It didn't take very long to get to the airfield. Mostly because Tony had Jarvis change all of the stoplights in their favor and he drove like a bat out of Hell. As soon as they stopped on the airfield, James was the first one out of the car, immediately turning to help Anna down. They waited for the others to exit the car before moving towards the aircraft, with Tony leading the way. When they were five feet away, the stairs to the plane automatically lowered for them. Tony immediately headed towards the cockpit to let the pilot know where to go while the others filtered into the seats.
As the plane started rolling to the runway, Anna began searching the console next to her seat, looking for the pill that would make the plane ride bearable. She could have sworn they were normally in the front section of the console, but she couldn't find any. Glancing up when Steve called her name, it was to find a small square package flying towards her face. Before she could react, James' hand was already snatching it out of the air before it smacked her in the face. With a questioning glance he offered her the package.
"I tend to get airsick. This prevents that," Anna explained to James, holding up the package, before turning to Steve with a smile. "A little more warning next time. We don't all have superhuman reflexes."
Grabbing a water from the center of the console, Anna ripped open the package with her teeth before taking the small miracle pill that would allow her not to throw up during the trip. Not that the pill would help her nerves. Which was why Anna was bracing herself as the plane started barreling down the runway. Takeoff and Landings were her least favorite. She would be fine whenever the plane reached full altitude, but until then she would be on the verge of a panic attack. James must have noticed her tensing, because his hand reached out for hers, allowing her to latch onto it instead of the arm rest.
Once the plane leveled out, Anna was able to release James hand, apologizing for her tight grip. Tony still hadn't returned from the cockpit, so when Sam asked where he could get a drink from, Anna reached forward and pressed the service button for him.
"Damn, you have your own flight attendants on this plane?" Sam asked when he discovered what the button was for.
"Tony spares no expense when it comes to comfort, or alcohol," Anna answered with a shrug, unable to explain Tony's tendency towards extravagance any other way. It wasn't exactly something they had in common, but Anna had learned to accept that, with Tony, better usually meant more expensive.
"Um, those don't exactly look like the typical stewardesses," Sam commented uneasily, making the other three turn towards the back of the plane.
Sam was right, the three men coming towards them didn't work for Tony. And though there was no hard proof, the hostile look about them led to Anna having a pretty good idea who they did work for: Hydra. It had her stomach sinking as she rose from her chair, joining the others as they prepared to fight. She might not be trained in the art of killing like the other three, but she wasn't completely helpless. That didn't mean she was completely delusional and would be the first to engage in combat. In fact, she was only planning on attacking if it was required for self-defense or if the others needed help.
James had been the first to rise from his seat upon noticing the Hydra agents. His hand automatically went to his side, searching for his knives, only to remember he wasn't wearing his suit. The only weapons he had were the automatic and his handgun, neither of which were the best option when on a plane that was 39,000 feet in the air. It had him altering his plan of attack, as he stepped forward to engage the first agent, swinging his metal fist at him only to have the agent dodge it and slam into him, sending them flying towards the front of the plane.
Once James' attacked, it didn't take long for the other agents to engage with Steve and Sam. It was as Anna was deliberating who to help that she was grabbed from behind by the fourth agent she hadn't noticed. Twisting and turning, she finally got to see enough of her assailant to determine it was the one who had stabbed her with the prong in the alley. His grip was tight as his arms pinned down hers from behind. Adjusting the grip, he started making his way back to where the agents had come from, away from the others. As Anna returned her gaze back on the fight occurring at the front of the plane, it had her noticing that each of the Hydra agents had a pack strapped to their back. The realization that they were parachutes, and that the agent pulling her away was heading toward the emergency hatch, had Anna struggling harder. She was trying to slam her elbows into her assailant's ribs without much luck. That's when she started screaming out for James in slight panic.
Anya's scream had James immediately snapping his head in her direction. When he had engaged in the fight, Anya had been safe. There had only been three agents, who were taken care of by himself, the sidekick, and the helicarrier man. Now there were four men, and the fourth had Anya in a bear grip, pulling her away. When the man holding Anya hit a button that, to his complete horror, had a door in the back opening, it had James lurching forward, even more desperate to reach her. Before he could get more than a few steps, the agent he'd been fighting had him in a choke hold, pulling him back and forcing James to turn his attention on him. Except that time James was not only pissed off, he was terrified, and he channeled both of those emotions into each hit he slammed into the agent's side.
