The Next Day (Steve POV)

Tony had been at the compound for less than ten minutes when Steve stormed into his office.

"Thanks for knocking," Tony said sarcastically. "What can I do for you Rogers?"

"Don't ever ask me to do something like that for you again," Steve snapped. Tony raised an eyebrow.

"What're you talking about?"

"Asking me to keep Stella away from Pepper. You're not trying to keep the peace, you're just trying to avoid creating more problems for yourself. Stella deserves better than that."

"Don't tell me how to treat my kid."

"Oh, so now she's your kid?" Steve retorted.

"You're crossing a line Rogers," Tony warned.

"I don't care. I'm tired of helping you keep Stella down."

Steve was fuming. He knew he'd done the wrong thing giving into Tony's request and he intended to apologize to Stella for his actions. But Tony needed to know he'd been in the wrong too or he'd keep hurting Stella. For her sake, Steve needed to set the man straight.

Tony considered the man in front of him for a moment before averting his gaze.

"I told Pepper," He admitted quietly.

Steve raised his eyebrows. "You did? When?"

Tony pinched the space between his brows. "Last night."

"…Is that why you're back at the compound? You're hiding?"

"It may be part of the reason. Plus Bruce and I are close to a breakthrough on Stella's sleep issue."

"How did Pepper take it?" Steve asked, curiosity winning out.

"Surprisingly well, although she wasn't happy to hear that I hid it from her for so long. And she was embarrassed about their interaction yesterday. She feels guilty about how she treated Stella."

"Pepper told you what happened then?"

"Yep."

"I tried Tony. Really, I did," Steve said.

"I know you did, for Stella's sake…" Tony trailed off. "How's her training going?"

"She's really coming along. Her control has gotten a lot better, not to mention her aim and endurance. You can pull up the footage if you'd like."

Tony typed something on his computer. A hologram screen popped up in front of them. The training facility's cameras were motion sensitive and recorded everything that happened inside. The team used the footage for training purposes, figuring out what to improve on by re-watching their sessions.

Tony nodded along as Steve commentated on Stella's abilities while they reviewed the recordings.

"Barnes? Why is he there?" Tony asked when a video of Bucky and Stella sparring popped up.

"I have Stella train with the team occasionally," Steve answered.

"…He seems to be there a lot," Tony commented, scrolling through the videos. As the clips progressed, Steve began to regret showing the footage to Tony. Bucky was in almost every recent video and it was undeniably clear how close he and Stella had gotten.

Tony paused the video. The still was of Bucky and Stella laughing, the man's arms wrapped around her from behind in a playful hug. Steve had to admit it was hard watching the footage all at once.
It was one thing knowing Bucky and Stella were involved romantically. It was another thing to watch a montage of the two laughing and flirting while his back was turned.

"Tony…"

While the majority of the team knew Stella and Bucky were an item, Steve was now realizing Tony was almost never around and probably had no idea.

"Seems like they're doing a lot more than training," Tony bit out.

"They're friends," Steve said lamely.

"Is there something going on between them?" Tony asked. His gaze bore into Steve.

"Uh…" Steve wasn't a good liar, not that lying was something he was particularly comfortable with. "I-uh, don't know," He said, averting his eyes.

Tony leaned back in his chair, analyzing the super solider in front of him.

"I thought you two were involved."

Steve swallowed. Tony and he hadn't discussed Steve's relationship with Stella since she'd outed what had happened between them the night she died and came back.

"We did. Back in New York."

"And now Barnes is having a go at her? You think you can just pass her around to your friends?" Tony snarled.

"Tony, it's not like that. It's not like I wanted Stella and Bucky to get together, it just happened."

Steve realized he'd said too much.

"They spend a lot of time together Tony," Steve continued, trying his best to salvage the situation. "They got close when the rest of the team went after Loki."

Tony's expression was unreadable.

"I know you and Bucky have your differences but he and Stella-"

"He murdered her grandparents," Tony snapped. Steve didn't bother reminding Tony that Bucky had been under Hydra's control at the time. He didn't want to hash up the events in Europe all over again.

Tony let his head fall forward into his hands.

"Tony…"

"Just go."

Steve sighed and stood. He turned and walked to the door, leaving Tony to his thoughts.

Later that Day (Stella POV)

"Can we talk?"

Stella looked up from where she was stretching in preparation for training. Despite her anger and disappointment with Steve (which was nothing new) she refused to shirk training. Getting her powers under control was her only hope of leaving the compound for good.

