joey looks over at him, eyebrows still pulled together slightly. "you're a jerk, you know that?" they both know that she's referencing several things at the moment, not just his words minutes ago.
"yeah," he tells her, shaking his head and looking a...
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THE 6:00 AM ALARM GOING OFF ON JOEY'S PHONE PAINS HER, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY.
Her eyelids are heavy as she lazily flicks the light on with her powers, and she allows the newfound brightness to warm her up to being awake. When she can finally muster it, she sits up, and just like the past two days, she shoots her mother a text. Morning. I hope you aren't awake because that would literally suck so bad. Speaking from experience.
She doesn't bother with a trip to the bathroom for a tooth-brushing or face-washing, since if training is anything like it used to be, she's going to need both plus a long shower afterward. Instead, she brushes her hair into a high ponytail, and changes into a blue cropped tank top, some black leggings, and an old pair of peach-colored Nikes.
With only 40 minutes to spare now, Joey makes her way out of her room and into an elevator, down one floor to the kitchen. Through the glass back wall of the elevator, she looks down at the track to the side of the building, where an assembly of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are running laps or completing circuits. She's suddenly thankful that she was dragged into training— she doesn't want to be an odd one out, and this could give her something to talk about with Meg, and Jane, and any other agents. She thinks of her mother's words, then. I'm so glad you're fitting in.
The door opens, and she hears a burble of voices coming from the direction of the kitchen; one of which she can distinctly recognize as Natasha's.
"Why would you say that!" Peter.
As she rounds the corner and enters the kitchen, she takes in the picture of Steve spreading peanut butter on a bagel, Nat flipping an egg at the stove, and Bucky and Peter sitting behind the island on stools, each with a bowl of Kellogg's.
"She's joking," Bucky tells Peter, even though he's laughing, as are Nat and Steve.
"Morning," Joey smiles, bringing all four of their attention toward her. Their laughter fizzles out, but their smiles don't.
"Little Stark," Steve greets in return. "Training this morning?"
"Wouldn't miss it," Joey replies, and Nat throws a knowing look over her shoulder; one that says yeah right. When she looks over at Peter, he's giving a similar look, having heard hers and Tony's entire squabble, last night.
"You train, kid?" Bucky asks as Joey walks to the fridge.
"My dad used to make me, when I was growing up," she starts.
"The same may be said about her reasons for participating this time around," Natasha interrupts.
"Cut it out Nat," Joey suggests casually, flipping her off from around the fridge before going back to her search. "Are we out of protein smoothies? Damn!" She sighs and shuts the fridge, and leans against it to finish talking. "He used to not let me spar, just have me do all the basic fitness parts, but I've been in karate and boxing all my life, so it was never an issue. But now I've been out of practice for a year, and he wants me getting back in shape and back on guard because of everything that's happened in your world since I was last here.
