Steve stared at Eleanore, then the dragon in front of him. Jet looked away, up to the sky. The wind rustled softly through the trees around them. Darren was looking between Eleanore and Steve, waiting for an answer.
"Are you sure?" Steve asked, glancing around at the three of them, lingering longest on the dragon, who looked away when Steve made eye contact.
"Well you don't have to," Eleanore assured him. "I just didn't want you to feel left out."
Steve grinned slightly at her blunt answer and shrugged. "Sure, if Jet is okay with it." The dragon looked at him again and cocked its head.
"I talked to him, and he seems okay," Eleanore stated excitedly. "Come on, I'll get you situated."
Steve quickly learned that 'getting situated' meant a lecture on which spikes to hold onto, how to position his legs, where to place his bottom, and how to balance his weight in tune with the dragon as it changed direction.
"I'm coming with you on this first run," Eleanore informed him, "purely for safety's sake." Steve supposed it was her dragon, her rules, and nodded.
"So you'll catch me if I fall off?" he joked, but Eleanore nodded seriously.
"Well, I won't," she amended. "Jet will. I'll just try to help you balance and not fall."
"We should have brought a waiver," Darren quipped, and Eleanore smiled even as Steve was lost.
"Alright Steve, up you get," she said. Steve tried to mount the same way she had, and got it mostly right. He looked down as Jet stood and Eleanore reached up her hand. Steve pulled her up and she sat behind him, arms around his chest. "This okay?" she queried, and Steve nodded because he was fine with it, but still glad she had asked permission.
"Oka— wait, Jet— okay, ready?"
"Yep," Steve's stomach clenched a little with anticipation as he felt Jet's muscles tense and Eleanore's hold on his chest tighten.
"Hold on." He obeyed, and suddenly the world lurched downward, wings were on either side of him, and they were in the air.
Steve had been in many airplanes before. He'd crossed the Atlantic in one to get to Europe, he'd jumped out of some, and he'd thought he was going to die in the most advanced aircraft of his time. This was not comparable to any of those experiences.
For one thing, the beating of Jet's wings as he swiftly rose made Steve's insides lurch and his fingers tighten in the spikes in front of him. The dragon's body was angled almost perpendicularly to the ground, and Steve had to squeeze his legs to gain purchase on the saddle so he wouldn't kick Eleanore off. The ground was a haze in the periphery as he focused on the spot straight in front of Jet's nose, the wispy clouds coming more into focus as ice crystals as they rose. The sky was a more brilliant blue from this height, and off to the West Steve could see a haze over the far away city.
Suddenly they leveled out, and Steve lurched forward slightly, hearing Eleanore gasp from behind him. Her right arm moved to his shoulder and pulled back, righting him as the dragon's wings stopped beating and settled into a glide. Steve looked around at the expanse of land before him. Most aircraft from his experience had lacked windows for passengers; they were more like large metal tubed for pure transportation with some weapons hooked onto the sides for protection. The Valkyrie had afforded Steve a good view of the ice in front of him, and the ocean below, but he hadn't enjoyed it as he was faced with certain doom. Now he looked down at the treetops, and even saw birds below them, flapping along. He'd never seen a bird fly from above before. These were simple crows, but their top feathers glowed blue-green in the sun and their eyes stared straight ahead. That is, until they glanced up and fluttered away, cawing in panic at the dragon's shadow above them.
The forest extended for a couple of miles in each direction, broken up only by the building in the clearing below them. The rolling green hills kept Steve centered in the present, as memories of weightlessness, explosions, and ice threatened to emerge.
"Do you know what a waiver is?" Eleanore called over his shoulder, snatching Steve out of his observational reverie. Her voice was torn back by the wind in their faces, but she shorter than Steve was, so his body blocked most of it.
"No I don't," Steve turned his head slightly to the left, trying to find her face. He caught a glimpse of hazel eyes and an elated grin just as the wing he was facing dipped downward and he was caught in another scramble for balance. This one he almost lost, his legs slipping from where they'd relaxed, hands and arms fighting to keep him upright. An image flashed through his mind of him dragging Eleanore down with him, and he wondered if the dragon would catch them both.
