#soldierbug

We drove like that for a while - the music low, Mars occasionally humming along under their breath while they toyed with the loose thread on their sleeve again.

I found myself stealing the smallest of glances from time to time. The light caught on their skin, turning it warm and golden. It shone in their eyes, shifting mahogany to honeyed cognac.

Something changed, about an hour in.

I don’t know what activated some deep recess of my mind, but the tension slowly ratcheted back up in my muscles, until my shoulders were set and the wheel groaned softly under my hand.

They tilted their head a little without looking directly at me, their voice soft. “You know… The road’s not gonna go anywhere. You can loosen your grip a little. Promise I won’t judge you if you need to white-knuckle it again later.”

I blinked a little, surprised they’d noticed, and consciously tried to relax my hands.

It half-worked, at least.

“Old habit,” I muttered after a moment, gaze still focused on the road ahead.

“I figured,” they replied easily, shrugging a shoulder. “I mean, I imagine the cars took a little more handling back when you learned to drive. Did you still have to hand-crank them, or…?”

I let out a short, sharp laugh of surprise, turning my head to stare at them. “Did you just-”

“Make a joke about you being old? Yes,” they answered, grinning broadly.

I laughed again, a little more warmly this time, shaking my head.

But, whether intended or not, it worked. By the time we pulled into our first roadside stop - a gas station with a tiny diner attached that looked like it hadn’t changed in Mars’ lifetime - my posture was relaxed and easy once more, elbow resting on the open window as I drove.

I pumped the gas as they ducked into the diner, throwing an absent comment over their shoulder about checking out the specials.

By the time I was done and paid, they were ducking out of the door, two Styrofoam containers stacked in their hands and a bottle of water under each arm. Their tongue extended in concentration as they attempted to balance the containers against the door, and I raised an eyebrow.

“Do you-”

“I got it,” they attested, hooking a finger under the door and shimmying backwards until it was wide enough, placing the containers carefully on the seat before offering me a bottle of water with a flourish as I got in opposite. “For you!”

With a snort, I shook my head, unscrewing the top to take a long drink. “Thanks. What…?”

The aroma hit me before they answered, my mouth immediately beginning to water. “Pie. One apple, one cherry. Want one?”

I grinned a little, taking the proffered container with a grateful nod. “Thanks. It’s been a while since I had a real pie that didn’t come in a box.”

They laughed at that, settling deeper into their seat as they popped the lid on their container, the smell of warm cherry and homemade pastry washing over me. “I mean, arguably…”

I waved off their note with a chuckle, opening my own box and letting out a soft groan under my breath. “Holy shit, that smells incredible…”

Mars let out a soft laugh, carefully picking at the crust of their pie, tasting it tentatively before nodding as if satisfied and stabbing their plastic fork into it. I watched in silence, smiling a little.

It was… Domestic, in a way that should have felt strange, but, inexplicably, it didn’t. It was peaceful. And despite the unusual turn of my day, it felt like the most normal morning I’d had in longer than I could remember.

Mars talked more than I was used to.

The only person I’d really spent much time with in recent years was Steve - and he was no more inclined to idle chatter than I was. But Mars spoke freely, seemingly verbalizing their entire stream of consciousness.

“Oh, hey - look at these trees! Aren’t they pretty? I’m gonna wind down the window, I bet they smell amazing!”

“You’re tense again. I can take over for an hour if you want, so you can stretch? I can’t really drive, but the roads here are so straight, it’d be fine. Probably.”

“Is the music okay? I can put on something instrumental if you’d rather. Sometimes something without lyrics is nicer, you know?”

If I’d been asked beforehand if I’d find it annoying, I almost certainly would have said yes. If I’d been warned that my peaceful drive would be accompanied by an unceasing backing track, I’d have thought twice before agreeing to let them come along.

But I didn’t find it annoying - and I didn’t for a moment regret that they were sat beside me. Their unhesitating way of speaking was soothing, for reasons I couldn’t put my finger on. Honest.

They didn’t push, or assume. They simply…. Noticed.

At one point, Mars fell silent for a little while, pulling a small crochet project from the bag at their feet - something green and soft-looking, working idly as they hummed along to the music. My eyes were drawn to their hands, the almost instinctual rhythm of it, for longer than I intended before I looked back to the road.

“… What are you making?” I asked eventually.

They seemed a little startled that I’d spoken, head coming up as they blinked owlishly. “Hm? Oh.” Their eyes lowered again, appearing almost surprised by the material in their hands. “… I’m not really sure yet.”

“You’re… Not sure?” I echoed, lips twitching, and they grinned sheepishly.

“Nope. I just like doing the stitches sometimes. It keeps my hands busy.”

My mouth worked wordlessly for a moment before closing with a smile. “Well, okay then.” I fell silent for a few moments before speaking again. “… My mom used to crochet.”

“She did?” Mars asked, head tipping as they glanced at me, appearing genuinely interested.

I chuckled and rubbed my neck, mildly embarrassed under their attention. “Yeah. Just little things, usually. Stuff for babies of the women she knew, mostly. Blankets, hats - you know?” They nodded, still watching me with curiosity. “She was good, though. Could do all kinds of… Patterns? I don’t know the words,” I added, smiling softly at the memory. “But… Yeah. She was real good at it. As soon as she found out anyone she knew was expecting - and it didn’t usually take long, she seemed to have a nose for it - the hooks came out.”

“She sounds nice,” they replied gently, and I nodded back, jaw clenching slightly.

“She was. Yeah. She… She was the best.”

They lapsed into silence then, not rushing to fill the space created by my grief - and I appreciated it. Too many people offered empty platitudes or apologies, clearly uncomfortable, but they seemed to understand that some things were simply… Sad. That loss was painful, but it shouldn’t be shoved to the side.

They let me sit with my pain for a few beats, and I was grateful.

And then they saw a bird, gasped, and the endless stream of consciousness began again.

They kept their promise; they didn’t fall asleep for at least three hours.

But by the time late afternoon sun poured through the windshield, painting everything in a warm gold, Mars had drifted off with their temple against the window, the crochet hook still held loosely in one hand and the project resting on their lap. Their breathing came soft and even in the quieter moments of the music.

I didn’t turn it off. I simply drove - one hand loose on the wheel, shoulders relaxed, the road stretching out endlessly ahead. It didn’t feel like an empty or uncomfortable quiet, and I was surprised that having them sleep beside me felt… Peaceful, rather than strange.

It was starting to feel like an experience we were sharing, rather than one I was having with a witness. And something about that didn’t scare me like I thought it would.

They stirred when the sun dipped low enough on the horizon that it shone through the windshield and onto their face, scowling against the light as they sat a little higher. Instinctively, I reached over and flipped down the visor, earning a grateful grin that had my lips twitching back.

“I fell asleep,” they noted, guilt in their voice, and I let out a low chuckle.

“Yeah.”

“Did I snore?”

“Only a little.”

“… Did I drool?”

I glanced over at them, my mouth compressing into a thin line to hold back a snort. “… Only a little.” They let out a groan, and I laughed, unable to bite back the sound any more. “Ah, it’s fine. It’s been a while since the truck had a good wash.”

The groan intensified, their head disappearing into their hands. “Kill me.”

“I’d rather not,” I replied evenly, eyes flicking back to the road with a chuckle. “I’m quite enjoying the company.”

They looked up at that, their dismay quickly forgotten and eyes alight. “You are? Even though I fell asleep?”

With a smile, I nodded softly. “Hey, you kept your promise. I got at least three hours of awake before you passed out,” I tease lightly, grinning when they snorted.

We settled into a companionable quiet once more, with Mars commenting intermittently on the road and the surroundings.

“Are we stopping for the night at some point?” they asked when the sun had begun to inch below the horizon, and I hesitated. “We don’t have to,” they pressed, noticing my pause. “I was just wondering.”

My intention, when I’d planned the route, was to simply push through; it wasn’t like I slept well anyway. I’d rather drive through the night than stare at the ceiling for hours — or worse.

But the idea of stopping didn't seem as wrong as it usually would.

“Sure,” I replied after a few seconds. “I’ll keep an eye out for a place.”

It only took a few minutes to start seeing signs for a motel just off the highway, and we decided it was worth a look. Small and unassuming, it was the sort of place that came a dime a dozen — a neon sign that declared ‘VACAN Y’, and a handful of cars in a largely empty lot. Nothing special, but clean enough, and seemingly quiet.

I checked us in — and paid for the room, before they could inevitably attempt to offer — while they waited by the truck. By the time I returned a few minutes later, they’d pulled their hoodie tighter around themselves against the cooling night air.

We stood a moment, looking at one another uncertainly, the key clasped in my hand.

I wondered if they were also realizing that this would be the first time we shared a private space that wasn’t going somewhere. That we would just be… Existing, alone together.

I wondered if they had also become hyperaware of their heartbeat.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been alone with someone like that, other than Steve. Couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept — or tried to — with someone else in the same enclosed space.

My mouth felt too dry.

Snagging the bags over the edge of the truck to cut the moment short, I cleared my throat. “Come on. Room fifteen.”

There were — as requested and mercifully fulfilled — two queen beds. I took the one nearest the door automatically, while they claimed the one nearest the window, immediately setting about making the space feel more lived-in — phone charging, crochet on the nightstand, their hoodie coming off and draped over the back of a chair.

I ordered pizza from my cell — without difficulty and much to their surprise, they informed me with a grin. When silence descended, it was a little more awkward, a little more heavy, than it had been with the road running beneath us — but they filled it readily enough, making comments on the room, the drive… and how weird it was being somewhere new with someone they didn’t actually know all that well.

I snorted at that, the atmosphere effectively lightened.

Over pizza, with little else to distract us, the conversation deepened naturally.

Mars didn’t push, but asked questions without flinching away. They asked about the drive itself; they wondered why I’d decided to drive, rather than flying or simply shipping the box. I answered honestly, explaining the things I felt both Steve and I had missed out on — many of which would be impossible to replicate in any way.

“But I can do this,” I noted quietly, chewing thoughtfully. “Always figured I’d be driving out somewhere to see him — some fancy school, maybe. It feels… Right, doing it this way. Like a correction.”

I didn’t go into detail about the worst of things, but I didn’t shy away from all of it. I observed, softly, how strange it still is sometimes to have ordinary days. They didn’t try to offer platitudes or some misguided attempt at fixing things, but simply nodded.

“That makes sense.”

They fell quiet again after that — but it didn’t feel like heaviness, or grief, or pity. It just felt like space being offered, in case I wanted to say more.

I didn’t — not then. But the fact that it was held at all meant more than they could know.

After the food was eaten and the boxes thrown out, I stepped outside for a little air before I turned in, leaning against the side of the truck and breathing deeply.

