The D in Apartment 23

“I’m guessing you don’t have many frequent flyer miles?” Steve asked Harry as she sat in the comfortable leather seat Tony’s plane offered. She had the screen down covering the window so that she didn’t have to see every time they dipped or turned. She looked up at him with a soft shake of her head and a sad smile.
“I’ve never liked flying, it’s the landing and taking off that does it for me.” She offered him a brief explanation. Bucky were having repair work done on his arm in the back by Bruce and Tony. Natasha were in one of the beds getting the rest she needed before she put the new recruits through their paces. Wanda and Sam were busy arguing over what film they should watch. Bucky, Natasha and Wanda had all offered her a place in their activities, but, Harry had politely declined terrified of moving from the seat she had ensured she were super tightly strapped into.
“Yet you moved from England?” Steve smiled sitting opposite her.
“I needed to.” She smiled softly, not sure if Bucky had told them of her past. She stared at Steve for longer than usual, trying to determine if he did know; her stomach doing to many flips for her judgement to be clear. “Has Bucky told you anything of my past in England?” She asked, her voice low enough for just Steve to hear. She loved the team enough to share anything with them, but, she was in no mood for this subject.
“Just you started your career over there.” He told her truthfully, no hesitation, he looked at her to see if she were going to tell him anything, she took a deep breath picking at her black painted nail.
“My parents were murdered that’s why I moved. I had the rare weekend off so stayed over at a friend’s after a night out and the next morning I found their mutilated bodies in the front room.” She tried her hardest to stop the tears from falling and offered Steve a forced smile, the kind Natasha did when she opened up. “A burglary gone wrong the police said. They never caught those responsible.” She looked down, the attention turning from her fingers to the small cross necklace.
“I’m so sorry Harry.” He whispered, “You still decided to come even after that?” He asked, guessing correctly that she hadn’t ever been back.
“Bucky said about the medical facility.” She shrugged wiping her eyes quickly. “I were curious, besides I told him I wanted him to know my story, sadly that includes my past, doesn’t it?”
“I suppose it does.” He smiled stretching over to squeeze her hand over the table as a form of support. “I’m gonna go grab a drink, do you want anything?” He asked her standing up with a smile.
“No thank you, if I drink I’ll need to go to the bathroom and that’s a risk I don’t want to take.” She laughed as he shook his hand with a smile. “Hey Steve,” her soft voice stopped him from walking any further, leaning back to look at her “thanks for not pitying me, and, for not telling the rest.” She smiled a genuine smile, knowing she didn’t even have to ask him not too.
“No problem teammate.” He smiled walking off towards the kitchen.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to share a room or not?” Bucky asked her nervously as they walked down the corridor that held the room or rooms they would be staying in.
“I don’t mind sharing a room with you James.” She laughed. “We’ve shared a lot more than that.” She giggled opening the door and dropping her bag on the bed as he followed her in. He quickly pulled him too her kissing her softly.
“Are you okay? I saw you talking to Steve and you looked like you were crying. Do I need to kick his ass?” He asked her with a soft smile as she laughed. “I mean I have done plenty of times before, I can do it again.” He stroked her cheek softly.
“No Captain America can keep his ass.” She smiled leaning into his touch. “I told him about my parents. We’re not far from where I grew up you know.” She rested her head on his chest, his heartbeat oddly soothing. “Is it mad I want to go back there? I mean I thought I’d never want to see that street again, but, now that I’m here Buck I want to go there. I want to see the changes that they never got to see. I want to see how the world carries on, even though I couldn’t.” She looked up at him the tears falling freely. “My life broke that day in a way I never thought possible, why do I want to go back? To relive that feeling? To see how insignificant the lives of the two most important people to me were. Why?” She asked him the impossible, she knew it were impossible to answer; but, she felt so lost.
“I’m sorry you’re feeling like this Harry. I shouldn’t have asked you to come.” He whispered as she shook her head.
“I’m glad you did. I need to do this, to move on. I’ve had these questions for so long, I never thought I would be able to come back. Everything happens for a reason.” She reassured him. “Will you come with me? Will you come to their house with me?” She whispered, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
“Of course.” He whispered as she smiled softly through the tears, standing on her tip toes to kiss him softly.
“I love you.” She whispered on his lips her forehead on his.
“I love you too.” He whispered back, her smile twitching a little bigger. “Get some rest we’ll go when you are ready.” He told her as she nodded.

She pushed her bag on the floor next to her suitcase before stripping down to her underwear, something she had gotten used to doing now with Bucky in the room. He did the same pulling her to him, his arm protectively around her as his metal arm rested on her hip.
“It’s shiner.” She whispered with her eyes closed after a few minutes’ silence.
“What?” He asked opening one eye to look down at her hoping her face would give something away.
“Your arm. Did they polish it up for you?” She smiled. “Most guys shave or wear a fancy suit to make a good impression, do you shine your arm up instead?” She smirked when she heard him groan.
“They’ve installed a more sophisticated metal thank you very much, that means I can stop a moving car without even denting a finger.” He told her matter of factly, smiling when he saw her smirk more. “What are you smirking at?”
“Just thinking I need a picture nailing to the wall when we get home, think you can help?” She tried to hide the laugh from him failing when she heard him groan.
“You’re an ass.” He groaned out wiggling a little to get comfortable.
“But I’m your ass.”