How do you heal?

Chapter 41: Plotters

Mid September 2015

In the few months since the accords bullshit Pietro had been out of his mind bored. Once his sister had been released from the raft and returned to the compound she and vision started spending a lot of time together and Annie, the only other person who regularly entertained his random inclinations for activity, had barely left her room unless she was working. He'd caught her walking into the laundry room a few days ago just after Wanda had declined to join him for an upcoming event he was highly interested in.

"Ah, Солнышко, just the person I was looking for!" He said as he trailed into the room behind her.

Annie looked over her shoulder as she pulled a load of laundry from the dryer. "Hey, Piet, what's up?" She asked with a poor attempt for a smile on her face as she moved to a table to start folding. Her smiles used to be so genuine and warm. Now they looked almost like they hurt her.

He stepped up to the table and watched her for a moment as he spoke. "Well, I recently became aware of a party next weekend and I couldn't help but think 'this is definitely something Annie would love to go to with me' so I am here to give you the details so you can put it on your calendar."

She paused her folding and looked at him disbelievingly. "Really, you saw information about a party and thought, I, of all people, would want to go? Is it a read-a-thon?"

Pietro's chest warmed at the small, real smile she let out in response to her own joke. A small spark of life bloomed in her eyes. "No, but if I come across one I will also invite you to that. This party is a rave."

Annie's eyes widened in shock and she stood dumbfounded for a moment. "Funny, Maximoff." She said as she rolled her eyes and resumed her work.

"Oh come on, Солнышко, it will be fun. We'll have a great time and I need someone to go with me."

Annie shook her head. "Even on my best day, Piet, a rave is NOT my scene. Why don't you ask Wanda or Nat? I'm sure Nat would love to go."

"Wanda already turned me down and Nat is going to Barton's for a few weeks to see the baby."

She let out a small scoff. "Wow, so I'm your last resort. Way to make a girl feel special."

"You know I didn't mean it like that. I would have asked you first but," Pietro paused and made a face. "You haven't exactly been up for doing much the last few months."

"I know." She finished the last of the clothes and began placing them in baskets labeled with who they belonged to. "But even if I was," she paused again and, finally, a genuine large grin crossed her face. "Well lets just say Alex used to have to drag me kicking and screaming to house parties. I can't think of anything that would convince me to go to a rave." With that she turned and left the room.

Annie might not have been able to think of a way to make her go to a rave but Pietro could. She would do anything for Alex and Alex was always up for everything.

Days later Pietro walked down the hall towards Annie's room as he scrolled through his phone making sure all his plans were in order and that Alex would be arriving shortly.

Alex: Pulling in now Road Runner. Commence phase two.

With that Pietro entered Annie's room without knocking. "Hey, Солнышко, sorry this is last minute but could you do me a favor?"

Annie's head snapped up. She was sitting in an oversized chair. Her legs dangling over an arm, a book propped on her bare knees, shorts riding up from the angle she was resting at. Pietro was momentarily stunned. In the few months he'd been at the compound, even in the peak of summer, he couldn't recall ever seeing her in anything but jeans. Now, seeing the dark intricate tattoo that nearly covered her entire leg he was sure he would have remembered seeing her in shorts before.

"Jesus Piet," she said as she closed her book and stood up. "Are you honestly trying to scare me to death?"

He moved across the room, eyes never leaving her legs, realizing they both were marked. "Whoa, your tattoos are amazing." He said as he sat in the chair she had just vacated trying to get a closer look. "Never would have guessed you were inked let alone with something so big. How long did these take?"

Annie nervously stepped away and pulled down on the ends of her shorts. "Uhm, thirty-six hours I think. Did you need something?"

Pietro stood and put on his most charming smile. "As a matter of fact I did. I have a friend staying here tonight after the rave. Can you set Barton's room up for a guest?"

"Piet, not to be a party pooper but you can't just have a random person stay here. I need to run clearance on them and-"

"They already have clearance." Pietro interrupted her.

Annie looked confused and opened her mouth to ask who, when her door flung open again. "Alright, Road Runner, where am I sleeping?" Alex said as she burst through the door.

Annie looked between the two even more confused. "Alex, what are you doing here?"

"Going to a rave with Pietro. Didn't he tell you? He said it was your idea that he ask me." Alex said, walking into the room and tossing bags onto the couch.

"Oh did he?"

Pietro sat back down. "Well, not exactly. I told her that you thought she would be into a rave and seeing as no one else wanted to go with me..." He trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

Annie lowered her voice. "And who's watching 'the cat'?"

"It's been five months and 'the cat' hasn't stepped a toe out of line. I'm only here for a day, he will be fine." Alex answered.

Annie narrowed her eyes and shook her head and walked to the chair where Pietro sat and picked up her book. "Well, I hope you two have a lovely time but I don't have clean sheets for Clint's room and I don't feel like doing a load of laundry right now. Alex can sleep in here with me tonight."

"What's wrong, Солнышко, are you jealous?" Pietro smirked as he sank further into the chair, throwing one leg over the arm, somewhat mimicking Annie's earlier position.

Annie turned her back on him and went to sit on the couch. "Not at all. I hope you guys have fun."

"You know you could still join us, Honey Cakes. It would be fun. I miss being wild and going out with you."

"You mean you miss being twenty-two and dragging me to house parties to play beer pong or be forced to be the weird girl in the corner while you made all the jocks that hit on you cry?"

"And dancing." Alex said sitting next to Annie. "Mostly I miss the dancing but the jock thing was also fun."

Annie opened her book and sighed. She had been keeping herself cooped up in her room since Bucky had left and she was starting to grow restless. While she didn't really think a rave would be her cup of tea she did miss laughing, missed being happy, missed karaoke and burgers and being in the world. She definitely missed Alex and even missed Pietro despite him being two doors down and always asking her to hang out. But a rave? "You guys have fun but I can't go. I don't have anything even remotely rave appropriate in my closet."

Pietro and Alex looked at each other and grinned. "You mean you don't have anything in this closet." Alex said and reached into one of her bags. "But I raided your closet back home, just in case."