Ruby Red

Sam watched as she chatted with the people around her and he couldn't help but smile. People were drawn to Malika, that was nothing new. Her smile could light up any room and her kind, vibrant nature did the rest. She wasn't quiet, yet she never overshadowed others. Malika had this amazing ability to give others space to be as big as they wanted to be, without making herself smaller or letting them overpower her. Sam never quite understood how she did it, but he loved it.

He couldn't help but smile as she laughed loudly at a joke she just shared, joined by the rest of the company she had acquired around her. Then without missing a beat she turned the attention on her neighbour—Sam couldn't tell what she asked precisely, but everyone turned in unison to listen to his answer.

The cook-out was winding down and he slowly began cleaning up discarded plates and cups. He didn't need to look to know Sarah was doing the same at the table behind him. People were saying their goodbyes, thanking the Wilsons for a lovely meal and a wonderful time. He thanked them for their presence and exchanged the expected pleasantries before waving them off. All the while, he could not keep his eyes off Malika for long.

"It wouldn't hurt to talk to her you know," Sarah said softly and Sam jumped. He hadn't noticed her walking up to him. His cheeks heated up; there was no denying he'd been distracted.

"It's been so long though," Sam shrugged. Sarah knew him too well for him to feed her some lie. She'd see right through it.

"You stayed in touch didn't you?" Sarah gently pushed, offering him an encouraging smile.

"I sorta wasn't able to these past five years," Sam reminded her. Unbidden, his voice gained an edge and he closed his eyes. Sarah didn't deserve that. She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"Neither was she." Sarah took the trash bag from his hands and walked away. Leaving him to mull over his thoughts.

He sighed. Sarah was right. And there was nothing he could do to bring those five years back regardless. Still there was a tinge of anger of the time he lost. Time in which Sarah had struggled. Time in which his nephews had grown up without him. They were great boys, and rationally he knew there was still plenty of time to be their uncle. Emotionally, he hated the time he had missed with them and everyone else in his life. Including Malika. Especially since the two years before the blip he'd spent on the run. He hadn't really been good at reaching out then either.

Sam remembered how she'd burst into his life. She'd been Sarah's friend since high school, so he'd known her, but he hadn't properly noticed her. That was until that dreadful time after their father's funeral when he and Sarah had buried their last remaining parent. Though adults, it was scary to face the world without their parents guidance. At first relatives and friends had rallied around them, but eventually they all had to return to their own lives. Sam and Sarah had felt so lost then, and that was when Malika really shined.

She hadn't even bothered knocking, she'd let herself in—carrying bags of groceries to fill up their fridge and once she'd done that she had started cooking. It hadn't been until that moment that Sam realised the sun had set. He'd turned on a few more lights and just silently watched Malika work. Sarah had been standing next to her friend, almost desperate for the mindless chatter that Malika had offered, but Sam had barely heard a word of it.

When they sat down for dinner, Malika had offered more meaningful words—words of comfort, promises of availability— and in the weeks after, she'd stayed true to her word. She'd visited several times a week, helped them sift through the books of the family business and nudged them back on their feet in the aftermath of their loss.

And he'd never forgotten that she walked in when others walked out.

Therefore it really shouldn't have come as a surprise when she showed up after he had lost Riley. He was needed in Washington in the aftermath of that tragedy and Sarah was stuck in Delacroix with a newborn. Malika had taken time off work and flown in instead. She had held him in her arms for days. He'd truly appreciated her then.

When her sister died a little over a year later, it had been his turn to show up and he did. He had only just gotten on his feet after Riley and it was hard, but she'd needed him, and he'd been there. He'd cooked for her, listened to her stories of an amazing sister and dried her tears as they fell. She had kissed him for the first time then.

After that, through every celebration and every heartache, they supported each other. They never spoke of the kiss though. She was in Louisiana and he was in DC — the distance was too great to overcome. So they had silently agreed to push their feelings down.

Then he'd met Steve and his life got pretty crazy fast. He barely saw her and they interacted only through FaceTime and texts. He was glad for every second of her time he got, but it wasn't the same.

When he'd gotten back to Delacroix last month, he had promised to stay a while. He wouldn't hang up his wings, but he'd known he'd need to do more to help Sarah and the boys. He wanted to help them. He longed for more time with family.

On his second day back, he had seen Malika walking down the street and she'd taken his breath away. Time had done nothing to diminish her effect on him. She'd been smiling brightly as she talked to someone on the phone and Sam paused in his steps. She still outshined the sun in his opinion. Her long dreads were pulled up in a bun on her head, her lips painted a ruby red and her clothes pristine and crisp, highlighting the line of her shoulders. He remembered she did something in accounting and figured she'd been very successful in his absence.

She'd noticed him before he could call out to her and quickly ended her call to greet him. She'd run across the street in her high heels like it was nothing and he'd smiled as he opened his arms to hug her. Holding her close had been amazing and for some reason it felt like no time had passed at all.

"It's about time you came home, Sammie," she said and her voice sounded like a melody he had long since forgotten. A sound he wanted to drown in.

"I agree," he said, chuckling, and they walked the rest of the street together, chatting happily.

And now, here she was at his cookout, looking as amazing as ever. Talking to everyone, entertaining his nephews and lighting up his life. He knew he had a choice to make. Be her friend, or dare to be more. Sarah had made it clear where she stood on the subject. Apparently, she'd always wanted Malika for a sister. He didn't need to ask his nephews, they loved her. Even Bucky had felt comfortable enough around her to make jokes.

She caught his eye and said her goodbyes to the couple she'd been talking with, walking over to him quickly. Sam felt like the air around him was getting warmer and he was a little nervous. This surprised him, she hadn't made him nervous before. Things had always been so easy between them. It figured raising the stakes could change things.

"How have you been settling in?" Malika asked after she hugged him close for a second. Far too short a hug, in Sam's personal opinion, but he couldn't be greedy.

"It's been a little chaotic, but good," Sam said, putting a smile on his face. It felt a little forced, but he hoped she'd overlook that.

"How about you? Sarah told me you'd been blipped as well—must have been a hassle to rebuild all you'd accomplished?" Sam asked, rattled. He was talking too fast. Halfway through his sentence he had wished he had left it at 'how about you.'

Malika chuckled at his obvious discomfort and nodded over to a couple chairs in the corner. He followed her and they sat down. Better.

"It was definitely strange, but I was lucky. There's always a need for my profession. You wouldn't believe the trouble people get in when they vanish for a few years. Thankfully I've been able to help some of them."

"Right," Sam replied, unable to think of what else to say.

"I've missed you," Malika spoke much more softly now and her eyes didn't meet his. It felt like a massive weight was lifted off Sam's shoulders as she spoke those words and he released the breath he had unintentionally been holding.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that," Sam admitted. He leaned closer to her and took her hand, squeezing gently. "I wondered if too much time had passed. I've been a little…unavailable, recently" Sam said, smiling almost despite himself. "But I missed hearing your voice, seeing your face. I missed you."

"Then perhaps, you can finally man up and take that girl on a date," Sarah whispered loudly from behind him. She had again managed to sneak up on Sam and he was wondering what was wrong with his senses. Malika chuckled and Sarah winked before walking off. The skip in her step told Sam that this was exactly what Sarah had wanted to happen—getting the jump on him being a nice bonus.

"Malika, would you like to have dinner with me this weekend?" Sam asked.

"I'd like that very much, Sam," Malika laughed.

And just like that, everything felt easy again. Like it always had before. And Sam couldn't wait to kiss her ruby red lips.