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It was rare to have weekends with no work for the New Avengers. There was always a new threat, a new danger to society, or a past enemy returning for vengeance. When they weren’t fighting or protecting the world, they were doing media stunts for Valentina, a photoshoot, an interview, a new haircut. So, weekends when the world didn’t need them were truly a gift. It became tradition to spend those Friday nights together, as a team. It was suggested by Mel at first but everyone became used to the idea of watching a movie together. And that’s where the team found itself now, gathering around the sofa in the social area, an array of snacks cluttering the table, colorful blankets and pillows occupying the sofa, some personalized for each member (courtesy of Solena). Now, the debate was wether the film of the night should be Sinners or Despicable Me 4. As Ava walked into the lounge she catched Yelena, pouting in the sofa and complaining about the film debate.
“No. Absolutely not. I don’t want to watch a film with more messy relationships and family dilemmas.” and in a whisper she said to herself “God knows we have enough of those.”
“”Sinners’ is cinema! There’s vengeance, some justice, identity. You wouldn’t get it”
Alexei set the fresh popcorn buckets in the table, and confused turned to Yelena and asked, “I thought we were watching the one with tiny pill men”.
This earned a snicker from Ava who replied “They’re called minions, Alexei”.
Now offended, Alexei turned to her covering his embarrassment with a smug and responded “I know, I was testing you”.
A groan interrupted their interaction as Yelena continue arguing with John, “Despicable me has a stronger villain arc. Gru commits, grows into his fatherhood, something YOU wouldn’t get”.
“What movie you like Winter Soldier?” asked the Red Guardian before John could retort, sitting next to Bucky and propping an arm behind him in the sofa. Now everyone turned to Bucky, even Bob who had just been watching the exchanges.
“I’ve actually never seen either”, responded Bucky, very unaware of the look on all his fellow team members’ face.
“WHAT!? You have not experienced the joys of watching Gru and minions?!”, this came from Alexei who now seemed to want to change seats after Bucky’s confession. “Now we wouldn’t deny Barnes his first minion experience?”
This seemed to settle the debate, and Minions began to roll on the screen. But Bob noticed the absence of a certain glowy woman. The woman who had captured his heart with her light.
“Is Solena not joining us tonight?” he asked the room in general.
Ava, who had been coming from the missing girl’s room before the debate started, responded, “She’s not feeling well at the moment, she needs some quiet rest which she would not get among us”. This seemed to satisfy most of them, but for two it brought a different reaction. Alexei stood after a beat, and headed for the kitchen, telling the others to keep watching the movie. While Bob couldn’t focus on the yellow figures, distracted by a need to check in with Solena, and intrigued by Alexei’s departure. He headed for the kitchen first, deeming it the least intimidating choice (the other being looking for Solena).
In the kitchen, he saw Alexei over the stove, simmering some water and preparing a plate with some dark chocolate. Curiosity blossomed within him, and he approached the older man with intent on questioning his actions. But the latter beat him to it explaining himself, “ I suspect Solena will be needing these. I know team thinks me dull, but I did live with a bunch of females for a few years, I recognize the symptoms but did not want to assume. Until Ava said Solena would not be joining us.”
Bob was now more confused. Was Solena sick? Had he not been aware that she was struggling with something? It would eat him from the inside if she had been suffering and he hadn’t been able to be there for her, as she had been for him since the first weeks of the team. Whenever the team would leave for a mission, he would stay in the tower, worrying over her. But as soon as they arrived Solena would go straight to him, checking in as if he had been the one to put his life in danger. She always sought him with a warm smile, and glowing eyes that would send flutters to his stomach and heat to his cheeks. They had grown very close over the past year, but his heart longed for more with her.
His confusion did not go unnoticed by the Red Guardian, who let out a small laugh. “What? You do not know her current situation? You are very close, no?”
“Situation? No, I don’t understand, is she ok? Is she sick? We talked this morning, I thought-”
“ Easy Bob. She will be fine. She is just currently in her..you know…her monthly” Alexei did not think ahead, he did not think Bob was unaware of how female biology worked. He was not looking forward to have another conversation about the birds and the bees after many many years, especially with an adult man.
“Oh! Yeah yeah, totally, um, yeah” Bob looked away awkwardly, “Actually I don’t, I uh, didn’t have the easiest time in school”.
Alexei sighed. He couldn’t let this kid go on like this, so while the tea finished boiling, he explained the first chapter of sex ed to Bob.
☆・・・★・・・・・★・・・☆
Solena had tried every position imagined to mankind, but the only one that seemed to alleviate her cramps was curling up like a shrimp. But it only helped a little. Her face was scrunched in pain, buried in her pillow to not let out a groan. It was also upsetting that she didn’t feel comfortable enough to go to movie night, and was missing out on Bob’s company. She had grown attached to that sweet guy. He was so broken, but still so kind. She didn’t blame him for what Sentry became, or what the Void did. She didn’t. She just wanted to comfort him, to hug him and provide him with a space that was safe and warm. A space she herself had needed, and which they had slowly become for each other. That friendship grew and grew, and now there was something unspoken between each other, both too shy to call it out. Now as she laid in pain, she longed for his smile, his shy laughter to comfort her. Her self willowing was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“ Solena? It is I, Alexei. I have brought some items to aid in your discomfort. I will leave them here. I’ll go now” As he turned to leave, he noticed Bob still standing in front of her door, having followed him from the kitchen. “What are you doing?” he asked Bob.
