Steve and I were getting awfully good at stealing moments. By such I mean, being normal, doing common relationship activities. It was foreign to us. Before we didn't see each other often, we always had other things taking our attention. We had stolen kisses, stolen nights of cuddling, but the intimacy we had just stolen, we wanted to continue for as long as time would let us.
We found ourselves back in the bathroom. I turned on the shower and stepped in first. I sighed blissfully when I felt the water on my skin. As gross as it sounded, I hadn't showered in years. It was as cleansing physically as it was spiritually to feel the water on my skin again.
What began as a way to be intimate just ended up becoming a hassle. I began by stealing the water just enough to wet my long hair. Steve stepped into the shower behind me and I slid past him to let him have a turn under the shower head, and then I just found myself cold. His broad shoulders blocked the entire flow of water from reaching me.
Steve ducked his head underneath the water. As he shook the excess water from his hair, he saw my pout, and he chuckled, placing his hand on my waist and guiding me to his chest. We stood sideways in the shower, the water trailing down the left sides of our body.
"I'm almost thinking this was more romantic in theory," he noted.
My eyes crinkled as I laughed. "I do agree."
I grabbed the shampoo from the rack behind me and squirted a dab on his darkened hair. I ran it through his shaggy hair, musing about how he should leave it long. He disagreed, admitting he would cut it soon with the beard. He was missing his natural blonde, he noted. I rolled my eyes playfully and nudged his head underneath the shower head to rinse his hair.
When it was my turn for him to wash my hair, he applied a much larger amount of shampoo to run down my hair. He marveled at how long it had gotten. I admitted I would probably cut it as well. Being Agamotto meant my human tendencies would cease. Wherever I cut my hair was where it would stay for my lifetime.
"I think you should cut it short again," he said, running his hand along the hair on my shoulder. "That's how long it was when I first met you. Do you remember that? It's been a long time since then."
I nodded, meeting his eyes. "You know, I could show you," I said softly. He raised his brow. "I can play it back for you, if you wanted. I'll take you home with me soon, back to the Light Dimension, and I can play it for you."
"Really?" he said, his eyes filled with wonder.
I nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. When we're done with the shower and your beard, we can go, yeah?"
Steve smiled brightly. He ducked my head underneath the shower, running his fingers through the tangles in my hair. "I was meaning to ask about it. The whole Light Dimension thing, the Agamotto thing... It's odd. For me. To know you as I did, human Clara, and think of where you are now. I can only imagine what it's like for you, now, with these new powers, with a new purpose... I don't know. I always knew you were meant for more. I'm happy to see it come to fruition."
"It only means leaving you," I was quick to reply.
Steve scoffed. "It's space. Space. Hundred years ago, I couldn't even imagine free roaming space. I can't imagine now what it would be like."
"Space means little to me when you're around," I admitted. I ran my hands through my hair to ensure the water ran clear. I grabbed the wash cloths from the rack and started to apply his shoulders with soap. He did the same.
"I know it's hard to leave me," he admitted softly.
"I know it's hard to stay here."
"But I do it."
"And I do, too," I sighed heavily. I pressed my lips to his. "The tragedy of our love, huh?"
Steve and I exited the shower. I took us back to his room, as he said he had clothes of mine still situated in his dresser, so I wouldn't have to go to my room. I wondered what it looked like in there after all these years. But, I went back to Steve's room and dug through his dresser for my leftover clothes.
I found a pair of underwear, I found a bra. I tossed them on the bed, chuckling when I accidentally hit Steve with them. I picked a pair of leggings and a dark blue sweater to wear. I had been stuck in jeans for the last few years. Should I get wrapped up in anything more, I figured it would be best to dress for comfort and mobilities sake.
"You look cozy," noticed Steve once I changed.