"Let go of me!" he yelled, feeling the dragon listing into an awkward descent as Steve's weight dragged them to one side.
"No!" Eleanore shouted back. She roughly grabbed Steve's right arm and threw all of her weight to the other side, bringing him back upright. Once he got his legs repositioned, Eleanore readjusted herself quickly and they went back into their graceful, descending turn.
"It's a legal thing." Eleanore shouted again in his ear, raising herself slightly by slinging one arm over Steve's shoulder. They were making a return sweep high above the car. Steve could just make Darren out, standing where they'd taken off from. Steve imagined falling towards him, faster and faster, no parachute, nothing to stop his fall. Maybe if he angled himself to the trees he might survive… Steve shook his head and forced himself to come back to Eleanore's statement.
"A waiver is?" sometimes her mind could make quick leaps to different subjects, but Steve could usually keep up with her. This time, it seemed, she was focused on her explanation.
"Yeah." She spoke conversationally over the wind. "You sign it promising not to sue us if you fall off Jet and die." The dragon's wings came up beside them until they encompassed most of Steve's peripheral vision, slowing their descent.
"How could I sue you if I'm dead?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's only if you're injured. Just don't sue us, okay?" She didn't sound worried, a smile in her voice.
"We'll see," Steve joked, earning a laugh that jolted off as they touched down in the clearing once more.
Darren was already beside them as Steve jumped off Jet's back. The younger man offered a hand to Eleanore as she descended.
"I almost fell too, my first time," Darren commented, not looking back at him, and Steve inwardly grimaced. He must have been watching through the binoculars.
"You almost fell a lot more than Steve did," Eleanore laughed, nudging her boyfriend playfully.
"But neither of us signed a waiver, so… we could sue you." Darren deadpanned, bringing more laughter from the woman beside him. Steve had to smile as well at the ridiculous notion.
Jet trotted off into the building, and Eleanore and Darren led the way back to the car.
"You don't want to follow Jet," Elle reassured Steve. "He's going to devour a whole cow in a couple of bites. It's feeding day."
"You feed him a whole cow… how often?" Steve asked, incredulous.
"Only once a month or so. He actually doesn't eat that much for as big as he is," Eleanore shrugged and Jet suddenly reemerged, walking slowly across the grass. His stomach was distended, but other than that there was no sign of him having eaten. Steve guessed that dragons must be habitually clean.
Just then there was a rustling from the foliage off to their left, behind the building. All of them froze, then Jet quickly shifted back into a dog, hackles raised.
"Wait guys," Eleanore whispered, holding up a hand. "It's not a human."
"What is it?" Darren asked just as a meow sounded from the tall grass.
"Here kitty kitty!" Eleanore stepped forward quickly as a large kitten emerged from the grass. It ran up to her immediately, rubbing on her legs and purring loudly. It looked mostly brown, covered in dirt, with black stripes underneath. The only parts of the cat that Steve could clearly make out were its green-gray eyes
"Elle, it probably has fleas." Darren backed away in distaste. Steve wasn't too keen on the animal either. It looked mangy and half-starved, and after lice and fleas in the trenches, he wasn't getting too close.
"Oh, he's okay." Eleanore answered him, running a hand over the cat. "There, all gone." She picked the kitten up and cuddled it close. "Someone probably dropped him off in the woods, and he heard us so he followed the sound." She paused and gazed at the animal purring in her arms. "I've been thinking of adopting a cat, so this works."
"Isn't that kind of a quick decision?" Darren asked gently, walking over to Eleanore and placing his hand on her shoulder. "If we take it to the animal shelter he'll be taken care of and adopted. Kittens always are."
"But I want him. I love him already. Look, he even likes him tummy scratched!" Eleanore exclaimed quietly, holding the kitten on its back like a baby. Steve could hear its purrs from ten feet away.
