Most of the time, Avery forgot she had increased strength. Partly because her two boyfriends were also incredibly strong so in their day to day life, it seemed normal. But, some days she was reminded of the after effects she still dealt with from the mystery Osborn inhalant. That entire situation seemed like a lifetime ago - it hardly came to the front of her mind.
Some mornings, though, she was restless. As if her muscles knew they weren't working to full capacity and the only way to really squash that lingering feeling was to use them. Sometimes that meant doing friendly sparring matches with Steve or Bucky. Sometimes it was aggressive sex. Sometimes she had to just lift a few heavy things and the restlessness disappeared.
Luckily, her astronomical tuition costs covered a fitness membership and she had worked a fitness routine into her schedule. Well, she was working it back in now - slowly. Her physical therapist had fitted her with a special cuff to support her elbow, urging her to be careful and stop before she went beyond a comfortable threshold.
The NYU Brooklyn Athletic Facility was located just a few buildings away from where she needed to be for her morning study group so Avery blocked in enough time beforehand to get through a meaningful workout routine, take a quick shower and consume a protein shake. Unsurprisingly, she had to really talk herself into approaching the intimidating weight room area of the gym.
The thing was - Avery knew what she was doing. Bucky and Steve had given her many lessons on weight training and fitness routines. But despite that, there were always strange watchful eyes on her when she got into her workout. Sometimes other gym goers - usually self assured men - provided unprovoked commentary and Avery hated it. Although she did take a strange pleasure in their reactions when she easily outlifted whatever they were doing themselves.
The only strange benefit of whatever that inhalant did to her was the fact that her strength didn't really show on the outside. She didn't have bulging biceps or oversized thigh muscles, but she still managed to lift an obscene amount. She wasn't sure if that was something she should be grateful for, though. She figured if she at least had some sort of physical indicator of her muscles, people may take her more seriously or leave her alone.
At home, Avery used the free weights they had set up in their basement. In the gym, she avoided anything in the actual weightlifting area. Instead, she stuck to stationary machines. She realized that people mostly didn't pay attention to her when she went through her routine there. No one could tell she was maxing out the weight on the leg press.
When she felt she was finished with her workout - her entire body felt sore but finally comfortable again - she moved towards one of the areas covered in floor mats to stretch out. She let out a silent sigh as she approached, seeing the area littered with dumbbells. Before she could reach to start to clear some out of the way, she heard someone hurrying to help her.
"Hey, sorry. That's on me. I have a tendency to… forget to clean up. I know, I'm working on it."
Avery turned to see a guy about her age approaching, offering an awkward smile. He looked almost embarrassed, cheeks turning red behind the stubble that lined his jaw. Clearly this was a speech he had delivered before and instead of arguing or commenting on his bad habits, she waved her hand casually.
"All good. I just need somewhere to stretch out."
She watched the guy nod, apologizing again as he grabbed some of the weights. She grabbed some that were left, too, following him towards the nearby weight rack.
"Whoa, whoa," he said quickly, eyes wide as he watched her. "You got that?" Avery nodded and dropped the weights back where they belong. "How'd you do that?"
"What?" She raised an eyebrow at him. His arms were crossed, eyebrows furrowed curiously.
"You were just lifting those 50 pound dumbbells like they were hollow? How?"
Now, Avery's eyes grew wide. She wasn't sure if this guy was completely dense or misogynistic or -
"Sorry, I'm so sorry. That's.. Rude. I don't mean it that way. You just - I'm really impressed. Based on your frame and size, I assumed that.." He shrugged, scrunching up his face. "I'm sorry."
Avery chewed on her lip briefly before letting out a deep exhale. "I'll tell you my secret. I just lifted the weights. Using my muscles. It's a great way to burn off some relentless energy. End of story." She turned away from the guy, securing her headphones into her ears and heading towards the now cleared stretching area. She felt his eyes lingering on her as she walked away. Thank god she had enough breathing exercises up her sleeve to bring her down from the anxiety that was bottling up over that interaction.
Over the past decade of his life, Steve had certainly spent a lot of time pondering the 'what ifs' of his past. What if he hadn't taken the serum? What if he hadn't gone off to join the fight overseas? What if?
Would he have continued to pursue art? Would he have gone to study something else at college? Would he have found a life partner and settled down?
It's not that he was unhappy with how his life had turned out. Sure, there had been a lot of pain and suffering along the way. He had lived through immense hardship and loss. But, he prevailed. He never imagined that his life would end up how it did but he wasn't sure he could change anything about it now. Or if he wanted to. He had Bucky and Avery and a home and time to enjoy now. He could do what he wanted. It was freeing.
