theempathywithin

Juniper felt guilty. She couldn’t help it that her empathic ways drew her into him tonight, a night he probably would have sat drowning in his own guilt and anger. She decided that now would be the perfect time to really explain herself to him – hopefully to supply some relief to his incessant feelings. “It doesn’t. I am sure by now that you have figured out I am not like everyone else. Yes, I am an empathe, meaning I can sense other’s feelings. I have been this way for a long time Steve, and I have seen many, many different emotions. I have felt them all. That’s why I wanted to be here with you tonight. No one should have to be alone, feeling the way you are.” she explains, her tone soft and endearing.

Her hand stretched out gently, and encompassed as much of his in her own as she could. It was an innocent gesture, but one to make him feel less alone, less lost. She wanted him to know that it was alright to feel, and that it was better to let it out than bottle it up. Juniper would stay as long as she felt necessary, even if it meant making herself comfortable in his chair while he rested that night.

Steve looked at her as she spoke. “That may be true, but doesn’t it make it harder to concentrate since I feel my emotions much stronger? Or is it just a normal feeling?” he asked, tilting his head as blue eyes watched her. “I feel this way every now and again. Losing the last tangible lead on Bucky…it hurts.” he replied. He wanted so badly to try and explain why it hurt so much, the love he’d lost, the brother he’d never had buried beneath whatever conditioning that made him a mindless pawn, the memories that Bucky didn’t have anymore even though he was alive. The entirety of the situation made Steve feel a lot of things, and sometimes he wished he could just keep it all in forever. 

Feeling her hand on his, he looked down, turning it over to let their palms touch. Juniper was innocent in some ways, but she still understood. It was weird to have someone so open to trying to understand what it was he was feeling. “…Thank you, June.” he murmured, leaning to kiss her head. “Not being alone in this makes me feel a little better.”

theempathywithin

Juniper could feel his desperation radiating off of him in waves, she didn’t need to hold his hand to know that he was distraught. “Well good thing I was here to make it up for you then. You know they say you sleep better when your bed is made.” she comments, attempting to lighten the mood.

Steve continued to skulk though, and that concerned her. Since she met him, Steve was this happy go lucky kind of guy, typically burying down his feelings for the sake of others. Here he was comfortable enough to let go, probably realizing Juniper was capable of incepting his feeling anyways.

“I’m sorry about him Steve. I know how much he means to you. We’ll find him though, I just feel it.”

Juniper never made empty promises.

Steve wasn’t sure when he had figured out that Juniper had some sixth sense when it came to emotions. IT was just a knowledge he had one day, with no real time frame as to when he figured it out. Hiding his emotions was pointless around her, and he’d learned she wasn’t willing to ignore when she felt someone was off. So it made sense that she was here now, when he was letting himself feel in the amplified way he did since the serum. He managed a weak chuckle at her words, taking another drink from the tumblr and reaching across to set it down on the nightstand. 

“I know you do.” he answered after a long moment. “I don’t know why you seem so attuned to me, June. I just know that you don’t get angry that I have other emotions than strategy and happiness. But I feel emotions on a higher level than most people, it can be rough from time to time and I’m sorry if that throws you off.”