This is the Sound of War

I Glow Pink In The Night In My Room, I've Been Blossoming Alone Over You

Alex has nightmares every day for the next week.

Bucky tries to involve himself by sleeping on the floor next to Alex's bed, he says it helps him when Sam does it.

Bucky himself has a few nightmares, and they both wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes waking each other up with their screams.

It's a Monday morning and Alex is sitting in Tony's workshop, planning out a new knife design. Dr. Banner and Dr. Strange appear on the other side of the glass suddenly. Levi, Strange's cloak opens the door for the two of them. Alex looks up when he hears their shoes on the ground, waving when they smile at him from across the room. As they approach him, Tony comes out from the other door, the one that leads into him and Pepper's apartment, having just woke up. He yawns, ruffling his hair. Alex feels ridiculously endeared. He loves Mr. Stark.

Tony walks right past him, seeming to not see him. Alex stifles a laugh, and lets out a rough cough instead. Mr. Stark whips around, hand on his heart and his eyes wide, startled.

He sees Alex sitting at his workbench and takes a deep breath, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like "I hate my children."

Stephen clears his throat and Tony jumps again, turning to face him and Bruce.

"Jesus, why does everyone insist on scaring me at 7 in the morning? Serious question," Tony says, grumbling and making coffee.

Alex grins innocently, and Stephen's lips quirk up.

"We have an announcement, Alex," the two doctors say together, and worry twists in Alex's gut.

"We can do your top surgery, Mr. Evergreen," Bruce tells him, smiling slightly.

"If it's something you would like to have done, that is," Strange adds, and Levi nods his collar.

Alex's jaw is agape, the realization hitting him all at once.

Tony grins and hugs him, squeezing him like a proper dad.

Alex can't stop smiling and nodding vigorously for the next 5 minutes, until he hears a small voice in his head.

"You are Alice, a girl. Alex Evergreen does not exist," it whispers to him, and his stomach drops.

The blood drains from his face as he contemplates it, his mind split in two. He leaves the three men, needing air, waving half heartedly at Tony, who watches him leave with worry painting his face.

Making his way to the elevator, staggering a bit on unsteady feet, he goes to see Vision.

They talk about the human brain, and Vis helps him understand that the voice in his mind is the result of someone else's thinking being forced upon him.

It makes him feel better.

Alex tells Peter immediately after he leaves Vision's room, and the spider-boy is beyond ecstatic. They argue for an hour about whether or not they should throw a party, Alex obviously voting no, Peter obviously voting yes, and unfortunately, he ends up winning.

Stupid Peter and his stupidly pretty smile.

Bucky kisses him on the forehead just before the party starts, smiling at him all brotherly like, almost crying.

"Do not cry, you old man, or I'm going to start crying too, and nobody wants to see that," Alex says, swatting Bucky on the shoulder. If his eyes are watering slightly, no one has to know.

Alex figures it's finally time to start the party. He reluctantly turns to the wall next to him and asks FRIDAY to let everyone up.

When they all arrive, he stands next to Bucky and gets their attention. As his heart pounds in his chest, he looks out at the people before him. He trusts so few of them with this information, but he somehow feels it's important for them to know. How does that work? He shakes his head, trying to clear his mind.