The moment Anna sensed James returning the kiss, she felt a weight drop from her stomach as her fear of rejection dissolved into giddiness. It took a lot for her to hold herself back, to not push too far. Anna didn't want to force James out of his comfort zone. So, instead of deepening the kiss like her heart wanted her to, Anna simply caressed his cheek with her thumb. It was innocent enough, and it allowed her to release some of the tension that was building in her chest and urging her closer. Every one of her nerves felt as if they were on fire, and she had to force herself to finally pull away or risk her self-control crumbling. Unable to put too much distance between them, Anna kept her face inches from his, staying on her toes as she tried to get her breathing and heartbeat back under control.
When James leaned his forehead against hers, his blue eyes shining as they bore into hers, and an honest to God, heart melting smile lighting up his face, it had Anna's control crumbling. Her eyes kept darting from his smile, committing it to memory, and his eyes as her pulse skyrocketed. Her heart yearned for her to close the distance between them and kiss the corner of that smile. It was when she was about to close the distance between them that the deafening sound of a gun echoed around them. Before she had time to even start and piece together what it could mean her back exploded in pain. It took her a moment to realize that she'd been shot, something she'd only ever heard about. Her patients hadn't exaggerated the pain, it hurt like Hell.
Though it was obvious she was trying to hold it in, James could see the tears glistening in Anya's eyes from the pain as she swayed a little on her feet. It had conflicting emotions rising within him. His fear and concern squeezed at his heart, as he wasn't sure where she was hit and what damage was done. Whether it was a fatal shot or a disabling one. Then there was the anger. He was more accustomed to the anger. It burned in his gut and pushed him to find whoever had shot her. To track them down and make them writhe in pain for what they'd done.
First thing first, he had to keep Anya safe. He had to make sure whoever took the shot didn't hit her again. It had him stepping around her, as the shot had come from behind her, and trying to locate where the sniper was at. Just as he saw the glint of the scope another shot rang out, piercing his right shoulder. James hardly noticed the stinging pain, too pissed off at the man behind the rifle.
The sound of the second shot being fired, and the slight jolt of James body, had Anna inhaling deeply and straightening up. Holding her breath and gritting her teeth against the pain, she moved back in front of James. That second shot had been delayed until James was in place before her. She wasn't the target. She'd just been in the way. Whoever it was probably didn't want to kill her. And she wouldn't let them kill James.
…
"Rumlow is going to kill you," Rollins muttered to the agent beside him, lowering his binoculars. He had been demoted to spotter until his knee healed enough for him to be more useful. Breaking in the younger agents also came with that territory.
"I was tired of waiting for a decent shot on him. Besides, it was payback. She'll be fine." The shooter commented as he stared through his scope, lining up his next shot.
"I'm not saying the bitch didn't deserve it. I'm just saying you better hope you didn't do any permanent damage," Rollins responded. Stark had fucking destroyed his knee, she more than deserved a bullet to the back. Rollins just wasn't stupid enough to do it.
"Got him," was all the agent said in return, causing Rollins to turn back to the asset. "And look. She's trying to protect him. How sweet," The agent muttered sarcastically.
"Your aim needs work," was all Rollins commented when he noticed the asset was still standing, still alive. The order was clear. Rumlow didn't care about getting the asset back. In fact, he'd much rather he die. Rollins didn't exactly agree, figuring they could still get some use out of him, but he wasn't calling the shots.
"You said his right shoulder had been injured recently," the agent responded in a matter of fact tone. "My shot weakened him. I plan on having some fun with him before I kill him." With a cruel smirk, the agent handed the rifle to Rollins before going to join the welcoming party in the alley. Rollins simply shook his head at the younger agent. Rumlow's decision to send him seemed a bit foolish to Rollins. He knew Rumlow didn't want to risk losing any of his best, but they would need their best agents if Rumlow wanted a chance of getting Stark.
