Seren's living room was bombarded with boxes all stuffed with things she needed for her new home. She was leaving tomorrow morning so whatever she wanted to bring had to be packed by tonight. It was a good thing that she wasn't doing it alone because she had such great friends...

"Oh God, look at this!" Natasha called from Seren's bedroom.

Seren and Steve were in the middle of stacking more boxes in the living room. Seren exhaled deeply, already knowing what Natasha was going to do. "I swear to God if she's picked out another 'embarrassing blouse' we're going to be short one friend."

Steve laughed when she headed for the hallway. Natasha had already embarrassed Seren one too many times that morning, between pictures and "outdated clothes", there was a lot of bickering content to watch. Steve followed Seren just to make sure that Seren didn't actually strangle Natasha or throw her a literal space star.

Natasha was sitting cross-legged on the foot of Seren's bed when they walked into the room. She was holding an album in her arms and was clearly amused by one of the pictures.

"No! That's it! Hand it over!" Seren was quick to dash for the redhead but Natasha jumped to her feet on the bed. "SHOES OFF THE BED!" Seren cried so suddenly that Steve flinched behind her.

So I guess she has a thing about shoes on the bed, he quietly noted to himself.

"Natasha, c'mon! Get — at least take your shoes off!" Seren said frantically.

Natasha hopped off the bed on the other side. "Look at this!" She ran straight towards Steve and held the album to him.

Seren folded her arms with the biggest frown that could mark her face. "Natasha!"

"It's actually not bad, calm down," the redhead assured her but at this point Seren's faith in her was totally shattered.

Seren moved over to see what lucky picture had caught Natasha's eye. To her relief, it wasn't anything outrageously embarrassing. She remembered the picture like it was taken yesterday.

The day was her 21st birthday and her parents had taken her to a beautiful apple picking farm. She wore a white sundress with a yellow flower pattern. Unlike her current hairstyle, back then her hair had been long, wavy golden brunette with straight bangs. She stood in front of a huge tree that was partially out of the picture frame, but they could see some of the dangling apples above.

"When you're 21 on Celessia, you've finished the markings of your training," Seren said quietly. "It means you're officially an adult."

"Really? Twenty one?" Natasha made a face. "I'm going to see if there's more photo albums you have hiding around."

"There isn't," Seren said flatly but Natasha wasn't taking her word for it. She hurried out of the room, leaving the album in Steve's hands. "Maybe some time away from her won't be so bad..."

Steve chuckled at her but he was honestly more focused on the pictures in front of him. The two pages chronicled Seren's 21st birthday. Whatever farm or ranch she was in was beautiful, but it didn't compare to her. She was simply, naturally, pretty.

"I loved that place," Seren's quiet voice managed to pull him out of his thoughts. He looked up, feeling warmth on his cheeks. "Because of what I was, we lived in a more secluded part of Hudson. I didn't get to go out a lot but our home was on a small ranch. It had a lovely field and a nice stream that I always spent time at. It was quiet and if I happened to accidentally misuse my powers, no one would notice. It was a quaint place for mousy Seren."

"You're not mousy," Steve tried to say but she laughed.

"I promise you that I was! No one really talked to me growing up. In high school, I only had one friend and that was only because she insisted. I was always on my own, even after I was an adult."

Steve went through the album, though he expected Seren to snatch it from him like she had wanted to when Natasha had it. Fortunately, she didn't say anything. She didn't even move. At first glance, all the pictures seemed like they were taken from an earlier period in time. Steve would probably never get the courage to say it out loud, much less to her, but Seren had a timeless beauty to her. In. Every. Single. Photograph. How was that even possible? Steve didn't get it. It had to be some space magic or something else he didn't know about.

There was one picture he was particularly drawn to. Seren didn't look all that younger from now so he assumed this was in her early twenties. Her long golden brown hair had been tucked into a low bun with a sunhat on top but there were still strands dropping over her exposed neck. She wore an off-the-shoulder, white dress with black polka-dots. The way she smiled at the camera made Steve lose his breath in one go. How could anyone not want to be around her? He was losing his mind just remembering that he was going to lose her tomorrow.

