Chapter 1
You frowned, lazily gripping the toothbrush, using your freehand to grip the corner of the sink to keep yourself from swaying. You were brushing the taste of liquor and bad decisions out of your mouth from the night before, when you heard the sound of pounding on the front door.
"Hold on a min..." You attempt to gurgle out around the foam in your mouth. You move to spit as the knocks become more incisive. Leaning out of the doorway, you look down the hall towards the door. Shuffling softly You grabbed an umbrella before peeking out the peephole.
Sam stood arms crossed, wearing multiple layers of clothing. He looks pissed. Rolling your eyes you begin to unlock the door.
"Why are you banging on my door Sam? You'll wake the dead!"
"Looks like I already have!" He laughed clapping his hands together.
"Meeeh!" You mock laying your weight against the door frame.
He calms himself looking around,
"Are you gonna make me stand out here or you gonna invite a brotha in?"
"Well I dunno. You gonna behave?"
"Always."
He walks in quickly shutting the door behind him. He turns to face toy without skipping a beat.
"Hey why do you have an umbrella? You weren't gonna hit me with that were you? Awww little sis. Remember honey, umbrellas are for rain."
"Shut up and talk. I know you're not here for a visit."
"Sis, We're in deep."
"That's funny. I could have sworn you said 'we' but there's only you. I told You running off with them would lead to nothing but trouble!"
"Now you know that's not true. I've done a lot of good."
"What has all that good done for you now? It means nothing. Everyone's after you and your group. Read my lips, EV-ER-Y ONE! And I don't even want to know how you got out of a maximum security prison."
"How do you..? Well I could tell you about it. It's quite a story, but I need something first."
"Of course you do! I knew there was a catch! Go on Wilson, I'll give you all the money I have but you can't -"
"You were taking longer than expected and that car outside is very small."
You look over Sams shoulder to see a tall man dressed similar to him. The voice sounded familiar, you stood shocked that someone had mysteriously entered your home without you noticing. Your eyes widened at the strangers.
"Oh yeah, sorry Steve. We were just having a family moment." He looks l back to you.
"You mean a family crisis." You sneer, still gripping on to the umbrella.
"Ma'am." The figure strides hurriedly in your direction, "I'm Steve Rogers-"
"Ok. First off how old do I look for you to refer to me as ma'am?" Resting your free hand on your hip, you watch Steve remove his sun glasses. "I know you've been around for a while, I would have thought you'd be up to modern speech by now."
Hearing footsteps from another part of the house you whirl around to see three others appear.
"Whew. She's a feisty one."
"Damn."
"You!" Motioning towards Sam, "Kitchen. Now! And for the rest of your little entourage- yeah.. make yourself at home but don't touch anything."
"Come on don't be like this." He looks back at you following him, away from the others.
"Be like what?"
"Like a mom." He stops in the living room. You exhale signifying your annoyance.
"Someone's gotta to be the responsible one! I thought it was just you and me? Then you ran off and joined a boy band leaving me here."
"The Avengers are not a boy band. Sis, I hate it when you're like this."
"YOU hate it?! I was left here! Worrying about you day and night! I had not one email, or letter, a freaking carrier pigeon would have sufficed! Nothing! Sam I didn't know if you were alive-"
"But I'm here now." Sam grabbed your wrists bringing your hands towards him as he sat on an arm of a nearby sofa. "That's what's important. And like I said, I need your help." He looked up at you with those big brown eyes. Those eyes that say, 'sorry mom I broke a window in the neighbors yard with my football.'
"We all do, miss." A gruff voice spoke calmly from behind Sam.
"Damn it, Samuel!" Shrieking, yanking your arms from him. You roll your eyes stomping away. "I'm not talking to you, Captain Rogers. WE are having a FAMILY meeting. He is MY family, not yours!"
Sam rolled his eyes heading toward you, "Don't go getting yourself all worked up." He rubbed your arm fake pouting.
