Note: This is best read directly after reading Chapter 51 or at least its last few paragraphs, so a refresher might be in order.
"Ma'am!" Steve said.
He squeezed past behind Estrella and hurried into his room. Estrella enjoyed the sight of his towel-clad rump, and then his bedroom door slammed hard enough to rattle the wall. Lucy chuckled. Bucky smiled at how easy it was for someone who knew Steve to tease him.
While Steve dressed, Estrella watched how the brother and sister stared each at the other like they didn't quite believe the other one was really there. Lucy looked to Bucky and her eyes continually watered up. Buck went through moments of contemplation and smiling that made him look happy, but uneasy. His flesh hand held hers. It was odd to think that the strong, young hand holding the thin, bony wrinkled one was actually the older of the two.
Steve came out of his bedroom almost as quickly as he'd gone in. It hadn't taken him much time to pull on a t-shirt and sweatpants. He went straight to Estrella where she sat in his chair. He bent to kiss her cheek, but then he turned to go and squat down next to the old lady.
"Lucy? Gosh, it's great to see you!" Steve exclaimed.
The lady reached her free hand to touch Steve's cheek so that she had Bucky at one hand and Steve at the other. More tears accumulated in her eyes until they spilled over and ran down her face, but she didn't take her hands away to wipe them.
"I would think this was a dream, except I wouldn't dream you like this, Steven. I'm not sure I like this muscle-bound oaf look of yours. I liked you better before. Tell me that you still take the time for your drawings," Lucy said hopefully.
She let her hand drop to his shoulder, where she patted his muscles and frowned. Then, she lifted her hand to wipe her face dry yet again.
"I'm still me, only better. I can breathe now, Lu. The things I draw are more accurate because my eyes are better. Don't let the muscles fool you. My mind is sharper. I think faster," Steve assured her.
"Lord help us, then. You were trouble enough as you were," Lucy said with a fond smile.
She continued to look at Steve critically. She reached for one of his hands and he gave it to her to examine.
"Your poor hands. They used to be so elegant," Lucy said sadly.
"They are different, aren't they? Let me show you something," Steve said.
Estrella was fascinated with the changes Lucille was describing in Steve. He used to have elegant hands? It wasn't difficult to believe he could be a trouble maker. Steve hurried into his closet and he came back with sketchpads. He handed one to Bucky and flipped open one that looked old and yellowed.
"They were keeping this one at the Smithsonian. See, that's the old neighborhood, and the bell tower, and the Donovan sisters. Here, look," Steve said.
He settled the old sketchpad on Lucy's ample lap, then he took the newer pad from Bucky and opened it for Lucy to see. Estrella got up to stand behind Lucy so she could see what Steve was showing.
"Oh! These are better. I thought your work was the bee's knees before. Steven, you need to do something with this talent, young man!" Lucille said archly.
Her frail hands turned pages in one sketch pad, then the other. Estrella could easily see how Steve's old work was beautiful and evocative, but it lacked a detail and almost realistic clarity that his newer work had.
"Who are you calling 'young man'?" Steve teased.
Steve looked pleased that Lucy could see the difference in his work. She began to turn the next page and Steve's eyes widened with alarm. Before he snatched the sketch pad away Estrella caught a glimpse of the curvy form of a nude, reclining female. From the angle of the page, she was certain that Lucille had not seen it.
Lucy was happy that Steve hadn't stopped drawing. Estrella turned curious eyes to Steve. She wanted to see what he'd hidden from Lucy. Steve hurried his sketches back into his closet. Maybe she could see them later.
Steve didn't want to bother Buck and Lucy while they got reacquainted, so he came to his chair and sat. Estrella joined him. He pulled her across his lap and she settled happily against him, turned sideways. His left hand held one of her feet and fiddled with her bare toes.
"Was everything okay at work?" Estrella asked him quietly.
She didn't try to suppress a wiggle of contentment as the warmth of him soaked through her clothes all along her side and her bottom. Steve smiled at her from only a few inches away. She couldn't help but to return the expression. It was wonderful to have him home safely.
"Problem solved. I'd rather not talk about it," he said, and his smile faded a little.
His eyes were momentarily troubled, so she gave him a lingering kiss at his temple.
"Mmm. That's what I need. Did you order anything to eat?" Steve said.
"How do I order something for here? Is there a list of places that we choose from?" Estrella wondered.
"Jarvis, would you please put our regular take-out list into Miss Estrella's contacts?" Steve requested.
"Certainly, Captain," Jarvis said.
"Is that boy everywhere?" Lucy asked while she stared at the ceiling.
"He's everywhere in the tower. He works for Mister Stark. If you need help while you're here, say his name and he'll hear you," Steve told Lucy.
"I don't think I'd like someone listening all the time," Lucy said.
She stared at the ceiling with a shrewd eye as if she was looking for where Jarvis was.
"He only listens when he hears his name," Bucky told her.
Lucy made a huff that sounded skeptical.
Steve showed Estrella how to place an order for food.
It seemed rude to intrude on Bucky and Lucy's quiet conversation, so they focused on each other. Estrella liked how Steve's fingertips rubbed lightly up and down her spine. She used both hands to turn his face to hers, then she scratched under his jaw as she knew he liked it. He leaned his forehead against hers and groaned softly. Their eyes slid shut, but they didn't need to see. The feelings of contentment were more than enough to pay attention to.
Steve liked her hands on him, but there was something else. Something about her smelled nice. He shifted his face into her hair beside her neck. He parted his lips and drew in a slow breath. She was wonderful and he couldn't get close enough to her. As it had been for him since he first met her, she was able to distract him from all his concerns. That felt really good after coming home from a mission where they hadn't been able to save everyone. His hand moved from massaging her foot. For a moment he held her ankle, then his hand started a slow slide up her shin. He couldn't figure out what scent he smelled. It was subtle and nothing like the harsh chemical fragrance of perfume or soap. He wanted more of it. Maybe she would taste good, too. He opened his lips to try his tongue on the warm skin of her neck.
"Hey, show some respect in front of the lady!" Buck fussed and threw a couch pillow at them.
Steve was so into Estrella that he didn't notice the pillow in time to block it. The stiff cushion clobbered Steve in the head, narrowly missing Estrella's face. His hand snapped up to catch the pillow, and he tossed it back to the couch where Buck had snatched it from.
"I'm sorry, Lucy," Steve murmured.
Estrella turned her face against Steve to hide her embarrassment. Neither one of them had meant to act so affectionate in front of Lucy. Steve had been relaxed when she'd first sat down with him, but of course he was aroused now. Estrella shifted to take the pressure off of her hip.
An unmistakable ripping sound came from the vicinity of her bottom.
"Oh!" Estrella exclaimed.
She hopped up from Steve's lap and turned her back side away from Bucky and Lucy. Her hand felt of her jeans. There was a rip in the tough denim going down her bottom right alongside one of her back pockets. She looked to Steve, her eyes wide.
"I guess we'll have to go back to Texas for some shopping. Wait til I tell Colin you've outgrown your britches again," Steve teased her.
"We can shop, but Colin doesn't need to hear about my pants," Estrella hissed at him.
She grabbed his hand and Steve got up to cover Estrella's backside for modesty's sake. He followed her to the door so she could hurry across to Natasha's place and change into different pants.
Before she could open the door, Steve checked the angle of view from the hallway to the couch. When he determined that Lucy couldn't see them, he shifted Estrella against the wall and carefully pressed against her.
"You make me feel so good," he murmured at her ear, and then they were kissing.
The kiss was particularly nice. Estrella's fingers clasped his scalp and rubbed through his short hair while he held her hips in his hands. Steve moved to part her knees with his, but there was a knock at the door.
Steve made a disappointed sound as he pulled away from his girl. Estrella pouted at him and moved to answer the door.
Steve took the bags of food from the courier who was not Billy this time. He made small talk to the slightly dazzled new hire while Estrella hurried past the young guy and to the elevator. Once her exposed bottom was safely to Nat's place across the way, Steve thanked the courier and brought the food in to his kitchen.
Bucky helped his sister up from the couch and got her cane for her while Steve took plates and glasses from the cabinets. Estrella came back in one of her long skirts in time to pour drinks for them.
As soon as Lucy had her plate served, Steve realized that they had nowhere appropriate for her to sit and eat. The bar stools were too high for her to sit on and the new table hadn't been delivered yet. Even if it had been delivered, it would also be too high for Lucy to use.
He ran to his room again and got one of the lap-sized boards he used to set his sketchpads against. Lucy settled nicely onto the couch with Bucky to help her, and Steve and Estrella ate at the bar. Steve pulled Estrella's stool closer with a screech so that their legs could touch while they ate.
"Steven, there are pencil doodles all over this board. I don't want to get supper on your art supplies," Lucy told him.
"It's nothing, Lu. If food gets on it, I'll wipe it off or use the other side," Steve assured her.
"Are you ever going to finish art school, or is all this Avenging in your way?" Lucy asked him.
Steve took a drink and noticed that Estrella and Bucky also waited for his answer.
"There's been no time to go back to school since I woke from the ice. I haven't thought about finishing school. I'm sure my credits are expired," Steve told them.
"You should make the time and go if you want to. I know your job is important, but you should have a personal life outside of work," Estrella said.
Bucky nodded slightly while he chewed his food.
"I dunno guys. What would I do with an art degree? I don't have time for a studio on the side, even if anyone would hire me," Steve said.
He made an unenthused face and went back to eating.
"It's not about getting a job, dear. It's about doing something that pleases you," Lucy told him.
