Chapter Text
Bob liked the visit time, everyone who crossed his path would greet him nicely. He was aware that it was kind of the hospital staff’s job to do so, but the nurses and his friends’ doctors always had a smile for him whenever he decided to see his friends, which was daily.
The rehabilitation for them would take a while since more than one area was damaged and healing completely took time. Valentina was paying for the high costs of the treatment. Or was it the government? Bob wasn't sure. The rights of the team went back and forth between both organizations and honestly, he only cared about their wellbeing more than the check.
So, since he visited constantly, the staff recognized him immediately and knew exactly where he was going, for how long and what kind of things he carried with him. Usually a sandwich and his phone were the only two belongings he took to the hospital but this time he entered the automatic doors carrying big decorated bags with colorful ribbons and a bunch of balloons.
Today marked the first day of three last week they had to stay there. The doctors said that the rest of the injuries could heal at home so at least two more weeks of relaxing on the big sofa and walking slowly everywhere would be needed before their inner hero could push them out of the bed and straight to the gym again. Bob already knew that Walker would be fuming in frustration wishing he could test his super soldier physique in really hard training sessions, he was just impatient like that and he always has a thing for proving he was the one with the fastest accelerated healing power.
Bob tried to remind him that having two other super soldiers in the team did not reduce his individual value but he was really dense.
He walked past the kind nurses in the reception after showing and making a list of the things he was carrying. His pretty decent length arms were struggling to keep the bags together but he refused the help offered, he wanted to be one and only who brought the gifts to show his friends how much he misses them on the tower. After all they were assigned to the same giant room, beds only separated with thin blue curtains. Each block had their own medical equipment so the space was big enough for him fitting the gifts.
Arriving at the room, the curtains were shut. The new Avengers didn’t really get visits. Valentina went to see them twice maybe, the staff of the tower cared even more and visited occasionally. Another regular was Kate Bishop, Yelena’s friend and apparently Hawkeye’s successor but she was busy most of the time so her visits didn’t last. Bob was technically the only one who could visit daily, today wasn’t the exception, the place was empty and since it was almost silent, he assumed some of them would be asleep.
A few steps later, he had reached Yelena’s bed, he opened the curtain slowly and nicely to not startle her but she was not sleeping, she was actually reading. Yelena had asked for the book after finding out that this time going in and out wasn’t an option. She got bored quite easily and the hospital food pissed her off so Bob made sure to bring more than one interesting or fun book for her.
“Hey” She greeted him, putting down her book.
“Hi” Bob spoke in a quiet voice not wanting to disturb the others. He put the bags outside the curtain taking with him one big blue balloon that read: Hope you're “FELINE” better soon! And a gift bag with a green ribbon tied to it.
“What is that?” She laughed looking at the balloon.
“I heard you're out soon so I wanted to bring you something” he smiled. He liked when she was happy, even more after what she went through. Bob was scared none of his friends would be the same after the attack but they were resilient and even with the trauma and physical damage, all of them kept at different levels of optimism regarding their position as heroes.
“Bob, you didn't have to. You literally visit every single day” she accepted the balloon, still amazed by the surprise.
“I know but this is the least I can do. You've survived one of the worst missions ever, some gifts were a must”
“How are you so sweet?” She went for a hug and he had to lean farther so she didn't get hurt. Hugging someone who was almost lying was hard but the light pinch on his back was a minor problem compared to the reward.
“I also bought you this” he offered the bag and she, just like a little kid, clapped her hands repeatedly, her tail twitched and her fluffy round ears pointed in his direction. The body language of hybrids was highly expressive.
“Thank you” she grabbed the bag “You're an angel really, we are so lucky to have you”
“I'm lucky to have you” Bob returned the compliment “Open it” he encouraged her, wishing to see her reaction.
Yelena carefully took the bag and opened it eager to see its contents.
Her smile widened and her eyes lit when she fished a medium framed picture of her pet guinea pig, posing in a cushion almost smiling. She admired it, amused for a while before looking at him again.
“Bob, this is so cute! Thank you so much!”
“There's more!”
Yelena looked thoroughly through the decorative colorful paper, excited to open the whole thing.
“Oh my God!” She almost yelled, forgetting for a moment that the others were resting and probably desired to not be disturbed “Bob this is a lot! Why? Oh no, I should only say thank you. Thanks a lot! Thank you, thank you” She was so excited that her natural Russian accent overcame her practiced American accent. Her tail twitched in joy and she was almost bouncing on her bed.
The second gift was another framed picture portraying her shared dog Lucky, sitting on a wooden floor with a Christmas hat on his head. He was sticking his tongue out and his closed eye gave him a charming figure. Both pictures were the same size in a pearly white frame.
