The 3rd Experiment

Chapter 27

I close my eyes hard, trying to stop myself from crying once again. Nat gets up from her seat and sits back down next to me, making me flinch

"Steve, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" Tony asks, standing up from his seat. The two of them leave the room, Steve glancing back at me with a sorry look on his face.

Natasha scoots closer to my side and starts to brush my hair out of my face. She touches my shoulder and moves me ever so slightly, so I'm facing the window. Normally, I wouldn't let a stranger move me like this, but I'm far too weak right now to do anything about it.

I feel her brushing my hair, she takes it out of the ponytail and puts the rubber band on the coffee table.

She starts to comb through my hair with her fingers, taking time to undo the knots carefully, so as to not pull on my scalp.

"You've got really nice hair. I'm kind of jealous." She remarks, and I can feel her starting to braid it.

"Natasha, I'm so sorry."

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. I know exactly what you're going through. It's not easy."

"You know, my brother used to braid my hair." I say, fighting to urge to yell and scream and cry over this whole mess.

"Really? I bet he didn't know all of my tricks though."

"He knew enough," I say, letting a small smile slip through my pain as I remember my mom teaching Bucky how to braid.

"Maybe I'll teach you those tricks."

"There's no point. My fingers don't work like that anymore." I stare down at my hands in my lap reminding myself who I've become and hating every part of it.

"We can find a way."

We don't talk much more while she finishes the braid. She puts a black hair tie around the bottom and throws the braid over my shoulder so I can feel it. The braid goes to my rib cage and becomes so small at the end. It hardly looks like a braid at that point.

"Hey," Natasha says, twisting me back to face her, "You're going to get through this."

She smiles at me, and it's not just out of politeness, it's a real smile. Her lips purse together so tight and it calms my nerves to see the sense of pride in her eyes. She pulls on the zippers of the jacket, resting the tops on my collarbone.

Just then, Steve and Tony walk back in and Steve grins at my new hairstyle.

"Okay, so here's the deal," Steve says, sitting down next to me, opposite of Natasha. "I'm gonna take you to my apartment tonight, hopefully give you a change of scenery, and I'll take you back to therapy in the morning."

"You're not afraid I'll switch again?"

"Not at all."

"How am I going to get better?"

"I don't know yet. But you will. I can promise you that. You are going to get better." Tony says, pulling me off the couch and into a hug.

"Do you have anything in your room?" Steve asks me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Just my phone and my old clothes." I say, stepping away from Tony's hug.

Steve leaves the room, presumably to get my stuff so we can leave for his apartment.

Minutes later, he walks back into the room, zipping up a backpack. He hands me the phone and squeezes my shoulder, almost like a quick hug.

We take the elevator to parking on the bottom floor and he walks us up to a motorcycle.

"This is yours?" I ask, putting my phone in the jacket pocket and touching the rubber on the handles.

"I know it's not ideal but I promise I'm a good driver."

"No, this is what you always wanted! You finally got your bike."

"Oh yeah, I guess so," He says, smiling. He throws the backpack on his back and grabs his helmet, putting it on my head.

"You might want to grab the cat." He says, pointing to Alpine.

"Oh, I didn't even realize you followed me out." She meows at me and I grab her before I sit down on the seat behind Steve.

I place her against my stomach and zip the oversized hoodie around her, her head peeking out just a bit.

***

It's only about a ten-minute ride to Steve's apartment where he lives on the second floor, neighbors with a beautiful blonde woman.

"This is a lot different from the apartment you and Sarah lived in." I say, walking in and setting Alpine free to wander.

"Yeah, no kidding. And it's probably three times the price of that one."

"You mean to tell me, New York pricing got even worse?"

"Light years worse."

He walks me to his bedroom where he pulls out one of his shirts and another pair of Stark brand shorts for me.

"If you don't mind, I'll just sleep on the couch." I say.

"Nonsense. I'll take the couch, you get the bed."

"Thank you, Steve. For everything."

"Of course, Raya. You were always there for me, now it's my turn to repay you."

He turns around and opens a drawer in his nightstand and I use it as an opportunity to turn and change my shirt, leaving on the Stark-brand sports bra I took from my rooms closet.

"Woah," I hear Steve whisper from across the room and I turn my head to face him.

He walks up to me and puts his hand on the back of my shoulder. His fingertips are freezing so my initial reaction is to pull away.

"I'm sorry. You just have..."

"What, what is it?"

"You have a branding on your shoulder."

He opens his bathroom door, to reveal a small full-length mirror and I turn so my back is facing the mirror.

Sure enough, there is a star, burned into my shoulder, just over my shoulder blade. I put my fingers there and trace the parts I can reach.

Steve pulls me from the view of the mirror and holds me in a hug. Reaching his arms around my shoulders and resting his chin on the back of my head.