Chapter Eleven
I didn't recall falling asleep, but when I awoke in the morning, I was stretched out, face down, beneath my cozy duvet. Looking groggily around, I wondered if I made my way back by myself or if I had fallen asleep against Bucky in the kitchen. In that case, the soldier would've had to carry me to my room, a thought which sent a warm, squirming sensation through my stomach.
Shaking it off, I squinted at my phone, wincing at the sight of sixteen missed texts from Pietro, two from Steve, and a missed call from Peter.
Huffing, I rolled onto my back and read the quickster's messages, lips pursed in increasing aggravation at the obvious irritation in his words.
Aury, do not tell me you have the Winter Soldier with you.
He's not a stray cat.
Aurelie, he's a killer. Maybe it wasn't him at the Accords, but he's dangerous.
He's HYDRA.
"So were you," I grumbled, responding with a quick, short answer that I was unconcerned and he should be too. Resting the back of my wrist against my forehead, I listened to Peter's voicemail next and snorted, laughing loudly at his still mortified apology and question about what, exactly, me and my friend had gotten into, what with the shouting and banging around.
"Some of us like it rough," I smirked to myself, despite not enjoying that particular roughhousing last night.
Steve's messages were next and I found a deep frown settling on my lips at his words. Tapping the call button, I waited for half a ring before the super soldier picked up, "Why isn't Ross sold?"
"He wants to bring Bucky in," Steve answered grimly, "but he wants to try out the words. He says if it doesn't turn him into the WInter Soldier, it's just bullshit and we're harboring a murderer."
A gasp escaped me at the captain's cursing, but he carried on, "I'm not subjecting Bucky to that again; even Tony's against it. But-"
"He agrees with the Accords," I surmised, rubbing my chin gently, "he trusts us, but Ross wants him to be the one to bring Bucky in, I'm assuming?"
"Right."
"Fuck."
Normally he would've chided me, but he hummed in agreement, "Maybe you'll want to talk to Tony. He seemed pretty uncomfortable after reading the book; he hasn't let anyone else touch it, even when Ross wanted to collect it as evidence. Said he used one of his suits to send it somewhere safe; not sure if he was serious, but he's not giving it up. So that's one thing in our favor."
"Good," I breathed heavily, peering at the open doorway in case Bucky was wandering by. Lowering my tone an octave, I informed him, "Bucky had a nightmare. Everything is fine; he's alright. But, shit, Steve, what he told me - what they made him do - it's awful."
"Did anything else happen?"
"No," I replied, absently playing with the soft tufts of my comforter, resolving to keep Bucky's confession to myself, "it was fine. I baked cookies, we ate them all, had some drinks. Watched Guy's Grocery Games."
"Your favorite show," Steve chuckled, "you should come to the compound. Talk to Tony. And talk to Pietro while you're at it. He made his opinion about Buck staying with you very well known. Loudly, too."
"I'm surprised he's not at my door right now," I sighed, fighting my powers enough to remain focused solely on my speckled ceiling and not the apartment above. My head slowly started to ache, but I couldn't be sure it was solely from fighting my gift. "Alright, I'll try to come down at some point. I don't really want to leave Bucky alone-"
"Bucky will be fine."
Glancing over at the doorway, I watched the super soldier lean against the threshold, his hands shoved into his pockets. He focused on the phone and not my rumpled form, for which I was glad, and I murmured my assent.
He extended his hand, his brows pitching upward in question. WIthout a word, I tossed the phone to him and he lifted it to his ear, turning away from me and making his way down the hall. As he went, I rolled onto my side, inhaling sleepily.
"Oh God, is that bacon?"
Hauling myself upright, I reached for my glasses, affixing them onto my face and feeling immediate relief as they dampened my powers. Climbing slowly out of bed, I caught sight of my robe tossed neatly over the back of my vanity chair. Bewildered, I wondered if I had disrobed myself or Bucky-
Physically shaking my head to rid myself of that thought, I grabbed it and slipped it back on. Sinching it at the waist over my admittedly skimpy nightgown that Bucky may or may not have seen - and felt, I made my way down the hall. Throwing my hair into a messy bun, I watched Bucky set the phone gently onto the island, returning to his work at the stove.
He tossed a glance over his shoulder, a sheepish smile flitting across his face, "Thought I'd repay you for the cookies."