When Steve connected with Dr. Roby Sundar, an associate dean who worked in the History department at NYU, he didn't think a friendly conversation would lead to Steve teaching a class. Of course, given how the opportunity seemed to align with his recent 'retirement' from any hero related work, Steve had quickly agreed. It was just a sessional lecturer position teaching a specialized third year class about World War Two.
The more he learned about the topic and structure, the more interested Steve had grown.
Two full classes, three hour lecture blocks and four office hours a week. He'd be assigned a teaching assistant to assist with grading. Half of the grades came from weekly online quizzes, two essays and a final exam. And best of all, the content was all ready for him to go. He just needed to plan the lectures week to week, tweaking the content as he went along.
"Of course, feel free to adapt and evolve the lectures as you go. Some classes work really well with more of the discussion style seminars, some serve better as you just talking to them. I want you to make it yours!" Dr. Sundar was a warm, enigmatic professor. He wore the traditional tweed suits with elbow patches and spoke with ease. He had complete faith in Steve Rogers, apparently.
"Thank you, Dr. Sundar," Steve replied to the man as he stood.
"Please, Roby is fine." Roby waved his hand, pushing back his chair and stretching out his arms and tucking his glasses into the inside pocket of his coat. As he rounded his desk, he gave Steve a friendly clap on the shoulder. "Let me show you around."
Although Steve had been hoping he might host these lectures at the Brooklyn campus - mainly with the hopes of running into Avery between classes - he was stationed at one of the old lecture halls in Manhattan instead. When Roby led him into the room, Steve was filled with a sense of purpose. The rows of chairs and the out-of-date chalkboards gave him a strange feeling of longing and nostalgia, for something he never had before. Post-secondary education of this caliber hadn't been in the cards during Steve's time as a student. He was grateful for the opportunity now, even if he would be the one instilling knowledge instead.
Steve ran his fingers along the wooden podium and raised his gaze to look towards Roby, who was watching him with a proud smile.
"I think you're going to be a great fit," Roby said, tipping his head towards the door. "But if you have any issues, I'm only an email away." He showed Steve a copy room where he could print out any required materials plus a common faculty area if he so needed.
"You are only obligated to four office hours a week, slot them in as you see fit. We've got a lot of open office space so we managed to find you a desk you're free to occupy, too."
Just down the hall from the lecture room as a small office. Roby pushed open the door to the dusty space, revealing two desks set up on opposite walls. There was a bright window on the side and an empty bookshelf. "It's not much but it's here if you need it. I think they just got another new hire who'll be using the other desk, too."
A knock at the door turned both men's attention. Standing nervously in the hall was a young woman, pacing eagerly as she waited for a response. She was dressed in a plain pair of jeans with a blazer on top, holding onto her packsack with an anxious grip. Black hair framed her face and thick black glasses framed her eyes.
"Oh, you must be Cassidy." Roby waved her in.
Steve smiled as the woman walked in, offering him a wide smile though she appeared to turn red when he returned it.
"Steve, this is your TA Cassidy. If I recall, she's a senior finishing off her degree in History with a minor in.." Roby tipped his head and looked at her.
"Public Policy. But my plan is to do my PhD in US History. I mean, most people think it's a bit much to think about doing a PhD already but if you're passionate about something, you should go for it, you know? I don't want to hold back, especially after.. I'm sorry. I ramble a lot. It's nice to meet you." Cassidy extended her hand out.
Steve smiled and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I appreciate having the help."
All three of them walked out into the hall and Roby gave an eager thumbs up. "I'll leave you to it - I have a board meeting I'm running late for. Thank you again, Steve."
"I have to admit, I can talk about the war endlessly but when it comes to tests and exams and -
"Don't worry, that's why I'm here," Cassidy jumped in quickly, nodding eagerly. "I'll make sure everything is set up for you and I'll monitor attendance and your grade book."
"Well, I'm glad to have you here. We'll make a good team, I hope."
Cassidy took a deep breath and nodded once more. "Yes. I'm just really grateful for the opportunity, Professor Rogers."
Steve couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, I don't think I qualify as a professor really. You can call me Steve."
After exchanging information, Cassidy departed. Not without thanking Steve once more for picking her to be his teaching assistant. Truthfully, Steve had just let Roby pick from the pool of candidates. He knew this was going to be a brand new adventure and as much as he tried to have a plan and figure things out, this academic side of things wasn't something he felt as comfortable with. So, if the university was going to pay a student to assist him, he was welcome to it.
The next day, he'd enter that classroom again and likely feel quite nervous. But, he was Steve Rogers. He didn't back down from a fight or challenge. He could certainly handle eager-to-learn university students, right?
"So. What's the verdict?"