"You've got a lot of talent. You should do something with it. You can be more than a head-knocker," Bucky agreed with his sister.
"I don't know," Steve said pensively.
"If you want it, you should make it happen. You have all the hours when everyone else is sleeping. Working on your art skills would be better than spending your spare time on the internet," Estrella said.
She stared at him intently. She meant for him to get stuck in her gaze and to feel her desire for him to consider Lucy's idea of art school. Steve stared at her for several seconds, then shook his head and smiled.
"I'll think about it," he said.
Lucy was tired after supper. They could see it in her face and in her posture. It was only early evening, but she'd had more adventure than she'd bargained for.
"Boy!" she called to the ceiling.
"How may I be of service, Madam?" Jarvis answered her.
"Would you look in the phone book and find a hotel for me? Nothing too pricey, mind you," Lucy requested.
"Belay that, Jarvis," Steve said.
"Lu, you're stayin right here with us," Bucky insisted.
"The hell I am. You two young fellas don't need an old granny like me underfoot," Lucy told them.
She struggled to rise to her feet and grimaced when her tired legs and body refused to comply. Bucky got up and helped her.
"No, Lu. You hafta stay here, now that you've come all this way," Buck told her with a careful mix of insistence and mildness.
She was old, but she was still his sis. He knew if he got too demanding that she would balk at being bossed just like she always had.
"Look at those two, Bub. I don't wanna get in the way of anything. That's not why I came here," Lucy grumbled while she made her way to the hall bathroom.
"I don't live here, Lucy. I'm across the elevator in a different suite. I'm going home for the night soon anyway. You should stay and visit with your brother," Estrella said.
She tried her eyes on Lucille and the woman stopped moving along with her cane. She was stuck in Estrella's will like a startled rabbit. Estrella didn't like the feeling of influencing her, so she looked away quickly.
"C'mon, Lu. I insist. We can't have you seen coming into the tower, then leaving after hours. The shops downstairs are closed now. If Hydra's watching, they'll figure out that you're with one of us. It's not safe. Buck can sleep on the couch, no problem," Steve insisted.
"Alright," Lucy finally conceded.
She went to the restroom and Bucky made sure that his room was once again available for a guest. He took Lucy's bag from by the door and brought it into his room. Steve and Estrella got busy putting away the small amount of leftover food and washing the dishes.
After the dishes were done Steve wanted some more time trying to find whatever it was that was so delicious about Estrella this evening. He lifted her to sit on the kitchen countertop and stepped between her knees. Lucy was getting settled into Buck's room, so they didn't have to worry about being too affectionate in front of her.
Steve pushed his fingers into Estrella's hair and held her head while they kissed. She shut her eyes against the bright light in the kitchen. They didn't usually do a lot of kissing so she enjoyed having him close and exploring him so intimately. They both were soon lost in the sensations. She gripped at his shoulders and let him lead. It was warm, silky bliss.
"Get a room," Buck said to them dryly as he came into the kitchen to fill a glass with water.
"I'm not taking her into my room with Lucy here!" Steve turned away to whisper at his friend.
"Then go to her room," Buck suggested.
"We're not going to any room. I don't wanna…." Steve's words ended in a frustrated grimace, "I can't."
Buck looked at them, both a little flushed and breathless. He nodded his understanding. On his way out of the kitchen, he turned off the light. He brought the glass of water in to Lucy, then he closed her bedroom door for her. They heard him get a blanket and a pillow from the hall closet. The light in the living room went off. Steve stared at Estrella in the dark. His hands pulled her hips closer to his until he rested against the sweet heat he wanted so badly.
"I should go," Estrella whispered near his cheek.
"You don't have to," Steve said.
He brushed the corner of his lips against her temple, then moved to her hair to enjoy more of whatever made her so irresistible tonight. His fingers spread to feel the curves of her hips. Estrella reveled in the heat and size of him, the feel of his skin against hers, the thrill he gave her just from being him and male and wonderful. She barely managed to keep her resolve before Steve drew her into another kiss.
"I need to go. I want to get something done before bed," she told him.
Steve rumbled a disappointed sound, but he backed away from her some. Reluctantly.
"We can't be all over each other every night. I'm still sore from last night," she reminded him as quietly as she could.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Is it too bad? I can go easier on you next time," Steve said.
The memories of what they'd done last night in his room seduced him into moving closer to her. She let him kiss her for a moment, then she pushed at his shoulders.
"Steve! Let me down," she hissed at him.
He abruptly realized that he was pushing himself into her space when she didn't want him. He stepped back and took his hands off of her to give her some room.
"Geez, I'm sorry, Eya. Let me walk you across," he said.
Estrella shrugged away from him and to the living room to get her laptop from the coffee table. She got the power cord by feeling along it and pulling it from the wall. She turned too short and stumbled over her boots where she'd left them beside the chair. Bucky laughed softly at her while she gathered her things in the dark.
Steve took her free hand and led her to the door. Light from the foyer came into the suite as he opened the door to escort her out. She let him take a few steps with her outside, then she turned and stopped him with a hand in the center of his chest. He stopped at the feather-light press of her fingertips against his shirt.
"I'm real sorry, doll. I don't want to make you feel pressured," he apologized again.
"It's okay. I was having fun too. Now go back inside and look up art schools you could go to," Estrella told him.
"I don't know about that. It might not be a good idea," he said.
While Steve lifted an ever-impressive arm to rub his hand at the back of his neck, she watched his eyes shift from hers to somewhere down at her neck or shoulders. The want in his eyes was obvious. He was distracted and amorous, not at all the sharp man he usually was.
"Then go do whatever you want. I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow sometime, not too early. I want to sleep in," she said.
"You're not gonna work all day, are ya? It'll be Saturday," he said.
"I'm going to bed. Goodnight," she said firmly.
She arched her feet up to kiss his lips briefly, and then she pushed away from him. She didn't look back as she walked through the open doors of the elevator. She was afraid that if she did, he'd find some reason to start in with her again. She let herself into Natasha's suite. It was dark inside and she didn't know or care right now if Nat was home. She went to her room.
With her door shut, she turned on her bedroom light. If she hurried before she got too sleepy, she could finish the search that Steve's return from work had interrupted. She hadn't made up her mind whether she'd prefer a guitar or a flute, or even a dulcimer. She would never be able to afford a piano and she had no space to put one. Her clothes felt restrictive against her skin so she stripped down to her underwear and put on a night shirt.
She'd just settled into her bed with her laptop when her phone sounded a text alert. Estrella blew out a pressurized breath and picked up her phone.
Sweet dreams, my love. If I can sleep I'll try to dream of you, Steve texted.
"Oooh!" Estrella growled in frustration.
He was making her crazy! She loved him so much and she longed for his touch just like he did hers, but she needed some time. He was smothering her! At the same time that her heart melted at his words, her mind seethed in frustration. Why couldn't he leave her alone when she wanted to learn about music?! Once again, she found her patience and texted him back.
"I love you too," she texted back.
It wasn't an exact match for what he'd said, but it would do and she meant it.
He sent her a kiss emoticon and she nearly threw her phone.
"Leave me alone," she whispered.
She sent him back pink hearts. Then she set the phone on her night stand and turned to her laptop. She had a craving for bread and ice cream. Instead she took twice her normal amount of calcium supplement and hurried to click the internet tabs she'd left on her desktop.
Morning light and the needs of her body finally woke her. Estrella moved under the covers to stretch. The bed felt good but her stomach demanded food. She hurried to get out of the bed, then had to lunge to catch her laptop. She'd almost kicked it off the bed to the floor. Grumpiness crimped her brow. Time seemed to move strangely when she was half asleep, but she was sure that she remembered looking at the different kinds of guitars, so many guitars! She'd fallen asleep while trying to learn about them.
Her computer must have been pushed to the foot of the bed while she slept. She moved it safely to the dresser then hurried to the bathroom. Her stomach complained to her while she brushed her teeth.
In the kitchen she found bacon, which set her mouth to watering at the thought of it. While the bacon cooked in the skillet she poured a bowl of cereal. She wanted milk and meat and calories! There was yogurt in the refrigerator. It was Natasha's but she was so hungry. She would have to buy Nat more yogurt later. Estrella flipped bacon with a fork in one hand and ate either cereal or yogurt with her other hand. She didn't have her necklace on, but that didn't matter. No men could come into Natasha's place without Natasha home to give them permission.
The bacon finished cooking piece by piece and Estrella forked it out onto a napkin-covered plate. Bacon and cereal and yogurt. Her belly was happy. Orange juice! When she thought of its sweet tanginess, she had to have some. Her body needed it. She hurried to get a glass and pour some.
Once she'd nearly satisfied her hunger, her thoughts turned to music again. She promised herself that after doing the dishes she would get her laptop and sit in the sunshine under the windows. Last night she'd asked Steve to let her sleep in so maybe she had some time before he texted her. It was only a little past nine o'clock.
The door to the suite opened and Natasha came in. She smelled bacon and came to fish the crumbs out of the bottom of the skillet with the fork. A look at the dishes and empty containers around the kitchen made her smile.
"You've got a healthy appetite," she commented.
"You've got bruises! What have you been doing?" Estrella put down her spoon and went to look more closely at Natasha's skin.
Nat didn't stand still for her inspection. She poured a glass of juice and then went to get cookies from the hall pantry. Estrella waited for her to come back to the kitchen. Then she pulled at Nat's snug, stretchy top to see if the dark marks extended down past her collarbones. They did. Natasha ate crunchy cookies and the woman's eyes dared her to ask about the bruises.
"Who did you let beat on you? It better not have been Steve. He shouldn't be so rough with you," Estrella said.
