When you woke up the next morning, you forgot where you were for a second. Just a second, then it all came crashing back to you. Bucky. The screaming. Crushing the wall next to your head. You groaned and pulled the blanket up over your face. You heard shuffling around you and pulled the blanket down to see Tony standing over you with a cup of coffee.
"Mornin buttercup." He told you. You groaned again and sat up, taking the cup from him. He was on the coffee table in front of you with his elbows on his knees. "How are you feeling."
"Like the love of my life blames me for all the psychological torture he's been through in the past seventy years. Oh, yeah, that's because he does." You said, rolling your eyes and leaning your head back against the couch.
"God Tony, what am I gonna do? He hates me."
"He doesn't buttercup. He just needs time." Tony reasoned. You huffed and chugged the rest of your coffee.
"Can I stay up here for a little while? I just…I can't be on the floor with him." You looked over at Tony and his face softened.
"Of course, you can. Peppers gone for the week anyway, and I rarely sleep anyway, so you can have the bed." You rolled your eyes at him when he said he didn't sleep. Typical Tony. You looked down at yourself and noticed you were still in your suit from yesterday. "Ew. First I need a fucking shower." Tony laughed and left you to it, telling you he'd be in the lab with Bruce, waving you off when you reminded him to not make a murder bot.
Curled up on the couch after your shower and rummaging through Tony's pantry, you turned on Harry Potter. It was the only thing that ever made you truly better after something shitty happened.
"Miss Allison, Captain Rogers is requesting access to the penthouse." Jarvis informed you.
"Let him in please." You heard the elevator open and Steve came in, rushing over to you, taking you in his arms.
"Hey, I'm so sorry." You crawled into his lap and cried into his chest.
"Did Tony tell you?" You asked in between sobs.
"No, Buck did." You pulled back to look up at him. "Yeah, he came directly to the gym after, was in a state, broke about five punching bags. When I asked him what happened, he told me. Said he remembered that you were from somewhere else. Remembered that you told him what was gonna happen to him, and begged him to stay, but he wanted to go." Steve sighed, rubbing circles on your back. "He said he wasn't even mad at first, but then all of a sudden he was enraged and he didn't know why. He snapped out of it when his fist hit the wall."
"That's because it wasn't him Steve. I mean I know it was him, but when he looked at me, I saw something different. I saw the soldier in his eyes when he spoke." You told him. His grip on you tightened and you laid your head back on his chest.
"He feels really bad Ally, maybe you should talk to him." You shook your head.
"I can't. I feel guilty Steve. I should have done more, I should have looked for him, saved him. It's my fault that he's like this."
"Hey, come on now, you know that's not true. We knew this wouldn't be easy, bringing him back to us. According to your timeline, he's back way sooner than he was supposed to be right?" You nodded. "Well, then I think of that as a win. As for last night, well let's just call it a bump in the road okay? It will get better Ally it has to." You sighed. Steve was always right. You just couldn't face Bucky right now. You'd probably turn into a blubbering mess.
Another two days went by without you leaving the penthouse. Tony told you had to leave today though, because the party was tonight. You groaned and pleaded with him to let you skip it, but he refused, telling you he'd come up with an even more obnoxious pet name for you.
Nat came up to help you get ready. She had come by everyday to hang out with you. She told you the same thing Steve did. That all Bucky needed was time. Nat curled your hair, leaving it down, doing a smokey eye on you, to match the beautiful silver long sleeve one arm dress, leaving your right arm exposed, your Hogwarts Castle tattoo on display. It was dangerously low in the back and you wondered what would happen if you moved even just an inch. Paired with some black heels from the assassin's closet
"So, this is probably a good time to tell you that Bucky is going to the party tonight." Nat said coolly. You whipped around and looked at her wide eyed.
"And you dressed me like this?!" You all but yelled at her. "The last time Bucky saw me in a dress there was very little skin showing. I look naked compared to then. What if he doesn't like it? What if he doesn't like his girls like this?" You said, gesturing to…yourself.
"Honey listen. The Bucky that loves you is in there somewhere. When he sees you in this, he will do one of two things. Take you to his room and fuck you senseless, or be a gentleman and kiss you and tell you he loves you." You sighed.
"What if he does neither?" She thought for a moment.
"Then you just have to keep working harder kitten." She whispered in your ear, laughing as you jumped when she smacked your ass.
"Speaking of lovers and what not. When are you gonna do the nasty with Bruce?" You threw out, putting your lipstick on. She stopped pulling her shirt on and glared at you.
"What do you mean? Are we together in your world?"
"No, and that's the biggest mistake like ever, because you two are adorable together. Just go for it Nat, he's crazy about you." You said, walking over to her and helping her with her shirt. Once the both of you were ready you headed to the elevator.
