Water Or Wine

Chapter 4

Back in the house Laura offers me a shower and I take it gladly. I wash myself, letting the hot water soak into my skin before I step out and change into clothes at Laura has set out for me. I cream coloured jumper and black leggings, I throw my hair into a messy bun and head downstairs and out into the yard where Tony and Steve are "what did you see?" Steve asks me and I fold my arms across my chest "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" he blushes slightly and drops the subject. Neither of us really want to talk about it but I guess Steve feels like we should, and maybe there is a connect between what we have seen. I just can't be bothered to figure it out.

"We can't stay here long" I point out to the two men "not unless we want Ultron tracking us here." Tony nods his head and checking his watch "Spark Plugs is right, we've got two days max before Ultron figures out where we are." There is a slight wind which rustles my hair and raises goosebumps on my arms, Tony offers me the checkered shirt around his waist and I take it gratefully.

Just after Greece, when we were staying in a city long forgotten to time we split up. I haven't seen Sprite or Ikaris or Ajak in over 1000 years. I speak to Kingo a lot, he gives me free tickets to his movies which aren't half bad. I visited Sersi last year, mostly to see how she was doing and I met her new boyfriend, Dane Whitman who I must say is very different to Ikaris. But he seems good for her. Sometimes I do wander if I made a mistake joining this team, if Arishum isn't waiting to punish me the second I let my guard down.

We, Eternals, were ordered not to interfere with human conflict as it might slow down their Evolution. The others have followed that order all of our lives and up until a few years ago I did to, but then Thor got banished to Earth and Loki attacked New York and I chose to ignore my orders and help out.

I sit on a wooden bench, soaking up the sunlight as I watch Tony and Steve are chopping wood. There is a huge pile of wood next to Steve while Tony's is smaller. I could make a joke about it but I won't. Instead Tony asks "Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?" Steve moves to grab another log, looking back up at the house he answers "sometimes my teammates don't tell me things." I know he means Clint and his secret family but I suddenly feel guilty for keeping my secret from him.

I take this opportunity to look down at my hands and admire how soft and gentle they look even though I know they have killed many a deviant. Steve's voice breaks through my thoughts "I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception." I lean forward on my seat on the bench "give him time" I say "we don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him." Tony nods in agreement like he was going to say the exact same thing.

Steve chops the log and goes to grab another one "Earth's mightiest heroes." He says with bitterness "pulled us apart like cotton candy." Tony grabs his axe and looks up at the blonde super solider, I notice he has a cut on his left cheek and I muse over the fact that Ajak could heal that in seconds. "Seems like you walked away alright." Tony points out and Steve stands up straight "is that a problem?" He asks and Tony pulls a face "I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old-fashioned."

Steve narrows his eyes, I see his shoulders tense "well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet." I stand up and step closer to the two men "you know Ultron is trying to tear us apart right?" I ask folding my arms and watching the two men work. Steve shoots Tony another look "well, I guess he would know. Whether you'd tell us a bit of a question." He brings the axe up and then down on the log in front of him, splitting it apart.

Tony has stopped chopping wood now and walks towards Steve "Banner and I were doing research." He snaps angrily, "that would affect the team." Steve replies and Tony snaps again "that would end the team! Isn't that the mission? Isn't that the why we fight? So we can end the fight. So we get to go home!" Steve picks up another log and rips it in half with his bare hands in anger.

"Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die." Steve says, a calm going over him that would make me shiver if I didn't know him so well. We all stand in tense silence before Laura Barton comes over nervously "I'm sorry. Mr Stark..." she calls awkwardly "Clint said you wouldn't mind but our tractor doesn't seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might...." He nods, clenching and unclenching his fists "yeah, I'll give her a kick" he says. 

Tony starts to walk away, towards the barn half way across the yard when he points at his wood pile and says "don't take any from my pile." I snort and Steve rolls his eyes. Once he walks away Steve goes back to chopping wood and he asks "why don't you help?" I shrug, admiring my nails again "I could but I don't want to." And I take my seat back on the bench.