Lines In The Sand (Avengers Vision Romance)

Part 2

For the next week and a half I mostly kept myself confined to my spacious apartment room at the Stark tower. I hadn't been outside the tower since the mission in Africa. The guilt was so overbearing I couldn't hardly move the first few days i had gotten back. I understood that sometimes there would be collateral damage and unneeded casualties. But this time it felt like all the people who died in the building were my fault. Many more people would have died had I not tried to contain that bomb.

Although if I had just held out a little longer. Maybe none of those innocent people wouldn't have died.

Thoughts similar to these swarmed through my head every hour of the day. Several Avengers including Natasha, Tony, Sam, Steve, and Vision had tried talking to me. Vision was most likely the most persistent however I felt like this guilt was something I needed to overcome by myself.

I sat on my large queen bed sitting with my legs crossed over each other. I solemnly watched News Broadcast that still continued to show the mission in Lagos. While some of the reviews tried to focus upon the fact that a catastrophe had been avoided many just pinned it all on the Avengers. My name was mentioned very often as the cause for all of the deaths.

"11 Wakandans were among the 42 killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria, last month. The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission in Lagos when the attack occurred" A reported explained on a national broadcast and then switch to a interview with none other than the Wakandan King himself.

"Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil. Not only the cause of the actions are criminals, but by the indifference of those pledge to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent, is no victory at all" The Wakandan King claimed. His name I think was T'Chalka.

The screen then switched to the same reporter now with another man sitting across from her. " Honestly what legal authority did this Ferris Maguire lady even have to operate in Nigeria?" The second reporter began but suddenly the screen went black.

I turned to see Steve standing in the doorway. A faraway look in his eyes. " You shouldn't be watching that stuff" Steve stated looking directly into my eyes.

"It's my fault" I replied softly, my voice a little hoarse from lack of using it.

"That's not true" Steve replied stepping in the room and walking towards me. I swallowed before looking down at my hands. " Turn the TV back on. The reporters are being very specific about who did it" I stated not looking him in the eye.

Steve sighed "I should've grabbed that bomb as I'm the leader to deal with it. Rumlow said 'Bucky' and... All of a sudden, I was a 16 year old kid again in Brooklyn. People died" Steve said remorsefully. I rose a brow slightly, I hadn't even stopped to really think of how the deaths in Lagos had affected him.

"It's on me" I said continuing to refrain from looking him in the eye.

" It's on both of us. This job... We try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn't mean everybody, but, we can't find a way to live with that, Next time... maybe nobody can be saved" Steve explained softly. His words were a little comforting but the guilt that I felt wouldn't just disappear overnight.

Suddenly Vision phased in my room as he typically did. He must have had a thing against doors. " Vis? We talked about this" I said with just the faintest of smiles. I had lectured him numerous times upon using the door and knocking. There was a reason why too. He had accidently phased into my room just as I got out of the shower a couple months ago and let's just say Vision was redder for weeks.

" Yes. But the door was opened so I assumed... Captain Rogers wished to know when Mr. Stark was arriving" Vision clarified his eyes noticing the small bit of space between Steve and I. Steve nodded " Thanks, I will be right down" Steve replied.

" I'll er use the door" Vision said walking to the doorway and went to grab the door Handle. " Oh yes and Mr.Stark also brought a guest" Vision added looking back at us.

"You know who it is?" Steve asked curiously standing up.

" The Secretary of State" Vision replied nonchalantly.

My eyebrows nearly shot off my head. The Secretary of the United States was in the Stark building?! I look absently down at the pajamas that consisted of a grey Pink Floyd shirt and black leggings I had been wearing for the past two days.

" I think I am going to have to Change my clothes in that case"