Chapter Ten
"What?!" Francis swivels around now facing James.
"Please..." James begs his lower lip puckers trying to look innocent. Francis tilts his head not sure how to respond to such an absurd request. "It's only temporary."
"No." He answers too quickly while bumping pass James. James turns around quickly clinching his teeth trying to hold back his impending anger.
"Why not?" He asks staring narrowly at the sole of Francis's back.
Francis flinches at the harsh tone knowing he really doesn't have a reason for why he is hating the idea so much. He glances back feeling the daggering stare from behind, "Because just because." He concedes knowing this is not a satisfying answer for James. James glances downwardly unable to understand what's the big deal.
"It's just my hair getting dyed." James says softly, "It's better this way. This way they won't know who I am, at all." Francis turns back to look at James.
"They don't know what you look like." Francis explains strongly.
"How do you know that? They knew where I lived, who my parents were. I can't trust that they don't know what I look like, I feel like there is a target on my back." James desperately explains, "I'm desperate..."
"That's what I'm most afraid of. I'm afraid of your desperation, your anger, and your pain... I can't trust that you'll be alright." Francis confesses shamefully.
"I am angry, but I'm not an idiot. I just want to feel safe for once." James sighs heavily knowing that Francis doesn't understand.
Francis glances around the room hesitantly, "Fine." He breathes unsure of his brother's motives.
"How did it go?"
"Tell me, why can't a father face his child?" Sharon walks slowly over to Steve who sips slowly on his coffee. She sighs heavily knowing he won't answer her, "He looks like you. But he is like his mother... his eyes are."
"What do you mean?" Steve asks with piqued interest. Sharon blinks downwardly not sure how to explain.
"Sad." She shifts in her chair, "angry, dishonest. His intentions are skewed much like both of his parents. But I guess he also resembles you. Maybe even more than Natasha.
"My son is dishonest?" Steve asks feeling irritated for some reason.
Sharon nods her head slowly, "He doesn't want anybody involved in his life because I believe he is going afterward them. Give him time, he will eventually be coming after you. Natasha's right, it's better you tell him yourself before they do because if they tell him, he is suspectable to their lies. He will hate you both, I already see it. That pain, the misery, will turn into hate. That young sweet boy is no longer there, but a hollowed young man."
Steve looks away with his eyes glistening with tears. "I've already made my decision to tell him. But I have to go back before I do." Sharon looks away with disappointment.
"You can't put it off until the final moment. But from what I've gathered they will reach him before you do. Remember what happened to Bucky..." Sharon stands to leave. She huffs before walking away from Steve leaving him feeling overwhelmed.
James steps down the stairs watching his feet slowly. A soft groan of frustration escapes his lips when his feet touch the ground. His eyes glance upward when he notices a pair of feet standing in front of him, "Hi!" A sweet voice rings in his ears causing him to stifle a smile. James looks up towards Cecile their eyes meeting softly, "What are you doing here?"
"I was passing by, and I wanted to see you," Cecile explains with a bright smile.
James smiles taken back by her honesty, "You wanted to see me?"
"Well when you didn't message me, I got worried. I wanted to see if you were doing alright." She explains while pushing a strain of hair behind her ear shyly.
'She worries about me.' James thinks with his heart fluttering. "Oh yeah! I'm sorry, I got..."
"Busy?" She interjects with a clever smile while James chuckles looking down shamefully.
"Yeah."
Cecile grabs James hand and hands him a small strip of paper, "Here." James glances at the paper startled. He folds it open to find a line of numbers on it.
"What's this?" He asks staring intently at the paper. Cecile let out a brisk chuckle before answering him.
"It's my number. I thought it would probably be better to give it to you than you getting it from Griffin." She explains with a pretty smile. James stops staring at the paper realizing he never told Griffin about seeing Cecile. "What is it?" She asks curiously.
James looks up quickly to meet her green eyes, "Oh, nothing, I just realized something. What are you doing right now?"
"Nothing at the moment, but talking to you." She responds entertained.
"You wanna go somewhere?" James asks with a cheeky smirk.
"Sure." Cecile agrees unable to hide her excited eyes. James and Cecile walk down the street with each other closely as if nothing had ever separated them.
