The Shield and the Rose || S. Rogers

Monday

Early Monday morning, Katherine woke up to start her day.

Steve had been on her mind the entirety of Sunday as she held out on going to the same little restaurant that they both ate at daily. Her thoughts were so focused on him that she was too distracted to even attempt to listen to thoughts that surrounded her as she went about her day.

Dressing a bit more laid back than she normally did, Katherine made her way to the café that she had gone to Steve with on Saturday. She ordered her usual drink before making her way outside and glancing at those that passed by briskly on the pavement. A buzz of her phone caught her attention. Pulling it out, she gulped down the sip she had taken of her coffee and answered.

"Hey, Vic," Katherine's voice was even as she answered the phone call from her sister.

"Kate," Victoria's voice was seemingly urgent.

"Yes?"

"How are things going with you and your work?" her sister pressed unprovoked.

"Everything is fine," Katherine shrugged.

"Are you sure? You know, I'm not there to help you out."

"Vic, I don't need help with my work. It's nothing difficult."

"Kate-"

"Victoria, I'm serious. I'm fine."

"You've had this job for how long now? And seemingly, you've had no progress."

"Slow progress isn't no progress," Katherine argued. "Besides, I've been working my ass off every day working on this job."

"And yet if you have nothing to show for this job soon, the boss will-"

"Be about ready to kill me, yeah yeah," she shrugged off her sister's words. "That's nothing that I haven't heard before."

Katherine began to walk along the sidewalks as she continued to drink her coffee and listen to the nagging of her older sister. Katherine and Victoria had always been a bit competitive with one another. Going into the same field and into the same occupation as one another, they were always trying to prove that they were the more capable sibling. 

However, deep down, Katherine just wished that she had a better relationship with her sister. One that had nothing to do with work and everything to do with being siblings. Victoria, despite her competitiveness, did seem to care about her sister deep down. She just liked to rub it in her face when she was falling behind.

"Oh, and by the way," Katherine said to her sister. "I really am making progress."

"If I had been given that job, it would have been done with long ago," Victoria's voice was filled with arrogance.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," she smirked to herself.

"And why's that?"

Glancing up at one of the buildings, Katherine recognized the Avengers Tower. Thinking of Steve, she felt a bit of redness flush her skin as the heat rose to her cheeks. She'd be seeing him later that day, sitting in the same spot that he always sat.

"I'm the mind reader."

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

Just as he did every day, Steve sat at the same table at the little restaurant. Katherine smiled to herself as she saw that he was drawing in the same little journal that he always had with him. Walking closer, she came to a stop beside him.

"I'm sorry, is this seat taken?" she grinned.

Startled, Steve looked up at her quickly before smiling. Moving his lunch and his journal out of the way, he gestured to the chair.