"Steve! Put him down!" Atalie shouted, running over to get between him and her husband. She shoved Chris back a few steps, her arms out defensively. After a beat, she shook her head, mumbling to herself. "Shit, Chris, sorry. Chris, not Steve."
"Does he hurt you?" Chris was thunderous. Behind him, Scarlett, Chris Hemsworth and Sebastian were also looking like they wanted a piece of Tom's hide. Atalie's eyes flicked over all of them before fixing back on Chris Evans.
"What? No! Chris, he's my husband! He'd never raise a hand against me." She didn't need to look to know that her husband looked mortified at the prospect. Sparring aside, the thought of hurting her made him sick.
"Atalie, I saw the flinch when Sebastian moved. You acted like he was gonna smack you into the wall."
Atalie sighed with a sheepish look on her face and glanced up at her husband. He shrugged. She nodded. There was a flash of green, and Tom Hiddleston changed, his hair growing longer and darker. His eyes changed from blue to green with a blink. In the same flash, Atalie had intricate tattoos across her forehead, looking almost like a crown of golden thorns. The few around them stared in confusion and wonder.
"Loki isn't the one that hurt me. He was," she said, pointing to Sebastian. As she spoke, Sebastian seemed to curl in on himself at the accusation. Tom, now Loki, wrapped his arms around Atalie's waist and tracked the actor's movement with sharp eyes. "Well, Bucky did. If I'd'a been paying attention though, Seb wouldn't'a startled me half as much. It's been a while since I last saw him."
"What?" Scarlett asked, confused. Atalie sighed and gestured to the dining room table. Loki sat first and pulled her onto his lap, his arms tight around her waist. She scrubbed her face with her hands, searching for the correct way to tell her story. It was unbelievable, even though they'd already seen Loki's magic.
Atalie seemed to age in front of their eyes, not with magic, as before, this was different. Atalie's eyes were the same as those who'd lost themselves to a war and had to fight to find themselves again. She was tired, the kind of tired neither sleep nor coffee could fix.
"What do you guys know about the idea of shifting into a dream reality?"
"Like that Tiktok trend?" Scarlett asked for clarification. Loki nodded. "Isn't it just lucid dreaming and maladaptive daydreaming mixed with dissociation?"
"Yes. Unless you happen to actually get thrown into the universe, unscripted, and while you're still awake." Atalie rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I was walking to my bedroom, here in this universe, and ended up in the living room of the Malibu house with Rhodey's gun aimed at my head."
"That doesn't explain the flinch," Sebastian said softly. He looked like a kicked puppy. Atalie looked at him apologetically, she knew he wasn't Bucky, but they looked too similar, and she wasn't expecting the movement.
"Just tell them the story, Grey. We can trust them," Loki said softly, looking at everyone around them. They looked confused at the nickname. "I trust them."
Atalie sighed and leaned back against Loki, smiling softly as she thought back to how it all started. She absently twisted her wedding ring around as Loki rubbed her arms, occasionally leaning forward to press a kiss on her shoulder.
"Well, it was a good few years ago now, but I was really mad in the beginning. And scared. But, in my defense, I went from this nice, normal world to a place where superheroes were real.
Shifting Universes
Routines were easy. I liked my routines because they were safe. Coming here broke my routine, and I had no idea what to do, until Rhodey sat me down and asked, not what I wanted to do, but what I could do. And that difference, that changed it. I could do a lot. I could recite Tony's speech from Iron Man three, when they're threatening him. I could rattle off Cap's speech in the triskelion to encourage SHIELD to stand up against Hydra.
I could tell you every plot point and fan theory for each Avengers movie. I'd been writing fanfiction for this series since 2008 when Iron Man first came out. I knew everything about each character in the movies, I knew about Fury's blasted Black Box, that at the moment, only Fury knows about. I knew about oh eight fours, and I knew about the Inhumans - both of them, those on the moon, and those in China.
"I can help. I can stop the mad titan. I can save Tony's life. But I can't do it alone." Pepper and Rhodey watched me pace back and forth in the living room, playing with the sleeves of Tony's MIT hoodie that I'd stolen. "I'm going to sound crazy a lot, and I'm going to have to make decisions that people aren't going to like, and I'm going to have to make hard calls. But I've loved all of them since I met them, and if I can do this, save them in this way... Maybe I'll find a way to be happy with myself."
