Twice Shy
Steve found his family in the basement of their home, exactly where he figured they would be. Tony was showing Peter some engine he was working on for one of his many cars and the teen was soaking up every ounce of knowledge he could. Steve leaned against the wall and just watched without being noticed. Seeing the two of them together, in this home they worked so hard to make their own, he wondered yet again how he could have almost lost everything. He didn’t regret going after Bucky for one second, and he still disagreed with the Accords as they existed in their original state, but the thought of never having this moment almost made him panic. Peter laughed at some joke Tony told, probably an inappropriate one. Tony was an amazing parent. When they first talked about adoption - roughly a year after moving in together, two years after Steve was unfrozen and seemingly a lifetime away from the first formation of the Avengers - Tony had flat out refused out of fear of turning out like Howard. Of course, when they met Peter at one of a million charity events Tony had become absolutely besotted. All it took was one day of spending time with the boy and both men knew that he completed their family. Steve decided to come out of hiding when he heard Tony utter the phrase, ‘take it for a spin.’
“Peter, you’re really supposed to still be resting.” Steve came up behind Tony and wrapped his arms around the shorter man’s waist while nuzzling his nose into the back of his neck. Peter rolled his eyes, but by now, was used to their very public displays of affection.
“I know Pops, Dad was just showing me some stuff. I was getting bored up in my room.”
Steve nodded and disentangled himself from Tony. “I know what that’s like. One time I got pneumonia and had to spend almost three months on bed rest. Your Uncle Bucky even tried sneaking me out, but my mom caught us.”
“And I’m supposedly the bad example.” Tony let out a melodramatic sigh.
“Did you talk to him yet?” Steve asked Tony who shook his head.
“Talk to who about what?” Peter asked excitedly. He knew it wasn’t Avengers business, the garage/workshop had a strict ‘no work talk’ policy.
“Pete, your Pops and I have been talking about the Spiderboy thing.”
“SpiderMAN” Peter corrected.
“Ya, that.” Tony tapped his fingers nervously at the desk. “You know,” He addressed Steve. “Now that we’re actually saying it out loud this whole thing scares the hell out of me.”
Steve put one arm around Tony’s shoulder. “We decided to train you.”
Peter’s reaction was instant. His face lit up in one of the largest smiles they had ever seen and he tried jumping in the air but quickly aborted the mission when he felt his incision pull.
“There’re conditions.” Tony said sternly, which made Peter sober up real fast, he was not normally the stern one.
“Yes, of course! I’ll do whatever you want.” Peter sat down in one of the barstool chairs to cradle his aching surgery site, but his enthusiasm remained.
“First of all,” Tony held up a finger. “You’re not an Avenger. You’re not even B team.”
“Second,” Steve took up where Tony left off. “You’re going to train harder than any of us, even Bucky. It’s not going to be easy, you’ll have lessons with Nat, Clint, Bucky, and the two of us on top of your normal school work.”
“You’re also going to get a full physical done by Doctor Augustin.” Tony finished.
“And no more sneaking around.” Steve finished what he had to say as well. Both parents looked expectantly at their son.
“So I can’t go on missions?” Peter asked dejectedly.
“Maybe, and I do mean maybe when you’re older.” Steve put a hand on Peter’s shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug.
Quinn changed into a baggy pair of sweatpants as soon as she entered her apartment. Within minutes pizza was ordered and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ was queued up on the t.v., she just had to wait for her roommate to get home. The front door opened, but it was just her neighbor, Royal.
“Hey Roy!” Quinn called from her spot on the couch.
Royal jumped over the back and swept his long mohawk out of his face. “Don’t call me that, Augie.” He stuck his tongue out at her and Quinn laughed at their familiar banter. She never learned if Royal was a nickname or his real name, but in the years they had been neighbors he became just like a brother to her. His heavily tattooed, muscular body and Hollywood blonde hair and blue eyes meant that most women clamored over themselves to get at Royal, but he and Quinn had simply never thought of each other in any terms other than platonic, even if he did flirt with her occasionally.
“Chick flicks and pizza night?” Royal casually swung his arm over the back of the leather couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table.
