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Ever since Ava and John were trapped with each other, something changed in their relationship. Their bickering was less angry and more teasing. They would offer to work together instead of being forced to team up. They even spend time together. Ever since Ava took John out for dinner because of their bet, it’s like something changed for the two. The team bet that the two might kill each other on their dinner out, everyone except for Bob had this thought, so when the two came back with smiles on their faces and laughing, everyone knew these two were liking each other.
Yelena found John and Ava one night watching a movie together. They didn’t sit close together, but Yelena found it odd that it was a movie night for just the two. She now wonders how long they have been doing this. Bucky found them practicing in the gym and John was encouraging Ava. This time they were closer to each other, with John occasionally touching Ava to fix her fighting position. Ava would roll her eyes and shrug, but she took John’s advice. Alexei found the two whispering to each other on a mission. When he asked what they were talking about, they said he wouldn’t understand and they gave him judgmental looks. Then Bob found the two in Ava’s room. When the group was discussing finding the two going off with each other, they were surprised when Bob told them that he found them in Ava’s room. He explained they were just comparing knives. Alexei didn’t believe him.
Seeing Ava in a vulnerable moment changed John’s opinion of her. Ava was like him. They both put up a front to deal with the shit from their past. It just made things easier. Sometimes those walls came down when they spent time together. John liked being vulnerable with Ava.
John isn’t sure when it clicked in his head. He thinks it was when they were trapped together, that’s when he couldn't stop thinking about her, but there were hints of it before. Sometimes he’d go find Ava just to bother her. He also wanted to win their fight so he could prove himself, but he really liked the idea of them spending time together. There were things about Ava that reminded him of Olivia and Lemar. He thought it was their friendship that he liked. Now he knows it’s much more than that.
So, when John had the opportunity to defend Ava, he did it, and it pissed Ava off.
“What were you thinking!?” Ava shouts as she drags John away.
John groans in pain. His hand is placed on his stomach where the stab wound is. John knew it was a deep cut. He saw the enemy's blade. So much damn technology has been exposed to the public. Anyone can get a hold of strong weapons if they know the right people. It was ridiculous. John knew the risk he was taking when he stepped in front of Ava, and even though he's in so much pain, he doesn't regret doing it.
Ava drags John to the medical tent. They're so far away from the fight that she doesn't think anyone followed them. That's what she hopes for.
“Sit there.” Ava points at the table in the center of the tent. She made sure to check everything in this old warzone before they went closer to the enemy's base.
“Ava,” John calls out. Ava ignores him and searches for any medical supplies. “Ava, you need to help them.”
“They can handle themselves,” Ava responds. She finds everything she needs and lays the items across the table. John is leaning against it. “I said sit.”
John reaches out for the supplies. “I can stitch myself up.”
Ava pulls away from him.
“You're bleeding out and you'll be too shaky to stitch yourself. Now, get on the table before I make the wound hurt even more.”
“Even when I'm injured you're threatening me,” John jokes.
“John Walker get on the fucking table,” Ava snaps at him.
John finally gives it and sits up on the table.
“Take off your armor,” Ava orders.
“Ava, I do-”
“Do I need to do it?”
The anger in Ava's eyes starts to scare John. Now he's thinking he really fucked up.
“I…” John sighs. “I need help.”
“Ok.” Ava places the supplies down. “Tell me what to do.”
John guides Ava through the process of taking off the top of his armor. Of course it's not easy to do. Valentina made them good, but complicated armor. Finally it's off and all that John's left in is a white tank top with a giant red puddle where he was stabbed.
“You've lost a lot of blood,” Ava says. “Pull your shirt up and let me get to work.”
“Are you sure you know what you're doing?”
“I had to take care of myself and all my scars. I can take care of yours too.”
John listens and pulls up his shirt. He watches as Ava gets to work. Everything Ava is doing he would've done himself.
“I could've done this,” John mutters.
“Don't do that,” Ava snaps at him.
“Do what? Ava, I was a soldier. I've stitched up plenty of my own wounds.”
Ava grunts and ignores John. She's trying to focus on taking care of him even though there is a pounding feeling at the top of her head. She's pissed. Pissed at John for being an idiot and taking this hit. She just needs him to shut up or she'll go off at him.
“Ava,” John calls out. “I can finish. The others will need your help.”
“They’re fine.”
“How do you know?”
“I know.”
“That's a shit answer.”
“Be quiet and let me work,” Ava says.
