Stardust?AU
“Bring me a shooting star next year,” Peggy had laughed, slapping Steve on the shoulder as the young man leaned against her on her birthday. “That would be the best gift a suitor could bring me for my birthday.”
And though he was sure Peggy was kidding, she had been leading him on ever since they kissed by mistake almost a year ago, Steve wished and hoped he would one day be able to find that fallen star for her.
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“Have you seen a star...I, I was sure that it fell somewhere over here.” Steve asked the man who was sitting on the ground, looking around to maybe see a broken branch or bush that might show where the rock had fallen. He had seen it over The Wall and, against the advice of Bucky who was still grumbling ten minutes back in a nearby village, had followed it in an attempt to show Peggy what she really meant to him. Granted, he hadn’t felt anything for Peggy more than a strong friendship, but wasn’t that what marriage was? A strong friendship that slowly grew into love?
“Yeah, yeah, sure, the star fell right here.” The man gestured around himself angrily, goatee bristling, patting at his silverish-blue suit before glaring up at Steve, “You must think you’re really funny? A real comedian!” The man pushed himself on his feet, wobbling to stand on one leg and only putting the slightest of pressure on his other with a wince.
“Wait, what?” Steve asked as he rushed over the help the other man, slinging an arm over his shoulder, “No, I’m not a comedian, but we’re in the crater? That means it has to be somewhere around here…?” He looked over his shoulder at the huge divot in the ground before turning to the brunet who was mumbling next to him, “Did you see it?”
The brunet looked at Steve for a moment, eyes unnaturally bright in the moonlight, before snorting out a laugh in the general area of Steve’s neck, “Seriously? Are you seriously that stupid?”
Steve was baffled, the star should be right here! He had asked a witch for the prediction, and she had gleefully informed him of a ‘bright form landing in the woods, for him to find and him alone’ along with a sly smile quickly hidden by red hair and matching lips. “No, there has to be a star here! I promised Peggy I would bring her a fallen star, and Clint swore up and down that Nacarat Natasha would be the only witch willing to help!”
“Well, she wasn’t exactly lying-”
Bucky stumbled through the bushes then, grumbling about crones and kisses for glass flowers, before looking up at Steve. “Did you get the-oh, nevermind. Seems like you didn’t need my help to find him. You dragged me out of bed for nothing, Steve.”
Steve blinked, stared at the man clinging to him, then back to his childhood friend. “No.” The mounting horror was only fueled when the brunet, who still hadn’t introduced himself, shrugged up at the sky and rolled his eyes. He couldn’t-it-there hadn’t been a star on the ground since the Shining Queen, bless her heart, had returned to the heavens with her beloved over two-hundred years ago. He couldn’t be-there was no way this man, who was now whistling under his breath, could be a-
“Yeah, he’s definitely a star,” Bucky said, walking closer and looking the man, who was now glowing in a smug-way, up and down. “Steve, the first star that actually falls in the last couple centuries, and of course you promised to bring it to Pegs. You’re an idiot.”
As Steve was gaping at his friend, snapping his mouth shut to glare when the star- the star- chuckled and squeezed his cheek between fingers that were just a touch too cold.
“So, you said something about being a gift for someone? Can’t wait to meet the lucky girl.” The goatee scratched against Steve’s neck in an irritating way as he moved closer, dropping all his weight on Steve’s side, and he couldn’t stop thinking about the journey back to the town. And then the subsequent journey back to home, where Peggy would not doubt find this all hilarious.
Stars were supposed to be beautiful, ethereal beings.
Steve looked out of the corner of his eye where this star was sticking his tongue out at Bucky, who was mirroring him.
Of course he’d get saddled with the one star that seemed like it was an ass.