She'd left Bucky's room late last night before returning to Steve's. The last thing she wanted to do was see Steve after what he'd done, but she had no choice. Stella still had no control over her powers while she slept and until she did, everyone else in the compound was at risk.

Thankfully Steve had already been asleep on his cot when she'd gotten back last night so Stella had been able to avoid speaking with the man.

It seemed her luck had run out.

"What about?" She asked, her impassive gaze fixed on the floor.

"I think you know."

Stella didn't answer. Steve sighed and took a seat beside her on the mat.

"Listen…I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have meddled."

"It's fine," She said shortly.

"No, it's not. Stella, can you please look at me?"

Stella steeled herself before shifting her gaze to Steve. He was staring at her, his expression solemn.

"I shouldn't have gotten involved when Tony asked me to keep you and Pepper away from one another."

"Then why did you Steve?" She asked, the words out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Because…I didn't want to see you hurt. I couldn't believe Tony hadn't told Pepper about you yet and I wanted to spare you the pain of finding out."

"Did you know…that he hadn't told her about me?" She asked after a moment.

"No. Not until he called me yesterday."

"I'm a big girl Steve. I don't need you to protect me. Besides, this is hardly the hardest thing I've gone through lately."

It was clear from Steve's gaze her false apathy wasn't fooling him.

"Stella, I know you and Tony were finally making strides in your relationship. Please don't let this change things."

"He clearly doesn't want me in his life. Not really. If he did, he would've told Pepper about me."

"Tony did tell Pepper. Last night."

Stella's gaze snapped to his. "How do you know?"

"Tony told me this morning."

"And you believed him?"

"He wasn't lying Stella," Steve said calmly.

"You can see why I'd be skeptical." She rolled to her feet, striding over to the punching bag. Steve followed. He stood behind it, holding the bag in place for her. Stella let loose a few punches.

"I know that it's hard for you to let people in. And I know that Tony hurt you yesterday," Steve started. Stella's lip twitched but she continued her combination as if she hadn't heard him. "-but didn't your mom want you to try and have a relationship with him?"

"Don't talk about my mom like you knew her." Stella snapped, her eyes meeting his.

"Stella-"

"Jesus Steve, can you let it go? You're not my therapist."

"No, but I am your friend."

"Are you?!" She snarled. Her eyes flashed blue, the temperature in the room spiking.

Steve didn't move for a beat, momentarily caught off guard by the girl's fierce reaction.

Stella stared at him for a moment with those piercing bright blue eyes. It was unnerving how the color flickered and flared, just like the tesseract.

Finally the girl blinked, then sighed. She closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply. When she opened them again, they were back to their normal chocolate brown.

"Good job." Steve commended, impressed by her control.

Stella ignored him, once again starting in on the punching bag.

"Why do you even care if Tony and I have a relationship?" She asked eventually.

"Because I don't want you to be alone Stella. Family is important."

"I don't need a family."

"Everyone needs a family."

"You don't have one."

Steve's face dropped. Stella finally looked at him, guilt already clear on her face.

"I'm sorry," She said immediately, dropping her fists. "That was…too far. I didn't mean it, Steve."

"It's okay Stella."

They stood in silence for a few moments.

"What was your dad like Steve?" Stella asked.

Steve was surprised by the question and took a second to formulate an answer.

"He was brave, kind…strong. A soldier."

"Were you close?"

"Yes. Until he died."

"And if you were in my situation and your dad pulled what Tony has, would you forgive him? Would you even want a relationship with him?"

Steve hesitated. He chose his words carefully.

"It's because I had a good relationship with my dad that I want you to have the same Stella." He watched the girl before him, acknowledging what he usually fervently tried to ignore; that she looked so much like Tony. Especially her eyes. "I wish you could have known Howard…If you did, I think Tony's actions would make a lot more sense to you."

"Howard? Tony's father?"

"Yes, your grandfather. He and Tony are eerily alike. More than Tony cares to admit. They're both brilliant, charming, dedicated…and cold, staunch workaholics. He's all Tony's ever had in terms of a father figure to model himself off of."

"Please don't make excuses for him," Stella said, but Steve could tell she was taken off guard by what he'd said.

"Alright. Can I say one more thing about Tony?"

Stella rolled her eyes.

"I guess," She muttered. She landed a particularly hard roundhouse kick against the punching bag.

