Swan Song ✧ STEVE ROGERS [✓]

51 - Not According to Plan

WHEN STEVE AND RAEVANNA ARRIVED BACK AT HEADQUARTERS, THEY WERE GREETED BY WANDA, WHO SEEMED VERY SURPRISED TO SEE ASH WITH THEM. The Sokovian girl raised an eyebrow in confusion, then looked at Ash before saying to Raevanna, "Who is this?"

Raevanna huffed. "Ash, meet Wanda," she said curtly, gesturing between the two. "Wanda, Ash."

Hello, Ash said with a nod.

Wanda blinked, taking a step back in shock. "Did he just-"

"Use telepathy to speak to you?" Raevanna finished. "Yeah, he did." Then, without waiting for a reply, she entered the building.

Raevanna would be lying if she said she wanted Ash as a partner. Having another magical creature to have to watch over was the last thing she wanted. Things were finally settling down for her, too; her missions were less intense and time-consuming, and she was able to spend more time with Steve. She finally felt like she had settled into living in New York, only to have a curveball be thrown at her in the form of a powerful creature from the place of her birth. Raevanna couldn't understand why it had happened or why now, but she was stuck with it. There was no way for her to reverse it, so she had to deal with it.

Raevanna, Ash said, picking up speed so he could catch up to her. I'm sensing some hostility from you.

Raevanna snorted. "No shit," she muttered.

Ash suddenly jumped in front of her, blocking her path. I know something's bothering you, I can feel it, he said. Tell me what's going on.

"What's going on is that I don't want you here," Raevanna hissed. "I didn't want this, and I certainly didn't ask for it."

No one asks for this, Raevanna, Ash said.

"My point exactly," Raevanna retorted. "So let's get one thing straight right now. I have a job here, and I have a life. So stay out of my way and we should be fine, yeah?" When Ash nodded slightly, she huffed and muttered, "Good." Then she walked around him and continued further into the base.

Eventually Raevanna found her room. She waved her hand over the door, using magic to open it, before she stepped inside, keeping the door open wide enough for Ash to follow. Then, she closed the door behind him and collapsed on her bed face-first, shouting into her pillow in frustration.

After a moment, she sensed movement from Ash. Lifting her head, she saw he was sitting by the side of her bed, watching her with concerned eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Raevanna snapped.

Ash's head lowered, and he got up, walking over to the window before sitting down under it and closing his eyes, obviously meditating. Satisfied, Raevanna nodded once and put her head back on the pillow.

Just as she started to doze off, there was a knock on her door. Raevanna groaned loudly in annoyance, then sat up and called, "Yeah?"

"It's Steve."

Raevanna sighed. "It's open!"

The door opened, and Steve walked into the room. He smiled at her, sitting down next to her before nodding at Ash. "He okay?" he asked.

Raevanna glanced at Ash, then rolled her eyes and looked away. "Don't know, don't care."

Steve sighed softly. "I'm getting the feeling that you don't want him around."

"I don't," Raevanna said, her voice expressing her frustration. "Things were finally starting to be... normal, for us. And then I get hit with... with this." She motioned to Ash. "And it was like a sucker punch to the face. I mean, I was finally starting to get comfortable, but then life laughed and said, 'ha you thought.'"