When Anna felt the breeze from the open hatch, her panic rose to a new level. Swallowing hard she tried her best to remain calm and think. She couldn't use her arms, but her legs were still mobile. Focusing on the self-defense lesson she'd been given the previous night, she started chanting the moves she'd practiced in her head. Raising her right leg she slammed it back into the agent's knee before sliding her foot down his leg until she found his foot, stomping down hard. It was enough to cause the agent to loosen his grip. Ducking down, Anna used her newly mobile arms to push up and back on the agent, sending him flying out the hatch.
She was feeling pretty good about getting herself out of that situation. Before she lost her footing and she felt herself starting to follow the agent, falling backwards out the hatch. Flailing her arms to try and catch hold on something, but finding nothing but air, had her heart jumping to her throat. Anna barely had time to prepare herself mentally for the fall before she felt arms wrapping around her, pulling her back into the plane and against a very firm chest.
"Thanks," Anna murmured as she looked up into James' blue eyes, her breath catching in her throat at their proximity.
"It's what we do," James replied softly. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest, both from the fear of almost losing Anya, and from his hold on her. "Nice moves."
Before Anna could respond a loud thump from behind James had her craning her neck around him, only to find three dead agents sprawled across the aisle. Sam was heaving unsteady breaths while Steve moved towards the closest body and started dragging it towards them. When he murmured 'excuse me,' Anna finally stepped away from James, moving aside so Steve could dump the body out of the open hatch. Anna simply stood watching as Steve went back to get the next body and drag it back towards the open door. To her surprise, James moved to retrieve the last body, dragging it behind Steve and tossing it out.
"Thanks," Steve smiled brightly at Bucky, his hope showing in his eyes at Bucky helping him. It dimmed a little, when James just nodded slightly before returning to Anna's side, but it was still there, it was a start.
"We have a little problem," Tony announced as he returned from the cockpit, dragging a dead body behind him with some effort. "I had to kill the pilot. Do any of you know how to fly a plane?"
Anna just stared at Tony in disbelief. His left eye was bruised, and he was breathing a little heavy. Had he been fighting the pilot ever since they reached maximum altitude? How had he not recognized the pilot wasn't the one he flew down with? And how did he consider no one flying the plane just a little problem? Anna's disbelief at the situation only grew when, without a word, James started walking towards the cockpit, moving past Tony and stepping over the body to get there.
"I'm not sure I feel much safer with him flying." Tony commented, moving to grab some ice from the freezer for his eye.
Anna simply rolled her eyes before turning her attention to Steve. His stitches had ripped open and the cut was bleeding, making her force him to sit down before fetching the first aid kit. Moving to sit beside him, Anna began wiping the blood away, then sterilized the wound. Thankfully the first aid kit had a numbing agent, otherwise the stitching process would have been slow and painful.
"You scared me back there," Steve murmured while Anna threaded the needle. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Me too," Anna replied, meeting his eyes for a moment and sending him a small smile before she moved her hand to rest against his cheek. "Now, no more talking until I've finished," she insisted, pressing his lips together with her left hand to make her point before starting the stitching process. She knew Steve would continue to talk if she didn't. He always chattered to her while she healed him after SHIELD missions. Normally she didn't mind, but with his cut being on his cheek, talking would do nothing but make helping him more difficult.
When Tony came to sit on the other side of Steve, pressing a little baggy of ice against his eye, grasping a glass of scotch in his hand, and complaining about finding good help these days, Anna couldn't contain herself. It wasn't about finding good help at all, and Tony knew that. Because his hiring process required a lie detector test, no matter what job you were interviewing for.
"This illustrates the importance of knowing your employees by face. None of this would have happened if you knew what your flight crew looked like." The Hydra agents had never been on Tony's payroll. They had simply gotten rid of the real flight crew and replaced them with themselves.
"Well, I blame Jarvis." Tony responded, taking a sip from his glass. "He should have done a face recognition before we took off."
Anna didn't say anything else on the subject. As it was, she couldn't believe Tony was so cavalier when five Hydra agents had just infiltrated his private plane. When he just killed one of them. The only reason Anna wasn't having an anxiety attack was by focusing on stitching up Steve's face, and because the Hydra agent she had knocked out of the plane had still been alive and conscious. She told herself he might stand a chance of getting his parachute open; she hadn't necessarily killed him. Besides, he was trying to drag her out of a plane at 39,000 feet when she had no parachute herself. Even if she had killed him, he kind of deserved it.
"All done. And I have to say, I think I did a much better job." Anna announced as she tied off the end of Steve's stitches. "Have any other injuries that need tended to?"