"I told you I was brunette," Seren said, once again pulling him out of his thoughts.

He was flushed with embarrassment but Seren was too busy dealing with her own embarrassment to notice. "Yeah, yeah you are…" He smiled at the pictures. "You look nice with both styles."

"Thanks," Seren blushed and so kept her gaze on the album. "My Mom couldn't get over the day I cut my hair. I was just tired of being mousy Seren that when I finally got into S.H.I.E.L.D. and I didn't have to hide anymore, I just wanted to show that I could be different now without repercussions. I guess I'm in a rebellion stage."

"Have you ever thought of going back to that?" As soon as he asked the question, Steve realized how it could come off as. "I-I mean, not that...I mean both styles look nice. I just meant, you know…"

Seren chuckled and took the album from him. "I get it, don't worry. And to answer your question, I have...but I don't know. I've grown partial to being ginger. Plus, the short hair is kind of nice in terms of taking care of it. Can you imagine how long it takes Chloe to wash her hair?" Chloe with her long blonde tresses was something to fear when it came to managing it. "I think for now I'm going to leave it as it is."

"Like I said, both ways look nice." It was easier to say it twice and be able to look at Seren at the same time. She smiled at the pictures but he was sure that it was for the compliment too. He spotted another box poking out from her closet and walked over for it. "I'll bring this one out too."

"Thanks," Seren said as he walked on out. She would stick with the album for a couple minutes.

Steve came back to the living room with the new box in his arms. Natasha was seemingly waiting for him because as soon as he came, she had put her phone away and smiled in a type of way that gave her up. She'd done something.

"So, did you tell her?"

"What?" Steve put the box down next to the coffee table.

"C'mon Rogers," Natasha dramatically groaned. "I don't go picking fights with Seren for nothing, you know." Steve tilted his head at her with an expression that said 'you definitely do'. Natasha smirked. "Fine, I do. But I've been giving you chances to come clean to her already!"

"About what?"

Natasha wasn't amused that he was really making her go through a whole circle just to get to the point. "One of us would really like to take a Celessian out on a date and it isn't me!"

"I have no idea—"

"Oh no," Natasha wagged a finger at him. "You may be clueless about a lot of things but you know exactly what I'm talking about. You like Seren and tomorrow she's leaving to a whole other country."

"Yeah, I've noticed that."

"Well?"

"Well what?" Steve wearily looked at her. "I'm not...there's...there's no point," he decided that the day Seren told him her plans. "As usual, I missed my chance. I think the world is telling me that this whole stuff isn't for me. I tried it once and I was literally put under ice."

"That's not going to happen this time! You should tell her!"

"I can't!"

"Why?"

"Because telling her would just confuse her and make her feel like she has to stay here with me."

"But if you tell her what you feel then you guys can, I don't know, have a long distance relationship or something."

"I may be from another time but even I know those don't usually work. Besides, I'm not forcing Seren into any relationship that involves someone not even in the same country. And this is assuming she'd even consider me as an option."

Natasha snorted. "You're joking right?" The expression on Steve's face said it all. "Oh God, you're both ridiculous. Rogers, she's head over heels for you. Haven't you noticed?"

Of course not because he refused to believe that Seren would look at him twice.

She always acted like a friend because that's what they were. "Natasha, drop it," he warned the redhead. "I don't want to hear it. Let's just help Seren and...get this over with."

Natasha shook her head at him but she had no choice.

~ 0 ~

As the night approached, Seren's family dropped by for a final goodbye. None of them wanted to be anywhere near S.H.I.E.L.D., not even if it was to say goodbye to Seren. Even Atria preferred doing it the night before to avoid time rushes.

"You guys are acting like I've never been away from you," Seren sighed as her mother hugged her again.

"You've been away but you always come back," Liana dreaded to pull her arms off her daughter but she did so in the end. "I don't like the idea of you staying in another country, all by yourself."

"I'm a big girl, Mom, I can take care of myself," Seren said though she suspected that no matter what she said, Liana wouldn't see it that way. Her father seemed to be a little better in that aspect.

