Nightingale (Sequel to Solider Boy)

Twenty-Two

I should wait on chatting with Sharon, Melody decided as she walked through the hallway, wincing as sunlight from the massive windows blinded her as she turned a corner towards her own apartment. While she knew that she and Sharon were long overdue for a talk she also knew she was wearing the same clothes as the night before. Sharon was sharp enough already and Melody couldn't risk her noticing something off. Sharon asked too many question as it was.

As Melody took her next left, intent on the elevator, she stopped short as she heard her name called and anoyance and dread curling through her body like an infection as she turned and saw Steve Rogers walking towards her. She hadn't talked with him since the lab and she was glad for it. Melody had crossed a line with him, bringing up Stark as she had all because he'd hit far too close to home when they talked. 

She turned around and pasted a polite smile to her face. "Captain," she greeted. "Did you need something?"

Steve smiled at her in return though he looked a bit shy. Not at all like the calm, confident man who'd pulled Melody from the collapsed subway tunnel after Loki's army invaded New York. "I'd like a word with you, if that's okay." His tone was far more polite than Melody had been expecting. They'd never exactly gotten off on the right foot. 

Steve stood parallel to her, looking out a massive window at the sprawling jungle below. "I've been wanting to talk with you since...well what happened in the lab." 

"Oh?" Melody said, but even those simple words brought back the memory of her neck being crushed and the blank, empty look in James's eyes. "What about?"

"Well," he sighed but she didn't look at him anymore than he looked at her. "I owe you an apology for how I talked to you before. I was wrong and I'm sorry."

"Oh," Melody said lamely, seeing a slight frown in her dim reflection on the window. 

"I don't know you very well," he continued, breathing deeply as he tried to search for the right words. "And I don't trust you and I don't think you trust me but for Sharon's sake I think we should try to get along." 

"I don't trust anyone Captain. I can't exactly blame you extending me the same courtesy. And about yesterday, I'm sorry for what I said to you. It was out of line." 

"I forgive you," the instant response made Melody smirk. Rogers was definitely a Type Three-no wonder Sharon was crazy about him. "And I just realized, I never actually thanked you for what you did before, with Bucky and everything. It was brave."

"You don't need to thank me for doing my job." 

"Either way, I don't think there are many people out there who would have done it."

You'd better hope there aren't many people like me out there. "Most people don't have a federal agent on their speed dial." 

Steve laughed then, a hearty sound. "Yeah I suppose not." He paused again, crossing his arms over his chest.  "So think we can call a truce?"

"I think that would be best." 

"Hey," Sharon's voice carried down the blinding white hallway and Melody turned her head, heart slamming in her chest. The agent  was smiling warmly at both of them, apparently happy to see her boyfriend and best friend having a civil conversation. 

"Sharon," Steve greeted warmly, bending down to kiss her cheek. "How'd the conference go?"

"Same old stuff," she replied with a wave of her hand. "Trying to catch crazy lunatics and not agreeing on how to do it. Pretty standard. Hey Mel! Glad to see your back. Everything okay at the hospital? Bet they were happy to have the extra help, I saw more coverage of the crash this morning. Ten deaths already and those were just at the scene."