An Attempt at Sunshine (Winter Soldier) (Marvel)

[42.00] [December 10, 2015]

We are seated around the table, playing a strange, team-oriented variation of Parcheesi.

Sam shouts about something Tony's team did wrong and Peter laughs with Thor at something Clint said. Steve and Sam and Nat and myself are the blue elephants, and we are in last place. Nat has named each piece after a team member, and Sam has died approximately six times. I think everyone else has it out for him.

I'm not really paying attention, but I roll the dice when Steve hands them to me. Apparently I'm good at getting fives so I get handed them a lot. Bruce and Tony and Peter with the green oxen win. They're all named 'Hulk'.

After, they all gather around for ice cream, but I'm not in the mood so I leave. I catch Bruce's eye as I slip down the hall and he stares.

I am laying on my bed when he softly knocks at the door and pushes it open.

"Barnes?"

"Banner?" I reply, mockingly.

He laughs for a moment, but it fades all too quickly.

"Barnes I just-"

"Wanted to make sure I was okay? Yeah. I'm fine."

"If you've been asked that so much it's annoying to you now, there's definitely a problem."

"Please leave me alone."

"Maybe I don't want to. You have to accept that maybe people actually like you."

"It's because you feel obligated. I'm the Captain's friend, you have to look out for me. It's only your duty."

"Stop. Stop this. You can't keep pulling the same stuff. Barnes, if you showed up one day, a fresh SHIELD agent or whatever, a new team member, no baggage or strings attatched, we would still care for you as much as we do now. You just can't seem to understand it. You're one of us now. You really don't have a choice. We're not going to let you destroy yourself, no matter how badly you want to."

I stop listening.

He leaves after five minutes of silence.