Rikki Barnes

Bowling alleys, it seems, are pretty much a multiversal constant. You get the same funky rental shoes (that you don’t really want to know where they’ve been), same sticky patches on the floor, and same multicolored balls that don’t have the right grip no matter what reality you're in. It’s kinda comforting, actually, enough so that she doesn’t really mind sitting around with her soda and nothing to do while she waits.

Still, she scrambles upright when she seems him approach. “Hey. Glad you decided to show.”

Steve gives her a grin that says he totally thinks he’s about to be super-charming. “Now, how could I turn down an invitation from such a delightful young woman?”

Oh god. She almost facepalms right there. “Forgot what a cornball you were.”

The look on his face evens out into something more serious. “Listen, Rikki – I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about your decision and what I might have done that – “

Rikki stands up. “Do you remember when we used to go bowling?”

“Uh – vaguely. Like a dream, but sure.”

“Well, you may recall that we have some unfinished business, you and me.” She makes her way to the machine to set up a new game. “A little matter of me finally besting you without you going all easy on me?” She types in their names for the players and grabs hold of the ball she’d picked out while she was waiting. “It could be just like old times. Whatcha say, Steve?”

Two games later, one of which she won only because Steve thought he was being sneaky about letting her, she’s finally feeling good enough about this to actually… talk. About stuff. He’s about to set them up for another game when she speaks up. “Wait. I wanted to, um. To ask you something.”

He sits down across from her smoothly. “What do you want to say?”

Rikki tilts her head a little, looks a touch to the side instead of straight at him. “I wanted to… um. I was going to talk to you, before, about why I said no. Because… I don’t think I can be normal, Steve.”

She can see him gearing up to say something, probably that she could be whatever she wanted to be, so she holds up a hand and cuts him off. “I mean it. I like to think I wasn’t ever, but I’m definitely not a normal kid now. You can’t teach me how to be a hero and then ask me to give it up. I like what I do. I’m good at it, and I don’t want to stop.”

Steve sighs heavily, like he was half-expecting this. “You're right. It’s not fair, and I’m sorry I asked it of you. But I want you to stay safe. What you're doing now, it’s not the same here as it was where you’re from. You don’t have the same support network.”

“So support me.” She straightens up. “It’s not the same, and I’m doing okay on my own, but I could still use you. I, um.” She rubs the back of her neck. “I could kinda use someplace better to stay, actually. I was thinking that… maybe you could help me with that? Like, help me figure out how to get an apartment or something around here? I could probably pass as an 18-year-old if I needed to, or we could say that it's your place or something. I bet Captain America doesn't even have to deal with a background check or whatever.”

He frowns. “I'm not sure, but - it wouldn't hurt to look into it.”

“It wouldn’t have to be anything fancy,” Rikki says quickly. “Just somewhere with, y’know, electricity and running water and stuff.  And… Steve?”

He'd gotten a little lost in his head already, but his attention snapped back onto her when she said his name. “What?”

“Could we find somewhere that takes pets?”