“You're not listening to me Ava! They need help, I don't!” John argues. “Stop being here and go-”
“JOHN!” Ava yells. She pulls away and looks at him. There was a fire behind her eyes. “Shut up. I need you to stop talking or else I'll-”
“Or you'll what?” John asks. “Continue yelling at the injured guy?”
“Don't.”
“Ava, come on! They need help!”
“Bloody hell John!” Ava screams.
She turns around and slams the stitches onto the table. Ava takes a deep breath but that's not working. Nothing is working. She just needs to yell at him at this point or she'll never be able to come down.
Ava turns and faces John. His mouth is open like he's about to say something but nothing comes out. He just stares at her in confusion.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Ava asks. “What was going on in that dimwitted mind of yours that made you jump in front of me, huh? What the actual fuck were you thinking?’
That's not what John was expecting to hear. He thought preventing Ava from getting hurt would've been a good thing. He didn't want to see her in pain.
“I wanted to protect you,” John says. It's true, but there was more to it. John just isn't ready to tell Ava that.
“Protect me!? Are you dense!?”
“What are you-”
“I can PHASE JOHN! I can become completely intangible! That means if he tried hitting me and I phased away instead of your dumb ass jumping in the way NO ONE WOULD'VE GOTTEN HURT!” Ava yells. She rubs her thumb across her forehead. “But no. You had to go play superhero and jump in front of me. You idiot.”
Ava's anger was making sense to John. She's pissed he jumped in to protect her. Now she's worried that he's hurt. John chuckles to himself because of how things turned out.
“Are you laughing?” Ava asks.
“No, I just…I'm trying to collect my thoughts.”
“You drive me insane,” Ava sighs. Her eyes go back to John's wound. “You're not invincible.”
“And you're not either,” John says. Ava looks back at him. “Be honest with me. Did you see that guy coming?”
“What?”
“The guy with the sword. I stepped in because you were distracted with someone else. I didn't think you would phase, that's why I stepped in,” John explains. “Be honest with me. Did I make a stupid mistake and you were going to phase, or did you have no idea he was sneaking up on you?”
“That's not important,” Ava says.
“Yes it is.”
Ava shrugs. She thinks she saw him. It was just a tough fight. The enemies knew she could phase so they tried to corner her after she disappeared. It's possible the guy got the jump on her…but that would mean John did save him.
“Shit,” Ava mutters.
“So I did save you?” John asks.
“No. Don't do that.” Ava steps towards him. John flinched back instinctively. “You should not get yourself killed to save me.”
A grin grows on John's face. She walked right into that one.
“We're heroes, remember?” John says, using Ava's words against her.
Ava is taken aback. That moment of them trapped together flashes in her head. That terrible situation being the turning point in their relationship was a shocker to Ava too. She doesn't regret facing her fears to save John. He wouldn't do the same for her. He has already.
“You-” Ava tries to say something snappy back at him. She can't.
“And for the record, I don't think that guy would've killed me with any hit. The angle he was swinging at was ineffective,” John explains. He gives Ava a smile. “Now stop being mad and finish stitching me up.”
Ava sighs. She hates that he's right. She was so mad at him for throwing himself to defend her that she didn't actually think of all the events that happened. It just triggered something in Ava seeing that sword go into John's stomach. The pain on his face was agonizing her. It was gut-wrenching.
Ava grabs the supplies she placed down and looks at John.
“Sit still.”
“Yes ma'am.”
The two are silent as Ava continues to tend to John's wounds. She makes sure to clean everything up, stop the bleeding, and make the stitching as painless as possible. She knows John can handle it, but seeing him squirm didn't amuse her for once. It bothered her.
John wanted to keep talking. He starts to worry that Ava is still mad. He doesn't want to ruin their relationship. He likes being friends with Ava. Hell, he's starting to love it. Spending time with her tends to be the highlight of his day. He doesn't want to fuck another good thing.
“Hey…I…I'm sorry.”
Ava stops and looks up at John. Her eyes freeze when they make contact with his. She never expected to hear those words from John. He never apologizes. Even when he's wrong, John will argue on and on. He never apologizes. This was new.
“I didn't want to see you get hurt,” John continues on. “I know you're capable of taking care of yourself. I was just…sure that if he hit you, it would've been bad. I'd rather take the hit then see you hurt. That's why I stepped in. I'm sorry for worrying you…and for arguing with you.”
Ava doesn't know how to respond. John's words ring in her head. His voice was soft and his words were tender. It felt like a confession of some sort. It was all too confusing for Ava.