Steve walked onto the discolored linoleum floor pausing midway from you. "Maybe not but he is my friend. A close friend." His eyes look downcast. His face looked aged and worn.
Shaking your head you started over, resting against the kitchen sink.
"Please Sam, I've lived between worked up and plain crazy for quite sometime now, If you already can't tell from my appearance. I've been questioned- multiple times about your and your 'teams' disappearance."
"Did she just use air quotes?" Scott questions, running a finger over his bottom lip.
Natasha elbows him swiftly, recrossing her arms in her lap.
Scott draws closer, moving from Natasha's side to Steve's shadow, "That doesn't sound too bad-"
You cut him off, raising your hand,
"I've been wired- that was fun and my phone tapped. I've been followed . Where you ask? Everywhere! Pick a place! I've been threatened, held at gunpoint and did I mention tortured?" Lifting an eyebrow, you look around at their shocked expressions after listing off everything I had been through. "Ok- mildly tortured, but still a fucking scary experience mind you- all because of your precious leader!" You glare at Steve. He shook his head with his eyes flicking to Sam. Sam was massaging his temples while the others sat motionless and quiet.
"And I apologize- for all of it." Steve piped up. Finally, after avoiding your line of sight he was ready for you to give him the look he had grown accustomed to seeing. The look he had seen on Tony's face the last time he had seen him.
"I'm sorry, that you had to go through that."
"Well,.. Thank you." You mumbled, his apology catching you off guard. You looked to the other members of his broken team, shuffling into the kitchen one by one. They were battered, fatigued.
Sam smirked, arms against his chest.
"Ready to hear us out?" The others turned to you. You looked at Natasha now dawning almost platinum short hair, Even under her makeup one could tell Wanda's cheeks were more sunk in than normal, Scott Lang wore more stubble than you would have imagined, and Steve. Steve's hair was longer, touching the tips of his shoulders, matching his full beard. The bags under is eyes pulled at your heart.
"Nope!" You simply say, spinning around headed back into the family room. "I like it here Sam. No one knows I'm here- except my editor ."
"Wait what happened to your
Job at-"
"Shh, I'm not talking about that right now." You sigh, rubbing your forehead.
"Sam this was a mistake-" Steve began.
Sam hovers over you, "Listen, you know I wouldn't have come here if I had any other choice, right?" Sam gripped your shoulders making you face him, "The last thing I ever wanted to do was put you in any danger. Why do you think I've stayed away for so long?"
You look at the others, sighing.
"Yeah ok. So what does Steve Rogers and his band of misfits need?"
"A place to stay- a safe house." Steve looked at you, removing his baseball cap. "
"And the first thing you thought was mom and dads lake house?!?" You scoff, walking around Sam heading for the linen closet. "Of course. I guess you can and they can stay. Everyone can stay." You threw your hands up just as Sam threw his arms around you lifting you into the air, leaving a big sloppy kiss on your cheek.
"Thanks." He smiles, looking out towards the others. "She said we can stay!" He yells. The others dismiss themselves. Either to remove their jackets and shoes or bring in what little belongings they had from their car.
"Don't thank me just yet alright?" You return with your arms stacked with folded blankets. "I'm out here trying to take a break from the city, and work on-"
"The novel. Yes. I had forgotten." Sam wags a finger at you, distributing the items you recovered.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, how popular is this book?" Scott softly speaks unsure of your reaction.
"It's just something I've been working on.." You shrug your shoulders.
"For an extended amount of time."
"Well I had some hick ups."
"You mean break ups."
"Ahem!"
"You've been working on the book since he joined, haven't you? Knew it!" Scott spoke slapping his knee.
"Just for the record-" You yell over your shoulder, heading upstairs, "I was team iron man."
"That's cold! real cold." Sam retorts shaking his head.
"Boo!" Scott hollers, giving you a thumbs down. He turned to Wanda passing her a blanket. "I like her. She's spunky. I like spunky."
