Dark Arrow

Chapter Seventeen

A late night  mission wasn't what Steve had planned on that night, but Fury had insisted. He'd wanted nothing more than to go and invite Rain out for a drink, hoping to spend some more time with her.
After their night together a few nights ago, he hadn't been able to get her off his mind. Something had fundamentally changed between him, rather than scare him it was exciting. For the first time since the forties he could feel himself opening up to someone.

"So you and Rain seemed pretty happy this morning." Nat states, noticing that Steve isn't one hundred percent present. She'd noticed the change in him since the night of Tony's party, but Bucky had assured her if there was anything to know, Rain would tell her. It wouldn't stop her digging for information though. They were two of her closest friends after all, her family.

"Can't say I noticed." Steve lied, placing the ear piece into his ear.
He'd helped Rain make breakfast for the team, smiling and laughing with her the whole way through. He never had been a good cook, but it was fun with her. They'd dialled things back when the team walked in, apparently not enough though.

Nat looks at him, biting back a laugh as she gets herself ready for the mission.
"Don't give me that look." Steve tries to admonish her, only succeeding in making her more curious.

"So nothing happened when you both disappeared for the entire night?"

At least he knew he could count on JARVIS to keep quiet about where the two of them truly were that night. Holed up in Rain's room, talking until well into the early hours before they'd both fallen asleep.

Steve walked out on to the ramp of the jet, the wind whipping up around him. He looked over his shoulder at Nat. "I have no idea what you mean." He jumped before she had a chance to say anything else.
He wanted to get this mission done as quickly as possible so he could get back, knowing he needed to see her again.

***

The sunlight streamed in through the windows, waking me up. I must've forgotten to shut the blinds when I fell asleep last night. I'd been training with Bucky, which had led to me falling asleep the second my head found my pillow. He might pull his punches when we train, but he certainly doesn't go easy on me.
I threw the covers off me, climbing out of the bed stretching as I stood up. It was then that I noticed something that didn't belong here. On the small sofa in the corner of the room laid Steve. I called out his name as I walked over to him with my hands on my hips. I wasn't sure how he'd gotten in my room, or why.

"Morning friend." He muttered, his voice still husky from sleep. I refused to admit how sexy it was coming from him.

"Your room is literally next door. Why are you here?"

His eyes roamed over me, I was only in a red lace bra and a pair of shorts that barely covered my ass. The look in his eyes was one I was thoroughly enjoying, I couldn't let him know that though. We were just getting used to being friends. I cleared my throat to get his attention.

He pulled the blanket further round him, curling back into the sofa. "I'm hiding from Nat and her interrogation."

That woke me up more than any amount of coffee would. I wasn't ready for the team to realise how much things had changed between us, I needed to wrap my own head around it first.
"What did she say? And when did you see her? It's six am."

"Mission late last night. She kept asking what happened after Tony's party." His eyes remained closed as he answered my questions.

I tried to keep calm as I took in what he was telling me. Of everyone on the team, of course it would be Nat that started digging. "What did you tell her?" I tried to keep my voice calm as I looked at him.