#like where did she get it buffy doesn’t use tasers she wouldn’t have a taser she wouldn’t give Dawn a taser!!!!!

[babygirlgiles]

I’m sorry, but was no one going to tell me that Dawn Summers, the physical representation of Buffy’s innocence, of Buffy’s innermost vulnerability, just casually carries a Taser? Were none of you going to tell me that?

[10moonymhrivertam]

Buffy/Witcher fic fragment

“Julian, duck!” The voice is a little shrill and definitely frantic. Jaskier’s still reeling from the portal, but something about the words has his hand shooting out to drag Geralt down with him. Something flies over their heads, and he looks up to see a headless body crumbling into dust. Which he hasn’t seen anything do in a very, very long time. He tenses at running footsteps, and he has a dagger in hand based sheerly on how frayed his nerves are. The girl standing over them is in jeans and a t-shirt, and he hasn’t seen the combination in decades.

“It is you! Everyone’s going to flip. It’s been years, I’m pretty sure they thought you were dead, especially since nobody really did magic yet when you went missing.” The girl has a hand out, and Jaskier stares at it, his brain buffering. Eventually, he realizes why. He’d gotten a spell to help him learn the most common language on the Continent when he’d arrived there, and now his brain is scrambling to parse English for the first time in twenty years.

“Who the hell are you?” He asks, the words wrapping strangely around his tongue. The girl frowns, her face scrunching into an expression that rings a bell deep in his memory. He’d had a friend that made a face like that...

“Right. The spell. You were gone.” Her hand still hangs in the air between them. “I’m Dawn Summers. I can take you to Giles, if you want.”

Jaskier eyes her for another moment before accepting the hand and then turning to help Geralt up. He doesn’t refuse the help, but there’s something tight in his face that says he doesn’t trust conversations he didn’t understand being had over his head.

“She knows someone that might know something,” he says to Geralt. Geralt grunts, his eyes darting from grave to grave. Jaskier suppresses a sigh and turns back to Dawn.

“Lead the way, Miss Summers.” Her face does something strange, but without a word, she turns on her heel and heads for the gate of the cemetery with unerring accuracy. Geralt’s stony silence felt significant, but every time Jaskier thought of something to say, all he could think was how Geralt was going to tear him apart for this pile of shit later when Jaskier wasn’t the only translator around. Another voice speaking English stopped his anxiety from ratcheting higher.

“Dawn, all I want to know is how I didn’t see you go.”

“I literally just waited until you stopped asking me questions while you were reading. But look, I survived!” Her voice is as bright as the sun. “Also, I found something!”

“You found something?” It wouldn’t have been easy to miss the skepticism in his voice even if Jaskier didn’t already know him. Dawn looks back, drawing Giles’s eye. Jaskier waves awkwardly, suddenly aware of just how much distance time has put between them.

“Julian?”

“Giles. It’s been...a while, for me.”

“It hardly looks like it.” Jaskier recognizes the look from seeing one like it on Geralt’s face more than he remembers it on Giles’s.

“I think that first portal did something to the way I age. Do you want to not-invite us back somewhere?” Which clears up a little bit of the look on Giles’s face, at least.

“I suppose there is an anniversary pizza party which can use a few more guests.”

“Oh, yeah!” Dawn grinned. “You haven’t met Tara yet! Oh, and, um - who are you? Sorry.” Jaskier looked back at Geralt - for a split second, he was waiting for Geralt to answer, then remembered.

“Geralt, this is Dawn and Giles. Giles, Dawn; Geralt. Language barrier.” Geralt had figured that much out already, so he didn’t feel the need to repeat himself.

“Sounded Polish.” Giles said a string of something which almost sounded like a greeting, but made Jaskier make a face. The easiest explanation was just that his accent was incomprehensible, but - then he remembered that they’d hopped from the thirteenth century to the twentieth.

“I’ll look into it,” Jaskier said in very firm English. Giles winced, and Jaskier felt bad for a moment. They quickly got on their way, and silence reigned. Jaskier hated the thick tension in the air, so with a mental fuck-it, he started speaking.

“Say something,” he pleaded with Geralt. “Anything. Three words or less?” The prompt usually worked when all else failed, but then - that had been before that awful dragon hunt half a year ago.

“Apologies are difficult.” The words came slowly, and Geralt looked pained. Jaskier didn’t bother hiding his surprise. Geralt eyed him for a moment before dropping his eyes to the sidewalk. “Harder now that I’m confused. And you’re the only one that knows what’s going on.”

