...Kit...
My head begins to ache, as it always does after "running errands" for Keiran, on the drive home from the Nightingale. We walk up the three stories to our apartment and I can feel each step as it resonates in my brain. "I'm going to take a shower," I mumble to Bucky as he collapses onto his makeshift bed.
I waste no time in undressing and stepping under the hot water pouring out of the shower head. I stand under the spray with my palms against the shower wall in front of me, letting the water massage away the tension in my neck and head. When the aching begins to ebb away, I open my eyes and begin to wash away the blood that sprayed on my hands and arms from Lyle's nose. As I clean the blood from under my fingernails, I notice a decent sized cut on the side of my thumb. Some of the glass must have sliced my hand without me realizing it.
When the water finally begins to run cold, I turn the shower off and step out, the steam billowing out through the bathroom when I pull open the shower curtain. I ignore the curious look from Bucky as I stride passed him and through the hanging beads that lead to my bedroom. Sleep, now I just need to sleep.
But sleep eludes me. Instead I spend over an hour staring up at the yellowing ceiling until I begin to see shapes in the stained drywall. I sit up and swing my feet over the side of my bed and decide to go for a walk.
"Where are you going?" Bucky's voice startles me as I creep by him.
"Jesus Christ, Bucky. I thought you were asleep," I hiss, not sure why I keep my voice down since we're the only ones here.
"I don't sleep well anymore. Where are you going?" He repeats, sitting upright.
"I don't either. I'm going to take a walk or something." I shake out my arms, my body buzzing with nervous energy.
"I'll go with you." Before I can protest, he's already standing and I note that he sleeps fully dressed. Right down to his shoes.
The cool New York air feels good as we step out into the night. There's something comforting about the sounds of cars moving through the streets and people yelling at each other in the distance. I have always loved this city, even though it hasn't always been kind to me. We make our way in silence down the block and walk out into the bustling night life of the city that never sleeps.
"Our apartment's bugged," he says finally. This isn't a question, he's just assuming. But he isn't wrong.
"More than likely. My office is definitely bugged, so while we're there you can't say anything about... well, anything." I shrug and as I side step around a couple walking drunkenly towards us, we fall back into silence.
"It still seems so strange to me," he says finally. I look over at him, unsure of what he's talking about but he isn't looking at me, he's staring around us at the wide sidewalks and tall buildings stretching to the skies. "This whole city. Everything is so different, you know?" He finally looks at me and his eyes have a far away look to them, like he's somewhere else.
"I was never on ice," I shrug. "I kind of saw it all grow up around me. So it doesn't seem too strange. I can't imagine what Steve thought when he woke up. Going from what it looked like in the 40's to what it looks like now. Or you, I guess. You were around but... not, I guess." He nods slowly.
"Do you ever wish you could go back? Change the way things are?" His question catches me off guard and we stop at a stand selling hot dogs, buy two and then sit on a bench and his question hangs in the air.
"I don't know. I don't think so. I kind of like my life. Although, I do miss how simple it was back then. Running around with you and Steve, even though I think you wished I would find friends of my own." I laugh a little bit as I reminisce on all the times he gave me the same sour look he has on his face now.
"You were a thorn in my side," he admits. "But I liked having you around." I nearly choke on my food.
"I'm sorry, can I have that in writing? You absolutely tormented me."
"You made it easy," he shrugs with a small smile. "Besides, I wouldn't say 'tormented'."
"Oh I absolutely would. Do you remember when you put those flyers around the neighborhood advertising a pet sitting business? The flyers where you put my address as the pet sitting business? I had people showing up for weeks with their animals, wanting me to keep them! One lady actually abandoned a bunch of kittens at my house!"
"Well, yeah. But those kittens were super cute."
"It was awful." I shake my head and we watch as groups of people pass by us. Some of them stumbling as they're making their way home after a night at the bars, some of them leaving their graveyard shifts with drowsy eyes. "How are you going to keep the Avengers updated since we're bugged?" I finally ask. Bucky heaves a sigh and stands up, stretching his back as he does.
"I don't know. I'm not too concerned with keeping them up to date. Not as often as I'm sure they'd like. Besides, it seems like right now there isn't anything to really update them with. It looks like Keiran is just giving us grunt work. Come on," he says, offering me his hand and pulling me up towards him. "Let's go home and try to get some sleep before work tomorrow."
...
Bucky wasn't wrong. Keiran is giving us grunt work. I lose track of the days as we spend weeks tracking down random drug dealers and a handful of night club owners. All people that threaten Keiran's other ventures of entrepreneurship. The work is beginning to wear on me and I can tell it's getting to Bucky as well. He's lapsed into almost constant silence and does nothing but sulk around when we're not at RCP. His phone rings all night long and I saw Steve's name lighting up the screen once as I was getting a glass of water one night. It isn't until we've been running errands for almost three months that Keiran finally calls me into his office.
"You and Barnes have been busy," he says as he glances over some paperwork laid out across his desk.
"Busy with busy work," I reply irritably. "We've done nothing important other than break a few noses here and there." I cross my arms as I plop down in the chair in front of his desk. I really hope he can feel the disdain I'm trying to convey. I'm sick of being an errand boy and I just want to get this job finished so I can be cleared of all charges against me and just live a normal life.
"Tsk, tsk," Keiran clicks his tongue at me, finally lifting his eyes to meet mine. "I was calling you in here to ask you if you think you're ready for the next step, but if you're going to be throwing tantrums..."
I sit upright in the chair and lean forward eagerly. "No, I'm not throwing a tantrum. I just want something worth doing, that's all. I am absolutely ready for the next step." A cruel smile pulls at his lips and he nods, handing me an envelope with my next assignment.
"I chose this job for you and Barnes specifically." I try to read the expression on his face as he watches me, but I can't tell what he's thinking. Brushing the unease off, I flip open the folder and see why he wears the smile on his face. As I look down at the profile in front of me, a single photograph and name just below it, I compose my face before I look back up at him.
"He isn't a politician," thankfully my voice sounds stronger than I feel, and for that I'm grateful.
"No, not exactly. He has a lot of pull though, especially with the media. They love him. And his opinions are valued. He has made it no secret that he doesn't agree with people like me, so if we can silence him, I have a good chance at securing a seat in the senate." I nod robotically and as soon as he dismisses me I make a beeline for my office, where Bucky is waiting for me.
Silently, I hand him the folder and watch as he opens it up and looks at the man with the sunglasses in the photo and reads the single name across the bottom.
Stark, Tony.