The Other Stark

Chapter 4

Some days later, Nat and Tory were sparing on the mat, Steve, and Sam on the other side of the training room, lifting weights, only beginning their exercise. Meanwhile, Bucky was on the punching bags, slamming and kicking each time stronger.

"Punch harder!" Nat yelled to her friend, making her kick the redhead, but she ducked, pushing Tory's leg to the side, making her fall.

"You're distracted."

"I'm not, my problem is the lack of a good party," the brunette answered, taking the hand Nat offered to help her stand up.

"Well... today is Friday, there must have some party you wanna go... there's always parties you wanna go," Romanoff pointed out, placing her hands on her hips.

Both women started walking in a circle, getting ready to attack. Nat charged a clout on Tory's direction, she blocked, getting a hold of her friend's hand, turning it to her back, kicking her legs in a fast move and slamming her on the floor.

They continued their ritual, after a while, the boys joined the four of them fighting one another. When a loud noise came from the corner of the room, they turn to look at the punching bag laying on the floor, Bucky breathing heavily, the plates of his metal arm shifting.

"Right... we're going to start replacing the punching bags again I see," Tory said looking at the sand from the sack all over the floor. She looked at Buck, who had pain in his eyes. He looked at the shocked group, worried he did something he shouldn't.

"There are more of those on that metal door there," Steve informed his friend, worry all over his face, finger pointing to the door.

"I'm done for today people," Tory said when their attention wasn't on the mess anymore.

"I'm heading out though, really need a drink."

She exited the room, drinking from her bottle of water.

"Well... I see tonight is going to be noisy, just like before," Sam commented with a devilish smile spread across his face.

"I'm done. You know, you should go out sometimes too..." Natasha said before walking the same direction Tory just did.

The two men stood in the middle of the mat, looking at Bucky, who was hanging a new punching bag on its place.

"Well, he really is angry," Sam added before leaving the room too, Steve not sure what to do with his best friend that only talked to Tory, but she had a lot of things to do, so the woman didn't have the time to always talk to him. But Steve noticed that when they did talk, Bucky seemed more relieved, lighter.

...

"This one?" Tory asked again, pulling another dress from her closet, showing Wanda and Nat, who were both on her bed.

"It looks like you're too desperate," Wanda said making a face to the dress.

"Okay... get out of there," Nat burst, getting up and entering the closet, kicking her out.

"I don't know why you called us, you know how to choose your things and does a job as good as mine."

"Some girl time?" the Stark woman answered, looking at Wan.

"Well... it's been a while since we've had fun... always the missions and stuff," the Witch told them.

"And since you came back everyone is a little tense, because of..."

"Of Bucky," Tory continued the sentence, rolling her eyes. Wanda wasn't the first one to say that. Clint pointed out the same thing a couple of days ago.

"I think he needs time, you don't just come back from brainwashing and murdering everyone to trusting people and talking to them overnight."

"I know you don't, it's just like, I don't know... he's always staring at everyone like we're going to attack him... We should help him you know," Wanda finished her sentence, looking at Nat who was holding a hanger with a black tight long-sleeved dress, with a v back.

"First he should trust us before we go around making tests on him," Nat presumed, handing Tory the dress.

"Trust me, it won't bring him good memories."

"I think he's always that reserved 'cause he doesn't trust he can control himself if something happens to him," Tory stated, undressing the oversized shirt she had on, putting the dress on, looking at herself on the mirror.

"All the trigger words, he's haunted by them."

"Do you think he'll ever be ready for missions?" Wanda asked, looking at Tory moving around the room, finishing the last touches of her make up.

"After a while, he'll get used to us, being around people that don't wanna kill him, after that, I think so," the ginger muttered.

"We'll just give him time, now I need to go!" Tory gushed, picking her clutch, hurrying to the door, the other two following her.

...

When the girls entered the common room, all the boys turned their gaze to Tory, who twirled to show her work.

"Good?" she asked with a smile.

"Damn," Sam said, making Tory's smile grow wilder.

"You look stunning Ms. Stark," Vision said, always formal. She took her car keys, and walked to the elevator, calling it.

"You're driving?" her brother asked entering the room. They weren't talking like they use too, and Tony missed his sister joking around with him, but both of them had a huge ego and wouldn't apologize to one another.

"Yep!" she countered, turning her gaze to the elevators doors again, listening to the ding.

"Don't drive back drunk," Tony shouted, the metal doors already closing.

"Won't promise," she shouted back, just to make him angry.

Tory got to the club and headed straight to the bar, already moving her hips to the beat of the music.

...

It was late at night when Buck woke up from another nightmare. He always had them. There wasn't one night where he just slept over, not waking up all sweaty, breathing heavy, afraid to close his eyes and relive everything again.

Bursting out of his bed, he went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. Try to calm himself. This one was a bad one and it would take time for him to forget.

Some minutes standing there in the middle of the kitchen, a noise came from the elevator, following the sounds of giggling and whispering. Before Bucky could move, Tory had already called his name with a muffled laugh.

"Thought everyone was asleep," she said still giggling. Buck moved his gaze to the guy behind her, holding her hand, muttering something on her ear.

"We should go."

Both of them quickly went to the bedrooms direction, the giggling noises only vanishing when the door closed. He stood there for a while, staring blank.

Knowing he wouldn't sleep any longer, Bucky took another bottle of water, walking to the elevator, heading for the training room.