"No Ma'am" Steve replied with a knowing half smile. As expected Anna sent him a playful glare as she reminded him not to call her that; it made her feel old. After 'scolding' him, she went to put back the first aid kit, washing her hands before she returned. Instead of stopping, Anna continued on, passing them by and continuing on to the cockpit.
"Is she going to act as navigator? We'll be landing in California with her sense of direction." Tony remarked, turning his good eye on the other two.
"I don't think that's why she's up there man." Sam's insinuation had Tony rising from his chair, his drink sloshing over the rim of his glass. He took all but three steps before Steve called out to him.
"He's flying a plane Tony. She's keeping him company. Try to rein in your big brother instincts until we at least land safely." Not seeming to care, Tony continued on. He only stopped when Steve added, "He saved her life."
"What do you mean he saved her life?" Tony asked, his right eye narrowing at Steve. It was Steve who was keeping him from dragging Anna back to her seat.
"One of the Hydra agents almost pulled her out of the escape hatch. She got loose of him, but lost her footing. Bucky was the one to get to her in time and pull her back in." Steve had just about had a panic attack when he heard Anna screaming Bucky's name and turned to find her struggling against a man much bigger than her. It had him trying to get to her as well, thinking there was no way she was getting away from the man's grip. Bucky ended up twisting out of his agent's grasp first, snapping the guy's neck before charging towards Anna with a look of sheer determination and desperation in his eyes.
"Do me a favor," Tony muttered as he returned to the seat beside Steve. "Next time, you save her. Then I won't owe him anything."
…
"I didn't know you could fly a plane," Anna commented when she entered the cockpit and witnessed James in the pilot seat. "I have to admit, I'm impressed," she added as she sat in the co-pilot seat beside him and stared at the confusing board of lights and switches before them. It was way more confusing than a car.
"Thank you, again. If it wasn't for you I'd be free falling 39,000 feet attached to a Hydra agent, or alone with no parachute." Anna murmured after a moment of silence, turning away from the board of blinking lights. It was all because of James that she had gotten out of that situation. She had used the moves he taught her to break free of the agent's grasp. And it had been James who pulled her back into the plane, when she thought for sure she was going to be falling to her death.
"You wouldn't have been alone for long," James replied nonchalantly. He had fully intended to follow her if he hadn't made it in time. Letting her go, giving up, it wasn't an option.
"You were going to jump out of a plane after me?" Anna asked incredulously. Surely she hadn't interpreted his meaning correctly. Because that would be completely irrational. Insane even.
"I would have grabbed a parachute first." James shrugged, causing Anna to gape at how casual he spoke about jumping out of a plane for her. As if he wouldn't even have thought twice about it. His words from earlier, the one's he'd taken from her, it's what we do, flashed through her mind and had her anger at his blatant disregard for his own life ebb away. Because she knew if the roles were reversed, and it was him falling out of the plane, she wouldn't hesitate to go after him either.
…
The rest of the flight was spent in relative silence. Anna would start random conversations when certain thoughts popped in her head, but nothing too serious. She remained in the cockpit for the duration of the flight, even though seeing the landing—the plane approaching the runway strip with the asphalt getting ominously closer—out of the front of the plane made the experience much more terrifying. That time she was left to grip the arms of the chair, as James was a little preoccupied with landing the plane. If he had offered his hand that time, it would have only freaked her out more.
Strapping on the backpack that had remained by her feet while she sat up front, Anna led the way back to where the others were disembarking the plane. Tony and Sam were suited up, confusing Anna until she noticed which car of Tony's was parked and waiting for them. Not that Anna knew each model by name. However, she did know just by looking at the black car that there was no way they were all going to fit. It was a two-door, as most of Tony's cars were. Meaning the only person who could possible fit in the backseat was her. Translation: it fit three people at best. There were five of them.
"We'll be flying to the Tower," Tony announced, nodding his head to indicate 'we' meant Sam and him, before tossing Steve the keys to the car. "If there's one scratch on the car, or Anna, not even your shield will protect you." He took off before Steve could respond, managing to challenge Sam to keep up as best he could beforehand. It had Sam muttering under his breath before chasing after Tony with his wings.
"Well, we know there's no Hydra agents hiding in there. They wouldn't fit." Anna commented as she moved to crawl into the backseat. It was crowded, even with her short legs.
