DYER | STEVE ROGERS

𝐈𝐕.𝐈𝐈

〚 FAMILY 〛

Darla let out a small squeal once she saw all her family in the same room. This was the first time she had seen them in months.

"I've missed you all so much." Darla grabbed her younger brother, Elio and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"We've missed you too." Cecilia grinned and wrapped her arms around her two younger siblings. "Who've you brought with you?"

Darla stepped back with a smile and placed her hand on Mateo's shoulder. Mateo smiled shyly at the family. He'd never met them but he had heard so much about them all.

"This is Mateo." Darla introduced. "Mateo, this is my dad, Gregory, my mom, Fiona." She pointed to both her parents. "My brothers, Elio, Briar and Aspen." She motioned to her brothers. "And last but certainly not least, my sister Cecilia."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all finally." Mateo smiled. "I've heard so much about you all."

"Feels like we already know you with how much D talked about you as a kid." Briar chuckled making his sister send a sharp glare his way.

"Oh really?" Mateo raised a brow cockily, as his hand rested on the small of Darla's back. Subconsciously, Darla took a step closer to the boy.

"We really do owe you our daughters life." Fiona gushed, without Mateo rescuing Darla from the crash and taking the blame, they daughter would either be dead or in prison.

"I did what any other person would have done." Mateo smiled truthfully.

He found the girl in the car, sparks flying due to the electric fence. It was a sight he'd never wished to see again.

He had taken the blame and said it was him who crashed the car, he knew with his dad being one of the most respected lawyers in the whole of New York that he would get off with a mere slap on the wrist.

Tony had explained to the girl that the accident was probably how she got her powers. She found it fascinating to listen to him talk about the science-y side but she really had no clue what he was saying.

"Nonsense you saved our sisters life." Aspen chuckled as he took a sip of his beer, despite it only being 10 in the morning.

"Asp, why are you drinking so early?" Darla questioned concerned for her brother.

"Too many cases, not enough time." He shrugged, at times he loved his job and at other times he hated it. "Plus, Bianca just cheated on me. I think I deserve a drink."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Darla pulled away from Mateo to hug her brother. Aspen wrapped his arms around the girl. Despite not seeing each other as often as they'd like, he knew he could always count on her support.

~

Darla sat in her old bedroom with Mateo, he was busing himself by looking around at the room. It seemed to be untouched apart from a few things that were evidentially missing. He just assumed that they were back at the compound or at the Avengers tower in Manhattan.

His eyes flickered to some Captain America cards that were signed but also covered in blood.

"What happened?" Mateo questioned as he tapped the cards.

"A good person died. I promised him that I'd get Cap to sign them." Darla whispered thinking about to Coulson.

He didn't deserve to die.

The blonde sadly smiled, she hadn't spoken to Steve in a while. She had always been too busy to even spare a second. Darla was either training with Mateo and Wanda or in Manhattan with Tony or in Brooklyn visiting her parents.

"You should take them back with you." Mateo said as he continued to look around the room. His eyes landed on a photo frame which had all of the Avengers crammed into a selfie. He let out a small chuckle and tapped the frame.

"That was my first mission back. Tony threw me a welcome back party, I made them all cram into a selfie." She chuckled at the memories. "Back then I could touch anyone, which is why they're all crammed together away from me."

"All but the Captain." Mateo muttered mockingly.

"Yeah, he was the only one that could touch me." Darla smiled fondly at the memories of the night.

Mateo offered the girl a closed lip smile before sitting beside her. He placed his hand over hers, making her turn to look at him.

"Not anymore." He whispered, reaching up and tucking a piece of her hair out of her face and behind her ear. Darla looked up at the boy through her lashes as his eyes flickered down to her lips.

Darla's breath hitched as he connected their lips. The girl was hesitant before kissing him back.

This was everything she had ever wanted since the age of 15. She had dreamt about marrying this man and raising a family with him. He was her knight in shining armour.

Mateo's hand grabbed the girls waist and pulled her closer to him. Darla placed her hands on his chest and slowly pulled away.

She slowly opened her eyes with her lips parted. Darla's green eyes met with Mateo's brown ones.

"Wow." She whispered, letting out a soft chuckle. "That was uh-unexpected."

Anxiously, Mateo let out of a dry chuckle and scratched the back of his neck. His cheeks were burning red.

"I'm sorry?" He said questioningly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." She assured the boy.