I didn’t explain to them that, after everything, I wasn’t good at staying in one place for too long. Especially if that place was an unfamiliar enclosed space. They didn’t ask as I headed towards the door; I found that it didn’t surprise me. They had a tendency to simply… Notice. To understand.

It also wasn’t a surprise when they joined me a few minutes later, resting their forearms on the edge of the truck bed. I gazed out at the dark road out the way we came, while their head tipped back, eyes on the stars; I tried not to think about what our actions said about us.

In the quiet, I thought about all the nights that had come before. All the times I would have driven straight through without hesitating, even if — or perhaps especially if — the other option was to stop somewhere with someone else.

Nothing made me stop at that motel. Not Mars, not orders, not a mission. I’d simply looked over and seen them tired, and I hadn’t wanted to keep driving only to avoid being still.

It was a choice that I’d made of my own volition, and it felt like that mattered more than I was truly aware of yet.

Mars hummed under their breath beside me, seemingly content with whatever mysteries they’d discovered in the heavens, and turned to lean against the side as I did.

“This was a good day,” they murmured at length, gazing out into the darkness, the words coming almost absently.

I glanced toward them, quiet for a long moment before replying. “… Yeah. It was.”

Back in the room with the lights dimmed, Mars mumbled something about turtles as they slipped into sleep once more, a stuffed panda tucked without any hesitation beneath their chin. Their project rested on the blanket beside them, and I couldn’t help but smile softly as I rolled onto my back, gazing up at the ceiling.

I wondered if I’d ever feel normal about something like this — sharing my space with someone else, stopping when I didn’t have to. Someone existing beside me without it feeling like either a threat or an obligation.

But for the first time in longer than I cared to remember, glancing across the narrow gap between our beds at the slow, steady rise-and-fall of Mars’ breathing, tomorrow didn’t seem like something I would simply need to survive.

It was something I was actually looking forward to.

My eyes closed, and I fell asleep without fighting it.

I recognized the person on the other side, but it didn’t lessen my surprise as I opened the door.

“Uh… Hey, Mars.”

They stood on the other side in an oversized blue hoodie with a small hole in one sleeve, scuffed, heavy boots and cargo shorts that I knew from passive experience held all manner of animal-related paraphernalia. A small, uncertain smile tugged at their lips, and they held out a paper coffee cup, inhaling deeply.

“I, um- I saw you loading the truck. Heard on the grapevine that you’re going on a bit of a trip, and thought maybe you could do with some caffeine for the road.”

I snorted quietly to myself and took the cup, stepping back to let them in. “Let me guess… Mrs. Miller?” I asked, fond amusement in my voice. Our 73-year-old neighbour did little for the stereotype of the chatty old lady - she knew everyone’s business, and was certainly no stranger to sharing it with anyone she wished. She’d caught me on the phone on the steps two days before, telling Steve I’d see him soon, and within minutes she knew exactly where I was going and how long I’d be gone. She was like that - could pull blood from a stone if she so wished. There was a way about her that made her dangerously easy to talk to.

“Mrs. Miller,” Mars agreed with a sheepish little grin. “Bumped into her yesterday on my way back from walking Sage - you know the big bully you see me with sometimes? Pretty sure she filled me in within about five minutes. Apparently it’ll be good for you to get out of New York for once in your life, and see the world a little,” they added, the corner of their mouth twitching minutely, and I laughed, shaking my head. Despite our neighbor’s knowledge of the entire building’s comings and goings, she seemed to frequently disregard anything about our lives before this place - including the hundred-some years I’d lived before I ever set foot in this building.

“Yeah, it’ll be nice to see a different state,” I deadpanned, taking a sip of my coffee with a grin. Mars chuckled, then paused, looking down at the paper cup in their own hand for a moment.

“So - I’ve got some time off, and I mean… I make a pretty good passenger. I make playlists, I don’t mind the quiet, or I can talk for hours if you’d rather listen to me drone on about like, trees and stuff. And dogs. Often dogs.” They smiled uncertainly. “And I can navigate pretty well, especially if you want someone who won’t fall asleep for at least three hours.”

Almost shyly, they added: “I could be your snack curator. I have some pretty strong opinions about gas station crisps- chips,” they corrected with a roll of their eyes. “Damn Americans.”

I didn’t respond for a moment, watching them uncertainly. It had never even occurred to me to take someone with me - and even if it had, my sweet, slightly strange neighbor likely wouldn’t have been my first thought. Without really thinking about it, I opened my mouth to decline politely, reflexively, but something in their expression give me pause.

“… You sure? It’s a long drive,” I replied eventually, quiet, more than a little surprised at myself.

Their expression broke into a broad grin. “Only if you want the company. No pressure - I can always stay home and bother the local cat population with my attention instead.”

My eyes flicked between the duffel I’d half packed, the box on the table, then back to Mars. For the first time in longer than I could remember, the idea of company sounded… Nice.

“The truck leaves in an hour. I recommend bringing headphones in case I turn out to be terrible company. Oh… And I snore.”

Mars beamed, nodding once. “I have earplugs.”

We loaded their things into the truck bed - or rather, I did, given that they were short enough that they couldn’t see over the sides. They brought only a small overnight bag with crochet hooks sticking out of the zipper; I smiled fondly as I remembered my mom sitting by the window, crocheting a small teddy for a newborn a few doors down in our apartment building.

They got into the passenger seat with a reusable bag between their feet - covered in greyhounds, naturally - and pulled out a bottle of coke before immediately beginning to fiddle with the display, connecting their phone to it with ease while I simply stood with my door open, blinking.

“Took me almost half an hour to figure out how to do that when I got this thing,” I muttered, playfully sullen. “Damn kids today and their tech.”

I slid into the driver’s seat as Mars snorted. “Kids? I’m hardly a kid, Bucky.”

“You are to me,” I countered, settling into my seat. “I’ve got about eighty years on you.”

The familiar scent of old leather and warmth lulled me the way it always did - when the nightmares got bad, I often found myself driving aimlessly around the city. The middle of the night was about the only time the mileage was worth it in Brooklyn.

I started the engine with a glance at the passenger seat, and Mars simply grinned back.

The first twenty minutes passed in near silence, punctuated only by Mars’ musical selections and turn signals that became more dispersed as we made our way out of the entwined streets of the city.

But despite the lack of conversation, it didn’t feel uncomfortable, like I’d feared. It was more… Peaceful. Contented.

When they spoke at last, it was soft, unassuming.

“You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to; I’m good with quiet. But if you do ever want to, I’m pretty good at rambling. Or listening, if you’d rather.”

I glanced over at them, taking in the way they leaned back easily in their seat, gazing idly out of the window with sunlight turning their light brown cheeks a warm fawn. They toyed absently with a loose thread on their sleeve, twisting until it curled into a ball, then releasing it to spring free before repeating the motion.

Something unexpected and comforting happened in my chest, and I nodded. “Noted.”

They smiled at the landscape beyond without looking my way, and I found a small smile tugging at my own lips as I turned my attention back to the road.

By the time we merged onto the highway, the morning sun was shining off the hood, and Mars had toed off their boots, feet tucked beneath them as they dutifully chose one song after the next, singing along quietly under their breath - not loud enough to be disruptive, but noticeable enough to make the space feel a little more… Lived in.

I didn’t quite know what I had agreed to, but I realized, as I glanced their way once more, that I was less tense than I had been in years. The wheel didn’t groan and protest under a too-tight grip, and my shoulders weren’t set in a hard, defensive line.

I was… Comfortable.

For the first time in a very long time, I found myself okay with not knowing quite what was happening.

Eventually, however, I looked down, and they were no longer nestled against me, the space previously occupied by their sleep-warm body now cold and empty. Before panic could rise in my throat, however, I pushed myself upright, finding them sat on the floor beside the bed, a book in hand, idly toying with Zeus’ ear as he dozed beside them.

“Hey,” they offered, shooting me a smile. “Sorry – I got back from my place and you looked so cute, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“You left?” I clarified, blinking in surprise, rubbing the heel of my hand against my still sleep-heavy eyes. They chuckled, smoothing a hand over Zeus’ side.

“I did. Had to see to my own menagerie. I hope you don’t mind, but I took this one with me – figured he could use the morning relief, and… Like I said, you were cute. Thought it best if we left you to sleep for a while.”

I exhaled heavily, dragging at hand over my face with a heavy sigh. “I- Yeah. That- it’s fine. Sorry. Didn’t sleep great.”

A concerned frown creased their features and they pushed themselves up quickly, sitting beside my legs. “I’m sorry. Any idea why?” I shrugged, eyes shifting away, and their fingers reached out uncertainly to find mine. “… You’re really worried about this, huh?”

I could only shrug, finding myself unwilling and unable to lie to them. “I’m… I have concerns, yes.”

“Oh, Win,” they murmured, squeezing my hand gently as another jolt of pleasure shot through me at the feeling of being recognized. “It’ll be okay. And hey, we’re gonna go away for a little while, yeah? Hopefully that’ll… Ease your mind a bit?”

I found myself nodding, fingers wrapping more fully with theirs. “Yeah... I need to call Steve.”

“You want me to do what?”

“Look,” I growled, feeling my muscles clench in annoyance. “The only reason this is happening is because you showed up and made me paranoid. I can’t stop looking over my shoulder, and I need to get away from it for a while. It’s not like you’re doing anything else these days, is it?”

The team was still in disarray since the discussions over the Accords – while everyone else was still on speaking terms, just about, there were no planned missions until further notice, with tensions running too high to risk much of a public presence for a little while. And I knew Steve – I knew that inactivity made him anxious, and I knew that, underneath his complaints, he’d be glad for something to do.

I also knew that we were both aware of how much he had already done to keep me safe from Tony, but I was relying on him to be too polite to mention that factor. When I heard his soft sigh, I grinned a little. “Fine. What do you need me to do?”

I relayed his duties briefly – “Nothing too intensive – it’s mostly just feeding a few birds, a cat, couple of reptiles…” – and assured him that Mars would, I’m sure, leave him an intense step-by-step manual as to how best care for their beloved critters.

“Oh, and don’t worry if you get screamed at by a green puffball. That’s just Denzel.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fi- … What?”

As expected, by the time Steve arrived a few hours later, Mars had prepared an entire packet to detail the minutiae of daily care for their menagerie by the time Steve arrived a few hours later. They showed him around their apartment with a single-minded intensity – and Steve, to his credit, said nothing more about their role in our life, instead simply nodding and asking questions when he deemed it necessary.

It wasn’t hard to see the nerves in their face as I climbed into the driver’s seat, Zeus safely secured in the back. “You okay?” I prompted gently, reaching over to squeeze their fingers, the key dangling forgotten in the ignition. They nodded once, then glanced over their shoulder at the store, worry creasing their features.