Bucky sighed as he dropped down onto the couch in the home office. He had discarded his boots and jacket at the door and was stretching his sock feet out, leaning directly back to lay horizontal. Alpine took this opportunity to join him, playfully punching on his stomach.
Steve turned in his chair, leaning his elbows onto his knees. "Well?"
"Unsurprisingly, people are unhappy that I disappeared for two months. Never coulda guessed.." Bucky rolled his eyes, offering Steve a raised eyebrow as he craned his head. "Ross ranted for ten minutes about disciplinary action - most of which he technically can't dole out because I don't technically work for the Federal Government." He shrugged as best as he could in his position, moving to his hands to scratch and play with Alpine.
"Buck." Steve sighed, leaning into his chair. "What happens now?"
"Well, I got a stern warning to get my shit together from both him and Sharon. And my next contract is going to have a lot of specific rules." Bucky's eyes grew wide for a moment then he shrugged once more. "It's fine." A pause lingered between them as he looked back towards Steve. "I'm not sure I want to do this very much longer anyway, Stevie. Do you think.. that's okay?"
When Bucky first returned to the new normal life after the blip, he did a lot of soul searching. His pardon was granted and he took on a role with what remained of The Avengers. But now, maybe he had done enough atoning. After all of the hardship and reflecting, after all of the suffering, didn't he deserve a break? He had lived less than a lifetime and an entire century all at once. What he thought he needed to do and what he thought he wanted were only one part of it.
Bucky didn't want to retire. That wasn't it. But there was something else stirring in him still and he couldn't figure out what that was. He had considered his new arm a gift - something that could help the greater good. And admittedly, a lot of the work he did with Sam and Sharon and through the CIA contracts was for good.
But that didn't mean it was free of violence.
Perhaps that's what he really needed a break from. The leftover feeling of battle and war. The general wear and tear of fighting. Maybe he wanted what was supposed to come next: peace.
"Of course that's okay." Steve was quick to stand from his chair and close in the space between himself and Bucky. He sat on his knees beside where Bucky was laying his head, reaching his hand out to tangle his fingers with the metal hand that rested beside Alpine. "I know you went from fight to fight to fight. No one is saying you have to keep doing what you're doing. There's no guidebook or rules about how we're supposed to live."
Bucky let out a quiet sigh, pulling his bottom lip across his teeth. He flicked his eyes over towards Steve. "But I don't know what else there is for me to do, Stevie."
Steve's face grew into a soft half smile, leaning in and knocking his forehead against Bucky's. "Well, we've got plenty of time to figure that out."
Bucky reluctantly smiled back then propped himself up slightly, doing his best not to disturb the cat. "Speaking of figuring things out - what are we doing for Avery's birthday?"
Steve sat back onto his heels, scrunching his face up for a moment to think. If he was being honest, he hadn't spent a lot of time considering Avery's birthday. But considering it was coming up the following weekend, they likely needed to make a plan. "Maybe we should do a proper date night. It's been a while since we've gone out - just the three of us."
Bucky smirked. "That does sound nice. I think she'll like that."
"Now, as far as gifts go, I was thinking -
"Oh, I brought something home from Wakanda for her. Shuri helped me with it."
"Well, that's not fair. I don't have a Wakandan princess who is a tech wizard to help me out. Is there room for me to cosign on that card?"
"After your speech last year about taking credit for her gift? 'Well, the cabin was my idea, sweetheart.' No way, punk. Figure it out yourself."
Over the last year and a half, Avery somehow found herself with a group of friends at school. It hadn't been intentional - she was certainly not the type to go out of her way to socialize. It was something that felt foreign to her, despite her past university life. She supposed she had to chalk some of that up to Crystal and her girlfriends.
Now, her friend group was much more docile and certainly took life at a much more manageable pace. First, she exchanged information with Sudi, an incredibly studious firecracker taking the same two year program as Avery. What Sudi lacked in height, she made up for in spirit and Avery was happy to find someone to sit with her labs and someone to take coffee breaks with in between study sessions and lab hours.
Avery's Masters program at NYU was exclusive and their classes often overlapped with other disciplines. That's how they added both Ben, a brilliant genetics focused Biologist, and Ramie, a quiet biotechnology major, to their group. Although they all had varied schedules and major projects, there was some comfort in knowing they had other people to lean on when it came to sharing a study space.
They favoured the alcoves in the engineering building. Anytime Avery had time between classes and not enough of a break to head home, she could head to that spot on the top floor and usually find someone there to sit with. Even if that meant just quietly coexisting as they typed out notes or studied, or bouncing project ideas and research problems off each other. That particular afternoon, everyone was already pretty checked out of studying. Somehow, instead, they were discussing Avery's interaction at the gym that morning instead.
"Well, what's your vote, Ram?" Sudi twirled her pen then tapped it on the top of her friend's laptop. "Was he hitting on her?"
