"How are your knuckles?"
"Sore. Everything is sore," Frankie complained. "Don't make any smartass remarks."
"I didn't say anything," Tony exclaimed from his spot beside her in the lab.
"So what's new on the Pepper front?"
Tony sighed. "It's complicated. Every issue Pepper has brought up in our relationship is valid. I'm too involved in my work. My work is very dangerous. I can't promise her any sort of stability other than financial. That was a fun one, she told me money can't provide everything."
Frankie squeezed Tony's shoulder before focusing on her work again. "That sucks."
"It does suck."
"I think it'll all work out. You two are supposed to be together."
"I hope so. Enough about my feelings. When is your first therapy session?"
"Just because we're done talking about your feelings we have to start talking about mine?"
"I care about your feelings. Don't tell anyone I said anything like that."
"I don't have to. Everyone knows you're a big teddy bear." Frankie winked. "My first appointment is this afternoon actually. I'm leaving work an hour early to go, by the way."
"Good, good. Are you nervous?"
"I don't want to talk about my feelings before spending an hour talking about my feelings."
"I'm not asking about any traumas."
"I would rather talk to you about my traumas," Frankie mumbled.
"Wish I was a professional in that department, kid. Pepper has made it clear that I'm not, as if I didn't know that already."
"Do you think they're gonna make me talk about everything all at once?" Frankie asked quietly. She refused to meet Tony's eyes even though she felt his stare.
He didn't answer for a long time, sitting in an easy silence as they tinkered with their prototypes. Tony had decided since she was starting therapy that Frankie could go ahead and start building her ideas even if she hadn't had her first session yet. Frankie felt more like herself when she could build things. It felt even more normal to be building something beside Tony, something they had spent hours doing together in the past. She had a feeling he had cleared the labb today so it would be just the two of them building together. It felt like all the times they had done this when she was a kid, especially when things were the most tumultuous at home. Tony always seemed to show up at just the right times.
"You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. You don't have to talk about it all in one day. You don't have to talk about it all ever. S.H.I.E.L.D. said you had to do therapy, not what you have to talk about or how the sessions have to run. I think as long as you go, aren't an asshole, and don't blow up anyone at work then you're going to be fine. And Franklin?"
"Hmm?"
"If you don't like this one you can always switch to another one."
"Yeah, that's what Bucky said."
"He would know. He's gone through an obscene amount," Tony muttered.
"How did you rig it so the apartment across from him is the only one in that building I saw?"
Tony laughed. "Believe it or not, that was pure luck. It's the one I wanted you to choose. All the other apartments were close by people I trust but that was the only one that had someone in the building. And right across the hall. The only thing more I could ask for would be for you to live in the Tower."
Frankie chuckled. "So you trust him?"
Tony nodded. "Not at first. Not for a long time. But I do now. I trust him with your life."
Frankie softened, knowing that meant more to Tony than trusting someone with his own life. She put her tools down and threw herself into him. Tony, surprised, managed to catch her and wrap his arms around Frankie in a tight hug.
Motherfucker. Frankie felt tears roll down her cheeks. At least I'm crying now and not in this stranger's office.
"Sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me." Frankie tried to pull away, but Tony tightened his grip.
"You experienced a wide array of trauma. I'm not saying it has to be today, or anytime soon, and it doesn't have to be with this therapist. But you need to talk about it. Even if you only talk about bits and pieces with different people."
"Alright," Frankie mumbled. She pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Enough of this. Do you wanna blow something up?"
"You know I do. Come on, I have some toys in my lab."
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"What are you hoping to accomplish with therapy?"
"Well I guess I haven't really thought about it. I'm required to do this. I guess I just want to get everyone off my back."
"Just spend some time thinking about that," Dr. Warner suggested. "Next time you come in I'm going to ask you that again."
"Alright," Frankie shrugged.
"What is the problem from your viewpoint?"
"Well," Frankie paused. She took a deep breath. "I've been through some really traumatic shit. I don't know if I want to get into all of that yet… I mean, what if I don't even like you and then I've just brought up all this shit I'm trying not to constantly think about?"
"There's no pressure here. I just want to get to know you at a pace you're comfortable with. This is on your terms."
"Really?"
"Yes," Dr. Warner nodded with a warm smile. She pushed her hair behind her ear. "This is supposed to become a comfortable space for you and that doesn't happen if I force you to feel every terrible thing that's ever happened to you immediately. In fact, it would be unhealthy if you did."
Frankie nodded, relaxing slightly. "Alright, well… I guess I can tell you some things about myself."
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"Geeze, Frankie," Bucky said, looking her over. "I thought someone was out here in distress."
"Oh," Frankie said. "I guess I was knocking hard-"
"Incessantly."
"I'm excited."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Wanna come have dinner at my place? I don't know what we'll have but we can have something. I went grocery shopping yesterday."
Bucky smiled. "Alright. Tell me what's got you pounding on my door."
"I had my first therapy session. And I didn't hate it! I mean, I didn't love it, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. She told me that basically everything is at my pace and on my terms."