…
James did not appreciate Anya moving in front of him. The last thing he wanted was her to get hurt worse, especially after finally seeing an inkling of what damage was done. Her left shoulder blade had been hit, and by the size of the blood stain soaking her shirt, she was losing too much blood too fast. He needed to get her out of there. She needed medical attention. Using his left arm, James pulled Anya back until his body shielded her. Moving so his back was to the sniper, which wasn't ideal, he herded her towards the fire escape. They needed to get off the roof. It was leaving them open to further attack.
Starting to feel the effects of the blood loss, Anna let James help her move from the roof. He had to support her weight with his metal arm most of the way down to keep her from swaying over the railing. Even with the pain and the blood loss, it didn't escape her notice that his other shoulder was bleeding just as profusely as her back. They weren't in the greatest of shape, which was bad enough. It only got worse when they found several men waiting for them as they finally reached the ground.
James' metal arm tensed around Anya's waste as he analyzed the situation, trying to decide what to do. Three agents were blocking the entrance to the alley before them, and behind them was only a dead end. Knowing the only way they were getting out of the alley was to take out the three Hydra agents approaching them, he carefully leaned Anya against the brick wall before pulling out the handgun from his pocket. Using his metal arm, he shot the first approaching agent in the carotid artery before moving his aim to the next agent. He got off one shot that just missed the heart before running out of bullets. Tossing the gun to the side, James slowly approached the single agent he hadn't managed to shoot. If, by some miracle, the other one ended up making it to Anya, he wouldn't have the strength to do much. It was better strategy to focus on the uninjured agent.
After seeing two of his comrades' fall within seconds of each other, the last agent reached for his gun. The asset hadn't been detained by the sniper. He could still fight. And the agent was smart enough to know he didn't stand much of a chance without a gun. He managed to get a couple shots off before the asset reached him, both of which were deflected off the asset's metal arm.
When his metal fist collided with the agent's face, it sent a wave of satisfaction flooding through James. Shooting was often more effective, but when he was really pissed James preferred hand to hand combat. He could really channel his anger into each punch, or each stab if he had his knives. Aiming his next punch to the agent's abdomen instead of his head, simply to extend the time the man was conscious and able to feel the pain, James was rewarded with the sound of a rib cracking. The agent managed to get off one good hit to James' injured soldier, causing James eyes to flash with pain before he grabbed hold of the fist that had struck him and crushed it slowly in his mechanical hand. So caught up in inflicting as much pain as possible on the agent he was fighting, James didn't notice a fourth agent slip silently into the alley, sticking to the shadows.
The new agent had come to fight the asset, but rethought his plan once he saw the beating the other agent was receiving at the injured asset's hand. When his eyes spotted the girl leaning against the brick wall a little ways down, heaving unsteady breaths with blood dripping slowly on the pavement, he found his new target. Concentrating on her pain and her breathing, she didn't notice him approaching until he had her face in a vice-like hold, gripping it tightly with his right hand and forcing it up to look at him. The shock and pain in her eyes had him smiling cruelly down at her.
"Miss me, Anna?" He murmured as he dug his hands deeper into her skin, pushing her back against the wall and causing her to flinch in pain.
"Brent," Anna spat out harshly, once she'd come to terms with the reality that it truly was him. Last she'd seen him he was being escorted away by the bailiff. "I wasn't aware they let you out. Has it been eight years already?"
"They let me off a year early for good behavior," Brent answered, his smirk widening at the look of discontent and disbelief on Anna's face. "You're right, it was more Hydra's doing than my behavior that got me off early."
"Of course Hydra would help you. They tend to recruit cowards." At Anna's words Brent's eyes flashed angrily. Not appreciating being called a coward by the bitch that had put him behind bars.
"They recruited me because I have good aim." Brent grunted, bringing his left hand up to drag his finger slowly down the side of Anna's face. "Do I need to remind you how good my aim is? Or is the bullet in your new boyfriends shoulder proof enough? I think you'll find it very close to the scar from the first shot."
A wave of disgust washed over Anna at the contact, quickly replaced by pure rage. Brent had been the one to shoot James. And the sadistic bastard had known about James' previous injury, purposefully targeting it to spite James. It just showcased how truly psychopathic he was. If he had pleaded insanity before, he probably would have gotten off.
