Of all the things Steve expected to see when he walked back into the hotel room, the last on that list was the two left behind literally crying with laughter on the bed. Steve stuttered in his steps, his best friend that he had seen nothing but frowns and grimaces from since being reunited was grinning ear to ear. His cheeks were pinked and his eyes were glassy from the tears brought about from laughing so hard. His hair was mused, which Steve assumed was from the way the two were sprawled out on the bed.
He had to bite back the pang of jealousy for seeing him behaving that way around Hermione and not him. This girl was practically a stranger and yet she had succeeded where he had failed.
"Quit laughing at me! I was a child! I didn't know what else to do!" She cried through her giggles.
"Yeah but still, your first thought was to light the guy on fire! I mean c'mon!" Bucky chuckled deeply, his hand going to hold his stomach.
"Who did you catch on fire?" Steve asked, announcing his presence.
Bucky turned to look at him while Hermione just tilted her head back on the bed, now looking at him upside down. Her hair was down and wild about the bed in a mess of curls. Her own face was blushed and her big eyes were shining. Steve had to admit she made a very appealing picture. Which may be why Bucky was able to interact with her so smoothly. He had always had a way with dames.
"Her teacher!" Bucky answered with a laugh. "Think of all the times we wanted revenge on Mr. Conners back in the day. When he would penalize you for missing classes when you were sick. If only Hermione was there she could have taken care of him for us!"
Steve had to control his reactions to keep from stumbling. He remembered. Bucky just gave him a memory that had nothing to do with the war or after.
"Right except for I was like negative seventy years old.." Hermione was saying rolling her eyes but she didn't miss the look of surprise that passed Steve's face.
"You remember?" Steve asked, his voice scratchy like he was trying to contain the emotion there.
Bucky rolled over to the side of the bed and sat there. His legs hung over the side and his arms resting on his knee in a relaxed manner.
"I do, it's getting better every time we go back in." He said and then elaborated at Steve's confused expression.
"Hermione has magic that can help reverse what they did to me. It's helping to remove the control they have on me. She's taking out the triggers they left there. Unfortunately it's exhausting, on both of us. So we have had to take a break, but I do feel much better. Lighter I guess, and the emotions that were blocked for me are coming back. I feel more now." He said and then shot a wink at Hermione who blushed.
Hermione sat up on the bed now trying to keep the crimson from her cheeks, but the memory of his full lips pressed against hers while his hands explored her body made that difficult. She shook her head a tiny bit to clear the thoughts.
"So." She said brightly as to not give away where her mind just was. "Any luck tracking down a team?"
Steve gave her a smile and a nod coming over to sit on the bed across from them. Trying to adopt the care free persona that she and Bucky were exuding.
"Yeah, Sams on his way to pick up his guy. I've never met him personally but from what I have heard he has some unique talents. He drove Sam crazy a few months ago and since then he has been adamant on trying to see him in action again. Then I have Clint going to get Wanda from the compound. We set up plans to meet at the airport, we can take a jet from there."
The pair listening to him nodded along. Hermione was a bit excited to be honest. She had wanted to meet Wanda, the moniker they gave her, the scarlet witch, was intriguing. She knew she had gained her powers through experimentation, but she wasn't sure if it should classify her as a witch. From what she gathered she was more a telepath. But, she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, if they got to work side by side she would welcome it.
Hermione pulled out her wand and the other two looked at her in question.
"I just feel like I need to reach out to my brother before we leave. I won't tell him where or when we are going, but I basically did a vanishing act. If he didn't speak with my coworkers he will have no clue what happened to me and I don't want him to waste resources searching for me when I am not lost." She twirled her wand around and smiled at the glowing otter that appeared.
Tony shut the door behind him, effectively trapping him and the teenager in the tiny bedroom. He looked around slowly at the mismatched furniture and retro computer set up. He questions him immediately about the video of the boy in costume swinging around the city. He tries to deny it but once Tony finds the suit Peter realizes that the jig is up.
"So you wanna look out for the little guy? You wanna do your part? Make the world a better place, all that, right?" Tony says in response to the reasoning Peter gave him for donning the costume and going out night after night.
Peter agrees with him although his words are shaky. Tony is about to speak again when a glowing shape pops up in front of them, dancing in a small circle before opening its mouth.
