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[Welp, there's an uncanny similarity he wasn't quite expecting. It's probably Cassandra, he realizes. The symbols, her attitude. She'd been glad to see people, best friends, together. Ah. Very quietly,]

Were you?

[More and more he's seeing death treated as a cheapened currency. It doesn't mean what it used to. Bucky survived the fall, Steve survived the ocean ice, Coulson came back from being stabbed in the heart, and Fury took three sniper rounds to the chest and barely took a vacation.]

[It's funny, she's been dreaming about this a lot.]

Not then. My doctor faked my death and whisked me off for a vacation in Africa.

[Death has always been a cheap kind of currency for Steph; she couldn't count the number of people who've come back, but she knows she isn't important enough to be one of them, if Sionis really had managed to kill her.]

[There are a million questions he could ask, but they still barely know each other, and there's pain there, something just beneath the surface all in tatters. He'd never question her strength, it's bright and shining in her, just as much as it ever was in any soldier Steve ever served alongside, but that's no excuse to dredge up old hurts.

Just because people are strong doesn't mean they need to endure more than their share. He's seen Bucky do the same, and it never pains him less to watch.

Quietly,]

Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I've been told I'm a pretty good listener.

I met your friend. Sam? He said he was...

[She trails off and leaves it there, because she isn't sure how to talk about it, but Steve must know what Sam's job is, would know why Steph thought to talk to him, even if they didn't actually properly talk.

But she doesn't know Steve that well, just like she doesn't know Bucky that well. Which really doesn't mean much, she told Saul about having been pregnant when they barely knew each other, and she told Ellie plenty, but it's still hard.

So she just huffs out a breath, almost like a laugh.]

I've probably talked about it enough. It just seems like the universe likes throwing curve balls at me, I had to meet two friends from that time.

He is. Sam's the sort of guy you always want in your corner.

[He says that, and means it whole-heartedly. What they did, taking down Insight-- they never could have done that without Sam. There are always people willing to do the right thing if you know where to look, but in Sam's case Steve hadn't needed to look very far. The man was as decent a soul as any he's ever met.]

I'm sorry. That can't be easy.

[No empty platitudes here. If nothing else, he's a man of conviction.]

Yeah, I know some people like that.

[Except it's a little hard to think of names, suddenly. There are people she trusts, but a lot of them aren't what you'd call good people.]

It is what it is. That's what I get for lying.

[It sounds like whatever happened, she's accepted it as penance. That? He's not exactly okay with.]

I'm sure you had your reasons. And whatever they were, it doesn't mean you deserve bad things because of them.

[She huffs another laugh, and unseen, shakes her head.]

It's not bad things, you just can't get away with being an asshole.

I have a hard time believing you are.

[And don't give him any crap about how he obviously sees the good in people and nothing else. He takes the good with the bad, always has. It's why he can get knocked down, and get back up. Nothing's ever all roses.]

If Sonya ever shows up here I'm gonna point her in your direction, she might have a thing or two to say about that.

[Good old Sonya. Hating Steph for totally valid reasons.]

[Wryly,]

Funny thing about me, it's not so easy to change my mind once it's made up about someone.

There's a word for that, you know. It's called being stubborn.

[Now why would she know that.]

[With a very mild sense of playfulness,]

You don't say.

I do say. You should write it down somewhere just in case you forget.

[haha

ha

fuck Haven]

Much as everybody likes reminding me, ninety-six doesn't mean senile.

[SLIGHTLY EXASPERATED TONE, THERE.]

Run that one by me again.

[SUDDENLY SO MANY THINGS MAKE SENSE.]

[Oh. Well. He... kind of figured you knew, Steph, sorry.]

It's kind of a long story. And if we're going to get into it, I'd definitely rather not tell you over these things.

[DISDAAIIIIN FOR TECHNOLOGY...]

So I'm coming over, then? 'Cause now you've got me curious.

[It's mostly just a joke, easy enough for him to brush off or turn down, but she really is curious.]

Sure, I just got back from patrol.

[And of course he's going to put together something to eat because his Mama didn't raise no inhospitable jerk, k.]

[This time her small breath of a laugh is warmer, and there's the sound of movement as she hops to her feet.]

The spiral thing creeps me the fuck out, but at least it makes it easy to get around.

[He snorts.]

I hear that. ETA?

A couple of minutes, I'm on the roof of- [there's a thud as her boots hit the roof] - seven now.

10-4. Feel free to let yourself in, it's just me here right now.

See you soon.

[She hangs up without another word, and just as promised she's there a few minutes later, climbing in through the living room window because Steve didn't say she had to let herself in through the door.]

Sup.

You could've used the door.

[He knows she knows he knows. He's not mad about it, or even moderately annoyed. He's just. Trying to find an equilibrium with her, because it never hurts to have more friends and he's years out of practice at it.]

Hope you like soup.

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