The last remaining bit of daylight streaked across the sky in deep purple hues as the Quinjet touched back down at the compound. This was the first time Gianna had seen the outside since being brought here following the accident. The famed Avengers Compound stood nestled amidst the picturesque woods, a technological marvel hidden from the world. It's existence was no secret, but the details were the stuff of legends.
Some people said this was simply another division of the United States Military. Others claimed it operated as a bed and breakfast for various space-entities and gods. Neither of which were entirely untrue. From what Gianna had gathered, it was multi-purpose. This was where the Avengers split their time, most of the team having residences in both the Tower and at the Compound. There was also a massive training and operations facility for the new and improved SHIELD division, with all intelligence being privately screened and vetted onsite. There was an aviation hangar for all maintenance and storage of their various aircraft, and then several more sprawling units that Gianna had no idea about. Oh, and it all overlooked the most stunning, glassy lake she'd ever seen.
After they padded down the exit ramp, Gianna turned, realizing she didn't know where she was going. "I hope it's not too late to ask for that tour?" Eager, but tired eyes peered up at him.
"I still have an hour or so before the mandatory bedtime." Bucky mimed checking his watch.
"I guess we better walk fast."
As they crossed through the hangar and into the main building, the grand foyer welcomed them with its polished floors and high-tech holographic displays. Gianna's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow…Bucky, this place is incredible!"
Bucky smiled, his metal arm glinting in the ambient light. He'd undone the top few buttons and rolled the sleeves on his dress shirt, a look reminiscent of a groomsman late in a wedding reception, looking handsome in a disheveled way. "You haven't seen anything yet. Come on, we've got a lot of ground to cover. Literally."
They strolled through the spacious common areas, passing by the lavish coffee station that catered to the Avengers' and SHIELD members' caffeine cravings. "This is where Tony Stark fuels his genius," Bucky quipped, punching a few buttons on a tablet embedded in the marble countertop.
At first, it looked like any other coffee shop, espresso machines and syrups lining the back wall. As Bucky took a step back, Gianna realized that Stark Industries really did do everything better.
A mechanical arm whirred to life in the dark cafe, whirring through the motions of making a latte. They watched in silence, the sound of the milk frother filling the air and the scent of espresso filling their noses. After a moment, the arm deposited two steaming lattes on the counter, Stark Industries emblazoned in the frothy milk on top.
Gianna took a sip, savoring the rich flavor. "Okay, one sip of this and I feel like I can save the world too. I know the Avengers' real secret weapon." She dug a teasing elbow in his ribs.
"Let's get this round of bruises healed up before we send you into round two, huh?"
Bucky chuckled, guiding her toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the compound's picturesque lake. "And that is one of my favorite spots," he said, his gaze drifting to the tranquil waters. "It's peaceful here, away from...everything."
Gianna nodded, her eyes mirroring the calm of the lake. "It's beautiful."
They stood quietly for a moment, side-by-side gazing out the windows across the water. The last bit of the light faded away and their own reflections began to look more prominent. Gianna took the rare moment to run her eyes over Bucky, settling for the reflection rather than the man standing right beside her. She took note of how he towered over her, easily a foot taller. His shoulders were broad, and though he had good posture, he always leaned slightly to the left under the weight of his vibranium arm. His chin length dark hair was tucked behind his ears, but still slightly ruffled from where he'd run his hands through it. Even in the dark glass, Gianna saw how his gaze seemed to have relaxed from the worried expression she'd gotten so used to.
Maybe this is when we finally get to rest. Both of us.
As they continued their after-hours tour, Bucky showed her the state-of-the-art training facilities, where the recruits honed their skills. There was a massive complex for the agents to practice sparring, a sprawling weight room, and an impressive shooting range. He explained that the Avengers had their own, smaller version of the training facility on the ground floor of their housing building. Everything except the shooting range had been replicated to allow them to train in privacy. In reality, they probably could only train with each other anyways, not even the best agent could hold their own with an Avenger.
It was oddly quiet across the grounds. Bucky explained that they had a night team of agents who monitored surveillance and stayed alert in case anything were to happen during off-hours, but everyone else went home at night. Some would stay late to train or research, but that was on their own time.
