Blue Phoenix - MCU Civil War Replacement

Chapter Nine

It'd been a week since Steve had spoken to me outside of work related things and even that was only when he didn't have another choice and I was starting to get annoyed with him. I'd supposed to have a sparring match with him this morning but he'd passed me off to Nat. She apologized several times but it wasn't her fault.

We were walking back up to the kitchen after I'd kicked her ass for the third time talking when I stop dead in my tracks. She walks a few more steps before she notices I'd stopped and comes back to stand beside me to see what I was looking at.

Standing on one of the paths that went around the lounge is Steve and he had his arms around a blonde woman and they were kissing. I purse my lips and turn away, stalking to the kitchen as he looks at us. Today had just gone from annoying to pissed the fuck off. I grab an apple out of the bowl of fruit we kept on the counter and refill my water bottle before turning on my heel and leaving, pushing past Steve and the mystery woman keeping my eyes forward.

I exit the building and walk with purpose down the path to the phoenix building. Tony had installed the tech he'd wanted to yesterday and there were plenty of targets if I decided to hit something. At least this time I had my suit on already so if I did flame on I wouldn't have to strip. I knew I had smoke curling off my body as I walked but I didn't care.

Changing paths at the last minute I head for the river instead. I place my water bottle down on the seawall and kick my shoes off, diving into the cool water. I come up and start swimming overhand, slicing through the water with ease.

I make ten trips from our bank to the other side and back again and climb out of the water. Calling my flames out barely I make all the water evaporate from my body and hair in a puff of steam. I felt much better and was ready to head back inside. So what if Steve had apparently moved on already, I was adult enough to not be petty.

I pass Steve and the blonde on my way back inside and smile pleasantly at her but don't look at him at all. She looks from me to Steve and back as we pass each other and I climb up the stairs without a backwards glance.

Nat was waiting in my office as I open the door and she gives me a sympathetic smile. I sit behind my desk and start tapping away.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Nat asks quietly.

"Nope."

"Sharon is Peggy's niece."

Oh that's just great! Steve was seeing a relative of his first love, I didn't even want to think about all I could unpack there. Made sense why sleeping with me had freaked him out so much though, I wasn't a Carter. I'd met the famous Peggy Carter shortly before my father died, she was quiet the woman, it made sense that he'd still love her. A ghost I could deal with, but a living replacement Carter was another thing entirely.

"That's nice, good for him."

"You don't mean that Kenna. I know you care about him."

"I care about all of you. Steve's a grown man, if he wants to date her more power to him. He's right, sleeping together had been a drunken mistake."

I knew my pain was visible on my face but it didn't matter. He'd made his choice and it wasn't me. Sure it sucked but I'd live, I wasn't here to get a boyfriend anyway. I wouldn't be answering my door after bedtime until it was Wanda or Nat anymore that was for sure.

"I'm going to kill him." She growls.

"It's not worth it Nat. I'm fine, or I will be. If Sharon makes him happy more power to them."

"You're way nicer than I am. He doesn't deserve you anyway."

I laugh and look up at her, smiling. I knew she was worried about me but she really didn't need to be. I just hoped now that he knew I knew about them we could get back to normal, this avoiding me had become annoying.