Adoption

DarylDixon'sLover: I know it was a typo, but when I got an email that said your review was "grey chapter," it really made me giggle. Thanks!

FanGirlForever19: Precisely! I think Eliza's thing against attention comes a lot from myself- I'm good one on one, but I hate lots of attention from tons of people. Also, it means that her actions will constantly be watched and judged, so it's a lot of pressure to be in the spotlight!

LadyAmazon: I am so glad you pointed out the blueberry packet, because I am so intentional about putting little things in my stories like that! Tony with his blueberries always made me so happy.

Rohirrim Girl 2187: I feel like there is always a certain kind of mom character that is easy and stereotypical to write, so it makes me happy that you related to this one and didn't find her stale!

Iykaioski: Thank you and welcome aboard! I'm always open for new ideas, recommendations, etc! The concept came from a pinterest/tumblr post- I tried to track it down to find out who wrote it and contact them, but I could never find it again.

kuppcake: Bless Tony, he just has to interrupt everything (he means well, though!).

Demigod-GallagherGirl: Oh you just wait, James gets cuter in this one.

SummerMistedDragon: Thank you! You're so lucky that you read it kinda late in the week, because now you get another chapter the next day!

Reluctantly, I put on the dress and stepped out of the dressing room.

But instead of a simple approving nod from my mom, the ever growing crowd shouted a resounding, "YES!"

Three days.

Yeah, it shouldn't have felt that long, but it did. Especially since I knew he was on base the entire time. At this point, my teeth were starting to ache unwittingly clenching them so much. I tried loosening my jaw a few times, but every time it would tighten up again, my teeth grinding together in frustration.

Three freaking days.

And this wasn't normal at all. He always stopped by the office to say hello or knocked on my bedroom door at night if he'd had a late meeting.

The first day, I thought he'd maybe felt a bit shy about the whole going-to-the-gala-together thing. But when I'd asked Steve, he'd said that James seemed excited, not nervous. On day two, I was starting to wonder if he was extra busy this week. But when Coulson came in and handed me the weekly schedule of all the Avengers, I saw that his schedule was completely normal. And today, I was just mad.

But I knew I had to calm down. Sam was finally bringing (more like dragging) in a very important man by the name of T'Challa, and I had to be calm for our appointment. According to Sam, the guy could see right through you if he wanted.

Just as I was smoothing out my dress, there was a knock on my door. Sam waved at me, and I noticed the other dark-skinned man behind him. I motioned for him to come in, watching the glass wall frost as they entered.

I stood up and inclined my head. Though I'd been informed that he was in fact the King of the African country of Wakanda, I'd also been told that he hated formalities. Thus, I kept it to a minimum.

"Hi, I'm Elizabeth," I greeted with a smile, holding out my hand. T'Challa came forward and shook my hand firmly.

His dark eyes searched mine for a moment before he said, "You are not the person I expected."

I tilted my head slightly. His tone didn't indicate any rude intent, just curiosity. "And what did you expect?"

T'Challa glanced Sam. "Another person who would try to berate me for how I have handled my grief."

"I told him you were a psychologist," Sam chipped in.

I nodded slowly, deciding that sitting down would be the best tactic. Both men followed my lead. "I only studied psychology in school," I corrected lightly. "My job here is to help the Avengers in any way I can— to be a guide in this century for some, and to be a friend to others. Seeing as how you do not fall into the former category, I will be a friend. And a friend doesn't lecture another on how to deal with hardships."

Sam leaned over and whispered, "I told you she's good."

A grin came onto my face, but I remained as serious as I could. "I guess Sam convinced you to come here?"

"Convinced is a funny word when it comes to this man," T'Challa commented, his voice a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "But yes, to answer your question, I did come because of him."

I leaned forward to indicate that I was listening. "And what are you here for?"

T'Challa's eyes suddenly seemed distant. "My…my father. He was killed during the signing of the Sokovia Accords."

A grim look came over my face. I remembered the headline in the news— I'd only been an intern back then, but that was the day where everything in the office changed. The world was no longer the same, and we all knew it.

I glanced at Sam, and he too seemed solemn. I turned my eyes back on T'Challa, taking in his posture. His shoulders had been perfectly straight when he walked in. Now, they were bent, as though the weight of the world had fallen on him. His hands were fidgeting, and that's when I noticed he was playing with a silver ring on his left hand.

T'Challa suddenly opened his mouth to speak, but no words could come out. I saw a stray tear role down his cheek, and I quickly got up to hand him a tissue. Sam put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The young king couldn't be more than five years older than me, and here he was, not knowing how to deal with his grief just like anyone else.

Finally, he found the voice to speak. "H-He was taken from me before I could learn how to rule," he choked out. "Before I could learn to be as great a king as him. And at the time…I was able to forgive the man who killed him. But now…"

I gave him a pitying look. "Now it's still hard to bear the burden. To rule without his guidance."

T'Challa nodded, sniffling lightly. I handed him another tissue, and he accepted it. I went back around to my desk, pulled out a pen and paper, and looked at him gently. "Let's get started on helping you, okay?"

The young king nodded. "Okay."

