necromancy | avengers 1

IV- Sam

Celestia was standing next to her sister, in front of a display about 'Bucky' Barnes. Adrienne mouthed along to the words the Smithsonian narrator was saying.

They were at their weekly visit to the Captain America section at the Smithsonian (Celestia wasn't sure why they still did it (if Adrienne somehow forgot something about Captain America, she could just call up Steve), before Celestia met up with Steve. She felt bad about keeping her and Natasha's mission a secret, but it was Fury's orders. She didn't think he was still mad considering he had taken up the offer for her to drive him, some place he didn't disclose.

"You know, it was only a few months after Bucky died, that Steve went into the ice." Celestia sighed internally, she knew basically everything there was to know about Cap, through Adrienne and Steve. She still hummed, as though it was new information though.

She watched the smile grow on Steve's face as he talked to Bucky in the video. She felt dejected; he was rarely ever that happy now.

She felt hot breath on the back of her neck. She turned slightly, to see part of Steve' face right behind her. She looked up to him, and smiled softly. He looked down at her, keeping eye contact, before nodding slightly to a separate room, as though to say he was going over there. She nodded, and turned back to the display. She felt him leave behind her and she sighed, before Adrienne pulled her over to another display.

**

Celestia was parked outside of a Nursing Home, having just dropped Steve off. Steve hasn't told her who he was visiting, but she could assume it was Peggy.

After around half and hour, Steve comes walking out of the front doors, rubbing his face. He opened the car door, and Celestia could see traces of tears on his face. He sat down, and muttered, "Can we go to the VA?" He looked down at his lap after speaking. She mumbled out a yes, and started the car.

A couple minutes into driving, she mustered up the courage to put a comforting hand on Steve's leg. She could feel him tense, making her wish she hadn't done anything, but after a few moments, he relaxed once more. He put one of his hands over her hand, and squeezed. She smiled to herself, continuing driving with one hand on the wheel, and one on the Steve's thigh.

**

Celestia pulled into the VA's car park, looking at the building. She was about to ask Steve what they were doing there, but he was already getting out of the car. She quickly got out, jogging after him.

"A cop pulled me over last week. He thought I was drunk. I swerved to miss a plastic bag. I thought it was an IED." Celestia leant against the opposite side of the column to Steve, listening to the words from the woman. She looked down to the ground, only thinking, 'That's not fair.' Over and over again in her head. So many things weren't fair in the world. That also wasn't fair.

She looked back up, hearing the voice of the male that was speaking to Steve from the other day. He was leant against a podium up in front of around 20 people. "Some stuff you leave there. Other stuff you bring back. It our job to figure out how to carry it. Is it gonna be in a big suitcase, or in a little man-purse? It's up to you."

After the meeting was finished, Steve and Celestia were waiting for the man to finish talking to separate people. Steve walked to him as soon as he was done, Celestia following close behind. "Look who it is, the running man." He said, looking at Steve, his eyes flicking to Celestia for a moment before fixing the magazines on the table.

"Caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense." Celestia nodded in agreement. "Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt. Regret." He finished packing up the magazines, placing his full attention onto Steve now. "You lose someone?" He questioned.

"My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op. Nothing we hadn't done 1,000 times before. Until an RPG knocked Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch." Another thing that wasn't fair. So many lives lost, for something that could've most likely been prevented. So many lives impacted, for nothing. It made tears well in Celestia's eyes, before she pushed them back down.

"I'm sorry." Steve shortly said in reply to the man's story. "After that, I had a really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?"

"But you're happy now, back in the world?" Steve questioned. "The number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell yeah. Are you thinking about getting out?" He smiled, then questioned.

"No. I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did." Celestia didn't feel Steve's eyes on her before the man started talking again.

"Ultimate fighting?" All three people laughed at that. "Just a great idea off the top of my head. Seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?" She didn't feel Steve's eyes on her once more, because she was too busy thinking about what her answer to the man's question would be. If she didn't have her powers, and if she wasn't working for S.H.I.E.L.D, what would she do? She probably wouldn't have much money, but she'd still be taking care of Adrienne. She smiled at that; no matter what her situation would be, Adrienne would always be first.

"I don't know." Steve's voice cut off her thoughts. He looked at the clock on the wall. "Hey, Cia, I think it's time I get home. Adi will be finished with school soon too." She nodded, and was about to walk off, before the man said to her, "My name's Sam Wilson." He held out a hand. She chuckled, shaking his hand. "You know, I've been meaning to introduce myself. Celestia Cabrera." He smiled. "Oh, I know." She laughed, dropping his hand. "Well, I hope to see you around Sam." He nodded to her, walking away. She met up with Steve, who was a couple feet from the door, waiting for her. She smiled at him, motioning for them to leave, and grabbed his hand quickly,  squeezing it.

Referring to Sam as "the man" the entire chapter was driving me crazy istg