Chapter 13
“Hey, y/n, we’re here!” You heard Steve yell from the living room.
“I’m running behind this morning! I’ll just be another couple of minutes!” You replied through the tiny opening in your bedroom door.
“Take your time.”
Ever since that day in the cemetery, your daily routine had consisted of Steve and Sam coming over to your house which served as the command center in the search for one James Buchanan Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier. Your living room was covered with maps, photographs, and file folders related to possible leads as to his whereabouts. So far, all of them had been dead ends.
Once you were dressed, you walked down the hall to find Steve grabbing the familiar take out cup of coffee and small bag that you knew would contain your favorite breakfast pastry. You had never met anyone so consistently considerate.
“Thanks,” you said, grabbing both and offering him a smile.
“Anytime.”
Sam was already flipping through a stack of papers when you joined him on the couch.
“Have we got anything new?” You asked.
“Nothing tangible. Some reports of a guy sort of matching his description coming out of New York, but that’s about it.”
The sound of Steve’s cell phone ringing interrupted your conversation.
“Hello, Stark,” You heard him say before he walked into the kitchen to continue his phone call in private.
“Y/n, you mind if I use your bathroom?” Sam asked.
“Of course not, there’s a guest one right down the hall on your left.”
While you were alone, you used the time to flip through the papers that Sam had left behind. You had been so grateful for the opportunity to help them with this. Not only was it a productive way to fill your time after losing your job, but it meant a great deal that you got to work with and get to know the man who had always been a hero to you.
“Y/n, we have to talk,” Steve said as he came back from the kitchen.
“What’s up?”
“That was Stark. He said there’s been new intel about some secret HYDRA bases located around the world that survived after the fall of SHIELD. He wants to get the team back together to take them out.”
“Are you going to do it?” You asked, even though you felt you already knew the answer.
“Yes.”
“Then I’m in too. I’ll call Natasha, and I’ll talk to Clint.”
“Okay, I’ve got two questions,” Sam said, coming back into the living room, apparently oblivious to the ongoing conversation. “Whose man cave is that down there? And why do you have a Captain America poster?”
“Been snooping have we, Sam?” You replied with a smirk.
“We’re getting the Avengers back together,” Steve said to Sam, “do you want to come with us?”
“Nah, your world is too crazy. Besides, somebody needs to stay on this.”
“When did he want us in New York?” you asked.
“As soon as possible. Would today be too early?”
“No, I’m used to having to drop everything and go. Just give me time to pack. Pick you up in a hour?”
“I’ll be ready,” he said.
———————————————
“So I called Clint and Natasha and they’re both coming in,” You said, looking at Steve from the driver’s seat. He had decided to leave his bike at his apartment and ride with you since he had his luggage with him. This was the first time the two of you had been alone for more than a few minutes and you weren’t really sure what to talk about.
“Good,” was his only response.
You drove in silence for awhile before he asked, “Why did it matter if I was in or not?”
“Sorry?”
“You made it sound like your answer depended on mine, I was just wondering why.”
“Steve, I have always been, and I guess I always will be, a field agent at heart. I’m used to taking orders and having someone to follow and believe in. That person used to be Nick Fury. Now it’s you.”
You looked at him and smiled before adding, “You’re a good man, Captain. I’ll follow you anywhere.”
“In that case, would you do me a favor? Would you get rid of that poster Sam was talking about? They’re so embarrassing,” he said with a chuckle.
“Not on your life. That’s an original. You’ve got no idea how much it’s worth. Actually, if I could get an autograph...” you said, earning more laughter from the man in the passenger seat.
Once he stopped, he asked, “Speaking of Sam, and if it’s none of my business you don’t have to tell me, but where is the boyfriend who belongs to that stuff in your place and why haven’t we met him yet?”
“It’s Clint’s.”
“I had guessed that,” he said with a knowing smile.
“Not like that,” you said quickly. “We aren’t a couple...we aren’t.”
“Okay,” he said gently, “whatever you say.”
——————————
The missions went like clockwork up until the last one. The one where Clint got injured, but even it was successful. You were now sitting with him, vaguely listening to the doctor talk while she patched him up.
