Everything the Light Touches

Chapter Five

a/n: I'm so glad y'all are enjoying this fic, I'm enjoying writing it! If you read "Love at First Grade" as it came out and you're reading "Everything the Light Touches" now, you're probably noticing that I'm not posting as fast and I feel like that's just because I want to make this story last a little longer than my last. So. hope that's okay, hope you enjoy! Also, if there are any grammatical/spelling errors in this chapter, I apologize! I'm not feeling 100% today but I wanted to get this out to yall before my ridiculously busy work week!

The date with Liam rolled around faster than you expected. As you sat in front of your vanity, fixing your hair and your makeup and wearing one of your nicest dresses, a part of you couldn't believe that you'd only been back in the city for 72 hours and already your mother had successfully set you up on a date. Liam had texted you this morning, Marsha must've relayed the news to him because you'd promptly discarded the contacts of everyone of your hometown acquaintances when you left for California a decade ago, and told you that he'd be at your apartment to pick you up around seven and to 'wear something pretty.' The semi-demand put you off almost immediately and had you dreading the date all day.

A small part of you was thankful that Pepper and Tony had given you a few days to settle back in before having you go to work, but if you had known your mother had planned this, you probably would've told them that you didn't need any time to get back used to the city and you would start back as soon as the movers left your apartment. Not that it would've prevented your mother from setting up this date. Your whole life she'd been practically forcing the two of you to hang out, whether by inviting Marsha and Alexander over for dinner, or just by hosting parties and he happened to be there, Liam Stinson was always around.

He was the kid to pull on your hair and make fun of your bows or your pink dresses when you were in elementary school. In fact, Liam Stinson picking on you was how Bucky and Steve became your friends in the first place.

Twenty Years Ago

"Leave me alone, Liam!" You yelled as he tugged your hair in between his fingers, laughing as you struggled to get away. He managed to successfully free your bow from your hair and was now dangling it in front of you face as he teased.

"Awww, does the wittle baby want her bow?" He pushed out his lips in a mock pout as he held it just out of your reach, making you stand on the tips of your toes to try and wrangle it out of his grasp. An evil grin took over Liam's face as he flung your bow into the mud puddle, your jaw dropping and tears welling up in your eyes as you watched your favorite bow sink into the puddle. Liam's laugh was cut short by a loud "ow!" The noise had you whipping around to see Liam holding his face and running away from two boys.

"Are you okay? Did Liam hurt you?" the blonde one asked, the brunette still watching the path that Liam had taken to make sure he didn't run to one of the teachers.

You shook your head softly, unsure if they were going to pick on you like Liam, before answering, "I'm okay, he just pulled my hair and threw my bow in the mud..." you trailed off to see that the brunette had picked up your bow from the mud puddle and was in the process of wringing it out before handing it back to you with a grimace, almost as if he was apologizing for not being able to clean it all the way.

"Thank you...?" You questioned, waiting for the boys to introduce themselves.

"Oh, I'm Steve, that's Bucky," the blonde spoke with a smile as he nodded his head in the direction of his friend. The first thing you noticed about Bucky, besides that you thought his name was funny, were his eyes. A blue so deep you almost got lost in them at just eight years old. You knew that the polite thing to do would have been to thank them for helping you and getting your bow but your mouth spoke before your brain could stop you.