Love Like Ghost

all the moments that i ran from

Nothing a Tylenol couldn't solve. I threw two pills back and downed a glass of water before staring at myself in the square mirror. 'Idiot.' I sighed pinching the bridge of my nose. I didn't want to leave my room in fear of the facing what happened last night. I always kind of felt Steve and I had flirtatious banter, but I didn't think he felt that way about me. I figured he'd only ever feel that way about one girl and she was in a nursing home currently. The sigh left again as I pulled my hair back into a high pony fixing the band around my pants as I flipped the lights off to face the music. Nobody was in the kitchen as I filled my water bottle up, but I soon heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Fun night?" I jumped at Bruce's voice.

"What do you mean?" I searched his face wondering if he knew something. Bruce look at me strangely and pointed at the empty bottle of margarita mix. "Oh...that. Yeah it was nice to just hang out instead of on a mission." I looked back at him. "But then again you guys do more work than I do."

Bruce sat down across from me. "You do a lot for us. I am thankful you're there on the missions with us."

"Thanks," I smiled. I didn't fight with them, but I tried to make sure they stayed in one piece while they were out there.

"If it wasn't for you and Nat helping me out with my...situation..." He trailed off looking down. "Anyways...where are you off to?"

I raised an eyebrow as if my athletic attire didn't give me away. "I need to sweat this alcohol out."

He chuckled. "Good luck with that. Maybe we can do another yoga session today; been feeling kind of stressed and that always helps me out."

"I'd loved to Bruce." I smiled my eyes crinkling shut. Bruce usually kept to himself afraid people were afraid of him, but I genuinely enjoyed the guy. "Catch you on the flip side!" I called out over my shoulder heading off to the gym. I put my headphones in wanting to run a couple laps before I did some weight training. I probably didn't need to work out as much as the others, but it was a free gym and I liked to at least try to keep up with them. I was on lap three when the two of them walked through the door. I groaned silently to myself; I thought they would have woken up earlier to do this shit. I slowed down as they stopped in the middle of the track. I pulled the earbud from my ears and stared at them leaning to one leg to stretch. "Why are you guys here?"

Steve chuckled placed a hand on Clint's shoulder. "Somebody was too hungover to wake up at our usual time." They were usually up at the crack of dawn to train.

Clint groaned stretching his arms. "Why are you here?"

"Figured I needed to burn off those margs from last night," I chuckled at him. "I'll let you guys do your thing I'm not trying to get shown up." I walked passed them putting my headphones back in to set up my squat rack knowing very well they would laugh at the weight I used. I didn't care. I'm not super human and they knew that so why try and kill myself to prove to them I could keep up. I cant keep up and I was okay with that.

"Need a spot?" Nat walked up behind me sweaty from her usual combat training. I nodded, "You good?"

I did my first set and racked the bar back up looking at Steve doing his usual 1000 laps per minute. "Don't say anything." Nat was a secret agent, but I knew I could trust her with my life. "Steve kissed me last." I sighed.

"Why are you sighing?" She furrowed her brows.

I played with the bar tossing a look over my shoulder at him. "I don't know...I'm just not ready for that."

"Because of the last guy?" She crossed her arms. I shrugged at her. "Look you barely remember the guy...you cant even remember his name."

"He was important."