Meandering down to the gym floor, Holly tightened the sweatshirt around her waist with one hand, ready to get to work. The last week had been something of a pain, with new orders, nosy customers and a boss that was starting to look upon her employment as tenuous. Once the news of the engagement broke at large, the microscope on her life had pressed closer, and though it hadn't gotten out of control, she could have done without the stares and the questions being lobbed her way if she was recognized. She was starting to see the merit in the ball cap-sunglasses-sweater disguise that Steve had often donned on their outings. And as far as her boss went...Carl had to call a meeting to discuss options as far as working within and around the bookstore. Though the publicity was good; he conceded that much. Along with that, there was still no word on her submissions to the literary agents or the publishers on her book. Granted, it took those companies quite a bit of time to get back to every person who submitted their work, but as the months passed, she was starting to geel a bit discouraged. She was glad to get away, glad to escape to New York City and leave the ridiculousness outside the Tower doors for a couple of days. Being with Steve, and even around the others, helped ground her a little. Her problems were much more manageable in comparison.
Arriving first, Holly stretched out her limbs, loosening up for what she was sure would be a thorough ass-kicking at the hands of her trainer. With her baseball bat along, she took a few practice swings with it, shouldering it and letting it slide down from one arm to another. She didn't quite have it down, and given that it wasn't a required move to learn in her self-defense, that was to be expected. Adding a little flair couldn't hurt, right? As she clipped her own wrist for the third time, she was beginning to think it might not be such a good idea.
The automatic door at the far end swished open, and in strode Clint, taking a swig out of a water bottle and fluttering a few fingers at her in greeting. Grinning slightly, she put the bat down and waited for him to come up to her.
"Hey, Clint," she said, patting him on the shoulder. With all the time they spent in training bouts, he was really growing on her.
"Gracie Lou," he returned cheekily, placing the bottle on the floor and clasping her shoulder in return. "How are you?"
She wrinkled her nose at him, snorting slightly. "Did you change your name to Dr. Seuss since I last saw ya? I'm fine, thanks. And you?"
He shrugged, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. "All good over here. And also, congratulations, by the way."
His chin dipped down, indicating the ring on her finger. Looking down at it herself, she couldn't help the joyful expression on her face. Carefully, she twisted it around, grateful that it was no longer too tight to fit properly.
"Thanks again," she replied, the shake of her head making her pony tail bob from side to side. "Glad to have the support."
"Funny, I'd think you'd be rolling in it," Barton retorted, eyebrows lifting at her words. Holly's finger cupped the air, a flyaway gesture that did not go unnoticed.
"Depends on who you talk to. My family? Sure. You guys? Looking good, so far," she said pausing as Clint gave her an encouraging thumbs up. Fixing her gaze on the middle distance, she sighed softly. "The outer world? Now that's a mixed bag."
Knowing that her minimal privacy was just that, she had understood that being engaged to Captain America would not remain a secret for very long, if at all. And because of that, she was naturally inquisitive about how such a secret would be received. Besides, everyone had looked themselves up on the Internet at least once, she'd reasoned in the moment. Confessing that she'd gone snooping anonymously on the Web, she endured Barton's roll of the eyes in good humor. She didn't expect anything less.
"Reading the public message boards is always a bad idea," he murmured, having been exposed to his fair share of negative press in public and private alike. Especially after SHIELD went under; spending the better part of his time traversing Europe to help out Nick Fury was a godsend in that regard, as far as escaping from the backlash went. He'd kept himself too busy to care, and in certain places, that stuff really didn't matter anyway.
"I was curious. Like proverbial cat. And like the proverbial cat, I got slayed," she said, not bothering to make excuses. "I mean, for the most part, it's been received well, but damn, some people are just freakin' mean."
The look Clint gave her was so flat, so full of 'well, duh' that she couldn't even try to answer it. Still, it was something that needed repeating in her mind. The opinions had ran the gamut, and while she was glad for the little bits of positivity out there, the awful ones tended to stick around longer in memory.
Cocking his head to the right, Barton wondered, "Has Steve seen any of it?"
Holly's wince was so pronounced that he couldn't help but return it when he saw it. Oh, yes. The captain had definitely been exposed to it.
"I had to take the computer away when he read one where the person thought I'd gotten knocked up to get the ring and was a gold digging witch. With a capital B," Holly emphasized, recalling the muted fury in her fiancé's eyes and the tight set of his jaw as he scanned down the comments. At the time, she'd thought showing him might not have been the right thing to do, but living in ignorance of what was going around them wasn't an option she considered. "He cracked the casing, he was so mad. Good thing he didn't read the ones speculating on whether or not I have been a gerontophile my whole life, or if I made an exception this time. That was an interesting thread to stumble upon."