"It wasn't Steve. Barnes doesn't know the meaning of 'practice.'" Natasha said.
"Yes, he does. He and Steve have practiced. I saw them. Thor has been with him in the training room too," Estrella said.
"Let me rephrase that. The Soldier doesn't know the meaning of 'practice,'" Natasha said, "but I'll be fine."
"You mean Bucky… while he was…?" Estrella fumbled for words.
She didn't know what to call him when he was creepy and quiet.
"You should be careful of startling him when he's quiet," Natasha warned.
"I know. He makes my skin crawl when he's like that and I stay away from him. Does Steve know he's dangerous?"
"He knows. It's not Barnes's fault. I'm manipulating his mind. We're doing our work in the early mornings. I won't let him go until he's more his usual self. You normally sleep late, so it shouldn't be a problem," Natasha said.
"Okaay," Estrella mouthed.
Natasha's bruises appeared to be fading already. She wondered how bad they'd been a half hour ago. Estrella hurried to get the breakfast dishes washed. Natasha ate yogurt after she was done with cookies. She passed Estrella the used spoon and put the empty food container in the trash bin. Estrella was in a hurry to get to her laptop, so she washed quickly.
Halfway through drying her hands, Estrella's phone alerted her to a text message. She sighed heavily and let her head bang against the door of an upper cabinet. Natasha passed her phone to her. When Estrella refused to take it, she set it on the countertop by her hand.
"I'm done for the day. Wanna try the pool? The water's warm," Steve texted.
"It's like he's psychic. How does he know when I'm about to sit down with my computer? Jarvis, are you sure you aren't helping him?" Estrella asked.
"If you are implying that the Captain has me spy on you and then inform him when you intend to use your computer, no Miss. I am not assisting him," Jarvis assured.
Natasha arched an eyebrow at her from across the small space of the kitchen.
"I want to learn about making music. Every time I try to find things on the internet, it's like Steve has an extra super power devoted to stopping me. I love him, but he's making me lose my mind! I have to move out. If I'm going to get anything done, I have to move out of here!" Estrella said.
She started to text Steve back but Natasha took her phone before she could hit send. She glanced at the message, then erased it while Estrella glared at her.
"That's not yours," Estrella pointed out.
Natasha handed her phone back to her.
"You're upset. Think before you respond to him. Have you told him your frustrations? How is he supposed to know how you feel if you don't tell him?" Natasha questioned her.
Estrella let out a breath and seemed to deflate from her stiffly agitated state.
"I don't want to hurt him. If I tell him to back off, he'll feel hurt. I know he will," Estrella said.
"Do you want to end this with Steve?" Natasha asked.
"No, I don't want to end it! I only want him to stop smothering me," she said.
"Then tell him that," Nat insisted.
"He already knows. He can't help himself. I can't help myself. This is what I am, Natasha. He knew last night that he was all over me too much, and I knew we were doing too much in front of Bucky's sister, but we couldn't stop. Restraint goes right out of our heads!" Estrella said with a fly-away hand gesture.
"Does he know that he's managed to interrupt you every time you get to your computer?"
"That part doesn't matter. It's selfish of me to want things, anyway. It doesn't matter because I have to move out of here. I'm going to-to be fertile, to ovulate, whatever you want to call it. I can't be around men when that happens. They lose their minds even worse than with my voice. I have to go before then. There's no reason to make Steve feel bad about a small thing like interrupting my study time when I have to go anyway," Estrella said forlornly.
"Where will you go? There's no place safer than the tower. We could put you in isolation until you're past your fertility," Nat offered.
"You don't understand how it is. Everything about me is manageable so far, but this isn't. The tower would be the worst place to be. Tony is curious. You know how he is. If he found out, and he would, Tony could override Jarvis to get to me. Then when Steve found out what Tony was doing to me, Steve would come. It would take Thor to break them apart, if Steve didn't kill Tony by then. The door would be open, and – and…" Estrella stopped talking in a sputter of anxiety.
She didn't want to say that Thor and Steve were so strong they would surely kill her, and if Bruce came… the idea was too horrible to think about. She covered her face to hide her fear from the strongest woman she knew.
"You have to go. Do you have a plan?" Natasha asked in a gentle tone she would not have expected of her.
"Wanda. She's my friend from the library. I already asked her if I could stay with her. She's expecting me. I have to go soon," Estrella fretted.
"You're not going anywhere until we get a security check on Wanda's place. Where does she live?" Nat demanded.
Estrella found the address in her phone and passed it to Natasha. She wondered what good it would do. Were they going to post guards outside Wanda's apartment? Then the guards would come in and get her. It was better to take her chances with normal men who weren't trained fighters. Her mind worried at the problem. She'd been desperately trying to distract herself with the idea of making music because there was nothing else she could do about the imminent problem of her fertility. She would go to Wanda's place, but Steve wouldn't like it.
While on the street, she'd been too emaciated to have fertility cycles. That had been part of her plan to stay safe. Before New York, she'd lived with a foster family in Utah. She'd tried to run away and hide in the desert when her cycle brought danger to her, but it hadn't always worked. She'd been in a juvenile detention center for running away the time before that. It was hopeless. She wished she was still skinny. It had been stupid of her to dream she could live like a normal person.
Estrella wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against the edge of the countertop so she wouldn't fall down. Her vision went dim and she couldn't get enough air. A strong arm went around her and held her steady in a painful grip. The feeling of security helped her to calm down until she could see something other than gray and hear something other than her blood rushing in her ears. Natasha knew what to do, as always.
"Tony, we've got a problem. I need you to get a tech team to the address I'm going to send you. We need the place reinforced against civilian entry. It's Estrella. She needs isolation and she can't do it here. Talk to Bruce. He'll understand what she needs," Natasha said.
"We've got the best isolation facilities here. Why would we put her out-"
"No, Stark. It's not happening here. Get a team to this address," Natasha sent him the address, "and have the place reinforced. Get Bruce on this with you. Do it and do it now, or me and the girl are leaving without your help."
"I'm on it. What else do you need?" Tony asked.
Nat could tell from the distracted sound of his voice that he was working. Tony sent orders through Jarvis while giving her half his attention.
"I'm hungry," Estrella whispered.
"Food. Stock the place. She can't go out while this is happening," Nat said.
"While what is happening?" Tony asked.
"Talk to Bruce," Natasha said.
"I'm going to swim with Steve," Estrella interjected, and she texted a quick positive response to him.
"Are you sure? If you're having a problem, that might not be a good idea," Nat murmured aside to her.
"There's time. If I'm going away, then I want to be with him while I can," Estrella said.
"Stark, I'm going to meet with her friend Wanda. We don't want to surprise the woman with the tech team showing up unannounced. Estrella is going to the pool with Steve. I need you and Pepper to chaperone," Nat said in her same business-like tone.
"Chaperone? Me?" Tony laughed at the idiocy of the concept.
"No. Not you. You and Pepper. Pepper alone would be too obvious and you alone would be worse than useless. Get to the pool and be there in case she needs help. Stay out of the way if you're not needed. Try to act natural," Natasha said.
"Whose name was on this building? Did it say Romanoff in great big letters? If I'm not mistaken, I think it said…. Stark? Yeah, that's what it said. You know, you're being-"
"Tony," Natasha paused, "This isn't about us. It's for Steve."
The audio was silent for a long moment, then they heard a tightly blown out breath.
"Right. Steve. Okay," Tony said.
The comm went dead in Natasha's kitchen. The suite was quiet for another moment.
"I'm sorry," Estrella finally whispered.
"Don't be. Let's find a swimsuit. The one you brought back from vacation won't fit you," Nat said.
They went into her closet. Natasha chose something to wear for her because she couldn't focus on something as trivial as swimsuit selection. Estrella didn't complain much when she needed waxing again.
"When are you going to tell Steve that you're moving out?" Natasha wondered as they left the suite.
"When the weekend is over. With the way I feel, I should have until then. I want this time with him, if I can have it. Please tell Wanda that I'm sorry about the work at her apartment. I don't want to be so much trouble," Estrella said.
She tucked her towel tightly around under her arms. The borrowed bathing suit wasn't anything she could imagine letting Tony and Pepper see. Natasha thought it would be alright, so she trusted her judgement.
"Try not to worry so much about the future. Go and be with Steve," Nat advised.
Estrella nodded.
Jarvis directed her to the pool which was just below the residence levels. Estrella was in no hurry to get there even though she looked forward to seeing Steve. He was so perceptive. He would know something was wrong if she couldn't get her mind in the right place before he saw her. She needed the time of a slow walk to make everything alright in her head before she got to the pool.
This change in her life felt very real and frightening now that she'd told someone about her problem. Natasha going to oversee security at Wanda's place meant she couldn't disregard the approaching crisis anymore, no matter how much she'd tried to distract herself with learning about music. Estrella was terribly nervous about Steve finding out what she had to do. He wasn't going to like it. She knew he would argue with her so she didn't plan to tell him yet. It made her feel guilty to know she was going to upset him so much, but it had to be done. He would feel even worse if she stayed and he hurt her.
Steve was already there when she walked into the warm, humid atmosphere of the pool room. Her worry eased some because he was in the pool and couldn't immediately see her. The water rushed against him in the little section off to the side of the main pool and he swam hard against the artificial current. She was surprised to see that he wore his blue and white swim shorts, the ones he thought were too immodest to wear in public.
She lay on the cushioned lounger next to the pool edge. It was nice to watch Steve without being under his direct scrutiny. Estrella calmed at the feeling of merely being near him.