"Hydra really needs to stop shooting him in the fucking arm." Anna growled, her eyes flashing with determination as she channeled her anger and sent a swift kick to Brent's balls, something she'd always wanted to do. The motion hurt Brent as well as herself, as her bullet wound once again exploded with pain.
…
When Anna had taken forever in the shower, Tony returned to the lab with orders for Pepper to send her down to him when she finally came out. Bruce managed to side track Tony with some research, giving Anna some time to prepare for the lecture Tony had practiced on him earlier that morning. She would need the preparation. It wasn't until Pepper came to deliver a late lunch that Tony was pulled out of the science frenzy.
"Pepper, why haven't you sent Anna down yet?" Tony demanded as she set the tray of food down on the table, disrupting the current holographic image that had covered the surface previously.
"Because I haven't seen her all day." Pepper answered. Predictably Tony got a sour expression on his face, most likely thinking she had spent the day with James and was planning on interrupting them. "Don't Tony. Didn't you say you were going to be better about your impulses to control her personal life?"
"Fine," Tony relented after a moment. "Jarvis, inform Anna I need her in the lab. Immediately. And add a please in there somewhere." At Pepper's exasperated look Tony sighed. "I told him to say please."
"I'm sorry sir, Anna Banana and Tin Man are not on the premises," Jarvis informed him, causing Tony to immediately question what he meant. "They aren't in Stark Tower."
Pepper was pretty sure Tony's head was going to explode. Before either her or Bruce could try and calm him down, Tony was pacing and ranting about how whoever was the security guard on duty at the front desk was fired. How the guard could miss Anna and the Tin Man leaving, Tony didn't know. He only knew he had given the order not to let anyone in or out of the building without notifying him first.
"She doesn't even have a phone that I can track. How am I supposed to find her in New York City? If she's even still in the city," Tony boomed, his panic and anger rising with each pace. Hydra was after her. The Tin Man had been a part of Hydra. What if he was working with them all along? Promising to get her alone to hand her over.
"He saved her life Tony." Pepper reminded him when he voiced his absurd deduction. "He wouldn't hurt her or betray her." Tony had taken a step forward in releasing his need to protect his sister, but as soon as Anna wasn't exactly where he thought she'd be, Tony reverted back to blaming whoever she was with at the time—first it was Steve, now James.
"Well, what if Hydra has them both then? She could be anywhere. Hell, she could be dead. And I would never know because she has an aversion to technology and Jarvis can't trace her." In an effort to calm Tony down, Pepper suggested that perhaps Anna simply took James on a tour of the city. Tony immediately scoffed at the idea, but Pepper's words had the wheels turning in Bruce's mind as he moved towards Tony's side of the lab.
"Hey Tony," Bruce murmured after counting the pairs of glasses. "How many models did you make of those glasses again?"
"Fourteen before you shut down my tourist idea." Tony answered before turning back to his discussion with Pepper over why a tour of the city was not a probable answer to where Anna was.
"There's only twelve here. Two are missing." It didn't take long for Tony to pick up on Bruce's insinuation. Pepper was right there with him, reminding him he owed her an apology.
"Jarvis get me a location for those glasses," Tony ordered as he started towards the nearest suit, deciding to ignore the fact that he'd have to apologize.
"Tony do you really think a suit is necessary?" Pepper called after him, crossing her arms and sending his back a stern look.
"A suit is always necessary Pepper." Tony responded before gearing up. Before she could utter another word Tony was out of there, leaving through the garage door towards the coordinates Jarvis had provided him. With a sigh Pepper started towards one of Tony's other suits.
"Pepper, what are you doing?" Bruce asked when she started gearing up. It was a very bad idea for anyone but Tony to touch Tony's suits without permission. Though Bruce had worked with Tony on sharing, he wasn't to that point yet.
"Anna's going to need some back up whenever Tony finds her and James." With that Pepper peeled out of the garage, following the coordinates. At the very least, she could diffuse some of Tony's anger to her when she arrived. As he was sure to give her a what for when he saw her in one of his precious suits.
