The Next Day

Stella wasn't sure what Natasha had planned but she dressed in long black leggings, a deep red thermal top and on top of that a warm fleece. She didn't have any warm shoes so she grabbed a pair of black sneakers Nat had included in the clothes she had gifted her. The shoes were a little snug, probably a size too small, but they were all she had.

Stella wasn't a morning person. As a bartender she usually slept until the early afternoon, sometimes later after a particularly grueling shift.

She made her way down to the training facility at 6:50. Most of the team was already there waiting when she arrived. They were all equally or moreso bundled than she was. Stella began to worry but then Wanda appeared at her side and handed her gloves and a pair of ear muffs.

"Here. I knew what Nat had planned. Wasn't sure if you had the right supplies."

"Thanks." Stella accepted the items and put them on. "What exactly does she have planned?"

"Nothing you're going to like."

Wanda was right. Turned out what Natasha had planned was a team training exercise that consisted of a lap of the entire compound and it's grounds. A lap that was five miles long.

Stella's sneakers were soaked from the snow-covered ground and her legs felt like lead weights. They were only two miles into their run and she was already barely keeping up. Her breath fogged the air ahead of her and as she inhaled, her throat felt dry and raw.

"How cold is it?" She managed through chittering teeth. Vision, who was drifting past them not even bothering to pretend to run, cheerfully supplied "17 degrees Fahrenheit." Stella and Wanda were at the back of the line, running notably slower than the rest of the team. Natasha led the group, followed closely by Steve and Bucky, who had surprised everyone by showing up, then Sam, Clint and Vision, followed after a long distance by Wanda and Stella.

Stella's legs were on fire. She was never one for cardio and Natasha's pace was slowly killing her.

"I need a break," She gasped, coming to a stop and falling forward to place her hands on her knees while she caught her breath.

"Want me to wait?" Wanda questioned, coming to a halt as well.

"No, go ahead. I'll catch up." Stella replied. Wanda nodded and resumed following the group. Steve, who noticed Stella had fallen behind, ran back to meet her.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine, Steve."

"I'll wait with you."

"Don't bother."

"Stella-"

"Why do you care?" She snapped. "Do you feel guilty about lying to me? Do you miss hooking up? Still trying to get into my pants? What is it that you just can't leave me alone?" She was baiting him at this point but also curious.

Why was he doing this? Was it all an elaborate ruse? A game he played because he was bored?

"Don't be so crass." His words caught her off guard.

"What?"

"Don't say that."

"Say what?"

"That we 'hooked up'." Stella gave him a bewildered look.

"That's what it means when you fuck someone, Steve." She rolled her eyes. She should've known he wouldn't understand the modern term.

"I know what it means. And it was more than that." She shook her head.

"…What?"

"What we have- had," He corrected. "It was more than 'hooking up'. It meant something to me." Stella couldn't help the derisive snort and the way her eyes rolled back in her head.

"Don't roll your eyes at me," He growled.

"Bite me, Steve." Steve's fists clenched. Stella smirked. Clearly her words were getting to him. He stared down at her, fuming. A shot of satisfaction stole through her. Steve stared at her for a moment longer before inhaling slowly then releasing. His fingers uncurled.

"It was more than that," He continued, notably more calm. "We were more than that."

"There is no 'we'."

"Baby, please-" Her anger spiked.

"Don't you dare call me Baby," She snarled. He opened his mouth to respond. "I mean it, Steve." She glared at him. "You proved we were nothing when you lied to me." Steve's face fell.

"Stella…"

"Just go!" She snapped, perhaps a bit too harshly. It was all too much; the cold, the early hour, the lack of coffee, her thinly veiled anger she still felt towards Steve, his insistence that they were "more"…His face hardened.

"Fine." He took off after the group. Less than a minute later, he had disappeared into the trees. Stella stared after him for a moment and, despite having achieved her desired result, felt more miserable than ever.

She continued down the path at a walk, following the footsteps the team had made in the snow. At least she couldn't get lost.

She walked slowly, taking her time while she caught her breath. As she descended further into the woods the path wound towards the edge of the lake. The trail continued upward while the lake stayed level with the ground, a wooded slope splitting the two areas. Stella walked up the slope slowly, beginning to shiver from the cold. She was rubbing her arms when she slid on a patch of ice at the edge of the path, before quickly catching herself.

