The Interpreter

Roommates

One thing Lorelei Banner loved about living with Steve Rogers was that he was just as much of a damn neat freak as she was. That and for the most part he was a relatively easy going roommate. They both had nightmares, usually one would end up waking the other. They'd have a hot cup of herbal tea and talk before going back to bed. Needless to say the last two months had been blissful.

Steve normally made breakfast and she made dinner.  Currently she was watching Steve make bacon, eggs, and toast while she scrolled through the latest news headlines. She sipped her coffee looking at Steve, she enjoyed looking at him and she openly admitted that making her new friend blush.

"You're staring again," he said.

"No red blooded, breathing woman would blame me. Honestly there's probably several that would scream at me for not making a pass at you. There are a lot of women and men that would love to see every inch that Captain Rogers has to offer," Lorelei said. That was the problem they wanted Captain America not Steve that liked to read and draw and listen to mellow jazz music and have a glass of wine.

Steve choked on his cup of coffee, "Are all women this forward?"

"Oh Stevie this isn't flirting. You'll know when I'm flirting with you. If I ever decide to flirt with you," she stated. She sighed, "Steve women have changed.  We're not all demure. Being strong independent is a little more acceptable now."

Steve chuckled, "Bold women never scared me Lorelei." He faced her at the tiny island, broad arms crossing against his equally broad chest.

"Dear I would hope not because your friendship with Evie would make no sense." She sipped her coffee, as she raised her eye brow.  No one on this planet besides Evelyn Stark would believe that Steven Grant Rogers, Captain America, the owner of America's ass as Lorelei had dubbed it the first time he'd ran into her bedroom in boxer briefs, was a giant flirt. And damnit she enjoyed flirting back with him most days.

Just most days. Occasionally flirting with Steve Rogers was exhausting. He didn't understand her references, or even her sometimes. And she respected that. She loved listening to him tell her stories about their very neighborhood in the forties. More often than not she fell asleep while he told her stories and played with her hair. She'd find his doodles around the apartment. Steve would draw her, often, the curls that fell from her bun, and would land on her neck, the crinkles around her eyes when she'd smile. Her hands. Occasionally her feet and toes after she'd freshly paint them.

What Steve didn't know is she has stashed all of those doodles and they were safely in her jewelry box.  Locked tightly. She treasured them. Along with the box they were in. Bruce had had it custom made for her when they were in India a few Christmases ago. She was excited that this year she'd get to spend Christmas with her brother once again.

"Stevie Christmas is in a  month and a half. So you have plans?" Lorelei asked.

"I'm going to DC with Evie. They're opening the exhibit in a couple of weeks and I'm just going to stay through the New Year," he answered, "Why?"

"I wanted to know if you wanted to meet Bruce," Lorelei trailed off, as he sat a plate in front of her.

"I would like to meet your brother. Just not when flying is involved," Steve said.

Lorelei laughed. "Fair enough."

"You've got therapy at one don't forget," he said, settling down beside her.

"I won't. Stop mother hen-ing me Rogers," she teased nudging him with her elbow.

"Want to yell at me instead of your poor therapist?" he asked.

"Maybe as long as we try that new vegetarian place," she said.

"Why?"

"Because you love me Rogers," she stated.

"No I adore you," Steve corrected, kissing her temple. 

They ate their breakfast in companionable silence. Lorelei kissed his cheek before she left for work. Steve stood at the door holding his cheek where she'd kissed him. He sighed, "Damnit I need your advice Buck."

After that realization, he took a walk, to the grave where him and Buck were supposedly buried. He sat in the snow at Bucky's headstone. He wondered how many times Evie sat in this spot and talked to both of them. Missed both of them.

"Damnit Buck if you could see Evie. She's so much stronger than I ever would have imagined," he said, "She's lonely though. Speaking of lonely I need your advice."

Steve spoke about Lorelei, living with her, her smile, their jokes. He missed his best friend. It made him angry, he should have Buck and Evie teasing him about Lorelei. Now he was wading through a life he didn't understand. Evie had been back and forth between New York and DC the last several weeks. He kept in contact via Lorelei and his 'out dated' phone.

Steve sighed, "I just don't get it. I don't get her. Either one of them honestly. Evie just buries herself in work. I don't think she's ever came up for air and just grieved. And if she has it was likely ugly. Now she just works. Hard and she's good at what she does Buck. The best. Then Lorelei she's sarcastic, witty, and she's tough. She doesn't need anyone especially a hanger on that has no idea what in the hell anything is."

Steve looked over at his own grave, "Maybe I was better off in the ice Buck." He sighed enjoying the peace around him. There was always something quiet about a cemetery. His parents were buried not far from this plot, and Buck's were here somewhere as well. 

He sat and wallowed in his own grief for a while longer before heading off to meet Lorelei at her appointment. He was going to push her today. Make her cuss him. He enjoyed her fury, oddly enough.

"Fuck you Rogers," she hissed as he increased her weight on the leg press.

"Do you want back in the field or not Banner?" he asked, as she did another set of reps. "Because right now I wouldn't put you back out in the field. You're not strong enough."

Alex's eyes grew wide, as he waited for Lorelei explode on Steve.  Lorelei looked at her friend sweat rolling down her forehead, neck and chest.  She heaved another breath and looked at Steve. He braced himself for her wrath. When she glared at him and didn't say anything he pushed back.

"You're a fighter Lorelei, so fight back. Get angry because it's the only way for you to get back out there," Steve said.

"Add the fucking weight Rogers," she snarled.

Steve upped the weight, "Fight back. You don't want your career over."

Lorelei did the reps before standing up. She wanted to hit Rogers. For the first time in months she stood strong and swung a punch at Rogers. He blocked it, "Is that all you've got Banner?"

She threw another punch. This one landing on Steve's chin.  "There she is," he taunted as she went after him throwing punches and a solid kick to his ribs. It didn't expect it to hurt but damn it, it did.

The hand to hand combat lasted for another thirty minutes before Lorelei collapsed in exhaustion. Steve looked over at her and laughed, "You're tough Lorelei."

"Fuck you Rogers," she snapped.

"I'm getting really sick of you throwing that out there as an offer," Steve said.

"Not an offer Rogers a statement of fact," she said.

Steve pulled her close, draping an arm around her shoulders. "You're going to be okay Lorelei."

"Thanks Steve for everything," she whispered, as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Anything for you, beautiful," he murmured into her hair.