…
Brent's grip on Anna's face loosened substantially after her kick, but before Anna could get the energy up to push him off of her, James was there. Yanking him back by the shoulder, James sent Brent crashing back against the opposite brick wall, effectively knocking him out. The relief that Brent was taken care of had Anna sagging back against the wall, careful not to press her wound against it.
It took a great deal of effort for James to rein in his anger before turning back to Anya. When the third agent had fallen and he turned around to find another agent with an obviously painful grip on her face, it had his anger rising to a new level. Knocking him unconscious had been an accident. James would have much preferred to make him suffer as well, however what's done was done. Checking to ensure there were no more immediate threats, James turned his full attention back to Anya, his eyes softening as he took in her pale face.
With the agents taken care of, the anger quickly faded away as the tight ball of worry took over. Anya was too pale, she was losing too much blood. He needed to stop it until he figured out how to get them out of there and back to Stark Tower. Knowing he wouldn't be able to remove his shirt with his injured shoulder, James settled for ripping some of the fabric before approaching Anya. Cupping her face with his metal hand brought her eyes up to his. It only worried him more when they looked slightly out of focus.
"You need to stay with me, okay?" James murmured. When she finally nodded he removed his hand, moving to ball up the fabric. "This is going to hurt, but I need to slow the bleeding."
As soon as Anya nodded again, showing she'd heard and understood, James pulled her towards him, reaching around her to press the balled up shirt against her wound. She let out a hiss of pain, but otherwise remained silent as she moved her forehead to rest against his chest. James was at a loss for what to do. He couldn't carry her all the way back to Stark Tower. Even if he did know the way and he wasn't injured, he didn't know if she'd last that long. There was no way he was getting in a cab after being attacked by Hydra, not that a cab would take them in the state they were in. If the went to a hospital, they'd most likely separate him from her. That wasn't an option. He wasn't letting Anya out of his sight until they were in a secure location.
Before James could formulate a plan, there was a thud to his left causing him to tense. He only relaxed when he saw it was Anya's brother. Well, it was the metal suit her brother had worn the first time they'd met. How he found them, James didn't know. Nor did he care, as the suit offered a means to help Anya.
When Jarvis had led Tony to a back alley in Brooklyn, Tony was more than a little unsettled. Landing to find three agents lying lifeless and a fourth either dead as well or unconscious didn't settle his worry any. It left a foreboding feeling inside him that only worsened when he noticed Tin Man supporting a weak looking Anna. Moving closer, Tony noticed the blood and his worry mixed with Anger. Anna was injured. Tin Man had somehow allowed Anna to get hurt, seriously by the looks of it. It had Tony about ready to rip off his stupid, useless, metal arm. Until the Tin Man turned to Tony with desperate eyes and murmured words he hadn't expected.
"Take her," James insisted when Tony started moving closer. Anya needed help fast. Even though it hurt to think about her leaving his sight, James knew she would be safe with her brother. And getting Anya safe was all that mattered.
"What?" Tony asked, stunned as he flipped his helmet open, thinking perhaps he had heard Tin Man wrong.
"She needs medical attention. Please, take her." The Tin Man repeated. The honest concern and anxiety in his eyes had Tony reconsidering his initial impression of the assassin. However much it pained Tony to admit, Tin Man cared about Anna and her safety. He might not be the threat Tony first imagined him to be.
Stepping closer Tony moved to take Anna from James' arms. Surprising both Tony and James, as soon as Anna felt Tony pulling her gently away, she used what energy she had left to grab hold of James' metal arm. Refusing to let go, to leave James.
"I'm not going anywhere without James," Anna insisted weakly, still managing to sound stubborn. "You're hurt too," She added turning to James. He needed medical attention as well. He was at risk of bleeding out just as she was. Even more so, as fighting off the agents had resulted in his wound bleeding all the more profusely.