"If it saves Tony's life, I'm in," Rhodey said, looking strangely grim. Pepper, who had been in various states of distress since Tony was kidnapped, was stone faced, staring ahead at the wall.
"Tell me something that you shouldn't know. Something that only we could know."
"You're allergic to strawberries, you have a BA in accounting, but went into modelling which you hated because it was empty. Tony started calling you Pepper after you threatened his security with pepper spray that you didn't actually have." I paused and ignored the shaking in my hands. "You called Christine Everhart trash that needs to be taken out when she tried to insult you for bringing her her clothes."
Pepper stared at me in shock and mild horror. Some of it was common knowledge, but not all of it. And no one knew that she quit modelling because it felt empty. No one could've known that. But I knew that. I knew that because I loved the MCU, and I loved these people.
"Rhodey, Tony likes to call you stupid pet names like honey bear, because you were his first real friend that wasn't in it for the Stark name. You've flown 138 combat missions because the fight needed to be fought. You met at MIT, and when you continued into the Air Force, and Tony took over the company, you became his liaison because he refused to work with anyone else. He took the quote unquote fun-vee, and you were in the hum-drum-vee. Oh, and I know about Ivan."
"She definitely knows us," Rhodey said, leaning back in his chair. He looked slightly frightened of me and my knowledge. "Most of that was in jokes between me and Tony."
"No one knew I lied about the pepper spray," Pepper said, looking at me. "Okay. Now what?"
That was a very good question. I needed to figure that out. And for that I needed to hope my phone still worked.
Shifting Universes
"Miss Stark, are you quite alright?" Jarvis asked. I sighed, shoving back from my desk and pacing. I ignored the sound of my chair falling to the ground behind me. I didn't have complete control over my emotions, despite my previous claims that I was completely fine. "Miss Stark?"
I shouted out as I threw my phone at the wall, watching it shatter with grim satisfaction. And then my anger melted into sadness, and I sank to the floor crying. For the second time that week.
I clutched the flash drive in my hand. It was the only thing I had left. The only link to before. One tiny stick held 24 years of memories. If I lost that... I tightened my grip on it, terrified it would vanish into smoke.
"C'mon, kiddo, let's go." Rhodey pulled me to my feet and guided me to the bed, tilting me enough to fall onto the covers. The ache in my hips said it had been a while since I first sat down, but I had no concept of time. I just laid there as he piled blankets on me before sitting down next to me. I let out a shiver that wasn't entirely from the cold. "You okay?"
"Too many decisions. I can't see the answers. I can prevent Sokovia, make it a non-starter, but I still don't know if we can do this without her. Not even to say that she doesn't deserve that pain." I could save Wanda and Pietro from joining Hydra. Keep them away from Strucker. But... Did we need Wanda to defeat Thanos? "If I save one, I doom another." If I pull Bucky from Hydra, Fury might actually die, and insight might actually happen. But having him as a fighter could change everything. "I know what's wrong with one, but don't know how to save him, not without the catastrophe he'll cause."
Rhodey knew I was avoiding the actual topic of my tears, but he allowed me the falsehood. He and Pepper had found me crying spontaneously since I got here. They usually left me to it, knowing there weren't words or actions to make it better. I just needed a distraction.
"What do you think is the best course of action?" Rhodey asked. "Don't think, just say."
"I need Barnes. I can pull him. Maybe the mind stone would fix Loki, but that could blow up in my face - worth the risk. I can argue Sokovia later."
"How do we pull Barnes?"
"I need a phone, a jet, and some new clothes. Tony's hoodies are fine for pacing around in circles, but this needs to be a statement. Pepper!" I nearly jumped out of bed and ran to the living room, where Pepper had basically taken up residence while they searched for Tony. She looked as put together as always, but there was a ghost in her eyes. One that was stronger than the loss of a boss. She lost her best friend. "We need to go shopping, now. Jarvis, get me a jet ready, and get flight clearance for DC. Rhodey, I'mma need a gun. Yes, I can handle it. The Navy trains killers, after all."
Rhodey smiled at the reference to the military, and at the energy I had. Gone were the tears and the anxiety. Now I had a purpose, and a way to get it done.
"Shopping? At a time like this?" I moved and sat next to Pepper, taking her hands in my own. One of us was shaking, or both of us were - neither of us could tell.