“He’ll… He’ll call if there’s a problem, right?” they clarified, their voice cracking minutely. I nodded hard, my hand clasping a little tighter around theirs.

“He said he would,” I reminded them with a soft smile, “and you know Captain America can’t tell a lie. Hell, Stevie can’t tell a lie. It’s not in his nature. And he has all of the info, and the contact details in case anything does happen. But I would trust him with my life – have, actually. Many times. I promise it’ll be okay,” I vowed, leaning over to skim a kiss against their cheek tenderly.

“Thanks, Buck,” they breathed, nipping their lower lip nervously before letting out a heavy breath, nodding. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

There was, of course, no way that Steve was driving the entire way from the East Coast.

I didn’t think to warn them – it hadn’t crossed my mind that the quinjet was something of note. But the way their eyes stretched wide when I turned down a rugged track just outside the city, following the directions Steve had given me, pulled a chuckle from my throat despite my anxieties. “Oh. Yeah… Figured it was better than going commercial,” I offered by way of explanation, shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly. They simply turned their open-jawed expression to me, speechless.

“We… We’re… Going… In that?” they stammered eventually, their voice barely audible. Tem and Win chuckled in unison in my head as I grinned, their adoration clear.

“The quinjet? Yeah… Is that okay?”

A weak nod came first, uncertain and hesitant, then a little more forcefully. “Yeah. I just- I didn’t expect it. I’ve never seen one. Not up close, I mean.”

“Up close?” I clarified, one eyebrow arched as we climbed from the car, releasing Zeus, who barrelled into the long grass without hesitating. With a simultaneous chuckle, we both moved to take our bags from the trunk, but I waved them off, and they blushed as they considered their answer.

“I… When I figured out you were… You know, you – I looked into the Avengers a little more. I knew some stuff, but I didn’t follow it quite so close, you know? Other side of the country and all that…” Their blush deepened, and they looked down, scuffing a toe in the dust of the track as they shrugged. “There was a lot of stuff. Some videos from… Something that went down in New York? There was quite a few of those things there,” they added, gesturing at the jet. I nodded and grimaced, grabbing a bag in each hand before locking the car and calling the dog to my side.

It wasn’t until they’d fallen into step either side of me, the quinjet’s ramp lowering, that I spoke again. “I wasn’t around for New York.”

“No, I found that out after. I’m… Kind of glad. It doesn’t look like it was… I…” They paused again as I stopped to drop our bags, their fingers finding my forearm as I turned to continue on to the cockpit. “… I’m glad you’re safe.”

With a soft smile, I moved closer, my free hand finding their jaw to cup their face tenderly as my mouth met theirs. “I’m glad I’m here.”

Their child-like excitement was beautiful.

The chatter was incessant as we crossed the country, the land far below largely a mass of forests and fields, interspersed with cities that looked fit for ants from our height. I flew far slower than necessary, enjoying their excitement, letting them tell me about their life – trips abroad to Egypt and Greece, their first holiday without their family, and the move to the US. They talked about the different bugs and birds found in the States compared to ‘back home’, and idly wondered what it would be like to drive a tractor.

I was enraptured by every word that left their lips, and was almost sad when the scenery dissolved into ocean below us, the Atlantic spreading out endlessly towards the horizon.

I needn’t have worried.

They used the sight of the sea to bring up one of their favourite topics of conversation – ships. They told me about the dockyards at Portsmouth and visiting a Town-class light cruiser on the River Themes, moored in the centre of London. They told me about the Titanic and the Olympic and the Britannic, and gaped at me in wonder when I told them I’d seen the Olympic in person.

“After the war – it was… 1929, I think? I was still only young – Olympic was a tourist ship again, like she was intended to be. Southampton to New York, and back again. Transatlantic,” I noted with a grin, inclining my head towards the sea stretched before us and eliciting a chuckle. “My mom still remembered the news about the Titanic, so… One time when Olympic was coming in, she took us – Stevie and me – down to see her.” I shook my head, smiling softly. “It was just about the coolest thing I’d ever seen at that point. It was massive. There was some pretty big ships around by then, but I didn’t go down to the docks that often. My mom told me that when Titanic sank, it was headline news for weeks. She was only a kid, really – barely an adult, at least. England seemed so far away.” I chuckled a little, entwining my fingers with theirs. “I wonder what she’d think if she could see us now. A hop, skip and an 8,000 mile flight…”

“Magic, metal arms, mutants and feats and mechanical marvel,” they agreed, smiling softly. “Though from what you’ve told me about her… I think she’d love it.”

With a laugh, I nodded. “You’re probably right. The idea that she could explore the world so readily would be intoxicating to her. She always wanted to travel,” I added, then frowned minutely. “… I don’t think she ever went out of the city.”

We sat in silence for a minute, each lost in our thoughts, and they squeezed my fingers gently. “She’d be proud of you,” they reassured me gently, inching closer to lean their head against my shoulder. “You’ve had a hard life… But you’re a good man. You and your brothers. She’d love you all, so much.”

I let my eyes close briefly, cheek resting on their hair. “Thanks, Mars.”

Their eyes were half-closed by the time we made land again, quietly mumbling to themselves, and I shot them a glance with a grin, opting to let them doze a while longer. They’d spent some of the time over the Atlantic playing with Zeus, who was now curled up lovingly by their feet, snoring audibly.

It wasn’t until a familiar expanse of nothingness spread before us that I reached out to take their hand once more, chuckling as their eyes snapped open in alarm. “Hey, it’s okay – it’s just me. We’re almost there.”

With a frown, they cast their eyes around, brow furrowed. “…Where? There’s… Nothing.”

Snorting, I arched an eyebrow, the serum’s enhancement to my vision revealing the faintest shimmer spreading across the sky before me. “Didn’t you know?” I replied innocently, waving a hand at the open skyline. “Wakanda is just a simple farming nation. One of the poorest countries in the world.”

“Isn’t Wakanda where you got your arm?” they clarified, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Seems like a high-tech bit of gear for a ‘simple farming nation’.”

I chortled, shaking my head fondly. “You know, if you go about remembering the things I say, this is never going to work,” I teased, rolling my eyes affectionately. I paused, letting us get closer to the barrier. “Fine, fine… You wanna know what Wakanda is really like? Take a look.”

On cue, we passed through the almost-invisible divide, and Birnin Zana rose before us, a sprawling expanse of shimmering buildings and lush mountains, fed by roaring falls. In the centre of it all sat the citadel, the city’s shining jewel, where T’Challa’s palace overlooked his domain.

I heard their soft exhale of wonder and smiled to myself, glancing across to see their wide-eyed expression. “This is just… Here, all the time?” they clarified incredulously, and I snorted.

“Yeah, it doesn’t move around or anything,” I agreed teasingly, earning an affectionate glare.

“How did they stay hidden for so long?”

We watched as Zeus rose to peer out of the window, tail wagging lazily, before turning back to Mars’ unoccupied hands imploringly and eliciting a chuckle from us both. “The barrier,” I explained, when my dog was happily slumped against their leg, Mars’ fingers scratching idly behind his ear. “It hides them from the outside world. People stumbled across the city on occasion, of course, but…”

“But?” They frowned, hand pausing. “They didn’t… Kill them, did they?”

“No, no,” I consoled them quickly. “No. They were simply deposited back beyond the barrier with only a vague recollection of what they’d seen. No. But that’s where the legends of a great golden city started – you’ve heard of El Dorado, right?”

The quinjet approached the palace as they nodded, and they leant forward to track our descent as I hovered. “I have. Thought it was supposed to be in South America, though.”

“People back then weren’t the best at knowing where they world they were,” I offered, leaning forward as the jet began to descend, carefully lowering us towards the landing platform. “They thought America was India for a fair while there, after all.”

Mars snorted but didn’t respond, glancing nervously around. “… There’s… People.”

With a smile, I took in shaved heads and long red robes. “A welcome party.”

No sooner had I begun to descend the lowered ramp than I was approached with a grin and an outstretched hand, drawing a broad smile across my own face.

“White Wolf,” the warrior before me noted by way of greeting, her fingers wrapping tight around my forearm, warmth in her gaze as her eyes met mine.

“Ayo,” I replied, a familiar ache setting up in my chest. I owed this woman a lot, but I couldn’t hide the faint pang of anxiety that I found in her presence. She had been the one to challenge me after my deprogramming, using the words I’d heard countless times before to prove my deactivation had been successful.

She’d been there as I’d wept, afraid and relieved.

Few people had seen me as vulnerable as she had, and despite the time that had passed since I had left Wakanda, being back in her presence immediately made me feel safer.

“We’ve come to seek sanctuary for a short while,” I explained, and she laughed, glancing over my shoulder.

“Yes… I see you are not alone,” she noted, one eyebrow raised. “Shuri will be most disappointed that you have not brought her another broken white boy.”

I glanced back with a grin, finding Mars hesitating uncertainly halfway down the ramp, my dog halfway between us and wagging happily. “They’re none of those things – but I think Shuri will find them a delight nonetheless,” I replied, chuckling.

Distantly, I felt the others poking at my thoughts – one excited, one anxious.

Ayo should know about us!

What if she sees me as a threat?

There’s nothing threatening about you, Win. You’re not the things they made you; you know that. I know you do.

With a reluctant sigh, the soldier hummed his uncertain agreement, and I gripped the arm beneath my palm tighter. “I’d love to catch up with you later, if that’s alright? There’s- I think we should… Talk, about a few things.”

A flicker of concern creased her features, and she nodded, then glanced back toward the ranks of the Dora Milaje, a subtle but distinctly uncharacteristic shyness edging her smile. “I think we should, yes.”

I followed her gaze to a woman stood with her spine straight, spear gripped in hand – no different to her comrades, save for the taut muscle in her jaw as she fought to smother a grin, eyes flittering intermittently towards Ayo before she could force them away once more, and I let out a laugh. “I see.” I released her arm at last, smiling fondly. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

Steve had warned T’Challa about our impending visit, and Ayo assured me that he would welcome us when we were ready. While I looked forward to reacquainting myself with the King who had sheltered me when I needed it the most, there was one person I could wait no longer to introduce Mars to – and the dog trotting eagerly by my side, occasionally nudging his head under my palm when he picked up the increase in my breathing that betrayed my nervousness.

Shuri’s workshop was exactly as I remembered it. Chaotic in an almost unnoticeable way – it was clean and uncluttered, but only by looking closely could the consequences of the young genius’ bouts of inattentiveness be seen. A piece of half-welded vibranium sitting on the wrong workbench and kimono beads nestled in an empty bowl instead of their usual jar were subtle signs of a trait I’d come to know well during my time in the city. Shuri fluctuated between hyperfocus and an almost painful inability to settle, working on projects for weeks at a time with barely pause for sleep, or moving from task to task with seemingly random motivations, leaving a trail of her previous work in her wake.

