The nights were getting somewhat easier. Chloe began sleeping half the nights now but for the Animinds, sleep didn't seem to be so necessary.
We only require a few hours of sleep every few days.
Chloe groaned into her pillow. "Well, I need about seven!" Whether or not she had responded telepathically wasn't a problem. The Animinds heard her perfectly and she knew it. "Every day!"
Just to humor herself, she checked the time on her phone.Three a.m. She inwardly sighed and turned flat on her back.
"Fine, whatever, just start it up I guess," she said, huffing. Whether or not she slept, the Animinds had taken the nights as an opportunity to begin passing down information about themselves, their planet, their knowledge, etc. to Chloe. The first time had been scary seeing a rush of images in her head. It had come unannounced which produced quite a scream that night. It even had poor Bucky checking in on her just to make sure there was no threat.
He had expressed his dislike for the unbarred window in her room a long time ago.
Chloe had to explain to him, after she herself learned, what the Animinds were intending on doing with her in the nights. She wasn't sure if he understood perfectly—she didn't understand completely either—but he got the most important thing out of it which was that she was in no danger. The only relative danger was feeling like she was back in high school cramming.
That night, Chloe succumbed to the massive load of new information the Animinds were cramming into her head. By the time the sun was up, she knew a lot more about the Animinds' bloody wars than she would've liked. They had not always been a benign species, apparently.
Eight a.m. had Chloe getting up to get breakfast. The first thing she did now, subconsciously really, was to check the living room for Bucky. Sometimes he was there, sometimes he wasn't. She didn't dare ask where he went when he wasn't with her in the apartment, much less during the nights. If there was anyone who slept less than the Animinds, it was Bucky.
Today he wasn't in the living room so Chloe went directly to the kitchen. She paused, startled, to find her missing ally standing over the stove where a pot sat.
When she sniffed the air, she got the smell of oatmeal. At least she was pretty sure it was oatmeal.
"Smells interesting," she said and announced her presence in the process.
"I found it in your cabinets," Bucky said, turning around to greet her. "I hope you don't mind."
Chloe blinked in surprise at him. He had taken her suggestion to take care of himself. He had shaved and if she was right, he had attempted to trim his hair. He was a sight to see without the tactical gear Hydra strapped on him. She could see him more as the man that Steve would talk about so much. And he was handsome just like the pictures of him boasted.
"You're not upset...are you?" Bucky's nervous question pulled Chloe out of her thoughts.
She cleared her throat quickly and shook her head, making a swift turn for the fridge. She didn't need anything but her face was too warm to be looking at him for another moment. "Everything in here is yours too," she reminded him.
"Right, but that's not technically true," Bucky said with a hint of amusement. Chloe noted it but kept it to herself. She didn't want to risk making a big deal out of it and pushing things a step back.
"Why oatmeal?" She instead asked. She decided the fridge had cooled her face enough to be decent again. She straightened up and promptly shut the door. She still had to meet Bucky's gaze slowly for fear of freezing again.
"Reminds me of home," he surprisingly answered with. That, Chloe almost made a big deal out of because he had never mentioned anything of the sort before. Bucky wouldn't tell her but for the first time since he could remember, he had dreamed about himself before he became the Winter Soldier. He had no context of the dream, much less a full coherent scene, but he took the snippet of his mother making oatmeal and held it close to him. That, and the fact that he remembered the woman was his mother, warmed him for the first time in…well, forever.
"You used to eat oatmeal for breakfast," Chloe said, making sure not to say it in a question for his sake. She didn't want to poke holes in what had to be a fragile memory. She was glad that he was beginning to remember things, even if it was something as mundane as oatmeal for breakfast. "My Mom used to make chocolate banana pancakes for me."
Bucky half smiled at her. "Chocolate banana?" He seemed doubtful of the combination, making Chloe roll her eyes but with a smile.
"It's delicious. It was my mom's special breakfast plate," Chloe insisted. "My family couldn't go without it."