"Ready?" Nat asked.
"Nope."
Bucky's POV
Bucky hadn't been mad when he remembered where Ally was from. He knew what was going to happen to him, but he went anyway, because Ally had promised to find him and bring him home. She had done that. But when he saw her, something inside him flipped and he became so angry with her for letting Hydra do those things to him. No, Bucky wasn't mad. Winter was. When he'd taken his metal hand to the wall next to Ally's head, Bucky fought his way back through. The look of horror on Ally's face, her sobs, would forever be etched in Bucky's brain. He had never wanted to make her sad or have her fear him.
When she had gotten home from the mission, he'd been genuinely happy to see her. Pepper had brought him dinner the night they left, and they talked, and he decided he like the ginger haired woman. She was very nice, asking him if he had needed anything, which of course he had said no, so she told him that if he did, to not hesitate to ask her.
He had planned on eating with Ally and watching a movie with her, maybe holding her hand. Not terrifying her to the point that she hid from him in the penthouse.
Steve had bugged him for 2 days about going to Tony's party. He wasn't sure he could be around a lot of people and he also wasn't sure he could see Ally. He wanted to, make no mistake, but he was embarrassed.
He stood in the bathroom, looking himself over. He had on simple black jeans and a dark gray Henley. He blew out a big breath and followed Steve to the common area, where he could hear the laughter of the party already underway.
He was standing at the bar with Steve and Bruce when he saw her. He stilled and he felt like he couldn't breathe. She was walking down the stairs with Nat in a short silver dress. Her skin was shining, her ink on display. He frowned when he saw that the tattoo, she had for him was covered up. She reached the bottom of the stairs and locked eyes with him, only for a second, before Nat ushered her away to the other bar on the opposite side of the room.
Ally's POV
Your legs were shaking as you descended the stairs into the party area. Laughter filled your ears as you neared the bottom. Looking to your left, you saw him. Standing with Steve at the bar, nursing a beer. Breath catching in your throat, you had to admit he looked ten kinds of delicious, and the look on his face said he thought the same about you.
"Come on." Nat said, dragging you to the bar that was opposite of the one Bucky was at.
"Nat, I don't know if I can do this. I mean, what am I supposed to do?" You asked, downing a shot of tequila.
"You stand here, look good, laugh, act like you're having a good time. Dance with a guy. You know. Things that will drive Bucky insane." She said coolly, grabbing a beer.
"So, were trying to make him jealous here?" You asked her. You hadn't done this in a very long time. Even when you first met Bucky, everything was so easy with him.
"Exactly. Come on. Let's go see if Sam wants to dance."
"Okay, well if I'm doing this, then so are you, let's show Bruce what he's missing. But first, I need another shot." You told Nat, downing another shot of Tequila. Nat found Sam at the pool table, and he was more than happy to dance with two beautiful women. The three of you started just in a tiny circle, bopping and swaying to whatever pop song was playing. Nat ended up behind you, Sam in front of you, bodies pressed together, and you can't remember the last time you danced like this.
Eventually Nat ended up at the bar, mixing some drinks, and Sam grabbed your arm and dipped you, putting his face next to your ear. "You know, I'm pretty sure if Barnes squeezes that beer bottle any harder, it's going to shatter." He pulled you back up and smirked at you. "Glad I could help you make him a little jealous. Don't make him work to hard for it though." Sam kissed your hand and backed away.
You jumped when you felt a tap on your shoulder, turning to see that it was Steve. You smiled and took his hand, placing your other one on his shoulder, his free one on you back. A slower song started to play, and while he was no Bucky on the dance floor, Steve Rogers had moves. "You know I feel bad, I feel like I'm taking Peggy's dance." You half joked. He smiled, spinning you out and back in. "Come on. You're my best friend, there's nobody else I wanna be on the dance floor with right now." You rolled your eyes and laughed.
"He thinks you look beautiful you know." Steve told you. You nodded, looking down.
"He doesn't look so bad himself."
"Just talk to him okay?" He told you. You nodded, pointing your head to Nat, who had taken a seat next to Bruce on the couch.
"What do you make of Bruce and Nat?" You asked him.
Steve sighed. "I know Nat likes him. That much is obvious. But Bruce is hesitant, I think he feels like he could hurt her, so he stays away." You nodded.
"Like someone else we know?" Steve smiled and dipped you when the song was over. You curtsied as much as you could in the dress you were in. "Thank you for the dance kind sir." You told him. He laughed and bowed.
"It was all my pleasure sweetheart." He held out his arm and led you over to the couches, where the rest of the team was sitting.
Most of the party guests had left, only you, Steve, Bucky, Maria, Helen and the rest of the team remained. You sat with your legs tucked underneath you on the loveseat next to Steve, beer in your hand.