She’d shown me things I’d never have been able to imagine – and while this visit contained nothing quite so incomprehensible, I was certain I had something that would delight to the adolescent engineer.

She was bent over a desk when I found her, sketching intently with her nose mere millimetres from the page. “If you have come on my brother’s orders, remind him that I have told him already to be patient. It will be ready when it is ready, and rushing me isn’t going to make that process any faster.”

I bit back a laugh, arching an eyebrow. “I don’t think anybody could rush you, Shuri. You do things when you want to, and not a moment sooner.”

Spine stiffening as I began to speak, she sat sharply upright. “Sergeant Barnes,” she replied, the smile evident in her voice, “I was not aware you would be gracing us with your presence.”

“Where’s the fun in that? You know I love surprises,” I teased, and she laughed, turning at last to fix her glittering gaze on me.

“It’s been too long, White Wolf.”

“It has.” I extended my arms, grinning. “So - do I get a hug, or are you gonna make me stand here all day?”

No sooner had I finished speaking than she was crossing the space between us, slotting herself against my chest and clinging tight, her fingers curling in the back on my shirt.

“Missed you,” she murmured against me, and I smiled softly, pressing my cheek to her hair.

“I missed you too,” I replied readily, giving her a small squeeze. “Hey – wanna see what I brought you?”

She gasped and stepped back, her eyes shining. “Someone to fix?”

With a snort, I shook my head. “Not quite. Do you remember what you told me – that there was something you’d love to do if you ever left Wakanda?”

She frowned, eyebrows creasing as she thought. “Uh… There’s a lot of things, really. Which one did you mean?”

I laughed, resting a fond hand on her shoulder. “This one.” Pursing my lips, I let out a long, low whistle, bringing my dog skittering around the corner, tongue lolling happily as he found someone new to lavish him with attention. Shuri let out a quiet squeak, dropping to her knees, arms extended excitedly.

As Zeus coated her face in long strokes with his tongue and she cackled happily, I half-turned, finding Mars peering at us with amusement and curiosity. I extended my hand to them, gesturing them closer, and smiled softly as they moved uncertainly nearer. “A lot’s changed since I was last here,” I noted, letting my fingers wrap with theirs as I looked down at Shuri embracing my dog, chuckling.

“I never thought you’d settle down and do something quite so normal as getting a dog, Barnes. Next thing you know, you’ll be-”

Shuri cut herself as she looked up, eyes zeroing in on the hand in mine and growing comically wider. “… You’ll… Be doing something like, uh… Dating.”

“I guess I’m just the guy next door these days,” I agreed, snorting, and wrapped my arm gently around Mars’ waist to hold them closer. “Shuri, Mars. Mars, Shuri. Mars is- I mean…” I blushed softly, glancing down at them, suddenly nervous. I’d never actually thought to clarify our relationship – it’d never seemed a priority to have a label on it before now, but with the young engineer’s eyes on me, I fumbled for a succinct way to summarise the happiness I’d found with them.

“We’re together,” they offered gently, their gaze finding mine, and I felt myself light up.

“Yeah,” I agreed, surprised to find the word coming breathlessly in my exhilaration. “Yeah, we… We’re together.” My eyes shifted back to the teenager, finding them watching us adoringly, and chuckled. “They helped me find my dog – Zeus, he… His name is Zeus. He’s a rescue. I…” I scratched the back of my neck uncertainly, hesitating, but Mars’ hand finding mine on their hip steadied me, and I swallowed. “I struggle, sometimes. With… Everything. It was suggested that I get a dog – especially one trained to help with… When I get too much in my head. And he isn’t – well, he wasn’t, but we’re getting there.” I eyed my four-legged companion fondly. “And Mars is helping us with that, too.”

“I’m a dog trainer, by trade,” they interjected helpfully, flushing just a little when Shuri’s eyes moved to them once more, becoming nervous under the attention of her analytical gaze. “He’s very smart – he’s been a delight to work with.”

“The dog or the man?” Shuri teased, smirking, and I snorted.

“Oh, I’m no patch on him,” I laughed, reaching forward to scratch Zeus fondly behind the ears. “He’d run rings around me in a battle of wits.”

“He’s beautiful,” she cooed, burying her face in his striped coat adoringly. “Thank you for bringing him. Are you staying long?”

“Only a week,” I chuckled, “so you can’t run off with him; I’m gonna need him back.”

The teenager rolled her eyes light-heartedly, pouting. “You’re no fun.”

I was leading the way as we headed out from the underground labs, Zeus bounding up the steps beside me eagerly.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Mars murmured, hanging back with the teenage engineer. “Bucky speaks quite fondly of you and the things you’ve done for him.”

“He’s a good man,” Shuri replied readily. “He deserves to be happy; I’m glad he’s found that with you, Mars.”

“I do my best,” they answered, the blush tangible in their tone, pulling a subtle grin over my face.

“You’re modest,” Shuri laughed. “He’s… Different.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“I’ve never seen him like this,” the teen replied, her voice lowering conspiratorially. “He’s only this soft around you.”

“Mind who you’re calling soft when there’s folks with enhanced hearing around,” I grunted, sparing a glance at the pair over my shoulder. “Whispering doesn’t account for much in that situation.”

T’Challa wasn’t on his throne – not that either Shuri or I were particularly surprised by the revelation.

“King T’Challa isn’t the kind to sit around,” I offered with a chuckle as we passed through a shining archway and into the rays of the sweltering East African sun.

“He mentioned visiting with the Border Tribe,” Shuri mused, raising a hand to shield her eyes as she peered out across the plains. “M20 has just sired another calf – you know what he’s like for…” She trailed off, humming thoughtfully, then paused. “There!”

I followed her gaze, smiling at the sight of a blockish movement on the horizon. As the seconds passed, the shape grew larger – slowly at first, and more rapidly as the distance between us lessened.

When I realised what it is that I was looking at, I quickly summoned Zeus from the tuft of grass he had been intensely investigating a dozen feet away, flushing with pride when he crossed immediately to my side.

“The training is paying off,” Mars noted, and I grinned broadly.

“Thanks to you,” I pointed out, ducking my head to kiss their cheek and chuckling when they reddened.

“So cute,” Shuri sighed, eyeing us affectionately. I slung an arm casually over my partner’s shoulder and beamed, pressing another kiss to their hair gently as the King’s mount slowed to a halt before us, T’Challa sliding to his feet beside it.

“Sergeant Barnes,” he greeted me, grinning broadly and extending a hand to clasp my forearm tightly.

“King T’Challa,” I replied easily, smiling, my free arm still looped around Mars. “This is Mars. My partner,” I added, joy fizzing in my chest and happy laughter echoing in my shared mind. His eyes flicked to them, and he inclined his head respectfully.

“A pleasure.”

“I- Um… Th-thank you,” they stammered, cheeks reddening. “It’s an honour to be here, your highness.”

He let out an easy laugh, shaking his head. “T’Challa is fine. Wakanda is pleased to have you.” The rhino beside him butted his arm pointedly, and he chuckled, offering a banana to the creature. “They are nothing if not demanding.”

“How is the calf?” Shuri asked, moving forward to rub the rhino’s forehead affectionately.

“Another strong male to add to our ranks – though the mother is just as cantankerous as always,” he added, turning his arm to show a thin scrape on the back of his bicep.

“Have you considered using some Javan rhinoceros DNA?” Mars queried, eyeing the mount curiously. “The cows don’t have horns – it may be helpful for your breeding stock. Plus, they’re functionally extinct, so if you helped conservation efforts in the process, it’d be a win all around.”

T’Challa hummed thoughtfully, glancing at his rhino. “That’s an interesting proposition. We have done some conservation work before; one of the Shuri’s companies worked with Sumatran elephants a few months ago to help bolster their numbers.”

“I finally convinced my brother to let me host some outreach programs under anonymity,” Shuri added, grinning at me, and I laughed.

“You were bugging him for long enough,” I retorted, and she chuckled.

“You didn’t introduce me to the third member of your party,” T’Challa noted, eyeing the dog beside me uncertainly, eliciting a shocked snort.

“T’Challa – are you… Are you scared of dogs?”

He shot me an affectionate glare, crossing his arms. “I’m not scared of them,” he countered, huffing. “I just don’t trust them.”

Shuri laughed, shaking her head. “My dearest brother is more inclined toward cats.”

I thought of T’Challa in his Black Panther armour, and the cheetahs trained by the Dora Milaje, and smiled to myself. “Yeah, pretty sure it comes with the territory.”

“He won’t hurt you,” Mars interjected softly, their gaze never leaving the king as he eyed Zeus uncertainly. “He’s very friendly.”

“Zeus?” The dog looked up at me as I spoke, and I grinned. “Good boy. Sit.” He dropped to his butt immediately, mouth open as he panted, tongue lolling from the heat, and my fingertips scratched his head lightly. Mars squatted by his side, running a hand over the white blaze that trailed down his chest.

“He’s a softie, I promise,” Mars reiterated, their voice gentle but firm, unwavering. My eyes shifted to them, awestruck as always by the way their confidence flourished when working with dogs.

Slowly, hesitantly, T’Challa left his steed’s side, moving closer to the dog gazing at him with dopy adoration. “… Why is he looking at me like that?”

Mars laughed, rubbing Zeus’ neck affectionately. “He’s interested in you! Most people dive on him – sometimes without even stopping to ask. He’s not used to people being so aloof.”

The king hummed under his breath, pausing. “… They’re always showing their teeth…”

I watched as my partner fought not to grin, gesturing around. “They pant a lot more readily than cats, and it’s pretty hot out here. He’s just keeping cool – same as me!” they added, chuckling as they wiped beads of sweat from their forehead. T’Challa hummed again, taking another step closer and bending his knees to squat before my dog.

“Hello, Zeus,” he murmured, casting an eye over the wagging hand warily. “… You are beautiful, I must admit.”  Zeus let out a low whine at the increased proximity and lack of pets, wriggling forward a half-inch as his tail lashed, and T’Challa frowned again. “If one of the Cats moves its tail like that, you’d best get out of the way, and sharpish.”

Shuri rolled her eyes, moving forward to cup Zeus’ face in her hands. “He’s just a beautiful, happy baby,” she crooned, pressing a kiss to his nose, and earning a long pass of his tongue in response, earning a laugh from each of us. T’Challa sighed, smiling, and shook his head affectionately.

“Fine, fine…” he murmured, his jaw ticking nervously as he extended his hand, letting his fingertips brush against Zeus’ chest gently.

My dog moved immediately, enamoured with this new attention, and launched himself bodily at the king, sending him sprawling in the dust with enormous paws planted on his shoulders, tongue bathing his face enthusiastically. I looped a hand in his harness quickly, mortified – until T’Challa started laughing. He chortled as my dog eagerly snuffled and snorted at his face, his entire body moving with the force of his wags, both seemingly just as happy as the other.