"I think you're more alike than you think."

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, you're whip smart, very charismatic, and can be a bit of a workaholic yourself."

"I'm not a workaholic."

"Stella before you came to live at the compound, you worked two full time jobs in addition to your band gig," Steve said pragmatically.

Stella slowed her movements. It was clear Steve's words were starting to sink in.

"I just want you to be happy, Stella. Please give Tony another chance."

She mulled it over for a moment.

"I'll think about it." She conceded.

"That's all I ask." Steve swallowed, trying to find the right words for what needed to be said. "I know that I fucked up. Again." He shook his head, as if in disbelief over his own actions.

"Steve-"

"Please listen to me." He took a deep breath. "You and I…we've come so far. I feel like we were finally in a good place, like you trusted me again and I ruined it. I shouldn't have gotten involved and should've let Tony deal with the consequences of his actions." Steve took a breath. "I hurt you and I'm sorry."

Stella studied him for a moment. A complex array of emotions flowed through her at the clearly distressed look on the man's face. Despite everything that'd happened between them, Steve would always be her first love. And as much as she wanted to hate him…she couldn't. Because at the end of the day she knew Steve wanted what was best for her, maybe more than anyone else.

No one else had fought for her to have a relationship with Tony. No one else listened to her the way Steve did, understood her like Steve did. And maybe that was her fault. Like she'd said, he was her first love. So when she'd fallen, she hadn't held back. And as much as she cared about Bucky, she hadn't given all of herself to him yet. There was still some part of her that was holding back; some part of her that was terrified the assassin would break her heart, would abandon her like everyone else had.

Especially after she'd fallen apart last night.

Steve's methods may be backwards and frustrating and she didn't always agree with them; hell half the time they were downright wrong…but it proved the man was human, that he could make mistakes. And there was something about being reminded that at the end of the day Steve was human, that made it impossible to hate him.

Stella hadn't even realized that she'd begun to let him in again. After all his mistakes Stella had said they were through, that friendship wasn't even an option after he'd tried to sabotage her relationship with Bucky. But "dying" had changed everything.

It was cliché but in a way, it put things into perspective. Because when she'd been on the other side following that warm white light, there had been a voice that made her pause. Steve's voice.

Come on baby…Don't die on me. Come on Stella. Please come back to me.

She'd chased the voice, running in the opposite direction of the light. The next thing she knew she was waking up in the lab.

She hadn't even remembered at first. The memory had come back to her recently.

Life hadn't gotten easier after she was reborn. Steve had helped her through, much like Bucky had when she'd first come to the compound.

Her existence now put the people she cared about at risk and the only way to mitigate that risk was to train. To trust that Steve knew best and was helping her learn control so she could get back to a normal life.

And so she'd let him in again; go from trainer, to confidante, to friend. In truth, after she remembered Steve's voice leading her back, she hadn't wanted to be angry with him any longer. She'd wanted to put it all behind them.

That's why what he'd done had hurt so much. She'd let him in, not as a lover but as a friend. Stella put a lot of weight in friendship, it was one of the reasons she had so few close ones.

Somehow, it was worse being hurt by a friend than it was by a lover.

Finally, she spoke.

"As upset with you as I am, I know at the end of the day you were just trying to protect me." She looked him in the eye. "But I don't need protecting, Steve. I'm a big girl."

"I know you are. I'm sorry."

"Steve, can I ask you something?" Stella hedged. She stopped punching finally. Sweat dripped down her face. She wiped it away.

"Shoot."

"Why do you feel like you need to protect everyone?"

"I-, what?" Steve was clearly taken aback by her question.

"You have this total savior complex. Like you know best and it's your duty to protect the whole world."

"I…" Steve trailed off. Stella stared at him expectantly. He swallowed, struggling to find words.

"Fine, don't tell me." She turned on her heel to walk away.

"Because it's the only way I have value."

Stella froze. She slowly turned around.

"What?"

Steve was still standing by the bag, his gaze downcast.

"It's what I do best…protect people. It's why they chose me for the super soldier program. And why I was chosen for the Avengers."

"Steve…" Stella approached him again. "The team doesn't expect you to protect them. And it's hardly the only value you provide…" She shook her head, disbelieving. "How can you say that?"

The expression on the man's face was one she'd never seen before, one of deep insecurity. Of vulnerability.

