ASHES ↠ b. barnes [II]

twenty two

LIFE WAS COMPLICATED ON EARTH for Allura. Getting a human job, human money, having to steal hydrogen from different laboratories and hiding her true origins had been a challenge that the Jupiterian had never imagined.

HYDRA was the only place she ever knew, and they had made sure that she would never go through those problems— making her a killer and a weapon was their priority, so it wasn't much better.

But now, as the tension stopped between her and her people, and they realized that she only intended to reconnect with who she was and with them, she had been truly welcomed into their new reality: Jupiterians living on Earth.

She had been told about their experiences, and they had cried and laughed at memories that they all thought had been left behind. For the first time in a long while, she had felt like she was back at the Kastala, cheers and drinks being enjoyed as the conversation flowed and the love for their race and each other was truly shown in their huge planet.

"Allura!!" The voice of a child spoke, the strawberry blonde coming face to face with Jordan, whose now natural purple eyes stared at her. His blond hair was a mess and he was wearing a t shirt and jeans.

"Hey, Jordan!" She smiled softly, ruffling his hair. "How are you, kiddo?"

"Good! They didn't tell me you were coming." The ten year old sent glares to the other jupiterians around them, making them chuckle. "Is this your human friend?" He asked, turning to James.

"Yeah. This is James." She told him, meeting eyes with her loved one. "James, this is Jordan."

"Hi." James waved slightly, his non metal hand coming into view but not being the one Jordan's eyes landed on.

"You have a metal arm that's so cool!" And Jordan rushed to James, leaving Allura back to the entertaining conversation she was having.

"That wasn't part of the plan. You were supposed to go into the cave. But you and Ezekyel had bigger plans did you not?" A man laughed. He was a former soldier, and Allura remembered all of those battles that they proudly fought, side by side.

"It turned out better though. Did you remember their ugly faces? It was worth it!" Allura said, uncontrollable laughter slipping through her lips as her green eyes flowed with excitement at the memories.

"Yeah. We got them good."

James thought he'd be uncomfortable in the unknown place. He thought he'd be the outcast, the foreigner— which, in a literal sense, he was. But the aliens had a way of making him feel at home, with simple comments that complemented his looks, to never ending questions about his culture (human one), and Jordan kept rambling about his metal arm— which made James feel like it was special for the first time in years.

But even if he hadn't been welcomed in such a pleasant way, he would've managed to enjoy himself because of the simple thing, that means the entire world to him: Allura's shortness of breath as she laughed, the huge sparkle in her eyes as she switched from English to Icelandic.

Her personality was glowing with everything that she did and said, small details of who she is that he hadn't seen in years coming back as if they never left.

He hadn't seen her laugh this hard in years, mostly small chuckles or amused laughter, and that was only when they got their memories back or when more of them began coming on their own.

In that moment, the only thing going through his mind apart from her outstanding beauty, was a simple statement:

Boy did he love this woman.