Jaskier bit his lip, processing that. Geralt wanted to apologize, before they were portalled into Sunnydale. That was...a lot.

“This is...” Jaskier trailed off. “It’s where I’m from.” He looked away from Geralt. “A few years before we met, a portal took me from here and dropped me on the Continent. There was a mage that was so frustrated with my charades that she just slapped a translation spell on me. I’m just lucky the mechanics of it mean I can be a great bard. I can still tell the languages are separate, they still feel different, but I just - understand them.” He tapped his temple.

“This is where you’re from?” Geralt repeated. Jaskier looked over to see his eyes roaming from the sidewalk to the road to the power lines.

“It’s got monsters, too, but no witchers. Got something else, though. Oh, and it’s the twentieth century. Twenty-first, maybe, depending how long I was gone. It was the 90’s.”

“You know them?”

“The man. The girl said something about a spell, but...I don’t know what she means. Hold on. Miss Summers, what was that you said before about a spell?”

“Oh, yes, you were gone.” Hearing Giles say the same thing was a point in her favor. “It’s...rather complicated. There was memory alteration involved.”

“So I forgot you?” Jaskier couldn’t help but be a little upset by the idea.

“Wrong way around,” Dawn said, looking a bit uncomfortable. “We probably should wait until we get back, and then everyone else can tell you the way they remember things. It might be kind of neat to see how you tell things.”

“Alright, then.” Jaskier flashed them a disarming smile before turning his attention back to Geralt and shrugging. Geralt hummed and fell quiet again. Jaskier did the same despite himself, at least until the girl drifted back towards them.

[disappearance somewhere mid-s3; this is set in an ambiguous post-s5 everyone-is-happy-fuck-you]

“Is that a guitar?”

“A lute. Learning it was a little different. The tuning’s a bitch.” Giles shot him a look over his shoulder, and Jaskier rolled his eyes. “This is a special one. I got it from the king of the elves.”

Dawn’s eyebrows rose. “Okay, Bilbo.”

“Hey, no, they’re real on the Continent!” Jasker protested. He outlined what history he’d learned at Oxenfurt for her, and by the time he was coming to the end of his impromptu lecture, they were outside a house he recognized, just barely. Giles was first through the door, tossing out a greeting to get a chorus of voices in return. Dawn followed. Jaskier hesitated just one moment. His high school friends seemed to be in there. He hadn’t seen them in going on thirty years. Nonetheless, if he didn’t go, Giles wouldn’t trust him, and he didn’t have any chance of either settling in here or finding his way home. So he forged ahead, hanging onto Geralt’s sleeve. He crossed the threshold without a lick of trouble, and Geralt shadowed him silently.

“Who’s that?” That was Joyce’s voice, he thought.

“We found them in the cemetery!” Dawn said, far too cheerfully. “But we didn’t invite them in,” she added quickly. “You heard!”

“We heard.” That was another familiar one. A few moments later, one of his old friends was in the doorway. “...Julian?”

There was a chorus of ‘what’s, and suddenly it seemed like the entirety of whatever party they were having was in the doorway. Before he’d quite processed it all, Xander had drawn him into a hell of a hug.

“Lute!” He protested, squirming out of the hug. He took off his case and floundered for a place to set it. Geralt gently removed it from his hands and nodded back to the others. Jaskier flashed him a quick, warm smile, then turned his attention back to distributing hugs.

“It’s been a while,” he offered when they’d had their fill.

“How are you not dead?” Xander asked, earning an elbow in the side from Willow. He winced and pouted at her. 

“There was a portal. Which did do something strange to my aging, I’ll admit.”

“You barely look older than me,” Dawn observed, which didn’t help Jaskier as much as it ought to.

“Well, that’s flattering.”

“Why, how old are you?” Buffy asked.

“Coming up on forty-three.” Geralt tensed at the various ‘bullshit’s that rose up. Jaskier flashed him a smile to reassure him. “I’d offer to prove it, but all I have is Geralt’s word, and he never even argued with Yennefer about those crow’s feet jokes, so I don’t know if he noticed.”

“Oh, what are we all standing around the hall for?” Joyce tittered. “Come on, come sit. There’s pizza; soda; some wine.”

