➖CHAPTER SIX

➖KATHERINE HAD A GREAT FIRST WEEK at her school, she grew to be rather fond of Zander and Logan and didn't mind most of her classes or teachers.

Things around the tower had grown comfortable over the course of a few weeks, Natasha and Clint were like her over bearing and concerned parents and Tony was like that stupid older brother that she loved to tick off. Thor came and went, as well as Steve and Sam. And Bucky would occasionally grunt at her when she would pass by him in the training room or hallway. She called it progress.

It wouldn't be until very late at night when they spoke their first ever words to each other. Katherine was in the gym, working out as she normally would to tire herself out.

She was generally the only person awake in this floor at the time of night and enjoyed the peace and quiet she got to herself. She was working with a punching bag, a pair of wraps around her hands as she threw punches.

She would grunt occasionally as the bag kept moving away from her, since there was nobody to hold it for her. Blowing a strand of brown hair out of her eyes everytime she had to stop and and steady it again.

Katherine was unaware of the large man that stood in the doorway to the training room just watching her with narrowed eyes. He did that a lot, watch her. There was just something about her that he found himself being pulled to adult scared him. He wasn't used to that sort of feeling.

He found her to be quite odd in numerous ways, and very beautiful. He thought it was funny that she didn't know what most things were and that she would get mad at herself and mutter awkwardly under her breath when she didn't know what something or was.

And he thought it was funny that she was slowly becoming agitated at the punching bag that kept getting away from her. "Need some help?" He asks against his better judgement as he steps farther into the room.

Katherine let out a small squeak as the man spoke, not being familiar with his voice she turned around and extended her arm, letting it stretch out as her hand curled into a tight fist.

It happened so fast that he almost didn't catch her fist, he raised his metal arm just in time to catch it, wrapping his cold fingers around the fist. He raised an eyebrow at her as her face began to flush a crimson color. "Easy there stretch.." He dropped her hand and watched as it shrunk back to her normal arm.

"..you shouldn't sneak up on people.." She didn't know what else to say to the man that never spoke to her and turned back to face the bag, giving it a jab.

Seconds later Bucky was behind the sand filled bag, holding it steady for her. "Thanks.." She says, throwing another jab at full force.

Bucky grunted quietly as she continued to hit the bag at full force, causing him to be pushed back slightly. She was stronger than she looked.

After a few hours of Katherine hitting the bag and Bucky just watching her with his eyes, drinking her in, she decided to quit. Her breathing was a little rough and he could tell her knuckles were bleeding from the dark stains seeping through the blue wraps.

"Thanks for holding the bag.." She says again, starting to undo the wrap on her left hand. "It was getting away from me.."

"You're strong." Bucky says, eyeing her. You wouldn't think she was strong enough to push him and the bag back at first glance. She was skinny, frail looking. She looked as if you would break her with just one feather light trust. "But you don't look like it."

Katherine stared blankly at him for a moment, trying to figure him out. "I'm going to take that as a compliment and go to bed, I have school." She says, unwrapping her other hand. Bucky just watched her, saying nothing.

He just stared, his eyes following her every move, even the way her hair moved in the loose bun she had her long, thick hair tied into. Something about it was mesmerizing to him and he found himself wanting to reach out and touch it. He refrained of course, and simply just watched as she made her way out of the gym.

He watched her backside as she went, he wasn't stupid she was an attractive girl and he thought she looked amazing in the tight pants and worn out bra that women in this day in age wore. But when she slowed down halfway to the door he made sure to quickly look away, a small blush on his face as if he had been caught.

"...Bucky?" Her voice was small, nervous sounding and he looked up at her. How could she go from hard and cold to nervous and shy so fast? "..um.. I didn't want to ask the others because is probably a stupid question.. but.." She seemed to be struggling to get the words out of and he could see her face turning red. "Whats.. what's a Starbucks?"

Bucky stared for a moment, trying to decide if she was serious or not. He decided that she was, considering the way she asked. "Why?" He suddenly wanted to be nosey.

She fidgeted for a moment, trying to decide how to word it. "Well, this boy, Zander- he's actually my friend- wants me to meet him there before school and um.. I don't know what it is.." She gets out, fidgeting with the waistband of her pants.

Bucky just stared for a moment, unsure of what to say really, feeling as if she had just confessed that she was going on a date. "It's a coffee shop.." He says, with a small smile before she nods her head in understanding and walks off, going out the door. He stared after where she had exited for several minuets before he began his own work out.

➖AT PRECISELY SEVEN-THIRTY IN THE MORNING Katherine Nicole sat across from an agitated looking Happy, tapping her purple colored nails on the small table as she took a sip of the drink she had ordered. It was hazelnut flavored with lots of caramel.

The coffee shop was small but busy, mostly filled with students trying to get coffee before school and she found that she rather liked the atmosphere and found comfort in the smell of coffee and the busy hum of people talking.

She'd been waiting for twenty minuets, and was beginning to grow more nervous as the time wore on. She was about to tell Happy that maybe they should go when the chair next to hers pulled out and a body plopped down.

"Sorry I'm late." Zander says, setting his own drink down. She hadn't seen him come into the shop or order his drink. "My sister kept me busy this morning."

"Can we go now?" Happy asks, standing impatiently from the table. He grabbed Katherine's bag and ushered the two teens out before they could say anything.

Katherine sat in the backseat with Zander, talking about an upcoming project in biology and homecoming in just a few short weeks. "What's it like?" She asks, having never been to a homecoming before. She's read about it in her books of course, but wanted to know what they were really like. "We didn't have dances at boarding school, they were kind of all full on education and no fun.." She adds quickly after catching Happy's look in the mirror.