"Your mother just worries because of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Brooks said after giving Seren another round of tight hugs. "And truth be told so am I. My only child—my little girl—off in another country to create a whole new team?"

"You should be proud," Atria said despite knowing the context of her words would cause some type of bickering.

Liana was quick to mutter 'of course' under her breath. Seren sighed and walked for her living room. Brooks, however, motioned both his wife and mother-in-law to watch what they said.

"Sweetheart, is there anything you need help packing?" he went after Seren, forcing both women behind him to follow.

"Not really Dad. Everything I'm taking is already packed," Seren pointed at the stacks of box on the opposite wall. "Natasha and Steve were helping me all day."

"Oh, that was nice of them," Brooks smiled. "Are they still here?"

"No, they left to go shower and rest. But they said they'd be back soon. Some small gathering before tomorrow."

"Well, we won't be long here," Liana walked over and sat Seren down with her on the couch. "We don't want you to stay up late anyways. We have a gift for you. From your father and I."

Seren didn't miss the intentional jab for her grandmother. "You didn't have to, Mom."

Liana had already taken out a box from her bag. "We did. You can take this with you and set it in your new home."

Seren gingerly took the box and opened it up on her lap. She chuckled when she pulled out a wooden craft resembling a water stream. "Is this supposed to be home?"

"Of course, made it myself," Brooks said proudly. "Just add the water and it'll start pouring just like home."

"Taking a little piece of home with me," Seren nodded. "I love it, thank you!" she hugged her parents then carefully put the craft back inside its box.

"I don't have anything material for you," Atria began as she moved on closer to the couch, "because my gift is…" she tapped the side of her head.

Liana rolled her eyes but Seren would graciously take it. She could do with some foreknowledge of what England would hold for her. She had Atria come sit where Brooks had been to listen with all ears.

"Now you know things always change, nothing is set in stone," Atria warned before anything else.

Seren chuckled. "Of course I know that."

"You'll meet some good people over there with your occasional bad apple, but it's nothing that you can't handle," Atria patted her granddaughter's cheek.

"I hope so," Seren sighed but Atria reassured her that she would be just fine.

"But mark my words, you will be coming back," Atria went on to say, "And when you do, things will be different."

"Good or bad?"

"Both."

Seren wasn't sure what to make of that and it showed. Atria didn't seem to be that worried so it helped ease her nerves.

"You'll be just fine," Atria said then flashed her granddaughter a soft smile. "Even if things feel bad, you'll have something very good on your side."

"What is it?" asked Seren.

"I think that'll be better when you get to it." Atria chuckled when Seren sighed. "It'll make things all the more memorable."

Seren would have to take her word for it.

The knock on the door pushed the Soul family to start leaving. Seren led the way to the door and opened it up for Steve and Natasha.

"Hey guys," Seren greeted them. They looked fresh and sharp. "Umm, you know my family, right?"

"They know me alright," Atria walked up to the pair of agents. "Good to see you again."

"And these are my parents," Seren said as they came up. "Brooks and Liana."

"Evening," Liana greeted, giving the agents the image of an older Seren the way she smiled.

"Hey," Natasha was cool and casual like she simply was.

Steve was also himself, simply greeting her like he always would to anyone else. "Ma'am."

"Mr. Rogers," Brooks shook hands with Steve. "It really is good to meet you. Like Seren, we know what you did for New York, just like before. Thank you."

"No need for that," Steve said and looked at Seren. For some reason she wasn't looking at anything right now.

"We were just leaving," Atria announced. "But don't stay up too late."

"Grandmother," Seren shook her head.

"She's right," Liana said, surprising both mother and daughter. She came to hug Seren one more time. "You take care, alright? Be safe." She squeezed her daughter as tightly as possible and considering their extra strength, it was something.

"Please look after yourself, sweetheart," Brooks scooted up to his daughter's side to hug her next.

"Of course, Dad," Seren didn't know what to do with so much affection from her parents. It wasn't often that they were all together without a single argument. She even admitted that despite their problems, she struggled to let them go. She closed the door behind them and turned to face her friends.

"You okay?" Natasha raised an eyebrow at her.

Seren nodded a bit too fast. "I honestly don't know why it's affecting me so much."