"I would never knock such an important plate," Bucky assured her. "So then, your family, do they live nearby?" Chloe stiffened. Bucky saw it. He watched Chloe turn her head to the side, clearly thinking. He just wasn't sure yet if she was thinking about a lie or of something she just didn't want to think about.
"They're...gone," she finally said but in a quiet whisper.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Bucky said quickly. She'd been nothing but kind (and maybe a little sarcastic) to him and he went and did this. "I'm sorry. I didn't—"
"It's fine, don't worry," Chloe said, flashing him a smile like nothing. "How's that oatmeal? You do know how to use a stove, right?" She walked up to him and made a motion for him to step aside so she could see for herself that the stove was working fine.
He didn't move and he didn't say anything. He kept looking down at her, eyes boring into hers as he tried figuring out whether or not she was lying.
Chloe kept her smile going. "Bucky, I'm really okay. C'mon, you have to stir the oatmeal or else it'll burn." Once again, she made a motion for him to move.
This time, Bucky listened and stepped aside. Chloe then took over the preparations. Bucky had long ago become a master at recognizing fake strained smiles.
He wondered at what point Chloe had mastered making them so believable.
~0~
"Please promise us that you will call and visit more —please." Liana had Seren's hands in a hostage situation out on the front porch. She didn't want to let go of her daughter who was quite literally ready to go.
Seren assured her mother not once but twice that she would indeed be in more contact with them. Liana finally gave in and pulled Seren into a tight hug.
"I sure hope I get a hug like that," Brooks said as he and Steve returned from the car parked just in front of the house. They had loaded all of the suitcases in the trunk.
With a chuckle, Seren turned and met her father in a tight hug. "If I squeeze any tighter, I'll literally crush your bones, Dad."
"Ah, of course," Brooks kissed the top of Seren's head. "But that doesn't mean I can't take it."
"I think that's exactly what it means!" laughed Seren as she pulled away.
"Love that grin on your face, honey," Brooks gave her a playful pinch on her cheek. "I sincerely hope it continues."
"Me too," Seren wholeheartedly agreed. The fact that she was more happy than stressed or overwhelmed was still a novelty to her.
"Please be careful, both of you," Liana said meaningfully, her eyes shifting from Seren to Steve. "Promise me that?"
"We promise," Seren and Steve said simultaneously.
Liana couldn't help it and hugged them both, reiterating that she was expecting more calls from now on. When they were finally free, Seren and Steve said a final goodbye and headed for the car. Steve helped her inside the car then went around to the driver's seat. With one more wave, they took off.
Seren was silent as Steve drove; he expected this. He reached out for one of her hands and squeezed it tight.
"Can you stop for a moment?" Seren requested out of the blue.
Concerned, Steve pulled over as soon as possible then looked at her. "Are you okay?"
He presumed she was missing her parents already and he was about to offer her a ride back to the house when she leaned over and kissed him. She placed a hand on his cheek, deepening the kiss.
When they parted, they remained together, foreheads pressed against one another's, eyes closed.
"Thank you for encouraging me to come," Seren whispered. "I have never been that close to my parents before…words fail to express how grateful I am."
"I think you've expressed them well, sweetheart," Steve said, making her chuckle. He pulled back and caressed the side of her face, studying her oh-so happy features.
Seren drew in a deep breath and leaned back in her seat. "But I'm ready to work now. To help Chloe and pick up where we left off."
"I'm happy you feel ready," Steve said, "But before we head back to the city…there's something else I want us to do first."
"What?" Seren side-eyed him strangely. It wasn't often he held things from her — never, actually. "What kind of things?"
A secretive smile spread across Steve's face as he set his sights back on the road. "Things…"
~0~
"Hit it!"
Chloe pushed her arm forwards, releasing a jet of blue energy towards a dummy. It splattered in pieces, although some pieces were still billowing traces of blue fire.
"Couldn't have gone any faster there, Megamind?" came Tony's (annoying) call.
Chloe's head flipped in his direction, eyes narrowing at the man on the raised dais. "Comfortable over there?" she called. How could he not be? All he did was hold that stupid tablet in his hands and tell her to hit things.
