It's Forbidden

Listen

Aspen and Bucky had taken about a four hour nap together. They were both still tired but neither of them could really sleep in the lab. It reminded them both of Hydra. They didn't like to be surrounded by machines and medical equipment. It reminded them of all the experiments that were done on them. 

They tried not to think about it but it didn't work. Aspen had an especially hard time with it, especially since she was the one who had to have the surgery in the first place. Having to be cut open terrified her. But she knew she needed it. And Bucky was there to protect her, which made her feel better.

They only slept in that lab as long as they did because Aspen wasn't coherent enough to know exactly what her surroundings were. All she knew was Bucky was right there with her and she knew she was safe. And Bucky was only able to sleep that long because he hadn't slept in three days. And he had Aspen with him. They held each other tight as they slept. They were woken up by Bruce checking on them, and then they stayed awake. 

Aspen was completely lucid and she told Bucky she had decided it was time for her to talk to Steve. She wanted the fight to be over. And hopefully her telling him this, would finally get rid of all the arguing and fighting. She just wanted to live in peace. She had been fighting her entire life, she wanted to stop.

She was exhausted. And she completely forgot that being related to Tony insured problems of its own. But for now, she had to fix the problem with Steve. She needed her brother. Blood or not. She didn't want to fight with him anymore. 

She told Bucky she wanted to talk to Steve. So Bucky left the room, getting Steve for Aspen and waiting in his bedroom until they were done. He cleaned himself up, changed his clothes and got a change of his clothes for Aspen, knowing she would feel more comfortable in his clothes, she loved stealing his clothes. 

While he did all this, Steve and Aspen were in the lab talking. Steve at Aspen's bedside. "Hey, how're you feeling?" Steve asked as he sat down next to Aspen. Aspen just wanted to talk, she didn't want there to be fighting. She wanted him to let her explain. "Like I was just cut open." She tells him.

She was sore. And in pain. Her incision itched, her super soldier body making it heal quicker. But not as quick as she would have liked. "Can you..." Steve starts. He didn't want to start the conversation like this, but he needed to hear everything.

Steve was tired of fighting too. Especially after thinking he could have lost Aspen. He regretted everything and realized he was wrong. He wanted to make it right. And he was willing to hear what she had to say. "Can you explain everything to me Aspen?"

Aspen wanted to tell him. But she needed to know it wasn't going to turn into an argument. She couldn't handle an argument. She was too exhausted. She was mentally drained. She couldn't fight with him anymore. She didn't want to. "Are you going to listen?" She asks him.

She wasn't trying to be a smart-ass, she was trying to make sure that he would really listen. She didn't want to fight. "Yes." Steve told her. "I will." He says. She was praying that he meant what he said. She was hoping he would really listen to her.

"Bruce did a DNA test after you left." She starts. "It came out, that I'm not related to you or Bucky." Aspen tells him. She looks at Steve, waiting for some sort of objection or interruption. Making sure he was listening. And he was, looking right at her, and listening carefully. 

"Thank fuck because that would've been so weird." She says with an awkward little laugh. "But, I am related to Tony." Aspen says. She wanted to break it down. Make sure there wasn't room fir many questions, she wanted to make sure he heard everything she was saying so there would be no confusion.

"Tony's dad, Howard, is my brother." Aspen says. "So I'm Tony's aunt." Aspen clarifies. Steve continues to listen to her, patiently. Not wanting to say anything until he knows she's finished. He genuinely wanted to hear everything that she had to tell him. And he wanted to apologize.

"And I love Bucky." She tells him. She looks down. Scared of what he would say. But she needed him to know. And it wasn't changing. She loved him, she always had and she always would. She wanted to be completely opened and honest with him so he never thought that she was trying to hide anything.

"I know moms dying wish was basically for us not to date and just be friends, but he's always there for me." She says. As she recalls, tears come to her eyes. She thinks about Bucky, how much she loves him. How much she's always loved him. 

"He protects me and makes me feel safe. I went through hell with him." She says. Steve continues to listen. He nods for Aspen to continue. He wanted to hear everything. "He makes me feel okay. After everything I've been through." Aspen tells Steve. Tears threatening her eyes still.

"I love him Stevie." She cries. "I think part of me always has but I didn't realize it until recently." She says. Tears falling down her cheeks. "He's my Jamie." She says with a small smile. "And he hasn't said it yet, but...he loves me Steve. I know he does."

Aspen didn't need Bucky to say it for her to know. She could tell in the way he looked at her, the way he kissed her. The way he held her. She could tell in everything he did that he loved her, even if he hadn't said it yet. She knew. And then Steve finally said something. "Aspen if this is what you want, and this makes you happy..."