The Light that Shines Within

The Talk

I looked at him with my arms crossed. "What do want Steve?" I asked evenly. "Shouldn't you be with the others and saving the world, doing stuff that matters instead of being here with me?" He shook his head and looked around the barn, sun begining to set through the wood and casting an orangish glow on everything inside, even his face. "Cass....you do matter to us, we just handled that last argument wrong." He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor. "If you didn't matter I wouldn't be here to repair this damage done to us all, I'm sorry it took me this long to get here " I looked at him and thought if he really meant what he said. Was he serious or just here under Fury's orders? He didn't look up at me. "Your forgiven, Steve. But I'm just curious as to why your here at all." 

"Because I care about you, that's why." 

I blinked in surprise and thought about that. He cared about me. That much was clear over the last six months. But why did he still care at all, why did he he even care at all about a lost soul? "Why?" I asked softly and saw his head go up to look at me with those doe eyes of his.

"Why, what?" He asked. 

"Why do you even still care about me Rogers? After all I have done to you...told you I've done? Why do you even think I want you here?" He was silent a moment, thinking of a way to say something along the lines of he wasn't sure why or something of the sort. I was internally a mess right now, with him here. I missed Steve, more than I had cared to admit it. The super soldier had grown on me. "Cass....the way I feel about you is what drew me here, what made me tell Fury, your uncle, and the others to fuck off and I was coming here whether they wanted me too or not. " I blinked at that one. Did I just hear him swear? That was strange, and very unusual coming from the man of no swearing. 

I rose an eyebrow at him. 

"That's...pretty crazy of you Steve."

"Yeah, well, its been a pretty crazy month."

I shrugged. "That's true..." I rocked back and forth on my heels, deciding what to say next to him when the school bus pulled up in front of the house and my two brothers hopped off. Gabriel and Lucas were like mini versions of Loki and Thor. The eldest had black hair like me and was my avid reading buddy. Lucas was a blond, athletic type who had friends galore. Needless to say that's how I had grown to love the Asguardian brothers as easily as I had. They had reminded me of my twin, ten year old adopted siblings. Gabriel eyed the motorcycle in the drive, then looked in the barn at me and Steve. Lucas was already on his phone probably calling his soccor team friends to come play after school. I sighed and waved as Gabe came towards us with a curious, scrutinizing gaze at Steve. Steve turned and smiled at him. "Hello there, you must be her brother." Gabriel nodded and pushed his glasses up.

"I am. And you must be Captain America."

He chuckled and put his hand out to shake. "Steve Rogers." My brother shook his hand." Gabriel Smith." I smiled at bit at this image and Gabe turned to me. "You ok Cass? You seem angry right now..." I went over and hugged him with a laugh. He could always tell my moods and sadly was the only one I really hung out with when I was back home. I guess that's why I could relate to the moody God of Mischief better than anyone else. I had practice with his ten year old counterpart. "Yeah, I'm ok Gabe. Thanks. How was school? That math test you had today as serious as you thought it was going to be?" He shrugged and pushed his glasses back up again. His gaze was always intellent and curious. He acted way beyond his years and I found that adorable in a ten year old. "Yeah. But after I figured out the factors and variables it all was too easy." 

I nodded and looked at Steve again.

"You want to come in for some apple pie and cider? We can talk more and I can watch these two since Dad is still at work." Steve nodded and we went inside the house, to the old kitchen and I made us all pie and cider with whipped cream. Lucas came down on his phone and didn't even realize an Avenger was in the house until after he sat down. Eyes going wide and excited. "Omg! Your Steve Rogers! Your an Avenger! This is so oooooo cool!!!" He bounced in his seat and took a selfie with him immediately. I gave Steve an apologetic smile and handed him his pie. But he took it like a champ tho. Chuckling and posing for my over enthusiastic brother and his cell phone. "This is AWSOME! An actual Avenger...in our HOUSE!" He exclaimed eating his pie and looking at Cap again to make sure he was real.