Pietro never did let go of her hand.
Even when they sat on the floor sleeping in the night, he held her hand, which soon enough led to having his arm around her so that she was resting against his body while he held his sister's hand. When sleeping at night, he had to have some sort of contact with the two women he cared about, to make sure that they were still with him. And sure, he had only just met Beatrix days ago, but the moment he had laid eyes on her, he took an instant liking to her.
The first time he really got a good look at his new companion was when the guards had brought them to an outdoor fenced in compound on one of the castle's balconies. Since being brought to the base, he had noted that this typically happened once a week in order to sooth the subjects; bring them out into the daylight and fresh air before locking them up once more and taking a few at a time to experiment on. Today however, as the light was fading from the day, only just beginning to do so, it allowed Pietro to get a proper look at Beatrix for the first time. Because they were kept in a dark holding cell with very little light, he had never really been able to properly study her completely, but as she stepped out into the light, he was instantly captivated.
The woman was curvy, not so much that she was fat by ridiculous society standards, rather she had accentuated curves in all the right places. Her long and curly black hair and light olive skin tone hinted at her Spanish roots through her mother, the color of her her skin being lightened however by her father's English background. What he found so stunning however as he watched her closely was when she turned her head to look at him with a small smile of relief. In the dim light of their cell, he knew her eyes were light in color, but he never realized they were crystal blue in color, certainly brighter than his own.
"If you don't close your mouth, you're going to catch fleas." Wanda nudged him in the ribs as she caught her brother staring at their new friend in awe.
"Sorry, it's just, I-" He floundered for words, making a small grin pull at the corners of his sister's mouth. Pietro was always a flirt, so to see him struggle to find the right excuse or words was entertaining. Entertaining however turned into happiness and pride when she saw that he had noticed Beatrix starting to shiver. "What is it, Bea? What's wrong?" He immediately asked, taking her other hand in his.
"I'm sorry. It's colder than I expected." She tried her best not to shiver.
"You come from warm place. This is too much for you." Wanda noted, putting a hand on both Pietro and Beatrix's shoulders.
"Ahh. Here, take my coat." He let go of her slim hands to slip his coat off.
"Pietro-" She tried to protest.
"You are in your pajamas." He cut her off. "I'll be fine. Take it."
For a moment all she could do was stare before she finally took the jacket. As she slipped it onto her frame, Wanda glanced down and brushed her brother's hand, motioning for him to look down as well, their eyes briefly fixed on Beatrix's dirty and bare feet standing on the cold cobblestones. Nodding in understanding, instantly he was off, slipping through the crowd to where the guards stood watch.
"You're brother is very kind." Beatrix said quietly to Wanda, who put her arm around the other girl.
"Yes, he worries about others more than himself." She agreed, looking to where Pietro had disappeared.
Across the yard, he approached Strucker, who watched his subjects in a mixture of pride and smugness. Ignoring the question in the back of his head as to why the man would look so smug, he stopped when guards pointed their rifles at him, making him put his hands up. When Strucker noticed who the guards had stopped however, he waved them off. "Pietro! What can I do for you?" He walked forwards with a smile, putting his hands on the young man's shoulders.
"Sir, would I be able to get a pair of socks and shoes for my friend? She has nothing and I'm worried for her." He asked in concern.
Both men turned their heads to look through the crowd to see Wanda and Beatrix arm in arm, talking lowly to each other. His eyes brightening in recognition, Strucker nodded. "Of course, my boy." He agreed. Turning to one of his guards, he jerked his head towards the castle. "Holen Sie sich ein Paar Stiefel und Socken für den spanischen Mädchen." He ordered.
"Thank you, sir." Pietro said thankfully when the soldier came back with the boots and socks.
"No. Thank you, Pietro." Strucker said as he handed the requested items to the brunette. "Now go, the sun will be soon gone, and I'm sure you would much rather be with your sister and new friend right now."
Receiving a final pat on the back, Pietro turned on his heel to slip through the crowd back to his sister and friend. "Bea, put these on." He said as he rejoined the woman, holding out the boots with the socks inside to her.
Instantly her eyes widened in shock when she saw what he had in his hands. "Pietro… Dios mío. What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything. I simply asked if I could have them for you." He promised, gently pushing them into her hands.
"And Strucker agreed?" Wanda asked carefully.
"You know he likes us, sister." He shrugged. "I assumed he'd give me what I wanted."
"Pietro…" Beatrix shook her head, unable to to think of anything to say.
"Put them on Bea, you must be freezing." He lay a soft hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle smile.
Smiling weakly, she bent down to put the socks onto her dirty feet before Pietro and Wanda held onto her hands as she slipped into the army boots. As she reached down to lace her new boots up, he was already kneeling and lacing them up for her, making a faint blush color her cheeks, and not from the cool air they stood in. Once he stood up, she placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Pietro." She whispered.
He was about to reply when a shot rang out, instinctively making him pull a screaming Wanda and Beatrix into his protective embrace, looking for the source of the shots that continued to ring out. By one of the castle's protective walls, a few of the subjects had attempted to make an escape by scaling the wall. The guards had begun to gun them down however, leaving a bloody heap on the ground.
"Everyone in, now!" A soldier shouted, a number of the guards beginning to shove the prisoners towards the entrance to the castle, herding them back towards their cell. Not letting go of the women once, Pietro led them through the crowd attempting to keep them out of harm's way.
As the three passed where Strucker stood watching, his partner Doctor List leaned in close to speak quietly. "Why did you give the boy what he asked for? Especially for some random girl?" He asked quietly.
"I have high hopes for the twins." Strucker explained, his gaze following them as they disappeared into the castle. "If I can keep them faithful to me, it will work in our favor."
"And the Spanish girl?" List pushed.
"Her family had deep ties to SHIELD, whether she is aware of it or not. I'm hoping that something will become of her that we can use." Turning to List, Strucker smiled. "Not only is this personal, but a test of the passing of genetics." He said before he walked away.