Tony shrugged. "I don't know. I could use a drink."
Chloe let out a breath. "You're nowhere near a trainer."
"And you're getting cranky which means these training sessions can stand to be better."
Chloe groaned and brought her arms over her chest in a tight cross, making her resemble a tall child.
"Alright, what's going on?" Tony decided to put a pause in the training. He didn't feel like becoming the next target dummy. He left his monitoring tablet on the table and walked up to Chloe.
"Nothing, I'm just...bombarded," Chloe shrugged. "I'm tired. The Animinds aren't letting me sleep as well anymore."
"Ah, still haven't come to terms on a 50/50 relationship with them?"
"I honestly don't think they're capable of it," Chloe spat.
You're not even trying, the Animinds started with her.
"I am to trying," she huffed.
Tony raised an eyebrow as the woman started an argument with what he presumed were the Animinds inside her head. To him and anyone else looking at her, she was arguing with herself. "What do I even say? 'Stop, kids'?""
Chloe huffed again and let her arms drop on her sides. "If I don't figure this out soon, I'm going to go insane."
"Well, you're almost there," Tony patted Chloe's shoulder, ignoring her glare. "But you could stop this if you just gave us the 'ok' on the implantation of the second device."
"I know," Chloe said, swallowing thickly at the idea of that piece going into her body again. "And don't get me wrong, I have been thinking about it but...I don't know, I'm not brave enough to say 'yes'."
"You need a push," Tony concluded what he already realized a couple days ago. Chloe half shrugged. "Oh, you definitely need a push."
"You're not gonna physically shove me, are you?"
Tony laughed. "I mean, maybe—"
"Oh, forget it!" Chloe turned away from him, now facing all the dummies she'd so far decently incinerated. "I've just been thinking, you know? What...what would I get if I let that piece get back inside of me?"
"I'm thinking 'peace of mind' would be a good motivator," Tony answered.
"I don't think I'll have peace within my mind ever again," Chloe admitted, bringing her hands to rub her temples.
"Seriously, have you tried doing that yoga stuff? Pepper loves it."
"Yoga…" Chloe sighed, "Yes, of course I have but it's not all going to go away with a couple of stretches and humming."
"It seems to work for Pepper," Tony said and suddenly Chloe was turning on him with a glare, "Okay!" He raised his hands in front of him. "Well, Pepper says the yoga is a long term kind of thing so there's that. You need to do the work, kid."
"Like I haven't been already?" Chloe laughed humorlessly. "I feel like I've been doing work nonstop."
"Then take a break," Tony suggested, "Go out, or something, and just breathe. Hey, why don't you call Twinkle Star?"
Chloe lowered her head. "I can't do that," she said quietly.
"She's waiting for your call, Chloe. Each day you don't call her is another day she thinks you hate her."
"I don't hate her, I love her. She's like my sister and I hurt her. I have no face to see her again, nor call." It truly broke Chloe's heart how far they had come from. It was all her fault, of course, but it didn't make it any less painful.
"Where are you going?" Tony called when she made a silent move for the door.
"Taking a break," Chloe's answer was a quiet one but this time around Tony felt like there was something more in her tone. It was like a crack. And once something started to crack, it was only a matter until it shattered altogether.
~ 0 ~
"We're going on a date," Steve announced when he pulled over in an empty field.
"If...if you'd like to. W-would you like to go?"
"A date? Right now?" Seren recognized the place. The Hudson river had a sneaky spot with a small hill overlooking the river. Hardly any people came by as there was literally nothing to do except maybe sit and dip your feet in the water.
"I think we owe it to ourselves, don't you think?" Steve said, making her think about the last time they had some alone time. The answer was a long time ago.
"Yeah," Seren nodded at him. "Definitely owed."
"Great. Would've been awkward if you had said no…"
Seren laughed while he got out of the car and came around her side. "Me say 'no' to a date with America's finest?" She said as he opened her door. "Never."
