|| LONGING || EDITTING

|| Chapter Twenty - Five ||

Having to say goodbye to Bucky after seeing him for the first time in seven - almost eight - years was difficult. It had impacted Arizona deeper than she thought it would have, she wanted to have him in her life and wake up expecting to either see him or hear from him the next day, but she couldn't as he would no longer be able to as he pleases with frozen limbs and his mind stuck in his own self-conscience. Hearing a jet land outside the compound, Vision went to investigate, in the hopes it had something to do with Arizona's disappearance considering Tony was raising hell to find her, Arizona glanced at Shuri, "Thank you..."

Shuri nodded, "I'll make sure he contacts you when I've made him better, then we can help you,"

Arizona left with silence and Vision breathed out in relief at the sight of the teenager, but still held some concern for her solemn expression, "Are you alright, Arizona?" He questioned, his eyes following the jet that flew off with the speed of lightning. He diverted his attention back to the redhead before him and seeing she was going to ignore him, Vision held out his arm for her to walk into, gently grasping her bicep on the other side of her body, "What happened?"

"Bucky's gone back into Cryo-freeze..." Arizona mumbled before heading to her room, Vision watching as Arizona left, he sighed in discontent knowing Tony had to be the first to know she had returned and the predicament she was in. Once Arizona made it to her room, she shut her door and puffed out air tiredly. That was all she had felt for the past week, just tired, as if her eyes were failing to work so she could gain a moment of peace just to be free of the responsibilities she had on her shoulders, Arizona felt like her week had progressively gotten worse but when Peter and Sophie found out she was alive, it felt like she was suffocating with worst case scenarios.

She looked to her bed and craved to snuggle into it but she knew she'd fall asleep almost instantly, so, to wake herself up, she decided to take a steaming shower. She walked into the bathroom and flicked on the hot tap allowing the water to become scolding hot, Arizona rubbed her face before looking in the mirror above her sink. She gulped at the view, it was something she rarely did as she chose to ignore what she had become. Arizona couldn't stand the sight of herself and the small scars that had faded into the color of her skin seemed more prominent whenever she saw herself, however, she couldn't stop staring at her reflection that time.

Hiding behind the edge of the doorway as Pepper entered Arizona's supposedly new room, Arizona gulped with timid eyes at the room. She hadn't seen a room like that since she was five and even that was a blurry memory, "This is your new bedroom, alright?" She then gestured to a door, "That is your closet and the other door is your bathroom, okay?"

Tony clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, glancing at Arizona, "You're not suffocating the kid, are you?"

"I'm right here,"

He looked at his girlfriend, "I am aware," He then faced Arizona again, the couple's features drooping when they saw her void of emotion expression but wide eyes as they travelled around every spec of furniture.

Pepper mentally facepalmed as she scolded herself for being too forward, "I'm sorry, Arizona, I didn't mean to be pushy,"

"Hello!?" A voice yelled, it being recognized as Natasha's.

"Come on kid, let's go," Tony grinned, he and Pepper directing her to the lounge where Steve was standing as he looked around the place, Natasha was sat on the arm of the chair as she explained to Sam and Vision the rules of being an Avenger, and Wanda stood silently alone.