“Your girlfriend here won’t be able to notice any difference,” you heard her say. Snapping your eyes up, you saw that she was looking directly at you. Suddenly, you became aware of the fact that you had been letting your hand rest on his the entire time. You snatched it back and felt your face grow hot with embarrassment.
“I’m not his girlfriend,” you said. Feeling very uncomfortable with the current situation, you mumbled “excuse me” and left the room in a hurry.
On your way to your bedroom, Natasha grabbed you by the arm.
“Hey, what are you wearing to that party Stark is throwing?” She asked.
“Huh? Oh, I hadn’t really thought about it yet. I didn’t bring any dresses with me. Parties weren’t really on my mind when I was packing.”
“Same here. Let’s go shopping. Y/n, are you okay?”
You and Natasha had never really talked about your feelings for Clint out loud, but at some point she had figured things out for herself.
“Yeah, it’s just that unspoken thing,” you said, knowing she would understand what you meant.
She gave you a momentarily sad look, but it lasted only an instant before she perked up.
“Yes, we definitely need to go shopping. We can get our nails and hair done too, if you want. We’ll make a whole day of it,” she rambled, linking her arm with yours and leading you to your bedroom.
You knew the complete change in attitude was for your benefit. She wasn’t the type to let you dwell on what was bothering you. She left you at your door with orders to get dressed and meet her at the elevator in twenty minutes.
You managed it in fifteen and beat her there. As you waited around, Tony wandered up to you and said, “I hear you two are going to have a girls’ day.”
“Yep, we’ve got to get ready for that party you’re throwing. I didn’t think I’d need a dress to go infiltrating HYDRA bases so I left them all at home.”
“Understandable. Make sure you get something nice.”
“Oh, I will. I’m not sure why, though. Is there going to be anyone there besides us on such short notice?”
“Oh yeah, I’ve invited tons of people. You’re free to invite whoever you want, too.”
“Let’s go!” Natasha said as she joined you.
“Be good while we’re gone, Tony,” you said.
“I can’t make any promises,” he replied with a wink.
————————————————————————
“What do you think of this one?” Natasha asked as she came out of the dressing room.
“It looks stunning on you, just like the last three, so why don’t you like any of them?” You asked as you kept picking out possibles for yourself.
“I want it to be perfect,” she said as she turned around in front of the mirror to see it from every angle.
“For Bruce?” You asked with a sly smirk.
“Possibly.”
She walked over to look through the ones you had picked out.
“This one,” she said. “Trust me.”
When you came out of the dressing room with it on, she whistled.
“I told you it would look gorgeous on you. You’ll turn so many heads. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that it happens to be somebody’s favorite color.”
“Nat,” you gently warned.
“Are we ever going to talk about it? It might help. You know I’m only asking because I love you.”
“I know, and we will, just not right now. Right now is supposed to be fun.”
“Fair enough,” she said with a smile.
After you had moved on to shoes, you asked her, “Are you inviting anyone to the party tonight?”
“Who would I invite who isn’t going to be there already? What about you?”
“I was thinking about it.”
For some reason, ever since Tony had mentioned it, you had been thinking about inviting Everett. You didn’t know if he was even in the country right now, and it had been ages since you last saw him so he might not want to come. You had pulled out your cell several times to text him but kept changing your mind.
“Anybody I know?” She asked.
“No.”
“What’s holding you back?”
“It’s a long story.” When you saw her mouth open, you added, “One that can wait until another time.”
“You’re no fun sometimes. You should go ahead and invite them, though, if you want my opinion.”
As she got up and went to the register, you pulled out your phone and sent him a text: “You want to come to a party at Avengers Tower tonight at 8?”
After a few moments, you heard a ding and saw his reply: “Love to. I’ll be there.”
——————————————————-
You were in your bedroom doing a last minute check of your hair and makeup when there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” you said.
You heard the sound of the door opening followed by a whistle.
“Wow, don’t you look great? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in a dress,” Clint said as he leaned against the doorframe. You couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked standing there like that.
“Thanks. You clean up pretty good yourself...for an old man,” you joked.