"He was, he definitely was. Sorry, Avery," Ben chimed in, packing up his notebook and textbooks as he spoke. Ben was the classic, all-American trust fund type. At first glance, it would be safe to assume he was some family legacy finance major or something but he had been full of surprises. Soft spoken, very smart, very dedicated. He had a bit of a problem with coming across like a douche and often thanked the girls for knocking him down a peg. "He asked for your number, right?"
"Technically he didn't. He just asked for my email address so he could give me info about that boxing class. He said it's a beginners technique class and thought it might be something I'd be interested in."
"Based off what?" Ramie finally spoke up, scrunching up his nose as he thought.
"Well, when I came out of the locker room, he found me to let me know his friend runs a boxing gym and if I was really looking to burn off some energy, it might be a good fit."
"Hmmm."
The whole interaction earlier had taken Avery by surprise. She hadn't expected any more discussion with him but when she exited the locker room, he was waiting for her. He, once more, apologized. She couldn't help but feel for the guy - he seemed genuinely upset with himself for the way he had spoken to her and she didn't detect ulterior motives to his intentions. In fact, he kept his distance, introduced himself as Travis Hewitt and simply just wanted to let her know that a friend of his runs a boxing gym.
When Avery got an email from him later that morning, she was surprised at his open ended invitation to check the place out. Even more surprising was the fact that the gym was female owned, specializing in self defense techniques. Admittedly, Avery was well versed in self defense by now. Steve and Bucky tested out her skills often enough, though she knew the past few months had thrown off her fitness routine entirely. There was always a voice in the very back of Avery's mind that she needed to be able to take care of herself - especially if she ever ended up in an unsavoury situation.
She didn't mind the idea of going to some boxing classes. In fact, she wasn't going to admit this to her friends, but she had already signed up for a trial class for later that week. Despite that, she still had some trepidation about the entire thing.
Bucky could easily give her these boxing lessons instead. But still, there was a part of her that wanted to do this for herself. Not that she really had a lot of free time to add another thing to her schedule but the idea of getting out some of her anger and restlessness by ways of a punching bag was cathartic and inviting. She supposed just checking the place out wouldn't hurt.
"I don't think it was flirting," Ramie finally concluded, as if he had to run all the facts through some algorithm in his mind. "No offense, but I feel like you probably aren't the most approachable bubbly person in the morning at the gym, Avery."
"Hey!" Avery just laughed, shrugging a shoulder. "You're not really wrong."
"We've all seen you before your morning coffees," Ben added in. "Plus, the minute that dude finds out you have two boyfriends, he'll never even consider flirting with you. That's what stopped me."
"So you admit that you were hitting on me that day in the library that day we met?" Avery let out a dramatic gasp as she rolled her eyes at Ben. "Shocking."
"Yes and I haven't flirted with you since then. We've come so far!"
Avery stuck her tongue out at Ben and finally turned back towards Sudi, who was still tapping her pen on the table like she was contemplating some complicated plot. "Wanna come check the place out with me on Friday, Sud? Might put your mind at ease."
Her friend let out an equally dramatic sigh. "Yes. Only because I would love to punch away some of this pent up aggression I have over waiting for my research to finalize. My advisor said if this last experiment is a bust, I'm screwed."
"I'm in the same boat, dude." Avery nodded her head in solidarity, thinking about the project she was in the middle of with Bruce. It was essential to her academic success and she was anxiously waiting to see the results in the next few weeks.
Luckily, the conversation faded towards schoolwork once more and soon enough, everyone was parting ways for the evening. Avery was headed west towards Park Slope instead of home. She had an outstanding dinner date with Beatrice and despite her desire to be home in pajamas with her boys and her pets, she really missed Bea.
When Avery and Bucky still lived in their old apartment, they frequently made time to visit Bea and (as Avery had predicted) her not-a-boyfriend Ray. It had been the real silver lining to that building and one of the reasons Avery had been slightly hesitant about moving. Luckily, their townhouse wasn't that far and she still communicated with her elderly friend quite often.
Steve: are you still going to Bea's for dinner?
Avery: yes
Avery: I'm sure she'll send me home with baked goods again btw
Bucky: let us know when you're done and I'll come pick you up
Avery: I can take the subway
Bucky: I can't risk you dropping the banana bread on the subway, doll
"You know, outside of Bucky and Steve, I think you're my best friend, Bea." Avery let out a happy sigh as she dropped onto the floral couch that lined Bea's living room. Physically, she was absolutely stuffed from a dinner of homemade lasagna and emotionally, her cup was full of positivity after such a wonderful catch up with both Beatrice and Ray. Although Ray quickly ducked out after dessert to meet up with some friends for his weekly gin rummy night.
