villain | STEVE ROGERS 18+

f i f t e e n

March 3rd 2017
Avengers Compound

Nothing had happened for the next week besides from Ember hiding in her apartment to avoid having any real conversations with any real people.

Yes, she had some conversations with FRIDAY, and she was an AI, so she didn't count.

The necklace Loki had given Ember had stayed on her person at all times, despite the fact the Asgardians had travelled home a few days prior, she kept it on her just incase — She never knew when something may click inside of her that would cause her to want Lokis help.

She hadn't seen Steve since their argument either. He had text her multiple times, a few missed calls, and she could've sworn she heard him knocking on the door at one point, but either the isolation had gotten to her, or her headphones were up too loud.

She kept replaying the argument with Steve over and over in her head, she couldn't work out what was wrong with her, why she couldn't just go talk to him about it— But in a way she was just frustrated because deep down she knew he was right, she knew that finding out what happened to her would he beneficial for the rest of the world, never mind just the team, if she found out where she got her powers she could save people's lives incase people shared the same powers as her.

But out of fear of what they could discover, Ember didn't want to find out how she got them, and now Loki saying that the Avengers were never going to allow her to reach her full potential was now another thought constantly echoing in her head.

If she could just stay in her room forever, she would. She didn't want to leave, but today Tony had told her she had to.

She never cared for parties. She despised any form of social gathering — So she had decided she would at least show up for a few hours to this one, but spend the entire time hidden in the corner, a cocktail in front of her.

Her dress looked like something someone would wear to a funeral, it was all black, a skater style skirt, and a halter neck. The dress also had two pockets which she found rather handy as it was another excuse to keep Lokis pendant near her.

To take up some of the time, she fumbled around with the pendant in her pocket, while googling witchcraft on her phone.

Google sucked by the way, she didn't find any useful information.

It turned out the black dress had served as a disguise against the dark walls of Tonys fancy ass party area — Not a single Avenger had came over to speak to her, just the way she liked it.

At the other side of the room, Steve, Bucky and the rest of the majority of the Avengers stood, drinks in their hand from the bar, although Steve and Bucky stood slightly away from the rest of the group since neither of them could get drunk, and they both got irritated around other drunk people very easily.

"Isn't Addy supposed to be here?" Steve asked, scanning the room, trying to avoid meeting the gaze of one person in particular.

Ember had no idea, but Steve knew she was here, he was trying his best not to stare, but he wasn't sure how well that was going.

"She's on her way." Bucky replied, the mention of his now official girlfriend putting a smile on his face.

"What about you, no hot date?" He joked.

Steve chuckled and shook his head, taking a swig of whiskey.

"When are you gonna talk to her?"

"Bucky I've been trying all week— She hates me... Again. I messed up so bad that I'm right back to the start."

"She's right over there, and it's in public so she can't make a scene— This is your chance."

"Have you met her?" Steve laughed, "Of course she's going to make a scene."

"Then let her. Your obsessed with her, I've not seen you like this since the 40s— You've finally found someone who is your perfect equal, don't let her get away before you've even taken her on a date."

"We've only kissed once, what if there's nothing to save?"

"Once? Well now you seem fucking pathetic."

"Buck."

"Just speaking the truth, pal." He sipped his beer, "Tell you what, it will be just like a movie, go over to her, kiss her, ask her out, and everything will be okay again."

"But this isn't a movie, Buck. This is real life."

"That's exactly what someone from a movie would say!"

"It's just— She's not been herself lately, the flirting, the jokes, they've all disappeared. And it's us, the team, me, it's our fault, my fault."

"You remember Tony took off the cuffs, right? She could leave, the only thing keeping her here is her morals telling her to stay because she's been told not to leave until she's allowed. Or maybe it's someone who's keeping her here."

"If I talk to her will you stop with the weird rom com movie pep talks?"

"If you talk to her you won't need a pep talk."

When Ember saw Steve walking towards her, she didn't know if she wanted to shout a pick up line just to embarrass him in public, or to dig a hole and die.

She decided neither would be fitting, so neither happened.

"Hey, can we talk."

"Now?" She frowned.

"Outside? On the balcony."

Ember hesitantly agreed, standing up to smooth down her dress and double checking the pendant was still in her pocket.

"I remember the days where you would squirm just because I was in a room." Ember joked, trying to lighten the mood, despite how much she just wanted to run away. "And now you're pulling the can-we-talk card, as if we're a divorced couple in a sitcom."

Steve laughed it off, "I just wanted to apologise, you've been avoiding me all week and—"

"Yeah I've been avoiding you, because you piss me the fuck off."

"Language."

Ember couldn't help but smile. Some things never change.

"You know I still have that video, the one Tony posted online."

"And I still want to kill him because of that."

"I also still have screenshots of Instagram comments of mentally ill teenagers saying they want you to rail them."

Steve went red, the reaction made Ember chuckle— She missed this.

"I did not need to know that."

"Yes you did."

Steve chuckled to himself again, and opened his mouth to speak.

"Look, I know what you're going to say, Rogers." Ember interrupted, "You don't need to apologise, I understand your intentions. And I also know the whole we-kissed-thing is making this a bit awkward, but we can't just move passed that it's okay. I don't really think I want to jump into a relationship, or whatever this is, just now anyways, I need to find the parts of myself I lost since coming here."

"I uh—" Steve couldn't sworn his own heart stopped beating as he heard the words coming out of her mouth, or as if those words singlehandedly had sliced a jagged crack right through his heart, "No, yeah of course, I understand."

"Good, yeah, good." Ember nodded.

Steve gave an awkward smile.

"It was nice talkin', lover boy." She threw him a finger gun before walking back into the party area, and back to her designated corner, leaving Steve alone outside, completely broken.