“See? Harmless,” Mars chuckled, watching the pair with a broad grin. Shuri moved to the rhino’s side as it huffed, head lowering defensively, muttering platitudes to the enormous ungulate until it straightened, seemingly soothed by the teenager’s reassurances.

“One of them is,” I clarified, eyeing the rhino with a chuckle.

T’Challa was quickly enamoured with Zeus. He spent longer than I would expect sat on the floor crooning to my dog, who was delighted with the attention. Eventually, however, he clambered to his feet, dusting himself off as he explained he had to return his steed to her home. The king bowed his head at both Mars and I in turn as he moved to stand beside the creature, offering a slappy pat to the thick hide.

“It’s good to see you again, Sergeant Barnes,” he noted, smiling softly, “and it’s a pleasure to meet your partner.” He swung himself up into the saddle, eyes shifting to Shuri. “Will you show our guests to their rooms, sister?” When she inclined her head in agreement, he beamed, looking back to me. “It truly is a delight to see you again, James. Wakanda will always be a home for you, my friend.”

Mars looked around in awe as we climbed the endless stairs of the palace, the extravagance making their jaw drop. “I can’t believe you lived like this!”

I laughed, shaking my head. “I stayed with the Border Tribe last time I was here,” I pointed out, waving a hand dismissively. “Outside the city. It was… Quieter, that way.”

Mars frowned, but had no chance to reply when Shuri led the way off the staircase and into an adjacent hallway.

“This is you!” she declared, beaming as she turned on the spot outside a nondescript door. I glanced between her and Mars, the latter’s cheeks flushing as they came to the same conclusion I did.

“Both of us?” I clarified.

“Is that a problem?” Shuri asked, batting her eyelashes innocently. My eyes flicked back to Mars, their own gaze on the ground as they smiled shyly.

“It’s fine by me,” they murmured, peering up at me demurely through their lashes, drawing a grin from my anxiously pursed lips.

“It’ll be alright,” I agreed, wrapping my arm affectionately around their waist.

The room was breathtaking – glass walls curved to arc overhead, offering a ninety-degree view of the dimming sky from horizon to apex. I hummed in appreciation, moving forward to look out over the city quietly.

“So… You didn’t want to live here? Why not?” Mars pressed, seemingly undistracted by our surroundings, and I grimaced without turning.

“I… Had a hard time, after Hydra. Especially before I was deconditioned. I… I have nightmares now, but before…” My eyes closed briefly, shutting out the sight of the buildings below me, remembering the pure terror that overcame me in the dark of night. “They were worse.”

I startled when a hand brushed my back lightly, head snapping around, my muscles unclenching at the sight of them gazing at me with concern. “That sounds awful. I’m sorry.”

I nodded, smiling weakly, and reached out to rub my thumb against their cheek. “It’s okay. We’re alright,” I assured them quietly, and they leaned into my touch with a quiet purr.

“I’m glad… Missed you, Win.”

I blinked in surprise, their recognition still bringing a flush to my cheeks. “Missed you too, little one.”

With a happy sigh, they moved closer, slotting easily beneath my arm to nestle against my side. “It’s beautiful out here,” they murmured, and I glanced down, admiring the starlight reflected in their mahogany eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” I breathed, earning a deep blush. “I mean it, Mars. You’re gorgeous… Inside and out.”

They let out a soft, shy laugh, squirming against me. “You think so?”

“I do,” I muttered, fingers finding their chin to tip up their red face. “I’m falling in love with you.”

The blood in their cheeks faded slowly as the silence stretched out, jaw slack with surprise. “... What?” they murmured eventually, and I laughed, rubbing the back of my neck timidly.

“I’m falling in love with you,” I replied simply, shrugging, and my thumb rose to wipe away the tears gathering along their lashes. “Is it that bad?” I teased, the light waver in my voice betraying my anxiety, and they grinned damply.

“It’s perfect.” Their eyes found mine as metal fingers closer against the small of their back, coffee and scattered stars making my heart stutter in my chest.

“I’m so glad I met you,” I breathed, fingers shifting to cup their jaw tenderly. They swallowed, tongue skimming along their lower lip nervously. The tension was palpable, their pulse thrumming under my fingertips, my gaze on theirs causing a subtle hitch to their breathing.

When I couldn’t handle the anticipation any longer, I let my head drop, lips grazing theirs, feather-light and full oof longing. The soft sigh that the motion elicited pulled away at my already tenuous resolve, hand shifting to curl around the nape of their neck with a quiet groan, holding them closer.

“I want you,” I breathed, nose skimming against theirs, and they nodded once.

“Please,” they whispered back, arms snaking around my neck, their fingertips carding lightly through my hair. A stuttered, desperate sound, breathy and weak, escaped me as I lifted them easily, their legs wrapping around my waist to hold themselves closer as our kisses grew deeper, hungrier.

When my knees met the bed, I lowered their body to the sheets without breaking contact, already feeling my cock straining against my fly. Judging by the way their breathing wavered as I pressed myself closer, they had made the same discovery, fingers tangling in my hair to hold me tighter.

“‘s been so hard not to beg for you,” they sighed as my mouth found their throat, nipping and kissing needily, and I smirked against their skin.

“I wish you had,” I purred, my hand finding their thigh, slowly snaking higher. “I’d have made a mess of you well before now.” They whined quietly, back arching, and I chuckled softly. So that’s what they like, hm? Good to know…

Fingers slid slowly under the hem of their shirt, and they let out a gentle, pitiful sound, clinging to me needily as I brushed a thumb over their bare skin. “Please, Win…”

With a quiet groan, I nodded obligingly, burying my face against their neck as I fumbled with the button on their shorts, desperation overcoming gentle tenderness. They were only too happy to help, pressing their hips higher to let me drag the material down their thighs, accepting me back into the space between their legs with a needy whimper. The feeling of their palm pressed against the bulge in my jeans made my eyelids flicker, a ragged moan escaping me as they squeezed my constrained length gently.

“All for me?” they purred, and I grunted, pressing into their touch.

“God, yes,” I panted, all but squirming against them. With a quiet, gleeful chuckle, they got to work on my fly, grinning at my enthusiasm when I kicked my jeans free.

My cock was achingly hard beneath the thin weave of my boxers, and they slid to their knees and ducked their head to press soft, open-mouthed kisses along the cotton-covered length, eliciting a low growl of need. “Surprisingly teasing, aren’t you?” I chuckled, knotting my fingers in their hair and tugging them closer automatically. Their tongue dragged over their lower lip slowly, and they peered up at me through their lashes.

“Please,” they whispered again, gaze wide and imploring, and I gulped, nodding weakly.

The moment their breath passed over my throbbing cock, a shudder worked its way through my body, my head falling back. “God, please,” I whispered, distantly marvelling at how quickly the shift had occurred, but the plea came readily at the very notion of their mouth on me.

When their lips skimmed against my tip gently, I almost lost it, a low keening creeping between my clenched teeth. My vision flashed white with pleasure, and I trembled fiercely, fingers tangling harder in their hair. “I- I-I don’t know if I ca-can do this,” I admitted, quivering with the effort of forcing out the words. Their eyes widened in alarm and they drew back quickly, cheeks flushed.

“Oh! Oh, of course – I should have checked, I’m sorry-”

My thumb brushed their jaw as my own face flushed, the loss of contact letting my mind clear slightly. “No, I mean- I want to, I do, I’ve just... I’ve never... Buck has, obviously, but me, I mean...” I gulped nervously, and their features relaxed, a soft smile gracing their lips as their hand shifted to my hip, rubbing my skin comfortingly.

“We have all the time in the world, Winter,” they murmured, gaze fixed on mine. “I don’t mind how long – or not – you take. I don’t mind if you want to go again, or if you don’t. If you want it to go both ways, or you just want me to take care of you...” Mars turned their head, pressing a soft kiss to my palm, then met my eyes once more. “Whatever you want.  Everything, or nothing, or anywhere in between.”

My heart swelled, and I nodded gently, my fingers moving to their hair once more and tenderly guiding them closer. Breath seizing in my throat, I watched, enraptured, as they slowly took my cock between their lips, their own gaze on me just as avidly.

It was with a shameful whine that my back arched, inexperience and delight combining into a humiliating hurried climax, pressing myself deeper and shuddering with ecstasy as they swallowed around me. To their credit, the hand on my hip simply held me tighter, the pad of their thumb still caressing me encouragingly as their lashes fluttered in pleasure.

By the time I drew back, muscles jerky and uncoordinated, I was panting hard, my gaze feeling lazy and unfocused. “F... Fuck...”

Is it always that... incredible?

I had some hazy access to Buck’s memories, but nothing had prepared me for the pure thrill that thrummed through my veins the moment their mouth encased me, the wet heat wrapped around my cock so exquisitely...

They beamed up at me, passing their tongue over their lower lip, and pressed a soft kiss to the bottom of my abdomen. “Doing okay?”

“Doing so good,” I breathed, head falling back for a moment in rapturous disbelief. “Holy shit...”

They chuckled, squeezing my hip once more. “I’m glad.”

My gaze lowered once more, and I uncurled my hand from their hair, shifting my fingers to beneath their chin to guide them gently to their feet. “I want to taste you...”

My fierce, possessive passion had gone with the stark reality of my inexperience, replaced instead with a gentle, intimate longing that brought tears to their eyes as they nodded weakly. They let me guide them to the bed once more, laying back against the soft sheets, their arms wrapping around my neck as I kissed them tenderly. Quiet sighs of joy crept between their lips as I worked my way over their jaw and down their throat, their pulse thrumming hard beneath my mouth.

The feeling of their fingertips trailing up my back and into my hair as I travelled down their body left a path of goosebumps in their wake, a searing line elicited by their feather-light touch. When I glanced up at them, knelt on the floor between their thighs, they were staring down at me with pupils blown wide, breath coming heavily. I couldn’t help but smile, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to the cotton. “Are you okay?” I breathed, making their eyelids flutter as they nodded hard.

“Please,” they whispered, voice cracking, and I purred, fingers curling in the elastic of their underwear. While I’d never done this myself, I let instinct take over, peeling their panties off slowly and wrapping my arms around their legs to pull them closer as I considered my prize. I could feel them trembling beneath my hands, nervous and excited as I gazed hungrily at their wetness for a moment.

When I tongue travelled the length of their pussy and their fingers scraped against my scalp as they gasped and arched, pressing themselves closer needily. I growled, desperation sparking once more at their eager rutting, and held them tighter, letting my tongue push inside them, willingly forgoing oxygen in my attempts to taste as much of their sweet wetness as I could. They whimpered weakly, pushing their legs wider beneath my hands as I lapped at them like a parched man, driven mad by their squirming and the sounds they made, my mouth working to find the spots that made them shiver harder and press against me with shameless need.