Steve helped her out of the car. "Mm, I'm confident you would say 'yes'. You're the one who begged me to stay in your room for the past few days," he smirked. "Face it my shining star, you like me."
"This date is officially over!" Before she could move back for the car—because she was more than willing to do it—Steve swiftly turned her body around and planted a kiss on her. "I've got food…" he murmured against her lips.
"Magic words," Seren chuckled. "C'mon, then! Show me this date!"
Before they headed down to the lakeside, Steve went around the backseat and pulled out a basket with what Seren soon found out was their food. He'd planned the whole day out for them and even got Liana to help by making her favorite meals. Seren promised she would definitely be calling her mother tonight or tomorrow to thank her for the sweet surprise.
"My parents definitely liked you," she said once they were settled on the ground with their picnic. "In case you had any doubts."
Steve flushed and thanked God it had gone his way. "My reputation proceeds me."
"Not here," Seren promised him. "They loved you, but of course nowhere near how much I love you."
"I feel the same way," Steve said.
They spent the next minute just staring at each other with the same goofy smiles. Finally, they started pulling out different containers of food.
"Dare I ask what we are eating for lunch?" Seren said as they rummaged through the basket.
"It's a surprise for me too," Steve admitted. It made Seren even more curious. "Lasagna!" she exclaimed in delight. She reached inside the basket for the container.
"Let me guess," Steve said, barely holding his laugh in, "One of your favorites?"
"Mhm!" Seren nodded. "You don't understand, Steve, this is my mother's dish. You know how every mom has that one thing that they just make so…?" She couldn't even come up with the right word.
"I do," Steve said, easing her inner conflict.
"Well, this is it! Triple layer lasagna with the sweetest tomato sauce. The sauce is a family recipe which, to this day, I still don't know."
"I'm sure now that your relationship has changed, that moment will be soon."
Seren hummed. "She told me it was a family recipe from my dad's side. Atria, uh, wasn't that big of a cook." She shrugged. "My other grandmother…she taught my mother when she was going to marry my father."
"So…the right moment…" Steve exchanged a flushed look with Seren.
"Yeah…" she said, her face definitely under fire. She handed him the container to go digging for utensils. She wasn't about to bother with plates.
"Seren, about your grandmother...Atria...I mean, you've patched things up with your parents...what do you think about Atria right now?"
Seren took a moment to answer only because she wasn't sure how to answer. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about Atria but truthfully, every time she did she got angry all over again. "I'm not ready to see her yet...talk to her..."
Steve nodded. "I understand, I just don't want you to lose connection to your grandmother. I know how much she meant to you."
"She did...is, I guess, I just don't want to talk to her yet," Seren said, shaking her head. She reached for another strawberry and popped it into her mouth. "So, what was your mother's dish?"
"What?" He asked, very much caught off guard by the sudden change in subject.
"Your mother's 'it' dish. What was it?"
"Umm, you have to remember our food wasn't exactly the best back then…"
"I know that, silly, but every mom has a dish that their kids always remember them by. Eons from now when my mom passes away, her lasagna is what I'll always remember her by."
"And not yourself as a living piece of her?"
Seren paused with the forks in her hand. "So you have sarcasm today?"
Steve smiled. "A bit."
"Steve!"
"Alright, alright," he laughed. "I guess that would have to be this chicken soup that she used to make. Bucky and I loved it. I used to have it all the time because I was always sick. My taste buds were all wrong but every time she made that soup, it always tasted so good. I had it for my birthday once—it was so sad for a birthday but I loved it."
Seren smiled softly at him. She liked seeing him remember more and more about his past without being so sad about it. It was such a change from when they first met. He would tell her just bits of his past and now he would tell her full blown stories. "That's so sweet," she said. She held a fork out to him. "You want to give my favorite dish a try?"
"No plates?" Steve raised an eyebrow at her. It was a pretty big container after all.
"C'mon, our stomachs are pretty much the same when it comes to quantity. The plates were just a formality." Seren motioned him to take his fork again. Once her hand was free, she popped the lid of the container open and hummed at the delicious scent in the air. "Mhm, that's going to hit the spot."