"That's a bit sad, sweetie," Bea replied from the kitchen, removing her whistling kettle from the stove to pour each of them a cup of tea. "I'm not much of a fun girlfriend for you."
"But you give me the best gossip. How else would I find out that Janie has been lying about her cheesecake recipe all along? It's offensive to potlucks everywhere."
The older woman let out a quiet laugh as she brought the cups of tea to the living room. Avery supposed that yes, in retrospect, it was a bit sad and unusual that she considered a woman who could easily be her grandmother to be such a good friend. But when she narrowed down on that thought, she supposed that's exactly what Bea had been to her over the years. When Avery felt lost and alone and broken, trying and failing to navigate through her life After Vanishing, Bea had been an unusual steady comfort.
In the early trials of Avery's budding relationship with her boys, Bea was always right there, too. Truthfully, the one thing Avery missed the most about that time in her life was her Friday mornings with Bea. Those quiet times where they would share a cup of tea during The Price is Right lived in a very special place in Avery's heart.
That had been a very lonely time. Now, Avery had other friends, of course. She often saw Kasey and Sam. She had her study group, too. She supposed her sister and Allie could fall under the friend category, if they were on speaking terms. She had even recently followed her old friend Crystal on Instagram so maybe that counted. They didn't interact much there, though Avery did notice that Crystal's husband Seth was very absent from any posted photos. She tried not to think too much about that.
She had friends. But, she was happy to have Bea, too.
"So. What are the plans for your garden this spring?" Bea asked as she settled into her arm chair. Within moments, her cat Wallace was hopping up to sit on her lap.
Avery's smile softened. This was a topic she and Bea had certainly covered before but she didn't mind going over the details again.
"Well, Steve is going to build me some standing boxes for my flowers. And the back beds need some work but I think with your help we can do a full vegetable spread. I'm thinking at least green beans and peas and carrots."
"Apparently kale does really well in gardens now," Bea said with a hum. "Too bad it tastes so terrible."
"Steve does like adding kale to his smoothies." Avery reached for her phone and sent a message off to the boys. It was certainly late enough and she had to be up early the next morning to head up to Bruce's lab. "They're going to be very grateful you're sending me home with the rest of that pasta, too."
"Maybe green beans! For the garden." Bea gave Avery a large smile. "Easy to grow."
"Definitely green beans." Avery smiled back. "Maybe you and Ray can come by for dinner next week. You can see how the apartment is progressing? Steve thinks he'll be done by April."
Bea's smile grew even louder, her eyes shining excitedly through her circular eyeglasses. "Good thing, sweetie. I can't do the stairs in this building much longer! And Ray is sick of the noise."
Something warm had settled in Avery when she thought about helping Bea and Ray move out of the apartment building and into their garden apartment instead. Steve promised them a reduced rent and in return Bea promised to be a perfect tenant, sharing baked goods and being a pet sitter as required.
The two women sipped their tea and traded stories, as they usually did. By the time Avery's cup was empty, Bucky was knocking at the door. She let him in and he spoke with Bea as Avery collected her things. Somehow she always left Bea's with containers of food, not that the boys ever complained. After kissing their cheeks, Bea sent them on their way.
Bucky carried the food in his right arm and tangled his free hand with Avery's as they headed downstairs.
"You two have a nice night?" Bucky squeezed her hand before letting go once they were outside.
Avery nodded, though she let out a sigh as she got into the Jeep. "I worry about her. But she seems to be doing just fine without me." Her lips pulled into a smirk. "It's always so strange coming back to this place. So many nice memories with you and Stevie here." She watched wistfully as they pulled out of the parking lot.
Bucky laughed quietly, eyes flicking from the road back to Avery. "Do you remember that night - when the power went out?"
Avery groaned, leaning back into the seat and turning her head to look at Bucky. He was smirking - that classic Barnes smartass smirk. "You mean do I remember when we got trapped on the roof for hours? Like I could forget Steve's face when he finally showed up to open the door. I nearly froze to death."
"Hey! I kept you warm. Plus, if you had just let me break the door.."
They both paused as they considered the memory. Avery often reflected on how far she had come personally but she couldn't deny how far her relationship with Bucky and Steve had come. Despite the rough last few months, no one had given up. And that counted for so much.
Avery sighed again, this one much more content. She yawned, reaching her left hand over to run her fingers through Bucky's hair. He grabbed her hand with his and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss against her knuckles.
"Hey. What do you think about me taking a boxing class?"
Steve's first week of classes went pretty well. The first class was outlined for him quite clearly - it was required to go over the class schedule, grading scheme and full syllabus. Honestly, it was kind of boring at first. But, when he opened up the class for a general question and answer period afterwards - which he tried to insist should be focused on WW2 questions only - he really came out of his shell.
