#averngers

Tony casually walked to the long wall behind the living area, typing a code into a tiny control box. The entire wall slid away to reveal the ultimate girl cave behind it, a veritable computer science lab and very similar to his own setup, she noted. Chris practically had her own network there and everything she needed to do her work for him. Hell, she probably had what she needed to do anything her little techie heart desired.

Once the shock wore off, she squealed and dashed into her new space to get a closer look. Her mind was already spinning with projects she'd had in mind, particularly one…

Bucky groaned behind her. "I knew you'd find some way to ruin this, Stark," Bucky's tone was teasing, and it made her happy that slowly they were mending fences. "How the hell are we ever going to get her out of there?"

"Your problem, Jaime Lannister," Tony told him, and Steve laughed. They'd just finished the first three seasons of Game of Thrones.

Tony placed a warm hand on her back. "Now this is a girl cave. You like?"

Chris surprised him by hugging him hard. "Yes!"

Tony chuckled. "I won that bet."

"What bet?" Steve joined them, his gaze surveying the room.

"Pepper didn't think this was a good idea," Tony explained. "That she'd be so deliriously happy. I won."

"It's perfect," Chris told him. "Thank you so much. For all of this."

"Yes, thank you, Tony." Steve pulled Tony in for a hug.

"Okay, enough domesticity," Tony was still smirking, putting up his hands as if to ward them off. "I've got to go collect on my bet now."

As Tony reached the door, Chris stopped him. "What did you win?"

Tony's face darkened slightly. "That's, ah, classified."

"I'll bet," Bucky said from behind her.

"Talk to me for a minute, Chris," Tony tilted his head to the hallway.

Turning back, Steve nodded, and she followed Tony out into the hallway.

"So, Chris," Tony said carefully. "How are you… really?"

Chris reached out, realizing that she was relying more and more on her gift these days. Tony's normal façade was carefully in place. On the inside, his emotions were much like Steve and Bucky's. He was worried about her, about her true emotional state. Because of the kidnapping, the beating, the miscarriage…

All of them were concerned that she was worse off than she let on. None of them were wrong…

Chris took a deep breath. If she could convince her guys she was okay, she should be able to convince Tony too.

"I'm fine," Chris told him in the most genuine tone she could produce, mindful that her guys could probably hear her too if they really tried. "It's taking time to get my head… around everything but… I'm fine."

"Chris," Tony wasn't buying it. "How are you?"

Chris blew out an exhale. "Tony with everything you've faced, that Steve and Bucky have faced? That's what I should be asking you. I mean, thanks to Helen I was all healed physically in two days and I got a free Florida Keys vacation for three weeks and that helped. I imagine the PTSD will be there for a while, but I'll get over it in time."

Tony took a step closer, his gaze intent on her. "There was more to it than that, Chris… You lost a baby."

Tony was nothing if not brutally honest, in a way Steve would consider rude and Bucky would only use if he were furious. Tony didn't hold back, and it could be a blessing… and a curse.

Chris's confidence flagged, and tears stung the backs of her eyes. She tried to blink them back but Tony saw. He knew.

Chris felt the loss of that precious tiny soul at the oddest times and it never left her. She couldn't even explain why that loss grew worse by the day. She hadn't even known about it. She hadn't known anything, and the part that really tore her apart was that she would never know. Was it a boy with Bucky's dark hair and mischievous smile? Was it a girl with Steve's fair hair and sky-blue eyes? Could there have been twins?

Chris fought to hold Tony's gaze.

"You have them fooled. They love you, Chris. They both want you to be happy and safe. If that's what you show them, they'll believe it because they want to," Tony said, his own voice struggling. "I know because… I've done the same damn thing."

"What?" Chris felt a tear escape to run down her face.

"Pepper's the true hero of our ship, not me," Tony explained. "Don't make the mistake I made, Chris."

Chris swallowed hard. "And what mistake is that?"

"Telling yourself you have to battle your demons first. Telling yourself that is more important than what you have right in front of you. Because there's always that chance that… what you're counting on being there? There's no guarantee it will be."

Chris inwardly cringed in guilt. Tony saw a lot.

"Pepper always waited for me… even though I didn't deserve for her to. She always believed me or told me she did. It took almost losing her to realize that happiness, if you're lucky enough to get any of it, is just too precious to put off while you're doing something else, Chris. More precious than say… revenge?"

The remark was meant to draw a reaction, but Chris didn't take the bait. Just nodded.

"Ross will be dealt with," Tony assured her. "I've got my hands full trying to wrangle Steve and you know that because he wants him as badly as you do. But we have Fury on our side. The right time will come. I just need you to trust me. To trust us."

