Sy
The party was easier than she thought it would be. Steve stuck by her side, watching her carefully out the corner of his eyes. The rest of the team were all doing it too. She appreciated how they tried to pretend that they weren't hovering over her now that she was out of the hospital.
Music played over the speakers, which usually would drive her crazy, but Tony's tower was special. After she had moved back to New York last year and had been spending so much time in and out of the tower, Tony had noticed her wincing whenever he played music in the tower. When she finally told him about the feedback issues that made listening to recorded music more annoying that relaxing he'd set to building speakers and headphones she could use and enjoy. Eventually he'd succeeded. Nothing could ever beat live music, but if she had to listen any other way, it would be with Tony. He'd even modified the frequencies that the speakers played at, so that it wouldn't hurt her enhanced hearing and still play at a normal volume for all the normal people.
Sy glances over at Steve, who was walking around with her like a stoic guard dog. She internally groaned, because as much as he needed him, Steve should not be responsible for her all night. It would just ruin both of their nights. Sy forced herself to work up the courage to wander off without him, taking deep breaths as subtly as she could. As she started to walk away she nudged him towards the other WWII vets playing pool in the corner he'd been glancing towards wistfully. He tried to follow her for a moment when she fixed him with a stern glare. With one last glance towards her, he joined the pool game. As it was, he checked on her every thirty seconds or so; his eyes searching her out of the crowd.
"Look who's back! If it isn't my favorite mini me." Sam's voice came from behind her. Sy flinched in surprise before turning around. To try and cover up Sy launched herself into the man's arms for a hug, sending Sam stumbling back a couple steps. Steve had told her he'd been on the mission that had brought her home, but had been away on a different mission for the last week while she was recovering in the hospital. Sy had smiled wryly when she'd heard that. For a happily retired veteran, he'd jumped on board the SHIELD train pretty quickly after the events in DC a year and a half before. He worked with Colonel Rhodes as a conduit between the partially independent Avengers and the restructured intelligence organization.
"Hi Sam." She said with a smile. Talking was still hard for her. Sometimes she still felt the cold metal of the muzzle pressed against her face when she opened her mouth. But if anyone here besides James would understand, it was Sam. After all Sam was the one who'd been helping James so much since they'd brought him in from the cold.
"How are you doing kid?" He asked her more gently, concern written across his face. She just shrugged, unsure how to answer. Sy didn't even have the energy to reject the kid nickname. Sam took her silence in stride, walking quietly alongside her as they navigated the passed Tony and Thor bragging about Pepper and Jane respectively. She and Sam rolled their eyes simultaneously, even while Director Hill and Assistant Director Coulson walked away with Rhody.
Sy was still bitter about Coulson and Fury's lies about the man being dead. Or brought back to life. She didn't really understand the story, but since everyone involved was still alive, she assumed Coulson hadn't ended up in a Greek afterlife. Otherwise Hades would have killed or cursed them all. Cheating death is a big deal; none of the gods she knew or had heard about would forgive such a thing lightly.
By the time they came back across Steve she was feeling more comfortable, so Sy left the two of them to chat and decided to find someone else to hang out with. She talked with a few Stark industry employees, chatted with Dr. Cho, who had helped Clint recover. She found Clint for a while, sat with him silently in a corner to take a breath. They watched Bruce and Natasha flirt awkwardly at the bar, and she had to grip her sides tightly to hold in her laughter. Clint didn't bother trying to hold it in, and let out a loud HA . When Natasha glanced over at the sound, Clint quickly turned to her, pretending like Sy had said something funny. By the death glares the archer was receiving from his partner, his ploy didn't work. Sy just shrugged vaguely at the former assassin, a wide grin still stretched across her face. Bruce was clueless, and as good an actress Natasha was, she had no idea how to behave like a normal human being when she wasn't undercover. It was funny.
The party wasn't so bad. Nobody was pushing for her to talk, or be with her, but she also wasn't alone. Tony eventually stumbled his way over to her, much less drunk than he was pretending to be, and coerced her into playing the piano. She was thankful for the excuse, because now she didn't need to work up the courage to play on her own; even as she'd been stealing glances at the baby grand sitting in the corner all evening. Sy smiled and sat down, letting her hands drift over the keys for a moment before settling in. The room quieted down, everyone's eyes on the musical prodigy that Steve Rogers had adopted. Most people there had no idea she was the seventh Avenger. They just thought she was there to spend time with Steve after a successful mission and after spending the year abroad. That was the cover SHIELD and the Avengers had invented for her disappearance, although apparently Steve's public appearances had to be cut down to almost nothing to keep up the cover. Tony turned off the music drifting over the speakers, and Sy smiled at the pure silence that had settled over the room.
With a single deep breath, she began. Sy let her fingers fly, notes flowing easily. Sy felt her mood lift as she played, the music soothing her shattered pieces. Swaying gently in the seat she let everything around her filter away into background noise. She lost herself to the music, even as the background chatter of the party slowly picked up again.
She'd been afraid of playing ever since she got back. It wasn't as bad as talking, but she didn't want to touch her powers of influence at all. Not when they got her into the mess with HYDRA in the first place. Then after she was captured, they couldn't save her. And after her escape attempts failed, her powers had gotten a gag welded over her face. She didn't like the risk her powers came with anymore, even after she was safe. But ever since she picked up the violin that day, the release playing had always brought her came rushing back. It was like an itch she couldn't help but scratch. She didn't even notice the party dying away. She just lost herself to the music, music flowing from her fingertips easily, the anxiety slowly melting away as she eased into the music and nothing bad happened.
Sy smiled, the music warm and familiar and comforting. She whispered a prayer to her mom as she played, and sacrificed part of the song, the first time she'd done so in months.
She was home.