“Speaking of which, I came to ask...do you mind escorting an injured old man to the party, or will it cramp your style?”
“I’d consider it an honor,” you answered with a curtsy. “How are you feeling by the way?”
“I’ll live. You ready to go?”
“Yeah.”
The pair of you walked towards the party, but stopped shortly before you arrived. From where you were standing, you could hear music and the sounds of happy voices.
“Can we talk for a minute before we get there?” Clint asked.
“Of course.”
“What are you going to do now that this is all over and there are no more HYDRA bases to shut down?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it. I guess I’ll have to see what happens. You going home for good this time?”
“Yeah…you know, before Stark called us in, I was really missing you...we all were. You need to come to the house.”
“I missed you, too, and I promise I’ll drop by soon. I was enjoying helping Steve, though. I’ll probably go back to that, at least for awhile.
“Were you making any progress?”
“No, not really.”
“Enjoyed it anyway, huh? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You did say he was the love of your life once.”
You laughed at the memory. “That was a long time ago.”
“Meeting the real thing ruined the fantasy?” He asked with a smirk.
“He’s every inch the man I always imagined he’d be, but I don’t feel that way about him.”
“Would you think badly of me if I said I was glad?”
You gave him a surprised look. Before you could ask, he said, “Don’t get me wrong, Cap is great and he’d treat you right, but as childish as it might sound I don’t like the idea of not being your best guy anymore. Besides, no man is ever going to be good enough for you in my opinion.”
Although your brain told you it was wrong, your stomach couldn’t control the butterflies that were fluttering around.
“If you’re done talking shit,” you said, trying to joke off what you were feeling, “we’ll join that party now.”
——————————————————————
Once you got to the party, you separated from Clint and started making the rounds and speaking to everyone you knew. While you and Sam were catching up, you felt a hand on your back.
“Long time, no see,” a voice said over your shoulder. You turned to find Everett standing there smiling at you. His outfit was a combination of casual and stylish and it suited him well. As you looked at him, you suddenly realized you didn’t know how to act around him now.
“Hey,” was all you managed. You watched as he took the initiative to introduce himself to Sam.
“Would you like to dance?” He asked.
Looking around, you saw that no one was dancing. “No one is dancing. We’d look dumb.”
“There’s music,” he said, taking you by the hand. “Maybe they just need somebody to get them started.”
He placed his other hand on your waist and started leading you in rhythm with the song.
“How have you been?” He asked.
“Busy…fighting aliens, crashing helicarriers, tearing down organizations…keeps a girl busy.”
“I can imagine. I’ve missed you. You look amazing.”
“Thank you,” you said with a blush.
“I was afraid you were avoiding me because of what we talked about that day.”
“To be honest with you, I sort of was, but not for the reason you think.”
He slowed your dancing down in response.
“You’ve always been one of the most important people in my life, Ev. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like that wasn’t true. I’ve thought about what you said plenty of times, and there were moments when I thought about taking you up on your offer. But every time I decided that you deserved a woman who wasn’t in love with anyone but you, and that isn’t me. The only way it might work between us would be if I cut Clint out of my life completely, and I can’t do that. If nothing else, he and I will always need each other as friends. I won’t give that up.”
“Did you ever think that if you gave us time together, the love you feel for him might change? That he could go back to just being your best friend, and you and I could be happy?”
“Yeah, I’ve thought about it.”
“I’m not giving up on you,” he said with a small smile.
“Hey, beautiful, mind if I buy you a drink?” You heard Natasha’s voice ask.
You pulled away from Everett so that you could introduce the two of them.
“It’s nice meeting you,” she said. “I was serious, by the way,” she directed to you. “I’m stealing you away for that drink.”
Then she slipped her hand in yours and led you towards the bar.
“I think it’s time we had that conversation,” she said as she started mixing drinks for the two of you.
“Shouldn’t you be dealing with your own man problems?”
“Mine are simple compared to yours. I like him. I think he likes me. He’ll try to convince me that we can’t be together because of his condition. Hopefully, I’ll convince him he’s wrong. You on the other hand…I don’t know where to begin.”
