"Oh, it was great!" Scott enthused, nodding his head rapidly as he spoke. "I managed to get into the backpack bit… and just started pulling a bunch of wires out."

Lizzy cut him off with a guffawing laugh. "You broke his wings?"

Laughing alongside her, he nodded with a bright smile. "I guess so!" Looking over her shoulder, he dropped his voice a little. "I mean, he did ask me not to tell anyone but… you're a lot scarier than he is."

Laughing again, she turned her head to spot Sam. It became impossible to stifle her laughter when she found him striding sternly over. "You got that right," she murmured to Scott as Sam reached them.

"What's going on here?" Sam asked, eyebrows raised as he tried to stare down Scott.

"Oh nothing," she began, watching Scott shrink further into himself. "I'm just wondering if we should demote you?" She asked, tapping her chin as though in deep thought. "Not sure you can really be an avenger if this guy could beat you on his first day?"

Frowning, despite the amusement shining in his eyes, he turned back to Scott. "Okay, get the suit." He told him, hand gripping his shoulder, and a finger pointed in his face. "Round two right now."

Stifling a laugh at the horrified expression dawning upon Scott's face, she knocked Sam's hand away. "Chill out, Scott." His eyes shot to hers, wide and somewhat overwhelmed. "He's only joking."

"Oh!" Scott's terror broke, uncertain laughter taking its place. "Oh, right, yeah!"

Sharing a wry smile with Lizzy, Sam crossed his arms. "You're a funny guy, tictac."

Catching a blur of red hair in her periphery, Lizzy's focus shifted from the pair before her and she quickly excused herself. Nat was by the window, hair lightened by the sunshine streaming in, her gaze lingering on the vast flatlands. Approaching, adding an unnatural heaviness to her steps to ensure the other woman became aware of her arrival, she watched as Nat's eyes turned to find her. Returning her warm smile, Lizzy sidled up beside her.

"How're you feeling?"

Lizzy shrugged. "I don't know," her words dragged slowly. "I feel fine right now but…" Nat hummed in response, appearing to understand what Lizzy failed to verbally convey. Shaking off her residual unease, she changed the subject. "You sticking with us now?"

"Looks like it," she turned more fully from the window then, showing a smirk as she faced Lizzy more fully. "Are you?" The tone was teasing, as though she knew the answer already.

"Er..." Lizzy struggled to formulate a response, unsure how Nat could possibly know that Lizzy was considering staying behind. The option had only been presented to her mere moments ago.

At Lizzy's extended silence she provided an answer. "Steve mentioned that Barnes might stay here." Eyes darting over Lizzy's uncertain features, Nat's smile fell. "Lizzy," she began almost sternly, "no one would blame you for wanting to stay with him."

Averting her gaze, letting the sunshine blind her for a moment, she sighed. "That's the thing," finally squinting away from the sun, she finished with a lowered voice, "I'm not sure I do want that." Noting how that sounded, and knowing it wasn't entirely what she meant, Lizzy quickly tried to correct herself. "It's just Steve, and-and he's not really gonna be here." Unspoken words became tied up on her tongue, reasoning she couldn't seem to explain.

Stepping closer, a soft hand upon her arm, Nat murmured a response. "That's okay too," squeezing her arm, she continued, "you're allowed to not be sure but I'm probably not the one you need to talk to." A sudden smirk lightening her features as her eyes hovered over Lizzy's shoulder, she finished; "Besides, he's looking at you like a lost puppy right now."

A laugh breaking her sudden seriousness, Lizzy nodded. Wiping at her eyes, she found herself surprised to find a wetness there. "Yeah," she answered simply, "thanks, Nat, for everything."

"Anytime," Nat gave a wave of her hand, "I've got your back."

Smiling, Lizzy nodded. A sadness had been welling inside her, a long realisation of how lost her friendship with Tony really was. Yet, here she found herself surrounded by those she hadn't even noticed becoming her friends.