Since he was busy, she had time to look around. Very few places in Tony's tower were plain or utilitarian, and this wasn't one of them. The pool room was a beautiful design of ivory and honey-colored stone with stately columns and arches. Sunlight was reflected into the space along the upper walls and ceiling in a way that was ingenious and didn't require artificial lighting at this time of day. The pool's custom design, the placement of potted plants, and the classical statuary was lovely to see, but Steve was even more pleasing to look at.
Only when he finally turned his head aside to take a breath did she realize how long he had swum without breathing. He saw Estrella and smiled, but swam for a little longer. She was in no hurry for him to stop his exercise. She knew he needed it.
It was cold outside. The air in the pool room reminded her of the warmth of a beach day back home, but without the breeze. To one side of the long room there were loungers in the sunshine near the glass wall. She wanted to go there later. For now she was content to be wherever Steve wanted to be.
He swam harder for a moment, then he relaxed and let the current push him back against the side of the pool alcove. Steve twisted a little and tapped a control panel on the pool deck. The water current stopped gushing and the low hum of the pump motor went quiet. He looked irresistibly sensual with water running over his skin. His smile and the awareness in his eyes didn't make her bashful. It was far too late to pretend they didn't want each other.
"I didn't know how much you like water until vacation. I should have told you about the pool. The water's warm. Wanna get in?" he asked.
Estrella shook her head. She had her necklace on but she didn't feel like speaking.
Last night Steve had been more handsy than usual and reluctant to let her go to her room when the evening was over. How would he be today? She'd come here to spend time with him, but the intensity of their attraction made it hard to be politely civil. There was a harder degree of definition to his muscles under his skin. He wasn't as relaxed as his casual demeanor pretended to be. The tension between them was sweet but she felt cautious.
Steve set his hands on the rounded stone coping at the edge of the pool and smoothly lifted himself from the water. He took a moment to let the worst of the drips run down him, then he sat on her lounger near her hip. Estrella rolled from her belly onto her side so they could talk.
"I've noticed that you get quiet and shy like this when I've scared you. I'm sorry. I was way outta line last night. I know we shouldn't have carried on like that in front of Lucy. Can you give me a chance to do better today?" Steve asked sincerely.
Estrella nodded.
"It was probably my fault so of course I forgive you," she told him.
Steve lifted his hand from the cushion to run a finger along the top edge of the towel she wore. His fingertip skimmed across the skin of her upper chest. His touch was both comforting and exciting and she marveled that the two seemingly opposite feelings didn't cancel each other out. He looked wet and sharp and handsome. She wanted more of his touch, but she didn't want a repeat of last night's loss of control. She didn't fear him. It didn't feel good when she had to stop him and tell him 'no.' She wanted to be able to tell him 'yes.'
"I could have done better. I need to keep working on my resistance to your charms, doll. It was weak of me to give in to it so easily. I think I messed up because I was upset from work. I know that I can't always save everyone, but it bothers me sometimes. When you sat with me it felt so good that I didn't want to let go of you. You always take my mind off my troubles," he said.
It was a plausible explanation, so she didn't try to make him think any differently. She knew it wasn't all his fault no matter what his work day had been like.
"Come on, Eya. If you don't want to swim, what do you want to do?" Steve urged her.
Estrella rolled to her feet. Instead of telling him what she wanted, she walked around the curve of the pool toward the windows. Knowing he was at her back gave her a shiver. She wanted to lie in the sunshine and feel it on her skin. Steve anticipated that. He pulled another lounger over beside the one she wanted to lie on. His eyes squinted against the bright light that bathed them but he lay back and smiled at her.
She was reluctant to show him what she was wearing beneath the towel. A stern look served to warn him as she unwrapped herself. Steve tried very hard to stay lighthearted and unaffected when her towel came off. He made only a slight sound while she laid the towel over the lounger and stretched out on her belly in the sunlight.
When she found a nice position with the warmth on her skin, she turned to look at Steve. He was clearly having some difficulty paying attention to her face.
"Nat's trying to kill me, isn't she?" he groaned.
"I don't think it's that. She wanted me to look nice for you," she explained.
"You look real nice, babe," he said.
Nat had hurried her to get dressed for the pool before Estrella could notice how the plain beige swimsuit was very much more showy than it looked when it was neatly folded. Somehow the natural color of the fabric emphasized the rich, warm tone of her skin. The string between her buttocks and across the top of them felt more like decoration than coverage. Her hair down below had to lose more real estate to fit neatly under the small front of the bottoms. At least Steve couldn't see how the material clung to her every contour while she lay on her belly. All she had were thin strings in the back. She'd thought her white floral swimsuit had a daring top. This top covered her more like an afterthought at decency than any real effort at it. The little triangles didn't conceal much more than the important parts. She wasn't bold enough to lie on her back.
Steve looked like he needed help. His swim shorts were having difficulty being adequate coverage for him, too.
"Was there a nude picture of me in your sketchbook? The one that Lucy almost saw?" Estrella asked with a tease in her eyes.
"Uh, yeah," Steve managed to look at her face, "I didn't expect her to turn the pages."
"Anyone who sees your work is going to want to see more. Of course she turned the pages," she said.
Talking seemed to help Steve to focus on something other than her body.
"Did you get your computer and look for art schools after I left?" she asked him.
"Some," was all he said.
"You're not helping me. We're trying to have a conversation, Steve. One word answers make me do all the work," she fussed.
"How do you look toned when you don't train?" he asked her abruptly.
"You should know because it's like you. It comes with being me. I look like this when I'm healthy. I still have fat on me, so it's not like I compare with you or Bucky or Natasha. I'm not completely done recovering yet, but I will be soon," she told him.
"Then God have mercy on me. Eya, you're beautiful. You call it fat, but it's in all the right places. You're what a lady is supposed to look like," Steve said with understated feeling.
"You're not telling me anything I don't know. I said I would have to wear a trench coat when I was done if I didn't want to be stared at all the time, and look at you," she pointed out.
"That's not fair. What do you expect, sweetheart? You've been changing fast and I haven't seen you naked in-"
"A little over twenty-four hours," Estrella said.
Steve opened his mouth to argue, then realized she was right. He grumbled something plaintive against Natasha and Estrella again had mercy on him. The man could hardly keep his wits long enough to form sentences. She could see it in the dilation of his pupils and the way he breathed with his lips slightly parted. It was worrisome because they'd barely touched at all.
"I want to make music Steve, and you keep stopping me," she accused gently.
"What?" he asked.
"You heard me. I keep having sounds in my head and I want to put them together and make songs. I can sing and I want an instrument to play. I have to learn how to write the sounds I think of down on paper, you know, with the lines and the symbols. Every time I try to learn, you text me and then I can't," she told him.
"Music? I know you like to sing and dance, but creating is a lot more involved. Honey, that's great! If you want to write songs, then you should," Steve enthused.
"I'm trying, but you always stop me. It's like a joke. If I can finish my work and then I start to get on the internet to learn, you text me or you call me every time. When I'm done for the day with you, I'm always so tired that I fall asleep and I don't get to search for any information. It's so frustrating!" she said.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know," he defended himself.
Not only was she telling him of her frustrations like Natasha said she should, Steve was also distracted from looking at her body. He looked to her eyes and her face in turn, as they had learned to do because of the effect of her gaze.
"I know you didn't know, so I'm telling you now. I want you to give me some time in the mornings before work and some time before bed to look up what I need to know. And I need to work regular hours for Tony or I won't be able to afford an instrument," she said.
"I've got plenty and I'd love to help you," he offered.
"No! You're not listening. It's like I'm your kept woman. I'm your little pet, always ready for you to call and for you to spend money on. I owe you everything, and I shouldn't want anything more than I already have. I don't want your money. I want to do this on my own," she insisted.
Steve lay there with a subtle tension around his eyes. Dammit, she'd gone too far and she was hurting him. Estrella reached across from her lounger to his and rested her hand on his arm.
"Don't try to solve this for me. I know what I want. I need you to give me the time to do it," she implored.
"So you want time from nine to five to work for Stark Industries. You want to be left alone before work so you can study music. Then after work you want more time. Where do I fit in to all of this?" Steve asked.
His face was getting flushed and he sat up. Estrella didn't feel that she could continue to lie passively on her belly for this. She rolled to her side then sat up. Steve gawked at her front, then his eyes shifted down so he could frown at his hands in his lap.
"You fit in in the evenings, before and during supper," she said.
"That's all? That's when you've got me scheduled?" he challenged her.
"Steve, you have a whole job, a whole life outside of me. You have Bucky and Sam and now Colin and you train all the time, and then you go away for work. Do you expect me to sit in this tower and only wait for you and think of you, all the time? Can't I have something for me, other than you? Can I be Estrella if Steve isn't there? Is there even an Estrella without Steve? You saved me so I could live exclusively for you. You fixed me, and now you own me. Is that the way it is?" she raised her voice.
Steve looked stricken. Her tirade had hit him hard and she was sorry. She didn't want to be so mean, but he wouldn't understand how important it was to her if she limited herself to kind and sweet tones. He always argued because he was usually right. He wasn't this time, and she could see that he knew it.
She could also see that he hated the moment when he couldn't control his eyes. He glanced at her chest, then rubbed his face with his hands in frustration. Yes, she knew her nipples were pokey. She was angry, dammit!
"Rrrrgh. You're making me crazy!" Steve said, muffled behind his hands.
Estrella laughed, sharp and harsh.
"That's exactly what I say about you!" she told him.
She sprung up from her lounger and strode to the pool. It was gorgeous with midnight blue tiles and sparkling clear water, but she barely noticed. She needed away from him until they cooled down or she would hurt him more. Estrella dove into the water.
