Author's Note: I'm very sorry about the longer wait for this chapter, I got behind with stuff I had to do... and this had to go on the back burner. So with out further delay I present Chapter 8 of The Captain's Rose
Chapter 8
"Pay attention." Loki snapped at Rose before sighing, "You asked me to teach you, but how can you learn if you keep objecting everything I try to teach you?" The two were on the training floor for Rose's third lesson in non-verbal spells. Loki had explained that if she wanted to use wandless magic, it would be easier if she learned both nonverbal and wandless at once, not one or the other. Rose really didn't see how learning both together would help, but she figured the God probably knew better so she followed his instruction. "Now, focus. I want you to summon the pillow, without speaking." Rose nodded and tried her hardest, but the pillow barely moved from it's spot.
"It's not working." Rose huffed in annoyance.
"Relax your mind. Focus only on what you want the pillow to do. Focus on nothing else." Loki said from his spot a few feet away. Rose tried but found it difficult she let off a huff of annoyance and Loki spoke once more, "You do wandless magic, even nonverbal magic when you are a child. You have grown too much in need of your wand and voice, you loose the magic that you once had as a child and you channel it solely into one place." Loki moved closer and held her wand in his wand, "Your wand, limits the ability of your magic because you must speak or only have your wand in your hand. Granted in some circumstances it is better to have a wand than nothing, however more powerful spells don't have to channel through the wand." Loki fell silent for a few moments.
"What?" Rose asked watching him.
"Speak. For now, speak what you want the pillow to do. Tell it what you want it to do. Same way you feel the magic in your wand, feel the magic in your hand as you summon the pillow."
Rose watched as he took a could steps back. The young witch focused once more on the pillow. She raised her right hand and said, "Accio Pillow." Nothing happened. She tried again but still nothing. She tried for what felt like hundreds of times with no results. She began to get frustrated and shouted, "ACCIO PILLOW!" Finally the pillow came flying at her, she let out a yelp of surprise as the pillow crashed into her. It didn't hurt but the force of the pillow surprised her, then a large grin spread across the red haired woman's face.
"You are an excellent student when you want to learn and you take advice. Now try again." Loki smiled and Rose thought she saw a kind smile instead of one that was meant as a smirk of playing a prank. She tried again, and countless times after. Each time the pillow moved an inch closer to her. When the pillow finally flipped once before laying still Rose bounced around with happiness and she heard clapping behind her. She turned to see Steve clapping with a big smile on his face. She looked at Loki and he too had a smile on his face, "Class dismissed for today." Loki said, handing her her wand back before disappearing leaving the two alone.
"How was your lesson?" Steve asked approaching her as she tucked her wand into the side of her boot because her current sweatpants and t-shirt didn't have pockets.
"Did you see me!? I got the pillow to come!" She cried happily, Steve smiled at her as she happily jumped around. "I did it!"
Steve laughed, "Okay, can you do the same with that mat over there?" Steve pointed to the purple yoga mat that Pepper used. Rose nodded and focus on what she wanted the mat to do... she wanted it to come to her.
"Accio Mat." She said, hoping it would come. It moved a foot before becoming still.
"Try again, Rose, don't let it discourage you." Steve supportive voice sounded from beside beside her.
"Accio Mat!" Rose said more firmly this time and the mat moved halfway across the distance and then once again fell still. She grinned and tried again, "ACCIO MAT!" This time the mat came flying at her, landing at her feet. Rose grinned happily.
"I think, when you discourage yourself and believe you can't do something you limit yourself." Steve said before placing a kiss on Rose's lips. When they broke apart Rose looked up at him as he smirked down at her. She grinned up at him, then held up his keys to his car. "You little thief." He laughed, trying to snatch them back but she was quicker, and had already moved backwards. He gave chase and saw her transform into Red and bound away with the keys dangling noisily from her jaws. He watched her bow playfully, and gave chase. It went on for several minutes before the Super Soldier finally caught the red dog, knocking it over playfully as it turned back into Rose. He gently took the keys from her hand now and planted a kiss on her lips.
"Well was not expecting that." They both heard and broke apart from where they were on the floor, Rose's face flushing red at as she saw Tony smirking happily. "I just wanted to ask Steve something but clearly you both are busy so I will leave you alone." She watched as Tony sauntered out whistling 'innocently' but they both knew the whole Tower would know about what Tony saw within the hour.
"I bet you all the red jelly beans that Tony will have twisted the story so it sounds like we were in the middle of it within the hour." Steve laughed.
"Really, all the red jelly beans?" Rose raised an eyebrow. "I think I'll bet a kiss that that Tony will have twisted it so much that Pepper will be scolding him by dinner."
"Deal." Steve laughed before planting a kiss on her lips and helping her up, they went back to their floor and Rose pulled out a game of Checkers.
Steve had gotten much better at checkers, considering Rose was very quick to figure things out. He won the game of Checkers and now Rose was trying to teach him how to play chess. She had charmed the Chess Pieces to work like Wizarding Chess so he never had to touch the pieces, and she explained every move to him how a piece can move, and she tried to teach him. They play for about an hour or so and he knew Rose let him win, but he still had a huge smile because a win is a win and it doesn't matter. She reset the pieces and asked, "Would you like to play again?"
"How are you so good at Chess?" Steve asked as he commanded his one piece to move forward.
"Dad taught me. He loved Wizarding Chess, and was probably the best of his year at it." Rose beamed as they continued to play.