"That does make me feel better." She chuckled. Taking a breath, she squared her shoulders and turned to look at Bucky through the doorway. Nat had been right, he looked positively lost without her – Steve having since vacated his spot opposite him to mingle alongside her; currently chatting off to her left with a nervous Wanda.

A last cursory glance to Nat, "I'll see you later," and she headed towards him.

Bucky seemed to settle back into his seat a little more with each step she took closer. "Miss me?" She teased as she finally stepped directly before him.

Smirking, he sat forward, hand reaching for hers. "How could I? I've been so busy with all my friends." He told her wryly, free hand gesturing to the empty seats surrounding him.

Rolling her eyes but squeezing his hand tighter, she tugged him upwards. "Come on." Letting her pull him alongside her, feet rushing to keep up, he looked down at her with a question in his eyes.

"Are we even allowed up here?" He asked, lingering in the doorway.

Shrugging, she lightly tugged his arm. "I guess," she told him, smirking at his indecision. "C'mon," she whined, "I bet the view's incredible from up here."

Eyes shifting over her shoulder, his lips twisted upwards and he nodded despite himself. Stepping out onto the roof with her, he immediately raised an arm against the sun. "It's bright," he complained, following after her regardless.

"The sun's going down," she reassured, leading him to a shady spot she had discovered last night. "It's better here."

Eyes narrowing on the sleek armchair she had struggled to heft up the stairs the previous night, he looked to her with a question. "You've been up here?"

Scrunching up her nose, she shrugged dramatically and moved over to the ledge. "I came up here last night," she admitted, taking a seat. "I woke up and…" trailing off she huffed and watched him take the offered chair. "I guess whatever's going on with me just… freaked me out." She waved her arms before her as she spoke, as though that would somehow aid her explanation. "I needed some air I guess."

Watching her for a moment, he leaned forwards. "Why didn't you wake me?"

Letting one of her legs swing off the edge of the roof, she gave him a smile. "Well, we had such a… good night," she told him, winking and gaining a laugh. "I didn't wanna ruin that." She finished, leaning over to look at the ground far below.

"Can you stop…doing that?" He asked awkwardly. Looking back at him, she found him stood and stepping towards her.

Smirking, she let her body lean further over the ledge. "Doing what?" She asked, tone dripping with charm, as she kept herself from falling with a single hand upon the ledge. Rushing forwards as her fingers started to slip from the ledge, he caught her arm and she couldn't hold back her laughter. "Bucky, you know I can fly right?" Nodding, a wry smile taking over his lips, he pulled her to her feet and away from the ledge. "And," she stressed, "I just came back from the dead."

Running his hands down her arms, he pulled her closer with a smile. "I must've missed that?" Eyes washing over her features as she laughed, he relented, "I know that you're… sort of invincible? But, I'd still rather not watch you fall off a building."

Hands smoothing over his chest and up to his neck, she pressed her lips to his. "Alright," she murmured into the small space between them, "I'll keep my distance from the edge."

"Thanks." His response was almost inaudible over the yelp of surprise she gave as he lifted her without warning. Tightening her arms around his neck, one of her hands curling into his hair, she laughed as he walked them backwards.

As they fell into the chair together, she let her eyes wander to the pink hued sunset dipping beneath the horizon. "How are you feeling?" He asked, a sudden seriousness overtaking his tone. This seriousness was softened somewhat by the gentle way he pushed her hair behind her shoulders; fingers lingering along her jaw.

Attention returning to him, she sighed. "I… am tired," she said slowly, a yawn fighting to escape her. Quickly shifting the conversation, she let her words focus on him. "What about you?" she asked, "you're still…here?"

Disappointment pulled at her as she watched his gaze avert from hers immediately. "Lizzy," he began, hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt, "I still have to do this."

Shoulders dropping, she nodded silently.