Steve watches James walk away with his heart growing tight. "He doesn't look sad." Steve mumbles to himself shocked to see how much his son has grown. He looks down to the ground before turning to walk the other way. Steve lets out a breathy laugh at how smitten his son looked, "He really likes her." Steve thinks as he walks back to his car. Steve opens the door ready to head back to Natasha to tell her about their son.
But he honestly couldn't believe what everyone was telling him, but he knew also how much love can change a person. As much as he was happy for his son, he couldn't help but feel sad. Something about seeing James in person made him want to run the other way and leave him be. Happy and in love, that's all Steve could see. Unfortunately, he couldn't see the underlining current, but he knew he had to tell him.
James and Cecile walk down the street to nowhere in particular in silence. "It's strange..." James begins to speak, but unsure if he should keep talking.
"What is?" Cecile asks glancing up at him with bright eyes full of life. James looks down feeling stupid for bringing this up.
"It's strange, how much time has passed, but we are normal around each other." He explains shyly.
"I always wondered what I would be like when I saw you again, and I'm surprised just as well. It'd be worse if we were awkward with one another." She agrees still looking up at him. James smiles at her statement.
"It's like no time has passed at all." James remarks with a chuckle.
"You've changed," Cecile comments slowly with thought.
"How?" James asks genuinely curious. Cecile rubs her lips together before answering him.
"I don't know, but when I figure it out, I'll let you know." James looks over towards her with a faint smile.
"You haven't changed at all." He says truthfully.
"I would beg the differ," Cecile corrects, "But with you, I feel like myself."
James shallows not sure how to respond to such a blunt statement, "You're so honest."
"I've always been, don't you remember? Sometimes I can be cruel." A grin widens on her lips as she turns back to look in front of her.
"I remember. I guess your candor is endearing to some." He smirks while nudging her shoulder.
"And not to you?" She asks her brow raising in curiosity.
James straightens his shoulders stifling a grin, "Honestly, it bothers me." Cecile laughs knowing he's right.
"It's because I can call your BS."
"That. And, " He points at her with a flirtatious smile, "You're right." Cecile pushes back her hair with a heavy drawn out sigh of disappointment.
"I have to go," Cecile says disappointedly noticing the time on her phone.
"Why?" James asks not wanting her to leave. Ceciles smiles purely before stepping in front of him.
"I have to go pick up my sister from dance." She answers with her shoulders slumping down.
"Oh. Will I see you again?" James asks hoping she says yes.
"I don't know, I guess we'll just have to see." She remarks with a wink.
James snorts smiling downwardly, "Alright, I guess we'll see." James restrains himself from hugging her.
"Bye." She waves with a fleeting smile before walking away being sweep away with the crowd of people.
Griffin watches as James walks back into the apartment who beams with a bright smile. Taken back Griffin walks over to James suspicious as to why the boy has suddenly changed his mood, "What's up with you?" He asks with a slight grin. James looks over at Griff as if not aware he was speaking to him. Ignoring him James walks towards the kitchen suddenly hungry. Griffin follows him perplexed by his changed disposition.
"James?" Griff pokes while walking around him towards the fridge. James turns to look at him while biting into a newly fixed sandwich.
"What?"
"What's gotten into you?" Griff asks pulling out the milk out of the fridge.
James shallows now looking down at the granted counter, "I saw something funny while I was outside."
The front door opens causing James and Griffin to turn their attention away from their current conversation and head to towards the front. James takes a step back when he sees Francis and a pretty woman with medium length pale pink hair come in. "Wh-what's this?" James snorts taken back by all of the junk the woman brought with her. Francis glares over at him when he hears his brother's mocking tone of voice.
"Didn't you want your hair dyed?" Francis asks folding his arms annoyed.
"Oh...Yeah..." James slurs now remembering their current conversation before he met up with Cecile.
"I'm going to set up in the kitchen." The woman says walking pass both James and Griffin.
Once the woman left the room James asked a bigger question, "What did you tell her?"
"I told her that you wanted your hair dyed. She's a friend of mine, and she's doing this for free, and also giving you a hair cut." Francis answers while walking past James. James follows Francis back into the kitchen where she has everything set up.
"Alright, honey, come sit down." She coos with a surprising slight southern drawl. James sits down for her to wash his hair and dye and cut it. "Now, what kind of color do you want?"
"I was thinking about a blackish color?" James says timidly now regretting this decision.
