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And just like that, the whole world reduced to the simple fact that he was unwinding beneath your touch. He was blue to the middle at times, requiring the weight of a support system to tie him down. You had never minded it, not even when the blue had bloomed into something destructive, exhausting, heavy over the world. For a while now, there haven't been any incidents, nothing noteworthy and nowhere near the first time it had all collapsed. It was probably due to doing things like now; settled down for the evening for the mandatory movie night that was organised to encourage bonding within the Thunderbolts, or rather New Avengers as they were announced to the public.
"It was your fault, Walker." Bucky was removing his gloves while treading across the room and towards the door to the hallway. His boots were heavy on the ground. He looked tired, not exhausted, but mentally tired from having to deal with the bickering and arguments while out. He didn't wait for a reply, the automatic door opening for him and closing behind,
"How was it my fault?" Walker questioned in an exasperated tone, glowering as he nudged Bob's foot while making his way around the coffee table towards the other couch. "None of you know how to work as part of a team, that is not my fault. If one of you would just listen-"
There was a collective sigh in the room, everyone sick of him complaining about the same thing, that no one 'listened' to him during missions, in the kitchen, about chores, anything he could put into his back pocket for a moment like this. Bob was sitting on the floor between your legs, his head resting against your knee as he cradled a book in his hands; The Creative Act: A Way of Being. He was more than halfway through it, and not surprising since he always had it with him. On more than one occasion you had to wrestle it out of his hands when he had decided to turn the bedside lamp on while you were trying to sleep.
"Oh my god," burying your face into the crook of his neck, you nuzzled into the warm skin and breathed in the faint smell of cotton and lingering scent of cologne, a musky scent that had hints of fresh grass. He was wearing some pyjamas, as you all were, but somehow it just made him appear like some cuddly thing that you didn't want to stop holding. Bob squirmed a little, a slight guffaw sound escaping his mouth. "Don't be an asshole, Walker."
"What the hell is happening?" Walker responded, gesturing towards everyone with exasperation. "Seriously guys."
You lifted back up, smiling innocently as if you weren't halfway through clipping your boyfriend's hair back with a rainbow array of butterfly clips. They were flimsy and plastic, something Yelena normally used since her hair was still growing out. Often, you would find them around the tower, normally littered on the coffee table of the penthouse where you would all sit around. "What do you mean?" you asked softly, leaning forward and picking up a slack handful of plastic clips off the table. There were more blues and yellows from what you got, only a couple others, one was sparkly. It was obvious they were all from different packs, and probably stores. "It's movie night." You then gestured towards the screen, some trashy chick-flick playing. Everyone had collectively agreed on it. A nice nostalgic movie for some, and something new for others. Ava had gotten surprisingly controlling over what they would watch next, claiming ownership over the remote but then asking them a hundred questions about each movie that was a possible watch next.
Bob shifted his weight a bit, adjusting his head on your knee before reaching up to touch the butterfly clip in his hair, fingers tracing the smooth plastic wings. "Huh?" That nervous energy radiated off him in a way that made it impossible not to notice, wave after wave of fidgeting, still nervous despite how hard he tried. You reached down and curled a loose strand of his hair around your finger, then tucked it behind his ear.
“Huh?” Walker repeated in a mocking tone. “Look at you all. What is this. When did we become so domestic?”
“Probably around the time we all started going to therapy,” Yelena spoke up, unbothered by it all, with her guinea pig sitting in the space between her crossed legs and a chewed up blanket. She had a pair of scissors in one hand, and a handful of Ava's hair pinched together in the other as she tried cutting it all in one length. “Speaking of…” she was snipping at the hair, stray pieces falling to the fall in a dramatic display. “You missed appointment.”
You laughed softly, clip between your fingers and snapping it playfully near your boyfriends neck as he shifted away and batted at your hands gently. “Stop it,” Bob murmured. “You’re such an asshole.” Finally he let his book tumble to his lap and got his fingers around your wrist, holding it in his captured hold and not allowing you to attack him again. You were left halfway over his shoulder, not pulling away as you let him hold onto your wrist. “Hmm,” the sound came out before pressing your lips against his cheek in an overly public display, you knew he would get all flustered by it. You lightly traced a finger over his temple with your free hand. Feeling how warm his skin had become. "And you're my baby blue."