Steve and James didn't take long before they were sitting side by side in the front of the car. After Anna insisted he could, James pushed his seat back to give him a little more leg room. He still looked a little squished, but it was the best Anna could offer him. As they pulled away from the airport, silence filled the car, and it was more than a little awkward. Normally Anna had no problem filling silences. However, after the long day filled with almost being taken by Hydra agents, twice, and fighting with Tony, which was always exhausting, Anna just couldn't think of a neutral conversation topic.
Eventually Steve turned on the radio, tuning it to some oldies station as they made their way towards Stark Tower. New York traffic was never good, but during rush hour it was horrendous. Even with Jarvis—who had James' tensing up until Anna explained to him who Jarvis was to the best of her ability—helping them out with taking side roads and changing lights, it still took a good hour to get to their destination. Anna had never been more relieved to see Stark Tower. Rush hour traffic always grated on her nerves. It was like, when the clock struck four, everyone forgot the rules and etiquette of the road.
Jarvis instructed Steve to just leave the car for Tony to park later when they reached the garage. Doing as Jarvis said, Steve left the keys in the ignition and climbed out. James followed suit, leaning back to give Anna a hand out of the backseat. One she was grateful for, as she had ended up stumbling out of similar backseats more than a couple times whenever she had previously attempted exiting the vehicles.
James remained on high alert as Anya led them through the large open space to the elevator. After the infiltration of the plane, he would always expect Hydra to pop up just when they thought they were safe. That had always been his calling card: taking people out when they thought they had gotten away, when they were at their most vulnerable. He refused to let Hydra have that advantage.
…
"I'm telling you Pepper, he's an assassin. Do you really want an assassin to be staying in your tower?" Tony inquired. He was trying very hard to get Pepper to be the bad guy and make Tin Man leave, thinking perhaps Anna would listen to Pepper's worry better than she had his aggression.
"Natasha's an assassin, and she's stayed here before," Pepper pointed out as she set the last plate on the table. She'd had to add a couple chairs once she found out they were having more guests than she'd anticipated.
"Natasha is an Avenger. This guy worked for Hydra." Tony corrected. Those were two completely different scenarios.
"Yeah, but he did save her life." Sam butted in as he leaned against one of the chairs. His comment had Tony sending him a disapproving glare.
"That's beside the point. The point being is, I won't have an enemy assassin staying in my tower." At Tony's statement Pepper simply raised her eyebrows. It was back to being his tower when she didn't respond how he wanted.
"If you don't want him here, that's your problem. If he saved Anna's life, then he is more than welcome to stay in my 12% of the Tower." Pepper responded before turning on her heel to go and unpack the Chinese food from the delivery bag. Tony couldn't believe she was still using that against him.
"What if I awarded you 17% of the Tower, would that change anything?" Tony called out to her, to which she simply responded by reminding him there would be no suits at the table.
When Anna, Steve, and James got of the elevator on Tony's floor, and made their way towards the dining room, it was to find Tony in full sulking mode with a glass of scotch in his hand. Pepper, who sat across from him, immediately jumped up from her seat, running to embrace Anna in a hug while insisting she never scare Pepper like she had the past week again. Steve just chuckled as he move past Pepper, setting down his shield against the wall before taking a seat at the table.
"James this is Pepper. The only girl that can put up with Tony long term, other than me." Anya introduced the two once Pepper released her grip on her. To James' surprise, the woman name Pepper extended her right hand with a smile. James' only hesitated a moment before taking it in his own.
"I'm sorry about Tony," Pepper apologized after releasing his hand. "He doesn't play well with others. There has been some noted improvement since the Avengers, but more sessions with Bruce are needed."
"I told you Pepper, Banner isn't my psychiatrist. He's my science buddy." Tony called out from his spot at the table. He wasn't completely out of his sulking, but at least his arms were uncrossed.
"Jarvis says differently," Pepper replied as she made her way to the table with Anna and James behind her.
"Jarvis doesn't know everything," Tony muttered, his mood worsening when James held out Anna's chair for her before taking a seat beside her. He was acting like a gentleman, when Tony had proof he was anything but.
"I could have sworn you told me you programmed him to have unlimited knowledge at his virtual fingertips," Bruce challenged lightly, having just gotten off the elevator. "Sorry I'm late Pepper, I had to record some data."
"Its fine Bruce, we just sat down actually." Pepper smiled at him as he took the last empty seat beside Tony.
When he commented on the extra company, Pepper urged Tony to be polite and introduce Bruce to his two newest guests. Tony obliged, but his definition of introduce was to point and state said persons nickname. Leaving Pepper to come behind him and offer up the two new arrival's real names. Bruce nodded to each in turn, adding a 'hey' to Steve, and an offer to be there for Anna should she need to talk about what she'd been through. With full disclosure, of course. Patient-Doctor confidentiality and all.
