real life | until you know

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it was nearly eleven at night, and sleep should've come easily.

the room was dark except for the soft amber glow of the lamp on the bedside table. steve's steady breathing was rhythmic against her back, and bucky was snoring quietly beside her, sprawled out like a retriever in the summer sun. cartia lay in the middle, cocooned between the two of them — wrapped in safety and love. and utterly awake.

she had spent the better part of an hour coaxing bucky to sleep, fingers combing through his hair while he muttered groggily about her needing to rest. eventually, she convinced him she'd follow after him — that she was just thinking for a bit — and he believed her. he always wanted to believe her.

steve had fallen asleep first. she could still feel the press of his lips to her shoulder like an echo, the quiet "i've got you" he whispered into the darkness before drifting off.

but even with their arms around her, the quiet crept in.

not the soothing kind. the sharp kind. the kind that poked holes in her calm and filled her chest with noise.

cartia stared at the ceiling, heart tight in her ribs. she counted each breath. she tried grounding. she tried rerouting. she tried not panicking.

eventually, with the slowest movements she could manage, she slid out from under the duvet. steve stirred only slightly, brow furrowing for a second before settling again. bucky mumbled something unintelligible, reaching out once before his hand flopped back to the bed.

cartia slipped on one of bucky's hoodies — it hung past her knees — and padded barefoot to the door.

"friday?" she whispered.

"yes, cartia?" came the ai's soft reply.

"if they wake up, let them know i'm in the workshop. please don't let them panic."

"of course."

the hallway outside was hushed and dim. she hugged the hoodie tighter around herself as she moved silently through the tower. she didn't need to check if tony was still awake — she knew he would be. once he set his mind on something, it wasn't so much a question of if he'd see it through, but how fast.

and cartia had a feeling tonight, he wouldn't stop building her safe room until it was ready to breathe in.

the avengers tower was rarely silent during the day — too many people, too much movement — but this late, the soft hum of the air conditioning was the only real sound. cartia padded barefoot into the kitchen, suddenly thirsty for something comforting. once she had her mug in hands, she headed down the hall, until she reached the familiar glass doors.

the workshop lights were dimmed, but not off. typical. the doors slid open without a sound. the familiar smell of warm metal, coffee, and tony's cologne greeted her. blueprints and glowing schematics littered the nearest table, a 3d model of her new sanctuary flickering quietly in the center. a prototype wall stood near the corner — thick, matte, and humming faintly with energy.

the workshop was quieter than expected. cartia had anticipated the usual hum of machines and music – tony's brand of chaotic ambience – but it seemed like even friday was keeping the noise levels low out of respect. or possibly fear.

Kingdom Her • Avengers Soulmate AUWhere stories live. Discover now