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You knocked on the wood frame of the entree way. "Rise and shine guys. I've got the guest rooms ready." You hear grumbling from the folded out sofa beds. "Due to how many of you there are- everyone might have to bunk up."
"Ok. Sounds like a soundproof plan."
"Calm down tiger." Natasha yawns, her hair mildly staticky.
"I'm sure we are all adults here. Pick your bunk buddy." You snicker. When scot and sam shoot a cut-throat glance at you, you clear your throat over the high pitch sound. "Well me and you can bunk together big bro!" You say sarcastically.
"It's only far . Natasha and Wanda, Scott and Steve. But we'll have one room left. Are you expecting any other teammates?"
Steve looks over at Sam,
"Bucky's best in wakanda. He's safe and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible."
"Got it." You nod, "Oh, Where's the one that shoots arrows?"
"Clint Barton's At his farm. In short, he's safe too. Right where he's needed most- With his family."
"Ok. Well, it's up to Sam but since you're the leader I figure-"
"No we're imposing on you. Why don't you guys keep your rooms-ok?"
"Steve-"
"Sam, It's the least we can do. Scott and I can share right, Lang?"
Sam leaned in towards Steve,
"Listen you may not want to hear this but you've got a hell of a lot more things going on than running for your life. You take the empty room. Scott will be with me, besides we can work on our team building while you think of a way to get us out of this shitty spot we're in." Sam picks up his duffle bag, "Lang grab your crap and follow me."
"This place is honestly bigger than I thought it would be."
"Really now?"
"Considering your brother tends to exaggerate- just from time to time."
You laughed loudly, bringing up a hand to cover the sound. To your surprise Steve joined in. At that moment you knew what ever fan girl meant by how handsome Steve Rogers actually was. His eyes ever so slightly crinkled at the edges, seemed to have gained back some sparkle that was thought to have been sniffed out from the previous months. His teeth were bright and white.The others exchanged glances watching the interaction between you and him.
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"So Cap, what was all that- that tee heeing you were doing with my sister?" Sam rounded Steve, flopping some fresh clothes and toletries on the dresser.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't. Steve. I haven't seen you laugh in like -"
"Oh Earlier? It was funny, that's all. It caught me in a weird- I don't know. She seemed- like I said, it was funny, at the time."
"Not you too!"
"Not me too what?"
"Ugh. When we were growing up I couldn't bring any and I mean any of my friends over, or they would just ogle her."
"Ogle?"
"You know-Stare at? Drool over? Like she was a peace of meat."
"Ah. Ok and..."
"You're being sucked into her vortex of love and sexual prowlessness."
Steve lets out a hearty laugh, "Oh God Sam. No."
"You're getting drawn into her."
Sam began. Steve heard a thump in the hallway as Sam continued...
"She's a good girl, like too good."
Ok." Steve responds, opening the bedroom door to see you stumble, keeping one hand on the wall with another tightly wrapped around the lip of a vodka bottle.
Steve turns his head back towards Sam's direction,
"Exactly how good is she?"
"She Stays out of trouble, unlike myself nowadays. She hates attention- any kind it doesn't matter. Doesn't drink or smoke-"
Steve watched as you remove your cigarette from your bottling lip. His eyebrows shoot up watching you begin to blow rings into each of the light fixtures you pass by.
"-Level headed, but a stuck up perfectionist and all around, what we call a goodie goodie."
Steve absentmindedly licks his bottom lip watching you bend over picking up something off the ground, revealing a rose tattoo on your lower back.
"Really now?" Steve rasps, swallowing hard he shut the bedroom door.
"Yes really. So make sure you put everything you use back and exactly the way you found it."
"Hey are you sure? she may have changed. She might not be the same-"
"Oh trust me. The one thing my sister doesn't do- is change. "
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Besides having to go into town more than usual, having half of the avengers team wasn't half bad. You were definitely cooking more frequently and really got a taste of how it must have been living with them. Sometimes a tad messy though even with all the movies and board games, you could tell they were becoming nervous and stir crazy the following weeks.
