Happy Easter everyone! Today I'm putting up an Easter treat, though it's really Halloween in the story… Anyway, thanks for all the awesome reviews, favorites, and follows. I love them and I'm glad everyone's enjoying. This is a little James and Eve time because they're my favorite BFFs and I love having them together. Just so everyone knows, I apologize for the cliffhanger. It was just too good for me to do anymore with this chapter. Hang onto your seats because from here on out, there's a crap ton of action! Let me know what you think!
"We're just going to get costumes and we'll be back. No need to freak out," Eve promised Steve as she tucked him into bed. His jaw was clenched tightly and a scowl was permanently etched on his lips. He'd been upset since she'd decided to go shopping. When she'd asked about the party, he'd been all for it. Until he'd heard that she'd have to go out of the Tower to get a costume. Really, it wasn't a big deal. James had agreed to go with her and he wasn't going to let anyone hurt her.
"I don't like it," he persisted, still scowling.
"James is going with me and you know he won't let anyone hurt me. Now, stop pouting and promise you'll stay in this bed until we get back. If you don't, I'll make you take your meds," Eve threatened. Steve huffed out an annoyed breath, knowing she was serious. His medicine made him tired and he hated it. He had even gone so far as refusing it that morning. She'd let him on the condition that he still take it easy. Apparently, taking it easy meant walking into the kitchen while she was cooking breakfast, watching TV in the living room when she'd gone to get some more clothes, and just generally being a pain in her ass.
"I'll stay here as long as you're back in two hours. Two hours, Eve. I want a text every half hour," he ordered, giving her a stern look. Eve wanted to laugh at him, but knew that he would get even more upset if she didn't make the promise. Besides, if he stayed in bed, it was worth it.
"Three hours and I'll text every twenty minutes," Eve compromised. She had no idea where to go to get a costume and trying it on would take a few minutes at least. Besides, it would be nice to get out of the Tower. She'd been cooped up for a while and would enjoy the time away from her annoyingly persistent boyfriend.
"Fine. Go. Be safe." Steve squeezed her hand and Eve leaned down to kiss him, pressing her lips against his. Warm and slightly rough, his lips were perfect. To make things even, Eve cupped his jaw in her palms and started pressing her lips all over his face. Kissing his cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose, his jaw, his chin, the corner of his lips…
Steve groaned, pulling away with a grin on his lips.
"Go before I decide to keep you," he waved her off and Eve pressed another kiss to his lips quickly, ducking out of his hold when he went to pull her into the bed.
"I'll be back soon. Be good and don't get out of bed!" she called back as she hurried from the room, his annoyed noise following her into the living room where James was waiting.
"Ready?" he asked, voice a rough growl. His hair was pulled back into a small ponytail and a brown bomber jacket covered his arm. Gloves were on his hands to hide the metal prosthetic and he'd donned jeans and motorcycle boots to keep the look up.
Eve had chosen a sweater dress with long sleeves and a cowl neck, the material knitted and warm. She'd pulled on leggings to keep her legs warm and boots that gave her an extra two inches in height and tied up her shins. A leather jacket that Natasha had made her take was pulled on over the sweater dress and she had a purple knit hat pulled over her curls. Together, they looked like complete opposites.
"Yep. We have three hours to be back and I have to text him every twenty minutes. If I'm late, I have a feeling he'll call in the National Guard, so don't let me be late," Eve begged James, who just quirked his lips slightly and motioned her towards the elevator. Her hand automatically checked on Steve's dog tags, which she was still wearing. He hadn't asked for them back and she actually liked to have them. A permanent link to the man she was in love with.
God, she was in love with him…
Eve sighed a little as James followed her into the elevator, knowing that there was a big difference between admitting it to herself and admitting it to him. And, honestly, he was the man she could see herself marrying. Having a life with. He was the only boyfriend she'd had that she could see a future with. Her future. Whether he felt the same way was up in the air. He'd promised he'd take care of her and said he was in it for the long haul, but she wasn't sure how far that went. Until she was safe? Until HYDRA was gone? Until the end?
The ride down to the lobby was silent and people stared when they got off the elevator together, obviously surprised to see someone from the upper levels that looked like normal human beings. Eve kept the act up as they walked out of the lobby and into the street, the wind blowing past them as they started to walk toward the cluster of stores down the street.
