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“We’ll stick together from now on,” Yelena told him. He couldn’t recall what prompted her to say that; his memories of that day were hazy, and the team had advised him that it was better that way. He wondered why she would want him to stay with them, with her, but he clung to Yelena's words like a lifeline. “That’s nice,” he responded.
They have stuck together ever since then. Bob has made sure of that. When the team got to pick their rooms in the ‘New Avengers’ tower, he waited until Yelena picked her room to pick his the closest he could to hers, and he has paired his routine to hers: breakfast, training, chores, lunch, more training, dinner, and bedtime. She goes along with it, never saying anything about him following her all day and night. Walker teases him about it, Ava gives him looks, Alexei hasn't realized, Bucky hides a smile when he catches them together (always), but Yelena hasn't acknowledged it.
Today marked the team’s first day off duty following the unsettling New York incident involving ‘The Void.’ They had been addressing the minor damage left in its wake, which, fortunately, hadn’t been extensive. “It’s just a lot of people unsettled and tormented by their worst memories,” Bucky said. Valentina, however, seized this chaos as an opportunity to engage with the public, branding them the ‘New Avengers.’ She put them in the spotlight, conducting numerous press conferences, making declarations, and conversing with the government. But now it was over; they could go to their new home and rest until they were needed again.
This morning was different from the others. It was past sunrise, and he couldn't hear Yelena getting up. She was usually in the kitchen by now. She seemed to enjoy preparing breakfast for them every morning. He started to feel worried. What if something had happened to her? But how could that be? The watchtower was safe, and she was a trained assassin. Nothing should have happened to her, so why wasn’t she up? Their routine had remained unchanged for the past few weeks. He felt he should check on her; that’s what a friend would do, and she was his friend. He needed to make sure she was safe.
He stood up from the floor where he had been sitting cross-legged, waiting to hear her leave her room. He walked to her door and paused momentarily, listening for any sound. When he heard nothing, he knocked lightly. In less than a minute, the door opened, revealing Yelena in her pajamas, her face showing clear signs of having just woken up. Looking at her, he felt a twist in his stomach, something akin to nausea or hunger—he thought that was how guilt felt.
“Is something wrong?” Yelena asked in a raspy voice. Bob felt like an idiot; he had woken her up for no reason. She had been sleeping, and there was no danger. Even if there were, what could he do? Save her? He wasn’t a hero. “Bob, are you okay?” she continued. He looked into her eyes, feeling ashamed and embarrassed.
“No, I’m sorry. I was worried because I hadn’t heard you, and you’re usually up by now in the morning.” She made a soft sound that suggested tenderness. “We have nothing to do until a mission is assigned to us, so I thought we could sleep in more from now on. I apologize for not letting you know last night; you enjoy spending time with me.” Bob felt his face growing hot. Yelena had noticed that he liked to follow her around.
“Would you like to come in? I'll get ready to start breakfast.” Before he could think it over, he said yes and entered her room. It looked very similar to his; they hadn’t had much time to make their spaces their own, so he figured they all looked alike for now. Her room had a big window instead of a wall, offering a nice view of New York. He would enjoy that, but it likely meant a room farther away from hers, so he would stay where he was.“You can sit on my bed; I’ll be quick,” Yelena says as she closes her bathroom door. Almost jumping onto her bed, Bob notices it still feels warm from her heat. It feels nice, he thinks.
Bob almost falls asleep when she comes out of the bathroom, saying, “Up, up, up,” and walks towards the door. He follows her into the elevator to the kitchen floor. Yelena gives Bob options for breakfast, and he chooses eggs Benedict with a sauce. While Yelena cooks, Bob remains quiet; he doesn't want to disturb her concentration. He sits on the countertop watching her, occasionally helping by cutting vegetables or doing other simple tasks when she asks. However, what he always does is clean the dishes afterward. He feels it's the right thing to do: she cooks, and he cleans—such a perfect team.
He sends a message to the ‘Thunderbolts’ group chat Alexei created to help everyone stay in touch, notifying them that breakfast is ready. Ava suddenly appears through a wall, and the boys exit the elevator simultaneously, as if they had all been waiting for breakfast. He and Yelena serve the food and take their seats at the table. Walker brings over the coffee and cups, and they all start chatting about the past few days, bickering playfully here and there. Bob thinks this is what a family breakfast should be like, or at least a breakfast among friends.
After eating, they leave the table individually, placing their dishes in the dishwasher. Although they have offered to wash their dishes in the past, Bob has consistently declined their help. They both thank him and Yelena before leaving the kitchen. He uses this time to think about his new life and friends.
Walker, as his name suggests, can sometimes be a bit of a wanker, but he is also a good man. He vaguely remembers seeing Walker punch his father, which he found somewhat admirable. Ava is very kind to him, and they talk occasionally. She and Walker often argue, and Bob thinks this is their way of flirting, but that may just be his perspective.
Ava and Yelena sometimes have girls' nights, which he is not invited to. That's when he hangs out with Bucky instead. He likes Bucky; the supersoldier is a geek, similar to how he was before struggling with drugs. Bucky bought Bob "The Hobbit" books, and when Yelena is unavailable, they discuss them. Bucky even admitted he had never seen the movies and promised they could watch them together once Bob finished the books.
Alexei is a bit peculiar and is also Yelena’s dad, so he doesn’t talk to him much. Alexei is very loud and always screaming, which he finds off-putting. However, he’ll have to get used to it since they all live together, and hopefully, they will continue to do so for a long time. He knows he has to put in the effort to bond with everyone.
Yelena is his favorite among the group, and she is likely his favorite person in the world. He doesn't remember what happened to his parents. If he had gone to Malaysia, it would mean that his mom was gone, and his dad wasn't very important to him. He also doesn't recall any friends, which made him feel utterly alone—until he met Yelena.
He remembers waking up in the OXE warehouse and how she instinctively began to protect him the moment she saw him. He recalls the way she comforted him after John pushed him, along with everything else that happened inside. That's why he nearly sacrificed his life for her that day: because she genuinely cared for him, someone she didn't even know, someone she felt needed to protect, even though he didn’t require any protection.
Yelena has taken his place at the countertop, watching him wash the dishes while occasionally checking her phone when it vibrates, though she isn’t using it. It’s been a good morning, and he hopes the rest of the day will remain pleasant. “We should go out,” Yelena suggests, breaking the silence. “Out where?” Bob stutters, still feeling confined in the tower. “I don’t know. Maybe just go to the market for some basic groceries,” she replies. He agrees with a nod. Doing groceries sounded nice.