"Wouldn't it technically be Doctor-doctor confidentiality?" Sam mused aloud, to which Steve jumped in, debating that if Anna used Bruce as a psychiatrist then she'd be his patient. Sam still thought it would be doctor-doctor confidentiality.
James simply sat, silently observing throughout the whole dinner, feeling a little uncomfortable. It was unfamiliar territory for him: sitting down with other people, a unit, while eating. The only person he'd eaten with before had been Anya. And she had done most of the conversing. He didn't know how to 'small' talk. No one from Hydra had ever talked to him except for when they were giving a mission or getting a mission report. Of course, he talked with Anya, but talking with Anya was easy.
At some point James completely tuned out of the conversation. Instead he simple watched Anya's reactions out of the corner of his eyes. A couple times she'd caught his eye and smiled, but mostly she remained unawares. He was happy spending dinner that way, and he only tuned back into the conversation when the sidekick asked what the rooming situations would be.
"Well, Capsicle will be staying on his floor, your welcome to join him there. Anna will be staying in one of the spare rooms on my floor. And I was thinking Tin Man could take Thor's floor for now." Putting Tin Man on Thor's floor ensured the furthest distance between Anna and him. If he had to stay, he was going to be far away from wherever Anna was sleeping.
"We're staying on the same floor," Anna insisted, immediately arguing against Tony's sleeping arrangements. There was no way she was letting Tony put James three floors away.
"Nope. No. Absolutely not." Tony exclaimed emphatically, causing Bruce to analyze his exaggerated reaction.
"I am 25 years old Tony. I am an adult. I can make my own decisions." Honestly, Anna had been living on her own for some time now. And so far her decisions hadn't threatened her life in any way. She'd been surviving just fine.
"My Tower, my rules," Tony insisted, turning to Bruce to back him up. He already knew Pepper wouldn't help him.
"I'm sorry Tony, I'd have to agree with Anna. You have to start treating her like an adult." Bruce also believed it would be psychologically detrimental to both Anna and James to be separated right then. He had been observing them throughout the dinner, and it seemed they'd formed some sort of emotional bond throughout their ordeal. Of course, he wasn't going to bring that up to Tony. It would only antagonize him further.
"I need to start hanging out with people who agree with everything I say," Tony muttered, begrudgingly accepting Anna's demands. She would stay in the room beside his, Tin Man would take the one down the hall.
Letting Anna win had Tony, once again, sulking. That time it lasted all the way through dinner. Denying desert, he instead went straight for the elevator, heading down to his lab. Bruce excused himself after that, following after Tony. Tony tinkered when he was angry, and Bruce had a feeling Tony would need supervision so he didn't create anything too destructive. He also knew Tony would need someone to vent to. Anna also excused herself and James shortly after Tony left. She had a feeling James had had enough socializing with people he didn't know for one day. And she could stand to get a shower.
"So, this is your room. The bathroom is through there, fully stocked with everything you need." Anna announced as she showed James to the guest room he'd be staying in. Shrugging off her backpack, she pulled out the clothes that belonged to him, including his suit, and laid them on the bed. When she was done she re-shouldered the pack, turning to James. "Tony has me set up just down the hall. You okay? Need anything?"
The only thing James needed was Anya to stay. But he knew that wasn't an option. Not with her brother around. It had taken Anya and the man with the glasses to convince her brother to simply let them stay on the same floor. That would have to be good enough. So he simply shook his head, and watched as Anya left, shutting the door behind her. He headed straight for the shower after that, needing a distraction from the anxiety that was building inside him. He'd just have to keep telling himself Anya was safe here until he believed it.
…
Anna didn't return to the kitchen until after her shower, and only to get herself a glass of water. Steve and Sam had already left at that point, leaving Pepper alone at the table with a glass of wine. Anna joined her with her water, feeling she owed Pepper an apology for everything she'd been through the past week, as well as for making a scene with Tony at dinner. Pepper only chuckled when Anna apologized for stirring up trouble with Tony.
"Tony stirs up his own trouble. Especially when it comes to you. Even more so when it comes to you and boys." Pepper commented, taking a long sip from her wine.
"I know, he threatened my prom date that he'd murder him and pay his way out of conviction if he didn't have me home by 11." Anna could laugh about that now, but it had been highly embarrassing at the time. She was pretty sure the boy about wet his pants.