“Ooh, they’ve got wine, Geralt!” Geralt hummed. Still holding Jaskier’s lute with something like reverence, he followed Jaskier. At least until Jaskier stopped dead in the door, his eyes narrowing at the man with bleach-blond hair in the middle of what sounded like a pop culture argument with a woman who hadn’t come to greet him. 

“You have more to catch me up on, right now,” he said lowly. Spike looked over and his eyebrows shot up. 

“Pretty boy. Thought you were dead. Nice going on the still being here.” Spike made a vague gesture of congratulations and then turned back to his partner, but she was squinting at Jaskier like she knew him.

“There was a thing,” Dawn answered, dropping onto the couch. “An organizationy thing. Now he basically has a taser in his brain so he can’t eat people. He doesn’t have a soul but he’s still okay.”

“Watch yourself, little bit.” Spike waved a threatening finger at her, and Jaskier nearly leapt forward with his dagger, clear invitation be damned. A hand landed on his shoulder. He tensed and nearly whipped around. 

“Jaskier,” Geralt rumbled in his ear. “What’s going on?”

“When I left, that bastard was out to kill us.”

“And now?”

Jaskier huffed angrily through his nose. “He’s been invited to the party.”

“Treat him like he’s Valdo Marx, then.”

“Not fucking well helpful, Geralt, someday I’ll murder that little shit, I really will.”

“You’re Jaskier and Geralt of Rivia!” The accusation was sudden, giddy, and in the language Jaskier was used to hearing. He and Geralt turned as one to look at Spike’s conversation partner. Jaskier distantly noticed he was staring at her, too, though in a more ‘what the fuck’ way.

“And who would you be, madam?” The flirty, pleased smile touched easily on Jaskier’s face. Xander’s eyes narrowed. 

“Oh, when I went there, I usually went as Anyanka.”

“Anyanka...that’s familiar.”

“It had better be. I had at least three separate summons that stopped me and Hallie having days out because of you.”

“Summons?” Most of Jaskier’s excitement had dropped away.

“I was a demon zemsty.”

“Shit.” Jaskier could feel himself go pale. He could feel Geralt at his back, but couldn’t tell if he was angry or smug or indifferent. 

“But I’m not stupid. Witchers are almost as infamous as Slayers, and you’re the White Wolf’s bard.”

“Slayers?” Geralt asked. 

“It’s what I told you we have instead of Witchers. Except there’s only one, and she’s always a girl.”

“Seems like a lot of responsibility for one person,” he remarked. 

“Which is why Buffy has everyone.” Jaskier made a gesture encompassing the room. “And hasn’t died yet. No, wait, Kendra was Called. Well, she’s never died properly.”

[wonderlandmind4]

Delicate Stages Chp 31

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x OFC Ana Rios

Warnings: Language. Blink and you’ll miss it angst. Tony Stark’s snark. Mentions of blood, non graphic minor injury. Mild fighting.

Words: 4.6k+ @justreadingfics​ @nerdyandproud9​ @buffy-morgendorffer-01​

Ana felt relieved she was able to laugh after talking to Bucky, although her stomach is rolling in sick waves. She leans against her door as she closes it, releasing a heavy sigh. Her heart is pounding in her chest and her stomach is clenching. She knows she just took one for her own team. Bucky’s healing process is more important than her own feelings and she will continue making him the number one priority no matter what. 

"Well, that's a self sacrificing look if I ever saw one." Someone speaks up.

She startles. "I swear to god, Tony. How do you even know this? Why do you keep showing up in my room?"

"I'm not sure what happened, but I'm very familiar with that look on your face. Putting someone else's well being before yours."

"Pepper you mean?" Ana can't help the slight warmth of fondness over that fact.

Tony hums, then stands from her computer chair. He comes too close for her liking as his dark brown eyes apprise her. Suddenly, he lifts her chin up, tilting her head side to side. He blinks, then releases her chin. Ana pouts, rubbing at her skin.

"Where'd that bruise come from?" He questions casually, beginning to walk around the room. He picks up books, scans them once, then replaces them.

"What bruise?"

"The faded ones on your neck in the shape of fingers."

Shit. "Got a bit kinky with a guy from a bar. Hot hookup and all." She answers flatly.

"I'd rather not know your kinks, Ana, thank you. Plus, you're lying, horribly." Tony pauses to face her. "Barnes told me."

Well, fuck. "What did he tell you exactly?"

"Simon Mills compromising the session. Barnes nearly crushing your neck. The lack of use of the bracelet."