"Anna Banana I can't carry you both. And Tin Man and I are both in agreement that I take you first. You're outvoted." Tony explained as he pried her hand from Tin Man's arm. It wasn't very hard with her weakened state.
It was just as Anna was about to protest again, not that she could do much about it herself, since she was already in her brother's arms with nothing to help her pull away, that a second thud sounded behind Tony. Thankfully Tony whipped around at the noise, allowing Anna a glance at one of his suits with the face mask popped open to reveal Pepper.
"Pepper? What are you doing here? In my suit?" Tony asked in confusion. He hadn't expected her to follow him. Anna didn't much care what Pepper was doing there, just that she was there.
"Can you take James with you?" Anna asked before Pepper had a chance to answer Tony's questions. Of course, Tony initially refuted that idea, simply because he was upset Pepper was there at all in one of his suits. However, he quickly stopped his complaining when Pepper shot him a glare and Anna insisted she wouldn't go with Tony if he didn't let James go home with Pepper.
"Fine, Pepper can fly Tin Man back. But don't take this as me being okay with either of you taking my things without asking." Tony finally agreed, before tightening his grip on Anna and taking off towards Stark Tower.
…
Bruce had the lab all ready when Tony arrived with Anna. Jarvis had informed him of the injuries Anna and James had sustained and that they were both in transport to the Tower for medical attention. Placing Anna on one of the two tables that Bruce had set up, Tony starting shedding the pieces of his suit while giving Bruce orders to be careful but quick with Anna's care.
Pepper arrived with James shortly thereafter, however instead of taking a seat on the other table, James went to stand in front of Anya. Her shirt was ripped in the back to allow Tony's friend, the doctor, access to the wound, and she looked even paler than before, if that was possible. When Bruce started coming towards him with the second syringe filled with a numbing agent, having already injected Anna with the first, James shook his head. He was insistent that Anya be treated first. It wasn't until after Bruce explained he needed to inject him now, so the area would be completely numb when he took the bullet out later, that James listened, letting him cut what was left of his shirt off and stick him with the needle.
As the doctor returned to Anya like he had promised he would, James stood watch beside her as the doctor dug out the bullet. He ended up gripping the side of the table when his anger at Hydra once again flared as he noticed Anya swaying slightly. It was not only Hydra who shot her, but it had been Hydra who delayed them from seeking help sooner, causing Anya to lose more blood. So when the doctor mentioned Anya would need a blood transfer, it didn't come as much of a surprise to James. If he was able, he would volunteer himself. However, James knew the doctor would refute on accounts of him losing so much of his own blood. He simply settled himself beside Anya, leaning against the table as he waited to see who would win the great debate of who should donate blood: Pepper or Tony.
"I'll do it," Pepper announced before Tony could even suggest himself. "Anna is AB positive, she can accept most blood types and your blood could be contaminated." Pepper added when she sensed Tony about to fight her on who got to donate. When Tony simply nodded his head, Bruce went to ready a device for the transfusion.
Before the doctor had returned, the elevator doors dinged open as Steve came bustling in, making a beeline for the group. There was an intense worried set to his face that didn't escape James' notice as Steve stopped before Anya. James' grip on the table tightened when Steve placed two fingers under Anya's chin, gently tilting her face up to meet his and, noticing her eyes were only half-focused, asked Bruce if Anya was okay in slight panic.
"Relax Steve. She's going to be just fine." Bruce assured him, returning with tubes and needles that he began constructing into a transfusion set.
"You're supposed to be on bed rest," Anna murmured quietly once she was able to process Steve's presence. It had Steve breathing a sigh of relief, finally convinced of Bruce's assurances when Anna proved she was still conscious to those around her.
James only released his grip on the table when Steve turned to him, the look of worry still on his face, as he asked how he was. Swinging his metal arm, James socked Steve square in the jaw, making everyone pause to stare at him in shock. Out of the corner of his eyes, James could see Anya's mouth hanging open, glancing between him and Steve, who was holding the side of his face that had been struck.
"James Buchanan Barnes!" Anna finally found her voice and managed to sound semi-stern. The fuzziness in her head had her having to concentrate twice as hard. Had he seriously just punched Steve in the face, again?
