Hello there!

Ok, I'm going to be honest-I am totally 100% NOT giving up on this fic, but I may have a (much) heavier workload this school year and beyond and considering my sluggish laziness and addiction to Tumblr, I want to seriously apologize in advance for the gaps between chapters. And now, Chapter 9.

"Steve, how many times did you see Snow White and the Seven Dwarves?"

Steve grinned, seated in his usual chair.

"I think it was about…I don't know, 5 times. Bucky gave me hell for it."

Ella smiled smugly.

"I knew it! Art student, top notch animation of the time, you and that movie were made for each other..."

She opened her laptop and booted it up, waggling her eyebrows at Steve.

"Until now."

What did that mean? Was she implying…no…but of course. A form of rather…unmanly excitement suddenly ran through Steve's veins.

Disney made more films?" He asked, as calmly as he could. He wouldn't admit it, but the first time he saw Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, he could hardly keep from wriggling with delight. Buck had rolled his eyes.

"It's just a movie," He had said, "You've seen cartoons before, no need to get all hot and bothered," He had smirked suggestively but was ignored.

Steve had shushed him, enamored with the movement, the color: the art of it all. He had gone home and tried to draw Snow and Doc and Happy and Sneezy and Bashful and Dopey and Grumpy and Sleepy because this, this, was the future of film.

And apparently he was right, because Ella pulled a pile of DVD's out of the C.O.R.B.T. at least six inches tall, all movies by Walt Disney- Studios, that is.

"Because, y'know, Walt Disney's…um…dead." Ella informed him, blushing a bit, because she actively tried to avoid the "everyone-is-dead" thing. It tended to not give Steve a good vibe.

But Steve ignored her, going through the pile like a child at Christmas. Cinderella, the Aristocats, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Mulan, The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the frog, Aladdin-Steve wanted to watch all of them: now.

"You think that's great?" Ella chuckled, watching the great Captain America fangirl over Disney movies.

And then, in her childish cruelty-some would call it enthusiasm- she decided to pull a few more things out of her box of wonders.

She pulled out her stack of DreamWorks and Pixar movies and plopped them off the table, adding "Anastasia" to the very top.

Steve's eyes widened hungrily. Oh, this was wonderful. Total sensory overload, of course, but in his glee he ignored it and started rummaging through that pile too. Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Monster's Inc.… Steve was a kid in a candy store.

And then Ella said those terrible words.

"Pick one."

Followed by the less menacing words,

"Too watch today, and you can take the rest home."

Dilemma, dilemma. What to do, what to do…

Steve shuffled through the pile. This one! No that one!

Ella smirked, watching him try to decide. He looked so confused, despite his lit up eyes and dopey smile, that after about, say, five seconds, Ella decided to help the poor guy.

"Might I make a suggestion?"

Steve gave her a grateful look.

Ella reached over and pulled a movie out of the jumbled mess Steve had made.

"The Lion King," She said, "Considered one of the best Disney movies ever made, the music was composed by Elton John, it has a wonderful story, incredible instrumentals, and gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous, animation.

"Sounds good," Steve said, relieved that the choosing was off of his shoulders.

She popped it in and pressed play.

And from the sunrise and the,

NAAAAAAAAA, SEGONYAAAA, BABA KITHI BABA

sitihu…gonyama,

Steve was spellbound.

Ever since the whole Captain America thing started, Steve hadn't had much of a chance to really admire art. It was all, shoot this, kill him, save this, destroy that. For someone who loved creating, he had ended up doing a lot of the opposite. He had missed seeing art up close and personal.

And the story was great. Those people who though Cap was a pure testosterone filled mancake would not have recognized him when Mufasa died.

Sometimes he would look around at Ella, because she was funny during movies. She cried buckets at Mufasa's death, but what was funny was her mouthing the lines, making faces at Scar, and her obvious physical repression of the urge to sing along.

Steve appreciated this about her. They'd watched musicals together a few times, and she always suppressed the urge. It helped Steve focus on the story, yes, but it also made him feel as though he wasn't the only person seeing this movie for the first time.

But, close to the climax of the film, Ella couldn't restrain herself.

"LUAU!

If you're hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat,

Eat my buddy Pumba here because he is a treat

Come on down and dine

On this tasty swine

All you have got to do is get in line.

Are you achin'

For some bacon?

He's a big pig

And you can be a big pig too

OI!"

They both laughed and continued watching, but the incident reminded Steve of why he was glad Ella was his friend. No matter what she did, he felt less alone.

Once the movie was done, Ella sent him home with a boatload of movies.

"Take your time," She said, "Consider it your independent study," She said.

Steve smiled as he clutched the movies, trying not to drop any.

"Any essays?" He asked.

She flashed him a grin.

"Now Steve, would I ever give you homework?"

I am Groot. Seriously though, I, like, connect to Groot on a spiritual level. As always, reviews are always appreciated, otherwise favorite and follow!