Goddammit. "Did he really say crushing my neck? That's over dramatized." Ana says, finally walking forward and snatching her journal out of Tony's hands. "It's fine. I didn't even notice there was a bruise. He didn't hurt me, so I would really appreciate you not blowing his arm off, thanks."

"He did come to me with that intention." Tony pauses as his expression changes. "He cares for you. As do I, so next time, Ana. Use the damn bracelet. I gave it to you for a reason."

"Yes, sir." She snips mockingly. "You didn't tell Pepper did you?"

"And risk her marching her beautiful legs up here with those heels to kick his ass? No."

Ana plops down on her bed. "Thank you. I promise I'll use it next time."

"It's not just an accessory, kid. Use it, or I'll be present for every session afterwards."

"That is rather unnecessary."

Tony levels her with a look. "Fine. I wont hesitate to tell Pepper."

Ana shakes her head as he steps toward her door.

"It's your safety first, Ana. Oh, the mission got moved up. Change of plans on the testing of the weapons."

 "Are you guys ready?"

Tony opens the door. "Don't you mean, is he ready?"

"What do you think?" Ana inquires genuinely.

"I do...unless something pretty distracts him. Good thing you aren’t coming."

Then Tony is out the door, closing it before the pillow Ana threw can hit him.

***

This is turning out to be quite a day already. It's not until all the meetings has finished and the sun is beginning to set, that Ana marches up to Bucky.

"You told Tony!?" Ana accuses after finding Bucky on the roof again.

"Got to be more specific, darling." He answers, sitting up from the lounge chair.

"You told him about the compromised stage? Why would you do that? He's rather testy about it."

"I figured you would listen to him about taking precautionary measures."

"What?" 

Bucky sighs heavily. “You know, for someone really smart, you can be really stupid.”

“Excuse me?” She snips incredulously.

“You don’t active any of the defense mechanisms, Ana! The restraints, the bracelet. You don’t take the precautionary measures to protect yourself! You didn't even use that taser disk!" 

Bucky pauses. He looks her over for a moment. "As great as last night went, you still did something incredibly reckless. Anything could have happened! Don’t you know if something were to happen to you it would be my fault and I would never be able to live with myself”

Tension seeps from Ana’s shoulders. He looks so concerned, so worried, it makes her feel guilty. “Bucky-“

"It's one of the things that drives me fucking insane about you! As if you don't care for your own safety at all."

Something sour burns in her mouth. "Right, why would I when I have a big, bad Soldier to do it for me? Protecting me so much, he still holds back from me."

"Didn't hold back last night, did I?" Bucky counters, his voice dropping a few octaves. 

Oh, so they can stumble through an awkward conversation about it, but making snarky remarks is as easy as can be. Two can play that game. Ana steps closer to him until he has to look up at her. She tries not to get distracted by his eyes shining in the fading light of the sun, or the fierce look in them. The set of his mouth with how red his lips are, and how Ana remembers exactly how they felt on hers. Remembers exactly how he tastes.

"You protect me so much from yourself, that I bet you're too afraid to even kiss me again." Ana whispers in a challenge.

Bucky just stares into her eyes. He doesn't say anything. He doesn't react once, and a flash of hurt shoots through her chest because she knew it. Knew that him processing it meant it wasn't going to happen ever again. That it really was a one time thing he just did to shut her up, and not because he may have feelings for her too. Ana swallows the lump in her throat, then steps back, reminding herself. Bucky’s healing process is the number one priority; not whatever is happening between them.

"You leave for the mission tomorrow." She states quietly, yet keeping her tone professional. "I'd take the day to mentally prepare. Don't want anything to distract you and compromise the mission."

With that, she exists the roof.

***

Ana is preparing a late dinner the next night, chopping up vegetables on the cutting board, letting the sound of the rain splattering against the large windows fill the room. Everyone is gone for the mission, but she decided to make more than enough food in case anyone is hungry when they get back.

She didn't see Bucky all that much, though they did end up apologizing to each other. Mainly because it felt so weird to throw jabs and stay mad at each other for long. Plus, Bucky had been rather nervous, and pushing everything from the night before aside, Ana offered to help him. She went through breathing exercises, reminded him that their mission has nothing to do with Hydra. So the chance of running into someone is very, very low. He was still nervous though.

Before he left, Bucky had grabbed her hand, brought it up to his mouth and left Ana with a soft press of his lips against her knuckles. It felt loaded with another apology and gratefulness. His eyes had pinned her to the spot, until his lips finally pulled back. She breathlessly wished him luck, along with the rest of them and off they went.

