Steve knows he should feel out of place as he walks beside Bucky, following strangers back to their house, but somehow… It feels right. Bucky's parents walk slightly ahead of them, hand in hand, talking softly between them.
Rebecca walks right behind them, glancing back at him often but always with a smile on her face.
Bucky nudges him gently, "how come I've known you for under a week and you've already been in two fights?"
Steve scrunches his nose and then hisses at the pulling of his split lip, "just a typical day." He says it with a sarcasm, but the way Bucky's head whips towards him has him backpedaling, "I'm just joking, I didn't mean— It's not—"
"Steve."
"Yeah?"
"Just…" Bucky doesn't actually know what to say, he just looks at the beaten and bruised kid next to him and feels something fiercely protective of him, "you gotta take care of yourself, okay? You can't go up against every jerk."
Steve responds, squinting up towards the sun, "When you start running away from a fight, they never let you stop.
Bucky opens his mouth to respond, but he comes up empty. Instead he just looks up to see his parents have gone quiet and his ma is wiping at her eyes.
—
Natasha and Yelena spend their Saturday outside of their house. Natasha takes her to Milo's and is pleasantly surprised to run into Clint there. His uncle Ricky stops by the table and she introduces him to Yelena, who he seems instantly taken with because of what Natasha describes as 'snobby' but Yelena says is an elevated palette.
"Your knowledge of aoili's is impressive." He states, scrubbing at his beard.
"Thank you," she says primly, taking another large bite of the sandwich in front of her.
Natasha looks at Clint, the information about Steve's mom on the tip of her tongue. He catches her eye and he tilts his head, questioning. But she falters, it's not really her business to tell, but she wants to desperately. Somehow someone else knowing will take some of the burden of the knowledge away.
She catches Yelena watching her and she deflates. She can't. She sits back and gives a very slight head shake to Clint. Who seems to understand and looks back to his uncle, asking a question about some upcoming bread delivery.
After they've finished their meals and agreed to be back soon, Clint catches her arm as Yelena is distracted talking to his Uncle.
"What is it?" He asks.
"It's—" she pauses and looks back at Yelena who isn't paying attention to her, "I want to tell you, but it's not my information to share."
She can see he wants to ask, but he doesn't, he accepts what she says and backs off.
In that moment she feels the last bit of her barrier against being his friend dissolve, never has she had someone who wasn't Yelena be so in tune with what she's trying to express let alone respect her decisions.
She smiles and then calls out,
"Come on, Yelena! Time to go."
They head out, Clint waving his goodbye as he fades in the distance behind them.
—-
Tony sits at the edge of Rhodey's pool, feet dangling into the cool water.
"I wish you were coming with me, man." His friend says, sitting down next to him and handing him a cold soda. Tony pops the cap thoughtfully, taking a gulp before setting it down and watching the condensation drip down the sides onto the concrete.
"Yeah," he says slowly, "it would have been a lot of fun."
Rhodey eyes him curiously. Then his mouth turns up in a grin, "you're enjoying it this year aren't you?"
Tony huffs, ready to deny it, when he stops and thinks about this last week.
"Is it dumb if I say yes?" He lays back, allowing the sun warmed cement to seep into his skin, sunglasses perched on his face. "I don't know. It's dumb. I was so against going, and the first day was brutal, but then there's these groups, and this kid, and I dunno. Runt needs protecting. I mean how can he be such a grandpa, blind and walks so stiff, and always so friggin' polite, but also such a kid, with wide-eyed wonder about a baseball game of all things? And then the rest of us keep thinking we've reached the end of this madness and suddenly there's something else, like the fact that he's not being fed enough, or the bruises—"
"Bruises?"
"Yeah, bruises," Tony emphasizes, waving his hands wildly in the air, "and he picked a fight with Rumlow. Brock freakin' Rumlow of all people! Got wailed on. I know it sounds ridiculous but maybe—" He stops, his hands pausing their wild motions in the air and he settles them back onto his chest, he looks at his friend who is watching him intently, not annoyed or bored, but genuinely interested and curious. He sighs, he's never deserved Rhodey as a friend. He blinks back at the sun and continues on, "It may sound dumb, but I feel like I'm supposed to be there for this kid. Like… The whole group of us have become these mother hens, it's ridiculous, but I keep thinking of all this stuff I have, that I take for granted or just expect to be there, like food, and here's this kid who doesn't have two pennies to rub together. It's… it's unfair."
Rhodey is quiet for a moment, before he leans back, his dark arms gleaming from the pool water. "I've never heard you like this before." He points to Tony's chest, "I just got irrefutable proof that Tony Stark has a heart." The words are said playfully and when Tony looks up at Rhodey, he sees a genuine smile on his face.