Steve stood up and paced the length of the empty space next to the glass.
Panic. That's what he felt. And rejection. It made him want to crawl out of his skin and find a less painful reality to inhabit. This was alien.
He'd suffered loss before, so many times. Hardship and sacrifice was like breathing to him and he knew how to push through it. His ma's passing had been a long-suffering gradual thing. Tuberculosis wasn't a quick way to die. He was mature enough to realize now that he hadn't really lost Peggy. He'd lost the idea of Peggy, the chance of Peggy. He'd hardly known her, and she'd gone on to find a happy and full life without him. There hadn't been time to get to know Peggy personally, other than as a hope for the future.
Estrella had come to feel deep and necessary to him, like breathing or food. The thought of her setting him aside and putting limits on their time was frightening. Nothing had felt sharp and urgent like this… except the day he'd thought Bucky had died. That was admittedly more awful.
The thought calmed him some. Nobody was dead, here. All she was asking for was time. Some space. Something niggled at him about those words. Didn't it mean something when your girl started talking to you about time and space? Fresh panic spurred him and he paced faster.
He hadn't considered that he could lose Estrella. Was that what was happening? Did she want no more time with him at all? That's what it would feel like if she rationed him down to meager minutes around supper time. Didn't she feel the need, the craving to be together like he did? It was easy to understand that she should be her own person. He'd thought she was. Was he really demanding so much of her time? It felt to him like he didn't see enough of her.
Her desire for him to look into art school appeared to have an ulterior motive now. She wanted him busy so he wouldn't bother her as much. Was that it? Steve shook his head. He knew he was being ridiculous because he was upset. Estrella wasn't under-handed like that.
As he breathed and walked it off, Steve began to get control over his emotions. He pushed away the embarrassing rush of feelings and tried good old logic.
She said she wanted time for writing music. Alright. He liked to have time for art when he could, so that was fair.
She said she felt like he owned her. He could understand that too, though it wasn't the same from his perspective. She had trust issues from living on the street and people treating her rough. She'd told him that anytime someone had given her anything, there'd been expectations attached to it. He'd helped her because it was the right thing to do and it made him happy to do so, to see her health improve. And he liked her. It was nothing more than that, but her life experience might make her think differently. He never thought that she owed him.
She'd asked if she existed outside of him. That part still stung, but he could see what she meant if he thought about it. He didn't need much sleep. His job was demanding. Other people depended on him. There were a lot of hours in his day and he had to spread himself around over all his obligations. Estrella's life was more limited. Since she was healing, she slept a lot. More even than a normal person would sleep. She didn't have as much time and he was taking up a much larger portion of her available time than she was of his. Alright, that made sense now. His raw hurt over that eased but didn't go away entirely.
Steve had to admit, at least to himself, that part of the reason his emotions ran so high around her was because she turned him on. When he was aroused as he was now it wasn't so easy to think clearly and he wanted to feel instead. The luxury of letting his desire show around a dame was new, and he'd let himself run too far with it. He had to do better than this.
He knew he had the ability to control himself even when emotion wanted to intrude. He couldn't get through battle knowing he was going to lose men and allow himself to be emotional about it. Anyone with combat leadership experience knew that. The mission objective had to come first, and then you could allow yourself to feel when the action was well and truly over with, all the bodies patched up, counted and tagged, all the equipment readied for the next round.
He didn't feel better after his auto-pep talk. He felt less. Messy emotions were properly squared away. He thought he understood the nature of their problem. It wasn't so bad as to seem catastrophic now. Steve ambled over to the poolside to wait for Estrella like she had waited for him to finish his swimming.
He squatted down and allowed himself to admire her nimble strength and grace in the water. She wasn't just beautiful. She moved like the water was her element. Being only human and mostly unenhanced, she tired. When she stopped making laps in the pool she floated upright and looked to him.
Steve gave her a guarded smile and she swam over. He tipped his head down to look at her when she put her hands on the poolside next to his feet. She didn't say anything, but he could see the apology on her face. He felt it in her eyes. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She was frustrated. Like he was.
Steve put down a hand and was about to slide into the pool with her. The door into the pool room had a slight squeak to it which alerted him to Pepper and Tony coming to join them. Now? Tony had never come to the pool when he was here. Maybe Pepper had something to do with it. She smiled at him and twiddled her slim fingers in a wave across the room.
Steve noted that Tony looked strange in swim shorts, even though they were Iron-man red and the color suited him. They never saw much bare skin on Tony, and Tony seemed to be thinking the same about him. Oddly, Stark smirked and shook his head as if he couldn't quite believe he'd been talked into something. Steve's suspicions stepped up a notch. Why were Tony and Pepper here? Something felt contrived but he wasn't sure what it was yet.
Estrella distracted him. He looked down at her again. Her wet fingers pressed between his toes on the edge of the pool, like holding hands. Her dark hair was slicked down to her head and the ends of it waved freely in the water. With her brief top, she looked nude beneath the water. Steve thought that a necklace of shells would make her look more like a mermaid than she already did.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Me too. I'll back off and give you more time. I want you to be able to do things that make you happy," Steve told her.
"Come try to relax with me. No more fighting," she promised him.
Steve slid into the water and pushed away from the side of the pool. After their upset, they naturally sought the comfort of touch. Estrella came to him. He turned her in his arms and hugged her loosely. He walked them along the bottom of the shallow part of the pool just to feel the water moving around them. Their mostly bare skin touching along her back and his front helped to sooth the upset of moments ago. Steve let out a slow breath and Estrella hummed a contented tone. He kissed her wet cheek.
"You never told me you had music in your head," he said.
"I didn't used to. All I had before was headaches," she told him.
Steve wanted her to tell him everything about her dreams regarding music. He waited for her to say more. Most of his attention was on Estrella, but another part went to Pepper and Tony. The other couple set their towels on a lounger then got into the pool at the end nearest the hot tub and the waterfall. Why were they here? The question nagged at him, but Estrella distracted him.
It was difficult to imagine that the lush young woman in his arms had been so thin a few months ago. Now she felt soft and curvy. He wanted to pull her tight against him and- No. He'd resolved that he was going to try harder to resist her.
Steve kept her loosely held, seated on his bent knees while they talked.
"When it's quiet and I'm alone, little bits of melody string themselves together in my head. What they sound like depends on my mood. It's not like I think I would be famous or anything, but I want to write them down so I can play them and hear them. I think I was too busy in my head when I was younger. Did you ever want to stop and draw something during the war, when you were busy?" she asked him.
"Nah. People depended on me to be focused at the job. I noticed things while we were marching. The light through the mist in the trees, or a pastoral scene, or a bombed-out town. I remember it all. I could still draw it, but I'd rather think about what's going on now. So, yeah, if you were busy or on the run and scared, there's not a lot of mental space for creativity," Steve commiserated.
"Who told you I was on the run and scared?" Estrella turned her face aside to look at him sharply.
"Nobody. I meant that I was on the run and scared," Steve said.
"Captain America, scared?" she asked incredulously.
"Pshhh," he made a face, "Some of the things I've been in, you'd have to be dead to not be scared. I can die, Eya. My team can die. Fear serves a purpose sometimes. It can keep you alive."
Estrella turned in his arms to hug him. Steve guided her so that she was side-saddle on his lap, rather than astride him. He happily accepted her hug. She saw that Tony and Pepper had joined them in the pool, and she whispered in his ear.
"Be careful when things are scary. I don't want to lose you," she said.
It felt great to know that he had someone who would be at home when the job was done. He was sorry that she might have reason to worry, or that he might hurt her someday if he didn't come back, but they'd both known the risks from before the beginning of their relationship. All he could do was hold her a little closer right now and hope that God would bless them with a long time together.
"I'll always want to come home to you, doll. I keep you in the back of my mind when I'm working. I've got someone waiting for me to get back to. I don't want to disappoint," he murmured near her ear.
She hugged him tighter, and he rubbed her bare back with his hands. So good. He could take this memory with him when he was working and things were miserable. She smelled fantastic, unhindered by any chemical smell from the saltwater pool. He still couldn't tell what her subtle scent was, but it was sweet and compelling and exclusively Estrella. It was so faint that other guys probably couldn't smell it. He was glad for that. He wouldn't want to share even that much of her.
Steve cracked his eyelids to see if they were being watched. They were, but it was only Tony. From the things Stark had said and done, there's no way that a little kissing was going to offend him. Pepper was turned away from them. Steve took a chance to do what he'd wanted to do last night before Buck threw a couch cushion at him.
Estrella gasped as the heat of Steve's mouth closed on the side of her neck. His teeth brushed her skin, but it was more a coincidence of his lips and tongue working against her skin than any intent to bite her. She wasn't aware that she moaned a little, though she definitely heard the pleased sound that Steve made low in his throat. It was all good until his arms pulled her to him too tightly. Steve's back bumped into the poolside, but neither of them noticed.
"Mmm, Eya, what are you wearing? Is it perfume?" he asked quietly, then went back to kissing and tasting her neck. He tipped her head the other way and tried her other side. The wonderful scent and buttery vanilla-musk-girl flavor was there too.
"Steve, let me go" she gasped, and she pushed at his chest with her hands.
His erection was bruising her hip again. He carried on, and his mouthing was starting to worry her as much as his tight grip. It was like he was hungry and she didn't want to be bitten.
"Steve!" she tried again and shoved at him hard.