“Clint is in love with Laura. I’m in love with Clint. Everett is in love with me. That about wraps it up.”
“Just because you can sum it up in under a minute doesn’t make it any less complicated. Now, drink your drink and give me real details.”
———————————————-
“So, that’s all of it,” you said after you had given her the fast version.
She downed the third round of drinks and fixed her stare back on you.
“I have two hypothetical questions I need to ask to put all of this into perspective,” she said. “Question #1: If Clint wasn’t in the picture, say you had never met him, would you go out with this other guy?”
“I’m not good at hypotheticals, but yes, I suppose so.”
“Question #2: If Clint and Laura broke up, for whatever reason, and he decided he wanted to be with you, would you?”
“That’s never going to happen.”
“That’s not important to the question.”
“But it’s important to me! I can’t think about stuff like that. They’re working on child number three right now. It’s never going to happen, and it would terrible of me to hope that it would.”
“It would be terrible of you to purposely try to break them up. Marriages don’t work out for a lot of reasons. Laura has talked to me about it before. All of this...the job...is starting to get to her. She doesn’t show it to him, and she’s still supportive, but he keeps promising to retire and it never happens. I get the feeling that the day is going to come when he says “just one more fight,” and it will already have been one fight too many.”
You sat in silence and worked on your drink.
“I really brought the mood of this party down, didn’t I?” She said with a small chuckle.
“Just a bit, but to answer your earlier question...yes.”
“In that case, you’re just torn between two men and I’m afraid I don’t know how to help.”
“A refill always helps,” you said, passing her your now empty glass.
As she started mixing you both up another round, she asked, “So what’s going on over there?”
You turned around to see Clint and Everett standing a few feet away and it looked like they were arguing about something.
“Give me a minute,” you mumbled.
When you got over to the pair of them, you asked, “What’s going on?”
“I was asking him what he was doing here uninvited and he told me it was none of my business,” Clint said.
“Well it isn’t any of your business, Barton.”
“I invited him, Clint,” you cut in. “How long are you going to keep this thing alive? That fight you had was years ago. The source of it is standing over there fixing me a drink. She’s like my sister now. If she and I can get past her shooting me, then you two can get over a little punch in the face.”
“It wasn’t a ‘little’ punch,” Everett mumbled.
“I’ve had a lot worse,” Clint said.
“Will you two just shake and make up?”
You watched as they reluctantly shook hands and exchanged forced pleasantries.
“Alright, then. Let me get both of you a drink.”
Natasha was still behind the bar so she asked what they wanted and fixed it for them. Then the four of you stood around awkwardly. Clint and Everett both looked grumpy, but Natasha had a sly smile on her face.
“You guys look like you’re having fun,” Steve said as he joined you.
“Everett, I’m sure you know Steve Rogers. Steve, this is my old friend Everett Ross.”
“Nice to meet you,” Steve said with grin.
“Likewise,” Everett mumbled.
You noticed Steve giving you a look that said “What’s going on? Is everything okay?” So you smiled and nodded at him.
“Actually,” Everett spoke up, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to be leaving. I know I didn’t get to stay long, but I’m flying out tomorrow.”
“Where to?” you asked.
“Germany. I’ve been promoted to Deputy Commander of the Joint Counterterrorism Task Force.”
“Oh, Ev, that’s wonderful. Congratulations!”
“Thank you. I’ve been wanting to talk to you about it but,” he said glancing at Clint, “maybe now isn’t the best time. Would you consider walking with me as far as the elevator?”
“Sure,” you said, taking the arm that was offered to you.
When you got to the elevator, you asked, “So what did you want to talk to me about?”
“It should probably wait until I get settled in over there. I’ll call you.”
The two of you just stared at each other in silence for a few moments until the elevator dinged and the doors opened.
“It was really great seeing you, Ev. I mean it.”
“If you’re ever in Germany, be sure to drop by.”
Everett reached up and cupped your cheek with his hand before leaning forward and giving you a kiss on the lips. You’d be lying to yourself if you said it didn’t feel good. When he parted, he quickly hopped in between the doors before they could close.
And just like that...he was gone.