It's personal.

Ross had been the one who sold her to Odysseus, making him responsible for everything that happened during that event, most especially the loss of their baby. No way she could sit on the sidelines and wait for the right time or wait for Fury or Tony or Steve to deal with it and fight her battle…

Ross would pay. He would hurt. And she wanted to be the one to hurt him.

Chris nodded, collecting herself, wanting him to think he was getting through to her.

"Pepper and I, we're trying…" Tony's face slightly darkened. "I mean, I'm not getting any younger and…"

"You're trying for a baby?" Chris asked, smiling.

Tony nodded, casting his gaze down as he did during the rare times he was unsure of something.

"Just think about it," Tony told her. "Not meaning to be an anti-feminist asshole here but you've got a big new place, lots of room, two really over-the-hill baby daddies… How fun would that be? We could design some tiny iron suits and little shields…"

That had Chris chuckling. Not only at the mental images that brought on but at his growing discomfort at the entire conversation. "Pepper made you thrown that bit in, huh?"

"Maybe." Tony laughed. "Not my business, I know, but doesn't that sound a lot better than…"

"Taking down some asshole who has it coming?" Chris said matter-of-factly.

Tony's expression sobered quickly. The concern clouding his hazel eyes made her pause.

"Just think about it. I know you're more cerebral, kid, like me," Tony went on. "You've spent years not dealing with emotional relationships because it's more comfortable to be in your head."

Chris stared at him hard.

"Am I wrong?"

No.

"Now you're in a relationship with… two really great men, Chris," Tony went on. "They love you. Don't do anything to that could result in taking yourself away from them… Please?"

They'd have each other, her traitorous mind whispered.

Chris nodded. "I'll take that under advisement."

When she decided that sounded too cold, she darted forward and hugged him. Tony smiled at her as he pulled back, his expression sad.

"Let me know if you need anything," Tony said, placing a careful hand on her shoulder. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm always here. Or Pepper. I'd do a better job."

Pressing a kiss to her cheek, Tony made his way towards the elevators and Chris let herself back into their new place, trying to quickly shake off the raw emotion of her talk with Tony.

She found Steve already milling around in the kitchen, but Bucky wasn't in sight.

"Everything okay, Sweetheart?" Steve asked gently as he paused in rearranging the items in the shelves the way he wanted.

Chris nodded. "Yeah, Tony just wanted to quiz me on how I'm really doing." It was true. "He's worried about me. I really appreciate him. And all this? Wow."

"It's a lot," Steve said with a glance around. "But I don't think it will be that hard to get used to."

Chris grinned. "I don't think so either. Bucky's happy."

"Buck's ecstatic," Steve corrected, chuckling. "He's already hit the tub. You going to play in your cave?"

"I was thinking about turning in early," she admitted. "I'm feeling really tired today. Some days I feel back to normal and other days, I feel like I want to go to bed for a week. I'm hoping it will even out at some point."

Steve nodded. "Can I get you anything?"

Chris shook her head, headed to where he stood in the kitchen and wrapped her arms around him.

Steve hugged her back, he was so careful with her now. Brushing her hair back from her forehead, he tipped up her chin before leaning down to kiss her in a sweet way that had her heart fluttering. A romantic kiss.

"I love you," Steve told her, his emotions so sincere, and it stopped her cold.

Steve and Bucky often said that to each other and Bucky had said it to her a couple of times deep in the night when he thought she was sleeping. It was the first time either of them had just…

"I love you too, Steve." Chris meant it, pulling him down for another kiss, trying to pour her feelings for him into it as the tears came on.

Worry flooded him when he realized she was crying, and she shook her head, swiping at her tears angrily. "Happy tears," she explained, willing him to believe her. "I'm happy right now. I just can't control my stupid tear ducts these days."

Steve pulled her against him, her head pressed to his chest and his own heart hammered along with hers. All his warmth, all his strength was a balm and for the moment she basked in it.

It made her more determined than ever to find a way to do away with Ross so that her life with them wouldn't be impacted. There had to be a way.

Steve was careful to keep his hips pulled away from her though she could feel the heat of him easily. Even though she was completely healed physically, and they all slept in the same bed, they had yet to resume anything remotely sexual with her. The desire was there but their concerns had them treating her like fragile glass that could break any moment. Especially Steve.

And most of the time Chris was so lost in her mind, so lost in her plans for revenge, that she just let it be, thinking she didn't miss it for the moment.