"That's awesome. You're already off to a better start than me. I was… unpleasant."
Frankie shrugged, tossing things from the cabinets onto the counters. "If I had been brainwashed for a zillion years and then got my mind back and had to be a person I would be a raging bitch all the time."
Bucky laughed. "It wasn't a zillion years."
"Whatever," Frankie shrugged, moving to the fridge. "How was your day?"
"Good. Did some workouts with Steve and Sam. Took a walk around Central Park. I came home and have been reading since."
"Nice. Alright, so, we've got linguine and pesto, we could have sweet potatoes and a salad- oh I have lil tomatoes for the salad too. I think I've got mozzarella too? And like, maybe a frozen pizza. We could also have something delivered. I guess I should have had a more solid plan before I invited you over for dinner."
Bucky shook his head. "Whatever you want to do is fine. I'm not picky."
"You're not any help, either." Frankie laughed at the ridiculous pseudo glare on Bucky's face. "We'll have pasta and pesto."
"Anything else exciting happen? Or you just learned you won't hate every second of therapy?"
"Nah, just that. I figured deciding that I wouldn't hate every second was good enough for the first few sessions. I'm not trying to tell her my entire life story or anything. At least not yet, or maybe ever," Frankie wrinkled her nose. She felt the buzzing in her body subside as she moved around her kitchen to make dinner.
"Can I do anything to help?"
"If you can make water boil faster."
"I can't… But you can't either?"
Frankie turned to Bucky and raised her eyebrows. "What? I don't have super powers."
"I just figured you could invent something," he shrugged.
Surprise hit Frankie like a brick. She began laughing and threw her arms around Bucky's neck, leaning her weight on his solid frame while she cackled. Frankie pulled away enough to look into his eyes but decided to stay close enough that she benefited from his body heat. Bucky's hands sat on Frankie's hips and she noticed he looked mildly uncomfortable. "I'm so dumb. I've literally never thought about inventing something that served a purpose of making things in my home easier. Like, always weapons? I was an angry kid. I guess as a kid I made things, but they were more weapons - like I made an intruder alert in my room that would shock anyone that came in when it was rigged up."
"Your mind works in the most interesting ways," Bucky said. Frankie was startled by the serious tone of his voice and searched his eyes. Bucky bit his lip and Frankie waited for him to say something when they were startled by the hiss of water boiling over.
"Oh!" Frankie moved to the stove and pulled the pot off the burner. "Looks like I need to work on more inventions than just faster water boiling." She sat the pot back down and added the pasta.
"You ready to get back in the gym tomorrow?"
"Ugh," Frankie groaned. "I'm sooo sore."
"Take an epsom salt bath. It'll help your sore muscles."
"I'm not good at being still," Frankie shrugged. "Baths have never been relaxing for me."
Bucky rolled his eyes. "After dinner I'm going to get epsom salts from my place and I'm running you a bath."
"It's a waste," Frankie repeated. "I'll sit in there five minutes and then be bored to tears."
"Do you need constant stimulation?"
"Nearly."
"Read a book."
"I don't have any I haven't read."
"You can borrow one of mine."
"Will you read to me?" Frankie asked with a devilish grin. Bucky's eyes widened in surprise and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.
"Yes."
Frankie raised her eyebrows but didn't argue further. She bit back a laugh and busied herself pulling the pasta from the stove. While she quickly got the pasta ready she instructed Bucky to pull down plates and silverware, and to get a big bowl to toss a salad together.
"So," Frankie said, looking up from her pasta. "What are you gonna read to me?"
"You're a menace," Bucky laughed, and put a forkful of pasta in his mouth.
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"Epsom salts, bubble bath, and Lord of the Rings."
"You didn't mention bubble bath earlier," Frankie said.
"I didn't realize you wouldn't be able to bathe alone or I would have," Bucky rolled his eyes.
"You don't wanna see anything?" Frankie asked, raising an eyebrow, a wide smile on her face.
Frankie felt a heavier energy fill the air. Bucky moved closer, forcing her against the counter. The coolness of the counter against her hips made chills form, a hand planted on either side of her body. Bucky's head dipped and his breath tickled the side of her neck, then he stopped at her ear.
"Birdie," he whispered. Frankie's breath hitched. She felt simultaneously frozen and like she needed to be closer to Bucky. "I wanna see anything you wanna show me. Everything is on your terms."
Bucky started to pull away but Frankie gripped his shirt and pulled him back. "I- Well for one of the few times in my life I don't have anything to say. I don't want you to move yet though."
Bucky grinned. "Did I get you tongue tied?"
Frankie let out a small laugh, "Yeah. Guess so."
They stood together, not moving, for several minutes. Bucky took a deep breath and leaned down, kissed right beside Frankie's lips, then pulled away. "I'm running you a bath. You need to soak your muscles or you'll regret it tomorrow when I kick your ass again."
Frankie shook her head. "I'm not saying it's gonna be tomorrow, but I am gonna kick your ass at some point."
"I don't doubt it, Birdie. Not a bit."
