#chapter 10 preview

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As evenings go, it wasn’t too bad. After finishing his homework and helping Uncle Sam make a massive pot of his nana’s famous gumbo, the four of them settled onto the couches in the living room to watch The Last Jedi, which Uncle Bucky especially loved. Since he had seen it multiple times before, Peter ended up only paying half attention, preferring to focus on his papa’s strong heartbeat beneath his ear and how cute Uncle Sam and Uncle Bucky looked all cuddled up on the opposite couch.

The only thing missing was Dad.

The elevator doors had barely closed behind Uncle Bucky and Uncle Sam when JARVIS announced that Dad was waiting to talk to him. Peter practically raced to his room, skidding to a stop in front of his viewscreen as Dad’s tired face appeared. He was standing inside Uncle Thor’s ship, which, Peter immediately noticed, so closely resembled the bridge of a Klingon Bird of Prey that there was no possible way it was a coincidence.

“Hey, buddy,” he said, sounding as exhausted as he looked. “How’s my boy?”

“I’m good,” Peter said automatically, frowning when Dad quirked an eyebrow. “Seriously, Dad, I’m okay. I just… really miss you.”

“Yeah, bud, me too,” Dad said softly. “But Uncle Bruce and I made a lot of progress today, so I’m really hoping that I’ll be able to wrap this up tomorrow, or the next day at the latest.” He shot a kind of half-amused, half-frustrated glance off to the side, leaning closer to his screen. “If Uncle Bruce had been better able to follow my directions earlier, things might not have been as bad as they were when I got here. But unfortunately, he unwittingly—”

“Now, now, you're not blaming me for this whole mess again!” Peter heard Uncle Bruce call from somewhere in the depths behind Dad. “I didn't do anything! Wittingly or un!”

“Yeah, yeah, big guy, all right.” Dad rolled his eyes, scrubbing his palm down his face. “Here, you wanna come say hi to Pete?”

A loud crash and an immediate muffled, “Ouch!” followed Dad’s words, and Peter was giggling by the time Uncle Bruce appeared on the screen.

“Hey, Peter,” said Uncle Bruce, his glasses tilted on his face and gripping the side of his arm. “How's it going back in New York?”

“Oh, you know. It’s going,” said Peter. “How’s New Asgard?”

“Well, aside from the fact that the climate in Cambodia was a helluva lot better, it’s not too bad here,” said Uncle Bruce. “Just a bit… cold. And way, way too much fish. I swear, after I leave here I’m never eating another fish, ever in my life.”

“Ah, you're just a wuss,” said Dad from somewhere off to the side. “Lutefisk isn’t near as bad as you keep saying!”

“No, it’s actually worse,” Uncle Bruce whispered, rather conspiratorially. “Just don't tell Thor I said so.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Peter whispered back. “I don't like fish either. Well, at least I don't like eating them.”

“See? ‘Cause you're a smart kid,” said Uncle Bruce. “Did your dad tell you that I’m gonna be going with Thor and Loki once we get this ship ready?”

“No, he didn't,” Peter said, confused. “Why do you need to go too?”

“Well, the thought is that if we somehow run into trouble, then the other guy might be kinda handy to have around,” said Uncle Bruce. “But I also think it sounds like a nice break from the grind, you know? Go on a little joyride into space before getting back to the real work?”

“Better not tell it like that to my dad,” Peter warned. Dad had told both Peter and Papa that after his flight through the portal and the massive army he saw amassed there, he had no desire to ever go into space again.

“No, no, I won’t,” said Uncle Bruce. “Hey, you take it easy, okay? I’m gonna give you back to your dad now.”

“Uh huh. And you be careful!” Peter called as Uncle Bruce handed the phone back to Dad.

“You try and get some sleep tonight, bud, yeah?” Dad said. “You’re looking pretty tired.”

Peter shrugged. “Yeah, but Papa is too. You know none of us sleep well when you're gone.”

“I’ve already told him the same thing,” said Dad. He pressed his fingers to his lips, blowing Peter a kiss just like he always used to when he was little. “I love you, bud, and I’ll see you soon.”

Chapter 10 (Preview) 

Walking out of Jaebum’s office you naturally walked to your desk to gather your things as you waited on him to finish up in his office. All you needed to do was grab your coat, purse and your work notebook and you were ready to go.

A part of you still couldn’t get your mind on Yugyeom. It wasn’t like you both were dating but it was like, even though it wasn’t confirmed you knew you both had an unspoken relationship. You took a deep breath and exhaled looking at your watch.

Suddenly you heard a ping noise come from your computer which usually meant it was an email. Opening up the email service the recipient was titled unknown. You tilted your head in confusion as you wondered who would send you an email after work hours.

Have Fun at Dinner.

Looking around the office area there was no one in sight. All the cubicles were empty except for you sitting at your desk.