“I just wanted to check in on her” Bob responded rather shy. “ Just…maybe she needs something.”
Alexei let out a chuckle and nodded. He had noticed the chemistry between the two. They brought out joy and confidence from each other. Bob mate Solena’s light burn brighter, and she helped bring life back to him, as well as trying to help him control the Sentry and the Void (though that was running slow). “She might want some space, but take your shot lover boy”. And he left with a wink, he wasn’t going to miss out anymore on the minions.
“What? No, no its not like-” Bob started to retort but was interrupted by the door opening. He now faced a very disheveled Solena, her waves all over her head and a faint print of the folds of her pillow on her cheek. She was shocked to see him there, and a red flush dusted her whole face.
“Bob?! What are you doing here?” She asked as she bent to grab the thermos and a covered plate of dark chocolate and fruits.
“I just um-I well Ava said you weren’t feeling well, and I just wanted to see how you were doing. You know, besides not well” He said, letting out an exasperated sigh once he realized how dumb he sounded.
“Oh. Well. Would you like to come in?” She said stepping aside for him to walk in, which he immediately did. This routine was familiar, for Bob had found in her room an escape whenever his memories kept him up. She sat on the edge of her bed, grabbing a piece of chocolate, and serving herself some of the tea. The tension left her body as the warm drink settle in her stomach. She visibly relaxed a bit, and laid back on her bed, but she noticed Bob just standing in the middle of the room. She draped one arm over her face, and patted the spot next to her. Bob got her message and sat in the other end of the bed, and tentatively laid down next to her.
He was facing her ceiling, a captivating array of glow in the dark stars and planets plastered on it. Around the room, a variety of plants bloomed in healthy greens. A large pot of sunflowers faced her bed, or rather faced her. A small shelf with stories he didn’t grow tired of hearing about, and in the corner of the room a crafting table with a pile of yarn, most surely for her next project. The room was covered in things that were her, from the flowers, to the stars, to the pictures of the team on her wall. It all provided him with a sense of peace he had long been searching for. He turned to look at her, her arm covering her face, and her other hand under her sweater pressing her abdomen in clear discomfort. He scrunched his face, pondering his next words.
“Alexei said you’re on your period?”, it came out so quiet, as if it was a word he wasn't supposed to say. It surprised her, a laugh escaping her throat. “Did I say it wrong? Im sorry I-”
“No! No-” she couldn’t contain the giggles, “No Bob. Yes I am. That was just, it was kinda funny”. Before she could continue a sharp pain cut through her body, and she turned on her side facing him, curling into a ball, attempting to contain her grimace. He immediately sat up, his hand hovering over her shoulder.
“Are you ok?” He smacked himself mentally, she was obviously not, but he stopped thinking the moment he saw her in pain. She softly let out a hum between her small groans. He hesitated, he had read something he thought could help, but he didn’t want to trespass any invisible lines between them. “I was reading about …ways to help. I could try a massage, if you want.”
She looked up at him, a brow arched “You’reeeee gonna massage. Me?”
He nodded and turned his face downwards sheepishly, “I have very competent hands.”
She smirked at the hidden comment in his words, and smiled at him, “Ok mister, let’s see what you’ve got”.
He kneeled in her bed, his body facing her. His hands moved to her waist, turning her to lay on her stomach. He rubbed his hands together fast, warming them up. He slowly reached for her, lifting her sweater up to her mid back, and placed his palms with his thumbs in the center of her back, and his fingers reaching to her sides. He was slow, reverent. His fingers moved in tentative circles, softly pressing on her lower back, right above her bottom curves. When she sucked in a breath he froze, afraid he had hurt her or overstepped.
“Too much?” he softly asked.
“No”, her response muffled by her pillow, “You’re actually really good”.
He flushed besides her, but got back to work. His fingers found a rhythm pleasing to her. His hands and his eyes followed the slope of her spine, his thumbs pressing just enough to ease her ache. Every few minutes he would glance at her face, checking for warning signs, but all he found was a pleased smile and her eyes closed. After a while she moved to lay on her back, but pressed his hands in her lower abdomen. Prompted, he began his monition there. He was trying so hard to not think about her, about her soft skin beneath his touch, or the light moans she would let out every now and then when he pressed the right spot. He was trying not to think of her leg right next to his, or her hands still over his. Most of all he was trying not to think of his-
He was interrupted by a light snore leaving her parted lips, her whole body finally relaxed enough to enter sleep. He just looked at her, he thought anywhere else he would have been considered a creep. But she was a breathtaking sight for him, and he was in awe of her. Concluding he couldn’t stay there he slowly removed her hands from his, and stepping off the bed, covered her with her blanket. Smoothing her hair he pressed a longing kiss to her forehead, and turned to leave her room.
Closing the door behind him, he let out a breath he had been holding for what seemed like hours. He loved her, he knew that. But he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it. He heard a whistle from next to him and spotted Yelena leaning against the wall.
“You are hopeless” she said matter of factly, “Hopeless you know. It is so frustrating seeing you drag yourself over your feelings for her. You need to do something about it man, or you will lose her”
He was taken aback by her words, and all he mustered was a “what?”
But it was too late, she was walking down the hallway muttering about how pathetic it was to see two people in love circling each other.
Perhaps she was right, but for now he would keep these feelings in his chest. They both still had much healing to do, so for now he would shelter his love until he was sure he was someone worthy of her, someone she deserved.