For those students, WW2 was something that was truly history. They may have first learned about it when they were in elementary school, perhaps they had some older relatives who were war veterans. But for Steve, he had been a part of it not that long ago. Sure, the memories weren't as clear as they had been when he first thawed out in 2012. But even now the smell of gunpowder and trenches, the sound of bombs and gunfire, the feeling of loss and pain and sacrifice were still very clear in his mind.
He was worried some of the students may be more interested in Captain America, not Steve Rogers. And while some of the questions did mention The Avengers, he was pleasantly surprised to know these students were really there to learn about history.
Following his Thursday class, he had slotted in his office hours over the afternoon. When he made his way to the assigned office space down the hall, he found his officemate there, too. He knocked before walking in, causing the woman occupying the far desk to pull her face away from her computer screen. She had a short blonde bob and she was dressed in a navy blue dress - though Steve noticed her boots had been kicked off near the doorway. A jacket was piled on his desk.
"Hi, you must be Steve." She stood up quickly, rushing over to collect the things she had left laying about the space. "Sorry, I was in a rush to push out some documents to my online students and I kind of just.. Dropped all my things. I'm sort of getting used to things." Dropping the jacket onto her chair, she turned once more and offered her hand to Steve. "I'm Victoria, your office buddy, apparently."
Steve smiled as he shook her hand. "Nice to meet you." He draped his own coat on the back of his chair and left his leather bag to the side, dropping into the seat. "I'm also getting used to things here."
"First class?" Victoria asked him, returning to her chair and turning slightly to face him. "I taught a long time ago, before The Snap but this is my first full time gig again with university students and it can be a bit much."
"What are you teaching?" Steve asked her, pulling out his laptop and setting it ahead of him on the desk. He didn't have very much to do - no quizzes that week. He wasn't anticipating any students coming by for his office time either, but he figured he may utilize the hours to go over some of his notes for his future lectures.
Victoria adjusted the glasses that rested on the bridge of her nose. "First year Cell Biology and Fundamentals of Immunology this semester."
"Chemistry?" Steve raised an eyebrow.
She nodded, tilting her head curiously. "I didn't take you History types to care much for the sciences."
He laughed, shrugging one shoulder. "My girlfriend is finishing her Masters in.. something related to that right now. So, I have unintentionally learned a lot about the sciences." A buzzing phone on Victoria's desk stole her attention away just as a knock came at the door, too. Steve turned his head to see Cassidy standing there, tightly holding onto a file folder.
"Hey Steve, uh," Cassidy fumbled as she spoke, pulling further into the hallway as Steve joined her out there. "Here's the attendance sheet from today. I already made a note in the spreadsheet on the drive so that system should work out okay."
"That's great. Thanks for all your help getting that presentation working today." Steve took the folder from her and nodded. "I'll see you Tuesday?"
"Actually, I just had a question. Today, when that one student asked about how you travelled on foot over the winter - you said.." Cassidy's very simple question ate up more time than Steve wanted but he gave her the answers she was looking for. If he was being honest, he wasn't sure why she was so full of curious questions but she was very nice. Maybe a bit too eager but he had no qualms feeding that curiosity.
He had certainly noticed the flashy keychain of Captain America's shield hanging off of Cassidy's lanyard though. Steve didn't like the term fan but it would be an apt descriptor of his teaching assistant.
"Hey Steve, I think you have a phone call?" Victoria's voice cut off Cassidy's follow up question and Steve politely excused himself, stepping back into the office. He heard footsteps leading away from the door, finally.
"Sorry, that wasn't entirely true. Thought you needed a save." Victoria was packing up her things as Steve sat again, grabbing his phone to see if he had any actual messages or missed calls.
"Ah, thanks. Appreciate it." He brought his hand up and gripped his neck for a moment, shaking his head as he went over that conversation. He wasn't aware he could talk in so much detail about his winter clothing requirements during the war.
"Student?" Victoria slung her backpack onto her shoulder, leaning back onto her desk.
"My TA, actually. She's got a lot of questions."
Victoria nodded as she made her way to the door, giving him a wave as she headed out. Steve sighed and turned his attention back to his lecture notes. So far, he concluded he liked how the teaching gig was going. It turned out a job that involved speech giving and discussions about war strategies was right up Steve's alley.
He hoped the rest of the semester would go just as smoothly.
Being partners with the CIA had been equally exciting and boring. Bucky was glad to feel some purpose - especially being able to put his years of skill development to use in the form of training programs. There was much more strategy (and paperwork) involved and a lot less reactive measures.