“It's fine.” Ava looks back at the wound. She doesn't want to say anything else. This is becoming too much.
That's not the response John expected. The way Ava is acting does make him think something is on her mind. She might just not want to say it.
“Ava, I-” John isn't sure what to say next. He wants to keep talking. He wants to tell her how he feels. He wants there to be something more. Maybe there is. “Why did you risk your life to save us?”
“What are you talking about?” Ava asks.
“After the explosion. When we were trapped together. Why did you try phasing when you could've suffocated?”
Ava shakes her head. He's asking such a dumb question.
“If I didn't we would've been crushed to death.”
“We don't know that. I had it covered.”
“You don't know that,” Ava snaps at John.
“Yes I do.”
“No you-” Ava takes a deep breath. She's not getting back at him again. “You were shaking John. I could tell how much you were struggling. You were in pain.”
“I've dealt with worse.”
“Yeah because you keep throwing yourself into danger,” Ava hissed as she wrapped bandages around him.
“Because I can handle it,” John argues.
Ava steps back from John.
“No you can't!” She throws her hands up. “I'm done. You're fine now.”
John looks at the wound. It's all stitched and wrapped up. Ava did a good job. Almost as good as him.
“You seriously need to stop throwing yourself into danger,” Ava says. There is more she wants to say but she bites her tongue.
John looks up at Ava. For the first time since she dragged him into the tent, Ava's face softened. Now he knows what he's wondering.
“I've lost enough people I care about,” John says. He stands up and looks into Ava's eyes. “I can't lose another.”
“Oh so you care about me now?” Ava asks.
She knows the answer. Ava just wants to hear him say it.
“Yes, I do.” John steps closer to Ava. She doesn't step away. “I would even argue I care about you the most.”
“In the team?” Ava asks.
John shakes his head.
“Out of everyone.”
Ava's mind has been so focused on taking care of John that she didn't even notice how he looks without armor. Sure, the two have worked out before, but Ava never really paid attention to his physique much. The top of his suit adds some muscle padding. She's now noticing the bruises on his arms, they were toned but not massive, the hair peeking from the top of the tank top, and that he has a little bit of a belly. He looked so vulnerable without his armor. He looked so handsome.
“Ava I need to tell you something,” John says.
Their bodies are so close that Ava can feel the heat coming from John. Her heart also began to race. It wasn't like last time though.
“Ava, I-...I like-”
Before John can finish his words, Ava leans in to shut John up and places her lips onto his kiss. His beard trickles her lips in an unfamiliar feeling for Ava, but one she enjoys.
John quickly slips into the kiss. He was expecting to kiss her first, but he got the opportunity to kiss the girl he likes so he's taking it. His right hand lands onto her cheek. He pulls her closer as his tongue slips into her mouth for a second.
Ava then pulls away. Her eyes wide open at what they just did. She just kissed John. Ava knows she did it to shut him up since she is scared to face the words John was going to say. But John doesn't.
Unsure on what to do now, Ava turns and steps away.
Then, with all the strength John has left, he grabs Ava's hand and pulls her close to him. They look into each other's eyes and Ava can feel herself melting into John's. She knows she shouldn't kiss him again.
And yet, when John kisses her this time, Ava doesn't pull away. And when his tongue slips into her mouth, Ava joins him in the tango.
Feeling Ava fall backwards, John wraps his arms around her and carries Ava with all the strength he has left to the table. He places Ava down without leaving her lips. The two are interlocked. Ava's hands slip under the back of his shirt while John keeps Ava close. He doesn't want her to leave. He wants to keep doing this.
“Uh guys?”
John tries to keep kissing Ava, but she hears the familiar voice and turns to the opening of the tent. John gets one kiss onto Ava's neck before he notices she's pulled her hands away. John turns and his eyes meet Bob's.
“We…uh…beat them,” Bob says. His eyes are wide open. “I'm…going to assume Walker is ok. Sorry guys for interrupting.”
John suddenly feels colder. He looks in front of him and sees the empty space where Ava once was. He then looks around the room. Gone.
“Shit,” John mutters.
“Sorry Walker. I didn't mean to cockblock you,” Bob jokes.
John turns around and looks at Bob. He lets out a weak laugh. John then glares at Bob.
“I should go,” Bob says, taking the hint.
“Yeah, you should,” John snarled.
Bob exits the tent. John looks around and waits for Ava to reappear. His heart is racing from the combination of excitement and anxiety. He just needs Ava to reappear so he can tell her how he feels.
Ava never does.