On her hand, she held a third gift which was a pale rose bracelet with a golden star in a circular charm. It was metallic and it looked elegant. She seemed captivated by it.
“You really shouldn't,” Yelena insisted.
“It 's nothing. Kate took the pics” he scratched the back of his head “Those are for your bedroom”
“They will look just adorable on my wall,” she smiled.
“I'm glad because I remembered that time when you told me that your dormitory was just a place to sleep in but I think it's time to embrace it you know? We're gonna be there for a while and well” he started to get nervous, his tail was hid and his ears hung low “it could be our home”
For a second, her smile faded and her eyes got lost into memories. Bob knew that she might have said it as a casual comment, something that sparkles in your mind and you can't help to share the unharmful words but for him, someone whose only bedroom was his childhood private room aka his safe place, those words carried a deeper meaning.
He had trouble moving to the tower and was insecure about every decision but while Ava or Alexei were determined to appropriate the space, he noticed how Yelena just didn't care and her expression wasn't a disinterested one, was an automatic one. Blank in every sense because she had been used to living under other's conditions, not her own.
He thought that maybe personalizing her walls a little could help her let go of that mechanical attitude and actually accept her new life.
“Yeah you're right” she nodded “I will pay more attention to my room” she sniffed and reached for a stray teardrop threatening to leave her eye.
Bob did not mean to make her cry so he attempted to leave the bed as soon as he sensed that maybe something was wrong but apparently he still sucked at reading expressions because she stopped him by hugging him tightly.
She totally let herself be held by him and wrapped her arms around his neck willfully.
Words weren't needed when a clear message was delivered like that. Bob was happy to see her happy.
“Enjoy your gifts. Now I have to deliver the rest” he excused himself and closed the curtain again.
The next one was Alexei who was sound asleep, snoring peacefully on his bed. After all that and the daily training, it was best to rest while he can so he decided to leave him alone and come later but when he was closing the curtain he heard a lazy ‘Hi’.
“I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll come later” he whispered back.
“No worries boy, I'm awake now” he smiled, fighting the remaining sleep in his eyes.
“I just came to visit and bring gifts since you're out soon”
“Well in that case you're more than welcomed!” Alexei suddenly stirred and sat properly, offering a wide smile. He patted the spot on his bed where Bob could seat and he obediently, and frankly happy to be received, accepted the seat.
“We haven't had visits recently you know, you are so nice for also bring gifts”
“I told Valentina to come frequently but you know how she is,” Bob shrugged.
“That woman has no remedy” Alexei shook his head “but it does not matter, your visits are the ones that really matters”
“Oh thank you” Bob smiled back “this time I'll be quick but I wanted to give you this before you leave, you deserve it”
He offered the bag, considerably bigger than the others and a balloon with the phrase ‘You’re one tough cookie, get well soon’ over a childish drawing of a chocolate chip cookie.
“Ha! The balloon is right! Those bastards couldn't get past skin deep trying to hurt me!” He affirmed proudly.
“That sounds really painful though” Bob shrugged, shaking his dog ears.
“Hell yes it was! But that was the only way to save Lena” he admitted “I had to act before they catched her”
“You're the real hero here Alexei” he patted him slightly on his back, being really careful to not hurt him.
His bear fur looked damaged, even under the hospital clothes, he had a few bruises over his forearms and his face but his gentle smile made it all seem painless. He always seeked the confident, well kept hero, having everything under control and always optimistic even after the worst battles. Bob admired that of him.
“But you, the mighty Sentry came to the rescue,” he laughed.
“I wouldn't leave you there alone” he made an effort to sound confident and not scared for their lives, how he really felt.
“I knew you wouldn't” Alexei looked at him hopeful. “Okay, can I see what you got there?”
“Yes of course!”
The emotional distance when the conversation started to get deep was understandable, both of them kept struggling with that process but Bob knew Alexei was making progress, sometimes he'd open with his feelings with him.
“Noooo” Alexei returned to his full volume voice. The one that he made when trying to encourage them before a mission. Russian war speeches were his speciality.
“Shhh Alexei” Bob tried “The others are sleeping” this was his only fear. That he'd be so excited that the other's needs wouldn't represent a priority.
“God Alexei! What now?” Ava came rushing, opening the curtain roughly.
“Bob gifted me a Sabrina Carpenter vinyl” he said on the verge of tears “How did you know I love her?”
“Everyone in the whole street knows! You blast her music all day long!” John joined in.
“John, Ava you shouldn't walk yet! The doctor said…” Bob was interrupted.
“The doctor said we were almost done here! I refuse to leave in a wheelchair!” John complained.
“We could all leave on Bob's back!” Alexei suggested.
“No!” All of the rest yelled in unison.
Until Alexei started to loudly laugh again “Thank you Bob, it's a great gift!”