He lifted his head from her neck and let her loose from his arms suddenly. It made her sad to see the blown-wide state of his pupils and the dumb-founded look on his face. He was somewhere lost in the base area of his mind, but he quickly shook himself out of it when she pushed away. His expression changed to one of self-disgust. He looked at his hands and licked his lips. She could almost see his mind working, then he looked to her. She'd backed away from him a little more than arm's length.
"I did it again. Why?! It's not your eyes. It's not your voice. Eya, what's that smell, that taste on you?" he asked.
"Don't feel bad. I told you, it's my fault," she said.
"I don't think so. I'm the one holding you too hard and not letting go when you want me to. Why do you put up with me? Eya, what's that smell? Is it something Natasha gave you? If you stop wearing it, maybe I can-"
"It's not perfume. It's me," she said.
She glided close to him again, but not so close that she was in his face. He tried to back away, but he couldn't. Instead, he stood taller to get his nose farther away from her. He crossed his arms so he wouldn't thoughtlessly reach for her. He looked cautious and determined. She smiled at his attempt at self-control, then nervousness took her smile away. She had to tell him something or he would wonder and jump to conclusions.
"You were there when Bruce told you about my fertility cycle," she reminded him.
He nodded once, briefly.
"I'll be fertile soon. I didn't think pheromones had a smell, but maybe that's what it is. Or maybe it's because you're you and your senses are sharper. It's not supposed to happen so soon. I don't feel feverish and anxious yet, so you shouldn't smell anything, even if you have an enhanced nose. I have a taste?" she wondered.
Her hand rubbed at the side of her neck where he'd been so interested in her. She sniffed at her hand, but couldn't smell anything.
Again, Steve nodded. Estrella wasn't sure she liked the look on his face. He was playing at being the stern and responsible Captain, but there were sly ideas slinking around in his head, trying to take hold. He shook his head and snorted out a breath. Estrella stepped back from him a little.
"So this is going to get worse. You have other symptoms when you're fertile, and none of the rest of it is happening yet?" he asked.
She nodded.
"You'll need to be somewhere safe," Steve said.
She nodded again.
Steve turned and waded through the water toward Tony and Pepper. Estrella followed along behind him. She knew what he was going to do and it made her nervous.
Tony and Pepper looked to Steve when he came close. Estrella would have stood beside him to make warning eyes at Tony, but Steve urged her behind him. She frowned at him, then stepped aside where Tony could see her face. Of course Stark looked at her chest. She wasn't surprised. She sank down in the water until it came up to her shoulders and Tony's gaze shifted to Steve again.
"Do we have a comfortable isolation room that we can set up with negative air pressure, vented to the outside? Something more like a suite than a hospital room?" Steve asked Tony.
Estrella made pleading faces to Tony, if he would only look. Pepper tried to unobtrusively poke Tony in the side to get his attention for her.
"We're already on it. Romanoff called me a little while ago, and everything is being set up. Bruce knows what's needed, so he's in charge," Tony said.
"That's… that's great. Thanks," Steve stammered in surprise.
Estrella felt a rush of relief at Tony's careful wording, but this wasn't over with yet.
"You talked to Nat?" Steve turned to ask her.
Estrella nodded, her eyes wide. There were so many ways this could go wrong. Steve looked mildly betrayed, as if he thought he should have been the first to know. He turned back to Tony briefly.
"I really appreciate your help, Tony. It means a lot," Steve said.
Tony waved a hand at him and smiled the slightest bit. Estrella was relieved that the man didn't look to her at all. He probably knew Steve very well, and he knew that any hint of a knowing look toward her would give away that there was more going on than he'd said. The butterflies in Estrella's belly fluttered more intensely.
She got the feeling that she was doing wrong if Tony had to tell a lie of omission for her. There was little choice. She would face Steve's reaction about her moving out when she had to, and not before. If he knew now, he'd use up the rest of their time trying to convince her otherwise. Her decision couldn't be changed, so there was no point in letting him argue.
Steve put back a hand and she took it. They went to the other part of the pool so they could have privacy. Estrella couldn't completely put her nerves away before he looked at her again, but maybe that wasn't so bad.
"Why does everyone else know about this and I'm the last to find out?" he asked.
"Not everyone knows. Natasha knows and Bruce knows. Tony doesn't know everything, only the technical stuff he needs to make things ready. I need their help for this, Steve. Did you want me to keep it a secret? I have to get ready. Don't forget, you're the one who wanted me to eat. This is what happens when I eat," she pointed out.
"It's a mistake to think you can tell Tony only part of something. If you give him anything at all, he'll end up with all of it," Steve warned her.
"Okay," Estrella said.
She took his hand and he let her pull him toward deeper water. He was being stubborn now, and she could see it in the set of his jaw. He refused to look anywhere but her face. She stroked backwards away from him when she couldn't touch the pool bottom anymore. When he looked grumpy the best thing for him was to expend his energy doing something, so it was a good thing to get him treading water with her.
"I won't be able to see you for ten days," Steve said.
"I know. We'll get through it," Estrella said.
"We can talk on the phone, right? I can hear your voice, with your necklace on," he said hopefully.
"For part of it," she promised.
"Why only part of it?" he asked.
"I don't want to tell you everything. It's not easy for me. It will be best if we don't talk when I'm…" she didn't know how to explain things to him, and didn't really want to.
"Then we can text," he offered.
"Steve! You can leave me alone for a few days! I could study in peace," she complained.
"Yeah. Sorry," he said.
He sounded like a mopey little boy, but that was an improvement over his hurt feelings earlier. She could see that he was reluctant to be away from her for even a few days. He was thinking, thinking, thinking. It made her worry.
Before she could react, he reached out a hand and gently tugged her over and onto him. He rolled onto his back like an otter with her on top. Steve stroked hard at the water and had them to the poolside in a few seconds. He put his back to it and held her close.
"What-?" Estrella asked.
"I can practice. I can resist you. If I learned to resist your other charms, I can get through this too. How long do I have to get used to the changes? How long before you'll need to go to isolation? If I try hard enough, I can visit you," he said.
"A few days at most, but no. This is different, Steve. It's not meant to be resisted. I know you're strong, but you're still a man. You'd be even more dangerous to me than a regular man. Don't fight me on this, papi. I have to go away. If it wasn't for what Bruce and Natasha and Tony are setting up for me, I would need you to bring me out to the desert or the wilderness somewhere," she insisted.
Steve scowled.
"That's no good. There could be hikers. Or other dangers. Let me try, Eya. I can beat this," he insisted.
Again, he was too close. He put an arm around her lower back and nuzzled at the side of her neck. She sighed. Stubborn! Fine. She would let him do, and he would see for himself. She enjoyed the feel of his shoulders under her hands, then her hands moved to his jaw and his hair so she could caress him while he indulged his silly attempt at resistance. He didn't understand. He would.
Estrella yipped a little in surprise when his teeth grazed her, but it didn't hurt. The potential was scary but she wanted to trust him. She was tired of cautioning him and resisting him when it was Steve who didn't want to go too far, not her. His strong, hard body felt amazing around her and she gave herself over to enjoying him.
She tried to shift her legs around him, but his hand beside her knee kept her to one side. His propriety seemed odd because he was certainly enjoying kissing, sucking, licking at her neck like a practiced lover. She arched her neck to allow him to do all that he would.
He grunted at her and his hand slid to get a grip on her bare bottom. She took the opportunity to twist her hips and align with him. The hardness of him felt better against her belly than against the bone of her hip.
His teeth nipped at her and that was too much. She pulled her neck away and butted his jaw with her forehead. He seemed to understand that.
"Sorry," he grumbled.
He may have been sorry, but it didn't stop him. Both his hands went to her bottom, and he started nudging at her belly. His movement made her want to move with him. It was like a dance, but not the kind done to music or on a dancefloor. It felt right to writhe with him, to cling to his shoulders. She loved it when he let go of all the things that troubled his mind and went to this deeper place with her.
"Mmm. Ya," he said.
"Mm-hmm," she encouraged him.
She knew he wasn't agreeing to anything, but letting slip a shortened form of her name. She'd heard him say it that way in the shower in New Orleans, when she'd been on her knees for him. The thought of him inside her awoke the desire to feel that fullness again. Even if it hurt. Having him so close at her belly was a terrible tease, now that she knew he could give her more than just the pain.
Steve's nose and lips were near her ear, but he didn't put his mouth on her again. She opened her eyes to look at him. Poor man, he was almost gone but still fighting. His eyes were hot with lust but he wasn't dumb with it. Not yet. She knew that she probably looked the same.
"If you really want to torture yourself, there's another place you can kiss me. I'm sure the smell, the taste is stronger there," she taunted him.
Steve made a rough sound, then he moved. The motion was a blur, and she found herself on the stone tiles beside the pool. He laid her down carefully though his hands shook as he pulled them away. A gentle swat with his hand opened her knees and he hovered, poised to get her bikini bottom out of the way. His large hand splayed over her belly, then he ran one finger along the cleft he could see through the clinging fabric.
Estrella whimpered and tilted her hips for him. She wanted to be touched there. His fingertips skimmed aside to curl around the delicate string at her hip. She shivered at having him above her, but not from fear. She wanted, but things weren't right. Steve's naturally decent inhibitions were almost gone. It was clear that if he was aware of Pepper and Tony in the room at all, he didn't care.
"Not here," Estrella whispered to him.
She put out a hand to touch his face, to guide his eyes to hers. He began to look where she wanted him to, but a sound, a movement beyond their heads drew Steve's attention.
"Time to cool it, big guy. I don't think public sex is a normal offering from you, even in home field," Tony said.
