabbed a bottle of water and saw you with these files"
Rose hummed as they approached Steve's floor. But instead of stopping, he continued upstairs
"I can carry them by myself, Steve"
"It's no bother. Just two more floors."
"Are you implying that I cannot carry three heavy folders by myself to my floor?" Rose raised a brow, eyeing him
Steve suddenly sputtered "I didn't say that!"
"I said imply"
"I'm not implying anything"
Rose shrugged "good then"
she climbed up and resumed her way to her room
"What are these files anyway?" he asked, breaking the silence "what's so heavy in them?"
"Some new designs for R&D, a couple of prototypes, paperwork, and stuff"
Steve nodded
"so..." Rose muttered "What all did I miss in the four days?"
"Not a lot. there was just a lot of worrying, arguments, Nat not sharing information" Steve tsked "everything was rather plain"
"Oh."
Rose bit her lip. She had freaked out at first when Mia informed her that Nat knew her secret. Not that she didn't trust the spy but...okay, she didn't trust the spy with her past. But Nat had made no move or gesture to imply her distaste or dislike towards her regarding her past. So, that was a win-win. But she wasn't sure how others would take that news is her past was ever revealed to them.
"I'm sorry I worried all of you" she muttered slowly
"We all have our episodes. It's normal and fine." Steve replied
Rose nodded and snorted "It's the first time someone has worried about me and dad vanishing for a couple of days. Usually, people don't care if we vanish for even a month without any news. Sorry, we aren't exactly used to being in a team and looked after like that"
Steve looked at her "that's what family does. we look after our own" he smiled softly
she gave him a smile of her own and they stepped into her floor. She placed the folder on the table and Steve followed
"Well, thanks again, Cap."
She looked at him when she got no reply
"Cap? Steve?"
Steve looked at her "You remember what you said to me the night we went camping?"
"I said a lot of things to you lot. You gotta be a bit more specific"
"After the prank, when you came to see me in my tent"
"I think I offered to be your shrink, I guess," rose said, a bit confused
"That and I could come and talk to you about anything whenever I want"
"And the offer still stands"
Steve exhaled "I just wanted to let you know that you can talk to me too. I may not know what it's like to have night terrors so bad, but I've been through a war, and war changes you"
Rose mentally snorted. He had no idea how right he was.
"And you or Tony don't have to go through any of it alone, not anymore. We are here for you. Anytime you want. It's not just the battles or field where we are watching your back. It's your everyday life too. I don't know how things have been there for you until now, but...they don't have to be like that, anymore. Tony's one of my good friends and you are my-"Steve paused. What should he say? Crush? love-interest? that he was enamored by her?
"your what?"
Steve came out of his thoughts and looked at her
"Friend. You are my friend too and you don't have to shut us out, Rose. "
Rose took a deep breath. She was not at all expecting anything like this from Steve. Bruce or Nat, maybe. But not Steve.
Taking a deep breath, and trying to show that he had not taken her by surprise, she gave him one of her small smirks. She had long since learned to put on a facade and being a master illusionist, only a handful people were ever able to see through them
"Careful what you offer, Steven. I might hold you out on that"
Steve shrugged, a weird smirk making its appearance on his face, one she had never seen before "Maybe I want you to hold on to that"
Was it just her or was Steve flirting? Quite boldly at that
Rose chuckled and shook her head fondly before she looked at the super soldier
"I will." she smiled, good-naturedly
"Great! I mean, good. uhm..uh..great that you are...uh...taking up my offer." he nervously laughed
Rose mentally frowned. Okay, what caused Steve to go from a confidant sweet-talker to a nervous schoolboy in less than 0.5 seconds? Was it something she said?
"well, I should grab some sleep. Big meeting tomorrow"
Steve nodded "Sweet dreams"
"You too, Steve"
There it goes.
The next chapter is going to be on Tony's birthday, so if anyone wants some certain stuff to happen, put down in the reviews or PM me.
And a small note for all the people who are wishing for Rose and Steve to get together sooner and for Teddy to be introduced to the team, sorry but gotta wait a little more. I have planned something for my favorite superhero group on the planet which will take place after the CA:TWS, which is in progress. So, please wait a little longer.
And please be kind and bless me with some reviews.
Ciao