Guardian Angel | Steve Rogers

18

"The day of the experiment..." Steve remembered, turning towards Arden more. "I remember meeting a blonde that Howard introduced me to."

"So you do remember me." She chuckled.

"You looked like a completely different person." He commented, his hand grazing her arm as he moved his hand towards the back of the couch. They glanced at each other, but broke eye contact quick as if it didn't happen.

"I was. I've lived many lives, different looks, names, lies." She sighed.

"And now?"

"Now I finally get to be me."

"And who is that?" He asks.

"Hopefully a good friend, a loving sister and the strongest witch alive." She smirks, and he chuckles.

"Is this what your natural hair is like?" He brings up, looking at her nearly black hair.

She pulls a strand of her hair in front of her, looking down at it and nodding.

"I have to admit, the brown is more fitting." He teases.

"Since we're admitting stuff. I like the beard." She compliments, pointing at his chin.

"Yeah, I kind of like it too." Steve smiles, rubbing his beard.

"Since you're being honest and all. I have a question I've been dying to ask. For years now, acutally." He clears his throat.

"Okay..." She hesitated, sitting straight up.

"What are your powers exactly?" Steve nervously asks, and she purses her lips from amusement.

"Um, pretty similar to my brother's. Strength, stamina, speed, I can fly, fly in space without an oxygen mask, I'm pretty good at any weapon, I know all the languages, energy detection, psychokinesis, and the whole witch thing." She answers, counting her abilities on her fingers. Her answer surprises him, she could tell by the way he raises his eyebrows.

"Sounds like the description of a goddess." He jokes.

"And princess." She reminds him.

"Can't forget princess." He plays along.

They both smile at each other, until Steve is quick to look away, shifting on the couch.

"Friends?" He blurts out.

Her eyebrows raise quickly, clearing her throat from what she couldn't decide was surprise or disappointment.

"I just can't jump into whatever we were, or started. I'm sorry." He tried to reason.

"Yeah, of course. Friends." She answers, giving him a fake, weak smile.

"You're back." Nat's voice startles them both, dropping her bags by the stairs. Saving them both from further awkward conversation.

"Yeah, not that long ago." Arden answered, moving her eyes from Steve.

Nat notices the tension between the two, pursing her lips. "Sorry, was I interrupting?"

"No, we're finished here." Steve answered dryly.

"We're friends." She added, smiling at Nat fakely, turning to her completely so that only she could see.

"I'm gonna go home. Wash off the stench of space off." Arden gets up, wiping herself off.

"Guess I'll see you around." Steve mentions, smiling at her weakly.

Arden pats Nat's shoulder as she walks past, grabbing her bag from the lab before heading back to her place. Nat takes a seat next to Steve, raising a brow at him with a smirk, but he rolls his eyes.

"Why do I have a feeling that didn't go as well as I hoped?" Nat sighed.

"What are you talking about? We're friends." Steve answered, and she glared at him.

She rolled her eyes before smacking Steve on the arm, making him wince.

"What was that for?" He complained, rubbing his arm.

"You talk my ear off about that girl, spending your time growing that ridiculous beard, moping around just to be just friends with her?" Nat argued.

"What's wrong with that? It's a start, we're friends." Steve countered.

"You're telling me you're going to be just friends with the girl you're in love with?" Nat laughed hysterically.

"I never said I was in love with her." Steve shook his head.

"You idiot. It's written all over your face. You fell in love with her the minute you saw her. I saw it in your eyes, you wouldn't take your eyes off of her." Nat spit out, pushing herself off the couch.

"Where are you going?"

"To see my friend, whose heart you probably just broke into a million pieces." She answered, walking away without looking at him.