James reflectively winced upon hearing his full name in that tone, knowing it meant he was in trouble as a memory of an older woman using his name sternly flashed through his head and a vague taste of soap filled his mouth. Regardless, it didn't make him regret his actions. He actually felt a little better after punching Steve. Until Anya apologized on his behalf, asking if Steve was alright.
"I'll be fine." Steve assured her, taking the icepack Bruce offered him and pressing it against his jaw.
It was Pepper that thought it would be best to put some distance between James and Steve. Anna might not be able to see it, but James was jealous of Steve. Like Tony, James interpreted Anna's and Steve's relationship as more than it was. Of course, she couldn't blame him. For anyone who didn't know the type of friendship they shared, it could seem like there might be something there.
So with a couple tugs on his metal arm, Pepper managed to get James to move from his spot beside Anna, to the table across from her that had originally been set up for him. Pepper stayed standing near the table until Bruce was ready for the transfusion. James kept his gaze on Steve as Bruce asked him to keep Anya steady during the transfusion process. Seeing him so close to Anya had him feeling uneasy and made him want to give Steve another swift punch. He was able to refrain, mainly because the doctor came to work on his wound after Anya was all set up with the transfusion.
"You saved her life, you know," Bruce murmured to James once he had removed the bullet lodged in his shoulder, and had moved onto stitching it up. He had noticed how James' eyes had remained on Anya and Steve while he worked on him. "By using your shirt to apply pressure to the wound. It slowed her rate of bleeding out. Gave her more time."
The doctor's comment had James eyes finally moving away from Anya, connecting with his which were calm and sincere. James didn't normally like doctors. All the ones he had had with Hydra had been cold and disingenuous. Anya had been the one exception. And though he much preferred when Anya was the one to patch him up, he found himself not minding Tony's friend. He seemed nice enough.
"There's no permanent damage?" James verified, his eyes darting back to Anya. Her half-lidded eyes, lacking the strength to remain open, concerned him.
"Nothing permanent." Bruce reassured him, tying off the stitches. "You both were lucky. Nothing vital was hit." In truth, Bruce was a little surprised at how, other than the massive blood loss, neither James nor Anna had suffered anything too damaging. From what he'd heard, Bruce figured Hydra agents would have better aim. Unless they weren't aiming to kill, just disable enough to take them without a fuss. In which case they severely underestimated Anna and James.
Pepper calling Bruce back over, like he told her to do when the blood volume reached a certain marked volume, had Bruce turning from James to go disconnect the contraption. Not long after that he was fitting both Anna and James with slings. Anna didn't seem to mind too much, mainly because she wasn't really fully aware. She would definitely need a nice long rest. James on the other hand didn't seem happy at all about the sling. Regardless, he allowed Bruce to fit it.
It was Tony who immediately volunteered to carry Anna upstairs. He had been good at keeping his distance while Bruce worked his magic, but now he was sure he wouldn't screw something up by touching her, he was back in full overbearing big brother mode. He ended up leading a parade upstairs, as James followed closely behind him, as did Pepper. Steve stayed behind to help Bruce clean up, as well as to get his face looked at more closely and make sure nothing was broken.
Anna had fallen asleep by the time they reached Tony's floor. Tony took her straight to her room, not caring if she had been sleeping in Tin Man's room. Whenever Anna had gotten sick or hurt, she'd turn to Tony to take care of her. So she was going to stay in her room and he was going to sit in a chair and wait until she regained consciousness. James didn't like that plan very much, but Pepper reassuring him she'd let him know as soon as Anna woke up had him accepting it as he returned to his own room.
Tony quickly found that watching Anna sleep was a lot less entertaining than he remembered. She used to talk in her sleep, which was highly amusing, but that time she didn't mumble a word. She just lay there silently. After an hour Tony went out to switch with Pepper, having her sit beside Anna while he went to check on Bruce in the lab. Pepper watching over Anna was better than Tin Man in his mind. She was practically family, was more familiar, and would offer Anna more comfort. At least, that's what he told himself.