Barton pulled a face, one that Holly answered with a deadpan expression. Rolling his shoulders, he shook it off, head tilting up to look at the ceiling.
"Good Lord," he muttered, blowing out a breath. "So if we're suddenly out on a manhunt for cyber creeps, I'll know why."
Holly snickered, a hand lifted and brushing away the thought. "I think you're safe for now. HYDRA takes precedence over a couple of idiots with too much time on their hands."
"At the moment, sure. But when that ends..." Clint trailed off, the seriousness in his eyes belying the smirk on his face. "Cap might want to do something about it."
That brought a frown to her face. Given his protective streak, it wasn't unthinkable that Steve might want to give an answer to those who were leaving galling charges at their door, for her sake if not his own. She shook her head again, knowing that endeavor would not end well. And furthermore, she didn't want something to happen. It would just feed the negativity surrounding the situation, and that definitely did not need to happen. She didn't have to answer to strangers about her character, and she didn't want anyone to feel like they had to do it for her, particularly not Steve.
"It's not necessary. Tony could tell him that; look at how much crap has been slung at him over the years," she told him, jerking a thumb backward as if Stark was in the room with them. Barton chuckled under his breath at that.
"Fair point. In the end, doesn't matter what others think. Do what you gotta do, kid."
She rolled her eyes dramatically, hands spreading in a 'why me' gesture. "A few years off thirty, and I'm still called kid."
"Everyone under thirty is a kid, trust me. Just accept it and move on," Barton groused in good nature, squaring his stance and motioning for her to take her place opposite him. "And speaking of which, let's get to it."
She inclined her head, with minimal grumbling as she adjusted her stance and faced him on the mat. "Yes, sir."
xXxXxXx
After self-defense training was finished, there was nothing Holly wanted more than a shower and sinking bonelessly into the couch for a night in. Having takeout with Steve beforehand, she was more than ready to get under the warm spray that evening. Letting the hot water pour over her, she let her mind go blank as she scrubbed away the sweat and mat grime. Eventually, before she could hear griping about wasting the hot water, she climbed out, towel wrapped around her body and her hair dripping as she exited the bathroom. However, the presence of two people just beyond the door pulled her up short, shocked her with their appearance. Jerking back, she caught herself on the door frame, a muted shriek cut off as she realized who was standing in front of her.
"God! What in the hell—"
Both Maria and Natasha had an air of nonchalance about them, though Natasha's eyes had a brightness to them that spoke of having a plan in mind. Coming forward, she caught Holly by the arm, guiding her towards the bedroom in the back.
"We're abducting you for the evening. Girls' night shenanigans must be had, now that there are more than two in residence for the weekend," she confided, glimpsing Maria's confirming nod over her shoulder. It was true; with the exception of Jane, who was at a conference somewhere in Italy at the moment, more women abounded in the Tower than usual, and for that the two of them were pleased. Shrugging, she went on, "Besides, we didn't give Helen a warm welcome when she first came on board; have to mend that fence."
Another excuse, but it was a well-meant one. When Doctor Cho had been essentially head-hunted a few months prior, there had been no official welcome given to her. Rather, she had gotten to work, mending wounds and collaborating with Bruce on some interesting theories about physiology and biochemistry. Rounding off with Pepper in attendance, it had given them the means to get together sans the male influences of their lives, legitimately.
"C'mon, let's get you dressed," Maria concurred, giving Holly a gentle push on her back. Propelled forward, she snorted at the pair's earnestness.
"I thought you were better at handling testosterone than this."
Natasha dipped her chin, features smoothing out."Usually, yes, but every now and again, I would like the space to act otherwise."
"Make observations about the menstrual cycle." Maria smirked when the others cast their skeptical glances at her. "That works, for the most part."
After a short pause, Romanoff exhaled sharply and arched an eyebrow. "Well, now I know why Stark avoided you like the plague a few weeks ago, Maria."
The agent-turned-assistant kept her face placid, though there was a sharp lilt in her gaze. "He crashed my day off, he should know better by now."
Getting to the bedroom, Nat cranked the door handle, the three women bustling into the room while Steve stood at the dresser. Several folded shirts were in his hand and he sported a bemused expression on his face. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to his task of putting away laundry while his teammate tapped her toe. She was having none of it.