"Are you going to go to the Halloween party?" Eve asked James, tucking her hands into the pockets of her coat. It was chilly outside and she wished she'd grabbed gloves, now that she'd thought about it. Her fingers brushed her phone and the money that Steve had pushed on her, promising that it wasn't a big deal for him to buy her a costume for the party. His logic had been that she was planning on picking one up for him anyway, but she'd argued for a while before accepting. After all, he shouldn't feel like he needed to buy her things. Eve had money saved up and she had a good job, even if SHIELD wasn't really paying. Tony paid her a good sum for the lack of work that she did for him.
James shook his head to answer her question, eyes on the rooftops and passing pedestrians, his movements natural. To anyone who was watching them, he would look like a curious tourist and her the tour guide. She was struck by how good he was at espionage, wondering if he could beat Natasha at that game.
"Natasha offered to take me if Steve doesn't feel up to it," Eve informed him. James glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his attention returning to the surrounding buildings after that.
"Steve will take you," he kept his voice completely serious and Eve looked up at him in surprise. James wasn't really the kind to idly gossip and he rarely answered her when she was talking to him. Most of the time it was like talking to herself and she just told him things. It was odd that he'd feel the need to answer her, not that she was against it.
"He might not feel well enough. He's still healing," Eve reminded the other man, pursing her lips in thought.
"He'll take you," James reiterated. Eve nodded slightly when his attention turned to her and he stared, waiting for her to agree. Once she'd agreed, he turned back to keeping watch, obviously none too concerned about the fact that Steve might still be in pain.
A few minutes later, they moved into a store that had costumes in the front windows; James had pointed it out to her, letting her lead the way into the building while he watched her back. Moving immediately to the racks with the costumes, Eve smiled at the greeting from the young girl behind the counter before starting to eye the selection.
"People wear these?" James asked a moment later, pointing to the 'Naughty Nurse' outfit that was on display. Most of the choices were variations of the same thing and Eve wrinkled her nose at it, glancing up at James's narrowed eyes.
"Sadly, yes. In public. We're looking for something with more coverage," Eve informed him, motioning to her body as a whole. Honestly, the outfit needed more material in the skirt, the bust, and basically everywhere else. How someone could dress in one of those outfits without falling out, Eve wasn't sure, but she wasn't about to test it.
James went silent after that, trailing her around the store with a disinterested look on her face. She held up a 'Naughty Captain America' outfit for him to see and actually got his lips to twitch before demanding he hold it so she could take a picture. Their twenty minute mark was coming up anyway and Eve snapped a photo with a bland James next to the outfit, quickly tapping out a message to Steve, asking him if she should wear that.
His reply was almost instantaneous. 'Not in public.'
She typed out a quick response, smiling as she thought of his face at the sight of the costume. 'Come on, I would look just like you!'
'No one else needs to see you dressed in something like that. Mine.' He answered, to which Eve bit into her bottom lip to hold in a laugh. His her ass. She would wear what she wanted, but he already knew that. He also knew that she wasn't seriously considering buying the outfit, though. There was no way she was walking around in something that showed that much skin.
For the first time in a long time, Eve contemplated her scars. She'd gotten comfortable with James, Natasha, Steve, and Sam. She hadn't worried about her scars much while she was staying with them. Natasha understood on a deep level where they'd come from and what she'd gone through to get them and so did Sam and James. Steve hadn't ever mentioned going through something similar, but he also didn't judge her in the least for bearing her scars. In fact, he seemed to like running his fingers over the slightly raised bumps along her skin, something that confused her and brought a slight amount of relief. She hadn't ever thought someone would find her scars as anything other than horrifying.
'I'll just get you a matching outfit. Then no one will look at me.' She typed back, smirking evilly. Two could play that game.
Tucking her phone away, Eve let James lead her out of the store and back onto the street. There weren't very many full body costumes and the ones that were available were mostly for men. Women's costumes were hard to find if you wanted them to cover skin.
The next stop was a bust as well and Eve sighed a little, checking her phone again.
'Not funny, doll.'
'Yes, funny.' Eve answered, a soft smile curving her lips. That nickname was going to be the end of her. Eve looked up, planning on asking James to stop at the next coffee shop, when her blood ran cold.
Sitting at a table on the street, casually sipping a cup of coffee, was Grant Ward.