Steve peeked into the basket and laughed. "There's, um, some wine in here."
"Ah yes, the glorified juice for us," Seren said, watching him take the bottle out. "You can't get drunk and I'm more or less the same."
"Really?" Steve lifted an eyebrow at her. "You can't get drunk at all?"
"Well…" Seren swayed her head, her act of innocence much too adorable not to laugh at.
"That tells me there's an estimate," Steve said, smirking at her. "Is there?"
Seren pursed her lips. "It doesn't always happen," she started.
"But it does…"
"Maybe!" she huffed. "I've never been truly drunk but there have been times where I've felt a little ditsy, maybe. All I know is that it takes me a while to get there. Why so many questions, though? You trying to calculate how much glasses to give me or what?"
"No, course not," Steve shook his head. "But I do want you to watch yourself. Don't want you overdoing it."
"Same goes for you, then," she said, "You and I are on the same level, mister."
"Oh, I would never be stupid enough to think otherwise," Steve promised her, making her laugh. She put the lasagna bowl on the side and scooted closer to him. He didn't know what to think when she climbed over him, forcing his legs apart, to then sit in the middle on her knees.
"That's a smart move," she commended. "Because I would be more than happy to show you we are on the same level." She draped her arms over his shoulders.
"Again, I'm not that stupid," Steve said. He brought an arm around her waist. She happily leaned on his chest with one of her big smiles. "And besides, we've already got a taste of what that looks like 2 years ago."
Making her smile had not been his intention at all. Her gaze lowered at the reminder of their short, but still pretty rough, fight on the Helicarrier. Clearly, she still harbored some guilt over the matter despite not being able to control any part of her during that period.
"Seren, you can't do that to yourself," he told her. He brought his other arm around her as well to hug her tighter.
"I just feel terrible knowing what I did and who I hurt during that time," she said, eyes flickering up to meet his. "That's probably what Chloe feels right now."
Steve sighed. He had no doubt that she was right. He also had no doubt that right now, wherever Bucky was, he was feeling the same thing too. "We can't always control things, unfortunately. If we could, that would be...great."
Seren half smiled at him. "Maybe we are made for each other…"
"Oh, so you had doubt?" Steve counted a win when she laughed. "I think we were indeed made for each other, just in different times."
"Right," she nodded, "Me in the good ole 80s and you...1800s?"
He deadpanned her but almost lost when she laughed again. He loved hearing that laughter. "You're so funny," he remarked. "But I'm going to let that little joke go because I do like knowing that you think we're made for each other. I will not be letting that go, by the way."
"Good," she said, "Because I don't intend on letting you go anytime soon. Our history wasn't the best but we compliment each other. We're different from others, some people might say freaks, but we work together in all aspects. It's funny how that works, really. Who else could handle someone like me if not someone like you?"
"You make yourself sound like a handful," Steve chuckled. "Which you are not. You decided that nobody would like you if they weren't different too but you know that's not true."
"C'mon, Steve, we don't have to go there…" Seren said, eyes widening slightly for embarrassment.
"It's true, I've heard from your parents that you used to have guys who liked you."
"Stop talking to my parents," Seren promptly said. Neither of her parents had any filter so she could only imagine what else they had been telling Steve when she wasn't around.
"You wanted me to get along with them!"
"Oh, oh, and you do everything I say?"
Steve laughed. "Yeah. I do anything my star wants me to." Seren wasn't at all amused with him especially since he continued to laugh. He gave her a couple kisses in hopes of getting back on her good side.
"You can't fix this with a kiss or two, you idiot," she huffed.
"How about ten?" He asked right before kissing her twice more. Her answer came in the form of another huff so he decided to skip the question and simply kiss her again.
Even if Seren had been on the plan to stay huffy, she wouldn't have lasted very long. Each kiss lasted longer than the previous and in the end,she was chasing his lips.