Oh, but she did…

"I'm going to… get ready for bed." Chris stretched up to kiss him before making her way back to the bedroom, feeling his need strongly as she walked away.

Bucky heard her come into the bedroom. "You okay?"

Chris made her way into the bathroom. Bucky looked so happy in the steamy whirlpool tub, content in all that warm, rushing water that she had to smile. "You're happy, huh?"

"So happy," he said, his blue eyes sparkling. "Want to join me?"

Would I get sex if I did?

It was tempting but he'd already been in there a few minutes. She could just see him staying with her a few minutes before getting out to make her something to eat or get something for her…

Chris shook her head. "I told Steve, I'm going to go to bed early. I'm feeling tired. Must be all the excitement."

Was it wrong that the disappointment she read in him made her happy?

Kneeling at the side of the tub, she kissed him before heading in to sleep on the enormous bed they now owned. Chris showered, brushed her teeth, and reached for the flannel gown she'd been sleeping in since Tony's house in the keys. The thought of pajamas after her kidnapping was out of the question and the gown was warm and comfortable. Made her feel a little safer.

Tonight, she didn't want to wear it. Padding into the bedroom, she stripped off her clothes and rummaged through drawers, trying to figure out what was where in their new apartment. Finally, she found a drawer with Bucky's shirts and she snatched out a t-shirt of his, a simple gray one that was worn and soft. Wearing only panties, she pulled it over her head, sighing at the feel of it against her skin.

Chris hadn't realized Bucky was in the room until he cleared his throat.

Chris couldn't help smirk at him. "Are you okay, Buck?"

He was staring. He wasn't even trying to hide it. Then shame pushed down his enthusiasm. He seemed to remember he'd come into the bedroom for the same reason, looking for something to sleep in.

Chris motioned to the drawer she'd just pulled the shirt from. "Here are some of your things. We'll probably be weeks finding everything."

Bucky slowly walked toward her, nodding. "Totally worth it."

"It is."

Wearing only a towel, she couldn't help but stare back at him a beat before heading back into the bathroom to finish up. When she came back out to go to bed, he was gone, in the living room watching TV with Steve from the sound of it.

Chris climbed into bed, not meaning to listen as she pulled the covers up and over herself.

Not just watching TV in the there. A low moan, clearly Steve's, got her attention.

It wasn't jealousy she was experiencing as she listened for a couple of moments. She didn't blame them at all for satisfying their needs. Chris had needs too and she was just about to slide her hand down into her panties and get herself off on the enticing sounds coming from her living room.

Oh, but she wanted to see it.

Desire pulled her out of the bed, had her stopping at the edge of the living room.

Her two guys were making out on the couch, they looked so beautiful together. Steve's hands were clutched in Bucky's long, thick hair as their kiss went on, a sensual dance of lips and tongue and Chris felt heat pooling low in her belly.

Bucky's mouth scorched a path down Steve's neck, over his chest, moving down. From where she stood behind the couch, she saw Steve shift before Bucky tossed the sweatpants he'd changed into to the side. Bucky's dark head moved further down.

Her insides clenched in desire. She appreciated that they'd been so careful with her after her kidnapping ordeal, but enough already. The needy whining sound Steve made had her thighs clenching together tightly.

Chris had learned early on not to startle either of them, so she approached the couch, placing a hand lightly on Steve's shoulder to let him know she was there. His gaze flew to her, his eyes darkened with need, his mouth slack as Bucky's head bobbed up and down, working his impressive length.

Bucky saw her then, stopping. His eyes widened on her as she dropped to her knees with one of Steve's thighs between them, pulling Bucky to her for a dirty kiss to get a good taste of Steve. Bucky moaned into her mouth as she deepened it, his hand stroking Steve gently as they kissed.

Glancing from Bucky to Steve, Chris moved forward, sliding her tongue around the impressive head of Steve's cock before easing him into her mouth and beginning to work him.

"Oh, Sweetheart," Steve gasped out. "Yes…"

One of Steve's hands clutched in her hair. She pulled back and Bucky smirked at her, placing his mouth on Steve then and hollowing out his cheeks as he went, still watching her.

Chris gently pulled Steve's thigh on the other side of her, putting both her and Bucky between his legs. Leaning forward again, she began to lick and tease Steve's balls as Bucky continued his blow job. Steve moaned above them, a hand on each of their heads and tension in his powerful thighs as he allowed them to take him apart. He fought them as long as he could. When he was close, she watched as Bucky moved his finger close to her mouth. She ceased what she was doing long enough to suck on it. Her mouth resumed its work and that finger slid into Steve, searching.