"Pep, Tony will return. A little worse for the wear, but alive, and whole. As much as it's killing me - this is the one single thing I can't do anything about. I don't know where he is." And that burned me up, but I'd long since come to terms with it. "For right now, just this moment, we have to start preparing for other things. And one of those things requires me to make one hell of a statement, and I can't do that in the jeans I came in on, or Tony's clothes that are too big for me. That means we hit the mall and take Tony's black card with us."
"You're going to need a whole new wardrobe soon anyway," Rhodey mused. "I'll come too. Someone will have to carry the bags."
I gave them a rough outline of my idea as we went through the mall. Pepper slowly lightened up, acting like she wanted to be out, not just being forced out. Rhodey and Happy gave me input on some of my good ideas and stopped me in my tracks with some of my bad ideas (no, Grey, you can't just shoot the Vice President. He's the Vice President, you'll go to jail for treason.) I glared at them for that but conceded. We hashed out the smaller details of my plan to get Bucky out - without bloodshed.
The four of us enjoyed the day as best we could with the shadows hanging over us. The boys had fun watching me force Pepper into stores like Spencer's and Hot Topic, and Pepper and I had fun watching the boys try to make themselves invisible in Ulta and Sephora.
Normally I'd have ached at the thought of dropping the thousands of dollars we dropped at the mall, especially because it wasn't my money, but I kept up the mental chant that I was just living in a fanfiction, and this was the obligatory shopping scene. There was one in nearly every fan fiction, especially the self-insert fics.
Shifting Universes
"Alexa, volume up," I mumbled, still half asleep as I rolled over, yanking the blankets up further. "Don't wanna go t'work. 'Lexa?"
I sat up and shoved the sleep mask up into my hair, frowning in confusion. I squinted through the dark room, wondering where my amazon echo was. Until I remembered that I wasn't in Ohio anymore.
"Miss Stark, are you alright?" Jarvis asked gently.
"Yeah, buddy, I'm good, I just forgot where I was for a minute. Thought I was back home."
"And the reason you're awake at three thirty in the morning?" I snorted, a bit like a bull and forced myself out from under the covers.
"I worked at a Dermatology clinic, back home, and one of my providers started seeing patients at six, which meant my ass needed to be in the office at five. Add in the fact that I had an hour-long commute… Sheesh." I shoved my feet into the sweatpants Rhodey bought me, and then the slipper boots I insisted on, even though it wasn't cold. "I got real used to waking up at three, real fast. At this point, it's a habit."
I listened as Jarvis told me about the weather, and then the news for the day as I shuffled around the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee for myself and dumping a bag of hash browns into a skillet.
"Miss Stark, would you answer a few questions for me?" Jarvis asked while I dug through the spice cabinet.
"Sure thing, kid. Ask away, I'm an open book." Or a pathological liar, depending on who you asked. I'd answered the basic questions already. Date of birth, social, allergies in case I ended up in the hospital, so I was actually curious about the questions Jarvis still had for me.
"What will you do if Sir doesn't believe you?" Oh. That was a question I didn't want to think about. I needed Tony. I needed the nanotech, and Tony needed me, someone who wasn't going to let him try and kill himself. Someone who knew his tells and knew about the arc-reactor.
I took a moment to toss the potatoes around to gather my thoughts. A few spices I didn't read the labels for got thrown in and shuffled around.
"I haven't really thought about it, Jay. Probably take Bucky somewhere else and try to do it on my own, I guess." It would suck, but regardless of if Tony wanted me, he was my family. Gods knew I wrote enough fanfiction where I adopted him and protected him from Howard's A plus parenting. "I hope he at least listens to me – I want to help him. I don't want his money, or the name, or the company. I don't need it. I mean, I'm a receptionist. I was barely affording my rent and groceries at the same time. I'm used to roughing it. I just don't want him to die."
"Then you will have my support as well, Miss Stark," Jarvis said after a moment of silence. I smiled up at the ceiling, grateful that he believed in me. "Sir's well-being is my top priority, as long as you are working to ensure that, you will have my assistance."
I toasted him with my coffee, before hopping up on the counter to wait for my breakfast to finish.
Shifting Universes
"Perfect. Let's go." I, uh, borrowed two of Rhodey's air force buddies to act as terrifying security for me. All black suits, earpieces, and perfectly replicated fake IDs for several branches of the government agencies. My statement was clear - don't fuck with me.
A leather skirt, red bottom shoes, dress top, and perfect makeup, I looked hot as fire, and had the (false) confidence to match. And I really needed it. Especially as I stalked through the lobby of the Triskelion as if I owned it.
