I got James to run me around the park. That isn't just an expression. He ran while pushing me. It was amazing. I also had a small travel-size IV of morphine to keep it in my system which may have added to how much I enjoyed it.
Geez. I sound like a druggy.
We stayed out for a couple of hours before James told me I was getting too tired and we should head back. Sadly, he wasn't using that as an excuse for him being tired. That's right, James running me around the park tired me out more than him. He's disgusting.
"Do I really have to get back in that bed?" I whine tiredly as he wheels me into my room.
"Yes."
He ignores my sigh and puts my right arm around his neck. This is going to hurt. I lean forward and he puts one arm behind my back and his other under my legs. As he lifts me, I try to mask my pain with a very fake, shallow laugh. James gives me a look, rightfully concerned.
"Your hair tickles?" I wheeze.
"I should've waited to take you out. You're obviously not ready to be moved," he says with regret.
"No! So help me, if you take that wheelchair away, I'm gonna...gonna..."
'What could you possibly do?' his expression asks as well as my common sense.
My eyes flash with inspiration. "I'll get Tony to magnetize your arm."
His eyes darken in response. "Fine." James moves to set me on the bed. Before he pulls away, he stares into my eyes. "But good luck going anywhere without me to pick you up."
I tighten the grip of my arm around the back of his neck. It's not like I'm strong enough to keep him from standing up, but I know he won't move if it'll put me in more pain. "Aren't you supposed to be a superhero now? Shouldn't you be helping damsels in distress? Not keeping them locked in a tower, you ogre!" I growl grumpily. It isn't very intimidating when I'm still trying to breathe properly.
We glare playfully at each other for a moment, until the noise of an uncomfortable throat-clearing sounds from my doorway. I drop my arm and James snaps away like a released rubber band.
"I um, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something..." Steve trails off, standing stiffly.
"Oh, no, no. I was just threatening James. Wasn't I, James?" I look up to him for support, but instead he glances evilly at me, revenge in his eyes.
He gives Steve a cocky grin. "Anne was just telling me what would happen if I didn't take her out again. Guess she had a great time alone with me today." James looks back to me. "Didn't you, doll?"
'What is he doing? Big weirdo.'
I look to Steve, expecting him to laugh or something, but he's studying James intently for I don't know what. It's strange, like he's galled both at the situation and at himself for feeling that way.
"Did you need something?" James asks Steve pretty rudely.
This makes Steve swallow down whatever is bothering him. "I just wanted to see how Anne's doing, I wasn't able to check in with her earlier today like I normally do."
James just keeps his arrogant grin. He looks back to me and rests his metal hand on my shoulder. "I'll see you later, okay?" He asks gently, but his eyes sparkle with mischief.
"Okay," I drag out the word, trying to figure out if he managed to hit his head while I wasn't looking.
He gives my shoulder a light squeeze before leaving, smiling at Steve his whole way out of my room.
I don't think I've ever seen Steve look so, uptight (I guess?) before.
"You um, you went out with James?" He clasps his hands in front of himself, staying by the door.
Red flag. He never calls James 'James', it's always 'Bucky'.
"Yeah, he bribed me with a trip out of the Tower," I say somewhat cautiously. It doesn't sound like he cleared my leaving with anyone else.
"He bribed you?" Steve shifts, letting his hands fall to his sides.
I nod. "He brought cookies too. I think that's the real lasting influence Hydra left on him, he's quite the devious mastermind."
Steve rests his hands on his hips and steps closer. "He was like that before. What, um, what did he want from you in return?"
I look down. "He said I need to talk to someone about what- about what happened. To me."
He crosses his arms and steps closer again. He's by the chair now and he sounds a little more relaxed. "He's right, you know."
"Ugh. I know, but don't tell him I said that." I look up to meet his eyes with a smile.
Steve matches my smile and sits down. "Do you want an update on where we are with finding Bill Fuller?"
I shake my head. "I know you'll get him. But...do you know what happened to Carson? Or whatever his name actually is."
"Yeah, I do." He steels himself.
"Steve?... Where is he?"
"We have him in holding."
"How long have you had him in holding?"
Steve's jaw tightens. "About a day."
"He's- is he here? In the Tower?"
Steve leans forward. "You're safe, Anne. He's locked up. He can't get to you."
I wave him off. "I'm not worried about him getting to me. Those locks had better be two-way for his safety."
He's stunned for a moment. "You're gonna jump him?" he looks down the length of me. "In what, a couple months?"
"When properly motivated, the human body can overcome all sorts of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Besides, I'd like to pop him in the jaw, not 'jump him.' This isn't 'West Side Story' and I'm not that sadistic.
Steve shakes his head. "You aren't going to see him. I'm not taking the chance. But you can rest easy knowing that he got something equivalent to being 'popped in the jaw' when we picked him up."
My eyebrows rise.
"He put up a fight. I only did what I had to do to detain him," he explains.
I tilt my head. "Go on."
Steve shrugs. "I might've given him a heck of a shiner before actually trying to detain him. Which may have knocked him out cold. And cracked his cheekbone."
I huff and lie back. I'm not sure how to feel about all of this.