Bucky was a good marksman. Steve came with a shout in seconds after that, his body jerking beneath them as they worked him through it, Bucky swallowing everything down. Steve fought to catch his breath above them as Bucky gently pulled Chris into his lap, enticing her with kisses, allowing her to taste Steve on him.

"What can I do for you, doll baby?" Bucky asked, brushing fevered kisses over her face and throat, his hands roaming gently over her body. "Anything at all. What do you want?"

Chris was desperate in his arms. "Bucky… I need to come. I need it so bad. Please."

Bucky smiled a beautiful smile. "I'll take care of you. I'm always going to take care of you."

Grabbing a fluffy throw from the couch as Steve was coming around and looking very interested in the proceedings, Bucky stretched it out on the floor in front of the couch. Lowering her onto her back, he hovered above her, his gaze intense.

"Chris, I need you to promise me… if anything hurts, if anything is… too much, I need you to stop me. I need you to tell me," he meant it. "Promise me."

It wasn't a request.

"I promise, Bucky," she whispered, literally trembling now in anticipation. "Please."

Bucky wore only the sweats he planned to sleep in and they were tented in the front. When she reached for him, he caught her hand and pressed it to the floor next to her head.

"Nuh-uh," he whispered against her lips. "This is all about you, baby doll. Relax."

Bucky's kisses were enticing, switching from gentle to dirty and back again. His hands jerked up the shirt she wore and tossed it away as his lips scorched a path from the column of her throat down to her collarbone, his flesh hand sliding up to tease the nipple of her breast.

Chris was bucking under him trying to get friction.

"Shhh," he soothed her, dropping his head to take her nipple between his lips. Chris writhed as he laved it gently with his tongue, his strong hands, one rough and one smooth, skimmed down her body to pet her thighs.

Chris held on to him, wrapping her arms and legs around him, pushing herself up into his touch, his mouth.

"We haven't been taking care of you, have we doll baby?" Bucky whispered, his darkened gaze meeting hers.

"Please," she pleaded. "Need it… Need you…"

"I've got you, doll," Bucky whispered, moving to her other breast as she sank her hands into the cool, silky strands of his hair.

"We've got you."

Steve's hands whispered down her legs as he pulled her panties off. Gently, he insinuated himself between her thighs, nearly bringing her to tears when he pressed a kiss to the flat surface of her tummy first.

His gaze met hers as his hands smoothed up her inner thighs, spreading her open to his gaze. His plush lips pressed a chain kisses down to the inside of her knee and slowly back up until he reached her core and then he stopped.

Bucky also halted and glanced up at her with a heated gaze. "How do you want us to make you come, baby?"

"Inside me," Chris pressed up into their hands, hoping to move them to some action. "Please."

They exchanged a glance, there was some silent conversation before Bucky nodded, jumping up and heading back for the bedroom. Steve lowered his mouth to her core, had her fighting to push against his mouth in seconds, but she wanted more.

Steve's hands shook, and he looked as needy as she felt when he took the condom from Bucky, managing to roll is on before positioning himself at her entrance. Chris was grateful he went slow, the stretch of him as he pushed into her taking her breath away. There was the slightest tinge of pain, but she wanted it, welcomed it. Steve lowered himself so that he surrounded her and Chris wrapped around him, pulling Bucky in close so he could kiss her and Steve. When Steve's thrusts began to falter, and he came with a low moan, Chris had been right there on the edge.

But Bucky had always been observant. By the time Steve was easing his body off her, Bucky had a condom on and was ready to take his place. Sliding his arms under her back and hooking his hands over her shoulders, Bucky didn't hold back, and she didn't need him to. As her dark-haired lover thrust up, he was pulling her body down, the pressure so intense. Steve stretched out next to them, holding her hand as Bucky worked her, dropping heated kisses over every inch of her he could reach.

"Missed being inside you… so much," he muttered as her release slammed into her, tightening her core around him like a vice. Bucky managed to hang on as she writhed and cried out, Steve claiming her mouth for a kiss at the end of it.

Bucky never slowed down. All Chris could do was hang on as he moved within her, fighting for his own release. When it finally claimed him, his shout filled the room as he tightened above her. Steve claimed her mouth for a kiss as Bucky rolled to her other side, looking completely blissed out.

Steve's lips skimmed over her jaw, down the column of her neck, over one breast where he paused for a just a moment. He moved down her body, pressing gentle kisses across her heated flesh until he made it back to her center.

Chris shook her head, trying to get her breath back. "No, Steve…"

"I'll be careful," he whispered as his mouth moved over her, hot and wet.

