Codependent

Extra chapter - Avengers pov

They were all waiting for Fury to arrive with his 'guest' sitting in the living room, but they were all bored and staring into nothingness as the minutes passed. They felt like they were retired for over two years when it's only been a few months. Drinks have been poured and small-talk was going on until the doors opened and Fury walked in making them all look in his direction.

Behind his long leather coat was someone else hiding, Celene... All their adrenaline spikes went up and they went over the roof when Steve followed. Without thinking they rushed towards them flabbergasted to be seeing them.

Steve was smiling but Nat saw he looked different. He was wearing probably borrowed clothes and he had lost a lot of weight, his face was bruised and there were scars on multiple places. She didn't say anything yet but their eyes met and they embraced each other feeling the miss.

Steve looked around and saw Tony was holding Celene, but she was looking panicked not hugging him back so he took his shoulder and pulled her off of her, Tony looked back annoyed until it was Steve and he smiled. Looking back his expression fell again, looking at a whole other Celene in front of him.

Tony was still close to her but she took a step back making him shocked and look hurt. She seemed smaller than he remembered, but maybe it was the attitude...

She was wearing weird band clothes and a vest concealing the scars that were already seen on her fidgeting hands but her wrists were wrapped in bandages. Everywhere were scars, her face wasn't spared any less. But her expression was what shocked them and stabbed their hearts multiple times.

She looked so terrified and shaken, looking at all of them as if they never met before. Tony felt so bad for hugging her but he wanted to comfort her, just like Bruce who was almost stepping forward to reassure her with his words but every movement made her back up even more.

Tony didn't even hear what was being said by people until Steve laid a hand on his shoulder softly before walking away with Celene, shortly after Natasha followed with a blank sadness on her face disappearing out of his sight.

He could replay the whole thing in his head and one thing stuck out to him; Steve being so protective of Celene. He was like that with her in the beginning, but not like this since then, as if they went back to the past. The way he knew she didn't want to be hugged, or that she wanted to go away...

Bruce was looking so confused feeling a lot of worries, he only saw Celene a few days in over a year and she didn't seem like the same Celene he spent weeks in a row with. He walked towards Tony and laid a hand on his shoulder as Steve did before making him turn around.

"She'll come back," Bruce said softly and Tony smiled sadly but without answering he went to the kitchen and poured another drink for himself making Wanda sigh.

"I can't believe it, they're truly back," Clint said dropping back on the couch in disbelief. Tony looked at him and shrugged it off but Clint knew he was going to blame himself for every little thing.

"It's a good thing, right?" Wanda asked hopefully but unsure of what she could do now. "They seemed... like they weren't themselves," Vision said placing his hand on Wanda's waist softly knowing she cared about them.

"We don't know anything," Clint said letting his head fall down on the couch. "We'll have to wait," Tony said and he looked at Fury who was just looking at them, he gave them space and Tony could appreciate that.

Natasha came back into the room letting out a sigh making everyone look at her waiting patiently.

"Steve's coming to explain once she's calmed down," she said and they nodded feeling a little relief. "What did you think? did she say anything?" Bruce asked carefully but curious. Natasha sat down on one of the chairs nodding no.