Quiet before the Storm
The mission was brief. A simple retrieval operation, the kind that didn’t require much finesse or detailed strategy. Just in and out. The team would head to a warehouse, secure the target, and bring it back without breaking a sweat.
Arthur sat in the back of the Quinjet, legs crossed and eyes lazily scanning the skies. His thoughts weren’t on the mission, though. He was already mentally wandering, thinking about what was waiting for them back at the compound. Work. Lunch. Probably some quiet moments with Steve, which had become a comforting routine since their talk.
It was strange to be part of something that felt… easy. Missions used to be suffocating, always fraught with high stakes and the looming presence of danger. But now, with the Avengers, things felt almost routine, though Arthur would never admit how much that comforted him.
"We’re almost there," Steve said, cutting through Arthur’s idle thoughts. "Keep sharp."
Arthur nodded absently, snapping out of his reverie. Despite the simplicity of the mission, his nerves tingled with the familiar feeling that he needed to stay alert, no matter how easy it seemed. His leg bounced under him as his mind drifted once again, the movement rhythmic and automatic.
A few minutes later, they landed, the Quinjet humming as it touched down. The mission was as smooth as expected. They moved through the warehouse, cleared the space without issue, and retrieved the target—a small, unassuming device that was already secured by Tony’s team.
"That’s a wrap," Tony announced as they made their way back to the jet. "Nothing too exciting today, but I’ll take it."
Arthur offered a small smile, glad that the mission was over without incident. Despite his occasional struggles with overstimulation or anxiety, he was still a soldier at his core. And today, he could allow himself to feel just a little bit of relief.
Once back at the compound, the team gathered for a casual lunch in the common area. There were sandwiches, chips, and a few fruit bowls scattered across the table. The usual quiet chatter filled the room, and Arthur found himself seated between Steve and Sam, who were arguing about the best way to train for endurance.
Arthur, for once, was content to listen, only chiming in when they asked for his opinion on something, but not pushing himself to take center stage. It felt nice not to have to perform, to just be present without worrying about being perfect. The noise of the conversation was comfortably familiar, like the hum of the Quinjet engines in the background.
“So, Arti,” Sam said with a grin, “are you gonna join Steve for that run tomorrow? Or are you too scared?”
Arthur laughed, though his chest tightened at the thought. Running wasn’t exactly his favorite activity, but the idea of spending time with Steve in such a relaxed setting was appealing. "I’m not scared," Arthur said, giving Sam a teasing look. "Just not sure I can keep up with Captain America."
Steve chuckled, nudging Arthur lightly with his shoulder. “We’ll take it easy, Arti. No pressure.”
"Yeah, yeah," Sam teased. "You guys just better not make it a competition."
Arthur felt a warm flush of gratitude, a subtle weight lifting from his shoulders. The banter was easy, fun. He didn’t have to worry about being too much or too little. He was simply part of the group, just Arthur. For a moment, everything felt right. He wasn’t trapped by his past or the weight of his responsibilities. He was just... here. And that was more than enough.
Lunch was relatively quiet after that, everyone eating and chatting without much urgency. The usual teasing and joking filled the room, but there was no rush. Arthur, content for the moment, let the conversations drift around him, his mind still a little restless but grounded in the easy camaraderie of the team.
After lunch, the group disbanded to take care of various tasks. Arthur found himself in the lab with Tony, who had asked for his help on a few ongoing projects—nothing too complicated, just some testing on the new tech. Arthur was always glad to lend a hand, even if it was a bit mundane. There was comfort in the routine of it.
But as he sat down at the workstation, pulling up the specs Tony had sent over, his mind started to drift. It was hard to focus on the details of the project. His eyes flitted over the screen, but his thoughts kept slipping away. The numbers and formulas on the display blurred, turning into a series of unintelligible lines and shapes.
He tried to focus, but the sound of typing from across the room, the hum of the fridge, the faint murmur of voices in the hallway—it all started to compound, piling up like layers on top of each other. The noise, the flashing lights on his screen, the clinking of metal from the hallway. It was too much.
His leg started bouncing again, his foot tapping against the floor in quick, agitated bursts. His breathing became shallow, the familiar signs of his anxiety creeping up. He couldn’t sit still. He couldn’t concentrate. His brain was buzzing, full of static, too many thoughts tangled together.
“Arti?”
Tony’s voice cut through the chaos, pulling Arthur back to the present. He looked up at him, trying to shake off the sudden wave of frustration that had risen inside him. Tony was standing next to him now, his expression neutral but curious.
“You alright?” Tony asked, his gaze flickering down to Arthur’s restless leg. “You look like you’re a million miles away.”
Arthur opened his mouth to answer but found the words caught in his throat. He didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was he was struggling. His mind couldn’t latch onto anything. The more he tried to focus, the more everything slipped through his fingers.
“Just… a little distracted,” Arthur muttered, his voice tight. “It’s hard to concentrate right now.”
Tony raised an eyebrow, not the least bit surprised. “That’s your ADHD, huh?”
Arthur nodded, swallowing. “Yeah, it’s... like my brain’s running on overdrive and I can’t catch up.”
Tony gave him a sympathetic look. “I hear you. Sometimes it’s like that for me too. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, alright?”
Arthur blinked, surprised by the simplicity of Tony’s words. It wasn’t something he had been expecting, and it made something inside him unclench, just a little.
Tony tapped a few buttons on the console, switching the screens to something a little less overwhelming. “Here, try focusing on this for a bit. Something easy. No pressure.”
Arthur gave him a grateful smile, feeling the tension in his body ease just a bit. Tony was right. Maybe he didn’t need to force himself to focus on the big picture right away. Maybe just getting through one task at a time would be enough for now.
Taking a deep breath, Arthur turned his attention to the new task Tony had set up. It wasn’t much, just a small adjustment to a piece of tech, but it was enough to distract him from the rush of thoughts clouding his mind.
Though the restlessness never completely left, the simple act of focusing on something tangible, something small, helped ground him in the present moment.
Maybe it wasn’t about pushing through it all at once. Maybe it was about taking it step by step.
To be continued…