It stung a little, but he kept his movements light, slow. Bucky pulled her upper body into his arms as Steve continued the gentle assault on her, bringing her to climax again in seconds. When he kept going, she did push his head away as he grinned at her.

Bucky pressed kisses to her jaw. "Feeling better?"

Chris felt much better, tired and sated in a way she hadn't felt in weeks. They helped find her panties, Bucky's shirt. They all managed some state of dress within minutes before Steve was surfing through channels.

"Want me to take you back to bed?" Bucky offered.

"Stay out here with us," Steve bid her, exchanging a look with Bucky. "You can sleep. We'll carry you to bed when we go."

It sounded good to Chris. She ended up stretched out on the couch, her head in Steve's lap, Bucky's flesh hand rubbing at her back from the other side of the couch. She didn't know what documentary they were watching, but once he was finished with popcorn, Steve's hands settled in her hair, smoothing the strands over and over until she fell asleep, warm and safe in their new apartment.

If you have never seen a coffee addict before, look it up in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of one Clinton Francis Barton aka Hawkeye. This guy has coffee flowing through his veins.  He lives off nothing but coffee and pizza, however if he had to choose only one vice to have for the rest of his life it would be coffee.  

Clint Barton is not just a coffee addict.  He is a snobby coffee addict.  He will only drink            the best coffee around. Unless of course there is nothing else but the nasty swill that you would find mostly in hospital cafeterias 

Needless to say, imagine Clint's dismay when he dragged himself into the kitchen to grab himself a hot cup of java only to find the pot was empty.  He went into the cupboard where he normally put his favorite coffee grounds and it was empty.  He opened the next cupboard and it was empty too.  Clint spent the next thirty minutes tearing the kitchen and common area apart looking for coffee. 

Beyond frustration Clint stormed out of the compound and headed to the store.  The man went to ten different stores and each of them were out of coffee.  He couldn’t even find the cheap stuff.  How in the world could every store in New York City be out of coffee beans.  Worse he couldn’t even find an open coffee shop to get himself one hot freshly brewed cup of joe.  

This had to be a nightmare.  Surely he would wake up and walk into the kitchen and the cupboards would be full of every bag of coffee beans imaginable, but when he pinched himself he knew it wasn’t a dream. For the first time Clint felt defeated.  He was tired, angry and frustrated. He had managed to go all day without a drop of the black liquid gold that managed to sustain him throughout the years. 

For the first time he thought he might actually go crazy.  Steve and Bucky ran into Clint in the elevator, and when they said hello he just mumbled obscenities at them.  He didn’t care if Steve Rogers’ precious virgin ears were offended.  He didn’t even talk to Nat and Tony, and was half tempted to shoot Sam with one of his arrows.  

Clint decided the best thing for everyone was to go off to bed and hoped that tomorrow would be a better day and the coffee shortage would have been a horrible nightmare.  As he unlocked the door to his room he noticed that the door would not open. No matter how hard he tried, the door would not budge.  He put all his weight against it, nothing.  Even running into it with his shoulder didn’t move the door an inch.  

This was the last straw.  It had been a crappy day with no coffee and now he couldn’t even get into his own room.  Every curse word known to man dripped from his tongue like venom as he crawled through the vents. As he got closer a familiar scent assaulted his nose making him move faster.  

Bucky and Sam had decided that they were going to play a prank on their friend by hiding all the coffee that was in the compound knowing that Clint couldn’t function without it. The thing is they probably did go a little overboard with their little prank. 

Instead of just hiding all the coffee in the compound, they enlisted the help of Natasha, Tony, and Steve in the prank going around to the nearby stores and coffee shops and buying all the bags of coffee they could find.  Once they knew Clint was out of the compound and on a coffee rage they filled his room up with all the coffee they had bought.  It was the perfect prank. 

When he opened the vents he gasped in awe. Bags and bags of coffee filled his room. Not just the small bags that you find in your local grocery store, but huge burlap bags of coffee beans, bags of coffee grounds, even coffee beans were spilled onto the floor. It was a coffee lover’s dream.  

So many beans that he could practically swim in it and he was half tempted to do so. As he lay there on the stack of burlap coffee filled bags a thought occurred to him.  Where was he going to put all this coffee and would he have to share it with the others. 

He couldn’t think straight when his coffee meter was on empty so he grabbed one of the small bags and crawled back through the vents and came out into the kitchen where he promptly made himself the strongest cup of coffee imaginable.  He smiled from ear to ear as he savored every last drop of the bold rich flavors.