…
Pepper was reading when Anna woke up. Adjusting her position to sit up a little, Anna quickly glanced around the room, expecting to see James, but finding it was just her and Pepper. It had a slight wave of disappointment washing over her.
"Where's James?" Anna asked, pulling Pepper away from her book. She seemed a little startled to find Anna awake.
"In his room. Tony insisted you stay in here." When Anna asked where Tony was then, Pepper rolled her eyes. "He got bored watching you sleep, so I took over."
That sounded like Tony alright. If something wasn't exciting enough he quickly moved on to bigger and better things. Which was probably why he had gone through so many women in the past. When Anna inquired about Tony's mood, wondering if he'd blown up at all while she was asleep, it was to find that he had been quite docile. It shouldn't have come as a shock to Anna, as whenever she'd hurt herself in the past, Tony would always wait until she started feeling better before he laid into her for scaring him. It made sense that Tony would save his lectures until he knew she was okay.
"How is James doing? And Steve? I can't believe James punched him." Anna's last comment alerted Pepper that Anna truly was oblivious to the fact James was jealous. What was even sadder than Anna not knowing, was the fact that the reason Anna probably wasn't aware was because she didn't think James cared for her that much.
"They're both fine. Though Steve has a bruise and James isn't too thrilled with the sling." Pepper answered as she tried to think of a way to bring up the subject of Anna's obliviousness. "How are you feeling?"
"As good as I can feel after getting shot I suppose," Anna answered truthfully, wincing as she shifted her position again. It had Pepper quickly handing Anna the glass of water and pain medicine from the bedside table. "Can I see James now?"
Pepper smiled at Anna's obvious eagerness to ensure for herself that James was alright. Before she could even answer her, Anna was throwing the covers back, preparing to leave anyways. Pepper had to reach out to stop Anna's movement.
"Anna, wait." Pepper's words had Anna pausing, settling back down on the bed and sending her a curious look. "When you see James, you need to clear the air with him. You need to tell him you and Steve are only friends."
"I already told him Steve is my friend." Anna answered, her brows furrowing in confusion as to what had caused Pepper to mention it.
"Then you need to tell him again, or it will end up biting you and Steve both in the Ass." James would never trust Steve enough to even attempt to be friends with him if he viewed him as competition for Anna's affections. At Anna's continued look of confusion Pepper sighed. For someone as smart as Anna, she could be so unobservant at times. It seemed Pepper would have to spell it out for her. "James punched Steve because he's jealous. He feels that Steve is a threat; that he has to compete with Steve for your attention and affection."
Anna was going to refute Pepper's theory that James was jealous until she thought about it for a moment. It did have some merit behind it. For one, Anna had told story after story about Steve and James' past, which sort of proved she was close to Steve, seeing as he had shared the stories with her. It would also explain why James had always seemed tense when Steve and she were together. Not to mention it'd give some sort of reason as to why James would deck Steve, when previously it had seemed so random to Anna. But those things could also be explained away in other ways, if Anna tried.
"Are you sure," Anna asked cautiously. Because if Pepper was wrong, Anna would make a complete fool of herself. At Pepper's nod, Anna braced herself for the conversation she'd have to have. Just the thought of what she'd say was causing her cheeks to feel warm from embarrassment.
She didn't knock when she reached James' door, simply letting herself in. The sound of the door opening had James' head turning in her direction. He was about to rise from his perch on the side of his bed, but Anna stopped him with a small wave of her hand. After shutting the door behind her she slowly made her way towards him, coming to a standstill before him. There was a moment of hesitation before she took another small step forward, filling the space between his legs.
"How's your arm?" Anna asked softly, glancing at the sling he wore, identical to hers. At his characteristic shrug Anna couldn't hold back a small smile. "It'd hurt less if you took the pain killers."
"How are you?" James asked, instead of responding to the familiar remark. Anya had previously commented on him not taking painkillers, after Rumlow had shot him in the same shoulder.