"Well," Darren glanced at Steve and shrugged. "Are you sure you have time for it?"
"He's a cat. Once he grows up he'll just sleep most of the day."
"And what are you going to do until he's grown up?" Darren was petting the kitten, even as he cautioned Eleanore.
"I'm home a lot now. Maybe I could get him certified as a therapy animal and take him to Mom's place with me." Eleanore was only getting more excited about the cat. Jet sidled over and sniffed the kitten, who rubbed its nose on his face. Steve could sense victory for Eleanore.
"We'll have to stop and get some stuff for him on the way back then." Darren turned back to the car and shrugged again.
"Okay!" Eleanore followed him and gave Steve a huge smile. He nodded and grinned back, wondering if this was how she normally made decisions. A bit hasty for his liking, but he couldn't fault her if she'd already been planning on getting a cat anyway.
They all piled into the car in the same order as before, with Eleanore holding the kitten in the back seat. Steve wondered how well the cat would travel for an hour, but he curled into Eleanore's lap as soon as Darren started the car.
"I wonder what to name him?" Eleanore spoke up over his shoulder, her voice combined with the kitten's purring.
"Whiskers," Steve suggested, glancing back at her. She was smiling profusely and petting the cat, who was lying on its back and soaking up the attention. Jet was looking out the window, and Eleanore occasionally gave him a quick pat, which he ignored. Steve wondered if the dragon would get jealous of the cat. Probably not.
"Not Whiskers. He's a person, look at him." She help the kitten up and it blinked lazily at Steve.
"Brainless. Dummy. Dumbo." Darren spoke up, and Eleanore laughed.
"I'm not naming him after your dad's robots."
"I've never had a pet, so that's what I got." Darren shrugged and kept his eyes on the road.
"How about Tesla?" Eleanore held the cat up to eye level. "Huh? Tesla! Tessy?" It didn't respond.
"There was a cat in my neighborhood named Otis," Steve offered. It didn't sit well with him for this cat, though. Otis had been huge, bad-tempered, and orange with yellow eyes.
"No offense, but I don't like that name," Eleanore looked apologetic, but Steve just nodded and grinned.
"Tigger?" she tried again. Still no response, although Steve didn't know what she expected. Maybe just for a name to stick and feel right. "Rex? No. Mason? No. Charlie?" she paused and stared at the cat. "I like that one."
"That's a person name," Darren pointed out. Steve didn't know if he was trying to be helpful or just making an observation.
"Charlie it is," Eleanore crowed triumphantly, hugging the cat close. Then she sneezed forcefully. Steve saw a cloud of dust fly off the cat's coat. Eleanore wiped her nose and smiled. "Charlie needs a bath."
Steve settled back into his seat, staring out the the windshield as the forest quickly gave way to abandoned buildings, a gas station, and the city loomed up ahead. He let him mind go blank, relaxed, listened to Eleanore murmuring to the kitten, the purr of the engine, the whisper of the tires. Thinking of nothing in particular was relaxing, and Steve didn't often get a chance to do it. He avoided it when he was alone, because memories of death and destruction, ice and water would creep in and before long he would have images flashing through his head, and sometimes he was lost in a full-scale flashback. He hadn't told anyone about it, but Eleanore seemed to understand. She invited him over every day, and just having someone there was a relief. The normal sounds of living she and Jet made brought him back from the edge of the memories and collected his mind into an intelligible calm. Often, Steve would find himself watching her go about her day as he simply sat on the couch, grateful for the chance to rest and gather himself.
The lack of action was not wearing on him as of yet, but Steve knew it was only a matter of time before he was thrust back into the real world as it was now, and he was taking time to orient himself and make sure he was fit to lead. The last thing he wanted was for a flashback to hit him during a battle, forcing his teammates to protect him and put themselves at risk. If time was what it took to avoid that, Steve was more than willing to invest it.
Darren pulled off into a Walmart parking lot on the outskirts of the city, and Steve roused himself back to the present.