"Okay, Steve, you gotta go."
Snapping the drawer shut, Steve glanced over his shoulder, brow furrowing in curiosity.
"Would you rather I pull rank, age, or seniority on you, Romanoff?" he asked, grin spreading over his lips. Nodding to Holly and her state of undress, he continued, "What are you doing with my fiancée?"
"Girls' night preparations," was the immediate response. It was followed innocently by, "Would you like to stay and be a part of them, sir?"
One hard, long look was all it took for Steve to reach his decision. Stepping away from the dresser, he went for the door, hesitating long enough to press a kiss to Holly's temple before crossing the threshold.
"...I'll be downstairs if you need me."
"Hey, don't abandon me!" she choked out, clutching at her towel and appealing to his watchful sensibilities. Evidently he was giving those sensibilities time off. Saluting her with two fingers, he shot a smile and a wary look to her companions, not about to argue with the identical sets of determined eyes staring him down.
"Have fun, dear," he called, rounding the corner. "Love you."
Disbelief in her features, she waited until she knew he was totally out of earshot before she grumbled under her breath. Letting her go on about traitor partners and 'man with a plan, my ass', Natasha and Maria smirked to each other. The Black Widow went to the expansive closet along the opposite wall. Perusing the selection there, she tutted to herself. Though the young woman had started keeping some clothes in the quarters on the off-chance she'd forget something, she didn't have much to look over.
"Hmm...not a lot here," she said, waiting for the inevitable response. Hearing her thump heavily onto the bed next to Maria, she didn't have long to wait.
"I didn't pack for a surprise night out, shockingly enough."
Natasha shrugged again, and Maria just waved a hand at her. "Eh, we can work around that."
In a short amount of time, they were able to pull together an outfit, some of it pilfered from Maria's stores (she and Holly were closer to each other in size than Natasha was), and once her hair dried and she assembled her makeup, they nearly frogmarched her to the elevator, pocket books in hand and cheerfulness in their expressions. Holly harrumphed to herself, though it was mostly for show. She actually didn't mind the idea of going out, but she wasn't pleased to be strong-armed into it. Still, it wouldn't wholly be a bad thing, and she squared her shoulders. Pepper was at the door, speaking quietly to Helen as they waited for the party to round out. The young Asian woman held herself erect, nodding more often than actually speaking, dark hair spilling over her shoulders and her eyes fastened on her subject. Upon spotting Holly and the others, Pepper shot her a quick grin, introductions passed around as the doctor and she met for the first time. Climbing into the hired car, Holly cleared her throat, giving her best shot at breaking the ice with Helen as they pulled out into the Manhattan streets.
Doctor Cho was a brilliant physician and geneticist, and she lived up to her reputation. She wasn't frigid, but she seemed to be holding back until she was sure of the company she was with. Opening up here and there, she seemed the most excited about a medical device she had built. It had the potential to regenerate tissue at rapid rates. Initial testing had shown it to be too strong to use directly on patients, but she was confident that with the right calibrations, it could alter the medical field and change the world. Out of her depth, Holly listened attentively, asking a few questions about what materials it used and how it could bond to tissue in the hopes of illumination (and in turn answering whatever questions she could about the god in residence; Cho's eyes lit up at the subject, though she affected indifference). Before either of them knew it, they had arrived at the lounge Pepper had suggested going to, a sort of hole-in-the-wall place she'd found once years ago. The driver would be in the neighborhood, should they need anything.
On the Upper West Side, the lounge was underground, a trail of rose petals down the stairwell enchanting them. The aroma hovered around the women as they entered. Water features trickled here and there, the exposed brick walls stark and yet somehow blending with the surroundings, hearth and home surrounding them as they passed the bar. Moroccan furniture and décor spread from one end to the other, the music low enough to not inhibit the customers from conversing, but loud enough to lend to the atmosphere of cozy anonymity. Electing to station themselves at a corner table, soon enough each woman had a chair dragged over and a wine glass on hand lifted in a toast to the evening's events. Conversation ebbed and flowed, with Pepper and Holly taking the opportunity to catch up since they'd last seen one another in January. Potts was still in charge of the largest tech conglomerate in the world, but the day to day antics of her head of security (still going strong even after the toll taken a few years ago) kept her on her toes, among other things. Recently she had purchased a new home in Malibu, nowhere near a cliff she remarked with some amusement. Tony was rather taken with it, even though it seriously lacked in the workshop department. The underground wine cellar made up for it, for the most part. With a knowing grin, she inquired after any recent developments in Holly's life, leaving her little choice but to confirm the truth of her engagement. Taking her hand to examine the claddagh in the warm light, the CEO of Stark Enterprises gave her a genuine smile.