Estrella craned her head to see Tony standing, dripping a few feet away. He looked down at her and his smile was odd from being upside down in her perspective. Steve's body tensed above her. His hand left the string at her hip to brace against the floor, ready to launch himself at Tony.
"Don't look at me. He doesn't like it," Estrella hissed to Tony.
"Now I can see why Romanoff wanted me to chaperone this pool party. I thought she was joking at the time. Not joking. C'mon, Steve. Be a mensch and step away from the girl," Tony said.
Nobody liked the warning sound that Steve made in his throat, but then Pepper was there. She slipped nimbly past Tony and knelt by Steve. She dripped on Estrella's shoulder, but Estrella was glad she'd come.
Cool, soothing hands clasped Steve's face and he turned to see Pep right there, almost nose to nose with him. Pepper wasn't a threat. Tony belonged to her. She wouldn't let Tony near his girl. She could stop him, and she would.
"Steven. Honey, you have to go. This isn't like you," Pepper urged him sweetly.
Damnit! He'd done it again! Steve squeezed his eyes shut and hung his head. Pepper's calming touch moved to his shoulder. He opened his eyes to look down to his girl.
"I'm s-"
"No. Don't you apologize! I told you this would happen, but you didn't believe me, so I let you do it. Now you go away and think about it," Estrella told him.
Steve respectfully slipped away from Pepper's hand. He pulled Estrella up and walked behind her until they were at their loungers and her discarded towel. He wrapped her in it and kissed her briskly on the forehead.
His shoulders were stiff as he strode away from them toward the exit of the pool room.
"Don't feel bad, but maybe you could learn to believe me when I warn you," she called after him.
Pepper stood between her and Tony and they watched Steve stalk out of the room. They all knew that he was angry at himself, not at them.
Pepper fanned herself with her hand, then laughed softly after the door closed behind Steve.
"Shh, he can probably still hear you. I don't want him to think you're laughing at him," Estrella told her.
Pepper smiled and covered her lips with her fingertips, as if to remind herself not to say anything until Steve was farther away. Tony wasn't smiling.
"Meters," he said.
"One hundred twenty-two. The Captain is inside the elevator and going up. He should no longer be able to hear you," Jarvis answered.
"Are you trying to get me killed? Steve hates me, and he barely had that, whatever it was, on a leash," Tony said.
He waved his hand at the floor where he'd first intervened to stop Steve from stripping her on the pool deck.
Estrella shook her head.
"He doesn't hate you, Tony. He respects you. I know he does. Natasha knows it, or she wouldn't have asked you to come here. Thank you," she said.
She looked to both Tony and Pepper.
Pepper still smiled faintly.
"He's very different with you," she commented.
Estrella nodded.
"You had me lie to him. He thinks you're staying in the tower. When are you going to tell him that you're moving?" Tony asked pointedly.
"Probably Sunday night. I'll have to go by then, if not sooner. It depends if he's stubborn and keeps trying to prove me wrong, or if he admits that he's human and stays far enough away from me until then," Estrella murmured to herself.
She felt bad for Steve. He was likely being very harsh with himself right now. People always expected him to not be able to do things, and he nearly always could prove them wrong and do the impossible. Not this time. He had to learn that some of the things she said, she meant.
Tony took a small step toward her. Estrella turned to frown at him. Pepper put her hand on his shoulder and tugged him a step back again.
"It's going to be even less fun working with him after you go," Tony grumbled.
"I'm sorry. You saw how he was. I can't stay," Estrella said sadly.
Tony waved a hand at her. He'd seen. He understood.
"Things may be difficult now, but you guys are going to have so much fun later," Pepper smiled kindly at her.
Estrella bit her lip. She suppressed an embarrassing sound at the memory of their bodies moving together. It had felt so perfect. So right. She really wanted to have fun now, but it wasn't time.
Pepper walked her back to Natasha's suite. It was very kind of her to do so, but Estrella didn't like the implication that they couldn't trust Steve to leave her alone if he found her in the hallways.
"I don't want you and Tony to think he's bad. Steve wouldn't hurt me. He can't rape me because I want him," Estrella pointed out to her.
"I saw that. What shocked me was the way he acted. I expected more nobility and restraint," Pepper said.
"You didn't see how he was fighting it. He tried so hard. Any other man wouldn't have been such a gentleman, but then no other man would be able to smell me yet. What you expect is the Captain. That was Steve," Estrella told her.
They stopped in front of Natasha's door.
Only Pepper could look so stately in a damp swimsuit cover-up.
"He's only starting to let us see Steve. You've seen him all along, haven't you?" Pepper asked.
"That's who he was when I met him," Estrella explained.
Pepper smiled at her and walked away.
She entered to find Natasha sprawled on the couch in front of a documentary about the history of ancient Russia. She asked how the visit with Wanda went and got a positive-sounding grunt. Estrella showered and got into bedtime clothes. It wasn't even noon yet. Nat didn't comment when she settled on the couch with the entire tub of cherry cordial ice cream. They wiled away the rest of the day wordlessly in front of the television. After Russia was a crazy-haired science guy who wanted to convince everyone that the Egyptian pyramids were bases for ancient aliens. Estrella laughed at the guy's earnest enthusiasm, and she was relieved that it momentarily took her mind off of her concern for how Steve must be feeling.
Later, just after sunset, she couldn't stand it anymore and she had to text him.
I don't expect you to be perfect, you know. Only you do that. I love you how you are. Are you still mad at yourself? she asked.
I'm fine, he replied a moment later.
"Oooh, he's feeling sassy. That's better than depressed," Estrella said.
"Steve doesn't get depressed. He gets angry or he gets determined, usually both," Natasha said.
Estrella was tired of people deciding who Steve was supposed to be. Maybe Natasha was right about what he showed on the outside, but she knew he was a lot more complex internally.
She went to the kitchen. Then she went to her room with a re-heated plate of roasted chicken breast. Natasha raised an eyebrow at her and the plate, but then Estrella closed her door. She looked at her laptop and decided not to use it.
She washed her hands when she was done eating chicken and she called her Aunt Rita's house. The phone rang and rang. She remembered when she was a kid Tia Rita's house didn't have caller ID or anything fancy. The only phone was in the hallway between the living room and the kitchen. She almost hung up, but then a gruff voice answered.
"Bueno?"
"Tio! Hola. Is Tia Rita home?"
"Si, Eya. Como estas?" Alberto asked.
"I'm okay, thank you," she said.
It made her feel nice that Uncle Alberto had asked how she was doing. She heard him yell across the small house for her aunt and it brought tears to her eyes. She missed her family, now that she'd seen them again.
"Niña! Why are you calling me? Is something the matter?" Rita came on the line with a flurry of concern.
Estrella chuckled. It was so good to hear their voices.
"Nothing is the matter," she paused, "nothing is a big matter. I miss you. I could use a hug."
"I wish I could send you one. Is that man making you sad?" she asked.
"Yes, but it's not his fault. It's me. It's the way I am," she admitted.
"You don't make excuses for him! You are the way you are, and if he's not good for you, then you leave him. Understand?" Rita told her.
"He's good. He wants to marry me and I'm not ready to get married," Estrella tried to explain.
Internally, she was already cringing because she knew what was coming.
"Why don't you want to get married? You're twenty-three. You're not getting any younger, you know. Frannie was already married by then. I was already married at twenty-three, and so was your mami. If he's good, and if you like him, and I know you do because you blushed and hid your face when you were talking about him, then you should marry him. You said he's not gay, and that he's nice to you, so why, Eya? You and Jesse make me pull out my hair!"
Estrella held her breath tightly. Her ears popped from the pressure, and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. She could almost feel Rita's warm hug through the phone but she didn't want to laugh.
"Okay, I'll think about it. Maybe I'll tell him yes next month. Not that he really asked yet, but he's said that he wants to marry me," she offered to mollify her aunt.
"Oh, he just said it, did he, like he snaps his fingers and expects you to do it?" Rita was off on another suspicion.
"No! I told him I wasn't ready for that, and he said he was, and that he wanted me," Estrella insisted.
"Maybe he's trying to get in your pants. Are you sure he means married, or is he only trying to get you to have sex with him?" Rita asked skeptically.
"I want to have sex with him! He wants to wait 'til we're married! He's so old-fashioned, Tia. Quit trying to make him sound bad. You met him. He's nice," she said.
"Oh. Then you should marry him," Rita stated again, as if that solved everything and Estrella didn't have to worry about it anymore.
Estrella sighed.
"You're not telling me everything," Rita said in a softer tone.
"I know. It's about the family things, and I know you don't want to hear that," Estrella said.
"If you need help, niña, I'll help you. Jesse was right about that, and I'm sorry. I don't like those things, but I don't want you to be alone and so far away with no one to help you," Rita conceded.
"Thank you," Estrella said, and her voice cracked with emotion.
It was no small thing, what Rita offered. All her life, Rita had refused to acknowledge that anything was unusual about their family. The fact that her aunt was unbending for her was important.
"I'll call you from my cell phone," Rita said, and she hung up.
Estrella held her phone in her lap and waited.
It rang a few moments later and she answered.
"Estrella? I'm in the car so nobody will hear. You can talk now," Rita said.
"You went outside to talk? At night?" Estrella asked.
"There's time zones. It's not dark here yet. You wanted to talk," Rita reminded.
"I forgot," Estrella said, and then she went quiet.
Now that Rita was ready to listen, she didn't know how to begin. Rita probably didn't want to hear these things, and she just now realized that it was likely that neither Rita nor Valeria nor her cousin Fran had long cycles and pheromones like she did. They couldn't. They lived in a house, in a neighborhood, and they went to school and to work and nobody bothered them. That made it all too much to say, because Rita would ask questions, and then she wouldn't want to hear the answers.
