El Capitan (Marvel/Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fanfic)

Chapter 46: Feliz Cumpleaños

⍟ ⎊ ⧗Chapter 46: Feliz Cumpleaños⍟ ⎊ ⧗

He remained silent, worrying me. What was going on in that mind of his? I knew better than to enter his mind, especially without his permission, so I remained patient. But after a minute or so, he finally spoke. 

"I...I had never thought about it like that." He commented.

"You usually don't when it happens to you, but speaking from experience, scars make you stronger. And I bet your scars aren't awful." I assured him.

I watched as he stared at me in shock. He then looked down at his mustard colored gloves, hesitating. Then, to my surprise, he took off his gloves, revealing his hands, which trembled. My heart clenched. I then saw his hands for the first time. They were long and slender, and it was hard to miss his scars. They outlined his fingertips and the back of his hand. I was shocked that he opened up to me, showing me his hands, the most vulnerable thing to him. I felt a pang of guilt for not telling him about Jeffrey, but I couldn't.

My heart was still wounded, trying hard to grasp that what had happened had actually occurred and it wasn't all just a bad dream, like I had hoped. I noticed his eyes were focused on me, waiting for me to say something. I found the urge to reach out and grab his hands, knowing he wasn't exactly the touchy type. So instead, I looked back at him, giving him a gentle smile.

"Like I said, Stephen, those scars don't look awful, not to me. They're a part of you. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise." I insisted.

Stephen cracked a smile, giving me a thanks before changing the subject. "What're you doing here all alone?"

"I'm working on finding out what happened to my team." I explained. "Something happened to them, now they need my help."

"I could help you." He offered.

I was taken back to hear him offer to help me, blurting out. "You will?"

Stephen let out a chuckle. "Sure, but why don't you take a break?"

"What did you have mind?" I questioned.

I watched as Stephen looked deep in thought, no doubt he was thinking of something. It would have to be something inside the Sanctum as I shouldn't be outside that often. After a few moments, Stephen's eyes lit up.

"Why don't I show you Kamar-Taj?" He suggested.

That's when it dawned on me I had never seen Kamar-Taj, but I was always intrigued from what Wong, Luna, and Stephen told me. With that in mind, I nodded vigorously. "I'd love that."

With that, he slipped his gloves back on before raising a hand. In a matter of seconds, an orange portal of sparks appeared right in front of me. I watched in fascination. I don't think I'll ever get used to this. He extended a hand, motioning for me to walk through. The moment I emerged through the portal, I found myself in a huge courtyard filled with several giant trees, a paved stone ground with intricate designs, plants of different sizes, antiques, arches and pillars all around us. There were a few students, sitting by the trees, talking amongst themselves or reading a book, or training in the middle of the courtyard. I looked around in awe, taking in the entire scenery.

"This is wonderful." I said.

"Just wait 'til you see the rest of the place." Stephen mentioned with an excited grin.

So the rest of the day, I spent with Stephen, who showed me around Kamar-Taj, forgetting about my nightmares and my pain for a while, and for the first time since before I entered the Framework I felt better. Stephen and I ended the day in the courtyard, watching the sunset.