"I have to say, I was surprised when I heard the news first," she told her, flicking her hair behind her shoulder and squeezing her hand gently. "But it's great, really."
Squeezing back, a little stab of guilt shoved into Holly, her smile becoming a little unsure.
"Thanks. To be honest, I would've figured Tony...well, I mean..." she stumbled over her words, the can of worms threatening to spill in that instant.
"Oh look, Holly, we're out of wine," Maria cut in, gripping the empty bottle and tipping it for show. "Let's go get another bottle. From over there."
The sharp grasp on her elbow propelled her out of her seat, the younger brunette blushing hideously at her near faux pas as she rose.
"I, um, sure."
Off the prompting glance discreetly shot to her, Helen murmured something about joining them, to talk more with Maria about lab access in the future or something of that nature. Left alone with Pepper, Natasha knocked back the last gulp of her wine as the fairer redhead sighed aloud.
"That could've been executed better," Pepper pointed out obviously. "To be fair, it's nice of her to try."
Natasha lifted a shoulder, a lightning fast look shot in Maria's direction. "Didn't want to make it awkward."
Potts snorted, her smile lessening slightly. "Hard to avoid, but it's not a huge thing. You think I wasn't aware I was involved with someone who was noncommittally-inclined up until a few years ago? The fact that Tony made the steps that he has with me says a lot. Probably more than anybody is aware of."
The faraway look on her face spoke volumes, the silence following her statement unbroken by anything but the light chatter of the other attendees of the lounge. In her mind, the ex-agent could not speak on the matter; Pepper really was the one who had the best handle on the situation, and she had nothing to say which the other woman did not already have an answer to. Instead, she merely listened when Potts resumed the conversation.
"We're in a good place; I'm thankful for that. Despite the craziness that still happens on occasion. Good thing, too. Running the company is stressful enough as it is, especially with Stark Relief getting more and more demands," she finished, resoluteness in her eyes. For her part, Romanoff sat up a little straighter, patting her wrist amiably.
"Sorry about that. But people are grateful for it. Being rescued doesn't end with us," she murmured, glad to see Pepper give her a smirk before sipping her wine. Tracing the rim of her glass with a finger, the ex-agent couldn't help but wonder, "Have you guys talked about—"
"Yep," Pepper confirmed, looking anywhere but at the other woman.
Natasha's eyebrows inclined. "And still...?"
A grimace was barely suppressed, but it was not something a master spy couldn't spot. "Nope."
There was certainly a story behind that single word, one that the ex-agent knew she would not be hearing anytime soon. Still, since Tony was more or less intact the last time she'd seen him, she knew that it hadn't ended too terribly.
"This might change a few things, anyway."
"If that happens, then it happens," was all Pepper could respond with, the last of her drink disappearing after it. "Fast-walking him inevitably does nobody any good."
That time Nat snorted. "Don't I know it."
When the other women returned, the conversation moved onto other things, such as speculating about the ongoing events over in Hell's Kitchen, a glossed-over summary of Natasha's exploits in Africa, and somehow onto Maria's distant relatives looking for a place to crash for their New York vacation that summer (her cousin's family had emigrated to Canada years ago, and the kids were eager to come back for an American adventure now that her schedule was looser than it was when she was in SHIELD). In between all the talk, Holly managed to whisper her apologies quietly out the side of her mouth to Pepper, in which she was given a reassuring smile and a mutter of no apology being necessary.
Eventually, Holly decided to step outside for a breather, slipping away with a promise to be back as quickly as possible (Maria had given her a stony look until she promised; neither she nor the Black Widow liked the idea of her wandering off, but given that she would be just upstairs, they wouldn't curtail her objective). Noticing a missed call notification on her phone, she swiped at the screen and grinned. Hovering near the outdoor stairwell, she returned it, glad to hear her friend's voice when she answered. Sarah had participated in a family reunion of sorts with Aaron, and had wanted to let off steam about his grandmother's grouchy attitude. When given the chance, Holly shared about what her evening had been like, and a groan of envy came over the line.
"Do you know how jealous of you I am right now?" Sarah told her, making her friend giggle as she envisioned the exasperation on her face and her eyes rolling upward.
