UNTHAW: Comet and the winter soldier

Four

When I walk through the front door of the house I remind myself that I was here as an assignment. This after party would be the first fun thing I had done for myself in a while.

At the meet I told myself if they won, it'd be a sign to accept George's invitation he extended at the beginning of the meet.

He had been surprised when I walked into the gym with Jessica tagging alongside. We were passing right as the team had came from out of the locker room and he tugged his goggles from off his eyes when he saw me. For a moment his mouth just hung open, a shocked grin. It reminded me of Peter, the way he used to look at me when I would say please or thank you. But I focus on his green eyes and his curly brown hair that curled from underneath his swim cap he nervously tugged off. That and I admired his body that was on display. In his speedo I, couldn't help but notice his athletic build now free of layers. His arm muscles complimented those of his legs and before I could stare at his broad chest for much longer I felt something inside of me begin to unthaw. "Wow... I did not think you would come."

"George, right?" I half-joke with him.

I had double checked with Jessica before we got inside. From behind me she laughs.

"Very funny," he shoots daggers at me before nodding to Jessica, "Thanks for finally hauling her out to a game."

"Thanks for finally asking her out."

His face burns to red and he clears his throat, "Uh we're having an after party to celebrate. You guys are more than welcome to come." His hand brushed through his hair no doubt kicking himself for pushing his luck that I would agree.

"You don't even know if you're going to win," Jessica points out and I nod in agreement.

George simply smirked and pulled his goggles back over his eyes. "Oh, just wait."

He was right in the end, his team was victorious. Now Jessica and I squeezed through the front door of the address that had been floating around at the end of the swim meet. Apparently this was the house where half of the swim team lived. Blue and purple lights glowed from LED strip lights on all the walls. There were more bodies in the room than I could count and I could see more talking, dancing and playing a drinking game in the backyard. Above us was the second level where a DJ stood waving his hands while he mixed transitions to different songs. There were more people behind him and I could smell the stoners weren't too far away, smoking on the balcony. Clouds of smoke blew into the house causing me to turn my head. The smell still reminded me of MJ.

Before I could dwell on nostalgia for too long, Jessica was tugging me out of the thought and towards the kitchen. "Drinks," she explained over her shoulder as we paved through the crowd.

The one great thing about being a woman in college was that you never had to pay or wait for drinks. Once in the kitchen we pushed to the make shift bar where a man stood behind two stacked coolers in sunglasses and a speedo. A wall of bottles stood behind him. "What can I get you ladies?"

"Two shots of fireball. Each." Jessica tells the man who nods in agreement.

I stand beside her as he pours our shots and I laugh at her joke. She always ordered a shot of fireball for me as some inside joke. After the shots are poured we stand side by side and knock them back. Jessica whoops excitedly then asks for two cups of the jungle juice that was floating around in everyone's red cups. When she hands me the cup I slyly pour some of the flask I had in the back of my pocket. Steve had given me the flask after I graduated high school as a gift from him and Thor. Apparently it was the only substance that could intoxicate a Super Soldier. I had only drunken from the flask twice. The first time I can't remember and the other I could remember, a night of drinking and staying in with Peter.