Steve was quite proud of himself. He'd never been so aware of the effects he could have on women. It was both satisfying and odd. He never saw himself in this type of situation. He met Seren's lips again and kissed her like she deserved, and maybe even for what he deserved. Times had been beyond tough for both of them in their own ways and now they were finally able to set those things aside.
Seren was the one to part and for a good reason, and perhaps slightly embarrassing. "You want to try the lasagna?"
Steve laughed at her expression. "Absolutely," he told her. Just as Seren moved to get off him, he tightened his grip around her waist. "But you gotta stay right where you are."
She smirked. "If you say so." She made a show of leaning for the lasagna platter in a manner that had her body rubbing against Steve's.
His eyes narrowed on her as she straightened back up with a forkful of lasagna in her mouth. "You are a sneak!"
She put a hand over her chest in an effort to be innocent. She swallowed and hummed at the delicious taste. "Now that was good! You want some?"
Steve tilted his head at her. He waited for her to admit what she was doing but she did no such thing. "I'm going to get you back," he ultimately warned her.
"For what?" She reached for the lasagna bowl again. "Eating?" She picked up a new forkful and offered it to Steve. "It's really good."
"You're unbelievable, Miss Soul," he said right before taking the first bite. Oh, that really was good.
They ate the lasagna, or perhaps devoured was a better description, in a short fifteen minutes. Liana had really taken into account their metabolisms because the basket was full of different things to eat. Seren popped the wine bottle for them and they pretty much took that down too, though Seren made sure to take a little less just in case.
By the end, Steve felt like there was one thing they needed to do for both their sakes. He took out his phone and, to Seren's surprise, he asked her one simple question. "Do you want to dance with me?"
"There's no song," Seren remarked.
"Maybe that's because I'm waiting for you to say 'yes'? It would be kind of awkward if you said 'no' and I already had music playing, don't you think?"
Seren chuckled. "We've been over this. As if I would ever say 'no' to you."
They stood up together and Seren took Steve's hand. "A dance for all those times we couldn't?" Her fingers slipped between his and she gripped it. "Me and my prom...you and a date that never got to happen?"
Steve brought her hand up to his lips for a kiss. "A better future waits for us, sweetheart. I know it."
Everything they'd gone through couldn't be it for them. It couldn't be the only things that were going to define them. There had to be something better waiting for them.
Seren eagerly waited for Steve to set the song on his phone. She was pleasantly surprised to hear Put Your Head On My Shoulder begin to play. "Our song!"
"It was the first one I listened to on the record player you gave me," Steve said. "Thought of you." Seren was happy to hear it.
They soon started dancing together. At first it was the traditional slow dance where they swayed gently to the music. Seren rested her head on Steve's shoulder. He, in turn, had his arms wrapped around her waist. His head was tilted and pressed against Seren's head. Nothing could possibly break their moment. It was as Seren had said earlier. Neither of them had gotten the chance to live out their special dances for obvious reasons so they wanted to soak up every second they had now.
Slowly, they would start part but only by a little. Steve would take her hand to occasionally twirl her. He loved hearing her laughs so he may have opted to twirl her slightly more.
"I'm going to get dizzy!" Seren laughed as she came from another twirl. She stumbled on her feet but Steve held her to keep her on her feet. "You're doing that on purpose!"
"Yes, because what I want is to see you throw up on our date," Steve said, sarcastically nodding as well, "That's exactly what I'm going for." He paused suddenly, leaving Seren puzzled until he spoke again. "Although I guess that wouldn't be the most terrible date I've been on."
Seren's face scrunched. "What!?"
"I've had worse."
"Oh my god!"
"Yeah!" Steve wished he could say that it was all part of his sarcasm but, unfortunately, his track record was just that terrible.
"I think one of these days, you should just sit down and tell me about these dates," Seren said. "I can't go not knowing them."
"Oh, you'd like that," Steve muttered. He wasn't stupid enough to give her the ammunition to constantly tease him about it.
Seren nodded. "Yes, I would." She leaned up as much as she could to leave a kiss on his lips. "Pretty please?" The fact that she knew batting her eyes and kissing him like that would get him to say 'yes' was entirely sneaky...and confident. She knew exactly what she was doing.