“Yep. Andi and I both agreed to a night in.” Quinn scowled at his boots on the glass of the table, but knew it was a losing fight to say anything.
“OR you could come to the bar. Have a little fun, listen to the band, meet a hot guitar player, take him home....”
“I think you’re describing your night.” Quinn playfully shoved him.
“Don’t swing that way babe. But seriously, there’s a kickass band playing and you should get out more.”
The front door swung open again and Andi entered the apartment in a huff. “You know,” She started in her almost accent all native New Yorkers seemed to have mastered. “I realize stripping isn’t the most respectable of careers but every once in a while I would like it if people didn’t look at me like dog shit on the bottom of their shoe when they find out it’s what I do.”
“Who do I need to kill?” Royal cracked his knuckles comically.
Andi shook her long brown curls. “No one in particular. I was on the train headed home and this guy strikes up a conversation with me. Number one; weird. But I went with it. Then he asked me what I did so I told him and it was like everyone around me was suddenly weirded by the fact that I said it. Plus, I got turned down by yet another dance company, the director said I ‘wasn’t their style.’”
Andi plopped down on the couch next to Royal and put her head on his shoulder.
“Sounds like you need a night out.” Royal patted the back of her head and grinned mischievously.
“Or...” Quinn said emphatically. “A night in with pizza, Mister D’Arcy, and your injured roommate.”
“I don’t know, Q,” Andi chewed her bottom lip dramatically. “Royal does make a good point. And isn’t there a band at the bar tonight?”
“We have booze here.” Quinn was starting to grasp straws.
“Does that matter?” Royal waved a hand dismissively. “Have you ever paid a dime for a drink in my bar?”
Quinn huffed, once again she could see she was fighting a losing battle against her two very strong willed best friends. “Fiiiine. Let me go change out of my extremely comfortable sweat pants and figure out a way to look remotely presentable in this sling. But you both owe me! Movie night tomorrow.”
That was how thing went between the three of them. Quinn was the most introverted of the trio, so most nights the other two coerced her into socializing with the promise of a ‘Quinn’ night to follow. Within minutes Quinn was dressed in heels and a simple black skater dress. She looked in the mirror and frowned at the sling, it would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention and she dreaded telling the story of her injury over and over again. At least all of Royal’s bartenders knew to make her gin and tonics heavy on the gin.
The bar, Royal Savage, could have passed as a biker bar in almost any other city, but had been overrun by hipsters and what Royal dubbed ‘lumbersexuals.’ Royal loved to complain about his patrons and their pretentious ways, but as soon as the trio entered he turned on the charm and almost every eye in the room focused in on him.
Once the band started playing and Quinn started drinking she had to admit it wasn’t too bad being out with Andi and Royal. Andi never stayed away from the dance floor long and was a blast to watch. Her years of training showed through even when she was just having fun. The band was pretty good, kind a Breaking Benjamin type vibe. Royal was surrounded by his usual crowd of girls wearing barely there dresses and holding his ever present Jack and Coke - that was really just Coke because, ironically, he never drank but felt like he needed to keep up appearances. Quinn felt the familiar callous of his hand on the back of her neck while she was chatting with one of the bartenders.
“I know you’re not just going to sit here all night.” Royal growled into her ear. “Come dance with me.”
“I’ve already been shot once this month.” Quinn turned and tilted his chin towards one of the girls that had been exceptionally clingy all night. “I better not piss off your fangirls.”
“C’mon Augie.” Royal tugged at her good arm and started to pull her towards the dance floor. “I’m going to go fucking insane if I have to spend more time with those Brooklyn Babies.” Royal referred to the Lana Del Rey song he frequently compared the type of women who hung out in his bar to.
They started to dance. Well, Royal started to dance and Quinn somewhat followed along. The band was playing a cover of ‘Once Bitten, Twice Shy’ and Royal put his hands around Quinn’s waist, pulled her close, and started a rapid, grinding version of a two-step. They probably looked ridiculous, but Quinn still laughed at the way he would flop his mohawk all over the place and sing loudly along to the chorus. Her belly was aching and her shoulder was sore by the time the song ended. She excused herself to get some fresh air and with a promise that she wasn’t going to sneak home and ‘read a book or some lame ass thing like that’.