Yikes, that would have been nasty, she thought as she stared down the steep slope. Once she reached the top of the hill she began to jog again. The sooner she got back to the compound, the sooner she could run a hot bath. She was rounding a corner when she again slid on a patch of ice, though this time she didn't catch herself.

She slid forward, unable to stop her momentum before careening right over the edge of the slope. She tumbled down the hill at full speed, hitting bushes and rocks as she went but unable to grab onto anything to slow her fall. As she reached the bottom she bounced onto the ice, sliding towards the center of the lake and away from the shore. When she finally stopped sliding, a crack sounded beneath her.

For a moment Stella just lay there, immobile and still jarred from her fall. Pain was radiating through her body and she had cracked her head at some point, leaving her disoriented.

"Fuck," She muttered to herself. Everything hurt and she was covered in mud. She tried moving her limbs to see if anything was broken. The cracking sounded again. Stella froze as she realized she wasn't on the ground, but rather the icy surface of the lake. She must have fallen onto the edge and her momentum had slid her a good thirty feet from the nearest shore.

Stella did her best not to panic but small tears in the ice were spreading around her. She distributed her weight evenly and tried sliding towards the edge, but the cracking only became louder. She didn't have time to react when the ice beneath her shattered, submerging her in the icy depths of the lake.

XXX

Bucky came to a halt at the end of the woods where Natasha was waiting for the rest of the team. Sam and Clint soon emerged, followed by Vision and then Wanda.

"Where're Steve and Stella?"

"He went back to check on her," The Sokovian replied. Steve emerged from the woods a few moments later.

"Stella?" Natasha asked.

"Fell behind. Didn't want me to wait for her." Natasha nodded.

"Let's wait for her inside. I'm freezing." The team nodded and headed towards the compound. Bucky followed at a slower pace. He was remembering all of the icy patches in the forest. Natasha had led them on a tricky trail, but they were all enhanced or accustomed to the redhead's bizarre workout routines.

Stella wasn't. What if she slipped and twisted her ankle? Bucky was familiar with weather like this from his years spent in Siberia as the Winter Soldier. It wouldn't take long for frost bite to set in if she was hurt and out there for much longer.

He turned back towards the woods.

"Bucky?" Sam questioned, seeing him go. The rest of the team was already back inside.

"I forgot something. Just going to check the path and see if I dropped it."

"Want me to grab my wings and come after you?"

"I should be fine." He didn't want to embarrass Stella by sending a search party after her if in fact she was just slower than the rest of them. Besides, on the off chance she had twisted her ankle he would be able to help her back just fine on his own. He dashed back off into the woods.

XXX

Stella desperately grabbed at the edge of the ice which crumbled at her touch. She gasped as she fell below the surface again when she lost her grip. The water was colder than she ever could have expected and felt like needles against her skin. Her fingers were frozen and she could barely feel them anymore. She had been trying to get back on the ice for what felt like ages but she was weak and the cold was only making it worse. She tried calling for help but her voice was hoarse and wasn't carrying.

Why had she been so proud when Steve had offered to wait? She was a stubborn idiot and she was probably going to die for it.

"Help," She tried to call again but her voice was a rasping whisper. Her teeth chattered together uncontrollably, violently shaking her jaw. Her entire body was soaked, and her toes had lost feeling in them. She was kicking her legs in an effort to keep her body warm but her strength was waning.

She heard him before she saw him.

"Stella?" The voice called. At first she wasn't sure who it was. She searched the edge of the woods but couldn't see anyone.

"S-Steve! I'm here," She tried but her voice wasn't any louder than the last time she tried. "Steve!"

"Stella!" Then she saw him. It wasn't Steve, but Bucky at the top of the slope. He wasted no time before clambering down the hill, using his metal arm to grab onto trees to slow his fall. When he reached the lake's edge he stood there for a moment, analyzing how best to reach her.

He stepped onto the frozen lake.

"Bucky," She gasped. "Don't. The ice." He didn't hear her though and continued onto the frozen water. As he got closer to her the ice started to crack beneath his weight. "You'll fall," She whispered to him. Their eyes met. He slowly continued towards her despite her warnings. Once he was about five feet from the edge he knelt and slowly slid himself towards her. He took her trembling hand in his flesh one and used the metal arm to pierce the ice and make finger holes so he had something to hold on to.

Stella felt herself being lifted out of the water. The cold hit her like a wrecking ball and she gasped. Bucky pulled her up onto his chest and began sliding them back towards land. Stella couldn't do much except lay there, she was so cold. Once they were about ten feet from the edge, Bucky lifted her into his arms and carried her to the shore, before collapsing on the muddy bank.

