No-One But You (The Mystic Consultant) - Part 2

Chapter 43: Emberkreiss (Part3)

Steve Rogers formed a portal back to the Kamar taj. He was responsible for taking Bucky Barnes back to Brooklyn, so he could have a conversation with the Black Widow.

The situation was off Steve's shoulders, so the blonde soldier did a couple things for himself before he returned to the Kamar taj. It was pitch black when Steve returned, but he could see a trail of lights flickering through a majority of the rooms. The council room that belonged to the Ancient One was very lit up. Steve walked by it and he took notice.

Donna was sitting down in the center of the room. She was in the middle of a conversation with a group of people that were thousands of miles away. Her soul took a slow pause when she felt the energy of Oshtur toward her right. Steve stopped as soon as Donna looked in his direction. Oshtur was leading his movement in that moment, and the soldier felt compelled.

"I've been meaning to thank you for helping me with this."

"No need to thank me, or any of us really. We're happy to be here Donna."

Steve stepped toward the wide door frame. He leaned against it just for a moment, and Donna Strange took note of a plastic bag that Steve had pressed against his knee. It looked like he gathered some food from wherever he went. The newly recruited Ancient One gave him a small smile. The bag was filled with food, and she was amused.

Donna Strange stood up, and Steve took note that she was still carrying around the image of the previous Ancient One. The soldier wondered how long she planned to conceal her own appearance, and he determined that it had something to do with Bucky being present. The two of them ended things a long time ago, but he only heard one perspective about why.

"I have a question for you, and it's a bit of a personal one.."

Was that okay? Could the two of them speak on a personal level? "Captain America" wondered about it. He also wondered if Donna's personality was being concealed from everyone as well. Donna heard what was said, so she looked at Steve. You see, years ago she left Bucky's apartment because of something that was said. Bucky confessed a bit too much when it came down to his affection for Steve.

Donna felt as though Bucky was waiting around for some perfect person, and she never mentioned any of that to Bucky or Steve. She didn't want to be compared to anyone, and at the time she definitely didn't want to compete. Bucky's confession was too much for her, so she left. Now, the Winter Soldier moved on with "Agent" Romanov, or Romanoff?

Donna felt a bit indifferent in that moment. She kept staring at Steve, and she noticed that her mind had wandered off to a different time and a different place. She returned to the moment, and she glanced down at her yellow robe.

"What is your question?"

"How do you know Bucky's real name? He never goes by James. I've always wondered how you were introduced to him, or how you were told his name."

Steve wasn't born yesterday. The blonde was very intuitive when it came down to the people around him, and he was VERY in-tune with the emotions that people often dished out. Donna Strange, Bucky Barnes, and Natasha Romanov weren't exempt from that. No way. Donna turned her head to the side after Steve voiced his question and comments about it out into the world.

He sparked life back into something, so the sister drew in a slow breath. How did she know Bucky's real name?…

"My father made arrangements for me to spend the summer with my brothers, and I was introduced to James through Howard Stark. I thought you knew this?"

Was Steve Rogers asleep during that whole ordeal? Donna tried to remember additional details, but she felt a bit dumbfounded that "Bucky's" best friend didn't know. The soldier tried to keep his composure together in that moment. In truth, Steve was a diehard hopeless romantic, and he already knew what the outcome was going to be when he sent Bucky off to have his conversation with Natasha.

The fate of their relationship was more than obvious for Steve, so the soldier decided to take the time to dig around in the past.

His question, timing, and demeanor was deliberate, so the blonde doubled down on the subject. Donna's posture straightened after Steve adjusted against the door frame. It seemed like he was parking in a specific spot. He suddenly seemed very comfortable, and it didn't seem like Steve Rogers was going anywhere for a while.

"I know how you arrived in New York, but I was never told how you were introduced to Bucky's real name. How did that happen?"

The devil was always in the details. Steve had a hunch about how it all went down, but he wanted to hear it from the only person on the planet that called Bucky Barnes by his actual name. The notion was beyond interesting to Oshtur's current host. Donna noticed a growing grin and she contemplated how to respond. The sister didn't take very long, because for her it was a short story to tell.

"He told me his name as we were driving to the airport. James mentioned that Bucky wasn't his real name, and I asked him which name he preferred."

Her airport escort said he preferred the name James, so that's why she called him by his actual name. For her, the answer was simple, and the conversation began to feel a bit immature. She closed her eyes for a moment as she recalled a bit more details of the day. That was her fist day back in the realm of the living, so the young woman reflected with caution..

"So, Bucky wanted you to call him James?"

"Yes Steve… That's why I call him James."

Interesting. Steve's smile grew a little bigger. He blinked a couple times, then he glanced down at his giant bag of food. The blonde inwardly decided that he had a hot date to get too, so he processed the conversation and he began making arrangements to reach a conclusion with it. He gave Donna Strange a polite smile, then he moved up against the side of the door frame yet again.

"Thank you for clarifying that information. SO, tomorrow Victor gets to spend an entire day with Ezekiel, then the infamous Wade Wilson gets to make his Mystic Arts debut? Correct?"

The blonde intentionally changed the subject, and Donna's somber soul let out a deep sigh of relief. She was eternally grateful for the change, and she wasn't catching on that Steve was in a match-making mood. She was unaware that Oshtur's host felt that way about a lot of things. Steve Rogers was a big softie, and he was an even bigger fan of people being in love.

The blonde absolutely LOVED the concept of love. He loved love. Love was just… his ultimate cup of tea. The pro-love soldier seemed a bit too chipper after a moment, so Donna Strange arched her left eyebrow upward when she received a quiet salute.

"I'm expecting Tony to have Victor's amulet finished before the infamous Wade Wilson ever makes his debut. Please keep that to yourself. Goodnight Steve."

Her tone became super dismissive, because the new embodiment of the Ancient One needed to return to the conversation she was having before Steve Rogers interrupted the chat. The soldier watched as she took her place back down on the floor. Donna's entire personality returned to what was clear to be her new role, so Steve stepped off in Tony's direction.

He inwardly declared again that he had a hot date to get to, and the soldier boy didn't want to food getting cold.

Chapter: END

Thanks for reading.

Note: This chapter references what took place in this storyLessons in Love - Chapter 102