Clarity

Chris groaned loudly, nursing his beer while waiting for a table at some fancy restaurant he forgot the name of. “Maybe it was a bad idea,” He babbled to Sebastian Stan, his Captain America cast mate. Together they had thought up to tell Jeremy that Lou was on the same flight, and to find her and take her out to dinner. They were bound to have seen each other, but Chris had cleverly remembered the lack of money she had and the ample amount of time she had before she would be on her way to Calgary.

“Come on, Chris,” The blue-eyed brunette smirked. "My psychic powers are telling me that right now they’re enjoying dinner together. Lighten up, bro. If she complains about it, then she’s a little-"

“Watch it,” Chris warned. “She’s my baby sister and she’s been through a lot. The wall she has up is her defense mechanism. Don’t be bitter because you couldn’t get in her pants.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the bulky man next to him. “You’re always talking about how much she’s been through. What the hell has she been through that’s made her such a hard-ass?”

Chris took a swig from his beer, licking his lips and pressing them together in a firm line. “It’s not my history to tell.”

“Oh come on,” He egged Chris on. “What is it? Drug addiction? Abusive relationship?” Sebastian’s eyes lit up when an idea registered with him. “I know! She’s a lesbian, but she’s confused about her sexuality.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Never in all my years have I told her story to anyone who didn’t absolutely need to know it, and you, my friend, are not on a need to know basis with her. Give it up.”

“Well you, sir, are certainly a real-life Captain America,” Sebastian teased.

Chris gave him a small smile. “Call it method acting, if you will.”



“So what’s Lou short for?” Jeremy asked the woman sitting across from him as they both enjoyed their entrées. He took a moment to admire her thick, black eyelashes that hid her brown eyes while she looked down.

“Louise,” She answered, meeting his gaze. There was warmth in his eyes, she noticed, like he was holding back a smile but his eyes betrayed him.

“Louise Evans,” He said, enjoying the feel of her name on his tongue. She raised an eyebrow at him and he let out a laugh. His sudden outburst caused Lou to smile. His laugh; something else she liked about him. Slowly, there were small things she was beginning to like about this man.

“Call me Lou,” She said sternly.

Jeremy nodded in understanding. “I won’t test you, but it was worth it for the look you just gave me.”

She smiled, but it faded when she reminded herself that he was only doing this for one reason. The same reason any guy tried so hard for someone. She reminded herself not to get attached, and not to like him or trust him so easily because he, like all boys, would leave.

“May I ask why you live with Chris?” Jeremy said, his expression soft.

“No.” Lou stared at him blankly. He nodded. He expected that.

“What do you want from life?” He asked abruptly. She stopped pushing around at her rice and stared at him, frozen.

Another awkward silence enveloped them. There were two things the pair seemed to be good at: bickering and awkward silences. She didn’t know what she wanted. But like hell she was going to tell him that. “To be happy,” She answered bluntly.

“Of course,” Jeremy smiled to himself, looking down at his fingers laced together while searching for more words. “Is there anything more than that?”

She sighed deeply. There was certainly something about him that made her want to explain it all. Come on Lou, she told herself. Here’s a nice guy who actually cares. He wants to know. Just tell him, what bad will come of it?

But the darkness grabbed the thoughts, and set them afire. “Nope.”

Jeremy took a deep breath he didn’t know he had been avoiding while waiting for her answer. He thought maybe, just maybe, she was going to let up on that wall. But it seemed that she wasn’t going to be easy to break.