𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐄 » avengers x reader

55. Dangerous Neighborhood

"I haven't had much of a chance to explore my old neighborhood since—" Steve began as we stepped out of the small diner after our little milkshake stop.

"Since you dethawed?" I finished for him.

"I was gonna say 'returned to active service', but I get your point," he corrected me. Before he began his neighborhood tour.

He extended his arm out to me as if he wanted me to link my arm around it, "Is Brooklyn dangerous?" I teased him.

"No... Well I don't know what it's like now, but I'm just being a gentleman," he smiled, arm still held out to me.

I playfully rolled my eyes, "I guess I can't really say no to a gentleman." As I linked my arm around his and leaned my head against his broad shoulder and we sight-saw around Brooklyn.

He pointed out a lot of places like playgrounds he and Bucky used to play in when they were kids, and his old barbershop but a lot of them were replaced with new architecture or shops that weren't around in the forties.

"My mom and I lived in that third-floor walk-up right over there..." Steve explained as I noticed a homeless man laying down on a piece of cardboard beside us. He eyed the two of us intently making me slightly wary of him. I didn't say anything to Steve, but it did remind me we were here on a mission.

"...The new vendor on that corner gave me a dime a day to hawk the evening edition for him," he reminisced as a jogger ran by, also eyeing the two of us oddly. I acknowledged her too but carried on with the tour just in case I was reading into nothing.

"Over there? Where the gluten-free organic wrap stand is?" I asked, as once again, 1940s buildings were replaced with 21st-century object.

"Yeah...we didn't have those back in the old days," he noted, "Or an internet/fair use coffee bar every twelve feet."

"I'm sorry. Was coming back here bringing back unhappy memories?" I asked, becoming aware of the homeless man and jogger who were now on our tail. I didn't have to turn around to know they were there, I could sense it.

We were making our way back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. motorcade which was parked in a nearby alleyway to try and not draw any attention.

"No... I mean sure it's bittersweet, in a way, 'you can't go home again' and all that. But it's nice to see the next generation making good use of it, y'know?" He smiled as we approached the car.

"There's something comforting knowing the world doesn't stop turning when your not around," he continued.

"Y/N are you feeling okay?" He asked, his brows furrowed as he looked at me.

I looked down to notice that my fingernails were dipping into Steve's bicep, probably the giveaway that I was on-edge, "I think we've been spotted. Those people a few feet behind, they're following us." I warned him.

Steve didn't hesitate to unload the trunk, where we stashed our uniforms and get changed. He stood on the other side of the car to give me privacy as we both suited up, me in my new uniform and Steve in his new stealth suit.

We hid behind the car waiting for the stalkers to follow us into the alleyway. Once they were clear from the street and away from possible accomplices, we could strike.

"Where'd they go?" We heard the jogger say and immediately we pounced over the vehicle; I engaged my blade and Steve tossed his shield straight into them.