When one hand left their thigh, Mars let out a low whine – but the sound shifted into a sharp gasp when my lips wrapped around their clit, two fingers teasing their waiting hole while they mewled.

“Fuck – Please, Win, please, I-I need-”

Their words died with a deafening moan as I obliged their pleading, slipping my fingers inside them as my tongue flicked eagerly. I relished the shifting of their muscles and the quivering of their body around my digits as I shifted slowly, fingers curling and probing, seeking and searching, doggedly searching for-

Their yelp of pleasure was accompanied by a desperate rut of their hips, back arching. “Fuck! Oh god, please, please, don’t stop, I want more, need more...”

Their garbled begging lapsed into senseless whimpers and moans as I eagerly obliged, fingers moving against the spot inside them that had their pussy leaking steadily around me, licking and sucking hungrily at the sensitive bud between my lips. I found myself groaning along with them, cock already stiffening once more in response to their pleasure. The leg I had released draped over my shoulder to hold me closer, their pussy quivering around me warningly.

“Win- Win, fuck, I’m gonna- I-”

There’s no way in hell I’m stopping.

Rather than raise my head to encourage them verbally, I simply redouble my efforts, my gaze locked on their face as I curled my digits inside them. The sight of them with their eyes closed in pleasure and lips parted, enraptured, made me groan and hold them tighter, pinning their slick pussy to my face as they began to convulse.

The feeling of their orgasm plowing through their body – accompanied by the sobs and wails falling unfitted from their lips – was exquisite, and as soon as their muscles unclenched I drew my fingers free, passing my tongue over their still-twitching hole with a soft grunt of delight before scrambling to my feet.

“I- Can I-”

They nodded quickly, reaching for me with shaking arms and glassy eyes, saving me from having to formulate the words. “Please...”

I positioned myself over them desperately, cock already aching needily, and let my leaking tip brush against their slick hole. “Fuck, so beautiful – taste so fucking good,” I muttered, guiding my cock inside them slowly and dissolving into soft curses of pleasure. They let out a pitiful whine, head falling back as their nails dug into my back.

“Fucking- God, Win, feels so good, please...” they breathed, their legs wrapping around my waist to pull me deeper. I was in no way willing to disobey the silent request, and let them drag me nearer, burying myself to the hilt and earning a stuttered gasp. “So fucking big, holy shit, fuckfuckfuck...”

I smirked softly at their senseless chattering, one hand cupping the back of their neck to bury my face against their temple as I moved slowly. “Feel so good, angel...” I muttered, eyes closed against their skin. The feeling of their pussy clinging tight to me, fighting against me every time I drew back to keep me inside them, made my lips quirk in a soft smile, fingers knotting in the hair at the nape of their neck to cling them to me. “Fuck, I love you… I love you.”

They trembled beneath me, their own hands snaking into my hair to embrace me with something akin to rapture. “I love you, Winter.”

I felt my body moving faster instinctively, responding to their mewls and gasps, the way they held me feeling for all the world like they were the only thing keeping me together. It was impossible to think of anything beside the sensation of their body wrapped around me, their wetness beginning to coat my skin as I drove myself into them with increasing desperation. “Fuck- oh, God, Mars… I…”

“It’s okay,” they crooned softly, pressing their cheek against me, back arching. “Please- please, Win… Give me everything.”

I groaned quietly, muscles tightening as I moved harder against them, making full use of my not-insignificant length to press myself deeply inside them, already aware of the building fizz in my veins.

The feeling of their hand snaking between us to stroke themselves needily made me shiver, leaning back to gaze into their eyes as I increased my speed, wanting nothing more than to see how they reacted to the feeling of me inside them. The hazy look in their eyes as I drove myself home was intoxicating, and my free hand wrapped around their hip, pulling them up to meet them as my pace became clumsy and desperate.

When I buried myself to the hilt with a frantic grunt, darkness seeping into my vision as I felt my own warm seed leak out around my pulsating cock, they cried out, hips jerking to impale themselves on my spurting dick as their hand moved faster. The feeling of their pussy convulsing around me had stuttered whimpers falling from my lips, and I let my head drop forward, forehead meeting theirs gently as we panted together.

We fell into an easy rhythm once Steve left – reassured by our promises to be better about staying in touch – and days became weeks without our noticing, darkness beginning to outweigh daylight. The encroaching winter and the endless downpour that accompanied it threatened to bring an end to our bliss – but instead, we simply adapted, moving from picnics in parks to hot chocolates in my apartment, listening to the rain batter the window.

I fulfilled an offer I made when we first met and fixed the leak in their roof on a clear day – met with an effusive thanks that left me glassy-eyed in their bed while they grinned smugly, hair rumpled. Meanwhile, they worked tirelessly with us and Zeus, his behaviours becoming more and more instinctive as time went on. Our panic attacks lessened, and we would be woken in the night before our nightmares hit full swing, his nose nudging insistently at our arm. We settled into something close to domesticity, and it was perfect.

But the spectre never stopped hovering, and I knew – we all knew – that it couldn’t last forever; it was inevitable that the illusion would be shattered and the past would come calling.

I’d closed up the shop with them, as I did most days, and we were walking back to my apartment when the skin on the back of my neck prickled, drawing me to a hesitant halt as I looked around.

“Buck?” Mars asked after a moment, frowning as they paused, their fingers still locked in mine. “What’s… Are you okay?”

I cast my gaze around once more, unable to voice the unsettled feeling deep in my gut that persisted despite the deserted street, the usual steady stream driven inside by the cold October rain. “… Yeah. Yes. Sorry,” I replied at length, forcing myself to turn back toward them, shaking my head. They simply watched me for a moment, concern evident, before taking my words at face value and letting me lead them on, tucked protectively against my side – from watcher or weather, I wasn’t quite sure.

The apartment block was much the same as it had been several months prior when I’d first moved in – the same handful of tenants I barely saw, the same outdated labels listed beside the bells. Even the plant in the entrance hall was the same – though now a few inches taller and significantly happier. At some point, Tem had begun watering it, drawing life into the struggling greenery that now pressed to the glass, desperate for any hint of the sparse Seattle sunlight.

We’ll need to get it a lamp if it keeps growing like that, he mused in my mind, and I smiled softly, running my fingers lightly over one broad, glossy leaf as we passed.

No sooner had my fingertips left the foliage than the sensation struck me again – a sudden, intense prickling, this time travelling the length of my spine and causing me to whirl abruptly, almost pulling Mars over as I wrenched my grip from theirs without warning, hands raised in defence.

“Buck? What-”

“Get inside,” I muttered, eyes scanning the street beyond the door insistently. “Take Zeus. Lock the door. There’s a gun under the bed. If anyone comes in, shoot them, and don’t stop shooting until they’re on the ground.”

There was a heartbeat of silence, and I heard them shift behind me before a hand touched my shoulder. “Bu-”

“Now!” I snapped without looking back, every muscle in my body trained and taut. “If I don’t-… Call Steve. He’ll help you.”

The encompassing hush persisted for a moment longer, before they took one hesitant step back, followed by another, then the rapid movement of their feet as they darted toward my apartment, accompanied by the pattering of Zeus’ paws on the tile.

He’s out there, isn’t he?

He found us.

He found us.

He found us.

We always knew he’d find us.

Always knew he’d come.

But we thought-

Hoped-

That maybe after all this time-

We could be safe.

Not safe.

Not safe.

Not safe.

Never safe.

Fear and arousal kept me pinned, eyes scanning insistently, picking apart every shadow and movement even as the sensation of being watched and the pounding of my heart began to fade. It wasn’t until a civilian crossed the road, head bowed against the downpour and collar upturned, that I relaxed my stance, intense preparedness giving way to confusion.

I could have sworn…

Like a freight train, panic gripped me once more – but this time it set me in motion, feet skidding as I tore towards my apartment, blind terror rather than exertion dragging rattling breaths from my lungs. The door was unlocked, and I barrelled into the apartment, almost tripping over Zeus.

“Mars?” I called, voice cracking, but the stale, suffocating air of the studio apartment told me all I needed to know long before I received no reply – or saw the gun lying abandoned beside the bed.

As I relayed the whole sorry tale to Tony, his husband watching me worriedly, Clint made me a coffee and sat beside me, quietly interjecting when my anxiety made me skip over a point. I shot him a grateful smile when he took over as the words froze in my throat, choked by the terror climbing like lianas inside my lungs.

“And I guess… Well, they’ve gone, and James seems to think they-” I pushed the note into his hands, and he paused, scanning it quickly and wincing. “Yeah… It seems they’ve gone to Asgard to deal with it by themselves.”

“They’ll get themselves killed,” Stephen murmured worriedly, exchanging a glance with Tony. “We have to do something…”

“Can’t believe we still haven’t found a way to communicate with Thor when he’s off-planet,” Tony muttered, scowling. “I worked on a project for a while, but then we had little need of him, so I didn’t put much time into pursuing it – never really saw much need, and there were other things I could…” He trailed off, grimacing. “I should’ve learned from last time.”

The expression that clouded his features was one with which I’d become familiar over the years, particularly since his sobriety. Guilt was something he struggled intimately with – but Stephen took good care of him. As I watched, the magician’s arm tightened around his husband’s waist, holding him a little closer and pressing a kiss to his temple, murmuring quiet reassurances against Tony’s hair. Despite myself, I smiled. Even after all this time, I constantly marvelled at how perfect they were for one another.

“You weren’t to know,” I reassured him, only a little begrudgingly. While I knew Tony wasn’t responsible for the situation in which we found ourselves, it was hard not to think that he should’ve prioritised finding a communication method.

We left the Spiders on Asgard far longer than we should have for the exact same reason. We shouldn’t be here again.

Tony hummed noncommittally, leaning against his partner. “Either way – as it stands, we can’t do anything but wait,” he murmured, grimacing. “Hopefully Thor will stop by soon, but-”

“Mr. Stark? Thor Odinson has arrived on the premises. Would you-”

“Where?” I snapped, interrupting the AI’s announcement with a snarl in my voice.

“He is currently heading east along the ground floor. He-”

I was on my feet before she had finished speaking, tearing from the room without waiting to see if the others would follow. The compound had never felt so big, and my legs so slow and sluggish, despair and terror like molasses weighing me down. Vaguely, I was aware of speaking on my heels, Tony offering panted commands to the bodiless voice, but my single-minded determination left little room to care.

By the time I skidded to a halt before the colossal god, I’d lost all of my companions, the sound of footsteps and rasping breaths distant. I almost slammed into Thor’s chest, and he stumbled back in surprise.