As much as she hated the practice of smoking after seeing its effects firsthand in her patients, the smell of cigarettes and booze coupled with the noise of the city was one of Quinn’s favorites things about going out. Something about standing outside a crowded bar alone but surrounded by people made her feel free. It was a reminder that she was no longer under her parents rule, as much as they both tried to keep her there. She found a window ledge on the corner of the building where no one else was at and sat down to enjoy a moment of peace.
“You really shouldn’t go off on your own.” A deep male voice pulled her out of her revery. She looked up and saw a pair of familiar blue eyes.
“It’s James, right?” She asked. “James Barnes?”
“My name is Bucky.” The large man sat down next to her on the window sill and pulled out a cigarette and lighter. “You mind?”
Quinn shook her head no. “What are you doing all the way in Queens?”
“I like the band that’s playing.” Bucky took a long drag and looked over at her quizzically. “This doesn’t really seem like your kind of joint, doc.”
There was just the smallest hint of Brooklyn in his voice and Quinn decided she really like the sound of it.
“Normally wouldn’t be. But one of my friends owns it.” Quinn looked through the window and saw Royal pass a shot over to Andi. So apparently it was going to be one of those nights.
“You mean your boyfriend who had his hands all over you?”
Quinn snapped her head to Bucky, disbelieving what she had heard. “Royal is just a friend, he’s like a brother to me.”
Bucky took another long pull from his cigarette until just the cherry remained. He flicked it into the street and stood up, pulling the hood of his jacket up. “You may think that, but where I’m from you don’t dance with your sisters like that.”
“Well maybe you should head back there.” Quinn stood up and looked at him defiantly.
“Sometimes I wish I could. I guess I’ll be seeing you around on Monday, doc.” Bucky turned and started walking away from the bar.
Quinn glared at his retreating form, furious that she had let him push her buttons like that.
“Hey!” She yelled after him and he turned just slightly so she could see the side of his face. “I never thanked you for saving my life. So, thanks, I guess.” She saw a small smirk then he turned and continued walking without so much as a ‘you’re welcome.’
Quinn considered running to catch up with him but her phone rang and a familiar number flashed across the screen. That number was like a bucket of ice water in her gut. She swiped her phone to answer with shaky fingers.
“Hello, Father.” She tried to sound casual, but knew he would see right through the facade.
“You need to start picking up the phone when your mother calls.” William Augustin didn’t bother greeting his daughter. “I had to keep her from flying out to New York yesterday because you can’t be bothered to pick up your phone.”
“Sorry, I’ve just been busy. I’ll call her tomorrow.” Quinn deadpanned, hoping that was the only reason for the call, but she doubted it.
“You have been busy. What did Stark offer you?”
Quinn’s breath hitched. She didn’t bother asking how he knew about her meeting at the Stark house, it was obvious he had someone following her....again. “I helped his son at the hospital a while back, he just wants me to make house calls.”
“I don’t need to remind you of what will happen if you violate your gag order.” William’s voice didn’t have any emotion behind it, as if he were simply commenting on the warmer than usual weather they were having.
“No, Dad.” Quinn absently ghosted her finger above the scars on her right side. “You don’t.”
Bucky deftly made his way through the city sidewalks heading nowhere in particular and cursing Peter Stark-Rogers the whole time. The damn kid hadn’t shut up about the doctor and the result was her face getting stuck in Bucky’s head. Every time he fell asleep he had the same nightmare, not being able to get to her. He had intended to drown her out in alcohol and good music tonight but of course that new band he liked just had to be playing at a bar she was at. It took every ounce of his self-control to keep from ripping that blond guy’s arms from his sockets when he saw him all over Quinn. The jealousy came as a shock to Bucky. That simply wasn’t him. Even when he and Natasha had attempted a kind of relationship, he never felt jealous around her. He never felt like he needed to protect Natasha and he definitely never had nightmares involving her. He decided the only reason the doctor had her claws in him was because Peter kept talking about her and he tended to listen when the kid talked.