Super short, super fluffy, but I'm still half asleep, so forgive me.

Azure83: I hope it wasn't too much of an impatient wait...

lemonadepup14: Thanks hon! Glad you liked it!

Guest: That's an interesting theory. I hadn't actually put that much thought into it at the time, but that's definitely interesting...

hateme101: James will get his chance to talk about the past here pretty soon. When they start opening up to each other more.

DarylDixon'sLover: Sad but sweet is going to become a theme in this story, I have a feeling.

Gilyflower: Here you go!

Farbeyondthegrave: Just remember to breathe. There's less drama in this one, but it's still plenty fluffy. You'll probably feel more in this chapter.

NadzKers12: This one's a little lighter. Lots of fluff.

Tiphanie: The whole name thing will come to play later. Much later. I have devised a brilliant plan...

Enjoy!

James stared at me, eyes wide, full of emotion. We were inches apart, still kneeling on the floor of the apartment. His flesh had was wrapped around my wrist, both just hanging in the air between us. My other hand was still on his cheek, his stubble rough under my palm, but the skin of his cheek was strangely soft. It was such a contrast to his hard exterior.

I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around him, leaning my head on his shoulder. Both of us froze, stiffening at my action. I was slightly surprised at myself, and I knew he was too. My heart was pounding and I could feel the panic starting to build. I exhaled shakily when he wrapped his arms around me, holding me. I closed my eyes, focusing on everything else but the demons rising inside me.

He was warm, all except for the metal arm across my back. It was heavy...a sturdy weight. It made me feel strangely safe. He made me feel safe. I could hear his heart pumping under my ear, strong and steady. I focused on that, trying to match mine to his. Slow mine down. He smelled nice, like the soap he'd bought. Clean. I relaxed a little, realizing he wasn't going to hurt me, my hands releasing his shirt I'd been gripping for dear life.

I pulled away slowly, keeping my hands on his shoulders. His arms stayed around me as I sat back on my heels, afraid to look him in the eye.

"I trust you, James. You've kept me safe this long. Sure we've had our ups and downs, but we're still here. And you haven't hurt me...and I know you won't. It wasn't your fault." I finally looked up at him, his eyes shining. "You're a victim in this, more so than me."

"Hey." He whispered, cupping my chin with his flesh hand. "It wasn't your fault either. You were wrongly accused, and mistreated because of it."

"I just hate being so scared." I whispered, wiping a tear away with the back of my hand.

"It's okay to be scared. Everyone gets scared."

"But I can't even fight my own demons. Let alone defend myself. I'm not a super soldier or an assassin."

"But you are strong. I'm sure plenty of women in your place wouldn't be able to handle what you have. Most people would have given up a long time ago. Locked themselves away and stopped functioning. You made it halfway across the world in some of the worst conditions, and yet you're still here. You fought off a man who tried to kill you. I put you through hell, and yet you made it out still kicking." A small smile formed on his face. "You may not be physically strong, but you have a different kind of strength most people envy."

"I guess you're right." I said, looking at the floor. He had a point.

I covered my mouth as a yawn escaped me. What time was it? It had to be early morning at least. Maybe later than that. But I was starting to feel it after the emotional dump I'd just gone through.

James chuckled, pushing me towards the bed.. "Get some sleep, doll."

"What about you?"

"I've got to much on my mind." He pulled the sleeping bag up around me as I laid down. "I'll try not to make too much noise." He smoothed my hair down, offering my a small smile before standing, going into the kitchen.

I buried my face in his pillow, taking in his scent, a small smile on my face. We'd come a long way over the past few hours. Talking about it did make me feel slightly better. It wasn't all shoved down anymore. Maybe things were starting to get better.

I woke up later that day, James curled up on the small couch with a notebook, furiously writing something down. I didn't move, not wanting to distract him as he worked through his memories. His brow was furrowed, the corners of his mouth turned down as he wrote. It must have been a bad one.

I waited until he was done writing before I sat up, stretching my arms over my head. He glanced at me, before going back to his notebook.

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah." I said, stretching more as I stood up. "Bad memory?"

"No..." He shook his head, the frown returning. "Just confusing."

"I'm going to go to the store. I want to get something that I think will help you."

I'd found it at an old bookstore a week ago. I had been perusing, looking for something to read when I laid eyes on it. It had to be fate, or some cruel trick as I picked it up, scanning over it. But when I flipped it open, I nearly squealed in delight. It was the real thing indeed. I thanked every deity I could think of as I held it. I had asked the shopkeeper to hold it for me, as I debated whether it was a good idea to get it. And after our little talk last night, I decided that maybe it was a good idea.

The bell on the door rang as I walked in, the shopkeeper greeting me. He spoke broken English, but he recognized me nonetheless. He still had the book, and I eagerly paid for it, nearly running back to the apartment. James was on the couch still, eating a plum and reading over the notebook when I opened the door. I was slightly out of breath from running up the half a million steps, but I was so excited.

James looked up when I entered, taking in my dishevelled appearance. "What's after you?" He asked, sitting up straighter.

"Nothing. But I have a surprise." I said, setting my backpack on the table before pulling it out. "I found it at a bookstore a few days ago, and I thought it would be good for you." I handed it to him, a big smile on my face.

It was an old US History book. It was dirty, and slightly water stained, and about thirty years outdated, but it was something. I kneeled down in front of him as he studied the cover.

"I thought it would be good for you to learn some of the things that happened while you were under HYDRA, and I thought maybe it could help you make sense of some of your memories." I shrugged as he flipped through some of the pages.

He stopped on one, scanning it with his eyes before running his hand over the paper. He closed the book, setting it beside him before reaching down, pulling me into a hug. I stiffened for a second, my heart jumping, but I listened to his under my ear, trying to mimic it. I wrapped my arms around his back, holding him tightly.

"Thank you, doll." He whispered, leaning his head against mine. "Thank you so much. You're way too good to me." He pulled away and I could see the tears in his eyes. "But you need to eat." He said, standing up. I hadn't eaten anything yet. "I don't need you wasting away on me." He said, grabbing a clean pot before filling it with water.

"I'm not going to waste away." I said, grabbing a glass before filling it with milk. "I've lived off less. Like two candy bars in three days."

"That was a different time." He said, stirring the oats in the pot. "Look at you. You're skin and bone." He said, scanning me. "If you turn sideways you'll disappear." I turned, shaking my head. "Oh no, where'd she go?"

"You're something else James." I said, shaking my head, but I couldn't help the smile that had formed on my face. Things were definitely looking better.