ADORE ↠ b. barnes [III]

twenty seven

"WHAT ARE WE JAMES?" SHE ASKED HIM DIRECTLY James stepped a bit closer to her.

"We're partners." He told her with security. "But we were more before that." He said, quietly this time. "You know my feelings for you haven't changed." He told her, placing his non metal hand on her cheek and smiling softly when he saw that she leaned slightly on it.

"Mine haven't changed, either, James." She told him, placing her own hand against his. "I just feel like we're lost. We're processing who we are and I don't want to lose you as we discover it." James leaned his forehead against hers.

"You wouldn't lose me, jupiterian ."

"I can only hope, earthling." She whispered back, her green eyes closing as she felt his close breath against her face. He smelled fresh, like a summer breeze or a windy day near a beach. His scent was intoxicating and Allura couldn't help but breath it in, like the hydrogen she so desperately needed.

"I promise you..." James whispered, leaning to kiss her forehead as if she were the most delicate thing his lips would ever touch. "...you will never lose me."

ALLURA HAD ONCE BELIEVED THAT PROMISES WERE very much the sweetest lies. And to her ears, as the words fell from his lips, they were sweeter than cotton candy and sweeter than a lyrical song on a grey day.

But she had an excruciatingly good memory; this one in particular always circling around her mind. And all of of her memories started with a hello and ended with a promise— promises she had kept and others that she hadn't, and others that had been made to her and broken by others.

It was a way of life, a curse and a finality that Allura had always tried to wrap her mind around. Why is a promise so comforting, when it's non-fulfillment only brought pain and cut sharper than a knife?

She had promised herself she'd protect her brother, and she had tragically failed. She had been promised by James that he'd never leave her, and he did — whether voluntarily or not.

But maybe, a promise isn't kept or unkept until the final moment. Until the end of the story, where everything settles into place and the epilogue is written with teary eyes and a soft smile.

Maybe she had a chance to set things straight; and to ensure that what she said, and what was said to her was kept.

As the team walked with purpose, the suits fitting their bodies perfectly and their walking filled the room with anticipation, she let out a small smile. She thought about what the future would bring if everything went accordingly.

It had its ups and downs, but it was better than this.

"Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends, we lost family, we lost a part of ourselves. Today we have a chance to take it all back.

"You know your teams. You know your missions." Allura looked at Thor and Rocket with a small smirk, that was only returned by the latter as the former shook the nerves off.

Nadenka glanced at Pietro, Natasha and Clint, as they all nodded their heads.

Nebula and Rhodes glanced at each other.

Bruce, Tony, Steve and Scott looked at the front and thought the of coming events.

"Get the stones. Get them back." They all put their fists together, signaling a pact and acknowledging their effort.

"One round trip each. No mistakes, no do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. That doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives and we're gonna win.