"And don't forget Steve," Pepper chimed in eagerly. "Poor man never even had a chance with you. Tony had him signing that contract at the first inkling that Steve might have feelings for you."
"Tony did what?" Anna demanded, whipping her head to study Pepper. Steve had never mentioned that to her. No one had ever mentioned that to her.
"Oops," Pepper whispered, her eyes going wide as she tried to backpedal her way out of her last statement. When Anna simply glared at her and demanded the truth, Pepper finally relented. "Tony had Steve sign a contract that basically said he wouldn't date you. It prohibited any move towards making your friendship anything more."
Anna had to sit on that news for a moment. Her blood pressure was slowly rising as she became more peeved at her brother. It was semi-understandable when he did his overprotective routine when she was a teenager. But she was a fully grown adult. And yes, it was also partly Steve's fault for signing the damn contract, and Anna was peeved at him for that. However, Tony could be manipulative when he wanted, and he had probably used that manipulation on Steve whenever they had the talk that eventually ended in Steve signing the contract. So Anna mostly blamed Tony.
"Don't be too angry with Steve," Pepper added, noticing Anna's hands tensing into fists as she sat there silently letting her anger build up. "He's been through enough. And you know he cares about you. Maybe even more than as a friend. He was just caught between Tony and you and he had nowhere to go. It was a lose-lose situation for him. He had to know if you ever found out you'd hold it against him."
Pepper was babbling, which she always did when she drank more than a glass of wine. But that babbling remark made Anna pause, sweeping away her anger for the moment. Pepper thought Steve liked Anna. As more than a friend. Which was odd to consider. Because the whole time they'd known each other, Steve had never acted as anything more than a friend to Anna; had never made a move to change their relationship. Now that Anna knew the contract might have been the reason why, she felt…weird. Like everything she knew before had shifted. It had her needing to know the truth. And only one person could give her that.
"Thank you Pepper," Anna stated before heading to the elevator. She didn't answer Pepper when she asked where Anna was going.
When the elevators dinged open one floor up, it was to reveal an unlit living room. Stepping out, Anna waited for her eyes to get used to the dark before picking her way across the room. She was going to head to Steve's bedroom, assuming he was in there, until movement from the porch caught her attention. It wasn't until she stepped outside, silently leaning against the railing beside him, that she realized he was drawing.
"Hey Anna" Steve greeted without looking up from his paper. He hadn't needed to look to know who it was. Anna was significantly shorter than anyone currently staying at Stark Tower, so just by the lack of a shadow falling across his paper he knew it had to be her. It didn't hurt that she carried the scent of lilac with her: the scent of her conditioner.
"So you signed a contract not to date me?" Anna cut to the chase. She didn't know how to bring it up subtly, so she figured, why even try? Her question had Steve looking up from his paper at her, a hesitant look on his face.
"How did you find out about that?" Steve knew Tony would never tell Anna about it, even if he was trying to keep Anna away from Bucky. Because it implicated him as well.
"Pepper told me, by accident." Anna knew Pepper would never have fessed up about it if she hadn't had a couple glasses of wine to loosen her lips. "I take it that means it's true."
Bracing himself for her reaction, Steve averted his gaze as he nodded. "It wasn't one of my finer moments. But it got Tony to calm down." Steve knew it hadn't been right, to sign a contract about another human. But he hadn't taken it as a big thing because he hadn't intended to start anything romantic with Anna anyways. Tony had been so adamant about him signing, and Steve thought it would be better to give into Tony's demands, if he didn't want Tony riding his ass about Anna. So Steve had finally consented and signed it. Now it was coming back to bite him in the butt.
"I should probably yell at you for that." Anna's reply surprised Steve, drawing his eyes back to hers to find her looking fairly calm.
"You're not going to?" He asked hesitantly, still not ready to let his guard down and relax. Figuring the moment he did would be the moment she would start laying into him about signing a contract about her. Not that he wouldn't fully deserve just that.
"You've had a pretty bad week. I'm cutting you some slack." Anna shrugged, taking Pepper's advice and not taking out her wrath on Steve. Pepper had been right, Steve didn't deserve it after what he'd been through.
"Thanks, I think." Steve had never known Anna to cut him slack. Even when he'd come back from a mission where he'd sustained injuries, she had laid into him about waking her at ungodly hours because his 'ass' decided to get shot, or stabbed, or whatever the injury happened to be. Then when he'd apologize she'd lay into him for apologizing for being hurt, and didn't he know she was just cranky when she first woke up, even more so when she'd had less than three hours of sleep. Her letting him slide was not something he was used to.