"Steve, you're intelligent, you're compassionate, brave, intuitive…You have so much value, you bring so much to the team. And they know that."

"I'm not as smart as Tony. Or Bruce. Or as battle savvy as Natasha. Or as compassionate as Sam. Or as brave as-"

"Hush." Stella covered Steve's mouth with her hand. "It's not always about being the best Steve. Besides, I left out the most important thing." She paused. "You're their leader. Yes, the team is smart and strong and brave without you…But they're not the Avengers without you. You bring them together, Steve. Everyone follows you because they respect you. Because you've earned that respect by consistently making the right calls; by listening to them and supporting them and bringing them together when they're lost or defeated. You're so much more than a protector Steve." Stella dropped her hand.

Steve was staring at her, his expression unreadable.

"Did you mean all that?"

Stella smiled softly.

"Of course I did. But don't let it go to your head." She punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Now let's get training. We don't have all day."

Steve smiled.

"Alright."

Stella turned away. Steve snagged her wrist. She looked back at the man.

"So we're okay?" He asked.

She smiled, finally feeling like she understood the mystery that was Steve Rogers. Or at least like she had part of the puzzle figured out.

"Yeah. We're okay."

Bucky POV

"Sergeant Barnes?" Bucky looked up from where he was completing his work out in the weight room.

"Uh…yeah?" He said to the empty room.

"Apologies, it's Friday."

"Ah," He said. It was weird speaking to a bodiless entity and AI. "What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Stark would like to see you in his office."

"Tony?" Bucky questioned. He didn't even know the man was back at the compound.

"Yes sir."

"Okay." Bucky wrapped a towel around his neck. "Now?"

"Yes sir." Bucky nodded and made his way to the level above Bruce's lab where he knew Tony kept an office. He wondered idly if Tony knew what had happened between him and Stella last night, but quickly dismissed the thought. Stella and Tony weren't close and he seriously doubted she would've told anyone what had happened.

Bucky felt guilty for letting things go as far as they had. In truth, his feelings for the girl ran deep, deeper than he cared to admit. He desperately hoped he hadn't ruined things last night.

Tony's office door was open when Bucky got there. He knocked lightly before letting himself in.

"Tony?"

"Barnes, come in."

Bucky did as told. He sunk into one of the chairs in front of Tony's desk.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Tony offered.

Bucky shook his head. What was going on? Why was Tony being nice to him? The man usually fervently ignored his presence.

"How are you liking the compound?" Tony queried, leaning backward and steepling his fingers.

"Fine, I guess."

Bucky analyzed Stark's body language. The man was seemingly relaxed. He was reclined back in his chair, his tone casual but Bucky was better at reading people than your average man. His sharp eyes didn't miss how Tony's fingers fidgeted nervously or the way his eyes darted all over the room, not settling on Bucky for more than five seconds at a time.

"Good…Good. So the reason I called you in today Barnes…Well, it's Stella."

Bucky maintained his best poker face. There was no way Tony knew about what happened last night, could he?

"Okay."

"I see that you two have gotten close."

Bucky shrugged, putting forth a mask of indifference while he figured out what the man wanted. How much did Tony know?

"I guess."

"Rogers may have mentioned you two are…involved?"

Damnit Steve…Bucky thought angrily. The man was too honest for his own good. Did his best friend sell him out?

"You can see how I would feel about that, considering our past," Tony continued.

Bucky didn't know what to say. Tony's parents' deaths still haunted him, to be honest all of them did. And yet, Tony had agreed to let Bucky live at the compound regardless.

"Listen Tony. I care about Stella. Really-"

"I can tell," Tony interrupted. "That's why I know we can talk about this like men."

Bucky leaned back in his chair, studying the man before him.

"What is your concern exactly?" Bucky asked.

"Stella is…still getting a grip on her power. She's been thrust into a whole new world in the past few months and it's been a lot on her."

Bucky clenched his fist.

I'm aware Stark. More so than you since I've actually been around.

Tony toyed with a desk ornament. "And…the last thing she needs right now is another distraction."

"A distraction." Bucky did his best to stay calm. He knew getting angry would do little to help the situation and would just give Stark another thing to hold against him.

"She needs to focus on controlling her power," Tony continued. "With what happened the other night; her starting that fire in her sleep…it seems her power is growing at a remarkable rate. If she lost control and hurt someone, she'd never forgive herself."

Bucky considered Tony's words.

"What're you asking exactly Tony?"

