𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 | 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬

Where the Past Meets the Present

'She was the first person he thought coherently about after decades of fuzziness and blankness. The very first thought he had in years and it was about his sympathy for HYDRA's next victim.'

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Steve had watched Seren be jittery all morning. It was so unlike her to be so silent and yet at the same time it was so like her to be that anxious about what people would think about her. She was nerve-wrecked about meeting Kenna Vidal, her only childhood friend. Seren's parents secretly told Steve that morning it was a miracle he had convinced her to go through with such a thing in the first place.

They had a light breakfast — or rather she had a light breakfast as she wasn't that hungry. Steve drove them into town, following Seren's directions to the old ice cream parlor. Kenna was supposed to meet her there soon. As soon as Seren stepped into the parlor, she got flashes of her high school self having strawberry ice cream with Kenna. She remembered the times where she actually felt like a normal high school girl having girl talks and giggling with each other about the dumbest things.

"Seren?" Steve gave her a gentle nudge, breaking her out of her moment. "Are you alright? She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed. "Kind of got distracted there..."

Seren nodded at him. "Yeah, I...I was just remembering..."

"Good memories?"

Seren nodded again. "Yeah." She looked at the parlor and saw a few young teenagers at the counter and tables. "This used to be the place for hang outs. Guess it still is."

"Kind of like a 50s place, or so I've read," Steve said, earning a chuckle from her. "So, are you ready?"

Seren let out a shaky breath as her answer. Steve reassured her that everything would be fine. Kenna had agreed to meet with her, after all. Things couldn't be that bad if Kenna was coming.

"Okay, should I — should we order something ahead?" Seren glanced at the menu then at the entrance doors. "Or...or should we wait? I don't...I actually don't know what to do here."

"Why don't we find a table?" Steve suggested. She agreed quickly and grabbed his hand, very tightly. He led them to the first open table they found.

It was only a few minutes later that Seren spotted Kenna coming in through the entrance doors. "Oh my goodness, there she is..." Seren shook her hands nervously, "Oh God..."

"Breathe," Steve reminded her when he thought he saw some blue on her face.

"What if this was a mistake?" She turned to him suddenly. "Oh my God, this was a mistake. We have to go—"

Steve leaned over and gave her a kiss on the lips, shutting down her nerves for a moment. "Like I said before...breathe," he said afterwards. "You'll be fine. Everything will be fine. You need this, okay? You have an opportunity that not everyone has — repairing the past."

"You're right..." And yet Seren still didn't sound very convinced. She looked out at the same time that Kenna spotted their table. "God, she still looks the same from school..."

Steve chuckled; she had sounded a bit jealous of the fact for some reason. "You look very pretty too," he assured her. That was the first time Seren chuckled since they left the house.

"But unlike Kenna with her gracious dark hair, I cut all of mine off," she pointed out. "And dyed it."

"You could always let it grow out," Steve offered, though he suspected that she hadn't exactly listened to him.