"No, I'd rather not," Steve said, planting his own kiss on her lips just to return the favor. "I don't think it's important."
"I think it is."
"And I respectfully disagree." He left a kiss on her cheek. He could see her lips beginning to curve downward for a frown. "I didn't know my star could frown so much."
"Using that pet name on me won't work," she warned him. It was a blatant lie. She was completely his star and ready to give in to whatever he wanted.
Steve could see Seren's birthmark on the side of her neck peeking out from under her collar. "I can't have a frowning star on me. It's got to be bad luck."
Seren rolled her eyes at him. She would've huffed if he hadn't kissed the side of her neck.
"You think I'll have good luck if I kiss the other star?" Steve smiled so cheekily it was actually startling for Seren. Only because of that, she would forget his refusal to tell the date stories.
"I haven't heard if it works that way," she playfully rolled her eyes.
"Could I find out?"
"You're making me feel like a connect-the-dot game right now."
"Now that's definitely not my intention," Steve promised her. He kissed her lips and bopped her nose. "I just really like seeing them, honestly. They're uniquely you. Sorry, is it weird for you?"
Seren shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't frowning, a good sign, but she seemed unconvinced. "I don't know. Ever since I can remember, I've always covered them up because they weren't normal. If I had one, maybe I could've gotten away with it but I have two." She pulled on the right side of her collar to showcase the first birthmark. She then tugged on her left sleeve enough to show the second birthmark right at the connecting bones of her shoulder blade and arm. "I really am a connect-the-dots game."
"No you're not," Steve shook his head.
"Oh, but I am. My dad used to tell me that when I was like four, I actually tried connecting them with a marker! I would say that I was making a star game."
Steve had no choice but to laugh. "I'm going to have to ask for pictures!"
"You're not going to see any of them!"
"Just one?"
"Nope!"
"Fine, then I'll just play the game!"
"What—" Seren's question was muffled with another kiss on her lips. Immediately after that, Steve would leave a second kiss over the birthmark on her neck. Seren laughed when he tried to kiss the birthmark near her arm. "You're crazy!"
"I'm playing a game you invented!"
"Pretty sure this isn't what I invented!"
Steve paused to give her a look. "Do you want to stop playing the game?"
Seren bobbed her head as she considered the ups and downs of the game. She came to the conclusion that there weren't any downs. "No, I don't think so. I guess we could turn it into a game for us." She brought her arms around his neck, smiling widely. "Leave it to my lovey to turn my lifelong secrets into something silly."
"You don't have to be a secret, Seren. You're a shining star—my shining star," Steve said. He pressed another kiss to her neck, intentionally slower.
Seren's eyes fluttered shut with his lingering touch. She hummed. "I just feel bad that you're always having to remind me of this stuff. I want to do the same things for you but...you don't really have any secrets."
"Kind of what happens when you're entire life is an exhibition," Steve said, partially joking on that matter. Nothing of his life was a secret from anyone. It was, unfortunately, out in the open for anyone who wanted to see it.
"Well, whatever you create in this new age, you can keep it from everyone. Start building a new life and I'm sure that will be all yours."
"I think I'm starting to," Steve smiled at her, prompting her to smile back. "Would my shining star like to dance some more?"
Seren nodded. "Always."
Steve gave her a short kiss then moved to continue the songs on his phone. They would need a brand new line of songs and if he was lucky enough, it would just be the first record of many.
~0~
It was really late when Chloe got back to the apartment and the way that she knew that was meeting a pacing Bucky Barnes in the living room.
"Where have you been!?" He all but demanded from her, making it the first time he ever spoke to her like that.
"Oh, just...out…" Chloe sniffed.
Bucky raised an eyebrow at her. She swayed a bit. He marched up to her and grabbed her by the arms to look her in the eyes. "You've been drinking."
"Just a bit," Chloe tried to wiggle out of his grip. "Damn, how strong are you?"
Bucky let her go and stepped back from her. "You don't usually drink."