"Ah, shut it." Tony huffs, kicking at the water.
Rhodey laughs, jumping back into the pool and then popping back up out of the water, resting his arms on the edge of the pool and facing Tony. "I'm just saying, I don't mind seeing this protective side of you. It's nice."
"What's my usual side?" Tony asks with a fake offended expression.
Rhodey gets serious, his expression shifting to something sincere, "unhappy rich boy, honestly."
Tony feels his mouth gape in surprise. But Rhodey doesn't let him respond, just keeps speaking, "I know you don't have the perfect life, I get that. But you've been sort of… I don't know… mad at the world recently, and I'm just glad this group of people are helping pull you out of that funk. I'd like to meet 'em sometime if I can."
The sounds of the pool pervade the air for the moment. The water lapping against the sides, birds singing in the distance, the music playing low over the waterproof speaker. Tony sits up, leaning on his elbows, he grins, "yeah, I think that could be good."
—
Bucky notices that Steve gets more and more hesitant as they get closer to his house. He's not sure how Steve knows where they're going, but he could swear that with each step they take closer to his house, Steve gets stiffer and more antsy.
They finally stop in front of the thin brick building, and Steve glances at the surrounding buildings across the street. Bucky watches as Steve turns to him, wide eyed, "you live here?"
Bucky's brows furrow, something about the panic in Steve's voice sets him on edge, "yeah, why?"
He notices Steve's adam's apple bobbing up and down while he stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Oh."
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course. Sorry." He ducks his head and steps quickly up the stairs, stopping at the front door. Bucky waves him in,
"Come on!"
Steve steps through the door, and Bucky leads him to the narrow living room, pointing at a seat on the couch. "Stay here." He disappears and reappears with a warm wet towel extended in his hand. "Here."
"Thanks."
Steve takes it and gently begins to wipe at his lip. He winces in pain and he breathes out in a huff.
"Here, let me." Steve looks up as Bucky's ma enters the room, a bottle of some ointment and a frozen bag of peas in her hand. She gently places the peas over Steve's eye and instructs him to hold it in place.
—
Winnifred Barnes pretends not to notice that Steve's one uncovered eye follows the motions of her hands with trepidation. She slows her movements, trying to seem at ease, which is difficult looking at him all beaten and bruised. She gently uses her fingers to lift his chin, angling it towards the light so she can clean and disinfect his lip.
As her hand moves the towel gently against his bottom lip, her eyes are drawn towards the dark bruises peeping out from his jacket collar. She would never have seen them if she wasn't tilting his head up at this angle. She bites her tongue, and resists the urge to reach and pull down his collar and demand to know how he received them.
She takes a deep breath, trying to ignore the intense blue eye studying her with hesitation. She works quickly and is about to let go when she places her palm against his cheek.
She watches as he leans every so slightly into her motherly touch, his eyes blinking slowly and her throat catches. She gently presses against his cheek, giving whatever comfort she can manage, "all done dear." She says softly, dropping her hand.
He nods and ducks his head, "Thank you, ma'am."
"You're ever so welcome, dear. How's the eye?" He removes the peas to show her the shiny purple bruise and she clucks, "keep that on there for a bit okay?'
"Yes, ma'am."
"Call me Mrs. Barnes, or even Winnie if you're feeling brave." She smiles at him and he smiles back. "I'll leave you boys to it."
They sit there in a calm silence for a moment before Bucky scoots closer and switches the TV on. "You ever played Super Smash Brothers?"
"No, what's that?"
Bucky doesn't hesitate a second before going into detail about what the game is and how it's played. He's getting used to Steve saying things that make him sound like he was born a generation before them. "It's a lot of fun, even if you just button smash," he finishes, handing a controller to him.
Steve shrugs but seems willing to try.
—-
A few rounds later Bucky stares at Steve, gape mouthed and eyes wide.
Steve blushes. "Sorry," he mumbles.
"Sorry?!" Bucky crows, "what are you sorry for? You just wiped the floor with me! You should be proud!"
Steve flushes again, the lukewarm bag of peas now sitting on his knee, and a smile starting to ghost across his face.
"You're not pulling my leg? You've never played before?"
"No, never!" Steve says earnestly, "It's very fun though."
"Well, you'll have to come over a lot more, I wanna make sure this isn't just beginner's luck."
Steve's smile is full blown now, "yeah I'd like that."
Bucky returns the grin in full force, "good."
—-
Not long after, Steve looks at the clock and says that he has to get going. They're walking out onto the front steps when Mrs. Barnes joins them.
"You're welcome over anytime Steve, I mean it."
