Chapter Five:
Confessions
Toni groaned. Her entire head felt like someone had literally taken a baseball bat too it. What the heck had happened?! As she thought about this, three things dawned on her. The first, she wasn't alone. Second, she was laying in someone's lap and third, whoever that someone was, was running their hands through her hair. Pepper? She wondered. No, Pepper wouldn't be here.
Last thing she remembered was… Clint. That stupid, Idiot, Moron! What had he been thinking! Wait… maybe it wasn't Clint in the first place. Maybe Clint was replaced by an alien?
A loud sigh soon brought her from her thoughts as instead tensed and focused on her surroundings.
"Toni, if you're awake, it would be nice of you to say something."
Toni had her next words carefully thought out, but when she opened her mouth and her eyes to reply, she froze when she took in his concerned and anxious face. Steve Roger's concerned and anxious face. Every thought she was thinking and every word she was planning to say went out the window as her entire brain froze and only one thought remained. His blue eyes are really beautiful.
His reddening face had her realizing she had just said it out loud. Her mind once again shut down. No way, was she going to go on about how cute he was. No way!
"T-Toni", he whispered, "Can you sit up?"
Toni stiffened when she realized the lap she was lying in was his.
"S-Sorry", she stated sitting up.
Toni was about half way into an upright position when a deep pain resonated through her head, causing her to groan. Steve's concerned face came into view.
"Are you alright?"
Her own face reddened at how close he was to her, before she quickly nodded and slid back a little from him.
"Just peachy", she spat sitting up, "Dang that Clint. I swear, if I get my hands on him, I will…"
"Just…take it easy", Steve said with a sigh as he sat back, leaning against the wall, "Was he the one who knocked you out?"
"Yeah, with a sedative. He better be prepared for revenge", she stated, a devilish grin masking her growing discomfort at being trapped alone in a room with Steve Rogers, who leader and crush.
Steve just smiled and shook his head as the two sat in silence.
"Can you get us out of here?" he asked.
Toni glanced over at him, thinking about the question. She figured Jarvis could let her out, but she knew why Natasha and Clint had done this and honestly, she hoped their plan would work in her favor. Perhaps, if they started chatting first, it would break the ice a bit?
"I don't think so. Clint probably made the necessary system changes so that we can't get out."
Steve didn't reply and the two once again fell into a strained silence, before Toni decided to make a move.
"So…" started Toni, "Do you uh…"
"Enough Toni", Steve interrupted, turning to look at her. A serious expression marred his face.
"What? I can't be friendly?" she snapped; irritated that he had seen through her little plan.
"You can", he responded, "but there was a reason they locked us in here together. You know what that reason is, don't you?"
Toni stared at him, gauging his mood before sighing.
"I think I have an idea", she replied a bit quieter than normal.
Steve stared at her, waiting for her to continue, but she just shook her head.
"You don't have an idea?"
Steve looked away, silent. Toni didn't think he would ever respond, so just when she was about to speak again, it surprised her when Steve spoke up.
"I might have a clue", he answered, "but we can't…we aren't…"
He stopped, frowning deeply at the floor as Toni stared at him. She wouldn't give him the benefit of seeing how hurtful his words were to her.
"We aren't what? Compatible?" she finished.
He turned to look at her.
"Yes."
A deep anger resonated through her body as she stood up, pacing.
"Why?! Because you are from historical times and I, from the future?" she asked, "Or is it maybe because I am the daughter of your old friend?"
"Both", he answered, refusing to look at her.
"Both", Toni whispered back, "You…"
She stopped and closed her eyes, trying to control her anger before she made things worse with her words.
"I am only going to say this one time, Cap", she replied as she stepped in front of him.
Steve couldn't help but look up at her and when he did, he couldn't help but gape. She was smiling at him, so…so genuinely that it made his heart flutter, yet tears dripped from her eyes as she knelt in front of him.
"You best listen", she whispered as she leaned towards him.
Steve froze, his heart beating like a drum as she slid her hands down his face.
"I love you, Steve Rogers", she said and then kissed him.
Steve couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. He couldn't even think when she kissed him. The warm of her lips, the moisture and peppermint flavor, the slight hint of alcohol. All of this tugged at his senses. Her hands gently moving over his face as light tears dropped onto his nose. His blue eyes stared into her milk chocolate ones before finally, she drew back from the gentle kiss and stared at him.
He could only stare back.
Her eyes searched his for something, something that perhaps she wanted to see there, but when she saw nothing, she stood up and turned around. Steve couldn't get himself to move as he watched her walk away, towards the door. Her shoulders shook as she called to Jarvis.
"J", she whispered, "Get me out of here."