"Bacon is always the best form of payment," I mused, making my way to the coffee maker and fixing myself an espresso. Glancing interestedly over his work, I laughed, brows high on my forehead in surprise, "And eggs?"
He smirked, "It's still a classic, right?"
"Always," I nodded, taking a sip of my drink and pouting, "I wish you wouldn't have drank all my milk last night." With an ah! I retrieved the left over whipped cream and dolloped some into the cup. "Good enough for me."
Bucky snorted, his eyes sliding to my phone as it vibrated against the marble countertop. I followed his gaze, seeing the name, and returned to my drink.
"Who's Pietro?"
"He's an Avenger trainee," I replied loftily, retrieving the phone and inspecting the three new texts from Quicksilver, "he's concerned that you're here. I'm surprised Steve told the others, though most of them don't know where I live, so I guess it's fine."
The phone vibrated again.
"He seems very concerned."
"Yep," I replied, popping the 'p' and typing back a long, thorough response.
Bucky, I noticed out of my peripheral, was still watching me, the silent question in the air. Would he be a problem?
"He's not going to come here," I assured him, muting my notifications and returning my attention to the dark-haired super soldier. Retrieving plates and silverware, I placed them on the island and continued, "Tony, Steve, and Natasha are the only ones who've been here before and Pietro is too low-clearance to get the answer out of them. If they know I don't want him to know, he won't know. You don't have to worry about him."
"That wasn't what I was going to ask."
Brow furrowed in confusion, I watched him dish the food onto the plates. When I didn't respond, he continued, "If you were my girl, I certainly wouldn't want some strange guy - who happens to be a wanted criminal - staying with you."
Sheepishly, I ducked my head, taking a bite of bacon before formulating a response. I let out a contented groan, "Oh, that's perfection."
Bucky laughed, running his metal hand along the back of his neck and offering me a shrug, "Bacon was one thing we always had on the front line. You get good at it after making it every day for the boys."
"Well, my compliments to the chef," I raised a slice of bacon in salute. I munched on it for a moment before awkwardly explaining, "Pietro is- it's complicated. I've seen what he thinks about me. I saved his life, literally saved him from dying. So… I've seen what he wants and well-," I didn't want to tell him I had seen, more than once, my body entangled with Pietro's when I made accidental glasses-less eye contact with the Sokovian, so I cleared my throat, "I don't think of him that way, though. And I'm certainly not his girl."
As my phone lit up again, Bucky looked like he might argue, but contented himself with his breakfast.
"And you made the eggs just like I like them," I shoveled a forkful of scrambled eggs into my mouth, "I might just ask you to move in once your name is cleared. I have a second bedroom; I'd just have to get another bed. You can make me breakfast, I'll bake you desserts."
He grinned, laughing and tapping a piece of bacon to his forehead in his own salute, "That's a hard offer to turn down."
"If you don't mind being left alone, I should go to the compound," I mused, "I really need to talk to Tony and Steve. And prob'ly hit the store while I'm at it. I don't know how long it'll take for them to clear you, especially after this shit with Ross so I better stock up."
And get you some clothes, I eyed Bucky thoughtfully, knowing full well that he would argue about that. Hell, he wanted to pay me back for a gallon of milk with nonexistent money. Buying him clothes would probably push him over the edge. Maybe one of the guys could lend him some clothes. He might actually be around Pietro's size-
"I don't mind."
Startling me back to attention, I looked at the soldier curiously. He continued, lifting a shoulder, eyes skimming the apartment before seeing me a sidelong smirk, "Being here alone. I'll be fine. I mean, you have a whole library in your living room."
"And a movie theater on the XBox."
"That too," his smirk blossomed into a grin, "as long as you're neighbor doesn't come snooping..."
"He won't," I assured him, rising to my feet and placing my plate in the sink. Turning, I tilted my glasses upward, glancing at the tag through Bucky's shirt. Dropping my gaze, I checked the measurements on his jeans, spinning quickly as he stiffened and tossed a glance over his shoulder.
"Were you-"
He faltered and I turned with a questioning, glasses in place and an innocent, mild expression on my face. His eyes narrowed, his lips pursed to one side, tilting his head to one side as if deciding whether or not he wanted to continue his question.
"Was I-?"
"Were you looking at my arm?" he queried curiously, "I felt like you were looking at me or somethin'. Without your glasses?"
