I want. Touch starved Bruno! I need this man dying over getting a HUG.
I definitely had fun with this one. I hope it's good!
The soft light of the living room cascades over the team after a long mission, Lukas picking a playlist for the music blasting on the speaker. It wasn’t an easy mission by any means, so the younger members wanted to celebrate by having a house warming party at Bruno’s new apartment, much to his dismay. He struggles on a daily basis with his chest pain from the accident months prior, and he wanted some space, but he can’t just quit the team; they need a leader, and he’s the best one for the job. That being said, he is just fine leaning against the wall, sipping away at some lukewarm whiskey in a glass he’s pretty sure wasn’t cleaned properly. Oh well.
He shuts his eyes and tilts his head back, taking a deep breath to ground himself so he doesn’t make a mess of everything. When he finally returns to the present, he opens his eyes to see his team jamming out and dancing their hearts out to the music, bodies swaying to the tempo and laughing. Kieran and Khrystyna are spinning around like there is no one else in their universe, Lukas and Sebastian are competing to see who is the best twerker, which he has no idea how to judge so he calls it a tie in his head. Oscar is happily bouncing around, random dance moves working the hacker through a spell almost. Valdemar takes Chevy and Reaper along to grab more drinks, passing them around to the group. All that’s left is-
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Captain America?” Miranda’s voice rings out, Bruno’s train of thought shattering.
He blinks down at her for a moment, swirling the whiskey in his glass a little. “Oh, me? I uh… just watching you all have fun.” He forces a small smile, though he can feel his ears grow hot, and he is sure he’s blushing hard from the face Miranda makes. “I’ve never been good at parties, Miranda. You know this. Too close to… touch…” He trails off and without missing a beat, he downs the whole glass without thinking, groaning from the burning liquid.
Miranda, surprisingly, reaches out to hold his hand, but he flinches, his gaze on the party. “Oh, Bruno. Is that why you moved out? You were scared?”
“Scared?” Bruno asks, but it wasn’t for her; it was a question for himself. “No, not scared. More so sad.” When her eyebrow quirks up, begging for more information, he sighs and beckons to the group. “Look at them. They get to hold onto each other, feel close, and have fun. I can’t do it, Miranda. I can’t. I’m defective. I hate when people touch me, but I want the touch. Do you know how much it kills me not to get hugged by Khrystyna or Lukas? Do…” He fights the tears building up in his eyes, his hand going up to his chest. “It’s like I lost the one thing that connects me to humans. I’m lost.”
That worries Miranda, and she makes sure to stand in front of Bruno so the man can look right at her. “You were hurt. Hurt beyond normal. But the thing about wounds is that they heal. You can heal, but you need to take the step to overcome it.” She holds out her hand, a warm smile on her face. “Dance with me?”
There’s a long pause of silence between them, the music no longer audible in his ears. This would be the first time he’s even touched someone since becoming disfigured. He simply whispers, “Just don’t put your hands on my chest…” He takes her hand, and an electric sensation crawls up his spine, turning into something soothing. He feels his heart pound as he makes the move to hug Miranda, crying softly into her. “Thank you.”
Her hand rubs circles along his back and she laughs gently, “Too easy, Bruno. Now let’s see how graceful you are on the dance floor.”