A hope had filled her when she had spotted him upon her return; an excitement that maybe he had changed his mind. She had worked out quickly, that this was not the case. Guilt ate at her as she considered her disappointment at this. It was understandable that he wanted to do this, felt he needed to do this, and she couldn't bring herself to tell him not to. But she wanted to.

Instead, she settled for voicing her fairer fears. "You haven't yet," she pointed out, trying to keep her tone light.

"I know," he sighed. "I want you to be okay."

"I am okay?" She asked, eyebrows raising as she struggled to understand his meaning. Letting out a scoff, he pushed back further into the chair to watch her with raised eyebrows. "Oh," she loudly proclaimed before gesturing vaguely to her head, "other than all this shit, I'm totally fine." Immediately, she found herself laughing at the ridiculousness of that statement.

Laughing alongside her, he let his hands rest upon her thighs. "Sure," he agreed ruefully.

Twisting her lips, she struggled to find the right words. "Look, I'm not going to tell you not to do this. I get it, I do." Distracting herself from watching his reactions, she fiddled with his collar. "But there's always going to be something like this; I'm a fugitive, Steve's a fugitive… and if what Thor said is true…" finally smoothing his collar and looking back to his eyes, she finished; "Matthew's not gonna be the only one trying to get a hold of me."

"I-Lizzy, right now I'm just another threat."

The reassurance she had provided him with previously had done nothing to permanently remove that notion from his mind. In truth, she doubted anything could alleviate that particular feeling; his guilt hung around him so heavily she were almost surprised he could remain upright.

"You know I don't believe that," she told him, knowing the words would have little effect.

Shaking his head, hands falling from contact with her, he responded quietly. "Every-time I'm-" he cut himself off, struggling. "Whenever we – it's always you," he finally finished, words escaping him quickly as he met her eyes once more. "You are the one that I hurt, every time it's you and I-" his voice broke, yet unshed tears choking him. "I can't take that again."

His tears finally escaped him, the lingering last light of the day reflecting from the sadness in his eyes. It was unfair, but she wanted to ask him why? Why was it always her? Scared of the answer, she took a pause, and moved on.

"I know," she assented softly, the darkness of the night finally shrouding them. "But, that's not the point I'm trying to make." Mouth closing he nodded, watching her closely as she pieced together her next words. "Look, I know what it's like to wake up one day and have someone tell you that… someone you care about is gone." Fingers swiping at her eyes, she continued through the sudden hoarseness of her voice. "To be told that… no one knows exactly how or why or-or to find out that no one's even a hundred percent sure." His fingers replaced hers, wiping away tears that had already fallen. "Waking up and being told that you have to accept that that person is just gone." Taking a deep breath, hoping to regain the strength of her voice, she finished; "I don't want that for you."

"That's not gonna happen, Lizzy."

"That's not the first time you've told me that," she told him, a sad smile bubbling up at the memory, "it's harder to believe a second time."

The white light of the moon reflected sharply from his eyes as he watched her with a tilted head. "I'm sorry," he whispered into the night.

Those words had escaped him countless times since their reunion. Each time they held some secret, deeper meaning; telling her he was sorry for a thousand different things all at once. "Me too," she murmured softly, pressing her lips to his before he could ask her to elaborate. The taste of her seemed to wash away any curiosity her words had sparked; his tightened grip upon her filling her with a warm, familiar comfort. "Whatever you do," she told him, breathless as she parted from him, "I love you."

Responding without words, he pulled her back to him.

A shrill ringing overwhelmed their moment. Cursing, her whole body jumping at the sudden sound, she ignored Bucky's amusement and pulled the phone from her back pocket. Glancing at the phone she groaned before swiping her finger across the screen. "Steve?" she answered, shifting awkwardly in Bucky's lap only to be immediately halted by his hands upon her hips. Smirking wickedly at his suddenly flushed demeanour, she relented her movement. "What's up?"