"Of course ma'am", Jarvis replied and the door unlocked.
Toni didn't waste another minute as she headed out the door and towards her lab. She needed a drink and maybe some headache medicine.
Steve watched her go, before he closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands. A noise caught his attention and he stood up when he noticed Clint and Natasha standing there.
AVNGRS
Clint and Natasha sat in the living room, watching on the camera feed provided by Jarvis. So far, their plan was looking good. Steve had picked Toni up and placed her into his lap, running his hands through her hair. Whether he knew he was being watched or not, they could see the fond and concerned look on his face as he gazed down at the young woman in his arms.
"You think this will work?" Clint asked.
"I don't know. Both are rather stubborn when it comes to their own personal feelings", came a voice.
Clint and Natasha both turned to see Bruce standing there, watching the screen.
"Is she hurt?"
"Sedated", Clint answered, "Not a lot, just a little."
"You do know she has a bad reaction to drugs right?" Bruce asked him, a bit irked they had done this without consulting him, the one I charge of overseeing their medical care.
Clint blinked.
"Oops?" he whispered.
Bruce just sighed, rubbing his forehead as he stepped further into the room and sat down on the couch.
"If this doesn't work…you might have made things worse you know."
"Hopefully it will work then", Clint replied.
Bruce and Clint continued to stare off before Natasha interrupted them.
"She's waking up."
The three turned to the screen just in time to see her eyes flash open. She sat up rather quickly, before she lowered herself down again, grimacing. Clint ignored the glare shot his way by Bruce as he continued to watch the scene play out.
"So…" started Toni, "Do you uh…"
"Enough Toni", Steve interrupted, turning to look at her. A serious expression marred his face.
Clint frowned when he saw it. Steve didn't look happy.
"What? I can't be friendly?" she snapped, obviously irritated.
"You can", Steve responded, "but there was a reason they locked us in here together. You know what that reason is, don't you?"
"If he knows that, then why is he being such an ass about this!" yelled Clint, fuming.
Natasha and Bruce stayed silent as Toni stared at Steve, no doubt trying to gauge his possible responses.
"I think I have an idea as to why", she replied a bit quieter than normal.
Steve stared at her and Toni shook her head, obviously upset at the captain for his obliviousness.
"You don't have an idea?"
Steve looked away, silent.
"I might have a clue", he answered, "but we can't…we aren't…"
He stopped, frowning deeply at the floor as Toni stared at him.
"What the heck is he trying to say?" Clint spat.
"We aren't what? Compatible?" Toni asked, her face an emotionless mask.
Steve looked straight at her. "Yes."
A deep anger resonated through Clint, Natasha, and Bruce when they heard this. They could see the pain it had caused Toni as well when she heard his response.
"Why?! Because you are from historical times and I, from the future?" she asked, "Or is it maybe because I am the daughter of your old friend?"
"Both", he answered, refusing to look at her.
"Both", Toni whispered back, "You…"
She stopped and closed her eyes. Clint's hands tightened into fists as he grit his teeth. Natasha just stared, but even he could see she was angry. Bruce's eyes tinted green, but he continued to maintain control.
"I am only going to say this one time, Cap", she replied as she stepped in front of him.
Clint, Natasha, and Bruce couldn't hear what she said after that, nor were they able to see her expression, but they could see his. Steve's face was red and gaping in what could only be astonishment as Toni reached down, placed her hands on either side of his face, and kissed him.
No one in the living room dared to move, hoping, praying that this action would be the one most needed to break through that thick head of his. Toni seemed to hope for the same thing as she stared at him, but when Steve didn't react at all to the kiss, she pulled back and turned around; the others finally able to see her expression.
Toni was crying. Antoinette Edwina Stark, was flipping crying!
"I'm going to kill him", Clint whispered out as he shot down the hall towards the hulk-out room. Natasha was close behind, but Bruce just sat there as he watched Toni walk out of the room on the camera, no doubt heading to her lab.
"Jarvis", he whispered, "alert me if an emergency occurs, but not before. I need to have a word with your mistress."
"Of course sir", the AI replied as Bruce started towards the labs.
Back at the room, Steve jumped to his feet as Natasha and Clint stood at the doorway, staring at him.
"We need to talk about…" started Steve, when Natasha walked up to him and slapped him across the face.
Steve stopped, frozen as he stared at her. Natasha didn't say a word more as she turned and walked away. Clint watched her go, before turning back to Steve, his own eyes angry as he locked with Steve's confused and annoyed ones.
"What?!" Steve snapped, which was very unlike their usually calm and cool headed leader.
"You're a retard" Clint replied evenly, "We can all see you like Toni. Why in the world would you say such painful things to her when you know she likes you back!"