"You need to take off your clothes," He instructed. He began shedding his own layers, including his thick jacket and thermal shirt. Stella tried peeling off her now soaked fleece but her hands were trembling violently and she couldn't grasp the zipper.

"I c-c-can't." Bucky didn't think twice, unzipping her fleece before flinging it away, then stripping her of her gloves. "I-It's okay," She assured him when he hesitated at her shirt. He pulled it over her head, leaving her in her sports bra. He then pulled his own thermal over her head. It was warm from his body heat. Stella wrapped her arms around herself as best she could. He wrung out her hair, letting the water drip onto the dirt before pulling his beanie over her ears. Wanda's ear muffs had fallen off at some point during her fall.

"I'm going to do the pants now okay?" Stella nodded, not the least bit concerned he was getting a free show. All she cared about was getting warm. He removed her shoes and soaked socks, then peeled off her leggings. The cold wind hit her bare skin and she shied away from it. He used his jacket to cover her legs as best he could manage. He then pulled her into his chest and held her there. "Body warmth," He whispered in her ear as he rubbed her arms and legs with his flesh hand. His body felt like a furnace and Stella clung to him. After a couple minutes of warming her as best he could, he stood. Lifting her into his arms, he stared up the steep slope.

"We gotta get you to Bruce."

"I c-can't feel my toes."

"He'll know what to do. Come on." Bucky began pulling them up the hill slowly due to the fact he was using his metal arm to carry her. They reached the path a few minutes later and he started back towards the compound as quickly as he could. It would take longer now that he was carrying Stella, but he needed to get back ASAP for her sake.

XXX

Steve glanced at his watch. It had been ten minutes since they had been back and still no sign of Stella. He should have waited with her, despite what she said. He had been so upset with her for yelling at him and being unreasonable that he let his feelings get the best of him, leaving her behind. What was he thinking? He was getting ready to go back out after her when Natasha said, "Hey, where's Bucky?"

"He said he forgot something and went back for it." Sam supplied.

"Stella should be back by now. I'm going to look for her," Steve interrupted. "Vision, would you mind flying ahead?" The android nodded and the pair took off towards the woods.

Vision reached them long before Steve.

"What happened?" Steve demanded when he found Stella curled up in Bucky's arms, shivering and haphazardly clothed in Bucky's outerwear.

"She fell through the ice on the lake. I don't know how long she was in there for." Stella's lips were blue and she was borderline unresponsive in Bucky's arms.

"Vision, take Stella and get her to Bruce now." The android nodded, taking the girl in his arms and flying off to the compound. Steve shrugged off his outer jacket and gave it to Bucky who was in his tank top, having given Stella his shirt and jacket.

"Take it." Bucky shrugged it on, not bothering to argue. They sprinted after the android.

"How long ago did you find her?" Steve asked.

"Maybe twenty minutes ago? Took some time to get her out of the ice and up the hill."

"I shouldn't have left her," Steve muttered, propelling himself forward even quicker.

"You couldn't have predicted this, Steve." Steve shook his head. Stella was at the compound because of him and if she got pneumonia or died of hypothermia it would be his fault not for waiting for her. He shouldn't have been so emotional. He just hoped Stella wouldn't have to pay the price for his mistake.

Ten minutes later Steve burst through the doors of Bruce's lab, Bucky on his heels. Natasha was already there, along with Vision. Stella was once again on the examination table, still clad in Bucky's thermal, a heated blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She was still shivering. Her arm was hooked up to an IV and she was hunched over, holding an oxygen mask to her face.

"How is she?" Steve asked, his eyes settling on her and fraught with worry. He longed to touch her, to take her in his arms and hold her there. To keep her safe and warm forever.

"Better now. She has mild hypothermia. I'm treating her using warm intravenous fluids and rewarming her airway with the oxygen mask."

"Here's the tea," Wanda said as she walked through the doors. Stella held her hands out but they were still trembling violently. Steve took the tea and pressed it into her hands, holding it there.

"Are you okay?" He said to her, concern marring his features. His frustration from their earlier conversation had completely evaporated. She nodded, not having the energy to act hostile towards him. A ringing sound echoed through the lab. Bruce checked his computer.

"It's Tony." He hit a button and the holographic screen expanded in front of them.

"What happened?" He demanded.

"She fell through the ice on the lake."

"How?"