"Where are you? T'Challa's got someone who wants to meet you." His tone was light, despite the strange concern his words inspired.

"That's kinda ominous." She muttered, shrugging at Buckys's quizzical expression.

A subtle chuckle sounded then. "They're hoping to figure out what's happening to you." She didn't respond. Immediate discomfort reared at the prospect of days spent in a lab, her personhood removed to become a test subject once again. "Lizzy, they want to help you. Everything's on your terms here." Despite her discomfort, she smiled at this proof that Steve knew her more than well enough to entirely decipher her brief silence.

"Okay," she murmured, slouching somewhat at the prospect of leaving this rooftop hideaway, "where are you?"

"Meet me downstairs, I'll go with you." Smiling at his never-ending thoughtfulness, she quickly assented and went to hang up the phone. "Oh, wait – have you seen Bucky?"

Running her fingertips over Bucky's neck, letting her thumb swipe over his jaw, she nodded pointlessly. "Yeah, he's here."

A wry laugh bled through the receiver, "oh, is he?"

Watching Bucky's head fall back against the chair, eyes roaming over her, she huffed a response; "You're so funny." Despite her attempted sarcasm, she couldn't prevent her smile from infecting her words. Speaking again before Steve could try for another remark, she quickly asked "you want him to come?"

"That's up to you."

Sighing, trying to stand despite Bucky's light hands fighting to keep her in place, she responded "alright, see you soon, Stevie"

Hanging up the phone she rounded her attention fully on Bucky. Attempting sternness she pressed her hands against his chest and locked eyes on him. Immediately his smirk cracked her façade. "Let me up." A laugh quickly shattered any authority her voice had held.

"What did he want?" He asked, ignoring her request in favour of tightening his grip.

Pointlessly, she struggled for a moment - pleased to hear his light laughter even if it were at her expense. Unable to hide the humour in her own eyes, she relented and settled back against him. "Some people are gonna try and… fix me, I guess."

Grip slowly softening at her words, he sighed. "Guess I gotta let you go."

She hummed in response, hands framing his face as he leaned towards her. Their kiss was short but saccharine; leaving Lizzy with a warmth in her chest even as she pulled herself from him. "Come with me?"

Standing after her, hands never straying far from her figure, he nodded his assent. "Let's go."

Smoothing a hand over his arm, she trailed her fingers over his skin until they laced with his. With a last surge of amusement, she squeezed his hand meaningfully before breaking away to step to the ledge. "You take the stairs," she told him offhandedly, thumb jerking to the drop behind her, "I'm going this way."

The speed with which he moved caught her off guard. Barely a second after her voice had sounded he had grabbed her arm to pull her closer; taking advantage of her surprise and imbalance to grab her waist and heft her over his shoulder. "Don't think so, doll," his affectionate tone was punctuated by her gasping laughter.

Striding from the ledge to the door, ignoring her half-hearted complaints, he set her back on her feet at the top step. Despite his willingness to indulge her, his long stare as he blocked the entrance to the roof told her that he was more than aware that she was stalling. "I'll carry you all the way there if I have to," she rolled her eyes dramatically at the exaggerated exasperation in his tone.

Turning from him, taking the first few steps down, she smiled to herself.

This amusement escaped her slowly.

Their descent of the spiralling stairwell quickly became synonymous with the spiralling of Lizzy's mind. Despite her desperation to latch onto some kind of logic, the sudden oppressive air of the enclosed space forced a fear into her. A fear that she struggled to hide as their shadows began morphing and melting into something sinister that seemed to taunt her at the edges of her vision. Eyes trained upon her suddenly heavy feet, she poured her effort into placing one foot securely before the other.

Hi!

The action starts again a little more intently next chapter, I promise! As always thanks so much for reading and please let me know what you guys think and if there's anything you wanna see!

Quick shout out and huge thank you to .2021, MurrayMina, and simplexdreams for leaving a review - always brightens my day.

LotsofLava