Currently her phone is vibrating on the counter, but her hands are busy, carefully cutting into zucchini. The buzzing stops, then starts again causing Ana to huff, putting down the knife to grab her phone. It's Tony. Who is currently on the mission. Tony who just called her twice. Tony, who is calling her a third time. A surge of panic runs up her spine; the lights flicker around her.

"Tony!?" Ana answers worriedly. "What's going on?"

"Need you to come here, preferably now, please. That'd be great." He answers curtly. There's a lot of background noise, and his voice echoes a little. He's calling from the suit.

"Aren't you dealing with-"

"Yes, and there's a lot to do with energy that's being pulled from a source we can't see. Those weapons we thought were being made, well, they're made. This guy is planning on draining the power from the entire state of New York to source said weapons, so-"

"I can't, Tony! That's not my job. I wouldn't even know how to help. I don't do field work."

"You do now. Lets go, chop chop."

"And how do you expect me to get there so quickly? I don't even know where you are." Ana explains, running to her room and slipping on the first pair of shoes she sees. She hurriedly grabs a knife hidden behind her nightstand, clipping the sheathe to the side of her pants.

"If you stop stalling and get to the roof-"

"Did you send a suit?" She catches on, opening her window to climb the stairs. "I can't fly a suit!"

"You don't have to. Get in." The line disconnects.

Ana tucks her phone in her back pocket as she steps onto the roof. Waiting there is one of the many Iron Man suits Tony has created. The rain is falling harder, soaking her black tee shirt and jeans, as she runs towards it. She carefully steps inside, instantly the suit closes around her. Her vision changes to a screen with target circles and coordinates. Tony's voice is back, having reconnected and abruptly the suit takes off.

"I need you to read this guys energy."

Ana gasps, her stomach swooping. The sensation of flying like this is very new to her. "Talk to me, what's going on? How the hell do you fly in this?"

"Wanda is down. He pulled her power from her."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He's similar to you, at least with those advanced weapons. Figured you could help with that."

"Tony, I'm a non-combatant agent! How am I suppose to help?"

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Ana." He nearly snaps. "I know you hold back and this is a time where I really need you to not."

Ana winces as she flies too close to a power plant pillar. She grits her teeth. "She is okay?"

"Nat's got her, she's fine. Away from the fight." He informs.

"Any casualties?" She can see she's coming up on the fight. The radius of the power plant looks clear of civilians.

"None."

"Anyone hurt?"

Tony doesn't respond immediately. It concerns Ana as she finally lands, several yards away from the fight. Hawkeye shoots an arrow, but whoever the man they're fighting is, blocks it with what looks like three energy whips and a beam.

"Injures?" She questions again. 

She notes the guy isn't moving his feet, but no one seems to be getting close. It's then she realizes that Bucky is with them. She doesn't see him. Tony has yet to answer her.

"Stark!"

"None." Tony finally answers.

"That's a lie. Where is he?"

"Spark Plugs over there disabled the use of his metal arm." 

"Let me out." Ana demands.

The suit dissembles from her body, and she's instantly dripping in rain. She assesses the situation again, running closer to the others. The man still has his feet rooted to the ground, very close to a power outlet. That's where it's coming from, behind the building. Iron Man's suit is suddenly flying next to her, as is Sam.

"What is she doing here?" Sam asks, bringing in his wings and running beside her.

"Bringing us dinner." Tony quips. Ana can hear his eye roll. "She's the only one who can stop the energy he's collecting. He's draining the suit of power every time I get close."

"He's pulling it from the ground." Ana informs, coming to a stop behind a nearby tree.

She's close enough now to feel the heat of the white beams coming from the whips and the man's body. She sees Steve rebound a beam with his shield. Gun fire abruptly echoes through the night, and the bullet grazes the man’s thigh, just enough to sneak under the beams. He yelps and when he shifts, there's a break in the energy he's using. Ana can't see Bucky, but he's hiding in the shadows, doing his part despite his arm. Relief floods throughout her body, knowing that he's safe.

"There's a major power supply and he's standing over it. That's where he's pulling it from. Enhancing whatever he already has in his body." Ana relays.

"Can you stop it?" Sam questions.

"I have to get close enough." She tells him. "He's literally pulling all of the kinetic energy out of the air, how have you guys been fighting? The air feels so thin."

