Red Liquorice and Paintings | Stucky

Chapter 5

Steve sits beside his mother on the couch, his knees tucked against his chest, not really caring about the soap-opera that's on TV. His mother likes it, so he'll watch it for her.

Almost everything he does these days is for her.

His mother coughs harshly, her frail body shaking and hunching over as she presses her napkin against her mouth.

Steve leans towards her warily, but Sarah shakes her head.

She wipes her mouth, and tosses the used napkin in the bin.

"I'm fine, Steve. It's just a cold." Sarah explains, glancing at her son. He nods slightly, and settles back into his previous position.

"You remember Peggy, right ma?" He asks, trying to get off of that subject, and glancing at her briefly.

She hums, and taps a finger against her chin.

"Peggy, as in Peggy Carter, the brunette you wouldn't stop talking about last year?" Sarah asks, earning a groan out of Steve.

"The name does ring a bell." She adds, and chuckles slightly.

Steve pokes his tongue out at her, and smiles as well, while hugging his knees a little tighter.

"She's back from England. Just appeared out of no where. Poof." Steve explains, using hand movements for 'poof'.

"Poof?" Sarah asks, and Steve grins while nodding.

"Poof. Took me into the cafeteria where Sam and Riley joined us. Cool guys, those two." Steve hums, and immediately starts chatting about his day, and about his two new friends, and briefly mentions James Buchanan Barnes.

Sarah watches on, listening intently with a smile on her face. It's been so long since she's seen Steve this genuinely happy.

Not since they moved. It was a tough move, from the town he grew up in, to here, where he knew no one. Sarah realised that it took a toll on him.

She remembers the first time he came home battered and beaten, sporting a lovely black eye, and when she asked what had happened, he explained that,

"Some guy was hittin' on a girl, but she wasn't interested. He tried to grab her, ma, so I stepped in."

She never felt to proud, and terrified in her life.

Proud that her son had his head on right, and terrified that he had such a bright fire burning in his chest. He really wasn't afraid to intervene, no matter what the outcome might be.

"I'm glad you're happy." Sarah says, pulling her son into her arms.

Steve wraps his arms around her small frame, and breathes into her shoulder.

His mother is the strongest woman in his life, the only parent he has, and looks up to her constantly. She always tries her best to give him what he wants, which usually is new sketching pencils.

He never asks for much, and always tries his best to return the favour, saving up for months to buy her the best presents every birthday, Mother's Day, and Christmas.

"I love you, ma."

"I love you too, Steven."
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Steve wakes up to the light streaming in through his bedroom window, and faintly hears his mother knocking on the door.

"Up, sleepyhead." She calls from the other side of the door. "Your toast is in."

Steve drowsily pulls himself out of bed, and stretches his back out with a groan.

He rubs his eyes and glances around the room, a yawn escaping his mouth as he takes his blue sleeping gown off of the floor and pulls it on.

Steve walks down the hallway while running a hand through his bed head hair, and yawning again.

Steve steps into the kitchen, and greets his mother with a kiss on the cheek, which she returns to his forehead.

"How'd you sleep?" She asks, busying herself with making lunch. Steve grunts in response, and Sarah laughs.

"That good, huh?" She jokes, and Steve manages a tired smile.

He waits patiently for his toast to pop, while tapping his fingers on the bench.

When it does pop, he then begins buttering it up with olive oil spread- one thing Steve isn't allergic to.

Sarah slides him the jar of raspberry jam, and he takes the top off, and begins to smear it onto his toast.

"I'm working late tonight. I'll make sure to leave some dinner in the oven for you." Sarah hums, and Steve nods, swallowing his mouthful of toast before thanking her.

"Eat up, then go and get ready. I'll drop you off at the cafe, and you can walk to school." Sarah says, glancing at her son as he devours the rest of his toast.

She shakes her head with an amused look on her face, as she returns to her newspaper.
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Steve finishes off his outfit with his red scarf, and runs another hand through his hair absentmindedly. He ties up his converse, and swings his bag over his shoulder. Sarah calls out his name from down the hall, and he hurries out of his room.

"Coming!" He calls, spotting her as she walks out of the door.

Steve clamps his key between his teeth as he picks up his lunch from the bench.

He balances his sketchpad, his sandwich, an apple, and a pencil on one hand as he hurries out of the door and locks it behind him.

Sarah smiles at Steve as he drops into the car, and lets out a breath, grinning at his mother widely.

"Let's get this show on the road." He says, buckling in his seatbelt.