"Ma'am, you need to check in with security-" the SHIELD agent was cut off by a gun in his face. I paused, but didn't turn, they were below me. Thankfully I was very good at acting like I didn't care about anything.
"I don't need to do anything. Do you just not know who I am? Some people just don't pay attention. Where is Alex?" I've no idea how I managed to sound bored as I inspected my nails, still not turning to face the shield agent, but it was to great effect.
"Who?" His voice cracked slightly.
"Alex. Pierce? I've never bothered to visit him at this office. What floor?"
"The-the top floor, ma'am. But you'll need security clearance."
"Then either get in the elevator or give it one of them."
I still wasn't facing the SHIELD agent. But I did faintly hear the click of a safety, and the sound of a gun being holstered.
"Ma'am, we'll be taking the SHIELD lackey with us to the top floor. He will lead the way if it pleases you?" I told the boys to ham it up as much as they could while still keeping it believable. When I first told them, they laughed and said it was better than the watch duty they originally had - and boy did I understand that. I'd always hated standing watch.
"I don't care, but he isn't allowed a weapon, you remember what happened last time, don't you Johnson?" I gave my voice a hard edge. I briefly wondered what the SHIELD agent thought happened 'last time,' but shook the thought from my mind.
"Of course, ma'am. I'll take his sidearm from him until you are ready to leave."
The minute the - now weaponless - SHIELD agent was in front of me, I exchanged looks with the airmen. We were all trying so hard not to laugh. This was the most fun I'd had in the two weeks I'd been here.
A bored expression was back on my face before the agent could even start turning around. He waited nervously in front of me, shifting his weight from foot to foot while the glass elevator took us up. When the doors opened, he stepped out first, immediately followed by my "security" and then myself, my heels clicking in the otherwise silent hall. I always did love that sound. It always gave me a confidence boost.
"His office is the one at the end of this hall, ma'am."
"He's dismissed, unless we need him to get back to the car?"
"No, ma'am. You are able to leave without a security card."
I started walking away, letting him to scramble to leave, likely to have an anxiety attack. I didn't mean to scare the agent; I just needed the reputation. And it's good for my ego.
"You two, wait here. Don't come in unless called, or you hear shots fired, understood?" They knew there was a chance we were being monitored, or at the very least listened to. So we decided to keep up the pretense until we were safely back in the car.
"Yes ma'am." I grinned and flung the double doors open.
"Alex! We absolutely have to catch up, darling, it's been far too long!" I almost threw up in my mouth at the amount of forced emotion. I sat on the couch he had by the window, facing away from him, looking out at the city.
"So long that I, perhaps, have forgotten your name?" Pierce said. He talked like Snape did in the movies. I actually kinda liked it. He walked up to loom behind me, his reflection clear in the glass. Had this been my reality and not a universe I'd long since believed fictional, I'd have been scared. As it was, I was just writing fanfiction in my head, waiting to see how it played out.
"I'm not surprised, being out in the light like this is a little blinding. I'm more used to working in the shadows, slipping in and out like a ghost." I was wondering how many more references I could fit into this conversation. I was sure I had a few more I could bring up.
"And is that what brings you in today, Miss...?"
"Lerna, after the lake." A shadow crossed Pierce's face, one dark enough for me to see it in his reflection. He knew. And from the smile on my face, he knew I knew. He knew it was a fake name, but he also knew that saying that I was Hydra would get us both killed. It was a game of hints and riddles, playing the game until the other had no choice but to fold. And I had a royal flush.
"What do you want?"
"I've made a bit of a mess in my hometown. I want the asset to help me clean it up. No handlers, just him, just me."
"And why would I give you the asset?"
"Because my security detail has orders to send out a list of every single one of yours should I not meet with them on time. I have names, locations, and a little bit of a grudge, Alex. So, you'll have your trigger-happy Winter Soldier meet me at the airfield. I've got a private jet. And I think Stark is paying for it."
"Tony Stark is dead," Pierce said. "The ten rings have him, and they're not going to let go."
That was interesting. I hadn't known that Hydra knew about the kidnapping. But they knew who was involved, which just made Stane an even bigger threat.
"Then he won't miss the money, will he?" I stood and stared at Pierce. I gave him the same head tilt that Wanda used to strike fear into the hearts of everyone. "I expect him defrosted, fully armed, and ready to accept my orders in an hour, on my jet. So, make the call."