Everett Ross liked being proactive instead. Which is why Sam and Bucky had been tasked with developing and executing a training program for CIA partner locations. They'd be trialing it out with a local cohort of FBI, NYPD and CIA agents in the city. Then they'd move on to DC, Langley and across the ocean to Luxembourg and Switzerland. It was going to be an intense few weeks of work to work out their plan and schedule.
But to Bucky, it felt like a good way to ease himself back into everything, at least.
The compound outside of the city had become a more inclusive space. It served as their main facility now and often hosted other groups in the area for research and training, plus it housed a full practice facility and equipment garage. Bucky and Sam spent most of their time running drills and tweaking strategy plans.
Plus, they spent a fair amount of time honing their own skills. Usually in the form of sparring with each other. In fact, it was usually how they spent their mornings before getting started with the real work.
Sam handed Bucky a sweat towel as he fell onto the mat. "What are you thinking about, robot man?"
Bucky huffed. "Either you're getting stronger or I'm getting weaker."
"You're out of practice," Sam concluded instead, hanging his arms off his knees as he sat. "How's Avery? You two sorted things out yet?" His words were supposed to be casual - though Sam had been feeling awfully protective of Avery since she broke down to him on New Years Eve. Sam had been on the receiving end of a very sincere apology from Bucky earlier in their week and he recognized the remorse in his friend. It was clear the apologies weren't relieving him of the lingering guilt.
"Yeah, we're.." Bucky pursed his lips. "We're getting there." That was the easiest summary because it was true. They were taking small steps to returning to a normal coexistence again. Bucky thought he was being a hold out - the sole reason why the fragments were still broken. But it was clear Avery still wasn't entirely open with her feelings, maybe. Or something.
There was still some resistance. Even though she might be pretending otherwise.
"We're trying, Sam."
That was the most important thing.
Sam reached over and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Good. That's half the battle."
Bucky quickly changed the topic to work instead. He questioned Sam about a strategy they were trying to break into segments and work plans. Much to Bucky's initial dismay, he had found a great partner in Sam. They worked well together - it was a natural dynamic they managed to balance, often speaking without saying anything and understanding of the other person's tells and what was going on.
It did put Sam in the position to really hone in on what Bucky wasn't telling him, though.
"Hey. Did you think about what I suggested?" Sam leaned back in his chair as they worked in the boardroom. Bucky had been staring at the same paper in his hands for the last ten minutes.
Bucky tried not to react, moving just his eyes to look over at Sam. "No."
"What are you so hesitant about?"
"Can we just finish this?"
"God, you're stubborn."
Bucky blinked hard a few more times and dropped down the document he had been not reading. "I did the therapy thing already, Sam. They made me decompress and unpack everything when they approved my pardon."
Earlier that week, Sam had politely and aggressively suggested Bucky find a psychologist to help with the after effects of his episode and his fears of it happening again. Bucky immediately regretted being honest with Sam about anything related to his feelings.
Because he had done all of this already. And it had only helped so much before Bucky had to work at it on his own. So, he was going to do that again. And he had Steve and Avery on his side to help him, too. They were all helping each other.
"Listen, when you break a bone, even after it heals, most of the time you still have to work on the rehabilitation to get it back to normal, you know? The same goes for that cyborg brain of yours. It's not a quick fix and you're clearly still struggling."
"Sam."
"I'm not saying this to make fun of you or make you feel weak, man. I'm just looking out for you."
Bucky knew Sam was right. And that his advice wasn't just about Bucky - he knew that if he worked on himself, he could help Avery and Steve work through the ripple of change that had come from the night of The Incident.
"My therapist before.. She was difficult." Bucky chewed on his lip. "But she did say I was welcome to call her anytime."
Sam nodded, tapping a finger on the table. "It's a place to start, Buck. I know our work schedule doesn't serve well to a normal routine but this could help."
God damnit. Bucky hated when Sam was right. Even though he didn't vocalize it, a certain proud feeling washed over Sam's face every time he saw Bucky heed his advice.
By Friday night, when Bucky, Steve and Avery were all home for dinner at the same time for the first time that week, Avery was somehow both tired and wired. She was lingering around the kitchen as Bucky worked on dinner. Steve was sitting at their dining table with a pile of papers in front of him as well as a tablet screen with some blueprints.
Avery's week had flown by, though. She had managed her time - attended class as required, assisted her professor with class set up and put hours in with Bruce for her thesis. She was doing okay. Things were going okay.
"And if it works - Bruce won't guarantee the outcome but he said it's very promising, at least. But if it works, he said I should pitch it to Stark Industries. Their renewable energy department is always looking for new developments and he thinks my research would be valuable to them. My research! Can you believe it?" Avery dropped onto one of the stools across from where Bucky was preparing dinner at the island. She let out one last loud squeal. "Sorry this is boring - but I'm just so excited!"