"Not very well." Tony answers, "Sluggish I’d say. Bad performance review. Probably a 32 percent on Rotten Tomato. Not all of us are equipped with energy sensing tingles.”

Ana rolls her eyes. "I need a distraction to get close. I think I can stop it, but I need to touch him to do so."

"We'll give you air support." Tony assures her. "Wilson."

"On it!" Sam opens his wings and takes off.

"I only brought a knife to an energy beam shooting fight, Tony. There's only one chance for this."

"He's got your back." He promises, then takes off.

It takes her a second to realize he's not taking about Sam. Ana runs on her toes, staying as quiet and stealthy as she can. The man abruptly turns though, and if it wasn't for another gun shot, pulling his attention back to the previous spot, he would have seen her. She knows exactly who has her back.

Ana slows, beginning to let her walls down, feeling the energy crackling through the air as she gets closer. If this guy is pulling everyone's kinetic energy, Ana pulls it from him. It's burning at her skin, sizzling in the air and she can see it. A faint blueish gray hovering very close to the man's back. There's gunfire from above as well as a beam from the suit. Steve throws his shield, and Clint fires another arrow. The shield is blocked, ricochets off a blast of energy and back into Cap's arm. The arrow lands by the mans feet a second before it explodes. It's small, but it's the perfect distraction, causing the his feet to finally move.

She can hear Tony banter with the guy, and the fighting has stopped for the moment. Ana doesn't pay any attention, instead she focuses on slowly pulling the electric air into her hands. She breathes in slowly, lifting her hands, inching closer. She shuffles her feet forward, over the spot where the man was previous standing and feels the power source beneath her, surging and amping up her own abilities. It's now or get blasted by a beam.

Ana exhales, placing her fingertips on the man's back as she pushes the energy forward. A bright blue light shoots from her hands, propelling the man forward into the air. It cuts all ties to his weapons, the electric whips dying out. The man scrambles to get up, blood falling from the corner of his eye. He spots Ana, a sneer on his lips. He flexes his hands, and suddenly the whips sizzle back to life. He slams them on the ground and a burst of power knocks Steve and Clint off their feet, and Tony and Sam of course in the sky. Ana steadies her footing, absorbing the current through the ground.

"Was wondering where they were hiding you. The Energy Alchemist." The man calls, advancing on Ana. "You know we're the same, you and I." The air crackles around them as he get closer.

"I doubt it." Ana scoffs. She feels his power radiating off his skin, and Ana needs to touch him once more. She steps closer. "But why don't you enlighten me by monologuing?"

"Clever girl." The man smirks. Louder he says, "If your friends get any closer, you'll meet the end of the whip, not sure you’d be able to survive how much power I give it."

The threat is enough to stop everyone in their tracks. Clint has an arrow poised at the ready, as does Tony with his palm up, beam ready to fire, Sam ready with Red Wing if needed. Steve seems to be debating taking a chance to protect her with the shield. It's defensive positions he can see. What he doesn't see, is Bucky hiding away somewhere high, between the trees. Another shot is fired, this time with intent to hit a target, which happens to be the man's shoulder, bullet lodged in the joint.

He jerks forward with a shout, dropping one of the whips, opening his stance. He barely glances over his shoulder, and Ana takes the opportunity, running straight at him. He turns just in time to see, but she drops down, sliding between his legs, and popping up behind him. She thrusts her hands onto his back and pulls at his energy, opening that part of her own ability. He gasps the same time Ana does. She digs her fingers into his body, holding on and draining his energy. It's too much to take in at once, but Ana holds on tightly, gritting her teeth.

The man is slowly sinking to the ground, his breaths getting shorter by the second. He releases both whips, hands relaxing, head dropping. Ana feels all extra power draining from his bones into her own body. He finally falls to the ground as Ana stumbles. She clenches her fists, slowly stepping away from he man, still breathing.

Her entire body is shaking, hot and buzzing with the pent up energy she stole, kinetic at that, and she has to release it. Release it somewhere that isn't near the plant and her friends. If they're caught in the blast, well. Ana's body is heating up, the whips on the ground suddenly fire up again. She sways, some of the power churning the air around her. It's too much to hold. Her blood is boiling, her skin prickling, and the air cracks around her, tinting blue and gold through the inky sky.

"Ana!" Someone calls from the distance.