“Are you ready?” Jaebum said behind you almost causing you a heart attack.  

Jaebum looked away from me trying not to die laughing from seeing me freak out but he quickly gained his composure.

“This is why I decided to walk you to the car instead,” Jaebum says taking my hand leading me to the door.

Jaebum’s hold was gentle but just firm enough to know that he cared about you.

Walking onto the main lobby floor, the sound of your heels filled the whole area. You never noticed but walking next to the large mirrors of the lobby Jaebum was smiling as he was walking holding your hand to the garage.

You couldn’t help but smile yourself but you still couldn’t stop thinking about who it was that sent you that email. Was someone watching you?

The drive to Jaebum’s house was smooth, you both vibed to Crush and Dean on your way there, taking away your nerves as you never been to another man’s house only to Yugyeom’s apartment.

“We’re here” Jaebum breathed as he pulled into his house.

Looking through the car window you couldn’t help but be filled with awe. The house was something you saw on TV or Instagram.

It was very modern. The house was basically a mirror because all the walls were made of glass.

“This is where you live?” You asked jokingly asked getting out of his car.

He chuckled. “Fortunately, yes.”

Once in his home, the lights automatically turned on every time he stepped into a different part of the house.  The biggest part of the house was the entertainment room connected to the kitchen made with sleek gray and white flooring. Hight ceilings with a futuristic light.

Your attention came back to Jaebum as he was leaning against the wall watching you, instantly you looked away.

“It’s okay, I know it’s a lot to see, but we can do a house tour after we eat.   Leading you to the kitchen, Jaebum pulled out the tall chair in front of the bar area for you to sit.  

Taking off his jacket you watched him closely, as he rolled his dress shirt sleeves up and run his fingers through his loosely gelled hair.

“Anything I can help you with?”  asking as he turned on the stove.

“No no, you are my guest I just want you to relax.” He said winking at you while putting on his chief’s apron on his waist.

The rest of the time he cooked we laughed and talked about serious topics and before we knew it the meal was finished.

You never noticed Jaebum’s long eyelashes or his two moles under his eyebrow. His smooth skin and the rest of his perfect features until you were this close to him.

Your eyes traced further down to his lips, looking back up our eyes met but this time I didn’t look away.

“Say yes…” Jaebum said in a whisper his eyes looking deep into mine impatiently waiting for my response. My heart was ringing in my ears and all my focus was on him. I knew what I said and did next would change everything but I couldn’t let this chance pass me by.

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It took almost three hours for the doctors to clear all the burnt remnants of Steve’s gloves and boots from his damaged skin, soaking and re-soaking his hands and feet in a solution that smelled remarkably like oranges, for some strange reason. Steve had experienced minor burns in the past, while cooking or when he’d stayed outside in the sun for a bit too long, but they hadn’t been anything like this. While the doctors worked it was all he could do to keep from whimpering, biting his bottom lip so hard that Tony had to work it loose from his teeth, warning him that he was going to draw blood if he didn't let go. Fluids and pain medicine flowed into two separate intravenous lines in his arms, but since none of the medical staff were aware of Steve’s increased metabolic requirements the medicine barely was able to take the edge off the pain, prompting Tony at one point to demand that one of the nurses increase his dosage.

Finally, after the ophthalmologist announced that Steve’s damaged eyes would require him being grounded for three days and his hands and feet were smeared with burn cream and wrapped in thick bandages, he was discharged out to the waiting room, where he and Tony found Sam Wilson pacing back and forth.

“Cap!” Sam said as Tony wheeled Steve in, feeling more foolish than he had in years with his four useless limbs and dark glasses. “You're gonna be okay?”

“Yeah. This all looks a lot worse than it is,” Steve said. “Any news on Bucky?”

Sam’s lower lip started to shake, his dark eyes filling with tears. “He’s—he’s in surgery right now,” he whispered. “The docs… well… they think that he might—that he’s probably gonna lose his arm. That beam, whatever the hell it was, it blasted right through his aircraft and—and it got—it got his whole left side, but his arm took the brunt, so… they said that they’ll know more once they get in there and see the full extent of the damage, but… right now it’s not looking too good.”

“Gods, Captain,” Tony said, once again reading Steve's thoughts perfectly. “I’m so sorry. That’s... well... that’s rough.”

“Sam,” Steve finally forced past the knot in his throat. He felt so sickened that he probably would’ve vomited had he had anything in his stomach. Bucky had wanted to be a pilot his entire life, ever since Steve had known him, and the thought of him losing one of his limbs, of never being able to fly ever again, it was—it was—

“I am so, so sorry. I should’ve—I should’ve gotten to him faster, I should’ve—”

“Babe, you can’t go blaming yourself,” Tony protested. “There’s nothing more that you could’ve done—”

“He’s right, Steve,” Sam said firmly. “The doctors told me that he wasn't even breathing when his aircraft landed, so if you hadn't gotten him out when you did there's no telling what could’ve happened. He could’ve been left with brain damage, or—or—” Sam broke off, swiping at his nose. “He’s still alive, and that’s all that matters.”

