Lark

Ultimatum

Steve's POV

He watched as Bucky crashed and burned with Aria. It pained him to see his best friend try to be so open with someone other than him, only to be shot down repeatedly. When it came to Buck it was usually the other way around. He understandably had a hard time trusting anyone after what Hydra put him through. Add in the world's governments hunting him down for two years and then trying to kill him after the UN bombing.. so for him to go out of his way to try and get to know Aria, it was a big deal. As much as Steve cared about her, Bucky was like his brother. He wasn't going to stand by while he got hurt when he could step in and say something. Determinedly striding over to the training room after Buck left the gym he went to open it, but it was locked. That wouldn't stop him. The only other people with clearance as high as his own were Tony and Fury. "Override lockdown command. Rogers, Steven G." The door unlocked.

Just as he was about to step through, a knife embedded itself into the floor in front of him in warning. "What part of lockdown don't you get, Rogers?" Aria sneers at him from where she stands with a wickedly sharp sword before going back to ignoring him as she practiced her footwork. He had to admit that she was beautiful as she was scary with a blade, but Steve shoved his admiration for her on the back burner.

Bending down Steve yanks the blade from the mat and taps it against his palm as he comes slowly closer. "You know, I get the distance you put between yourself and everyone else. You don't have much in common with us. I get that. But what I don't understand is, why you're so unwelcomed to the idea of being cordial to Bucky." Aria continues to ignore him, making her sword vanish before conjuring a set of throwing knives. The fact that she wasn't using him as a target so far was a good sign. "Is it because you channeled him? You channeled Natasha and you aren't as hostile to her as you are with him."

Aria pauses mid-throw, turning to look at him. Frowning, she flits her eyes over his face as if she was searching for something. Speaking in a monotone she tilts her head to the side. "Why do you care as long as I do my job?"

He answers her without hesitation. "Because he's my best friend. I'd do anything to help make his life easier after all he's been through." Steve means that honestly and simply. Aria tilts her head again reminding him of a bird curious to see what he was about. With her being so petite you'd think delicate, but the dark look in her eyes screamed predator.

He tries to keep from shifting his stance too much so she doesn't see that she was making him slightly uncomfortable, but he felt like he failed when her eyes scan over his body. Steve relaxed a little when she made her knives disappear. "You care about him because you have an emotional connection to him." She says it almost like a question. Like she was trying to understand his and Buck’s relationship.

"I do. He's like a brother to me." He nods, a small smile pulls at his lips, hopeful that he was finally getting somewhere with her. Aria’s grey-green eyes narrow, but not at Steve. It was almost like she was thinking about something else or someone else.

"I don't have emotional connections with people.” Her usually sultry voice comes out quiet. Like she was on the verge of tears. “I don't know what he wants from me." She looked up at him with a frown looking lost. "I don't know what you want from me." Her deeply expressive hazel eyes felt like they were searching his soul for the answer.

You'd think it would be a bit disconcerting, but it wasn't. In fact, he wished she would keep looking because maybe she'd finally see how he really felt about her and maybe, just maybe she might warm up to him. Stance more relaxed now Steve’s tone goes back to being friendlier. "He wants to be your friend. I want to be your friend." Her face softened for a moment as she thought about what he said.

Steve smiled hoping he had made some kind of headway with her. Apparently not. Almost instantly her expression hardened. "I don't have friends or emotional connections."