EVERMORE ─ marvel

VI. Forgiveness, Hope, & Home

Chapter Six
Steve

It's well passed dinner when we make it back to Lee's parent's house. It was super fun spending time with Gwen and Melissa, they're really cool people. Being with them made me realize that I haven't hung out and had fun since everything that happened a month and a half ago. I haven't just relaxed and enjoyed myself. It felt good. As much as I'm happy to have my identity no longer a secret, I miss being able to be an eighteen year old, having no responsibilities, being able to goof around and not have a care in the world. For so long I wanted my anonymity to end, but now that it has, I kind of want it back. I mean I'm excited for this new chapter of my life, becoming an Avenger and being able to make a difference in the world. And I'm even more excited that Liam will be by my side when I do. But I still kind of wish we could have more days like this, days where we could just have fun and be kids.

When we walk through the front door, Adnan and Rhoda are waiting for us, clearly upset. Their expressions wipe the smiles right off of our faces.

"Where have you been all day?" Rhoda demands.

"We went to the mall," Liam explains. "I saw Gwen there and we hung out all day."

"It's nearly eight at night, and all you left was a note early this morning. We were starting to get worried that something had happened to you." Adnan replies, his voice curt.

"We were fine," Liam responds in an equally curt tone, letting out an incredulous chuckle. "And even if we weren't, both of us have powers it's not like we couldn't have handled ourselves. I've been handling myself just fine on my own for two years."

"We just wish you would have called and told us you would be out so late."

"Please don't start with me, Mom. Don't try to parent me, you lost the privilege to do that a long time ago. I'm an adult, I've been on my own since I was eighteen. We just went to the mall, I wanted to show Stevie where I used to hang out after school, and then we saw Gwen and lost track of time. I don't live here anymore, you can't tell me what to do."

"Is this how it's always going to be?" Adnan asks, his anger slowly seeping away. "Will you hate us forever?"

"I wish I hated you," Liam says, his voice cracking a bit. "It would make things a lot easier if I did."

"What can we do?" Rhoda asks, her eyes brimming with tears, her voice a chocked whisper. "What can we do to make things better?"

Liam opens his mouth to speak, but he quickly shuts it again, deciding against his initial response. After a moment, he says instead: "I had known Stevie less than a week when his parents offered for me to come live with them. I thought that meant I'd sleep on their couch for a couple weeks and then they'd find me another family to live with, but that didn't happen. They gave me their guest room, let me decorate it the way I wanted. They include me in every family decision, every meal, every movie night, everything. They ask me everyday how I'm doing and if there's anything they can do to make me more comfortable or happy. And you know what else? Bucky got Soroya flowers a few days ago and they began to die, so I used my powers to grow it back. I worried that she would get angry with me, but she thanked me and told me how beautiful she thought my powers were. My powers, not the flowers. People I have known for less than two months have treated me better than my own parents did. They call my powers beautiful, make me feel wanted, you two couldn't even do that."