“Buck-”

“We need to get to Asgard,” I spat, eyes burning into his. “Now.” He hesitated, and I snarled, fingers clenching by my sides. “Now!”

“I understand your concern,” he offered, hands raised imploringly, “but-”

“You knew?” I hissed, curling my grip into his ridiculous armour to push him bodily against the wall. “You allowed this to happen?”

“I came here to collect you,” he replied steadily, unperturbed by my grip on him. “But I cannot do that unless you release me. We’ll catch them up; Heimdall is keeping a careful eye on them, and-”

“Great – more people who were aware of this, and still did nothing to stop it…” I growled, still pinning him to the bricks. His expression was grave as he nodded once.

“I don’t blame you for your anger,” he replied simply. “By the time I discovered what was happening, they were already on their way. I came as soon as I heard, James.”

Breathing hard, I glared at him for a moment longer, heart pounding, before stepping back. “How did they even get there?” I hissed, gaze narrow. “The only way to Asgard is through the B-”

I cut myself off as realisation washed over me, the image of my lover’s hand vanishing between the Guardian’s.

Heimdall.

I’ll kill him.

“I’ll kill him,” I repeated aloud, my voice soft and threatening. Thor looked away, shame flickering across his expression.

“I can’t pretend to understand Heimdall’s course of action, but-”

“Don’t you dare,” I snapped, muscles tensing. “Don’t attempt to defend him.” Thor’s jaw snapped shut quickly, having the good sense to stop talking. “Get us there, Thor. Now.”

A soft hand brushed against my elbow, and I glanced back, surprised to find Clint by my side. “James…”

“I need to go, Clint,” I replied immediately, shaking my head. “You know I do.”

He nodded once despite the concern evident in his eyes, smiling weakly. “I know. I just… What about the Boys?”

The question made me freeze, wincing guiltily. With everything, I’d forgotten about the other two – the ones that made up Mars’ Boys, as they so lovingly called us.

When Shuri had helped to lovingly craft bodies and transfer consciousness to allow the Spiders to live their lives as individuals in a more classic sense, it wasn’t only them who had benefitted from her expertise. First Winter – then later, Tem – was carefully separated from me, while Mars’ Greg gained his own form – the only one of us to request a body significantly different to the one they’d previously inhabited, fascinating genetic tampering producing the 6ft sailor. Even more intriguing was the fact that they were still derived from my Bug’s DNA – as genetically related as siblings, if not more so.

And it was this sailor that currently had Winter and Tem’s attention, his new ship attracting their interest. Temnota, in his infinite absence of social graces, had requested to join the couple, excited at the thought of a new experience. They were sailing to the Caribbean and back, and I hadn’t even considered reaching out to them; I hadn’t thought of them at all, in all honesty. I’d been too busy worrying about my Bug, but now guilt and shame hit me with a vengeance, leaving me grimacing.

“I should call them…” I murmured, hesitating, glancing between my husband and the god uncertainly. They deserved to know – if something this urgent was kept from me, no matter the reason, I’d be furious – but each second was torturous, Mars getting further and further away from us with each heartbeat. Panic rose in my chest, and Clint squeezed my arm gently.

“I’ve got it,” he offered softly, and I shot him a weak, grateful smile.

“Thanks, honey,” I breathed, leaning in to kiss his cheek gently. Our dynamic had changed in the years since we’d married – gravitating towards platonic over romantic – but we still loved one another fiercely, our life together proving to be something we would never stop fighting for, no matter how it shifted and restructured itself.

The fact that he was willing to face the potential wrath of Winter, however, was a true testament to his love for me. He was notorious for the fear he could inspire when stressed, and Clint’s offer was not one most people would make.

“That would be amazing,” I replied softly, wincing. “Thank you, Clint… Don’t let Win worry you. He’s all talk. Usually,” I added, one eyebrow raised in a shaky attempt at humour that drew a gratuitous smile.

“I can handle him,” he smirked, one eyebrow arched. It was still bizarre that I no longer had any more insight into Winter’s actions than anyone else, and explaining his behaviour still came as second nature to me, despite the several months we’d now lived as our own people.

Turning my gaze to Thor, I nodded once, grim and determined. “Let’s go.”

The moment  I stepped from the array of blinding, brightly coloured lights, I launched myself at the Guardian, the walls ringing at the sound of his armour colliding with the hard ground. He simply gazed up at me as I snarled, his golden eyes showing no distress or concern.

“This is the way it is supposed to be,” he replied evenly, and I moved ever closer, my nose an inch from his.

“I’ll kill you,” I whispered, low and threatening. “I’ll kill you, I swear to god.”

“You need to move quickly if you’d like to catch up with them. You don’t have time for both.”

I hesitated for only a moment at his calm words, and growled with consuming hatred before pushing myself to my feet, glaring at the Guardian for a moment more before turning my gaze to Thor, still stood where he landed and watching the proceedings with something akin to disbelief. “Where do I go?” I snapped, and he blinked in surprise.

“South-East,” he replied after a moment. “A few day’s walk. Through Asgard, Alfheim, the Enchanted Forest, Nastrond, Nornheim…. He’s on a lake in Varinheim. You’ll hear him from the border. We will,” he amended quickly, offering me a weak smile. I nodded once, short and impatient, flicking my gaze to the Gatekeeper once more.

“If Winter and Temnota call on you, I trust you’ll aid their travel?” I pressed stiffly, leaving no room for disagreement, and he nodded.

“Of course.”

“I don’t believe you,” I muttered, turning away with a shake of my head. “Thor?”

“We’ll get there quicker if we ride.” He moved as he spoke, gesturing for me to follow. I didn’t look back at the sounds of Heimdall getting to his feet, loping tirelessly along the jogging god as he led the way across the Rainbow Bridge. “We know the path they’re taking, Buck. We’ll find them long before they’re in any danger.”

“If we don’t, your gatekeeper will pay the price with his blood,” I spat, keeping my eyes on the path before me even as he slowed a little, baulking.

“We don’t have a chance.”

I bristled in response, my gaze fixed firmly on the girth I was cinching as Thor spoke. “We do. We have to.”

“But Sleipnir is the fastest horse in Asgard. If they’ve taken him, then nothing we do can-”

“Then we’re going to fucking try,” I snarled, turning to face the god as the silver-maned Glaðr fell into step obediently behind me, Gyllir reaching past Thor’s shoulder to nicker at his stablemate obliviously.

“Buck-”

“Thor, I have to try,” I interrupted, my tone dropping to a murmur as my voice cracked. “You know I have to try.”

He considered me for a moment before nodding once, slinging himself into the saddle of the golden horse beside him. “They don’t have that much of a head start. Hopefully, we can catch them before they get into the mountains – there’s a passage to Jotunheim out there, somewhere,” he added, wincing minutely at the thought of all 5’4” of my partner coming up against the Frost Giants. “It hasn’t been used since Lo- in a very long time,” he muttered, interrupting himself with a grimace, “but I still shouldn’t like to risk it. We should get moving.”

With a silent nod, the lump in my throat proving too much for me to speak, I guided my horse into the footsteps of his own, the sound of horseshoes on street ringing deafeningly around us as we left the stable. Even in my fear and anxiety, I found myself looking around as we circled around the palace’s significant perimeter, the mountains rising in the distance. The Plain of Ida stretched before us in its vastness, dotted with small ponds amongst rolling fields, sparse copses interspersed  by low shrubbery breaking up the endless landscape until the ground began to slope upward. I couldn’t keep myself from searching the Plain, eyes flitting over the open ground in a desperate, futile attempt to find my Bug before venturing away from the city. While the chance was slim, I couldn’t hold in a soft sigh of disappointment when they were nowhere to be seen.

“Are you ready for this?” Thor asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he glanced my way. The shimmering stallion beneath him was dancing eagerly, hot-footed and hot-headed, and I smiled weakly at his excitement.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I breathed, turning my gaze once more to the expanse before me.

I still saw the towering mountains in my nightmares, rising overhead as intimidating spires that cast cold shadows. I’d explored the peaks as we searched tirelessly for the Spiders, scrabbling through crevasse and along barren ridge, terror filling my eyes with tears that impaired my vision until I’d stumble and fall to my knees, pausing only long enough to sob myself dry before continuing. Those mountains, with their endless, aimless, winding paths, were prime real estate for every monster my subconscious could elicit from the depths and put in my path.

I swore to myself long ago that I’d never step foot on those windswept trails again – but here I was, as Glaðr broke into a gallop beneath me, legs stretching to capacity as she raced alongside her stablemate, hurtling towards the mountains as the wind whipped my hair in stinging lashes across my face.

Here I was, chasing down yet another person who’d been lost to this hellish realm and its cursed beasts, dancing with death to a tune only they could hear.

I understood the allure, of course. The temptation to ease the wolf’s suffering was a stone in my chest, too – but not one I would die for. If there was only my life to worry about, I’d be far more likely to make an attempt; as it was, my family had been through enough, and my death was not something they would take in stride. If I failed and perished, they – especially the more fragile of the group – may never recover.

And if I succeeded… If I succeeded, we would all die, and that possibility was more than I could bare think about.

The hooves churned up the grass beneath us, so shining green that I’d almost believe it spun from emeralds if not for the soft whump of horseshoes on plant matter. My eyes gravitated downwards, and I swallowed, struck suddenly at the thought of my inexperienced partner finding themselves beneath the eight-legged Sleipnir, nausea rising in my throat.

I’m coming, my love. I’m coming. Please be safe.

Thor made us slow to a trot as we wound our way through passes and trails, bordered on each side by towering rock faces. He told tales of rivers that used to wind between the mountains, long run dry and leaving these paths in their wake, but I was only half listening. Somewhere on the wind was the distant sound of grunts and snorts, a nose-stinging stench carried by the breeze as it curled between the crevices. It was too far yet for Thor to detect, and I watched him silently as it grew steadily stronger, unable to find the words to describe the noises and scents I was picking up, until finally his spine stiffened. His hand raised, curling into a fist by his head as he drew to a halt and indicating for me to do the same.

My gaze skimmed over the set of his shoulders, analysing the line of his jaw as his head turned to follow the breeze. Half-turning, he looked at me with worry in his eyes.

“Mountain giants,” he muttered, seemingly uncomfortable at needing to keep his voice low. “Nothing we couldn’t handle, but not something we have time for. It’s best if we can avoid them.”

I nodded once, remaining silent to show my understanding, and he offered a weak smile before moving forward.

He’s nervous, I noted distantly, the realisation doing little to settle my own fear. … What makes the God of Thunder nervous?

The sounds came and went as we continued along the trail at a walk, each clatter of metal on stone making me wince, certain we would be discovered. At one point, the brutish groans rose to a din, echoing all around us, and I closed my eyes for fear I’d choke on the odour.

But eventually the perturbing noises faded, and we crossed the last peak, the land opening up once more beneath us.