"I hope this isn't setting some precedent for how you break up with the rest of your future boyfriends."
I glare at him as he crosses his arms and grins a little tightly.
"He wasn't my boyfriend."
Steve's smile slips a little. "I thought, you two..."
"No. He was interested- excuse me, he was acting interested, but I told him the week before he kidnapped me that I couldn't be more than friends with him when I was already-" I cut myself off before I spill my guts to Steve. "-already thinking of adopting some cats...?"
He doesn't look convinced. "That's probably why he took you when he did â figured your relationship wouldn't progress either fast enough or close enough to get any information from you, because you're in- love, with Bucky," he grinds out.
"What."
"I feel like a knucklehead for not seeing it sooner. I mean, it's obvious now." Steve leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His teeth grit as he forces a smile.
He, he can't be jealous, can he?
"Steve, I'm-"
"No, you don't have to explain. Bucky's a good man and he'll, he'll be good to you. You clearly make him happy and I know he'd do anything for you." He sounds bitter.
He is jealous.
"You guys'll be great together-"
I put my hand over his mouth. "Steve. Shh."
His eyes dart to mine in surprise, but he stays quiet.
"You're not a knucklehead for 'missing the signs of our love', but you are kind of a moron for being jealous over nothing."
His eyes grow in panic and I continue before he can say anything.
"James doesn't like me that way. You don't have to worry about losing him to me. We're just friends," I assure him and drop my hand.
"What about uh, what I walked in on?"
"I already told you, I was threatening him. He was going to take the wheelchair away. And as for the other stuff, he was just getting back at me by being a brat."
"Oh." He stares at the wall across from him.
"Mhmm."
Steve's very quiet. It's awkward. I don't do awkward silences.
"You don't have to feel weird about it. I felt the same way when you started dating Kate."
Why, mouth? Why must you always metaphorically stab me in the back?
He looks at me, a little doubtful. "You did?"
I nod, looking down at my fingers. "It felt like I was losing you." I clear my throat. "Speaking of which, how is Kate? I hope my abduction, rescue, and convalescence hasn't interfered too much with your relationship," I joke.
No, really, it is a joke.
Mostly.
"She's an agent," he answers automatically.
Of course she is. I though she was perfect before, but of course that wasn't everything, of course they work together too.
"Oh. That's, great?"
Way to sell it, Anne.
Steve shrugs. "It's why Hydra didn't take her. Knew she was trained and would most likely be tracked. But she lied to me. She didn't tell me that she worked for SHIELD until just before you were taken." His voice has gone cold and detached, hiding his feelings of betrayal.
Inside, I'm both dancing at the knowledge that she isn't perfect and hurting for my best friend. I stifle a sigh. I'm a better person than is convenient for me.
"Steve, I'm sure she had to keep that from you. But that doesn't mean that she didn't really like you or that she wasn't honest about everything else when she was with you..." Kate owes me, big time.
He just shakes his head. "Everything she put forward about herself was just her cover. Once I knew who she worked for, Kate made it clear that it all was just a job to her."
I take Steve's hand and squeeze it gently. "I'm so sorry that Kate's a dingbat. Want me to egg her car?" I yawn. "Or I could do that thing where I put pink hair dye in her shampoo? Oo, I could pour a tub of honey on her and then throw a bunch of itchy feathers at her."
This wins me a smile from Steve.
"That won't be necessary. It um, it didn't hit me as hard as I thought it would. I was more upset that she had lied to me for four and a half months than I was upset about her not actually being interested in me in that way." He gently squeezes my hand back. "I guess I liked who she represented to me more than who she actually was."
I smile sleepily. His voice is so nice. "That's good. But let me now if you change your mind. You got to punch the guy who lied to me, I'd be glad to return the favor if needed." I yawn again and let my eyes flutter close. "Of course, she'd probably beat the snot out of me if I took a swing at her. But that'd be okay..." I start to trail off as my breathing deepens. "...'cause you're my...best friend. And...And if I can get through...being tortured by, by Hydra...for three days...for you, then I...I think I can...handle one...SHIELD...agent."
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A/N: So many things happened in this little chapter...shall we review them?
Nah.
I mean, unless you want to.
I'm pretty much familiar with what happened.
Also, who else found fidgeting Steve to be adorable? Anyone? Poor guy couldn't hold still, he was so uncomfortable.
And do I need to explain the title? I feel like I do, 'cause my brain is a looping, interconnected plate of spaghetti and also I'm bad at naming things... Let me know if the title doesn't make sense.
And again, so much for me waiting to post a chapter. -_- I had one of those 'wanting to bang my head against a wall because that would be more productive than what I'm actually doing' days at work and this is like therapy... Maybe I'll write a fight scene while I'm grumpy...hmm...
But I can just say... two thousand reads?!
It just hit one thousand like, three days ago.
What and what?!
UPDATE: I should've waited to post this chapter, sorry. I had to tweak a few things in the chapter because, well, I just did. It'll make some things make a lot more sense in a future chapter.
Also, I did end up writing a fight scene while I was grumpy... It actually turned out pretty intense and a little disturbing XD