"I'll live," Anna kept her response short. James' gaze was only increasing the butterflies that were fluttering around her stomach. She had no idea how to nonchalantly bring up the fact that Steve was just a friend. That she didn't like Steve the same way she liked James. That she liked James as much more than a friend. Eventually she thought 'to Hell with it,' she'd never been good at nonchalance anyways.
"There's something I need to make sure you understand," Anna started shakily, wishing she could pace but forcing herself to stay right where she was. "In case I wasn't clear before, Steve is just a friend." At the confused look on James face, which was admittedly adorable, Anna couldn't help but reach out her hand to brush away the hair that had fallen in his face. She ran her hand through it before allowing herself to rest her hand on his cheek. If Pepper was wrong, it might be the last chance she got to do it.
"I like you, James. As a more than a friend kind of thing. That's kind of what the kiss meant. I mean, I don't go around kissing just anyone," Realizing she was starting to babble Anna paused, averting her gaze for a moment to gather her thoughts before forcing herself to meet his eyes and continue. She'd already gotten that far. "What I'm trying to say is, Steve isn't a threat. You don't have to compete with him for my attention or my affection. It's all yours. If you want it, that is."
As she waited for him to say something, anything in response, James took her by surprise when his metal hand reached up to hold her wrist. Slowly, he moved her hand to his lips, pressing a light kiss to the palm of her hand that sent her heartbeat fluttering as wildly as the butterflies in her stomach. Both her heartbeat and the butterflies only intensified when he gently pulled her to him, keeping eye contact until he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.
A/N There it is, the next chapter. I tried to crank it out fast and it is a bit longer so I hoped you enjoyed it! I had a lot of different things I wanted to cover so here's to hoping it doesn't seem too jumbled. Now one review I got had me thinking. Here's my question: regarding anna and James would you guys prefer me to keep the physicality how it is or would you eventually like a little more action aka sex scene. If so details or just insinuated? I originally posted this with a T rating but I would change it if enough of you were interested in me taking things that direction...eventually. Thanks for all your love and support! This fic has over 400 reviews which is amazing, just like you guys!
Onto guest review responses!
To the Guest who thought they were going to have to review about me about writing a kiss: No desperate review necessary. Hope you enjoyed the Janya moments in this chapter as wll ;)
To the Guest who wanted to know if it's messed up to hope Anna got shot: Obviously not as I wrote it that way anyways. Hope James lost his 'shit' enough. There will definitely be more of him getting angry and Tony as well now that they're both taken care of medically and explanations of what happened will be given to those at Stark Tower. Before the first concern was making sure Anna and James were ok. Next comes to shit hitting the fan for them leaving, Hydra attacking, etc.
To the Guest who said "Damn you Hydra for ruining such a romantic moment!": I know rigiht! Silly Hydra with their bad timing. Glad you enjoyed James honest yet touching comment about wanting to be in the present. And as you can see, Anya is alright :) Tony didn't go too ballistic about it in this chapter because he was too sidetracked with making sure Anna was going to be okay. As I responded to the previous guest reviewer, there will be a lot of shit hitting the fan in the next chapter as far as Tony and James are concerned. Now that Anna's alright the anger and lectures will follow shortly. Glad you enjoyed the last update, hope you liked this one just as much!
To the guest who was happy to join the family: Glad to hear you enjoyed the last chapter. Hope you liked this one as well and continue to like each chapter!
To Mary: Sorry for being so evil! I left it nice and sweet this time to make up for it! Hope you enjoyed that :)
To the guest who started their review "Oh WHAT.": sorry for putting a downer on the anticipated moment by having a suspenseful cliffhanger. Hope you enjoyed this update, seeing as it ending isn't suspenseful.
Keshigomu: Glad you liked the chapter! And the glasses concept, I was excited when I thought that up and figured it was plausible that Tony could create that technology. If you're psychic that is awesome. I'm pretty sure I'm not so you must be. If there are any more visions please let me know! Hope you liked the little taste of James' 'super fighting epicness' that I gave and that it was epic enough. There will be more action to come.
Rach
xoxo