Unspoken Bonds
The sun was setting over the compound, casting a warm, golden light over the courtyard as the Avengers gathered in the common area. It had been a long, exhausting day filled with missions, meetings, and tech projects, but now, for the first time in what felt like ages, there was a sense of quiet contentment in the air.
Arthur sat by the large window, his legs crossed beneath him as he sketched in his notebook. The soft scratch of his pencil on the page was the only sound breaking the stillness, and even that seemed distant. His mind was calm for once, not a whirlwind of thoughts threatening to sweep him away. He liked this—he liked the quiet moments, the ones where his anxieties could settle. But even in these moments, his sense of vigilance never quite let go. He had learned long ago that peace could be fleeting.
Peter sat on the couch, messing with one of his new gadgets that Tony had given him, an excited grin plastered across his face. The teen had been in much better spirits after their talk the other day, but there were still times when his energy would spike, and his mind would wander. Arthur noticed it, but it didn’t seem to bother Peter anymore. It was just part of who he was, and Arthur understood that feeling all too well.
"Hey, Arti," Peter said suddenly, drawing Arthur’s attention. “I finally figured out how to make the webbing stick to—”
He was interrupted by a loud, unmistakable voice that filled the room.
“Peter!” Tony’s voice boomed from across the room. “Not in here! You’re going to break something again!”
Peter immediately looked guilty, quickly putting the gadget down. “Sorry, Mr. Stark. I was just trying to—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Tony said, walking over with his arms crossed, smirking. “You were just ‘improving’ my already flawless design, right?”
“I wasn’t messing with it! I was just—”
Tony held up a hand to stop him. “I get it. You’re a genius. But please, leave the testing for the lab, kid. You don’t want to make this place look like an episode of Iron Man and the Spider.”
Arthur chuckled under his breath, but before Peter could respond, Steve walked in, looking like he’d just returned from a workout. The rest of the team had slowly filtered into the common area, everyone settling into their own little pockets of space.
Bucky took his usual seat in the corner, watching everyone with his usual quiet intensity. He’d been around more lately, getting involved in a variety of missions with Steve, and Arthur noticed that Bucky seemed to be less guarded around the team. The days of him being distant and closed off were fading, replaced with something a little more comfortable, a little more alive.
“You know,” Steve said with a grin, looking around the room, “I think it’s time we take a break. We’ve been going nonstop. What do you say we all head out to the park and just... chill for a bit?”
Arthur’s heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with the team, but being outside, in public, around people—that was something that always triggered his anxiety. He wasn’t sure if he could handle it.
Bucky seemed to sense Arthur’s hesitation and raised an eyebrow, giving him a knowing look. "You good, Arti?" he asked casually.
Arthur nodded, trying to brush it off. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
But Peter, ever perceptive, caught the subtle tension in his posture and tilted his head. “You sure? You don’t look like you’re fine.”
Arthur froze for a moment, feeling the familiar heat of embarrassment creeping up his neck. He didn’t want to admit it, but Peter was right. He wasn’t fine.
“I—” Arthur started, but his voice faltered. He wasn’t sure how to explain it, especially with everyone watching.
Before he could finish, Tony interjected. “Look, why don’t we just keep it casual? We can all head out to the park, grab some ice cream, and just... hang. No pressure, no expectations.” He looked over at Peter. “Peter, you can show off your webs, and maybe Tony can keep the chaos to a minimum for once.”
Peter grinned, clearly delighted by the idea. “Wait, we get ice cream? I’m in!”
Arthur gave a small, nervous laugh. The idea of the group hanging out together made him uneasy, but Tony’s lighthearted approach seemed to make it easier to entertain.
“I guess ice cream can’t hurt,” Arthur said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
“Great!” Steve clapped his hands together. “Let’s get out of here then. We deserve a break.”
Everyone filtered out of the common room, Arthur trailing behind. He made sure to stick close to Steve and Bucky, not because he felt safe, but because it was the easiest way to keep himself grounded. His mind kept jumping ahead to what it would be like outside—the noise, the crowds, the unfamiliarity. But he kept his focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
The park wasn’t far from the compound, a peaceful area surrounded by trees and open grass. As they arrived, the change of scenery made Arthur feel a little less tense. The wide, open spaces allowed his brain to calm down. For the first time that day, he could breathe a little easier.
Peter immediately ran toward the open field, his web-shooters clicking as he swung from one end of the park to the other. Tony and Steve watched with amused smiles as Peter performed acrobatic stunts, trying to show off without causing too much of a spectacle.
Bucky stayed close to Arthur, both of them standing off to the side, watching the chaos unfold.
“You good now?” Bucky asked, his voice softer than usual.
Arthur glanced over at him and nodded. “Yeah. I think so. It’s... nice out here.”
Bucky smiled, his arms crossed as he leaned back against a tree. “Yeah, sometimes it’s good to get out of the compound. Fresh air helps.”
Arthur glanced around at the rest of the team—Peter’s wild stunts, Tony’s sarcastic remarks, Steve’s broad grin—but he realized something. Despite his usual anxiety, despite the heavy weight of his past, these were the moments that kept him tethered to the present.
He wasn’t just a weapon. He wasn’t just a failure. He wasn’t Death. He was Arthur. And for the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel like he was walking through life alone.
And maybe that was enough.
The sound of laughter broke his thoughts, and Arthur couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real. And it felt good to be a part of it.
As Peter swung by them again, Tony calling out “Don’t break anything!” in the background, Arthur felt the tension in his chest loosen even more. Maybe, just maybe, he was starting to believe that he could have a place here—with them.
And that was something worth holding on to.
To be continued…