"Well, today was different," Chloe waved her hands in front of her. "See because I'm a little bit tired."
"Something happened," Bucky concluded. Each time she went in for those training sessions with Stark, she came back in a crappy mood but today was a whole new level.
"Oh you bet your brainwashed backside!" Chloe exclaimed and walked past him. "I'm deciding whether or not I want to have an operation."
"Operation?" Bucky turned with her.
"Mhm," Chloe stopped and turned around, meeting his gaze, "That second piece that HYDRA put in me, Stark thinks he's figured out a way to put it back inside me safely this time. But once I do that, there's no going back. I will be permanently stuck with these powers. I don't know how powerful I'd be and I certainly don't know if I'd be able to control it."
"And what's the alternative?" asked Bucky.
"Staying like this means I'll never have any type of control. So you see my predicament? I don't want either option but I have to make one soon." Chloe smacked her forehead suddenly, managing to startle the ex-assassin. "Neither option guarantees that I'll never hurt anyone again. I don't want to hurt anybody. It's why I don't even see my best friend anymore. I can't trust myself around her, around anyone."
Bucky lowered his head. He didn't say it but she must know who she was talking to. He was in the same situation. It's why he tended to stay away from her whenever he could, even if they did share the same apartment. "Neither option will offer you solace at the moment, will it?"
Chloe shook her head. "Not really, no. I don't know what to do."
Bucky licked his lips nervously. Yes, nervously. He looked around the apartment—it was still almost untouched by Chloe's personality. She wasn't sure about anything except the possibility of leaving. "I told you that I couldn't stay here for long."
"Yes, I know," Chloe said, rubbing her face. "And believe me, I will get my side of the deal going as soon as I can—"
"Don't do anything," Bucky cut her off, "Leave it, Chloe. Come with me instead."
"What?" Chloe dropped her hands from her face. "Not this again, Bucky."
"Yes," Bucky nodded, "Because you just said everything. HYDRA's going to get a clue sooner or later that we're here, that we're together and I don't plan on being a sitting duck. You can't trust yourself around others and neither can I. You...if you watch my back, I'll watch yours. I won't let you hurt anyone if you do the same for me."
Chloe didn't refuse on the spot again, a good sign for Bucky. She swallowed hard. "Leave...leave everything again?"
Bucky nodded again. "Yes. I understand that you have that best friend of yours but if you can't be around her, then you need space. What's the guarantee that she won't come knocking on your door soon."
"Well, Stark said he wouldn't tell anyone where I live right now…"
"And you think he'll deny it consistently against your friend?"
Chloe wasn't honestly sure of it. Stark had been a man of his word so far but that was only because Seren hadn't been around. What if she kept insisting and insisting until Tony gave in?
"I don't want to hurt Seren again," Chloe whispered, letting her head hang low. "She's the only one I have left."
Bucky deliberated with his response but he hoped that in the end, she would feel his honesty. "I'm your ally," he used her words now, "You helped me and now I want to help you. At the end of the day, HYDRA used both of us. I'm not going back there, are you?"
Chloe shook her head. "No," she said quickly, "I won't let them use me again."
Bucky half smiled at her. "We'll go then."
A/N:
I've been meaning to update this to finally get us to the next fic but the month's been looong, I swear. Plus, I know I'm so late on this — like really late — but I finally got around to watching Eternals and I've fallen down the rabbit hole on fics. I think Chloe and Druig would have some things in common to talk about with their mind abilities, plus they're both so sassy. And I feel like Seren would have (mad) things to say to Ikaris about "Loyalty". Anyways, I'm just gonna keep going down that hole :))
For the review:
Wonderwomanbatmanfan: Yeah, I plan for Chloe's and Bucky's story is gonna be long one with ups and & downs. Seren's relationship with her family has definitely changed for the better but Atria is still in the gray area for the moment. We'll see Atria later on, but not soon!
P.S. As always, I have an AO3/Wattpad account under "noblecrescent" and a tumblr account under "saiilorstars" if you'd like to follow :)