“There's more inside the bag” Bob's tail wagged. He seemed more excited than the Russian bear.
“Thank you so much, but uhm what is this?” He fished a black bracelet from the bag. A metallic string with a circular charm and a sun carven into it.
“Is your shared gift. Let me show you”
Bob grabbed the bracelet and gently pushed the sun in the charm which turned out to be a button. The sun lit up in a ghostly pale blue hue and it vibrated a bit.
Then, Yelena quickly opened her curtain with her eyes wide open and his fluffy ears attentively pointing at them.
“What was that?” She was intrigued, getting up from her bed.
“It's your dad's bracelet, they're a pair. When he feels like talking to you he can press the button to let you know, and you can do the same. I know I don't have the right to intervene in your relationship but I thought that give the first step could be easier this way”
His original plan was to explain those in private, where no one else could hear the personal problems of those two because they had trusted him with that information. Even when the whole team kind of knew about it.
He shrank his shoulders and hid his tail, wanting to disappear just in case they were mad at him but Yelena reached their place in her dad's bed and with tears in her eyes she wrapped them both in her arms in a tight loving hug.
She whispered a last ‘thank you’ in Bob's ear before backing away and cleaning her tears.
Bob was really content with them liking their gifts but started to get worried about the amount of movement they were doing. What if the nurses came in and kicked him out for the trouble? What if they get their wounds reopened?
“That's so nice of you, now can we go back to sleep? Please?” John, grumpy face on, stood with arms crossed more than ready to see them until the next morning when he was ready to leave on his own.
“No wait” Bob stood as well “I have something for you too”
He happily brought the rest of the bags and things. This time he pulled a small cardboard box from a black bag, it was decorated with a red ribbon and a tiny note that said: ‘happy birthday’. John made a face when he accepted the gift.
“Today's not my birthday” he arched an eyebrow.
“Yeah I'm sorry, there were no more get well soon cards left”
“Whatever” he quickly opened it to find a little transparent cube filled with a bunch of green hollow tubes resembling intricate slides. Moving through them was a really tiny silver metal ball.
“It's a puzzle, you have to take out the ball”
John inspected the cube and saw a circular door closed at the bottom of it where one of the tubes ended directly. Which one? That was the catch.
“Huh it looks entertaining” he retorted with his eyes glued to the toy, already moving it in his hand to guide the ball “Thank you”
“I also brought this” he extended his hands with a bunch of chocolate protein bars, ears low and a guilty look on his whole face.
“How many times Bob?” John was exasperated “How many times should I tell you to not touch my protein bars!”
“I know! I'm sorry!” Bob lamented looking to the ground but still offering the gift.
“Ugh fine!” John snatched the bars but intentionally left one on Bob's hands. He lifted his gaze and met John smiling face “Just this time” he winked at him and Bob regained his cheering demeanor. Tail wagging and happy ears, nodding.
“And for you Ava” he rummaged into the bigger black bag and took out an envelope.
“I hope this is money” she joked “no way I'm getting less than Walker's” she laughed and John fulminated her with his eyes. She would never let down an opportunity to bully Walker.
Ava carefully reached for the seal and opened it, finding a high quality picture of a purple bike.
“What? Why did Walker actually receive something better than me?” she complained, scanning the picture and looking back and forth on the paper searching for something else but when she gazed at Bob for an explanation, he was holding a similar picture but with a yellow bike on it.
“What? Do we have matching pictures?”
“No, the gift is the bike. I was thinking that we could go for a ride in the park”
“You bought a bike? For me?” Ava was awestruck.
“Yes because you said you'd like one and I thought it'd be nice if we could spend some time exploring the city or something” he smiled.
For a moment Ava kept silent, looking between the picture and him, her expression was really hard to read, especially for someone like Bob who was learning exactly that in therapy. For him, reading faces and body language had been a trouble and his therapist said that he should actively try to do it but if a situation comes out to be really hard for him, the quick emotional answer expected could be a smile until the other shows an evident emotional expression.
So he kept his mask, wishing to receive a positive reaction.
“Is it wrong?” Bob insisted because seconds were about to turn minutes.
“No, Bob, no. Oh damn this is so nice of you like really really nice of you” she searched for words “I'm sorry, nobody has ever done something like this for me, is just” she paused and breathed.
“I don't know how to react”
“That's a relief, me neither” Bob let out a huff “I was just hoping you like it because I liked mine and I didn't want to go alone”
Instead of adding to the relaxing chat that Bob started to feel comfortable again, she hugged him, directly and firmly. It felt genuine, as fine as someone thanking you for doing something they've been waiting for in a long time.
“Thank you,” she said again.