Bucky had a feeling he knew, but he needed the man to say it.

"I'm asking for you to give her some space while she gets a grip on her powers. Give her time to focus on her training, to learn how to control it."

Bucky's jaw tightened. "…How long are we talking exactly?"

"A few weeks. Maybe longer."

Bucky swallowed as he debated Tony's words. If he gave Stark this one concession…maybe it would be a step towards mending their relationship.

Bucky cared about Stella. They had only been "together" for a little over a month but he'd had feelings for her long before that. And he knew it was soon but he desperately wanted a future with her…but he couldn't imagine how feasible that future would be if her father despised him.

"…Fine. For Stella," Bucky agreed reluctantly.

"Thanks Barnes. I owe you one."

"I really do care about her Tony." Bucky held the man's gaze for emphasis.

Tony gave him a half smile.

"How could you not?"

Stella POV (A few days later)

"I've come up with a solution to your nightmare issue," Tony announced as he took a seat next to Stella at the breakfast table. Stella still hadn't gotten used to the man's presence at the compound, though he'd been there for a few days. Yesterday he'd apologized to her for not telling Pepper sooner and promised to arrange a time for the two women to meet again. Stella wasn't sure how sincere his apology was but accepted it regardless. Like Steve said, she knew Tony was still learning how to be a dad and was bound to make some mistakes. So she forgave him.

But she would never forget.

"Oh?" She asked, her interest piqued.

He slid two metal bracelets over to her. Stella picked them up and examined them. They were heavy in her palm. Her eye caught on something on the inside of the band. It looked like some sort of sensor.

"What are these?" She asked.

"They're to help you control your power while you're asleep."

"How do they work?" She queried, running her fingers over the sensor.

The rest of the team had stopped conversing and were looking on interestedly.

Tony cleared his throat. He glanced at Bruce. Bruce was looking resolutely down at his plate, refusing to meet Tony's gaze.

"Well, when your body temperature raises over a certain degree…it emits a small shock."

"…A shock." Stella repeated.

"Relatively painless," Tony assured her.

"Like a collar for a dog?" Natasha interjected indignantly. Tony shot her a look.

"Not like a dog collar. Like I said, it's relatively painless."

"But painful enough to wake her from sleep?" Steve snapped.

"And you helped him with this?" Natasha asked, whipping her head around at Bruce.

"Technically yes. But we never agreed it was ready for human trial or finished discussing the moral implications…"

"I'll do it," Stella said. The team looked at her. "If it means I won't hurt anyone, I'll wear it."

"Stella…"

"It's fine. Really. Tony said it doesn't even hurt."

"Barely," Tony clarified.

"How painful is it?" Wanda asked.

"Well the shock is relative to the strength of the temperature. The hotter the temp, the higher the voltage. But the bracelet will wake her up before the voltage gets too high."

Stella analyzed the bracelet. She longed to pry open the mechanism and see how the device worked but the edges were smooth. There was no way to access the inner control panel.

"Try it out," Tony encouraged. Stella slipped one of the bracelets on. It snapped shut around her wrist. "Try summoning your power."

She did. A small flame grew in her palm.

"Ow!" The bracelet shocked her, similar to the pain of a static shock.

"Did it hurt?" Steve asked.

"No, not really. Just surprised me."

I wonder how high the voltage goes…

"Stella…Are you sure?" Steve probed.

"It's my decision," Stella said firmly. She gave Steve a look as if to say "Butt. Out." She turned to Tony. "So I just put them on before bed?"

"Yep. You only need to wear them when you're sleeping. You can take them off whenever you like."

Bruce cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Perfect. Thank you both." She beamed at Tony and Bruce. Tony smiled back in return while Bruce merely dropped his gaze to his plate. Stella turned back to Steve. "Guess we're not roomies anymore, Rogers."

He smirked.

"Thank God. That cot is killing my back." The team laughed. Stella laughed along, glancing at the empty chair across from her where Bucky normally sat. It had been vacant for a few days now. As a matter of fact, she hadn't seen him since the incident in his bedroom. A pit of anxiety welled in her chest. The bracelet, which was still on her wrist, shocked her.

"Ow," She muttered, only loud enough for herself to hear. She removed the bracelet, placing it beside her on the table.

A/N: Thanks for reading guys! As always if you're enjoying this story, please take the time to drop a review and let me know your thoughts. They really keep me motivated to keep writing :)