"Sorry to rob you of potential buddy-buddy time with Natasha," Holly said, knowing how much her friend admired the single female member of the Avengers. When the two had met nearly eight months ago, they'd actually hit it off, Sarah managing to get on Nat's good side in less time than she ever could. "For the record, there's been no talk of guns at all tonight."
A minor fib, but she wasn't about to tell her that. After all, Natasha really didn't have much to say on the topic other than she shot them at some people.
Sarah hummed to herself before laughing, "Too bad, you all might learn something if there was."
"Whatever," was Holly's apt rejoinder. Chuckling again, she glanced down at the watch on her wrist, frowning when she realized she'd been outside for longer than she should have been. "Look, I stepped outside for a minute, but I do have to get back. I'll text you when I get back to D.C., alright?"
"Have fun with the Super Girl Brigade."
The smile tugged at her lips, but she held back on it. "Okay then. Night, Sare."
"Night, Holl."
Hanging up and putting the phone in her pocket, she took a step away from the wall, preparing to weave her way through the crowd that had gathered around the door. Mostly smokers, but one or two were others who were looking to get some air after being confined in crowded space for too long. Stepping into the flow, she felt a tug on her sleeve, one which was hard enough to irritate her. Ignoring it, she tried to move forward again, the tugging returning in an instant. A hand wrapped around her forearm, dragging her back towards the alley. The roughness of it immediately she knew something was wrong. Stepping backwards, she pushed against the person pulling her, knocking them off-balance enough so that she could put a little distance between herself and him.
And it was a he; his hard, guttural grunt echoed around them as his grip slipped. Bringing her hand down, she chopped hard at his wrist, forcing him to let go. The guy looked like a dirty bum wandering the streets of New York, save for the fact that his gaze was too clear and the air around him was fraught with tension. And, at the shoulder of his ragged sweatshirt, there was an emblem, nearly too light to be seen. The streetlights reflected off of it, revealing a skull with numerous tentacles stretching out an curling in a circle. His eyes were hooded, but the look of pure loathing he gave her struck her then. Her throat had gone dry, her voice gone. Slipping a hand into her jacket pocket, her heart thumped as her fingers curled around the Taser hiding within.
She'd been going to self-defense course for a few weeks now, and had been in the hands of Clint in the interim. Her confidence was shaky at best, but she would be damned if she would get caught out now. The fellow took a menacing step towards her, fingers curling at his sides as if they were itching to get around her throat. Shuffling back a step or two, Holly tried to mentally prepare herself for the worst.
Suddenly, the man stiffened, his eyes going wide as someone appeared behind him, seizing him by the scruff of his neck.
"Beat it, punk," the person growled, yanking hard on the guy's neck until he tumbled to the concrete. Swiftly, the fellow rose again, ready to protest until he saw something that made him freeze. Turning back to face Holly again, he stared down the end of her Taser, withdrawn and ready as her courage surged. Caught between a rock and a hard place (and with no backup to boot; the crowd outside the lounge was starting to grow nervous and vocalize their discontent), the man tried to run, only to be caught by the new stranger again, bodily hurled at the dumpster in the nearby alley. A couple of women had screamed, while someone had run inside to get the attention of the staff for help. The stranger, dark blue hood drawn up over a cap, shook his head, casting a harsh glance at Holly. The flash of headlights from an oncoming car illuminated his face, and she felt the blood drain from her cheeks, shock taking over.
"Get back inside," he mumbled, hauling off down the alley and seizing the fellow once more, pulling him along with his left hand. The clicks of curling metal and the glinting lamplight shining off the fingers was weak, but it was enough to startle her out of her trance.
"Bucky?" she gasped. No answer was forthcoming as the two men disappeared around a corner, vanishing into thin air and leaving her instead with more questions.
A/N: Working back to the weekend schedule, since that's the time I'll have to post. It's been kind of a crazy week, so I'm hoping to get back on an even keel after this.
I don't own anything from the MCU, as well as other films, authors, etc. (as always). Getting ever closer to Age of Ultron territory, step by step...oh, Bucky. You keep finding ways to sneak in and out, with little explanation. Also, discreet-but-not-discreet nod to How I Met Your Mother (which I also don't own) in regards to Miss Maria Hill and her family. Trust me, I had this planned for awhile...
The lounge described bears resemblance to the Shalel Lounge in New York. Yet another thing I do not own, but would like to go to sometime, actually. Based on the online pictures I found, it looks so nice!
Thanks for reading, please review, and I'll see you for the next one!