"They're your parents, Seren. It's natural," Steve said. He didn't want her to see her affection for her family as something to question. In fact, he simply didn't want to see her upset today of all days.

"Okay, c'mon," Natasha clapped her hands together. "We're going out today."

"What?" Seren blinked. "But I thought we were just ordering in—I'm not even dressed!"

"Change of plans," Natasha said all too suspiciously.

Seren crossed her arms over one another. "Why?"

"If it's any consolation, it came as a surprise to us too," Steve shrugged and put his hands into his pockets. "He just called."

"Who?" Seren asked, even more suspicious yet just a tiny bit curious.

~ 0 ~

Seren had no idea what was going on, especially now that it involved some high-class restaurant she wasn't prepared for. She had thrown on the only remaining garment in her closet: a short, spaghetti-strapped white dress that Chloe had given her a while ago. It became clear to Steve that her favorite color was white. There were so many white blouses and dresses in that closet of hers.

"Is either one of you going to tell me why we're here and who invited us here?" Seren asked once they had gotten past the host. Steve had taken care of it, probably to keep her on her toes.

"If we had to go through it, so do you," Natasha said.

"Oh! That's not—"

"Twinkle Star! You made it!"

Seren froze in her tracks. "No…" she whispered with a scrunched face that had both Natasha and Steve laughing.

"I told you, if we had to go through it then so do you," Natasha said a moment later.

"Steve, c'mon," Seren turned to the man but he shrugged too.

"I had no control over this," he said and gestured to her to take the lead.

Seren huffed and started walking for Tony Stark who was waiting by their table with the smuggest face ever. "Did you figure it out or did they have to tell you?" he asked once they were decently close.

"Neither," Seren sighed and ultimately smiled at him. "What is all this?"

"I heard you were leaving town—countries—so I had to say goodbye too," Tony gestured to their table.

"Tony, you really didn't have to do anything. You hardly know me."

"Hey, once we fight together in a battle against aliens and go into space together, we're kind of bonded for life."

Seren laughed. "Yeah, alright, you got me there."

Tony looked past her to Natasha and Steve. "Romanoff. Capsicle." Both of them rolled their eyes in response. "Oh c'mon, a little fun wouldn't kill you." He winced though when the words registered. "Sorry, maybe it does. Sit down, please! Dinner's on me."

As the three grabbed their seats, a tall, pale woman with light ginger hair approached the table. Tony immediately pulled out a seat for her, surprising the trio across them. "This is Pepper Potts, current CEO of my, well, everything."

Pepper rolled her eyes almost exactly the way the others had earlier, a sign that made them warm up to her. "Please don't say things like that," she looked at Tony with no trace of amusement on her face. He motioned her to sit down and she did, but not without offering the others an apologetic smile. "Sorry about him and in advance: sorry."

"I like her," Seren smirked.

"Of course," Tony was the one rolling his eyes now. He grabbed the seat right next to Pepper.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Pepper said, her eyes darting from Natasha to Seren and Steve in one quick motion that they wondered if she wasn't getting dizzy. "I-I saw you on television and the pictures, but...I haven't really met anyone from S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Not true, you met Megamind," Tony said off-handedly as he called for a waiter.

"Chloe really hates that nickname, you know," Seren said but she suspected that like her nickname, Chloe's was a lost battle.

"Again, sorry about him," Pepper told her with a sigh.

"It's not an insult, a simple nickname to what they are," Tony explained. While the others tried to make him see it wasn't really the case, he started ordering the drinks. "Dine with fine wine," he smirked specifically at Steve. "Sorry it won't be doing much for you, Captain."

"I'll live," Steve assured him, matching Tony's smirk with his own. "It's not about me anyways." With that, his head turned to Seren beside him. She smiled at him and that's how they stayed for a minute or so.

Tony's eyes squinted just slightly as he took in the scene. When his finger raised to point at them, Pepper promptly lowered it to the table and smiled apologetically at Natasha.

"Seren?" Pepper gently called. "If I can, I have to say that your record is very interesting."

"You read my record?" Seren tried her best not to look so surprised but it was too late.