"Lerna." I paused, just at the doors. "I don't want to see you again."
"That," I glanced over my shoulder, giving him a shockingly feral smile. "Is something we agree on. But unfortunately for us both, I'll be seeing you, Alex."
I walked out, letting my 'security' flank me as we headed back to the elevator.
"Successful?"
"We'll find out. Take me back to the jet."
Shifting Universes
The Soldier beat us to the jet, thanks to DC traffic – and me asking to stop for coffee. He was lurking in a shadow, but when he saw me, he approached. Gods above and below, this man was even hotter in person. And that murder strut. I fought the urge to fan myself.
"I've got orders to follow you for a mission." He spoke in Russian. Which, unfortunately for me, I didn't know. But, I recognized the word for mission and beamed at him.
"Yep! Alex signed custody over to me for a while to clean up a mess I made. Get on the plane, we're going back to Malibu." I shook hands with the airmen Rhodey arranged for and climbed up the stairs, Bucky just behind me. I sat in a chair, pulling off the heels, and tucking my feet underneath me. Bucky sat opposite and placed a gun in front of me. I instantly hated that that fan theory was right. "Fair warning, my Russian, is nearly nonexistent. English is best, if you can, if not, I'll learn, I guess. Also, you're allowed to take the mask and goggles off, if you'd like. I'm not like Rumlow, I'm not going to leash you like a dog."
I moved the gun to the side and pulled out a tablet, acting like I wasn't watching Bucky to see what he'd do. He very hesitantly removed the glasses, and then unclipped the mask. I watched, proud, as he rubbed his hand across his jawline. He had stubble.
"What do I call you?" It was the barest of whispers, but it was in English. I looked up, flipping the tablet upside down so he knew he had my full attention.
"My name is Grey. At least, it is now. I never really liked my deadname – even before I came out as non-binary. Er, right, sorry, I ramble a lot. I'll respond to just about anything, since I've had nearly every nickname under the sun." I thought about it for a moment, remembering some of the more outrageous nicknames I'd had through the years. Tater Tot immediately sprung to mind. "Just don't call me ma'am. I hate that."
"What is the mission?" He asked an hour later. Again, I flipped over the tablet, giving him all of my attention. I knew how they treated him. No open notebooks until he was completely mentally whole and undamaged. So, never.
"There isn't one. I said what Pierce needed to hear to get you very far away from Hydra. As it stands, they don't have the ability to come after me. They have two pair, and I've got a royal flush." I grinned. It was probably not a happy expression. Bucky shifted slightly, likely in surprise, but stilled quickly when he saw I caught the movement. "Do you remember anything about your life before Hydra? There isn't a wrong answer, I just want to know what I'm working with."
"I fell from a train. I was reaching for someone, but the rail broke. I caught myself on a rock, it severed my arm. I passed out in the snow. Two men in uniforms found me and pulled me out. They were killed. Then I woke up with a metal arm."
My hand was shaking, so I moved it to my lap so he couldn't see it. He remembered everything, and nothing at the same time. I didn't know if it was rage, hate, or grief that surged through me like a hot brand.
"Did you know the man?"
"No."
"His name is Steve. He was your brother. You fell because you took a kill shot that was aimed at him, and it knocked you out of the train."
"I was protecting him." It wasn't a question.
"You've been protecting Steve since you met him in Brooklyn. He was a scrawny thing, asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, high blood pressure, heart problems, and so much more. At the start of the war, he was ninety pounds." I laughed a bit, remembering some of the behind-the-scenes facts. "Howard Stark, worked with a bunch of yuppity scientists to turn a scrawny ninety-pound asthmatic into a blonde version of you - with less trauma."
"His mom's name was Sarah," Bucky whispered, almost like he was questioning it. He looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded, smiling at him. "I knew Stark."
"You killed him. December sixteenth, 1991. Him and Maria. Howard had a potential new serum that Hydra wanted, and they sent you after it. Tony isn't gonna be thrilled about it, but he's my problem." I knew Tony was going to be upset that I practically invited his parents' killer to move in with him, but it wasn't Bucky - that was the Winter Soldier, and by the time Tony got back, hopefully the man in front of me would be more Bucky than Winter.
"Why did you want me?"
"I could tell you a thousand reasons, many of which you aren't whole enough to handle. Some are clinical facts; others are my opinion. A lot of it is biased, but the base, bare bones of it is that I need you."
