HeartBound {Avengers Fanfic}

Chapter 5: Honesty of Lies

" 'So you're always honest,' I said.

'Aren't you?'

'No,' I told him. 'I'm not.'

'Well, that's good to know, I guess.'

'I'm not saying I'm a liar,' I told him.

He raised his eyebrows.

'That's not how I meant it, anyways.'

'How'd you mean it, then?'

'I just...I don't always say what I feel.'

'Why not?'

'Because the truth sometimes hurts,' I said.

'Yeah,' he said. 'So do lies, though.' "

–Sarah Dessen

Freyja kept as still as possible, fighting every instinct telling her to run from the man with the all-too familiar eyes. Fear still sparked through her as she remembered rough hands holding her wrists above her head and the taste of blood on her lips. This is not the same man, she thought to herself, he simply has similar eyes. But they weren't simply similar, they were uncannily the same. The same as the eyes that she had thought beautiful before the man who had possessed them revealed himself as a monster. But this was not the same man. The similarities ended with their eyes.

"Freyja, this is Captain Steve Rogers," Bruce motioned towards the blonde man in a tee shirt and jeans.

He took her hand carefully, unlike the others had, "Pleased to meet you, Freyja."

She smiled, though the gesture was forced as she fought back her panic, "The pleasure is mine, Captain."

"Natasha Romanoff," Bruce continued as the red-haired woman came gliding forward, extending her hand. "And Clint Barton."

She shook the hand of the other man, Clint Barton, last, her eyes cast on his lips to avoid his gaze, "It is a pleasure to meet you formally. I believe you shot me out of the air?"

He smiled, which she stiffly returned, "Sorry. I was following orders."

She nodded, "I would hope so, I was beginning to think there was no such thing as manners on this planet."

Tony, Bruce, and Steve laughed, though both Natasha and Clint seemed slightly peeved. They dragged another table over and sat down. Steve took the seat next to her, at the head of the table, giving her a chance to speak with him.

"Captain," she started, putting down her wrap, "if you don't mind my prying, you are not from here, are you?"

He shook his head, "Not exactly. And you can call me Steve."

"Where are you from, if I may be so bold?"

"With all due respect, ma'am, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"And if I told you I came from a similar place as Thor?"

He raised his eyebrows, "You came from Asgard?"

"I was born in Vanaheim," she clarified, "but I spent most of my adolescence in Asgard."

"So do you have a title?" Clint asked, causing Freyja to stifle a flinch.