"Niña?" Rita prompted her.
"I'm different, tia. I think I can't be like you, or you would live differently than you do. I have to stay away from men for a few days and Steve is unhappy. He won't want me to go. He doesn't understand. I'm sad because he's sad and there's nothing we can do about it," Estrella explained.
"Sometimes life is sad. You know this. Steve looks like he's been sad before. It's not the first time for either of you, and it won't be the last. Do what you have to do. It won't be sad forever," Rita assured her.
Estrella sat up straighter. Rita was right. What she said was simple, but simple could be good and true.
"Thank you," Estrella nearly whispered.
"You can't be around men. You have a safe place to go?" Rita asked.
Estrella smiled.
"Yes. My friends are making a safe place for me. I'll be okay," she assured.
"You feel everything so much. That's good, but protect yourself," Rita advised.
"I'll try, but I really love him. I don't like to see him sad," Estrella said.
"Be strong. Do what's right," her aunt encouraged her.
"Okay. I will," Estrella said.
They hadn't really talked about family things, but she thought that her aunt understood what she wasn't saying. Rita urged her to call more often. It was cheeky to tell her elder that the phone worked both ways and that she could call too, but she did it anyway.
"You live with all those important people. I don't want to bother them," Rita said.
"I'm not an important person. The place we live is so big. You can call me anytime," Estrella assured her.
"Alright. Te quiero, Eya. Be happy," Rita said.
"I love you too," Estrella said in closing.
She called to talk to Valeria, who was in her room. The girl was very happy, with not a worry in the world. It was good to hear her teenage optimism and enthusiasm. She asked about the Avengers, and Estrella told her a few things that probably anyone could know. Val talked about her friends at school and Estrella listened. The girl had homework to do so they didn't talk for long.
Jesse was somewhere with loud music but he answered his phone anyway.
"Eya! Wait. I can't hear you. I have to go outside," he shouted into the phone.
She waited patiently. The call got less noisy as Jesse walked to wherever he went. It sounded like a big metal door slammed and then it was quiet except for Jesse's breath.
"Why are you breathing like that?" she asked with a grimace.
"I was dancing. Are you okay?" he said, still almost shouting.
"Yes. You don't have to yell," Estrella complained.
"Shit. Sorry," Jess mumbled.
There were some sounds, and then she heard the distinct sound of a cigarette lighter.
"You smoke?" she asked him.
"Sometimes. Are you going to bitch at me?" Jesse asked.
"No. I should. If you're still smoking next year, I will," she promised him.
"That's two months from now," Jesse pointed out after a prolonged silence during which she could imagine him drawing on the cigarette and exhaling.
"Mm-hmm," Estrella agreed.
"You don't heal," she pointed out.
"Everybody heals," Jesse argued.
Estrella bit her lip and had to think of something different to say. She was too used to Steve. And now herself. Even Bucky and Natasha healed fast, and Thor and Bruce didn't really get hurt at all. Jesse seemed fragile to her, now that she thought of his lungs and smoking.
"Did you call me for something? Because if you did, I want to hear it. If you didn't, I'm going back in after I finish my smoke," Jesse told her.
She got up her courage. She knew she could talk to Jesse.
"Is there anything different about you? With sex, I mean?" she blurted out.
"You're getting like him. You go hard right from the start," Jesse said, then he laughed uneasily.
"I didn't. Not from the start. I let you get outside, and then I let you smoke. I need to know if it's just me. Answer the question," she grumped at him.
She knew she sounded ungrateful, but it was their way. They weren't going to be all soft and sweet if the conversation was difficult. Until a few weeks ago, she never would have imagined asking Jesse anything like this at all.
"I can smell them," Jesse eventually said, "It's how I don't get anybody pregnant."
"You mean, you can smell the time of the month to not have sex with women?" Estrella wondered.
"Yeah. That's when I want them the most, but I don't want to pay child support. I'm not stupid, chica," he told her.
"Okay. That makes sense," she agreed ambiguously.
"You're going to call me off the dance floor for that?" Jesse asked flatly.
"You got to go outside for a smoke, too," she pointed out.
"I could smoke inside," he argued.
"You like to dance? You like music? Didn't I see a guitar in your room? Do you play it?" she asked.
"Yes," he said.
"You didn't used to play guitar," she said.
"I do now. I needed something for my head. Estrella, why did you call?" Jesse asked somewhat impatiently.
Estrella heard the metal door slam again, then a female voice.
"Not now. Look, I'm on the phone," Jesse said with his mouth away from his phone.
There was the indistinct female voice again, questioning.
"Leave me alone, bitch! This is family," Jesse told whoever it was.
"I hope that's not your girlfriend you talk to like that," Estrella said.
"I don't have a girlfriend. Just some girl I met tonight. Won't leave me alone," he grumbled, and she imagined that he was smoking again.
"You're an asshole," Estrella pointed out.
"Is that what you called to tell me?" Jesse asked sharply.
"What's wrong, Jess?" she asked softly.
"I lost my job, is what. I worked for that dick for seven years, and then a fresh load of Guatemalans shows up. He hired three of them and let me go. 'Times are tough, Jesse, I have to make ends meet,' Fucker!"
Estrella didn't know what to say about that. His cursing was harsher than she was used to anymore, but this was Jesse unvarnished. It was as familiar to her as Aunt Rita's concern and Val's chatter.
"I could try to find you a job around here," she offered tentatively.
"Thanks, but I don't want to live in bum-fucking New York. Too damn cold. I'll find something around here," Jesse said.
Estrella chuckled. Maybe he didn't like the cold, but she knew that he really didn't want to leave the family. He was protective of his mother and of Val. He always had been, no matter that he tried to act unconcerned.
"You could be a stripper, Jesse!" Estrella teased him with a smile in her voice.
Jesse laughed long and hard. Too hard.
"Jess?" she asked.
"If you tell ma, I'll fuckin'… think of something to torture you with," he said.
"Wait. You-? You're a stripper?" Estrella shrilled at him.
"Shit! Don't break my ear! Only on the weekends. It's what I'll get by on until I find another day job," he complained.
Estrella clapped her hand over her mouth and guffawed.
"Rita would kill you! No, she would skin you, and then she would kill you!" Estrella gasped.
"First she'd have to find out about it. To do that, she'd have to know someone who comes to the show. She won't find out unless you tell her," Jesse grumped.
"Okay," Estrella said.
She thought for a while, her mind going through all the possibilities she could think of in a short time.
"Do you use your eyes to get money? Grampi would be ashamed of you!" she told him.
"No. I tried that. They just stand there in a trance and forget to tip me," Jesse admitted.
"I didn't want to know this," Estrella fussed.
She rubbed her forehead then smoothed her hair back. Another thought occurred to her.
"You have sex with all the girls! I know you do," she accused.
"Not all of them, Eya. I don't bring any of it home except the money. It doesn't hurt Val, and I help with the bills," he pointed out.
Estrella was quiet while he finished his cigarette.
"I don't like it. You're better than that," she finally said.
"No, 'm not," Jess told her stubbornly.
"But you're good," she insisted.
"I can't be good and be a stripper?" Jess challenged her.
"Do you ever get paid for sex?" she asked him.
He didn't answer.
"That makes you a sex worker! You're going to get a disease," she warned him.
"I don't get diseases. I might die from cancer from the cigarettes, but I don't get venereal diseases. Do you?" he asked mildly.
"I've had them before, but I probably wouldn't get them now," she admitted.
Jesse made a curious sound.
"I was dying. My heart was messed up. Steve gave me some of his blood, and Tony did something with a machine and my heart healed. Now I heal faster everywhere. I probably have a better immune system. There's no way to know because how am I going to know if I don't get sick when I was supposed to?" she said.
"You're part super now? Are you strong, too?" he asked.
"No. I can run faster, but only a little. I never liked to run anyway, so that doesn't do me any good. I heal a little faster, but that's all. You can't tell anyone," she said.
"Add it to the pile of secrets," Jess said.
"Are you going to be alright?" Estrella finally asked him.
"Yeah. It's just a job," he said.
"A job you had for seven years," she pointed out.
He made a sound as if it was nothing.
"Don't tell him," Jesse said.
"Don't tell Steve about your weekend job?"
"He'd be disappointed," Jess said.
"It's on the pile of secrets," Estrella assured him, but then she had a thought.
"If you ever come here to visit, Tony will know everything about you. I don't think he would tell Steve directly because that wouldn't be as much fun for him, but he might make a joke," Estrella warned.
"Stark? How would he know unless I mention it?"
"They can find out anything, here. Why do you think the Avengers are so good at what they do? If you come to the tower they'll have to run a security check so you can get inside, and then Tony will know. I don't want to discourage you from coming, but you should know that," she said.
"Thanks. I gotta go," Jesse told her.
"Okay. I love you. Be careful and take care of yourself," she said.
"You too," he said, and then he was gone.
Estrella put her phone on her bedside table and got into bed. Talking to her family helped her feel better. It seemed Jesse had needed someone to talk to more than she did. She turned off the light and hoped she could get to sleep before she got too hungry again.
Her phone received a text and she picked it up.
Church at eleven? Sam's going too, Steve texted.
I want to go. Please come get me, she replied.
Sure thing, doll, he sent back to her.
Maybe Steve really was 'fine', but she didn't think so.
Note: Ch. 53 is already written, awaiting final edit. Gotta sleep. Thank you to my readers and especially those of you who review. I love to hear from you to know which parts were thought provoking for you. Please review.