"You needed an asset, but you specifically wanted me."
"I needed you. Only you. No other soldier has what I need."
"What do you need?"
"I need Bucky Barnes."
He kept his face blank, likely afraid to react. He still saw me as his handler. That would change in time. I could see him thinking about everything I said. He was trying to remember, and it was there, somewhere, we just had to find it.
I was startled awake when the pilot announced we were landing soon. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision. I yawned and resisted the urge to rub my eyes - I was still wearing lashes and wasn't going to deal with that until I could take all of the makeup off.
"You could've woken me up if you needed something, you know that, right?" I looked over at Bucky, still trying to kickstart my brain. My tongue felt heavy - I briefly hoped I hadn't slept with my mouth open the whole flight. He didn't frown, but his eyes tightened briefly, like he was expecting a reprimand that was never coming - not from me. I moved slowly so he wouldn't startle and placed my hand on his cheek, standing to lean across the table. "I know you don't trust me now, and you don't believe me. But I am here for you, it doesn't matter what the reason is, I don't care if I'm asleep, or doing something else. You are my first priority. Ya ne mogu zhit' beztebya." (I can't live without you.)
I knew I butchered the pronunciation. It was clear in the tiniest glimmer of amusement in his eyes. But if butchering the Russian language was what it took to get Bucky to trust me, then that's what I'd do.
I held my hand there, watching his expression. It changed, but barely. His eyes softened; his lips parted just slightly - he was relaxing. Just before I went to move away, he put his hand over mine, for the briefest of moments, before he moved away from my hand. I smiled and sat back down, reaching for my shoes.
Bucky handed me the gun he'd placed in front of me. I huffed in exasperation and tucked it in the waistband of my skirt, draping the back of my jacket over it to keep it out of sight. I thought Bucky gave me a faint smile in return, but I couldn't be sure.
As I stepped out of the jet, I held my hand up, just out of Bucky's line of sight, telling Pepper and Rhodey to stay still. Bucky was a step behind me, the glasses and mask firmly back in place.
"So, it went well?" Rhodey asked. "The boys called and updated me, said you made quite the first impression on SHIELD."
I snorted, "I told the boys to be as dramatic as they wanted, as long as it was realistic. I pulled off disinterested billionaire heiress perfectly, you'd think I'd been doing it my entire life."
Rhodey just shook his head, listening to the play by play I gave Pepper as we walked to the car. Bucky was just behind me the entire time, and climbed in the backseat with me, putting me on his right side. I knew that was significant, but I didn't know how.
"Welcome back, Miss Stark," Jarvis said as we walked through the door. Barnes flinched and had two guns drawn, scanning the room. I bristled as he stepped in front of me as if he was protecting me.
"Solda't, khvatit! (that's enough.) If you put a hole in my ceiling, I'll shoot you my damn self, got it? Stand down. Gods above." I waited until he holstered the guns before I placed my hand on his forearm (and if that didn't make me feel like the tiniest creature in the world nothing would.) I was very grateful for Tala for giving me enough Russian phrases to make sure I could keep Bucky under supervision until he was alright-ish again. "Spasibo. That's Jarvis. He's not like Zola."
Pepper and Rhodey looked at me in confusion, but I ignored them. Bucky was frozen stock still, his eyes darting everywhere, until I moved my hand into his, forcing the skin-on-skin contact. I twisted our fingers together, holding his hand. Bucky looked down at our hands, then to me, who was looking up at him in concern. I didn't want him to be uncomfortable, and I was sure it showed on my face. He relaxed instantly.
"You gonna be okay sugar?" He hesitated, likely making sure I was talking to him, and then nodded. "Okay. I work a lot with Jarvis, so you'll probably hear him a lot. If it gets too much, let me know, and we can switch to a text relay. Now, Rhodey and Pepper are gonna go off and do their own things, and you and I are gonna invade my brother's lab. I want to do a medical once over. Are you okay with that?"
He hesitated again, wondering if it was a trap, wondering if the lab was like the one at Hydra. Then he looked at me, a tiny five-foot two waif of a thing. No blood on my hands, not a bad bone in my body. Eyes that have never seen tragedy, that have never known loss.
"Okay."
He would never know just how happy that one word made me. I led the way, tugging on his hand as he slowly started following me. I was going to drown this man in so much physical contact and affection he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He deserved better than the hand the Norns dealt him - lucky for him, I was stacking the deck.