The D in Apartment 23

"I know baby but I think we are the best qualified. We have the house, the family and the experience." Clint spoke down the phone. "I can't really see Tony or Steve taking this on can you? Would you trust them too?" He asked the rhetorical question as Harry rounded the corner jumping when she saw him stood there, not expecting anyone to be hiding in the corridor. "So it's settled, we'll see you soon." He smiled as Harry raised her hand by way of apology, turning to leave quickly. Clint quickly disconnected from his phone call and jogged to catch up to her. "Harry wait up!" He shouted as she stopped turning to look at him.
"I'm sorry, I was looking for a quiet place to make a phone call I didn't expect anyone to be down here." She blushed looking down at the floor.
"It's okay, neither did I." He laughed causing her to offer him a small smile. "Everyone in the television room?" He asked, Harry nodding. "Good, makes it easier to tell everyone come on." He motioned for her to follow him which she quickly did. "So I took that phone call and I've found someone who can look after Amelia." Clint looked around at them all, Bucky was currently holding the sleeping baby who had a smile on her face.
"Who?" Steve asked sceptically, looking round at the group noticing Natasha with a similar smile to the baby.
"Me." Clint simply stated. "Laura thinks it would be a great idea; we are the ones with the most experience, Amelia will still be close so we can keep monitoring her and her progress, and, I've been thinking about retiring for a while now anyway so this has come at the perfect time." Clint presented his points clearly as the room fell silent.
"And you are sure Laura's okay with this?" Tony surprised everyone by talking about first.
"Laura's been wanting another baby for months now." Natasha chipped in walking over to her best friend with a smile. "I think it's the best idea you've ever had." She laughed looking round at everyone else who just seemingly nodded.

It had been a few hours since everyone had decided Clint was right, he was the best qualified to look after Amelia, and Harry was down in the lab packing up the few bits she had brought with her. "You sure we can't tempt you to join the team? We still need a medical doctor." Bruce smiled over at her as she laughed.
"As much as I think you'd keep me in a job I have my life back at Central." She smiled politely, the door swinging open catching her attention as Bucky and Steve walked in. The blush quickly crept up on to her cheeks as she noticed the Winter Soldier in a tight black top and sweatpants.
"At least let one of us make sure you get home safe." Bruce offered.
"I'm going that way." Bucky spoke up smiling. "After all I do live in the same apartment block." His smile turned cheeky, causing Harry to blush more.
"That would be very kind of you, thank you neighbour." She laughed. "Thanks again for you help and for letting me use your lab." She gave Bruce a one armed hug, her other arm holding her bag which Bucky took from her.
"Take care Doc. Don't be a stranger." Steve was next as she smiled, him to receiving a hug from her as Bucky held the door open for her. She made sure to say bye to everyone else, promising Natasha and Wanda that they could come round for girls night one night.
"Thanks for doing this." She smiled up at Clint as she gave Amelia a soft kiss on her head.
"It's okay honestly." He smiled. "We'll visit often." He offered as she nodded following Bucky down to the garage.
"Hope you don't mind, but, this is how we are getting home." He laughed as her eyes widened at the motorbike he was pointing to.
"If you kill me I will haunt you forever." She tried to keep a straight face but falling when he laughed. He handed her the helmet with a quick 'safety first' and a wink as she shook her head.
"Okay hold on to me here." He positioned her arms to where was best once they were both straddling the motor.
"You just wanted me to touch you." She laughed as he started the engine causing her to grip on that little bit more tighter.

They made it back to the apartment block that Bucky had hardly stepped foot in since he left Harry's life, with minimum screaming from the passenger. "You okay?" He laughed as he helped her off the bike as she nodded taking a deep breath.
"I'll stick to cars I think." She laughed attempting to grab the bag off him which he pulled away from her reach.
"This is weird, I've not been here to stay since... yeah." He smiled nervously as she nudged him, offering him a soft smile to tell him it's okay. They made their way inside and up the cold concrete stairwells, Bucky briefly pausing staring at the spot where he stopped the two would-be attackers.
"Something wrong?" She asked as he just looked at her shaking his head with a smile. "Have you got many more trips planned?" She asked him as he chuckled at her rephrase of mission.
"No clean planner, just going to be bored I think." He laughed. "Unless I get a better offer that is." He winked causing her to blush. They paused before opening the fire door that was at the end of their corridor, just looking at each other; each desperately trying to say something but not finding the right words to. Harry knew that she didn't want him to just walk back out of her life again, and some may say she was being far too forgiving for his betrayal but she didn't care; she understood his motives and to some extent agreed with them. She cared about him and whether or not she would be left with a Bucky shaped hole in her life again. Bucky desperately thinking about how he could tell her that he needed her, he needed her more than she knew and more than he knew; he was terrified she would tell him to leave. He added his sin against her to his tally of mistakes and crimes and he was sure this one would be the hardest for himself to forgive. This wasn't the Winter Soldiers mistake, this was his.
"Harry I -" Bucky was the first to speak up stopping when she shook her head.
"Bucky I don't want you to leave again. I want you in my life. I love you, whether you're there as a friend or more I don't care I just want you in there. I want to worry about you when you go on missions, I want to learn about your hazy past and your story. I want you to know my story." She blushed at how cliche and cheesy she sounded, but, she didn't care she meant every word to him. Holding her breathe she chewed the inside of her cheek scared he was going to reject her or leave again. Bucky bent slightly pulling her to him and setting his lips on hers, his way of saying he felt the same, Harry quickly relaxed wrapping her arms around his neck missing the feeling of intimacy they had both just got used to before he left. He wrapped his metal arm under her bum helping her to jump up at wrap her legs around his waist as he effortlessly carried them and her bag down the hall towards flat 23, never breaking their kiss until she slid down him to fight with her lock; the key not wanting to fit in. Once the lock clicked back she shoved the door open pulling him in and too her instantly connecting again, with a quick kick of his foot the door was closed and Harry was soon pinned against it.

Notes