"So who wants to stay with Charlie in the car?" Eleanore asked. Steve realized that, while he would have been fine waiting for up to an hour, the sunny, warm day would heat the car past bearable temperature for a normal animal. Eleanore even let Jet sit outside the car when she couldn't take him inside somewhere, both in the interest of keeping him cool and letting him spend some time outside. This wouldn't work for a cat for obvious reasons.
"I can stay with him," Steve offered, though he kind of wanted to go into the store and grab a few things for his apartment. Milk ran out surprisingly quickly when one used it in protein shakes.
"No, I can see both of you want to come in." Eleanore frowned at them thoughtfully. "Jet, could you stay in here and turn the car on if it gets too hot? We won't be gone long, I promise."
The dog-dragon snorted and laid down on the seat. Steve couldn't tell if he was pleased, angry, or indifferent.
"Thanks," Eleanore reached over and rubbed his ears. "Okay Charlie, we'll be right back." So saying, she gently set the kitten on the floor and quickly exited the car. Steve and Darren did the same, and they all headed into the superstore.
"How much stuff do you think you need for him?" Darren asked Eleanore, and she looked up at him, brow creasing.
"Well, there'd food, bowls, a litter box, litter, and probably shampoo and a brush."
Darren raised his eyebrows, "All for that little kitten?"
"It's one-time expenses for the most part," Eleanore reassured him, glancing at Steve who had fallen behind them. "Let's split up, get what we need, and meet back in about fifteen minutes, okay?"
"Sounds good," Steve grabbed a basket and Eleanore and Darren got a cart.
They separated at the store entrance, and Steve headed immediately to the human food section. Milk, eggs, peanut butter, bread. He repeated this litany to himself and focused on only buying what he needed, instead of things that caught his eye. This time period had such flashy packaging that his eyes kept roving around and getting distracted whenever he was looking for an item. He wouldn't have admitted it, but having Eleanore there often helped because she was so used to the colors and smells that each product emitted, often they seemed to flow right over her.
The bread aisle was first, and Steve picked out a whole-grain loaf that he'd eaten and enjoyed at Eleanore's apartment. Then came the peanut butter, of which he preferred the crunchy variety. Milk and eggs were in relatively the same area, and then Steve had some time to kill before he had to meet the other two up front. He gazed at the signs above the aisles, picturing his apartment and mentally ticking off necessary items. His eye fell on Candy and he walked toward it, just to browse. He didn't generally eat too many sweets, but once in a while they were good. He noted the familiar suckers, caramels, and mints from his childhood, and then he spotted the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Raspberry bag on a shelf with higher-end chocolates. He grabbed one bag, thinking that if he ever invited Eleanore over, or if she healed someone and needed them, then he would have them handy. Besides, they tasted pretty good.
Noting his time was nearly up, Steve walked back to the front of the store and waited near the flower cooler for the other two to show up. They arrived just in time, Eleanore's listed items in tow, along with a couple of cat toys.
"Ready?" she asked, and Steve nodded. They went to the 10 Items or Less checkout lane and were on their way back to the car in a matter of minutes.
"Hang on," Eleanore paused just before they reached the vehicle, glancing down at her legs. "Here. Phone call." She shoved her bags into Darren's hands, and he took them with no fuss. Quickly extricating her phone from her back pocket, she swiped the screen and held it up to her ear.
"Hi Tony, is Darren not answering again?" she asked brightly. Steve could barely hear the voice on the other end over the outdoor noises, and he couldn't understand what they were saying. He focused instead on putting his bags in the trunk beside Darren's, and keeping the cold things up front near his legs. When he turned back, he saw a look of horror on Eleanore's face.
"What? Are you sure?" she asked tensely. "How do you know?" Squabbling from the other end. "Okay. We'll meet you there." She hung up the phone and looked straight to Darren. "That was your dad. SHIELD called him. They know about you."
A/N: Thanks for waiting so patiently for this much delayed chapter! I'm still very much interested in this story, and I'd love to hear your thoughts about it. Reviews are love. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter, and I hope to get another one up by the end of this week.