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Barnes." Steve says, smiling.
She ruffles Bucky's hair affectionately and says "I'm glad you and Bucky met in that program, it's always nice to have a good friend, right?" She knows she's laying it on thick, but she wants to make sure Steve knows that their house is a safe place. But his next words have her freezing in surprise.
"Yeah, I'm glad we met too, 'company always shortens the road', my ma always says." He smiles and tugs on his jacket zipper, stepping down the stairs and waving goodbye before disappearing across the street and down an alley.
"Ma?"
She stands there, the words replaying in her head over and over. Her mind whirling with why she'd thought he looked familiar back when she'd first seen him in that alley just hours ago.
"Ma?" Bucky asks again, worry creeping into his voice. He tugs at her sleeve and she snaps out of her reverie and holds Bucky's shoulders.
"Is his last name Rogers?"
Bucky looks taken aback, "yeah, why? How'd you know?"
"Oh my dear, oh my poor, poor dear." She places a hand over her chest and tugs Bucky into a hug.
"Ma, what's going on?"
"Is he the one you said needed food?"
"I mean, he's never asked for food, but I can tell he's not getting enough."
"Oh…" She stands there again thinking back to 5 years ago when she'd learned her childhood best friend had passed away from an aggressive strain of tuberculosis, leaving behind a sickly 9 year old. She'd tried to attend the service and find out about the child, but because Sarah Rogers had moved a few times in the last couple of years, no one Winnifred knew could track down where her son had been placed or where the service was being held.
"Ma, you're scaring me, what is it?"
"I knew his mother." She says softly, pulling him back into the house, "I thought he looked familiar when I first saw him, but it was just one of those things so I let it go. But then he said that— that phrase, 'company makes the road shorter'." She stops, feeling her throat constrict as emotion starts, Bucky looks anxious but waits for her to regain her voice, "Sarah always said that to me as kids, when we were best friends and did everything together. Oh how I miss her." She ruffles Bucky's hair again and is about to ask Bucky what he knows about Steve's living situation when Bucky cuts her off, excitement playing across his features,
"You know her? Oh that's great! We should have them over for dinner! Steve really liked the game an—"
"Bucky." Bucky stops, hearing the sharp tone in his ma's voice.
"What?"
"I knew her." Bucky feels his brow furrow at the qualification. And his ma's face contorts as she comes to some realization.
"What is it, mom?"
"You know that Steve's mom is gone, don't you?"
"Gone?"
"She passed, over 5 years ago."
Bucky feels all sorts of emotions cross his face, confusion, disbelief, realization, and then sadness. "Oh."
"He didn't say?"
"No." He crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against the couch cushions and sighing, "he didn't."
"Where does he live?"
"I don't know. I tried asking him once, but he said he lived in some apartments by the wharf with his ma. I assume that wasn't true."
"Don't be upset with him for not telling you, dear."
Bucky huffs, but then he deflates, he isn't mad at all, he's concerned. "He's got these bruises,"
"The one's on his neck?'
"You saw?"
"Yes, another fight?"
"We don't know," Bucky says, "We were speculating yesterday at school. He tried to hide them. Natasha says the school knows, I think they were going to report it."
His mom pulls him closer, "Good, I hope they do. Oh that poor boy." She says, hugging him tightly, "you will let us know if we can do anything, right?" She pulls back, making sure Bucky can see the serious expression on her face, "If he needs food or a place to sleep?"
Bukcy smiles softly at his ma, "I will for sure ma, I'm planning on keeping a very watchful eye on Steve from now on."
Mrs. Barnes watches as her son's face turns serious, vowing his protection on this new friend. She feels her heart swell with pride and she just hugs him again tightly.
—-
Bruce's hand hesitates over the receiver, but eventually he works up the courage and plucks up the phone, dialing the number.
"Hello, this is Thaddeus Ross, how may I help you?"
"Hello, this is Bruce Banner calling from BSAS. I called yesterday, but I just felt the need to follow up. I called about a student named Steven Rogers?"
He hears paper shuffling and then the voice speaks again, more gruff this time. "Yes, Mr. Banner, your report has been submitted and an agent will be conducting a home visit as soon as possible. Probably on Monday."
"If it's an abuse case shouldn't it be sooner?" He can't believe the words as they tumble out of his mouth, but he doesn't take them back.
A grim silence is his only response for a moment.
"Mr. Banner, we are doing our jobs, and I advise you to keep doing yours. It will be taken care of."
He wants to protest, but he doesn't know what to say. He's met with a resounding click on the other side of the call and he slowly sets the phone back down. He stares at Steve's file, he looks at the address, memorizing it. Just in case.
—