How do you heal?

Chapter 60: Try Try Try

Early September 2016

Annie danced around the kitchen with her headphones in gathering ingredients to start baking. In the weeks since she had barged into Piet's room a blubbering mess she'd felt lighter, as if all the tears had washed away a burden she had been clinging to. Bucky had tried to talk to her when he had returned the ICE paperwork and when he finished the book he'd borrowed but she'd firmly put up a wall. If it wasn't work related, she wasn't engaging in it. It was what she needed to do if she wanted to be able to move on.

As she began measuring and dumping components into a bowl she noticed all the Avengers start to file in, minus Sam who was at Alex's this week, from the elevator hallway and took her headphones out. She smiled at everyone as they entered and her eyes caught on one person in particular. "Clint, when did you get in?" She said as he and the twins came to sit at the island, the others scattering to the couches or to grab drinks and snacks.

"Got in this morning, had a debrief with Hill on campus and decided to crash the meeting that was happening today with all these miscreants." He replied smiling as he gestured a hand to encompass the room.

"Well I'm glad you did! It's good to see you. How long are you here for? I didn't know you were coming so I don't think your bed has sheets."

"I'm just staying the night then the twins and I are headed back to the farm in the morning."

Annie furrowed her brow, looking between Pietro and Wanda. "Oh, you guys are leaving?"

"Just for a few weeks, the old man can't survive without me." Pietro said, giving Clint a small shove.

"And I want to see the baby." Wanda chimed in.

Clint shook his head. "I'm working on a project that requires hanging drywall. It's too heavy for Cooper to help and Laura has got enough to worry about with three kids running around. So I'm putting him to work and getting him out of your hair for a while."

Pietro stood and walked around the island to stand by Annie. "Hey, I work all the time. Tell him, Солнышко! I'm basically your right hand man."

Annie smiled. "You help when you want to or if I bribe you. Which I am hoping I can do today. I need a really big favor."

He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Солнышко, at least woo me first!"

"Okay, I'm leaving!" Wanda said, standing to walk away.

"Ugh, take me with you." Clint said as he followed her.

Annie laughed and her shoulders rose up, almost hitting him, at the tickling feeling of his breath on her neck. "No, I need to take advantage of your speed. It's Alex's birthday and I want you to run these to the house to surprise her." She said gesturing at the bowl she had finished dropping things into as she turned to grab a mixer.

"Do I get any?" He asked.

"That depends." She said unraveling the cord and plugging it in. "Are you going to take them for me?"

He smiled softly and propped his chin on his hands and met her gaze. These last two weeks had renewed his hope of her being done with Barnes. She'd put up a wall like Alex had said and he could see the effects it was having on her mood. She was getting past it and he was just waiting for the right time. "Of course, I'd do anything for you. Now what are you making me?"

Annie rolled her eyes. "They aren't for you they are for Alex, you are just getting some as payment and they are honey cakes."

The next evening Annie sat in the living room reading. Earlier she had said her goodbyes to the twins, Clint and Vision who decided to join them and sent the group off with several dozen cookies she'd made for the kids and a very expensive bottle of wine for Laura from Tony's collection. When Clint had looked at her questioningly she just winked. Rhodey and Steve had also left that morning with Tony to attend a meeting in D.C. leaving only Nat and Bucky, who'd decided to get dinner in the city. So fully immersed in her book, despite having read it dozens of times, she didn't hear the elevator ding.

"I'm just saying, Barnes, it's perfect timing. The twins and Vis are at Barton's, Sam is with Alex this week, the red, white and bougie crew are in D.C for two days, and Banner is in California and Thor is off searching for info on the stones. You, and I are the only ones here so there is going to be plenty of time to catch her alone. If you want I could even crash the Barton party and really give you two all the privacy you need to reconnect." Nat was saying as they entered the elevator.

"Can you please just drop it, Romanoff. It's not going to happen." Bucky said as he slouched against the wall.

She stood in front of him and crossed her arms. "I don't understand why you are so against this. You still have feelings for and want to be with her and she clearly still has feelings for you. You've got a prime opportunity to flirt your way back into her good graces. Why won't you just try?"

"BECAUSE I ALREADY DID!" Bucky snapped and then began to pace.

Nat looked at him shocked. How did I not know this? "When?"

"The day I broke it off with Kat, after the paperwork thing. Annie came to my room to give me the forms to fill out. I wasn't exactly trying hard but I did try she basically told me to get fucked and then ran out of my room crying and went right to Maximoff's. She hasn't said two words to me since."

"I don't believe that part in the least. Annie's not that type." Nat said as they stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall.

Bucky spotted Annie on the couch and whispered. "Well then I will prove it to you." He quietly crossed the room, leaned in behind Annie and in the most sultry voice he could muster asked. "Watcha reading, Sweetheart?"

Nat watched as Annie instantly stiffened. When she turned to look at Bucky her glare was pure frost. When she noticed Nat watching she took a deep breath and returned to her book, saying only, "Jane Austen."

Bucky took a step back and looked at Nat with an 'I told you so'. Nat, unwilling to give up that easy, motioned her arms for him to continue.

Bucky sighed but obliged. He walked around the couch and sat a few feet away from Annie. "Persuasion, that's your favorite right? With uh, Anne and..." he snapped his fingers as if trying to recall a name.

Annie closed her book and stood. "Wentworth." She said without looking at Bucky. She wished Nat a good night as she passed and walked down the hall towards her room.

Nat looked to Bucky who remained on the couch dejected. "Well, that was at least three words."