Future Be Kind (A Sebastian Stan Fanfic)

In which the story begins.

"Delphi? Delphia?"

Lilly's voice floated down the hall to the kitchen where Delphia was washing dishes. She raised her head as her bestie bounced in, bringing two flying scarves and a heck of a lot of chaotic energy with her.

"Have you seen the guest list?" Lilly shook the ratty paper under Delphia's nose. "Have you?"

Delphia swatted at her friend, annoyed. "Get it out of the sink, Lilly!"

Delphia worked at Riverside Emperor Resort, which was as glamorous as it sounded. A small town high in the altitudes of Mt Williamson, Riverside was the tourist attraction to many well-off families and celebrity marriage ceremonies. The Emperor Resort was owned by Hollywood to house celebrities and throw glamorous parties.

Oftentimes Delphia had vaguely heard of the guests that floated through the building. Usually they were arrogant no-gooders with too much money and a heck of a lot of ego. 

Lilly, however, was an optimist. She was the crazy friend, the one that said everything without thinking. The friend that would breeze into a romantic date between you and your boyfriend and pull out a chair. The friend that you'd do anything for and love forever.

Delphia was the quiet, more calculated, more introverted friend who kept Lilly grounded. She watched from afar and had few good friends, but once you got to know her, she'd take care of you as best as she could. Delphia's few friends consisted of Lilly, an ex-flame named Tyler, and David, the chef and manager of Riverside Emperor. 

Lilly drew back from the soapsud-covered dishes and continued to shake the paper like a wet dog, excitedly jumping up and down on the slippery kitchen floor. "I mean it, Delphi! I'm so excited!"

Delphia sighed and stopped scrubbing to look at Lilly. "You shouldn't go through the guest list. It's supposed to be confide-"

"Sebastian Stan!" Lilly yelled, making David mutter something about 'kids these days' although he was only ten years older. Delphia dropped the cup she was holding with a clatter and stared at Lilly.

"Are you serious?"

Lilly grabbed Delphia's hands, her black hair bouncing on her shoulders as her faded yellow sneakers jumped up and down, getting wetter and wetter. Delphia gently dropped the dishwashing gloves and dried her hands on a striped tea towel before taking the list from Lilly. She scanned her eyes along it, coming to rest on Sebastian Stan's name.

"Who's he?" David called gruffly from the stove where he was stirring something. Lilly clapped her hands, her long fingers flying as she gestured while the words poured from her mouth.

"He's a celebrity! He was in Marvel and some other things that I should watch but haven't... but that's not the point, he's really handsome and has nice blue eyes, and Delphia has a massive crush on him and he also is best friends with Chris Evans and knows Robert downey JR and..." Lilly took a deep breath. David held up his hands in mock surrender.

"I'm sorry I asked," he said, rolling his eyes and grinning. "Now get outta my kitchen, Lills, unless you want to do the dishes with Delphia?"

Lilly shook her head, making an exaggerated "oh, nooo" sound before scampering out, leaving David and Delphia slightly breathless in the silence of her wake. David laughed as he stirred the pot and shook his head. "She's a crazy one, that's for sure."

Delphia thought about it as she got back to the dishes, suddenly feeling a little nervous. It meant she'd be cleaning his room, bringing up room service, and waiting at any parties he might attend. No celebrity worth Delphia's time had come up here before and a bubbling pit of nervousness settled in her stomach.

That evening, when the hotel was clean, David stopped her leaving. "Delphia, can you come in early tomorrow to help me clean the rooms? I have to cook their breakfast, but you'd have time if you came earlier."

Delphia nodded and grinned, then waved goodbye to David. She got in her car and checked her watch.

Getting up early would mean arriving at around four o'clock in the morning, and getting up at 3:15. She groaned at the thought, but David got up at that time every morning without fail, she she could rough it for once. On her way home, she thought about the fact that one of the rooms she was cleaning would be Sebastian Stan's.

That evening, Delphia put aside some formal clothes to wear tomorrow, not too nice, but not 'toilet cleaner uniform' either. After a hurried dinner of last night's leftover pizza, she set her alarm and went to sleep.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Twelve-year-old Delana was running down a snowy path, hearing the sounds of a wild dog snarling and salivating at her heels. She was crying with fear- the wind was howling, muffling her sound, but the howl of a wolf close by was heard by all.

Delana tripped and fell into the frozen river with a scream, hearing the wild dog behind her. She rolled over in time to see the beast, fangs poised to tear through her flesh, ready to pounce, when another howl came from close by. Heart thumping with fear, Delana cried out as a white wolf came bounding over her head.

She just caught the flash of steel-blue eyes in the white, snow-covered fur of its face before the wolf sank its teeth into the wild dog. Howls and whimpers came from the pair as they fought savagely, the wolf dragging the dog away from Delana. 

Blood covered the thick snow in a trail to where the wolf stood over the dog, its muzzle covered in shockingly scarlet blood, as the wild dog lay lifeless at his feet. Delana sat up and watched as the wolf lifted its blood-coated muzzle into the cold, snowy air and let out a howl of triumph, which echoed off the hills and rebounded, so it sounded like a whole pack of triumphant, proud wolves were calling back.

And then Delana woke up.

That was just the start. And that was when her parents realised their daughter was far stranger than anything they could have imagined. She had the power of foresight, and from that day on, her name was Delphia, meaning 'vision, and dream'.