"Hey," You spoke over Steve's shoulder, startling him a bit. "I thought I wouldn't be able to startle an Avenger?"
"I'm not an Avenger anymore."
"Says who?"
"Everyone."
"Anyway- umm I figure we could have fish tonight but Sammy's all thumbs when it comes to fishing. Would you mind helping me out?"
He placed his magazine off to the side looking at you. "What?"
"Nothing." Clearing your throat you look around unsure what to do.
"Why ask me and not-"
"Really, miss Romanoff fishing? And Scott's weird. Cmon!!" You grown, looking back at him.
"I don't think..."
"Please don't make me beg."
"What- " a laugh creeps through his lips. "Beg?" He questions.
You proceeded to get on your knees, resting my arms over the arm of the couch. "Oh please Captain America, I'd love it if you were to accompany me-"
Steve frowns, "I'm no ones captain." he growls. Getting up he rushes
towards Sam's room closing the door behind him.
"Ohhhh. What was that about?"
Natasha looks in from the kitchen.
"Oh that one...Trust me y/n, I've tried- multiple times- ways to make him not be so down on himself."
"Welp! I'll just leave him to his brooding. You'll know where I'll be."
"And where is that exactly?"
"There's a lake aways from here. You can see it from the porch."
"Ok. Have fun." She gave a saluting wave, before blowing off a mug of tea.
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You sat on a towel, hands shaking from the wind coming off the lake. You had done a better job fishing than ever before, just waiting on one more nibble before heading inside. Suddenly, you felt a blanket fall over your shoulders. You start to look upward when Steve plops down beside you.
"You looked a bit chilly."
"You could tell that all from the porch? Well...thanks, I appreciate it. Sorry I ended up out here longer than-"
"No worries. The fish bitting?"
"Oh yeah! I want to just make sure I have enough for everyone."
"Look, I can't express how much your gratitude means to me and for the others. We haven't had it easy.."
His voice drifted, watching the soothing waves before us.
"I can imagine. Looking over your constantly shoulder. Yeah, been there and I didn't even do anything wrong. Wait, I'm sorry that came out-"
"You're right you didn't deserve that."
"Neither did you and your friends."
We both sat quietly while minutes passed, watching as the sun began setting. It's reflection bounced off the lake. You could feel Steve face you, keeping your gaze on the sparkling lake.
"So you gonna spill about why you're supposedly no longer an Avenger."
Steve let out an long sigh, propping himself up with his hands. "Haven't you heard? They're no more. Disband thanks to me."
You nodded, looking across the vast body of water before us.
"You know, no matter what may disturb this lake it still remains? If it rains, flood abit- it still stays. When there's a drought, it may shrink but stands its ground." You lean over grabbing a rock, "if I throw this in, the water ripples. The ebb and flow of the waves change for a split moment."
I shuffled over to the edge of the sand throwing it. You listen for it to make a plopping noise. It causes ripples that spread across the dark velvety water.
"And Now the lake isn't quite the same, It's got one more extra rock inside of it. But see how calm it is now? It has adjusted and continues to be... well a lake." You finish taking your seat back on the blanket. "Ok maybe that was a bad analogy. Horrible. It sounded great in my head."
"No I get it. That was good. You're saying, because of all this adapt, focus and move forward."
"Now you sound like the star spangled man with a plan already!Oh god, I'm sorry." You cover your face. Suddenly your face feels hot with embarrassment.
"Yeahhh..."
"That just tumbled out.. man, I'm soo sorry."
"It's fine. Thank you. I-
I needed that. I needed this." Steve reaches for the fishing pole, pulling his hand back quickly when you go to slap it.
"Oh no sir. You're not MY captain! Get your own fishing pole." You pointed to the ones not far from you. His laugh was boisterous as he shot up to grab his own pole. Even in the moonlight you knew this would be the start of your demise.
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