“No problem” he returned the smile “Oh and the balloon is also yours” he handed a floating round balloon with a brachiosaurus drawn in the front, wearing bandages all over its long neck. It said ‘Dino-sore? Hope you're feeling better soon!’. Ava snorted but took the balloon, nodding at him in agreement.
“A reunion and you didn't invite me?” Bucky emerged from behind his personal curtain, his hair was a bird nest and the tiredness in his eyes was visible.
“You were sleeping like a log since yesterday, it was a surprise you didn't wake up to the sound of Alexei laughing” John pointed out.
“Hey” Alexei snapped from his bed. All of them were circling his personal place to rest since Bob did not have time to tell them to go to bed again and to wait for him patiently. Everyone kept talking and he figured it would be better to reunite all of them in one spot.
“In my defense, it's been a while since I had a good night's sleep” his puffy ears confirmed it.
Bob remembered the time he'd pick out tiny sounds from his floor at night, pacing or talking or having the TV on. Wolves could also have a particular smell when stressed since their sweat could mix the scent of it. The first time Bob personally met him, he thought that the strange mixture was his natural smell. That was the level of stress Bucky Barnes usually managed.
Now, he smelled and seemed genuinely relaxed as if it didn't matter the fact that they were healing serious injuries in a hospital. The doctor's drugs always get the job done and putting the former winter soldier to sleep was a good job done.
“You bet”
“I also have something for you Bucky” this time he reached for the backpack he was carrying and picked a soft fabric pouch, the size of his hand, tinted in wine red. The image made a remarkably elegant Christmas gift.
“For me?” Bucky was truly flabbergasted.
“Of course!” Bob happily affirmed. “All of you deserve something after what you had to go through”
He then proceeded to offer the small thing with both hands, almost bowing his head in hopes for acceptance. He didn't really know Bucky enough to predict how he'd react to gifts, even when he was the closest breed to his own. He was a kind person but they have never done something this affectionate for each other. (Unless he was the one in charge of the grocery list, if he was, then he was responsible for the extra cereal boxes for him)
“Thank you” Bucky received it and started to open it with care. From inside it, he retrieved a keychain. A simple but cute accessory in the shape of a heart with a medium chain attached to it.
Bucky inspected it and kept his eyes on the picture inside the heart. It was a reduced version of the photo they had on their fridge, all of them snuggling on a single couch, looking at the camera. Bucky was smiling.
“I know this won't replace the picture you used to carry in your wallet, you know the one with Steve, but I hope you like it and you can take it everywhere. Maybe in your motorcycle’s key”
He had a long thought about this one because nothing seemed to be adequate to someone like Bucky. Not because of him per se but because of the relationship they shared. It wasn't as close or deep yet, until they got there, what could be good?
“This doesn't need to replace anything, it's a perfect gift on its own” he smiled softly “Thank you so much, I really like it”
For a moment, a longing look in his eyes sparkled. He contemplated the picture with a warm stare and a modest but honest smile. Bob liked to think that he was ready to move on without forgetting that important and great part of his life.
Maybe he should too.
“Bob” Bucky claimed his attention “I think we all owe you a big thank you. Without you, none of us would still be alive”
“Oh no need to do that, really” he shook his hands in a negative gesture “I could not let anything happen to you guys”
“And that's the reason why we want to thank you” Yelena intervened.
“Yes, your heroic entrance saved us for real” Ava added “I don't think I would stand another day”
“The doctors said that I actually wouldn't survive another day” John said “So, I think, just this time, I owe you a big one. Thank you Bob ", the true tone of John's kind words, made Bob feel odd because John wasn't usually nice but now it sounded as if his debt with him was important.
“You're welcome” he gave in with a sigh. His therapy included a session where he thoroughly investigated his impostor syndrome and his self deprecating practices that did not leave him completely accepting compliments.
His loud mind insisted on telling him that it was wrong to easily accept it but his stronger will tried to convince him that they were being truly grateful, that they felt affection for him and his friends valued him for who he really was.
“I know that look” Alexei interrupted “He's doubting” he squinted his eyes in Bob's direction.
“What?”
“Yes, you don't believe us” Ava seconded.
“Guess we're obligated to show you” Yelena smirked.
“What are you doing guys?” Bob's voice quivered.
“Get him!” Ava ordered and the rest rushed forward, tackling him into Alexei's bed where he trapped him with his strong bear arms. Yelena, John, Ava and Bucky all of them fell over him with their arms wide open.
Soon enough the six members of the new Avengers were all cramped on a small hospital bed, wrapping the dog hybrid one into a crushing, loving hug, rubbing their cheeks or their hands into him, reaffirming with words how much they were thankful and how much they really appreciate him.
It made him giggle.
No doubt remained on his mind. The feelings were very clear and genuine.
He was part of the team, part of the heroes and part of the family.
They loved him and he loves them back. That was all that matters.