After You

|6| Something

pov bucky~

We were all in the kitchen preparing food, that is, everyone except Steve.

He's apparently out right now with the girl he's seeing, but supposed to be home in time for the group dinner we're preparing.

This night happens every once in a while, maybe once every two weeks, but we like to all catch up with one another. I think it's good that we have this, especially because there are some days or weeks that I don't see everyone. For example, if it wasn't for the memory trials we're going through right now to help me remember, I'd probably almost never see Banner or Tony at all.

"Pass me the tomatoes," I asked Natalia, as we had been cutting up ingredients for the salad together. She handed them to me, "thanks."

I started cutting them messily on the cutting board, throwing the halved cherry tomatoes into the giant bowl as I cut them. She was doing the same, only with cucumber circles.

The elevator opened out of nowhere and we all looked, realizing that it was Steve- and Sharon.

"Hi, guys!" she addressed us as a group with a wave and a stupid, fake smile.

Everyone else said hi back, other than me of course, and promptly went back to whatever they were doing.

"I invited Sharon to dinner with us tonight, if that's alright," Steve added to the interaction.

"Yea, whatever, just get on with helping us - both of you - stat," Tony answered, waving his hand around without even looking up from the steaks he was preparing.

Steve and Sharon joined us in the kitchen and I avoided them both at all costs. I didn't want to start any trouble, especially considering the past that Steve and I share... the one that I don't remember.

We, eventually, made it to the dining room, the table in which had already been set. The food was served and the chatting started as usual. We all talked about our weeks, about what work or training we've done, what we're planning for next week, et cetera.

We sat in the usual arrangement, only instead of us having Sam, Steve, me, Natalia... it was Sam, Sharon, Steve, me, Natalia. I was lucky because I couldn't see her from where I was sitting, and it was easy to distract myself with conversation from my side of the table. Yet, every time she spoke, her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard and I felt like I might punch her teeth out.

I wasn't entirely sure where that feeling was coming from, and I didn't know how to categorize it in the least, but it was something I thought I should let flourish. I thought it may have been an emotion from a past situation that may very well help me remember. Perhaps letting the feeling linger was something that would help me in the long run.

Once I accepted that mentality, it spread through my veins like a wildfire and was completely unstoppable.

I watched him as he spoke, having a conversation - though it seemed to be more of an argument - with Tony who was seated across the table. The way he smiled when we was annoyed and the lilt of his voice did something weird to me, something else inexplicable.

It felt like all the little things that were happening around me were starting to amount to some other, much more grand, thing.

Bringing my eyes back down to my plate, I picked at my food a little more, cutting more steak and shoving a big piece into my mouth. I, then, started chatting with Shuri and Banner across the table about the experiments and how they're coming.

Suddenly, Steve reached back up from his lap after using his napkin and brushed his fingers against my leg. Sure, I was wearing jeans, but I felt it still. I quickly snapped my head to my left and met his eyes, though he was already looking at me. For a moment, I half-thought he had touched me on purpose, but the look of fear on his face said otherwise.

And, to clarify, by fear I meant that strange feeling that we both were clearly experiencing that was completely inexplicable and unnameable.

The only word that comes to mind when I recall it now is electric, but even that feels like an understatement.

I didn't want to admit anything yet, or even outright think it at this point, but something was changing.

Something was changing for the better.