|| LONGING || EDITTING

|| Chapter Thirteen ||

After Tony left, Arizona and Bucky had been greeted with silence - something that had Bucky shifting in his restraints from the discomfort. He looked at the desk meters away from him with an emotionless look until he remembered her distraught expression back on the roof, "Back on the roof... When I thought we were gonna get shot at... Why did you look upset?" He knew she cared about him and that she wouldn't want him dead but there was something haunting in her eyes at that moment that said a different story.

"Last time someone tried to protect me, they were killed..." She replied with a solemn look.

Bucky stayed looking at the desk, he couldn't bear to see her expression, "Who?"

"His name was Pietro, and he died because of me..." She closed her eyes, "He lost any chance he had to have kids, or a wife, or a future," She felt tears of guilt try to slip between her closed eyelids as she let out a shaky breath making Bucky close his own eyes in sympathy, "He thought I was someone worth saving..." Arizona shook her head, "And he died... I wasn't worth it, I will never be worth another's life..."

Bucky lowered his head, understanding how the teenager felt. He himself didn't feel worthy enough to live. Not after everything he'd done in his past, and it was because of this that he couldn't comfort her because how was he supposed to make her feel worthy if he didn't know how to himself? Arizona looked at him, "Should we change the subject?" She saw him nod, not hearing him whisper a small 'Yeah' and she let a small grin adorn her lips, "Remember when I called you Savior?"

Bucky bowed his head further, his brown locks masking his smile of amusement. That was one thing he loved about Arizona, she always found a way to make him smile, even in the darkest of times, the pair fitted like a jigsaw made from broken pieces, "Haven't heard that name in a while..."

She leaned her head back, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia about the times he had remembered things, "I remember when you told me about you and your sister going to Coney Island with Steve..."

Bucky couldn't help but feel his lips tug into a small grin, "You should've seen your face... You looked like a kid on Christmas day..." Arizona chuckled, looking over at Bucky who looked at her as well, the pair ending up laughing with one another.

--xXx--

Steve was sat in a glass-walled office with Tony as they spoke, "Is Pepper here? I didn't see her,"

"We're kinda... Well, not kinda..." Tony stammered.

"Pregnant?" Steve asked in surprise.

Tony breathed out instantly denying it, "No. Definitely not. We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault,"

Steve arched his brows in sympathy, "I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't know... I guess that's why Zona's been acting out lately,"

Tony nodded, his eyes landing on the Fireball from the camera's, guilt and even a small pinch of jealousy when he saw her and Bucky laughing together as they shared muted words, "Yeah, she's had a tough life... having Pepper just up and leave - obviously with a good reason - didn't help her. That and Pepper hasn't stayed in contact with her... It's gonna make the kid snap,"

Tony sighed, "A few years ago, I almost lost Pepper, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up Hydra... and then Ultron, my fault, and then, and then, and then, I never stopped. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose her, I don't want to lose either of them, I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference," "Then there's Arizona who wants to try and make it work with us so badly, I can see she's trying. She knows everything about her birth family and yet she chooses to stay with us... She told me herself that she thinks she's just a useless object - an object, Steve..." Steve furrowed his brows at the revelation, his eyes finding Arizona on the screen as well. He never thought she'd feel even remotely close to that, "And in Pepper's defence, I'm a handful. Yet, Dad was a pain in the ass, but he and mom always made it work..."

"You know, I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single," Steve said changing the subject seeing how Tony's distraught expression was darkening into a look of self-hatred.

"Oh, really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times," Tony replied shrugging on his blazer before mumbling, "God, I hated you,"

"I don't mean to make things difficult," Steve apologized.

Tony nodded as he walked to the other side of Steve, "I know because you're a very polite person,"

Steve glanced through the glass towards the screens seeing Arizona and Bucky share more muted words before he looked back at Tony, "If I see a situation pointed south... I can't ignore it. Sometimes I wish I could,"

"No, you don't," Tony instantly deadpanned with a single shake of his head.

Steve found himself smiling to himself, "No, I don't. Sometimes -"

Before he could continue, Tony interrupted him, "Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone, if you sign. We can make the last twenty - four hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych-centre... instead of a Wakandan prison,"

Steve frowned thoughtfully and picked up one of the fountain pens, he stood up and started pacing before tuning to Tony, "I'm not saying it's impossible, but there would have to be safeguards,"

Tony nodded, "Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated -"

Now, Tony was the one to be cut off, "Wanda? What about Wanda?"

"She's fine, she's confined to the compound, currently. Vision's keeping her company," Tony answered casually.

"Oh God, Tony!" He exclaimed in frustration, "Every time - every time, I think you see things the right way -" Steve was cut off.

"What? It's a hundred acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There are worse ways to protect people,"

Steve raised his brows, "Protection? Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's internment, Tony. Is that why you won't let Arizona out of that pod?"

"Yes, Arizona is a child and shouldn't be in this world of chaos, okay? She deserves to try and be normal with her family -"

Steve gave Tony a look of disbelief, "Please tell me you aren't actually considering sending her back to her family?" Greeted with silence, Steve scoffed, "We are her family, Tony! You can't just throw everything that's happened since Sokovia away because she wants to fight for what she thinks is right!"

"She's too young to be feeling guilty because she helped destroy an entire country!" He yelled, "She blames herself for so much, Steve!" Tony stood up, anger in his brown orbs, "She told me that she would rather die the most painful death instead of being the reason someone else is dead!" He then inhaled deeply, sitting back down as Steve burned his words into his memory before Tony sighed, "As for Wanda, she's not a US citizen..."

"Oh, come on, Tony,"

"And they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction,"

"They're kids!" Steve raised his voice.

Tony yelled at the top of his voice, "GIVE ME A BREAK! I'm doing what has to be done... to stave off something worse,"

Steve faintly nodded, "You keep telling yourself that," He then put down the pen beside its casing, "Hate to break up the set," He added before leaving the office.