"So…without the contract. Would you have wanted to make our friendship something…more?" Once again Anna didn't waste time, ripping the Band-Aid right off. This time she was the one bracing herself for Steve's answer. She wanted to know, but at the same time she didn't. Because if he liked her more than a friend it would only complicate things. There might have been a time when she would have been more than willing to see where they would go, but things had changed since then, and Anna wasn't sure what she would say if he said yes.
The fact that Anna was nervous didn't escape Steve's notice. She was biting her lip, and fiddling with the hair band on her wrist. Both signs of her nerves. He had a pretty good idea of why she was nervous, maybe even more than she did. Because he'd seen her with Bucky. And what he'd seen showed him that there was something there, between them. Waiting for his answer made her nervous because she wouldn't know what to do if he said yes. Her loyalty would push her towards him, while her heart would push her towards Bucky.
"I don't know." Steve finally breathed out. "I'll admit, I might have thought about it once or twice. You're the first girl I've felt comfortable with since the 40's, the first person at all I felt truly comfortable with. And we seem to click. But…" Steve paused, looking out at the Manhattan skyline.
"But what?" Anna pressed, biting down harder on her lip.
"But I've realized that comfortable isn't the word you use to describe a relationship if you really like someone. In fact, from my limited past experience, you don't feel comfortable at all most of the time. You're nervous, and jittery, and scared, and excited." Steve took a steadying breath, finally forcing himself to turn back to Anna. "I owe it to myself to wait for someone that makes me feel that way, and I owe it to you to let you find that someone as well. Us being together, it would have been easy. But there'd always be that certain spark missing with us."
"Wow, you've really thought about it a lot haven't you?" Anna breathed out in a sigh of relief.
"I said I contemplated it a couple times. And recent events had me examining the definition of our relationship more closely." Having Hydra kidnap Anna, not knowing if she was alive, was one of those recent events. Even more recently was the way he'd seen her interact with Bucky.
"And your conclusion was friends?" She verified, needing him to actually say those words. She didn't know why, but she did.
"You're the best friend I've had since Bucky." Steve assured her, his eyes shading over with sadness as he thought of Bucky; of how they were now compared to how they had been before Zola and Hydra got their hands on him. Anna recognized that look. Had seen it a thousand times after every story Steve told her about James and him.
"He's coming back Steve. Slowly. But he's resurfacing. Give it time." She murmured softly, wanting to reassure him. "He may never return to the man you knew, but he'll be a man you can be friends with again."
Without warning Steve wrapped her up in a hug, crinkling his pad of paper against her back. It surprised her, but Anna returned it immediately. Comforting each other wasn't new to either one. It was something they'd done consistently throughout the past couple years, in many different ways and for many different reasons.
"Thank you Anna. I don't know how you're doing it, but you're the reason he's coming back. You're helping him more than you know. Maybe even more than he knows." Steve whispered to her, his breath rustling her hair. His words had her standing on her toes to place a kiss on the cheek that didn't have stitches.
"You're going to find someone amazing Steve. You deserve amazing." She whispered back before settling down on her heels. Steve had a pure heart, one that loved with everything it had when it found people worthy of that love. Anna really hoped he would find someone who would love him just as wholly as he would love her; it was nothing less than what he deserved.
Steve smiled gently down at her as they released their embrace. The smile stayed in place as he watched her leave and only faded when she paused by the porch door. "Enjoy this while you can." She called out, nodding towards the view from the balcony. "I'm putting you on bed rest starting tomorrow. Doctor's orders."
Anna would have to get Pepper on board with her on the whole bed rest thing—an extra set of eyes to ensure Steve listened to it. It wouldn't be hard, as Pepper had seen the state Steve was in health wise. There was no denying he should be off his feet for a little while. In reality, he should be in a hospital. But Anna was being a good friend and simply subjecting him to the confines of his own room, with a comfortable bed and much better menu options.
Her plans on mentioning her directions for Steve to Pepper when she returned to Tony's floor were halted when she found the kitchen and living area dark and empty. It seemed Pepper had already retired to bed while Anna was upstairs. Anna couldn't blame her. She'd probably wanted to make sure she didn't spill anymore of Tony's secrets once Anna returned.
