Silence Speaks (Book Two to Silence Series)

Thirty-Five

I walked into the compound, gently rubbing my black eye. "You haven't healed yet?" Bruce asked from his spot at the table. "No, unless I'm dying or it's serious issue, I tend to heal slower. Saves energy. My shoulder is healed." I shrugged and walked to the fridge, pulling it open and grabbing a Monster. I hopped up on the counter, wincing at the pain in my stomach. "I still can't believe he went after his own kid." Bruce shook his head in disbelief and I sighed. "Well believe it because he admitted that he wished he killed Pietro and Cooper before I ever stepped in. I don't know what I'd do if that kid had been killed and I could've stopped it." I sighed again and pushed myself off the counter. "I have to update some stuff in the compound, let me know if you need anything." I walked in the direction of the lab.

"Sam!" I called through the compound, wiping my greasy hands on an equally dirty rag. The man walked into the kitchen, a shirtless Bucky behind him. "Hey do you mind coming with me into the city?" He shook his head and Bucky pouted. "You can come too Buck. I just don't want to be alone." He grins before walking back to their room to get dressed. "What's going on?" Sam asked, looking at me with eyes that said I couldn't lie to him. "I just haven't been feeling well since I arrested Clint and I need some stuff from the store." He narrowed his eyes. "Haven't been feeling well? Isn't that something you go to Loki with?" I shrugged and played with the ends of my hair. "Don't tell me you've been fighting." I sighed and nodded. "He's mad that I didn't tell him about going after Clint. He said our son's life mattered more than my secrecy as an agent. I agree with him, but I also want him to realize that I can't tell him our son's in danger when I didn't know. I had no idea where Clint was heading, what his plans were and I had apprehended him. Had I not, I would shut down the area and call him. But I got him and that's what matters."

The two men followed me into an Autozone, the parts I needed for a school project were in here. "What are you working on again?" Bucky questioned when I grabbed an engine part. "A flying car. Like the one that Howard had tried building in the forties." I mumbled, grabbing more parts. "Oh. I was there when he tried premiering it." I hummed and looked back at him. "Yeah I know, the day before you were deployed." He looked shocked that I even knew that. "We have files on you Barnes, its not hard to put a timeline together. Also the endless conversations with Steve, he talks a lot when he's sleepy." He was silent before grabbing my shoulder. "You know that a lot of the stuff you know is the other guy right?" I smiled softly, putting my hand over his. "I know. Say one word and I can fix that."

"Peter?" I looked up from my worktable. I came home just over two hours ago and had been working endlessly on the car that had to be at least working in a month. "Yeah?" I breathed out deeply and wiped my greasy hands, for the millionth times today. "Sam offered to take Cooper for the weekend. He said something about the fight we had last night." I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "Yeah, he noticed something was wrong and I talked to him. I haven't done that since the assault." I admitted quietly and looked at the floor. "I want you to know that I didn't call you because I had to keep it secret. I didn't call because I truly had no idea what Clint's intentions were. He had asked me where Cooper was when I confronted him. Had he got away, I would've immediately shut down his area and called you, I wasn't intentionally keeping you out of it. You're Cooper's dad too and I'm sorry I made it seem that you weren't." Loki crossed the room and cupped my face, kissing me harshly. "I came here to apologize, I know why you didn't tell me." Despite my dirty hands, I balled my fingers in his shirt and pulled him closer to me. "I love you." He moved his lips to my jaw. "I love you too."

I huffed angrily and tossed the wrench on the floor. "What am I doing wrong?" I questioned to no one in particular. I sat in my chair, my fingers tugging through the knots in my hair. "Pete, it's two in the morning." I looked up from the car's plans and looked to the stairs. Loki leaned against the wall, wearing nothing but one of my shirts. "I know, I just couldn't sleep." He sighed and walked over to me, pushing my back chair and climbing into my lap. "Sneaking down to the lab isn't going to make it better." I wrapped my arms around the small of his back and rested my forehead against his. "Come on, we can go lay down on the couch." I let him pull me up and out of the lab.

I laid down on the couch, my back in the air. "You become more like Tony everyday." He muttered and I chuckled quietly. He straddled the small of my back and put his hands on my shoulders. "Relax Pete." I put my head in my arms and sank down into the couch. "Better." He began to knead his thumbs into my shoulders and I groaned at the pressure release. "See, I think you stress yourself out too much. You barely get to live life anymore." I hummed, my eyes half closed. "Being Spiderman is hard work, you know that." Loki sighed and I know he's shaking his head. "Its not just Spiderman. It's the agent life and the leadership of the Avengers. You're a dad now and I know its stressful, but you have to take some time off every once and awhile. Before we got married, you were at the compound three days a week. Now its everyday, after school too. You're working way harder than you need to." I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything."

"Peter." I groaned and tried to stretch, my back flaring with pain. "Come on, Steve is here with Bucky and Sam." I sighed and pushed myself off the couch, ignoring the shirt I had discarded before going to sleep last night. "C'mere." I mumbled and pulled Loki towards me. I put my head on his chest and sighed, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. I lifted my head and leaned up, kissing Loki lightly. "Hm good morning to you too." I hummed. "Peter come on man." Sam called and I sighed, pushing myself away from Loki. "Just a couple of minutes. That's all I ask." I grumbled and walked into the kitchen, passing the trio for coffee. "Was Cooper okay last night?" I questioned, turning to them while the coffee brewed. "An absolute angel, as usual." I hummed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "I see you made up with Loki." Sam smirked and I gave him the finger. "Did you come here for a reason or to comment on my sex life?" I snapped and then sighed. "Sorry." I grabbed the cup and gripped it in my hands. "What did you mean yesterday when you said that you could fix the other guy?" Bucky asked skeptically. "You remember T'Challa yes?" I countered and all three nodded.

"He and I have been in some contact, Avenger business ya know? Anyway, I was talking about the problems on the team. Bruce's anger, the Winter Solider, the PTSD, etcetera. He said he may have a solution to get rid of the brainwashing and get you a new arm. I, of course, said I didn't know if that would be a good idea with what has been happening. But I think, that regardless of what has been happening, its more dangerous to have the other guy in your head, even if Hydra isn't exactly around anymore." Bucky stared at me in shock. "Why wasn't I notified that you had a solution?" I sighed and set my cup down. "Because at the moment, I needed you. I needed everyone. There was a threat and I couldn't tell you what it was. So, yes you weren't notified because you were more valuable with me than half way across the world in a frozen tube while your mind was being unfucked! But I am telling you now that I'll personally fly you to Wakanda with Sam and Steve for that procedure. I had to make a choice based on the team's safety. That's on me." I felt the tingle before his fist hit me in the jaw.

"I deserved that one." I rubbed the place where he hit me and walked out of the kitchen. "You want to go to Wakanda, let me know." I called over my shoulder and Loki grabbed my shoulders. "Are you okay?" I nodded, wincing when he put his hand on my jaw. "I've been hit by worse Lo, I'm okay." He shook his head and kissed my cheek gently. "You really are an idiot." I smiled, patting his chest. "But I'm your idiot."