Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing
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Skye was in the car with Happy driving towards the city. Skye was going to meet up with Lily. Anna had gone to Brazil for the break, and Ivy was busy with Zach. So Lily had invited Skye to hang out. Steve had called Lily's and Ivy's parents and let them know the situation. But they said they didn't have an issue with them hanging out as long as they stayed in a fairly public place. hey figured someone would not go after their daughters in a public place.
Happy pulled into the mall parking lot and up to the front door.
"Call me when you are ready," Happy said.
"Thanks, Happy. I will," Skye said as she got out and went inside the mall where Lily was already waiting.
"Hey!" Skye said.
"Hi!" Lily said.
The two girls hugged before starting to walk through the mall.
"So, who is it that might be going after you?" Lily asked as they walked into a sports apparel store.
Skye let out a breath and started to look through a stack of sports bras. "It's a really long story."
"Okay," Lily said.
When Skye found her size in the sports bra she picked it up and took a look at it.
Lily pointed to a different stack of leggings. "Those match it."
Skye smiled and found her size in the leggings too.
"Do you wear sports gear often?" Lily asked.
"When I train it's what I wear. Sports bras and leggings, if I'm not in my full suit," Skye said. "And I train a few times a week, so I go through a lot of sports bras and leggings. My dad would have an aneurysm if I tried to leave the house in a sports bra," Skye said.
Lily laughed. "Sounds about right."
Skye ended up with a few sets before she went to the cash register and paid. They left that store and headed to a store Lily wanted to go in.
After a few hours, they ended up in the food court, where they grabbed some lunch and sat down to eat.
"So, has Ivy been spending every waking moment talking about Zach?" Skye asked with a smirk.
"Pretty much, talking about, talking to," Lily said with a chuckle.
"She's happy?" Skye asked.
"Very," Lily said.
"So it's a good thing," Skye said.
"Agreed," Lily said.
After lunch, they continued to shop until they had too many bags to carry. So they sat at the entrance of the mall and called their rides.
Lily's ride was the first to get there, so the girls said bye to each other before Lily went outside. When Happy got there Skye went out with her bags, and Happy took them from her putting them in the trunk. Both got into the car, and Happy started the drive back to the compound.
"Seems like you got a lot of things," Happy said.
Skye chuckled. "Yes. I did. Although not everything is for me."
"Oh. You bought a gift for something?" Happy asked.
"Yes, my dad's birthday is in a few months, and I saw something that I thought he would like. Morgan's is before that, so I got her something too," Skye said.
"Very nice," Happy said. "There were no problems?"
"No, it was a perfect day," Skye said with a smile. "I've never had one-on-one time with Lily or Ivy. They are pretty much attached at the hip, so it was nice."
"Ivy had other plans?" Happy asked
"Yes, she was out on a second date with Zach," Skye said.
"Same guy you went over there to help her pick an outfit out the other day?" Happy asked.
"Yes," Skye said. "The first date went well, so they decided to go on another one since we are off this week."
"Makes sense," Happy said.
"How are things with May?" Skye asked.
"They are very good, thanks for asking," Happy asked.
"Are you planning on proposing any time soon?" Skye asked with a smirk.
Happy raised an eyebrow at her in the rearview mirror.
"What? I can't ask that question?" Skye asked, smiling innocently.
Happy shook his head. 'Teenagers' he thought to himself. "I suppose you can ask. But I don't have to answer it."
"Fair enough," Skye said, deciding not to push it.
"You're not dating anyone, correct?" Happy asked.
"No, I'm not allowed," Skye said.
"If you were, would you be?" Happy asked.
"Yes," Skye said.
"Tucker?" Happy asked.
"Yes," Skye said again.
Happy nodded
"I know you have seen things that I appreciate you not telling my dad," Skye said.
"What makes you think I have seen anything?" Happy asked.
"Because you don't miss anything," Skye said.
Happy nodded. "Anything I have seen, I don't think needs to be shared."
"Thank you," Skye said.
Happy nodded again as they pulled into the compound.
"And thank you for always driving me places," Skye said.
"Of course," Happy said.
Skye got out once they were parked and grabbed her bags before going inside.