"No," I replied lightly, innocuously. It wasn't a lie, really. "I'm gonna go get ready. If there's any food you want just jot it down, okay? No limits. Tony's kind of my benefactor and he's got bottomless pockets."
As I made my way down the hall, I wondered, disconcerted, how Bucky always seemed to know when I looked at him with my gifts. In the warehouse. Even in the room the night before, when Peter almost sent him running, he seemed to know, to sense, my gaze. Even if I wasn't looking him in the eye, he felt me. No one else did.
So why him?
/
Locking the door to my apartment, I slipped into the hallway just as May was leaving hers.
She smiled broadly, relieved, and hugged me tightly, "Peter said you had a scare traveling? I'm glad you made it home alright!"
Offering the older woman I smile, I fell in step beside her, "Ya, he might've been exaggerating a little. It was nothing major-," if you considered funerals, explosions, car chases, and fugitive harboring small potatoes, "but I'm glad to be back. I've got a meeting today, then I've gotta go grocery shopping-"
"Give me your list," she extended her hand, wiggling her fingers when I didn't give it up right away. Bucky's handwriting was on there, along with mine, but I really didn't want to have to do something as mind-numbing and irritating as shopping for groceries. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, I'm headed there anyway! Don't tell me you actually want to go?"
Sighing, I offered it to her, bracing myself as we waited outside the elevator. Her eyes skimmed the list and a grin began to grow, "Were you trying out different handwriting techniques? Gotta say, Aury, this one looks a little masculine."
Humming nonchalantly, I stepped onto the elevator, studiously avoiding her gaze. She shifted, forcing herself into my eye line, her brows high on her forehead as she prodded, "Peter came home lookin' real embarrassed last night."
"Did he?"
"Aurelie Reynolds, who is he?"
She looked so offended that I hadn't filled her in on my love life that I had to laugh, "He's… a friend. Who's going to be staying with me for a bit."
"A friend."
Her voice was so heavily laden with sarcasm and suspicion that I pinned her with a pointed glance, "Please don't try to talk to him. He's- going through some really terrible shit and-"
"I won't even bring the groceries over 'til your back," she vowed, stepping off of the elevator and fisting her hands indignantly on her hips, "but… is he really just a friend? You never have anyone over, even just friends. He must be pretty important to you."
Important to the entire world, May, I rubbed awkwardly at the back of my neck, if you knew who he was, you wouldn't be so excited that I might be sleeping with him.
"Yeah, we are fooling around," I bit my lip, willing myself to look as sheepish as humanly possible, looking down at my boots, "happy?"
She couldn't have looked more delighted if she'd been granted three wishes. A cheshire grin spread across her face and she clapped, a hand to her heart, "What's his name?"
"James."
"James," she breathed, throwing her head back and batting her lashes, "so formal. So handsome. What's he look like?"
Chuckling, I replied, "As handsome as his name. He's tall-," nodding, I laughed at her "beefy?", "muscular. Not absurdly beefy. But-," I recalled his sculpted chest, "nice. Dark hair, longer, maybe around his chin. Stubble, like he could prob'ly grow the best beard."
"And his eyes? Green?"
"Blue."
She swooned and she hadn't even seen the super soldier. Snickering, I shook my head and continued, "I told you."
"And I told you," she smirked triumphantly, hailing a cab and pausing at the back door, "he's definitely more than a friend. And you're crushing hard."
Before I could sputter a denial, the cab tore off down the street. I watched it go, gawping, and shook my head, straightening my shoulders.
I had simply described Bucky. The fact that my words painted him out to be incredibly attractive wasn't my fault. He was. That was a given.
Maybe I needed to send a few of my raunchier novels over to May. Give her something to distract her from embellishing nonexistent romances between Bucky and I.
Peering over my shoulder, I glanced up at my apartment window. The super soldier stood at the window, shadowed mostly; he offered me a smile and one crossed my lips in return.
May was wrong.
/
Tony met me at the door of the Audi he had sent, yanking it open with a tight smile. He gave my arm a warm squeeze, hooking his own through it and guiding me away from the building, "I wanna steal you away for myself real quick, GG."
"I'm flattered," I replied dryly, earning a chuckle from the billionaire, "what do you think?"
"I think we're in trouble," he sighed heavily, rubbing his free hand across his chin, "I read the book. There are words. Trigger words that are supposed to turn the people like Barnes into people like the Winter Soldier. And there's more of them."
"Bucky mentioned that," I mused, "but we didn't exactly talk about that last night."