He’s still alive, Steve thought, the words echoing inside his mind. He’s still alive. He’s not dead.

He’ll just be disabled for the rest of his life, but at least—

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A wide smile stretched across Steve’s lips, revealing his dimple. “He asked me, Tony. Said he didn't feel comfortable calling me Steve anymore. I’m pretty sure he knows—”

“Course he knows,” Tony said, waving a dismissive hand. “Pete’s not blind. And even less so lately it seems. Have you even seen him wear those new glasses of his at all since he got them?”

“No, I haven’t, now that I think about it,” Steve answered with a slight frown. “The doctor did say they were only for reading and if he got tired, but—”

“Well, maybe once school starts up again,” Tony said, running his palm down his face. He knew Peter disliked having to wear his glasses a lot of the time, especially since he couldn't seem to hold onto a pair for longer than a month, and he’d never tolerated contact lenses very well. And it wasn’t that Tony wanted him to not be able to see, especially after his eye doctor hadn't seemed too concerned. It still just seemed… odd.

“Anyway, I’m sure he’s fine,” Tony added. The last thing he wanted was for Steve to worry about Peter even more than he did already. And Tony had thought he was bad about that. “Besides. Fury’s probably pacing back and forth in his office right this second waiting for our answer on the Avengers thing, so—”

“I think we should do it, Tony,” Steve blurted out. He shifted Tony slightly on his lap so they were facing each other. “I don't like the idea of you going off on these missions of yours alone, so maybe if we do this, Director Fury would assign someone else—”

“No!” Tony barked. “I don't want anyone else assigned to take care of the mess that I created. I need to do this. I’m the one who needs to fix this.”

“Not alone!” Steve shot back. His arms tightened around Tony’s waist, burying his face in Tony’s neck. “Please, just not alone. Having backup is so important, Tony. Even your armoured suits aren’t indestructible, and there's no way you can be aware of all of your surroundings all of the time when it’s just you out there.”

“Steve, there’s no one else that I can trust to fly the suits,” Tony protested as he got to his feet, huffing out a sharp breath. “So I can’t really—”

“Peter mentioned Colonel Rhodes back in California,” Steve cut in. “And he’s your friend, why can’t he help you? I thought the military wanted to get rid of these terrorists anyway?”

“They do, but—”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Tony shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. “If I let Rhodey get ahold of one of my suits, then his Air Force superiors are gonna wanna confiscate it so they can weaponize it to their specifications instead of mine, and that’s not something I’m prepared to allow just yet. I just quit making weapons, Steve. I’m not gonna allow the military to take over my tech just ‘cause they're still sore about it.”

Steve narrowed his eyes as he got to his feet, leaning against the table. “Then we make sure Director Fury tells the military that your tech is off-limits. He can say it falls under the Avengers Initiative, and then they won't be able to touch it.”

“I’m pretty sure the whole Avengers Initiative is supposed to be a secret,” Tony grumbled. “Not too unlike your whole Project Rebirth thing.”

“Okay, then Fury doesn't have to tell them about the Avengers Initiative, he just needs to tell the military that they can’t have it,” Steve insisted. “I’m sure he can think of a decent enough excuse.”

“Oh, I know he could think of an excuse,” Tony muttered, his upper lip curling into a sneer. “That old bastard can think of excuses to justify just about anything if you give him enough time.”

“Then, let him,” Steve said gently, reaching for Tony and drawing him close. “Please? I know you think you need to do this alone, but you don’t. I’m here, and Colonel Rhodes is here, and we can help you as long as you’ll allow it.”

Tony tipped his head forward against Steve’s chest as Steve’s palms glided up his back. If it was just him he wouldn’t even be giving any of this a second thought, but it wasn’t. And because of that Tony knew he had to at least consider what Steve was saying. Steve Rogers was lauded as one of the best military strategists in the world—even aside from the fact that he was Captain America—and there wasn’t a single current member of the upper military hierarchy who hadn’t studied his HYDRA raids during the war. It’s not like he didn't know what he was talking about.

No wonder Nick Fury wanted him for the Avengers.

“All right,” he finally said. “We can talk to Fury about it.”

“Thank you,” whispered Steve. He dug the pads of his fingers into Tony’s shoulders, his arms pinning Tony to him. “I don't—, I don't know what I’d do if something happened to you, Tony. Even the thought of it is enough to terrify me. I just… I couldn't…”

“Mmm,” Tony mumbled against Steve’s chest. He wasn’t quite sure when he’d get used to hearing that he was important to someone besides Peter. “So do you wanna talk to Fury, or should I?”