Steve saw her coming in with the bags and raised an eyebrow.
"I know it's a lot, but I never go shopping," Skye said.
Steve smiled and nodded. "I know. I'm not upset. Want to show me what you got?"
"Um, some of it," Skye said.
Steve raised an eyebrow again.
"I might have bought you something for your birthday in a few months," Skye said.
"You know you didn't have to get me anything," Steve said.
"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to," Skye said with a smile. "I'm going to go empty the bags. If you want to see everything else I bought, you can come see in a few minutes."
Steve smiled and nodded.
Skye took the bags to her room and put away the gifts she had bought before putting everything else on her bed.
Steve knocked on her door a few minutes later and went in when he was invited. He took a look at everything.
"You bought a lot of new clothes," he said.
"For the summer and training," Skye said.
"Okay. Everything went okay at the mall? No problems?" Steve asked.
"Everything was good," Skye said. "Dad, I have a question about piercings."
Steve said on an empty spot on the bed. "Okay."
"I know the last time piercings came up I had done it behind your back," Skye said. "But am I allowed to get any other piercings?"
"Where were you thinking?" Steve asked.
"Belly button, and a second set in my ears," Skye said.
Steve nodded slowly. "Ears just above where your current ones are?"
"Yes," Skye said
"I'm okay with that. I don't know about the belly button," Steve said.
Skye nodded, a little disappointed.
"I'm not saying no. I'm saying let me think about it," Steve said.
"Okay," Skye said.
"And thank you for asking and not just doing it," Steve said.
"I don't want to deal with the consequences for doing it without permission," Skye said.
"Glad to hear it," Steve said.
Skye started to put away her new clothes.
"You're going to see Tucker tomorrow, right?" Steve asked.
"Yes, I'm meeting him at work just before the end of his shift, then we are going to grab dinner," Skye said.
Steve nodded.
"That's okay?" Skye asked.
"Of course," Steve said.
"I can tell you're thinking something," Skye said.
"Skye, you two haven't started taking your friendship further have you?" Steve asked.
"No, not that we don't want to, but we haven't," Skye said.
Steve nodded.
"Dad, why do I have to wait until I'm sixteen?" Skye asked.
Steve took a breath. "I want to make sure you've had enough experience to know how to handle yourself in adult relationships."
"I won't necessarily have sex just because I'm dating someone," Skye said.
"I know," Steve said. "But it also doesn't mean you won't if you end up in a position where hormones and feelings make you do things you might otherwise not."
"That could happen even if there isn't a label of dating," Skye said.
Steve nodded. "that is true."
"I do understand your point of view. But I'm not a regular fifteen-year-old. And less than a year isn't going to change much," Skye said.
"You're right. Let me think about it," Steve said.
"Okay," Skye said, sitting next to him.
Steve wrapped her in a hug and kissed her head.
Skye hugged him. "Love you, Dad."
"Love you too, peanut," Steve said.
They broke the hug, and Steve got up. "Let me know how much you spent on the clothes. I will give you the money back. Because it's my job as your dad to make sure your needs are covered."
"Dad, you don't ha-" she started but was cut off.
"I want to," Steve said.
Skye nodded a little.
"Skye, I promise you that taking care of you is not a burden," Steve said.
Skye sighed.
Steve sat back down next to her, "I remember that feeling. When I was your age, before I became Captain America, I was a scrawny kid who had so many health issues that I don't know how I survived as long as I did. Despite pretending I didn't, I did need people to take care of me. And I didn't make it easy on the people who tried."
Skye chuckled. "Bucky has told me he saved your ass from a fight or two."
"More than a time or two," Steve said. "And he did more than save me from fights that I got myself into when I really shouldn't have. And I used to get annoyed with him for helping me because I felt like a burden to him and everyone else. But if you ask him, he would tell you that I wasn't a burden to him, and if I said that I was he would tell me to shut up."
Skye chuckled.
"And you are not a burden to me. Okay?" he said.
Skye nodded. "Okay."
Steve got up again. "So figure out what the cost was and let me know."
"I will," Skye said.
Steve kissed her head before he left her room.