After crossing between buildings in the cool night air, they stepped into the building at the back of the grounds, the one where the team lived part time. All of the buildings were short and expanse, not appearing to be more than four stories tall at most. This one was no different. The bottom floor was, as Bucky had said, a training facility. Weights, sparring rings, locker rooms, things Gianna didn't recognize. They breezed through the floor, heading straight to the elevators.
"Second floor is the main common area, living room, kitchen, movie room…things like that. Third and fourth floors are where the bedrooms are. You'd think there would be some kind of system for who got which room, but I think the official method was arm-wrestling for the best one."
Cocking an eyebrow, Gianna smirked. "So you have…?"
"The biggest room."
"I thought so." She giggled as they crossed through the elevators onto the fourth floor. The doors opened up to a smaller, round living space with a kitchenette on the wall to the side. Doors lined the walls, leading to each separate bedroom. It seemed like each floor had roughly five rooms. Before she finished counting off Avengers in her head, her thoughts were interrupted.
"Look who's back for round two of the best damn karaoke she's ever heard." Sam's unmistakable voice called from the sofa. He had a beer in one hand and a TV remote in the other, which he used to click off the volume.
Gianna could basically feel Bucky rolling his eyes beside her, but she ignored it, striding across the soft carpet. "Hi, Sam. It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too, kid." He wrapped her in a hug. "Heard you can take a blast with the best of 'em."
She shrugged. "That's not what my MRI said. Concussion."
"Ah, those are a dime a dozen around here. That's the main reason we have FRIDAY, to remind us of every damn thing we forget. Ain't that right, FRIDAY?"
"Correct, Mr. Wilson."
Just as she was beginning to wonder if she'd get the hang of the mysterious robotic voice who seemed to be omniscient, she felt Bucky's hand on her lower back.
"Ready to see your room?"
A flutter went through her stomach and she wasn't sure if it was from his hand or from his words. Her room. Although she knew it was temporary, the idea of having a more permanent space than a hotel room sounded heavenly. Even having roommates, or suitemates, or whatever you would call this arrangement…a dream. She wondered where the rest of the team was, how often she could expect to see them here. Already, her mind conjured up images of rom-coms on the couch with Nat and Wanda. Well, when the world didn't need saving.
As they closed in on the back of the living area, Bucky stood next to two doors.
"This is you." He gestured to the door on the left and grinned. "I'm not too far away. Just like old times." He nodded to the second door.
"Do I need to ask how the room right next to yours, which happened to be the biggest room of all, happens to be up for the taking?" She narrowed her eyes at him, her smile giving away her true feelings on their proximity.
"Sam should be better at arm wrestling." He shrugged.
"Hey, I heard that!" Sam's voice called over the back of the couch.
Turning the knob, Bucky opened the door to reveal a spacious and beautifully decorated room.
"It's no Four Seasons, but…" he said, stepping aside to let her enter.
Gianna stepped into the room, her eyes taking in the elegant furnishings, the comfortable bed, and the view of the forest beyond the window. It felt like a sanctuary. She turned to Bucky, her heart so full of gratitude it felt like it could burst.
"Thank you, Bucky. You've been amazing… through all of this. I don't even have the words. Thank you."
Bucky smiled, his blue eyes warm. "It's my job to keep you safe. There's nowhere safer than right here. I'll make sure of that."
"You deserve a raise." Gianna murmured, still glancing around the room.
"This was all Pepper. Wanda helped decorate, I think. She asked me for your Pinterest, or something like that. I told her I didn't know what the hell that was. I guess she didn't need it after all."
"You know what I mean." She turned back to face him. "For going above and beyond. Everything you do…outside your contract."
Their eyes met, and Gianna stepped closer to him. Looking into his eyes, smelling his familiar scent, it dawned on her that they hadn't ever discussed that night at Tony's party. The kiss.
"I'm pretty sure my contract says 'other duties as assigned'," Bucky said, eyes drifting down to her lips. For a moment, Gianna thought he was going to lean in. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.
"Do you need anything? Everything from the hotel should be here, if anything is missing we can send for it tomorrow. Water's in the fridge outside, bathroom is next to the closet, and you know I'm right next door."
"No…I don't think I do. If you hear a loud noise, it's just me falling asleep in the shower."
He chuckled before stepping back to the door. "Goodnight, Gianna."
"Goodnight, Buck."
He pulled the door closed behind him. As she walked over to the bathroom to start the hot stream, Gianna pushed away the thought that the only thing she needed had just walked out her door.