"Tones.." His sister's voice speaks into the room and he sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. He is angry with her but hearing her voice makes him feel better knowing she is safe.
"I have a feeling you may be mad at me." The otter hung its head sadly and he could picture four year old Hermione doing the same holding something of his she accidentally broke when she went into his room without asking. "I am sorry if I worried you but this is bigger than we imagined Tones. Let Steve and I handle it alright, and then once it's all over we can sit down and talk this out. Just us, no CIA, no Secretary of State, just us good guys in a bad spot. Don't stress yourself out, drnk an actual water. JARVIS if you can hear me please make sure he is eating and drinking properly!" Jarvis activated on his watch and Tony sighed.
"Just sit this one out Tones. I love you and I'll be in contact when this is over. Dont do anything stupid. I will have all the stupid with me after all." Then the little otter popped out of view leaving a frowning Tony sitting next to a wide eyed Peter Parker.
"Question!" Peter squeaked out. "What the heck was that? Follow up question who was that, another follow up, how did it just appear and disappear like that!" He was close to hyperventilation when Tony got an alert through JARVIS.
"Sir, Vision is on the line. Ms. Maximooff has left the compound with Mr. Barton."
Tony cussed under his breath, knowing this would only end worse for them all once the secretary got wind of it. He turned to Peter who was still mouthing questions to be answered.
"So kid, you ever been to Germany?"
Natasha walks into the room where Blaise and T'challa are sitting, the wakandan security eyeing her oddly.
"I just spoke to Tony, his sister reached out to him asking him to sit this one out. She didn't say why, but that they could talk it out when it's over, no CIA or Accords, just the group of us." She said and they shared a look before nodding and agreeing.
"However the problem is that the CIA and everyone else is already involved. They gave Strk 36 hours to bring in Barnes and Rogers and Wlson, before they issued shoot on sight orders. Tony doesn't want his sister in the middle of this. He is afraid she will be caught in the crossfire should we sit back and do nothing. To make things worse Maximoff left the compound with one of our own that was supposed to be retired. So they are collecting people and we still don't know what to do. I know Tony hasn't told me everything. I know you," She pointed at Blaise. "And Hermione are more than meets the eye. I just need to know if you will still come with us to stop them before they turn this into a war none of us win."
T'Challa sat back in his seat, twisting his fathers ring around his finger. He looked up and made eye contact with Blaise who nodded.
"We will help on the condition that Hermione and I only worry about each other, otherwise we are both considered Switzerland. We can't use our gifts in public and it isn't fair to try to pit us against any of you. We still want Barnes to face Wakandan justice, your secretary will need to be ok with that."
Natasha looked like she had a million questions but let them go anyways. This wasn't the time to ask.
"We can do that."
Hermione walked back into the hotel room and dropped the glamour she had placed to walk down to the pizza place unnoticed. She heard two male voices deep in conversation so she waited quietly for them to finish before she announced herself.
Turning the small corner she let out a squeak when she saw Steve was standing there in just a towel, having just gotten out of the shower. He was reaching for the change of clothes out of his go bag when he turned around to face her. His cheeks darkened with a blush when he saw her standing there wide eyed.
"I am so sorry Hermione, I forgot to bring my change of clothes in and I wasn't expecting you back so soon." He raised out trying to keep a tight grip on the towel with one hand while the other held his clothes to his chest..
Trying to not make it obvious she was ogling him she just waved him off with a chuckle.
"No problem captain, I first thought I entered the wrong room, but when I saw James I assumed I got dinner while he was getting the show." She threw a wink his way and he let out a deep laugh.
"Plus Stevie, the last memory of mine she saw was me coming back from basic when you were still just a little squirt. She is probably just making comparisons." He stood up from the bed giving Steve a heavy pat on the back before walking toward her. He leaned down and smacked a kiss on her cheek on his way past her to the pizza.
Steve watched the exchange with raised brows, his blush fading some. Hemione on the other hand felt her whole body going hot. Not only was she standing mere feet away from a merely naked Captain America, but by brushing up against her on his way by Bucky bright back the memory of their kisses. She walked over to the window strategically placing herself in front of the AC.
These men would drive her crazy by the end of the trip, or her hormones.. She wasn't sure which one yet.