Two hours later, I was packing up my things and making sure all the tissues were in the trash can. I felt drained, not only from the emotional outpouring that had just taken place in my office, but mostly because of the fact that I had no one to lean on to help with it. My mind drifted to James, and I didn't even have the energy to clench my teeth. He was supposed to be there for me, right? At least that's how things had been before the whole gala thing happened.

With a sigh of resignation, I picked up my purse and began to walk toward the door. Before I could open it, however, a not-too-welcomed face appeared in my way.

"Eliza, I have something to show you," he said, his face betraying his excitement.

But I gave him a dull stare, choosing to push past him. "Is this something the thing that's been keeping you busy the past few days?"

I could almost hear James' face fall. "Yes?" he answered hesitantly.

"Not sure if I'm interested, then," I replied, my tone weary. I knew I was being rude, but I almost couldn't help it. I was tired from work and frustrated at him, and those two didn't mix very well. But then I could feel my hand being pulled back, and I was face to face with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry, I know I should've stopped by," he was saying. His eyes gazed into mine, silently trying to get me to understand. "But it really is important, and I want you to come with me."

I sighed heavily. "Fine, just let me pick up a protein shake from my room first."

James' eyes brightened, and I couldn't ignore the fact that it made me want to smile. "I'll be in hanger five, the blue-"

"I know, I know, the blue Honda," I finished for him. I turned around and made my way toward the residential side of the compound, walking in a zombie-like daze. When I got to my room, I made quick work of getting changed into something warmer and downing a protein shake before I headed out to hanger five. As soon as I located the car and got in, I noticed that he was playing jazz.

I tilted my head. "Found the CD's I left you, huh?"

He nodded. "Steve showed me how to play them in the car. I didn't know you could do that before."

I nodded sleepily, my eyelids feeling heavy. The car ride wasn't terribly long, maybe thirty minutes or so. Then again, I wasn't sure, because I had the soothing sounds of jazz slowly sending me to sleep. A gentle hand awoke me, and I opened my eyes to see a little cabin.

"We're here," James informed me softly. "I know you're confused- it's very different on the inside from the outside."

I shrugged. At this point, I'd been weirder places before. We got out of the car, and I followed him up the steps, my curiosity growing as my mind woke up. When we entered, I had to blink to adjust to the bright lights. By the time I could see, I immediately understood what had been taking up his time the past few days.

A big German Shepherd was racing toward him, skidding on the tile floors in his eagerness to get to the man next to me. James had fallen onto his knees with his arms wide open, and as soon as the dog got near, he hugged him and scratched his ears. I watched the pair interact, unaware that a smile had come onto my face. After a moment, I kneeled down next to James, reaching out a hand to pet the dog too.

James' sparkling eyes met mine. "His name is Benjamin. He used to work for the NYPD, but had to quit after he got hurt on the job." He looked down, and I followed his gaze. It was then I realized that Benjamin had a knub for one of his back paws. My heart melted. Of course James would pick this dog.

"I've been working on all the paperwork, figuring out a safe place to put a fence on the compound," James continued. "I'll be able to bring him home next week when it's all done."

We shared a smile, and any residual anger I had faded away.

"I feel silly now-"

"No, don't. You had every right to be confused. I should've stopped by."

I turned and leaned against the door frame. "You really should've," I tossed back semi-jokingly.

He chuckled, a hand coming up to run through his hair. "Yeah, I know." His blue eyes shined bright in the hallway, even as the lights began to dim. After all, it was nearly ten. People were starting to turn in for the night.

There was a pause between us, one that was all too common now. I cast my eyes to the ground, my hands clasped awkwardly in front of me. I vaguely wondered how long we were going to walk this tightrope, how long we were going to act like everything was normal. But then he stepped closer, and I looked up to meet his eyes.

He seemed unsure, and I realized that this wasn't like past times. We weren't caught up in a moment, instead he was taking the time to make sure that what he was doing was okay. I found that I appreciated this change in pace. It seemed more serious, more earnest, more real.

His hands were cupping my face. I was acutely aware of the fact that one was warm skin and the other was cool metal, but I found that I didn't mind. It was a part of him, and I was more than willing to accept it. My hands slid up to rest around his neck, and I played with some of the locks there. His eyes were gazing into mine, asking for permission. I gave my answer by closing my eyes.

My heart was racing, but my mind was calm. I could feel his warmth all around me, allaying my worries. Then I could feel his warm breath, could feel his hesitation. He was incredibly close, so close that I wanted to open my eyes to peek, but I resisted. He had just started to move closer, but as always, we were cut off.

"Hey Elizabeth, do you know where Bucky- oh…"

I whirled around to see a very uncomfortable looking Steve staring at the floor. He managed a glance up, but when his eyes drifted to where James' hand rested on my waist, he put his head down again.

"I was just, ah-" he stuttered. "I'll just be going, then."

Steve walked away, leaving us in silence. But soon, we both burst out in laughter.

"Gosh, we are never going to get a break, are we?" James chuckled.

I smiled broadly, reaching up and smoothing a stray hair back in its place. "No, no we really aren't."

He smiled back at me, his eyes lighting up before he took my hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. My heart felt like it was melting, even after he walked away with a simple "goodnight".