I hugged my sides, burying my nose into my chest. It had been so long since I smelled me. I hadn't noticed until I was home, with Steve, how far I'd gone. How different I had become since I left the prison cell of the Raft to time travel. I didn't want to lose sight of the Clara I had been on Earth, but it equally felt as if my life was moving too fast for me to hold on. So, like I did with Steve, I supposed I would have to steal moments of time where I remembered who I was, where I had been. I vowed to never lose sight of it; if I did, I reckoned I would be as heartless as Agamotto had been.
I nodded my head, shrugging with bliss. "I'm home," I answered quietly. I opened a portal to the bathroom once more. "Let's go get rid of that beard, yeah?"
As he shaved in the sink, I used the other sink to squint at myself in the mirror. My hair was generally straight, when wet it held loose waves that I could brush easily with my fingers, so it wasn't awful to manage. I decided to cut it above my breast, a little longer than Steve liked, but long enough for me to throw up when I wished to. I grabbed each side of my hair in a fist and lit up my two fingers with green, burning energy, then seared off my hair. I caught what fell in a portal and directed it to the garbage.
I hadn't noticed until I was finished but Steve had stopped shaving to watch me.
I flushed. "It worked, didn't it?" I said sheepishly.
Steve raised his eyebrow in agreement then continued to shave with his razor. I hopped on the counter, running my fingers through my shortened hair playfully. It felt lighter as the water dried out of it. Caring about my appearance distracted from the harsh reality we had ignored for the time being. Although part of me wanted to stay ignorant to the situation at hand, I knew we could never achieve it. It was time to return back to basics.
"So, how longs it been since I was last here?" I asked.
"23 days."
"Who's all here?"
"Nat, Bruce, Rhodey. Thor and Rocket are here, although they keep to themselves. Pepper has been stopping by a lot lately to be with Rhodey," said Steve. He dried his clean-shaven face with a towel. "Nobody knows if Tony is alive, despite what you said."
It was then the Compound began to tremble. I hopped quickly from the counter top. Steve and I looked at each other, fearful for what it could mean, saddened that our stolen moment was over, but each knowing it was time to fulfill our duties.
I opened a portal to the front lawn and we stepped through, immediately casting our eyes upwards at the blinding light in the sky. While Steve shielded his eyes, I didn't have to. I saw right through the light and to Carol, who was positioned underneath a ship. The same ship I had seen on Titan.
"It's Tony," I said quickly to Steve. He started running towards where Carol touched down.
A stampede of footsteps sounded behind me. I saw Pepper leading, Rhodey behind her. I pointed to the ship, assuring, "It's him, go," as they passed me.
Natasha, Bruce, and Rocket slowed to a stop beside me. I looked down at Rocket and nudged my head in the direction of the ship. His face stiffened in confusion, but he continued to walk towards the ship, trusting my advice.
Natasha tore her eyes from the ship. "When did you get here?"
"Maybe an hour," I said. "I just was hanging out with Steve. Sorry I didn't make an entrance."
"No worries. It's nice to see you," she affirmed. She didn't meet my eyes.
I softly smiled. "It's nice to see you, too, Nat."
Rocket and Nebula reunited on the stairs of their ship. They sat together in silence, their hands clasped gently on Nebula's lap. Between them, they had lost their entire family. All that remained of the Guardians was the two of them.
Tony was helped by Pepper and Rhodey. He was in the same form fitting jacket I had last saw him in, but it was incredibly lose on him. His eyes and his skin were yellow, his cheekbones were accentuated. Twenty-three days in space with little to no food and water brought back a Tony Stark I had never seen before.
As he passed, I pressed my hand softly on his arm. He looked at me with disgust before he continued on. I watched him go, my brow crinkled. Natasha and Bruce spared me a confused glance as well before they followed behind to see his safe return.
Carol and Steve approached me. We started the trek back to the Compound.
"You find anything, Carol?" I wondered.
"Just them," she sighed. "You?"
"I got the complete history of four of the Stones. The other two I didn't find much on, I came back to bother Rocket and Thor about it, but you returned with Tony and Nebula and stole my thunder," I said.
Carol chuckled. "I guess we've got good timing in common."
"I think it's a superhero thing," I mused.