"Oh ya?" Tony teased, offering me a sleazy grin and earning a light punch to the arm, "too busy lockin' lips? Hidin' the sausage?"
"Ew," I grimaced, "call it what it is; euphemisms make it weirder."
"Fucking?"
Snorting, I shook my head and heaved a heavy, feigned sigh, "No. Getting drunk and eating cookies? Yes."
That earned a loud laugh from the Iron Man, "And that didn't lead to sex. That's a damn shame. So this book. They used these words to brainwash the Winter Soldier. If he ever started to question things, or start coming back to himself, there was this machine. Won't go into details, but it reset him every time. Apparently it's not necessary, if this Zemo was able to use just this book. Might've been for fun."
Wincing, I caught Tony's sympathetic frown and he continued with a sigh, "Yeah. He didn't have an easy life. Would've been better if he just died falling off that train."
"I think he'd agree with you," I murmured, disconcerted, my mind replaying his chaotic nightmare that morning.
"Rogers says there are more but he doesn't know the location. Barnes does. We need him to lead us there."
"I'm hoping you mean we as in you, Steve, and I, and not Ross? Either of them? Why are there two, by the way?"
"My thoughts exactly!" he exclaimed, before becoming somber, "Rogers and I. And Barnes, obviously. And you can come; it's a long flight and I'd appreciate the eye candy."
At my glower, he added hastily, "And good conversation! But the Rosses need to be involved. They do, GG. That's what the Accords are for."
"Steve said they wanted to bring Bucky in and test the words on him, Tony," I frowned, aghast, "I don't care if he can be beaten out of it. We can't do that to him."
"I don't want to either, GG, I don't," he assured me, "that's the last thing I want. I can't imagine what they made him do. But I'll persuade him. You know how persuasive I am. But if he can give up the location of these other soldiers, we-"
A whoosh of air announced Pietro's presence before he stopped, causing both Tony and I to come to an abrupt halt. The silver-haired Sokovian stared down at me with a look of such sheer concern, his brow furrowed low over his eyes, "Aury, are you okay?"
"Uh, obviously she is, Flash, she's with me," Tony grumbled, affronted, "does she look injured in any way?"
Pietro shot Tony a dark glance before his eyes scanned my form once more, "I just wanted to be sure. I don't know why you agreed to let the Winter Soldier stay with you."
"I suggested letting Bucky stay with me, actually," I responded calmly, determined not to use the soldier's moniker. HYDRA had been the one to twist him into a killer puppet, to create that side of him, and he didn't deserve to be known only as that. "Everything's fine. No problems. And, hey, fortunately for me, I can do exactly what those words can and stop him in half a second if I need to."
"Not if he snuck up on you," the Sokovian countered immediately. Oh. He had been planning this encounter since the night before, it seemed. "When you're sleeping? How could you possibly stop him then?"
Glancing up at Tony, I almost laughed at the look of abject discomfort on the older man's face. He wanted to be anywhere else.
And so did I.
"Listen, Pietro," I touched his arm, wincing internally as his gaze fell to my fingers, "your concern is very touching. It really is. The thirty five texts-," I continued loudly over Tony's Christ!, "were a little overkill. My Jedi mind tricks are stronger than Bucky if - and I mean if - I need to use them. Which I won't. I need you to trust me on that."
The quickster's shoulders slumped and he groaned, "I can't do that, Aury. Not while he's with you. It'd be too easy to fall back into that-"
"Aaand I'm just gonna escort GG back to the compound before she jumps you, kid," Tony interrupted, tugging me tightly as I stiffened, prepared to retort. He turned us both and began marching back toward the building. "If you follow us, I'll revoke your XBox privileges. And make Vision follow you around all goddamn day like a prison warden. And don't think I won't. Even if he does like your sister."
"He what?"
Though I echoed Pietro's sentiments, this seemed to trigger the speedster and he began to dash back to the compound. He halted, though, spinning and racing back to me, his hands clasping my upper arms as he pulled me a foot or so away from Tony. He stared down at me, his gaze intense, searching, and breathed, "I just want to protect you, Aury."
And then he kissed me.
/
If you have a sec, please drop a review! I'd really appreciate hearing what you all think!
Daryl Dixon's Lover: thank you so much!
19irene96: It's impossible not to! I can't wait to get into the real romance omg I've already got some stuff written for it. It's gonna be good ;)