"Oh, I'm sorry, he—" Pepper nodded at Tony, "—has records on everyone. I literally know everything about all of you."

"Not everything," Natasha had to make the comment and with a wide smirk too.

Pepper nodded slowly, deciding to take her word for it. She looked back to Seren with an eager smile. "With everything that happened a while ago, it's not that hard to believe that there's actual extraterrestrial life out there. I mean, there's Thor and his brother Loki but...you've lived on Earth for your entire life."

"Born here too," Seren reminded her, throwing a look at Tony because that's exactly what she told him many times the last time they saw each other.

"The world is more interesting than we thought," Pepper said, this time adding a look in Steve's direction. "From all angles, right?"

Steve chuckled. He could honestly say that he was already liking this woman. "Miss Potts, you have no idea."

"Please, Pepper," she made it clear for everyone.

Tony took the liberty of ordering for everyone with the assurance that he knew what was best served in the restaurant. He was the first to try the wine that was served and had everyone else, including Steve, do the same. "Told you it was the best," he said after everyone took a sip. "But enough of the simple chatter. Seren, what the hell are you doing going to England?"

Seren wasn't expecting such a direct question and it showed. Her green eyes widened in the initial seconds. "Umm, well...I thought you knew everything?"

Tony smirked at her quick recovery. "Humor me."

Seren rolled her eyes. "The idea is to recreate the Avengers in other parts of the world. England is a trial run."

"And you're in charge?"

"Something funny about that?"

"No," Tony sniffed. "I mean, I was the one who got the Initiative moving again, isn't it?"

"You wish," Steve said bluntly, eliciting a dramatic gasp of offence from Tony.

"Rogers, that type of sarcasm is beyond you!"

"Come off it, Stark. I fought in an actual war—"

"Yes, grandpa…"

"Boys," Seren frowned, only to add a second later, "The Initiative wasn't started until Carol Danvers came back to Earth."

"Oh, blah, blah with that story!" Tony waved her off.

"It's true!"

Pepper didn't know who to stop first but she was relieved to see that Natasha was on the same boat as her. "Is this really what happened the last time?"

Natasha nodded. "Oh yeah."

"Alright, you want to know what?" Steve put an arm on the table and leaned forwards, his eyes meeting Tony. "If we want to be accurate, it's Seren. It's always been Seren."

"You got that right," Natasha cleverly said under her breath. Pepper heard and raised her eyebrows at the comment.

"Steve," Seren touched his arm to stop him. "It's not really accurate."

"Yes it is," he said firmly. "Stark?"

Tony was smirking for some reason that Steve couldn't figure out. "Whatever you say, Captain. And clearly, whatever she says too," he made a gesture towards Seren.

The two in question made a very clear attempt not to look so affected by the comment. It was ultimately Pepper who sympathized with them and decided to help.

"Seren, do you know how long you'll be gone?"

"No," Seren shook her head. "I'm thinking at least a year but I really don't know."

"Will you come back and visit?"

"Of course. I still have my family here and my friends."

"Well, we brought you a present," Tony announced as he pulled something out of his inside pocket. It seemed like Pepper was just as surprised as Seren was.

"You really didn't have to, Tony," Seren said as Tony slid the box across the table.

"Oh, I think I did." Tony's smirk made Pepper dread what he'd come up with.

Seren opened the box and found a strip of paper inside. "I swear to God if this is one of those 'free hug coupons', I will slap you here and now."

"Oooh, please let it be a free hug coupon," Natasha reached for the bottle of wine to pour herself a new glass.

"It's not," Tony said just as Seren picked up the strip of paper and turned it over.

"It's a phone number," she said with a scrunched face. "Whose is this?"

"Mine," Tony grinned. "My gift to you is my phone number. Feel proud, not many people get it."

"Oh Tony," Pepper sighed deeply.

But Seren laughed. Hard.

"Ah, see?" Tony gestured at the woman. "She likes it."

"I can't, I really can't handle you, Stark," Seren drew in a deep breath in hopes of calming herself down. She was making a scene with such a loud laugh.

"Not a lot of people can," Tony winked at her.

"You really are something else," Steve shook his head at him. Of course he would pull something like that.