Zander furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, but answered none the less. "Well, it's kind of like prom, but not as formal. Like you could wear jeans and a nice top if you wanted to," He says. "But most girls wear dresses.. and there's always a lot of people.. and bad, bad dancing- and someone usually spikes the punch bowl about halfway through when the teachers stop caring!" He starts to laugh a little.

Katherine can't help the smile and blush in her face as she watches him, enjoying the way his face lights ups as he laughs. She always got like that around him, blushed and smiley and made her feel all giddy inside, the feeling she got when she was around him.

After convincing Happy that it wasn't necessary for him to walk the pair onto campus, the two walked side by side into the school and towards Katherine's locker, talking about various different things, mostly sports. She tried to keep the conversation on him, afraid that he would ask her a question that she couldn't answer. They were just rounding the corner to the hallway that housed her locker when one of his football buddies hollered for him and he left her.

Katherine walked down the hallway with a smile on her face, looking for Logan. As she came within feet of her locker a body stepped in front of her, a girl who stood a good five inches taller than her in heels with thick black hair and a familiar pair of brown eyes- it didn't take Katherine long to figure out who she was. Two more girls stood behind her, blonde and clearly related.

"Kat, is it?" Zander's sister asks, a prissy air about her and a haughty tone to her voice. It was clear to Katherine that she was trying to let her know who was in charge. The girl managed a meek nod, not wanting to get defensive. "Stay away from my brother."

Katherine looked at her, very confused. "I'm sorry?" She says, her pride glaring up. Katherine Nicole did not take well to being told what to do by people who weren't her superiors.

"Stay away from Zander." The girl says again, slower, as if Katherine were slow. "He's got a lot riding this year and can't afford distractions in the form of.. little girls who belong elsewhere." It was clear that Zander's sister didn't like her, and that was okay because Katherine didn't really like her either. "Just do the school a favor and stick to the teachers kid- and if you don't, I'll make your school life a living hell."

Katherine narrowed her eyes and stood straight, looking up at the teen in front of her. She didn't want to pull this card, but assumed it was the right thing to do in this position. "You do know who my father is, right?" She asks, glaring.

The girl scoffed. "I highly doubt you're Tony Stark's daughter." She says. "And even so, I don't care. My dAd is one of the most powerful men in New York, he'll crush you like a big of you try to pull shit on me. You'd do well to do as I say, Phony Stark."

With a hair flip and a sharp turn on her heel the teen was gone, leaving Katherine to stare after her, a pit of rage beginning to burn inside of her.

"What was that about?" Logan asks, coming up behind Katherine with her camera raised for a picture. "Did she threaten you, Kat?"

Katherine looked to her. "She did it to you to?" The girl nodded. "Are You going to do it?" She asks, getting things out of her locker.

"Are you?" Logan asks, giving the teen a knowing look. They may have only been friends for a short time but the two already knew each other inside and out.

"No."

➖AT THE END OF THE DAY KATHERINE walked out of the school building alone, clutching her bag. Zander had practice that day and Logan had to be there to take photos for year book.

Happy was waiting for her by the flagpole, as usual and took her bag as she came near. "How was your day?"

She walks silently for a moment, staring at Zander's sister, Selena she came to find out, as they passed the group. "Fine." She answers quietly, looking up as the cross the small drive wag area and walk into the parking lot.

The car was parked right infront, as usual. Happy opened the door for her, and before getting in she looked over her shoulder once more and caught the eye of Selena, who flared at her.

"Do you know that girl?" Happy asks, watching the silent exchange between the pair. He could feel their tension.

"You could say that." Katherine says, still staring even after Selena turned to talk to her girls.

"Is there a problem, with you and that girl?" He asks, being nosey.

Katherine purses her lips before ducking into the BMW. "None at all, Happy." She says, giving him a smile as he closed the door and she buckled.

Later that night Clint was standing in the door way to the kitchen, where Katherine sat at the island in the middle of the room on a bar stool, doing her homework. She had been silent since she came home, which was odd because she was usually full of questions and loved talking about her day.

He was concerned to say the least, call it the dad in him rearing up but he had a feeling that something had happened that day, something he should be concerned about.

He'd been pacing back and forth in front of the door for twenty minuets, trying to think of how to approach the teenager. This wasn't something he'd had to deal with yet at his real home, in his real life.

Finally he just kicked himself in the balls and manned up, stepping into the room with his chest puffed out and his best 'dad' face on. "Katherine Nicole."

The girl turned to look at him, a pencil hanging from her mouth by the eraser. He cringed a little bit pulled a bar stool out and sat next to her.

"What happened at school today?" The man asks, looking the teen straight in the eye. She scooted away some, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"Nothing." She says, turning back to her homework with a forced smile. She and Logan had been texting back and forth, coming up with a scheme of their own to retaliate against Selena if she started pulling shit on them. 

"Don't lie to me, Katherine." The man says sternly, capturing her attention once more.

The girl half chuckles. "Damn, Barton." She says. "If you must know, the o my thing that happened at school today was frog guts and study hall." Their had been a huge fight between two boys at Study hall that day, and it was the most eventful thing to happen besides dissecting a frog in biology for the sake of their grades.

The man stares at her, eyes narrowed. He knew she was lying, but decided not to press it and left, patting her on the shoulder and correcting a math problem before he did.

He would get to the bottom of it, even if it meant doing something stupid. He had a bad feeling and he didn't want Katherine to get hurt.

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