𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ~ Steve Rogers

Questions After Questions ~ 33

Evangeline awakens the following morning, her mind devoid of any lingering dreams of Ultron, a welcome relief from the previous night's haunting visions. Rising early, she tiptoes out of her room, eager to rouse herself with a morning ritual. As she traverses the living space, her gaze falls upon Bucky, sprawled peacefully on the couch in a deep slumber, his figure bathed in the soft glow of dawn. Despite a faint sense of curiosity regarding his unexpected location – recalling he sought refuge in a different room the night before – she refrains from probing further, merely rolling her eyes before resuming her journey toward the kitchen.

Another unremarkable day unfolds for Eva. She has spent the majority of her time sequestered in her room, deliberately avoiding interactions with the rest of the team since breakfast. Now, as evening descends, she finds herself seated by the vanity table, engrossed in scrutinizing the device adorning her neck, peering at its reflection in the mirror. A furrow creases her brow as she delicately adjusts the device, its weight negligible yet perpetually present, a constant reminder. Eva's hand hesitates over the clasp, her mind consumed with contemplation. The allure of freeing herself from the device even for a fleeting moment is palpable, the temptation drawing her in.

"I hope you're not thinking about taking that off," Steve's voice breaks the silence, his sudden appearance in the room causing Eva to startle, her hand instinctively dropping from the device. She swivels on the seat to meet his gaze directly, caught off guard by his unexpected presence.

"Do you not knock anymore?" she retorts, a hint of flustered irritation coloring her tone as she adjusts to his company.

"I did," Steve responds, lifting a brow in amusement. "Twice." Despite the seriousness of his words, a faint smile dances on his lips as he observes her bemused expression. He settles onto the edge of her bed, positioning himself close to her seat. "I would've knocked a third time, but then I remembered the huge window over there and thought you might have had enough of already," he adds playfully, nodding towards the window behind her.

"Would you blame me if I did?" Eva quips back, matching Steve's small smile but lifting a brow in challenge. "The fake pleasantries I've had to endure today..." She drawls on, feigning exasperation, and he shakes his head.

"The pleasantries aren't fake, Eva," Steve asserts gently but firmly.

"D'accord, maybe not with Scott, but it's plastered all over Wanda's face," Eva counters, her keen perception catching the strain in Wanda's attempts at cordiality.

"She's trying, Eva. We all are," Steve insists, the warmth fading from his expression, replaced by the solemn determination that underscores their collective effort to rebuild trust.

Eva's gaze shifts away, her eyes flicking towards the door as she mumbles, "Maybe a little too hard..."

"Well, can you blame us?" Steve's frown deepens, a tinge of frustration evident in his tone. "You didn't exactly leave us with a great first impression."

She opens her mouth to retort but hesitates, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she recalls something. "I hope you're not talking about when Peter formally introduced us," Eva says, her gaze fixed on him, testing his reaction. After a moment, he lets out a small laugh, shaking his head at the memory.

"You screamed the corridor down and then ran... That's bound to leave a lasting impression," Steve remarks, still smiling as his eyes meet hers. "But now I gather that was all part of a ploy to gain access to the compound?" he realizes, his smile faltering slightly as he pieces it together.

"It was," Eva admits with a sigh, her tone carrying a weight of resignation as she unveils the reason for the peculiar moment, "But Ultron was being persistent, and I wasn't quite ready to execute his plan at that moment. So, I pretended to have a breakdown and made my escape."