"Take notes, Captain."

"You know, I think I'm good." He was actually thankful that Tony had managed to pull something so incredibly him that it made Seren forget any troubles.

"Call me anytime you need something, Twinkle Star," Tony said once Seren had managed to stop laughing altogether. "Seriously, anything, no matter the time."

Seren smiled and reached over the table to find one of his hands. "Thank you, Tony." When it came down to it, he was someone she could trust in.

~ 0 ~

When the night begged for dinner to be over, the group left the restaurant but lingered on the sidewalk.

"Hey, have you heard anything from Megamind?" Tony asked Seren in the middle of their goodbyes.

"Uh, yeah, she'll be coming back next week," she nodded. "I think she'll be staying for about a month and then she'll be off to Japan for some time."

"She always travels, doesn't she?" The way he had asked the question made Seren wonder if there was something she was missing.

"Part of her job."

"But always on her own, right? Does that happen to any of you?" Tony looked at Steve then Natasha but as he suspected, it didn't. "I wonder why Fury always entrusts a much younger agent to do solo missions."

"It's always been like that," Seren said, not understanding where the interest in Chloe had ever come from. "And you know, that record you said was erased, wasn't. I checked it myself."

"Oh, you did?" Tony said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Seren nodded. "There is nothing wrong with Chloe's record and I should have trusted myself. You don't know SHIELD, Tony."

"Guess not," Tony said, though there was something about the way he smiled. He soon felt Pepper's elbow nudging his side. That was his sign that he needed to reel it back. "Well Twinkle Star, it's been fun." He opened his arm for a hug and though slowly, Seren let it happen. "Don't be a stranger. Seriously."

"Yeah," Seren chuckled and pulled back. "And it was nice meeting you, Pepper. Good luck with that guy."

Pepper laughed. "I do try not to go crazy."

"A true hero."

Pepper laughed harder while Tony deadpanned the culprit. Seren simply smiled and backtracked.

Tony let her be so he could move onto Steve. "We'll be in touch, Captain."

"Of course," Steve nodded.

"Romanoff?"

Natasha very happily raised the wine bottle she'd somehow gotten Tony to buy her. "It's been fun, Stark."

"Aha…" Tony turned himself and Pepper around to walk away.

"You are terrible," Seren giggled when Natasha turned back to them with a proud smirk.

"And I just got free wine!"

"You really are bad," Steve sighed.

"And you two are so similar you're even the same kind of buzzkills," Natasha dramatically groaned and started leading the way home.

Seren watched her get ahead a bit and warned Steve not to let her finish that wine bottle in one go.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to do anything about that."

"Oh you better get some training because when she and Chloe get together, it gets interesting."

Steve pretended to shudder. "Don't go," he says, only half-joking. It may have not been his smartest choice of words.

Seren turned to him with a strange look in her eyes. "You know, I think you are more than capable of being on your own now. You don't need me anymore."

"You're kidding, right?" Steve raised an eyebrow at her. Seren only half shrugged.

"I mean, the only reason we know each other is because I was assigned to be your guide."

"Right, and then afterwards you were assigned to be my friend too?"

Seren chuckled. "No—"

"Then why would you think that the only reason we still see each other is because you're my guide?"

"I don't know..." Seren ducked her head. Maybe she just liked making up excuses...

"Seren, I don't think you know how important you are to me," Steve sighed. That was an understatement and it was all his fault. "You were my first friend after I woke up from a literal nightmare. You stopped being my 'guide' the moment you let me talk about it and listened to me. And I don't think I'll ever finish thanking you for that."

"Steve, you don't need to—"

Steve had pulled her into his arms for a tight hug. He suspected that his words would be jumbled if he tried to say anything else. He was terrible at words when it came to her. It was fine, though. For their friendship, little words like that would suffice.

Seren wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself stay between his arms for as long as she could. She had a feeling that it would be a long time before she got to do something like that again.

A/N:

Happy birthday Steve, here's your gift: pain. :)

P.S. As always, I have an AO3/Wattpad account under "noblecrescent" and a tumblr account under "saiilorstars" if you'd like to follow :)