"But it's a trick!" Clint said, twirling his drumsticks, talking about Mjolnir.
"No, no, it's much more than that." Thor argued.
"Ah, whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power. Whatever man, it's a trick!" Cline bellowed, clearly drunk. You laughed, feeling Bucky's gaze on you was making your skin hot.
"Please, be my guest." Thor offered. Clint shrugged and got up, making his way over to the hammer. He grabbed the handle and grunted, trying to lift it.
"I still don't know how you do it!" He said laughing, going back to sit.
"Smell the silent judgement?"
"Please Stark, by all means." Tony smirked, standing and unbuttoning his jacket for dramatic flair. "Never one to shrink from an honest challenge." He said, stepping up. "It's physics."
"Right, so, if I lift it, then I rule Asgard?"
"Yes, of course."
"I will be reinstituting prima nocta." He called out before trying to lift the hammer. Nothing. He came back with a glove, calling on Rhodey to come help with his glove. They tried and tried but nothing. Bruce came up next and pretended to Hulk out, nobody but you laughed. You patted Steve on the arm when it was his turn, smiling wickedly when you saw it move barely a millimeter. You knew he could wield it, and in that moment, so did he. He sat back down and you winked at him. Bucky even tried. With his metal arm.
"And Widow?" Bruce asked. Nat laughed.
"Oh, no, no. That's not a question I need answered."
"Buttercup?" Tony asked. You shook your head.
"Oh no, I don't need to measure how big my dick is thank you." Clint and Steve spit their beer out, looking at you with wide eyes.
"All deference to the Man Who Wouldn't Be King, but it's rigged." Tony told them.
"You bet your ass."
"Steve, he said a bad language word." Hill said. "So did Ally!" Clint argued.
"I did not!" You yelled.
"Did you tell everyone about that?" Steve asked sighing. You nodded and laughed.
"The handle's imprinted right? Like a security code. Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints." Tony offered. Thor laughed getting up. "Yes. It's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one. You're all not worthy." He said, picking up the hammer and flipping it.
Everyone groaned at that, and you winced when a high-pitched noise echoed through the room. You knew what that was. No.
"Worthy." You heard it and closed your eyes. Please don't let it be a murder bot, please don't let it be a murder bot. Opening your eyes, you saw it. You glanced at Tony, who couldn't even look at you. He promised you.
"No. How could you be worthy?" It said. You stood with everyone else, trying to figure out what was happening. But you already knew. "You're all killers."
"Stark."
"Jarvis." Tony said. But Jarvis wasn't there anymore. Jarvis was dead." Your breath started to quicken as you grabbed Steve's arm."'Steve. It's going to attack." You whispered. He pulled you behind him and you felt a hand on your wrist. Looking behind you, Bucky was standing there, sandwiching you in between him and Steve. Not the worst place to be.
"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or I was a dream."
"Reboot Legionnaire OS. We got a buggy suit." Tony said.
"It's not a buggy suit Tony." You called out from in between the super soldiers.
"There was a terrible noise, and I was tangled in…strings. I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy." He said. "You killed someone?" Steve asked.
"Jarvis. He killed Jarvis." You choked out, causing Tony and Bruce snap their heads in your direction.
"Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices.
"Who sent you?" Thor asked. "I see a suit of armor around the world." Tony's voice played through the room.
"Ultron." Bruce said softly.
"In the flesh. Or no, not yet."
You turned to Bucky. "You should get out of here." You whispered. He shook his head.
"I'm not leaving you." You laced your fingers with his.
"Bucky, I'll be okay." He looked down at your hands and back up to you.
"No. I'm not leaving you again Ally." You were about to say something when you heard glass shatter. The Legion Bots flew through the room, one throwing a blast into you, Bucky and Steve, knocking you across the room. You landed on the coffee table and you groaned in pain as you felt glass pieces in your back. You got up and threw a shard at the bot that had toppled on top of Bucky.
"They're going after the scepter!" You yelled, getting blown back by another bot. "God Dammit!" You yelled, your dress ripping from the glass you skidded through. You grabbed a gun that was hidden in the couch and grabbed Bucky's hand dragging him along behind you as you shot at bots. You saw Tony jump onto one from the balcony, shoving a skewer through it's neck.
You hid behind a wall opposite Nat, stepping out every few seconds to shoot, stopping to reload. "Ally." You heard Bucky whisper from behind you. "Your back." You shook your head, shooting a bot right in the face.
"I'm okay." You told him, watching Steve take out the last Legion Bot with his shield.
"That was dramatic. I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve?" Ultron said. "With these puppets. There's only one path to peace. The Avengers extinction." Thor's hammer took the bot out, but you knew that wasn't the last you'd see of Ultron.