"Hmm, I know exactly what to do. No one will recognize you once I'm done." She says while she looks at his hair. James eyes snap towards Francis panicked by her words knowing she knows his plan. "Alright, lean back." She leans his head slowly back towards the sink to wash his hair.
After two hours of work she was finally done with cutting his hair. She combs his hair through while she hair sprays it keeping it in place, "Voila!" James takes the hand held mirror from her shakily unsure of how he will look with such drastic change. He stares into his blues eyes unable to recognize himself his heart sinks in his chest suddenly wishing to see his blonde hair instead of this deep brown.
"It is a drastic change, but I thought that this hair cut would make you seem older. I did a low fade with your top hair kept textured which is good because your hair is thick. I thought this hair look nice with your deep brown hair color." She explains still styling it. James turns his head to the right and left slowly admiring how drastically he looks older than before.
Griffin walks in wide eyed at the different looking person sitting in the kitchen. "My God, you look different." James clinches his teeth not sure how to take that. "Francis, come look at James!"
"Wow, you really look different, but like in a good way." Francis reassures with a proud smile.
Griffin lets out a laugh, "It looks good, but you look like one of those F*ck boys."
James smirks at that statement before taking off the cutting gown and standing up. James stands up with confidence while he heads towards the bathroom to look at his hair with a better view. "I like it." James smiles happy with his identity hidden, "It looks natural."
"Thank you, Kat. It really does look natural." Francis adds while looking over at Kat who is putting away her materials.
"I am an expert at making hair look natural." She quips with a wink. "I'll be honest though, a lot of girls will start coming after you." She warns towards James with a cheeky grin.
"He only has one girl on his mind, and I'm really surprised he hasn't tired to find her." Griffin chirps while walking towards were James is marveling at himself. "Hey, I think if you ask 'mirror, mirror, on the wall who is the fairest of them all' it might answer." Griff jests towards James causing him to jump away from the mirror.
"Shut up!" James laughs pushing Griff out of the way while walking out of the bathroom to thank Kat.
"To be honest, Kat, it will take time to get use to, but I'm pleased with it. Thank you for helping me." He beamed while giving her an unexpected hug of gratitude.
"Your brother gave me a little synopsis of what's happening. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I've dealt with many super human people trying to cover identity, so most of the time, they come to me." She explains releasing from his tight hug.
"I'm not a super human." He interjects quickly with his fingers intertwined behind his back.
"I know." She puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder before leaving.
Francis walks Kat outside leaving James and Griffin. "We should go clubbing." Griffin breaks silence while heading towards the couch to turn on the TV.
"You can go clubbing." James plops down next to Griffin to watch whatever rerun is playing on the TV.
"Com'on, James, you got this new hair and you need to show it off." Griff scoffs while flipping through all the channels one by one. James rubs the side of his head where it is faded feeling more confidence, but it doesn't take away the fact he doesn't want to expose himself too much.
"Maybe." James says quickly, but his maybes always mean no. It just a nicer way of saying it.
Francis follows Kat out of the door and down the steps with his fist stuff tightly in his jeans front pockets. "You really think they won't recognize him?" He asks timidly. Kat turns around with a soft smile understanding his deep concern for his brother. She pulls his hand out of his pocket to interlock their fingers together, "Yes." Francis lets out a puff of air before kissing her softly on the lips.
"You still haven't told him bout us, have you?" she asks when they part with a glimpse of joy in her eyes.
Francis pushes back a loose strain of hair behind her ear before answering, "Haven't found the time with all that's happened. But I will tell him soon, promise." She smiles knowing he keeps his promises.
"I'll see you." She says with a little wave before calling for a taxi. Francis watches while the taxi drives away, his eyes glance towards his pockets when he feels his phone vibrate.
"Hello?" He answers the unknown number.
"Mr and Mrs. Barton are being transported to Washington DC, you'll be able to see them on Thursday of this week." The monotone voice explains on the other line giving Francis some hope.
"Thank you." Francis says before hanging up. He looks up at the blurred sky with hope that maybe the anticipated disaster will dissipate.
Author Notes: Hey guys! I'm so so so sorry I haven't updated in awhile! This chapter kind of took me a while to write because I was doing some planning with were it's leading, and some plot stuff before I could update. But I have things sorted out now, so it shouldn't take me as long to update next time! Thank you for being supportive with this story! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
- C.R.