Ana shakes her head, but the movement also shakes the foundation of the power plant. Iron Man is suddenly next to her, catching her as she falls sideways. He steadies her, and Ana places her hands on the suit. Everything she just took rushes out of her as she channels it into the arc reactor. Tony abruptly releases her, stumbling back. Ana regains her footing, staring at him as he opens his face mask.

"Did you just power my suit?" He questions, looking a mix of bewildered and impressed.

Ana nods. She's no longer trembling, now that half the energy is in the suit. 

"Needed to redirect it somewhere safe." She bends over to catch her breath, resting her hands on her knees.

"That was interesting." Clint states, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The rain is still coming down, having soaked every part of her. There are wet, running footsteps coming towards her, when she remembers that someone was injured. Ana picks her head up, wet strands of her hair falling over her eyes, to see Bucky standing in front of her.

There's a deep cut on his forehead, blood watery from the rain, dripping down his temple and off his beard. His left arm is hanging uselessly at his side. His wet hair sticks to the side of his face, and Ana really wants to push the strands aside, just to make sure he doesn't have any more cuts. Bucky drops the automatic riffle in his hand to the wet ground, reaching out for her.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" He demands angrily, gripping her elbow, fire burning in his eyes.

"Told you." Clint mutters to someone.

Ana ignores him, narrowing her eyes at Bucky. "No, I'm fine, all good, thanks." She snaps. "Just completely drained that dude of all energy and in return, directed his into Tony's suit. I'm all good."

"You didn't think that was dangerous?" Bucky counters, glaring at her.

"What about your arm there, Sergeant Snowflake?"

He levels her with an unimpressed look. "Still had your back, didn't I?"

Ana smiles softly at him. "Yeah."

"Jesus, you two are worse than love-struck teens." Clint inputs. He takes his hand off her shoulder. "She's fine." He informs everyone else, and walks away.

"I hate him sometimes." Ana mumbles. She straightens up, grabbing Bucky's forearm to steady herself. "Let me see."

“Think he fried some wires, threw off the calibration.” Bucky informs her.

She picks up his heavy left arm with both hands, and the grip on her elbow tightens, as to make sure she doesn't fall over. Ana examines the metal, the rain making tiny tinkering noises. Steve, after helping Sam tie up the still unconscious man, comes up next to her.

"How was he able to do that?" He inquires.

"Can we do this out of the rain?" Sam speaks up, sounding less than pleasant.

"Called Romanoff, should be here in two minutes." Tony says.

"Just give me a minute." Ana scolds them, bringing Bucky's arm closer to her face.

She closes her eyes. She gathers the very last of what she can feel still buzzing inside her, what she didn't give over to Tony's suit. They don't have to know that to fully restore the workings of the arm, Ana has to use some of her own energy as well. Whatever she took from the man had enough kinetic power to remain inside her body. Ana opens her eyes, squeezes her hands, and quite literally feels the electrical shock emitting from her fingers.

There's a flash of golden blue light around her hands and arms, and the sound of soft mechanical whirring comes to life. Ana continues to channel it into his arm, until the metal slates shift together, then releases his arm. Bucky wiggles his fingers, then swings his arm around in a circle, his range of motion coming back. He smiles proudly at her.

Ana's knees buckle. Both him and Steve are quick to catch her, holding her up. They're saying something to her, but she can't hear them. Either due to the sudden rushing of blood to her ears or the loud engine of the Quinjet coming to get them. Her eyelashes flutter against the raindrops, which are suddenly blocked by a pair of blue eyes starring at her in concern. Ana sees Buckys lips moving, a crease on his brow. She still can't make out what he's saying but she's suddenly out of the rain and laying on something solid.

With the last ounce of strengthen left, Ana lifts her hand. She weakly swipes her thumb over Bucky's face. The wound is still bleeding, but he seems to be fine. Ana's hand drops down, and her vision blackens.

***

When Ana wakes up, she's laying on a rather uneven surface, body weighed down with blankets. She stares up at a white ceiling, lights patterned in a way that isn't the same as the other rooms of the compound. Ana slowly sits up, and realizes it's because she's in the medical ward. Her skin feels itchy. She notices then that there's an IV in her hand, and little heart monitoring pad on her pulse points and chest. She makes to take them off.

"If you think about pulling those out, Barnes will come over here and pin you down. Although, I don't think you'd be opposed to that."

Ana glares to her left. "Tony."

Tony sits up in his chair. He looks tired, like he was up all night and Ana has no idea how long she's been out for. He pushes a cup of water on the bedside table closer to her. Grateful, she takes it, and drinks the entire cup down.

