Rise of the Phoenix (L. Laufey/Odinson)

5.

Steve doesn't linger. He allows Nina to shower in peace. Leaving her alone in his room and bathroom and she does take the time to snoop, she's a killer, an assassin, a spy, it's just something he does. There is nothing suspicious in the bathroom, just men's cleaning products, hair gels, toothpaste, towels. Though she wonders where the women's shampoo and body wash came from, this Wanda perhaps. She sniffs at the bottle of shampoo, she doesn't like it, she snaps the lid closed and sets it aside. It's too sweet. But it's all she has. She shrugs out of the shirt Bucky had leant her, sliding it down her arms, her Hydra suit underneath. She pushes the jeans down her legs and steps out of them before leaning over and turns on the shower, letting the water heat up. She pulls the hair tie from her hair letting it fall loose around her face before pulling the zipper down the front of her suit, prying it off her shoulders and down her arms till it hangs around her waist. And then Steve knocks on the bathroom door.

"Nina?" he asks, she moves towards the door and opens it, not at all thinking about her state of undress. Steve pauses slightly, Nina hasn't taken the suit off since her arrival, and now it hangs around her waist, a sports bra the only thing covering her upper modesty. Her arms, shoulders and upper chest are covered in scars, gun shot wounds, knife wounds, he's pretty sure there are some really old burns lingering too, probably from before her abilities kicked in.

"Yes?" she asks him. Steve clears his throat and holds out his arms.

"Some clothes" he offers her, she takes the fabric from him. He lingers now. He wants to ask but he's not sure she will want to answer, or if she remembers. "I urm...don't be long, okay?" he asks her, she nods and backs into the bathroom shutting the door behind her, Steve's not going to be able to get those scars out of his head. Nina sets the clean clothing on the top of the closed toilet seat and then pushes her Hydra suit off the rest of the way, stepping out of it. Her legs and waist and stomach are just as scarred. Once she rids herself of her underwear she climbs into the shower unit closing the door behind her. She doesn't need to check the water temperature, she knows how hot it is, she sweeps her hair aside as she steps under the spray. When was the last time she had a hot shower? The last time she felt the soothing trickle of warm water? The last time she had a shower full stop? She rolls her neck and sighs closing her eyes.

...............

"Well you look 100 percent better already" Bucky offers as Nina joins him and Steve in their living room, Steve is slouched back on the couch, arm over the back of it. Bucky is sat across from him leaning forward. She shrugs a little and shifts where she stands. "How do you feel?" Bucky asks noticing the black suit through the buttons of her shirt, she's put her Hydra suit back on, he supposes to her it's a comfort, something she knows.

"Feel....fine, I guess" she admits quietly.

"I know it's confusing" Bucky offers. "The way everything has changed for you. But things will get easier" Bucky pushes himself up. "Hungry?" he asks her, she nods a little.

..................

Turns out there are a lot more Avengers then Nina predicted, no one had given her any numbers, obviously just in case it turned out she couldn't be trusted, the fact that they've let her in now means that they believe she's not completely under Hydra control any more, it means that progress has been made with Shuri's techniques, that they believe enough progress has been made, Nina's not sure. Bucky lingers close to his sister, just in case, Steve taking the lead. Stood ahead of them.

"Those of you that haven't met, this is Nina" Steve offers. "Nina this is....everyone" All eyes are on Nina, studying, observing, judging her. She adjusts the sleeves on the shirt she's wearing and flickers her eyes around them too, doing just the same back. She's new. They're new. It's all tense but they're trying not to be. A few of them try to smile. "I'm sure they'll introduce themselves at some point" Steve offers and then it falls silent again, the temperature in the room rising slightly with Nina's nerves and discomfort.

"Alright, it's Italian night" Tony claps his hands together easing the tension. "So pizza and pasta all round" Everyone moves to the table in the centre of the room, the table itself is huge, probably specially made for the Avengers. Steve and Bucky keep Nina between them. Just in case. Steve remembers what Bucky was like with groups of people in the beginning, it made him anxious and nervous and snappy. He snapped at everything and anything. And they keep waiting for Nina to be the same but she seems to prefer her own silence right now. Dinner is quiet, the only ones that dare to speak are Sam and Tony, both trying to keep the conversation light. They talk about some new tv series that's going to be starting or something Nina doesn't listen, she just keeps quiet as she pokes at the food in front of her. Bucky had spooned on some pasta for her, knowing that she used to like it, she's just lost a little, she hasn't eaten stuff like this in 70 odd years, her body doesn't really recognise it any more.

"Nina?" Bucky states and touches her arm, she rips it free and jolts slightly looking to her brother defensive. "Just me" he assures her. "Sam was talking to you" Bucky offers, she blinks a little and realises she'd zoned completely out. "You...you kind of increased the temp" she shrinks back a little. Bucky looks to Sam and nods. "Why don't you tell her what you said?" Bucky asks. Nina glances to Sam, following Bucky's line of sight to figure out which ones is Sam.

"I was just saying" Sam starts. "You know when winter rolls around, or we get stuck somewhere really cold" Sam starts with a smirk looking to Nina. "You're gonna be our bestist friend"

"Or on missions" Natasha adds. "Middle of the nights get cold in some of the places we end up, be nice to have our own personal heater"

"Not going to happen" Bucky points out, Steve and Nina look to him. "She's not going on missions" Bucky then looks to Steve, pleading with his eyes. "Right?" Nina turns to look at Steve too, Steve looks between them. The other Avengers look amused, Steve caught between two siblings.

"Well" Steve starts reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "I mean...it'll be up to Nina, Buck"

"What?" Bucky asks, Steve sighs a little.

"If she wants to take an active roll, then it will be up to her..." Steve explains, Bucky glares at him and then turns back to his food, Nina looks down, uncomfortable again.

"I see" Bucky comments, Sam and Steve share a look, Steve shrugging back. He knew this would happen, but he honestly thought it would come up further down the road, Nina hasn't even said anything above joining the team and going back out there and after a week Steve wouldn't expect it. He will now though.