Purple Hope

Team Spar Day

"Bucky come on. It's team spar day," Steve said, happily walking through the tower to the gym. Bucky followed silently, smiling a bit at Steve's excitement.

He had finally accepted the offer to join their sparring sessions and was a little nervous. Years of being an assassin trained him not to hold back. To go for the kill. He didn't want to hurt the people that showed him kindness, even after everything he had done. They walked into the gym and Clint, Natasha, Wanda, Pietro, Sam, and Tony already were there.

"Are you going to join this time?" Sam asked Bucky.

"As long as the kid doesn't, then yes," he replied.

"Peter always joins, these group spars are his favorite for some reason," Tony said.

"I don't want to hurt him," Bucky mumbled.

"Don't worry about me, Mr. Bucky. I'll be fine," Peter said, practically skipping into the room.

"Never mind," Bucky muttered and moved to leave the room.

Steve stepped in front of him. "Bucky. You promised you'd participate this time."

Bucky glared at him. "I didn't, but fine. Does one on one count?" he added that last part a little hopefully.

"No," Steve said, "You already do that."

"What if I fight someone new?" Bucky suggested.

"Ooooo! I'll fight you," Peter offered, oh so helpfully.

Bucky glanced at the boy and then back at Steve, silently pleading. But his face was a near perfect mask and barely showed any emotion, although confusion frequently overtook his features because he wasn't used to many things from this time.

"It'll be fine Bucky. Besides, if anything happens we're all here," Steve reassured him. Sighing, Bucky followed him over to start warming up.

Natasha was at the other end of the room and had watched the exchange out of the corner of her eyes. Unlike Steve, she had been able to perfectly read Bucky's face.

"Peter," she called, motioning for the boy to come warm up with her.

"Hey Nat," he said, bouncing over to her, "What's up?"

She had to think over her words carefully, but quickly. "I think that, maybe you shouldn't spar with us this week."

Peter paused mid-stretch to look at her in confusion. "Why?"

"Well, it's a big step for Bucky, for him to fight with us all that at once," she told him slowly. After his time in Wakanda Bucky no longer responded to the command words, but he was still working on his control. Knowing how to and when to hold back. "He doesn't want to accidentally hurt you."

"But then how am I supposed to show him I'll be fine. He needs to know how strong I am," Peter said.

Nat sighed. "Alright. Just try not to charge at him right at the start, okay?"

"Yup," Peter said, "Um Nat. If you don't mind me asking, uh well you seem to care a lot about Mr. Bucky, but then why do you always try to avoid him?"

"I don't," Natasha answered coolly. It was a lie, but not an obvious one. "I just don't know him too well." Another lie. "But I know what it's like to be forced to do things you don't want to." Finally a truth. She turned to watch Bucky, staring sadly at him. "When you get free it can make you skeptical. Not knowing if what you have will last, or if even the slightest mistake will make you lose it all."

Peter looked sad and a little flustered, not knowing what to do. "Oh, that just, um, well, uhhhhh, do you need a hug?"

She looked back at Peter and chuckled. "Иди сюда мой маленький паучок."
(come here little spider)