The plains here were more interspersed, divided by winding rivers forged by majestic bridges, and forests sprawling across the landscape.

And a welcome party sat on horseback at the bottom of the slope, bows slung over their shoulders, luminescent and breathtakingly beautiful.

We approached slowly, leaving plenty of time for them to react as they saw fit, but Thor was smiling.

“The Light Elves,” he offered under his breath as the land began to level out beneath us. “The Ljósálfar, who reside in Alfheim, under the care of the Vanir god, Freyr. A benevolent and beautiful people, much like their leader; this place is a paradise of art and music. They receive visitors with grace – unless invoked otherwise,” he added, brow furrowing minutely. “… This border never used to be guarded.”

I saw his fingers twitch minutely, holding back the urge to reach for his hammer by his waist, and my own hands tensed instinctively around the reins.

One moved forward, his mount gleaming white in a dazzling sunlight, silver hair trailing down his back as he considered us.

“Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard,” my companion introduced himself, bowing in his seat as much as his frame and armour allowed. “I humbly ask permission to cross your territory with this mortal in search of his mate.”

The elf smiled, bright and surreal, and I felt myself relax immediately, despite the anxiety previously coursing through me. “You seek the human who stole Sleipnir, yes?”

“Yes,” I interrupted quickly as Thor’s mouth opened, squeezing my steed forward gently to approach. “Yes. My partner – mate. Their name is Mars. They didn’t steal him, not really, they-”

“Peace,” the elf interjected soothingly, his hands raising. “We know of your mate and their quest. We found them fleeing the mountains with trolls on their heels – fear not, they are well,” he added quickly when I tensed in alarm. “They are recuperating from their flight in our village before they continue. We were on our way to alert the Asgardians to their theft, in the off chance that their story was inaccurate.”

“They’re here?” I clarified, looking around desperately, as if the elven residences would suddenly emerge from a mirage before my eyes. The elf smiled a little wider, nodding gracefully.

“We shall escort you to them. Come.”

My heart was pounding in my chest as we rode down a wide, seemingly gold-lined streets – an impressive biological achievement with the serum in each cell of my body, but such was my fear at ensuring my love’s well-being. It was all I had not to force the party to move faster, to demand that they get me there now under pain of death.

The elves spoke with soothing tones as we moved through towering homes, made of the same glimmering material that rang out beneath the hooves, their matching white horses walking in perfect synchrony with one another. Music and song radiated from glassless windows, lightening my soul no matter how I fought against it.

“They’re incredible,” I murmured, turning my head infinitesimally toward Thor. A soft smile was curving his lips at the edges, looking almost eerily peaceful.

“They’re thought to have given inspiration for the arts to the humans,” he replied quietly, the characteristic tension easing from his muscles with each note.

“I can see why,” I chuckled, shaking my head. While I had more to worry about, I was just as powerless as the god in the face of their intoxicating melodies, and soon found myself slumped in the saddle, willing to take my time.

They’re safe here. We’re all safe here.

We dismounted a few moments later, and the instant we crossed a threshold into one of the identical buildings, the music ceased, my head snapping up in surprise.

“One-way sound barrier,” Thor offered, chuckling. “They’d never get anything done otherwise.”

The words barely registered, however. My gaze was locked on the person sat on delicate, woven mats against the wall, beautiful and captivating – and the mats themselves were no slouch, either.

I was moving before they looked up, bundling their delicate, fragile, painfully mortal body into my arms with a soft sob against their hair, and they froze for a moment before tangling their fingers in my shirt.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have- But- But I had to-”

“I know,” I soothed gently, holding them tightly to my chest. “I know, sweetheart. It’s okay. I’m so glad you’re safe… I was so afraid…”

They sniffed, raising their head to peer at me from beneath tear-spiked lashes. “I’m sorr-”

Their words faltered as my mouth met theirs, kissing them deeply, hungrily, relishing every point of contact like a man starved. We were both panting lightly when I drew back, my forehead pressed to theirs. “You’re an idiot,” I breathed, affection laden in the words. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” they chuckled weakly, drawing back to look at me. “…You were right. I couldn’t- I… I can’t do this. We should go home.”

I considered them for a moment, their eyes full of more unshed tears, and set my jaw. “Setting off alone was reckless and dangerous. You could have gotten yourself killed.” They nodded morosely, looking away, and I offered a weak smile. “That’s why I’m coming with you.”

All of Bucky’s bravado faded as he stood awkwardly on the stage, spotlights shining down on his uncertain grin as his eyes scanned the audience, absently listening to Nat wax lyrical about his many positive attributes (and carefully not mentioning that he was most known in the Tower for his intense nightmares that woke up anyone within three floors). Bucky simply hooked a thumb in the pocket of his jeans, leaning back on his heels, flashing a cocky smirk, his heart pounding a little harder at the sighs and sounds of delight from those in the crowd. He was an attractive man, and he knew it – but that made this process all the more daunting. Since he’d joined the team, the only people he’d managed to date were either chasing the fame, or just interested in one thing.

It seemed that anyone he spent time with had their own expectations of who he was; the problem was, he wasn’t that person. Perhaps he had been, once upon a time, but he’d lived a long life, and times had taught him that just because people found him attractive didn’t mean he had to bed everyone he could.

The unfortunate reality was that nobody seemed to stop and ask; nobody took the time to get to know him, to learn about him and how he worked. Not that he minded, especially – pleasure was pleasure, and if he truly didn’t want to, he made it clear. He simply longed for someone to care.

And yet, here he stood, with dozens of eyes assessing him. It was nice, but…

“Sold! Now, remember the rules, folks. This is a charity auction; keep it clean, or the contract is null and void. Come and collect your prize!” Nat added, gesturing into the blur of faces.

And that’s when his eyes met yours at last, pale blue meeting deep brown, and his smile widened, just a little, as you blushed.

You stood beside him uncertainly, head ducked and fingers knotted together, and he grinned down at you politely. “So… You won me for the evening, huh? Congratulations. It was a pretty fierce competition.” You nodded, cheeks growing darker, and he bit back a chuckle at your shyness. “What did you have planned?”

“I thought you might like dinner,” you whispered tentatively, and his eyebrows raised.

“I- I mean, I can try, I suppose. I’m not much of a cook, but-”

You cut off his stammering with a quick shake of your head, looking up at last. “No! No, I wouldn’t- I meant that… I’d like to take you for dinner. I imagine you don’t get to just… Have a nice meal and some relaxed company very often, so…” You shrugged, toe scuffing the ground, and his eyes lightened as he smiled.

“That sounds really nice,” he assured you gently, reaching out to squeeze your bicep gently with strong metal fingers. “I’d like that…” He paused, head cocked, and you barked out a laugh.

“Oh. Yeah. Uh- Bug. You can call me Bug… My pronouns are they/them,” you added quickly, brow furrowing just a little. There was an edge of uncertainty to your voice, and you winced as you heard it, but he simply continued to smile, nodding once.

“Bug.”

“- and then that couples the neutral stimulus to the unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response. It’s pretty simple, really.”

Your eyes were bright as you explained the basic principles behind – yet another – training method from your work, quickly followed by your cheeks flushing pink and your eyes lowering. “I- Sorry. I could talk about this forever.”

“Feel free,” he replied, chuckling, his head cocked endearingly to one side as he took you in. “I understood… Most of that, and it’s nice to see some enthusiasm; I don’t get a lot of it in my line of work.” Your eyebrow raised in disbelief, and he laughed. “Well, I suppose that’s not quite true. They’re enthusiastic in some ways, but it’s not…” His hand cycled thoughtfully as he hummed. “… Passion, you know? It’s something they do because they kind of have to. They have these gifts, and, one way or another, they ended up in the team, and that’s… Just the way it is.” His brow furrowed a little, lips pursed, and you leant onto your elbows, considering him quietly.

“You said ‘they’. Like you don’t consider yourself one of them.”

Blinking in surprise, he paused for a moment before nodding slowly. “I suppose not. I am, I guess, but… The only one who really knows me is Steve. And even he doesn’t know everything,” he added with a rueful smile, shrugging a shoulder.

“He doesn’t?” you mused aloud, eyes still locked on his. Your focus was entirely on him – there was no glancing around, no checking to see who saw the two of you together. There was no discreet – or not-so-discreet – flicks of your gaze to the muscles of his chest or his exposed forearms. You were paying attention to him, as a person behind the persona, and he was enchanted.

“I’m not... Nobody- I-” He’d begun quickly, but paused as he faltered, blowing air up to clear the hair that was falling into his eyes as they flitted away uncertainly. “I… Guess not. Does anyone ever know anyone else, really?” he added cryptically, offering you a wry smile. “I can’t believe I finished the entire thing…” The redirect was clear as he nodded towards his empty plate, the heaping helping of carbonara having been eagerly eviscerated by his increased metabolism.

You simply watched him in silence for a moment, head cocked curiously, before offering him a reassuring smile of your own. “How about I tell you a little about me?” you prompted softly, hardly waiting for a nod of confirmation before continuing. “I’m non-binary. Folks don’t always understand that – what it means to be outside the societal expectations of male and female. But for me, it just feels… Like me, you know? Like neither of those labels quite fit right. I’m somewhere in between – or something else entirely, I suppose. It’s just who I am.” He nodded again, his brow furrowed slightly with curiosity, and your lips quirked higher. “I’m also bi… And I’m somewhere on the asexual spectrum – though I can never quite settle on where!” You chuckled slightly, resting a chin on your hand, mahogany eyes locked on his diverted pale ones. “Do you know much about asexuality? I’m happy to tell you more, if you like.”

“I’m familiar,” he replied quietly, still unable to meet your gaze,  and you reached out to squeeze his hand gently.

“I think I’d like to get to know you,” you murmured, smiling a little wider when he finally looked up, “if you’d let me, of course. I think we might have some things in common, huh?”

He hesitated for a moment, then frowned, eyes shifting to your hand on his. “You just want to know the Soldier… That’s what everyone wants. The fame. This,” he added, his tone free from ego as he gestured at himself with his free hand, and you quirked an eyebrow.

“While I’m sure you’re very irresistible to the allosexuals of the world – ace, remember? This,” - you mimicked his gesture playfully – “doesn’t do all that much for me. You’re a pretty man, sure. But… I’m most interested in why you do what you do. You risk your life on a daily basis for complete strangers; I’m curious about what makes someone quite so altruistic. I’m interested in you, James. You seem like a good guy, and I think you don’t have too many people in your life who want to hear about you without all the muscle and cameras.”

He could only stare in surprise, stunned into silence by your short speech, and leant forward, just a little. “I think I’m demisexual,” he blurted quickly, his cheeks colouring crimson at the words.

You simply smiled, fingers squeezing gently around his. “It’s nice to meet you, James.”