Steve stiffened, but replied without any emotion.
"It's for the best."
"Your best or her best?"
"The team's best and her best", he replied.
Clint snorted, shaking his head as he stepped into the room, eyes narrowed with barely kept rage.
"She loves you! The team loves her and you! You love her! How is throwing that away, best for anyone?!"
Steve remained silent, but he couldn't find it in himself to look Clint in the eye.
"I…", he stopped, "I lost Peggy. I loved…Peggy. How can I just… I can't…"
Clint froze, his anger dwindling when he realized the truth behind Steve's words and actions.
"You still love Peggy?"
"I…" he paused again, "I love them both. Peggy and Toni. I lost Peggy, all those years ago. I can't…lose Toni too."
Clint frowned.
"Can't you see that you're going to lose Toni no matter what, if you keep acting like this?"
Steve was silent and Clint frowned, deep in thought.
"I…know where Peggy is", Clint replied with a sigh, "Shield has an address for her in their database."
Steve stared at him, torn between relief and sorrow.
"She…she is still alive?"
"Yeah, she lives here in New York at one of the local retirement homes. Her husband died a few years ago and her kids live in other states, so…"
"She married…" he whispered, looking down at his hands.
Clint felt a bit of guilt for bringing her up, but nodded.
"Yeah, she married a Dr. John Walton and had three kids with him."
"Their names…" Steve whispered.
"What?" Clint asked, not hearing him.
"What are their names?" he asked again.
Clint hesitated.
"Her youngest is 28 and named Daniel Walton. He lives in Texas with his wife Amelia and their two kids. Her middle child is Abigail Wash. Abby lives in New Jersey with her husband David and their four kids. Her oldest… her oldest is named Steven Walton."
"Steven…" he whispered.
"Yeah", Clint replied, his eyes compassionate and sympathizing, "Steve Jay Walton, named after Captain America. He lives in Washington with his wife Marina and their three kids."
Steve nodded as he took in this information.
"I want to see her."
Clint stood there a moment before he sighed.
"Steve…meeting her won't…"
"I know that", Steve snapped, interrupting Clint's lecture, "I know that, but I need…I need to see her one more time at least."
Clint nodded.
"I will set it up then."
The two were silent.
"I will be in my room if you need me", Steve replied as he walked by.
Clint let him go as he sighed and started back into the living room. Just what had he done?
AVNGRS
Bruce stepped into the lab. The usual AC/DC music blasted through the speakers as Toni worked long and hard on whatever project she was tinkering away on.
"Toni", he stated, stepping further in, "do you…"
"I don't want to talk about it Bruce", Toni interrupted him, as the music lowered just a tad.
Bruce nodded as he walked over beside her and looked over the desk cluttered with different tools and machine parts.
"What are you working on?"
"Oh you know…" Toni whispered, "The next big thing."
Bruce didn't reply. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, her eyes refusing to meet his. He could feel the shivers running through her body as she tried to hold in her tears.
"You know that this isn't on you Toni", he whispered, "Steve doesn't know what he is missing."
Toni weakly snorted a laugh as she finally turned in her chair to look at Bruce full on. Her eyes were red and bright from where she had either cried or stayed off tears threatening to spill over.
"Bruce…" she whispered, "Why doesn't he want me?! I…"
She stopped, tears running down her face as Bruce felt another tingle run through him. The Hulk was angry his friend was crying. Silently, Bruce pulled her against him as she clutched at his shirt, burying her head into chest.
"He's an idiot Toni. You are so much more", he whispered as he hugged her close to him like a parent would a child, "You are so special. Give him time. He will come to see one day, just how important you truly are to him."
"I doubt it", she whispered, but Bruce didn't reply to it, acting as though he hadn't heard. After all, what really could you say to that, when you didn't know for certain yourself what the future might hold?
"So…want to tell me what you're truly working on?" Bruce asked, releasing her.
Toni smiled.
"It's a ray gun we recovered from one of the alien ships. We don't know what it does, but shield wanted me to find out. I have taken out the power source, but I need to run a few tests. Care to help?"
Bruce smiled.
"Lead the way", he replied and she smiled back as the two hunkered down over their new toy and began brainstorming about different possibilities that might arise should they uncover its secrets.
Little did the two know, it would change things far more than they ever imagined it would and Toni, would be the one to pay the price.
AUTHORS NOTE*
Sorry that this took me such a long time to get out! I had trouble with the beginning, but after that, I found myself falling in love with the characters a bit more, so hopefully you like this chapter.
Get ready ladies and gentlemen ;) Toni and Steve are about to have their world rocked for better or worse. Next chapter is when the main plot truly begins!
Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thanks!