"Your heart rate dropped dangerously low on the carrier." He informs her casually, taking the empty cup back. "You had an extremely high fever as well. Everything is normal now, but you've been out for 24 hours."

Ana slumps back against the pillows. There's only one thing going through her mind right now. "It isn't because I fixed his arm." She states firmly. "He knows that right?"

"You think he believes that?"

A huff.

"I knew it would be too much for you." Tony admits. “Shouldn't have asked for help."

"Stop that. Don't do that. If I really didn’t want to help I wouldn’t have gone. I'm fine now. I was just overwhelmed. Too much too soon. I haven’t drained energy like that on that big a scale."

Tony leans over and fist pumps her knuckles. "Good job though, girly. Proud of you."

Ana smiles at him. Tony is mostly all snark and quips, but the fondness and worry in his eyes says so much more. He's seen Ana at her worst, close to death. Has seen her break down sobbing after her brother's funeral. Has seen her so incredibly angry that all the lights and glass shattered in her apartment. They have a special connection, the two of them. Ana knows Tony is more concerned, and probably relieved than anyone else. Or, almost everyone.

"How long do I have to stay here?" She ends up asking. She looks over at her vitals chart. Everything seems normal.

"Until Janice gives you the all clear." Tony answers. "They just want to make sure you remain stable. You absorbed too much energy into your body."

Ana nods. "How's Bucky? He was bleeding wasn't he?"

A smirk lifts the corner of Tony's mouth. He nods his head up. Ana follows his nod and on the opposite side of the room is Bucky. There's still blood on the left side of his face, but Ana can't tell if its fresh or dry. Which means, if she had been out for the past twenty- four hours, Bucky hadn’t let anyone tend to him.

***

"It's fine, Ana." Bucky assures her. “It’ll heal in no-”

"Hush and let me put this on." She scolds, carefully placing the butterfly band-aid over the cut. She had been cleared of normal vitals after her usual vitamin shot and made a beeline towards Bucky.

"You need to rest. Still not happy that he called for your help."

Ana rolls her eyes, tossing the wrapper away. "He wouldn't have done so if he didn't need it. I swear, you and him both are like overprotective mothers."

"But you're not..." He trails off.

"I'm not- I'm not what? Hmm? Say it. I dare you." She threatens. If he says what she thinks he is going to say, probably something about not being trained enough or an Avenger, she will lose it.

"I just don't want you getting hurt. Draining your energy is enough, don't you think?"

"You know I've literally been attacked in my own home before. If someone is going to hurt me, they'll get to me wherever I am."

"Like hell they will." Bucky responds with fire in his voice.

Ana steps back to stare at him. The blues of his eyes are shinning, but looks fierce, protective, and it's a look she is growing use to. She knows how he feels though, because she has the same feelings when it comes to him. They are very protective over each other, and she doesn't know exactly when that happened, but it did, and it's not going away any time soon.

"Bucky." Ana exhales. He closes his eyes, gently grabs her hips and pulls her close. He drops his head to her shoulder. Ana weaves her fingers through is damp hair.

"Don't you know by now, how much I care about you." Bucky admits, his breath fanning over her skin. "I know I shouldn't. I have no right to-"

"If you start with the self depreciating shit I will disable your arm again." She threatens softly.

He laughs against her shoulder. When he looks back up, air catches in her lungs. Her heart begins to pick up speed, and the fluttering of her stomach is back. Her mind is suddenly thrown back to a few days ago when he kissed her so fiercely on the roof. They haven't spoken about it since their talk in his room, but Ana can still taste him on her tongue, can still feel the burn of his beard, the grind of his hips. She desperately wants to taste him again. If he even wants to.

Ana brushes her fingers through his hair again, pushing back the strands that fell over the cut. Bucky's hands fall further down her hips, fingers slipping under her shirt. She tilts her head down, cupping his jaw, watching his lips part slightly. He turns his head just a fraction, pressing his lips to the palm of her hand. Maybe he does want it.

"Ana, Fury would like a word with you." Steve's voice interrupts the moment. Ana steps back as Bucky drops his hands. Steve just steps into the room, stopping when he see their expression. He raises an eyebrow but remains silent.

"I'll go see him." Ana states, trying to will down the flush of her cheeks.

She hurries out of the room, not glancing back at Bucky, and avoiding Steve's gaze.

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