Tied

Five

A week seemed to pass in a blur. 

The days were quiet mostly, except for the news running on the TV constantly. 
Pietro read aloud the constant incoming death threats, even the ones where Dahlia had been mentioned. 

Some part of her felt important, knowing that people remembered that she had been an Avenger in 2012, regardless of the circumstances at which she was appointed the title. 

The other part was infuriated that random people on the internet would threaten her life, as if she couldn't find them if she really wanted to. 

Dahlia didn't talk to Steve, taking the advice of her mother: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. . . So far it was paying off. 

It was a win for the two who would've had to listen to their bickering. 

Hell, Dahlia barely looked at him. Though sometimes, when his back was turned, she'd find herself watching his back muscles flex when he reached for anything above his head.

She'd deny it with every fiber of her being for the rest of her life. 

She and Natasha did all of the necessary grocery shopping, hoping to not be in town too long. The longer they took, the more likely they were to be recognized. 

Slowly, things were starting to go back to something that could vaguely resemble normalcy.

“Do you ever think, maybe, we should go back to New York?” Dahlia reluctantly questioned as she cut a fresh watermelon. 

The windows were open, a cool breeze blowing perfectly through the house, carrying the scent of freshly baked rolls. 

Natasha was perched on the counter, occasionally plucking a piece of the red fruit from the blue and white bowl. She hummed in acknowledgment. 

“Yes, but we could hold off for another few days. . . This is the closest thing to a break we've had in years. . .” She trailed off, glancing out the window. 

Steve and Pietro were cutting fire wood for the small bonfire they were having later that evening, completely oblivious to the conversation inside. 

Dahlia nodded. 
Natasha continued. “I wish we could've stopped him, that way none of this would've happened. . . The only positive that came from the whole thing is that you're back.” 

“Rogers doesn't see that as a positive, I'm sure. . . I don't plan on leaving again, though. . . I shouldn't have left the first time.” 

“So, why did you leave? How?” Natasha asked. 

Dahlia set the knife down on the counter, mentally bracing herself. 

“Back during the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., while the rest of you were off being heroic, I got in a hand to hand battle with the Winter Soldier. . . It seemed like I was his mission, so I fought with everything I had, and he did the same. . . Everything from pipes to shards of glass, he hurled it at me.” 

Dahlia shook her head at the vivid memory. 

“The only reason I didn't fire the killing shot was because I knew he was Cap's friend. . . I knew he was being controlled by the same people who. . . He got me good with a chunk of glass before he started at me with the PVC pipe, swinging and jabbing me with the sharp tip from it breaking. . .” She sighed. 

“I fell a few minutes before Cap did, three hundred feet, right into the Potomac River. . . When I came to, I was on the brink of death. The impact from the height of the fall and my injuries should've killed me. The only thing that was keeping me alive was the serum in my bloodstream. . . Bucky pulled me to the shore and I left as soon as I possibly could. I crawled until I couldn't.” 

They sat in silence for a solid few minutes. 

“So the serum helped you get far enough to get help?” Natasha inquired. 

“Basically, yeah. . . When I was finally checked into a hospital near Falls Church, they did what they could while they waited for my mom to get there. . . When she got there, they were preparing to transfer me to a better hospital.” 

“How'd that go?” 

Dahlia sighed, leaning against the counter. Her brunette hair covered her face partially. 

“My heart stopped beating twice on the way to Baltimore. She kept my whereabouts away from the media, which I realize kept them away from you guys. . . By the time I was good enough to walk on my own, the news was running headlines that said I was dead, so we rolled with it. Mom pulled some strings, got me this place and a fake identity.” 

Natasha nodded. “It makes sense now. . . You didn't seem shaken until we mentioned Thanos. . . You already knew that the world thought you were dead.” 

“Is it morbid to say I've visited my own grave? Black marble was a nice touch, with the white letters. . .” Dahlia picked up the knife again, going back to cutting the watermelon. 

Natasha snorted. “You're fucked up.” 

“I'm not denying that. . . I really missed all of you. . . Even the wet sock.” 

The two women made eye contact and burst into laughter. Dahlia thought it felt nice having someone to laugh with again.

𓆩♡𓆪

“This is good, Lia.” Pietro declared, tearing into his second plate of dinner. 

Dahlia took a swig of beer and grinned. She hated the taste, but it was better than nothing. 
“Don't forget to leave food for us.” She said, bringing her fork to her mouth. 

One hand was occupied by a beer bottle, the other was occupied with her fork, grilled chicken breast skewered on the silver prongs. 

She was curled up in her favorite outdoor chair, face glowing from the light of the fire and evening sunlight. . . It was calm. 

Nature surrounded the four with all its glory, a breeze blowing through the tops of the trees, sending a chill across their bodies. 

“No promises, we didn't get food like this on the run.” Pietro replied. 

“Which you mention constantly. I already said I was sorry.” Steve grumbled, eating a fork full of mac and cheese. 

Dahlia laughed loudly. “At this point, you should just grovel at his feet.” 

“Real mature, Vanderbilt.” Steve rolled his eyes. 

“Sorry, Rogers! Can't hear you over the sound of freedom.” 

“Can you hit her?” Steve asked Natasha. 

The redheaded woman raised her eyebrows. “I hate to say it, but violence isn't the answer for this one. . . God, I sound like you.” 

“We can fight if you have a fucking problem, Captain. Something in the wind tells me that you're a bottom anyway.” Dahlia smirked. 

“Hey, now that's a violation.” Natasha choked on laughter. 

So much for not saying anything.