The discovery that Pepper had gone to bed had Anna deciding she should probably get some rest as well. Grabbing her glass of water on the way, Anna set it on her bedside table before climbing into the king sized bed which dwarfed her. Although the mattress and pillows were plush, and the noise of the city were blocked by the soundproof walls, Anna found herself tossing and turning. It just didn't feel right. Being alone felt odd, and the huge bed that she didn't even take up a quarter of wasn't helping.
Tossing the blankets off of her, Anna left the bed unmade and the glass of water on her bedside table as she exited the room. She padded down the hall quietly in her pajama shorts and tee until she stood in front of a new set of double doors. It wasn't until she was about to knock that she hesitated, unsure if she should, before finally wrapping her knuckles lightly against the wood. It seemed like forever before the door creaked open, revealing James in one of the tees she'd gotten him and boxers. It took her a moment to get over that before she could speak.
"I can't sleep," Anna murmured softly, her teeth biting at her bottom lip. They stopped their gnawing as soon as James stepped to the side, silently inviting her in. No questions.
A/N Hey everyone! First off, WOW, last chapter had the most reviews yet so thank you for your continued support! I'm sorry if this chapter felt jumpy, I just had so much I wanted to happen in it and after my second read-through/edit I figured it was good enough to post. So, this chapter is almost double the length as normal to make up for how long I made you guys wait. I'm sorry, I was traveling back home to Maryland. Spent the day at the DC Zoo on Saturday and saw a couple Captain America sweatshirts which made me want one too. Whenever I'm in DC I'll now forever think of Captain America and James. Like, what if Anna and James actually got to go to the zoo together whenever Hydra stops chasing them down. :)
Anyways, onto the guest review responses!
To CreativeBUBBLE: You're Personal Messaging was turned off so I'm responding here: Glad you enjoyed Tony returning! Thanks for leaving a review.
To Hannah-Rampage: You're Personal Messaging was turned off so I'm responding here: Aw, I'm so glad to hear you love the story so much! It's nice to hear you get so excited over new chapters. It really makes me feel like the story was worth starting/posting :) Next chapter to be posted in a few mintues
Aragornsgirl: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Yeah, James being protective of Anna makes me smile. It always makes me smile more than Anna being protective of him, not sure why though. Glad you like Tony's nickname for James. And I hope you enjoyed this longer chapter :)
To the guest who is excited to see if James and Steve will reconnect: It'll be a slow process, but they'll be some bonding moments in there eventually. As always, I love hearing Janya moments give you feels. He is sort of dependent on her now. She gave him a taste of what a connection with someone feels like, and she helped him to start remembering. As you can see, there was a small cameo of Bruce in this chapter. More cameos to come I'm sure. Hope you liked this update!
Arwen: I'm floored to hear this is one of our favorite fics, that's huge. I'll try to keep doing better each chapter!
To the guest who claimed this chapter didn't disappoint and was sooo glad it wasn't Hydra: First let me say I love how you call Anna Anya in your review, and that you refer to her as 'his Anya' :)) I understand how the last chapter made you feel for Steve. Trust me it had me feeling for him to. Especially after reading your review and going back to read exactly what I wrote again (because like a lamo I reread my story after reviews when people point out specific things). It had me feel so much I was like, why didn't I make Stanna instead. But then I remember how much I love Janya and now I'm just thinking I should make another fic after this where Steve finds love. Maybe I'll even put it in the same universe as this one and have Anna and James make appearances. I have to admit, I'm not the most familiar with Thor, so it would be a challenge for me to include a cameo of him in here. And I haven't seen the sequel to thor (Don't throw stuff at me, I meant to see it, I just was uber busy and I still haven't gotten around to it.) but isn't Thor stuck in Asgard? Don't give me spoilers, I'll watch the second one and find out how he returns to earth. Although, he returns to earth in Avengers so I guess he has ways. Anyways, I'm definitely thinking of putting Clint in here. And I'm not sure if Natasha will show up again or not. If so no worries I'm not gonna put Steve and Natasha together because of the possibility of me one day writing a Steve/OC story in this universe. Sorry for this lengthy reply. It got way out of control. In the words of Pepper: oops.
To PsychoticAvenger: I just updated. Hope you enjoyed :)
To Hannah: I'm glad you enjoyed the humor in the last chapter! Tony is bound to meddle with them, but James and Anna can get through that. Anna's had to deal with her brother trying to scare boys away all her life. You're right, they do need each other right now. Oh and as you now know, Anna found out about the contract. :)
To NicBarnes: I'm glad you're addicted to the story. A. it's better than being addicted to a lot of other stuff that could kill you. And B. it means I'm still writing well yay!
Rach
xoxo