“It’s bullshit,” Walker excused, slouching in a chair. “You know she is reading all the notes from our sessions, right?”
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
“She has an actual position to maintain, if you have forgotten.” Ava shifted on the floor, resting her arms over Yelena’s thighs while the other was trying to cut her hair into a more even presentation. “If anyone is going to be reading the notes, it’s going to be her assistant. From what we know, Mel is only going to tell her something if it’s serious. Do you really think Valentina wants to know that we… fuck… that we are struggling to find ourselves?”
“I’m just saying-“
"Go jerk off in the corner," Ava retaliated while trying to pick off the stray strands from her shoulders.
There was a moment of silence, barely a breath. And then Walker was pointing at her with what looked like triumph. “I knew it!” He yelled, standing up and walking over. “I knew you were stalking about the tower. You’re the reason I need therapy.”
“Oh my god,” you grinned widely at his outburst. A firm squeeze on your hand let you know that Bob was sharing your sentiment, his shoulders shaking slightly with barely covered laughter. “This is brilliant.”
“Oh, you’re laughing. I don’t give a fuck what you two think,” Walker turned on them. “We all know too much about the weird stuff you do. This little hair clip display is at the bottom of the list,” he bent down and placed his hand a few centimetres above the ground to show where it would be.
Alpine darted for his hand, sliding out from under the coffee table on quick paws. There was no sound, no announcing meow or growling. She pounced. "No!" Walker shouted, stumbling back and shook his hand to get her claws off, shaking harder when she began biting her little teeth into his wrist. "Bucky! Bucky! Bucky, it's at it again!"
"Ah... Alpine," the thick accent of Alexei sheltered the room as he walked through with a bag of groceries. You shook your head at the sight of the cereal. Again? you thought. No one eats it. But of course, he got it because they were all posing on the front of the box like real superheroes. "Sweet girl. She want to play, John." And he was gone, the door swinging behind him after going into the kitchen.
"What?" Walker looked towards the door with confusion. "Bucky! Get the fucking gremlin off-" he cut himself off, groaning and decidedly walking towards the doors where he could find her owner. Alpine was hanging off his hand, back feet kicking frantically while growling and holding on. "You need to lock her in your room!"
"You start it, Walker!" Ava called out from where she was sitting. "You agitate her." Yelena laughed along with her, both finding humour in his frustration. "He is funny."
Bob was fiddling with one of the clips, turning the purple plastic in his trembling fingers. The soft clicking of the fastener was oddly grounding, helping him focus on something other than the attention that had fallen upon you both. You noticed. After you reach for his chin, tilting his head back to meet your gaze, he loses all connection with the overwhelming sensation of being watched. Bob’s breath hitched at the closeness, the touch of your fingers gentle but electrifying against his skin. The faintest hint of a flush crept up his neck, fighting the urge to smile but it was impossible. He leaned back fully into you with a slump of his shoulders, head tilted up at an awkward angle. “Hmm.. "
You leaned down, planting a kiss upon his hairline, just beneath one of the clips. Bob's eyes fluttered shut at the touch of your lips against his forehead, a small, crooked smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You look absolutely adorable," you told him softly and stroked his face softly, the warmth almost tingling your thumbs.
"Yeah?" he murmured, looking up at you with adoration. "And here I was going to say something similar."
Your own smile brightened, almost grinning as you pressed your lips against his forehead quickly in a firm press. "Sure you were."
"I was."
"Hmm," you nodded. "Maybe you should be quicker next time."
"I thought you liked it when I lasted," he murmured, an air of sureness in his soft spoken words and tilted his head back a little more as if he was melting against you.
"You're real funny."
"And you're..."
The pause had you looking down at him with a slight quirk in your expression, waiting for what he would say next. Beautiful? Lovely? Pretty? "What?"
"Everything."