"It's not boring, doll," Bucky replied. He was beaming just as much as she was - mainly because her excitement was contagious to him. Given Avery's ups and downs over the last year and a half of her program, her energy about finishing up these big projects was very loud at times. "You know me an' Stevie are really proud of you."
Avery blushed, dropping her chin to rest in the palm of her propped up hand. "Keep that in mind when I get really stressed out this semester."
Steve left his papers on the table and moved to join her sitting at the stools, nudging her with his shoulder. "You know what we really want to know about is how that class at the boxing gym was this morning."
Avery rolled her eyes, happily accepting Steve's arm over her shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I thought we agreed this was going to be my own thing."
"Doesn't mean we don't want to know about it, Ave," Bucky chimed in, turning towards the stove to push around the sauce that was simmering. "So?"
Avery tapped her fingers along the countertop and nodded. "Fair enough. It was fine. They gave me and Sudi a tour and let us know about their class schedule. We stayed for their heavy bag beginners circuit. I will admit it took a bit of adjusting to reign in my punches but I didn't take down any of the gear, at least. And my elbow wasn't as much of a hindrance as I anticipated."
That was all very honest. The gym had been incredible though. Raya, the woman who founded the place, was very thorough about what their classes were like and what kind of services they offered.
Avery had liked the heavy bag class enough - she was very familiar with most of the techniques, though. It was after class that she saw something that really grabbed her interest though. It was two women sparring. They were in full gear, including padded helmets and wrapped hands. That was what spoke to her though. She wasn't exactly sure why or what was drawing her to it, but something about facing something with uncertainty, something she needed to strategize and plan and react to, that was appealing.
But, she wasn't sure how to approach that concept. Should she be disclosing her increased strength? Would that stop people from engaging with her or even hinder her from being allowed to spar?
So, she sat with the idea and wondered wistfully if she could figure out a solution.
"You gonna go back next week?" Steve asked her, gently drawing his thumb across where her oversized sweater had fallen away from her shoulder.
"Maybe. Homework schedule pending, I guess." She let out a long breath. "Oh! Also I invited Sam and Kasey over for dinner and games tomorrow night. Is that okay?"
Bucky let out an overdramatic groan. "You know, I spend all week with the guy."
"And you have - what? - three weeks by his side during your training trip next month?" Steve added in playfully. "It's okay to admit to us that Sam is your best friend, Buck."
"Sam is not my best friend. You two are." Bucky defended quickly, grumbling some other thoughts to himself. He sighed then turned back to the other two. "He was telling me about some new card game that seems sort of fun."
"Did he just say 'sort of fun'?" Avery gasped and tipped her head to look up towards a smirking Steve. "We need to remember this day. Bucky used the F word on his own accord."
Soon enough, Steve's pile of papers were put away for the night and all three of them were sitting at the dining table together eating dinner. Under their feet, Rocky snoozed gently.
It was in these not-so-quiet moments that everything felt so normal between them. There were no looming deadlines or assistants. No discussions about training schedules or government threats, no questionable flirting or restlessness. Just full stomachs and smiling faces and warm hearts.
Across the city, in a disheveled little studio apartment, busy fingers typed notes into an old computer. This wasn't anything fancy - it was a relic, used for transporting information to another secure system.
They removed the glasses from their face, pinching the bridge of their nose in tired contemplation. Before shutting down the machine and pouring a cup of tea, one finger hit the SAVE button on a document titled: RESEARCH - S. G. ROGERS.
A/N: hey ya'll! finally, we're getting a break from that angst and back to real life. I hope you liked a peak into the day to day life of these three right now. we are laying a .. ~foundation here and meeting a few new people, too!
just wanted to say a BIG thank you to everyone for being here for this second story. I know I'm a broken record here but it means THE WORLD to me to have you along for the ride. thank you to everyone who favourites or follows or reviews! just having you here makes all the difference. thank you to Katie MacAlpine (thanks for being here, Katie!), AndTheSaintsAreAllMadeOfGold (I'm glad to have opened you up to this throuple ship!), WinchesterGurl4Life (I hope your sister is enjoying the story too! hi!), and EirlysLavellan (love you, girl!)
Folks, it's officially just past my one year anniversary of writing Show Me, Don't Tell Me! And my birthday weekend! So as a gift to you, I'm really just sharing this update and another thank you for being here. I made a vague reference here to Avery's birthday celebration last year that I want to write a little one shot about. if you ever want to know more about these three or any headcanons I have about their relationship or about Avery, feel free to ask and I'd love to answer :)
coming up next: Avery's birthday! it's going to be a fun one for these three - some fluff, some angst, some ... adult time ;)