"I was running and tripped down a steep hill. It was an accident," She managed, cutting in before Natasha could respond. Clearly she didn't want the redhead to get in trouble for inviting her along.

"You pulled yourself out?" Tony questioned, his expression softening when he addressed her.

"No. Bucky did." Tony's face morphed into one of shock.

"Barnes?" Tony asked skeptically. Stella nodded. "How's she doing Bruce?" Tony asked once he recovered.

"Better now. We're rewarming her slowly so she doesn't go into shock."

"Good. I'll be on the next flight out. The jet is already at LAX."

"No," She interjected. "I'm fine. Really."

"Are you sure kid?" She nodded. "Alright. Take care of her Bruce."

"Will do."

"Barnes?" Bucky looked up at the screen from where he stood, crossed armed at the edge of the group. "Thank you. I mean that." Bucky nodded solemnly. The screen went black.

Steve's phone began vibrating in his pocket almost immediately. He glanced at the screen. Tony was already calling him.

"Natasha, can you...?" She nodded, stepping forward to help Stella with the tea. Steve, gripping his phone, strode out of the lab.

"Rogers," He answered, though he had a feeling he knew what Tony was going to say.

"What happened?"

"Stella told you."

"Why was she even out there?"

"She was training with the team." Silence met his ears.

"And where were you when she fell?" Steve sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "You promised to look after her."

"I know I did. But I'm not her father. She needs you, Tony."

"She doesn't want me there."

"She's hurt and confused. Her mother just died."

"I can't…Not now. There's too much going on in her life."

"Do you even want to get to know her?" Steve snapped.

"Of course I do. Now just isn't a good time." Steve sighed. Tony was never going to change. "Promise me you'll keep your word and keep an eye on her. Just until I can be there to do it myself."

Steve knew he would. Not for Tony, but for Stella's sake.

"…Fine."

That Night

Stella spent the night in Bruce's lab since he wanted to keep her there for observation. She tried to argue, but one look from Natasha quickly silenced her. Stella agreed simply because she knew the redhead felt guilty for what happened and wanted to make sure she was okay.

Stella woke sometime after midnight. Her eyes settled on the chair beside her, which was occupied. Steve was still awake, reading a book. He looked bone tired, but was still keeping vigil over her. Stella's chest filled with that familiar tingling feeling she got when she saw Steve for the first time and then again almost every time after. The feeling had diminished after she found out he had lied…but it had never fully gone away. She was surprised at the intensity in which she felt it now. It was a combination of hope, contentment, and deep affection.

"Your favorite," Stella said hoarsely when she saw the title of the book. Her voice was still raspy from the cold. Steve put the book down and leaned forward.

"How're you feeling?"

"Fine…I guess."

"Good. Can I get you anything?"

"Maybe some water." Steve filled a cup with the pitcher that sat on a nearby counter and held it to her lips. Her hand covered his and she drained the glass.

"Thanks."

"Do you want more?" She shook her head.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you on the trail," She said quietly after a moment of silence. He gave her a small smile.

"It's okay."

"If I had just let you stay with me, I wouldn't have fallen…"

"I'm just glad you're alright. You gave us a fright, Stel."

"Me too." Her fingers slid towards his on the bed, settling on top of his hand. Steve felt tingles where her hand grasped his. He cleared his throat and pulled his hand away. Stella furrowed her brows in confusion.

Look after her for me Rogers.

Steve knew now it was his feelings that had gotten in the way earlier. If he hadn't taken it so hard when Stella snapped at him on the trail, he would have waited for her and she wouldn't have gotten hurt.

He needed to keep his distance. He needed to stay objective. And he couldn't do that if they were involved.

She's Tony's kid. It's for the best.

"…Will you hold me?" She asked after a moment. Their eyes met. She was testing him. She had sensed him pull away, in more ways than one.

Longing pooled within Steve's chest. There was nothing he wanted to do more than just that.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"…Why?" The hurt in her voice was painful to hear. It's better this way, he reminded himself.

"It's just not a good idea." Her gaze narrowed.

"So you can fuck me but you can't hold me?" It seemed her anger had returned, white hot and blazing.

"Stella please…" He wished he could tell her why it was this way, why it needed to be this way. He longed to make her understand.

"Just leave me the hell alone." She rolled onto her side, crossing her arms. It gutted Steve to hurt her. He hated this…Damn Tony!

"Stella…" He started, but he didn't know what to say.

"Just go." Her voice broke and he knew she was crying. He sighed and stood before leaving the lab.